Andrew Schneider

One month remains for activities every Thursday for the annual Pella Farmers Market. The weekly event will continue from 4 to 7 p.m. on the east side of Central Park until the end of September. Bob Zylstra with the Pella Farmers Market board says a wide variety of produce, baked goods, and accessories will remain for sale by a large group of rotating vendors. Hear more about the final month of the Pella Farmers Market on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.

Pella High School was briefly placed under “secure” status this morning.

Pella’s Fall Clean-Up Week is a means for Pella residential customers to conveniently dispose of bulky items that do not fit inside a garbage tote. Participation in clean-up week is limited to those who have been issued a City of Pella authorized tote (dark blue with windmills stamped on the sides). This year’s event will be held September 28 through October 2.

The state-championship winning dance team at Pella High School is raising community support through a fundraiser this fall. Online mum sales are available through Thomas Hometown Harvest through September 9th. All funds raised go towards costuming, choreography and competition fees for the Pella Forte Dance Team. All mum orders must be placed online through Thomas Hometown Harvest. Customers will pick up their mum orders on Saturday, September 12th from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM at Lincoln Elementary.

It was a busy Saturday for the Dutch fall teams, with the last of the bunch debuting for the 2026 season. Pella’s cross country teams competed at the Cedar Rapids Prairie Invitational.

A prolonged stretch of heat settles into the region, starting today. A heat advisory is in place through Wednesday evening. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures into the 90s are expected in the afternoon hours, with heat index values approaching, and at times topping, 100 degrees. The unseasonably warm conditions will be concerning for prolonged outdoor activities. The heat is expected to last through at least Wednesday, with warmer than average temperatures likely to continue through the early part of the Labor Day weekend.

The Pella City Council will review a proposal to connect a trail being constructed along the University Street extension to the Pella Sports Park at their meeting Tuesday. During a policy and planning work session, the council will discuss a $167,500 proposal to connect pedestrian traffic from the extension of University Street to the loop currently in place at the Pella Sports Park. The path would be constructed through competitive quotes, and would allow for pedestrians and bike riders to explore the entirety of the Pella Sports Park from the rec center and a main community trail. No formal action will be taken at Tuesday evening’s 6:00 meeting in the Pella Public Safety Complex.

This evening’s Pella City Council meeting will be focused largely on discussion of upcoming projects during policy and planning. Only two action items are scheduled during regular business, which includes a resolution to order construction and open bids for recoating of the north water tower, and the second reading of an ordinance to participate in the State of Iowa’s set-off program. During policy and planning, the council will discuss a proposed trail connection from the Pella Sports Park to University Street, recommendations for a Neighborhood Revitalization Grant Committee, and an update to the proposal from Pella Historical Museums related to the Trolley Station project. The Pella City Council meeting begins at 6:00 this evening in the Pella Public Safety Complex.

A local non-profit organization dedicated to supporting others through grants is hosting a second showcase of groups aiming to help others. The Pella Community Foundation is hosting a Non-Profit Showcase on Tuesday, September 15th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Pella Opera House. Those who attend can learn about the organizations in the community and how to volunteer or give to those groups throughout the year. The event is open to anyone looking to support non-profit organizations locally.

The Class of 2027 will have their first milestone of recognition as the Pella girls tennis team celebrates the outgoing class before its Little Hawkeye Conference matchup today with Ames. Seniors will be recognized at 4:00 this afternoon before the best-of-11 matchup with the Little Cyclones.