“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:7

Saturday night were the long-awaited high school proms at Eads and Kit Carson. In Kit Carson, they had a banquet that was followed by the prom dance. In Eads, the young couples gathered in the Plains Theatre to walk the red carpet. The young men escorted their date down the right side of the Theatre and across the stage into the spotlight. The prom king candidates were Will Crow, Duncan Habernik, and Ty Wilson. The Crow-Luther Cultural Events Center presenter, Nicole Keppler, announced that the Prom Queen was Kyra Sheridan, and the King was Ty Wilson. Little Cooper Williams and Presley McLoud presented the flowers and crowns to the royalty.

During afternoon hours last Friday, home phones rang many times with warnings of a prairie fire moving north from Prowers County toward Chivington and Brandon. The calls were from Sheriff Frazee’s office and from Shelly Englehardt’s emergency management office. They urged people in the path of the fire to evacuate their homes and ranches. The announcers on television channel 11 showed the progress of the smoke by a large green design, which I understood was shown by radar. Thankfully to our wonderful area firefighters, the green shape receded in size after about four hours, and then later phone messages said people could go to their homes. The May 3 ballot for voting for new fire district board members came in the mail that day. Do mail in your vote.

I did not know until Saturday afternoon that there was a terrible fire south of Haswell Friday. That prairie fire burned from the Las Animas area around Blue Lake and burned right up to the ranch home of Lonnie, Beth, and Porter Spady. We thank God for the Haswell and other people who came with graders and equipment to save the Spady home. Later those county workers who had been fighting the fires south of Chivington came over to Haswell to help. It was a real community effort.

I read that 25 years ago on April 18, 1997, that 250 acres were charred northeast of Haswell when a weed burning got out of control.

Law enforcement officials and media urge all people to pack an emergency bag. Have you packed yours? I had packed suitcase long ago that I forgot about, but I will continue packing the smaller alligator bag that Shirley Watts gave me.

The Entertainers concert was held at Praise Community Church Sunday. The young people are students of Mary Beth Akers.

Eads senior citizens are reminded to come to the center Wednesday, April 27, for the delayed Hawaiian theme noon dinner.

The Kiowa County Economic Development Foundation will be hosting its annual dinner meeting Tuesday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the Eads Senior Citizen Center. Please do call the office at 719-438-2200 to leave a message, or call Cindy McLoud. You will hear updates on work of KCEDF and the announcement of the three important award winners!

Fifty years ago, Mrs. Jessie Evans received word that her son, Roger Evans, had been awarded the Bronze Star medal with “V” Device. I do not know what that means, so I will ask him at church. I do know that he still suffers from wounds while being in Vietnam. Thank you for serving, my Veteran friend.

Jeanette Filpi has become such a blessing as the interim CEO of Weisbrod Hospital and Eads Medical Clinic. She is implementing many positive ideas every day, and teaches a better way in such a pleasant manner, like using the term “employees.” All the people who are hired or volunteer there are “caregivers,” not to be called “employees.”

There will be a bridal shower for Logan Smith and his fiancé, Felicia Nolan, Sunday, May 1, at the First Christian Church in Eads at 2:00 p.m.

Our community offers their sincere sympathy to Don and Esther McCoin, whose daughter-in-law died in an auto accident. Their son died a several years ago. The McCoin’s were pleased that their granddaughter, her husband, and two little boys visited them on their way home to Missouri.

Citizens might like to see the Future Farmers of America barnyard day exhibition by driving slowly out toward the football parking lot. They usually have the animals east of the classroom. Mr. Justin Lenox and his students will be going to their competitions at CSU in Fort Collins May 1-3.

The Eads Elementary School concert will be Thursday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. This is always an incredible performance by preschool, and kindergarten through fifth grade.

Baccalaureate for Eads High School seniors will be at Praise Community Church Sunday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Two music teachers will be coming from the University in Missoula Montana to instruct the children who will present the musical, “Jungle Book.” We are excited for this happening to come to our town, and for our young ones to have a cultural experience in June.

Our community offers our sympathy to Mike and Cindy McLoud. Mike’s father, Darrel, died last week. The blessing for Mike is that, since he recently retired from Kinder-Morgan, he was able to be by his father’s bedside for almost a month.