The Lyons Elevating All Fund, a nonprofit that lends a hand to residents of the Lyons area, was recently offered a helping hand of its own.
LEAF was the beneficiary of last month’s food drive hosted by the Lyons Backer Football Club, a local middle school football program. In its second year of hosting the drive, the club accepted donations of food and personal hygiene products for LEAF at locations in and outside of Lyons.
Jocelyn Farrell, LEAF’s executive director, shared that the drive brought in 747 pounds of donated items. According to Farrell, the spring and early summer months are typically the busiest for LEAF’s food pantry.
We had a wonderful, huge drive of goods and donations during the holidays, Farrell said, and we now have gone through a significant amount of that surplus food that we collected. So, going into the summer, it’s great because this is the opportunity to restock our pantry.
This year’s food drive gave people several opportunities to drop off donations, as the list of participating stores included the Colorado Cherry Company in Pinewood Springs and The Mountain Fountain in Hygiene. People also contributed by purchasing items on LEAF’s Amazon wish list.
Grace Simonsen, operations and volunteer coordinator for LEAF, explained that getting food donations this time of year is important, as the pantry is still waiting on the bulk of fresh produce from local farms and gardens. In ril, LEAF’s pantry served roughly 50 families a week, Simonsen said, noting that there are around 2,000 people living in Lyons.
To have a pretty solid chunk of that relying on us for supplemental nutrition is pretty significant, Simonsen said.
LEAF addresses food insecurity, mental health challenges and housing expenses faced by Lyons-area community members. The nonprofit also runs the Lyons Community Food Pantry from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays at 304 Second Ave. The pantry is open for donations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Rex Heiby, president of the Lyons Backer Football Club, was glad to see this year’s drive exceed last year’s in terms of total donations. Heiby said he knows how important the food drive is for LEAF, especially since the donations come before the summer growing season.
The community is small enough where that food can be stretched a long way, he said.
Boulder County business Cemex also pledged to contribute $750 to LEAF, and the Lyons Backer Football Club is giving a $250 cash donation to the nonprofit.
One of the core principles of the Lyons Backer Football Club program, Heiby said, is community service. He said the young athletes and their families got involved in the drive by setting up the drop-off boxes and putting up the flyers, which included a link to LEAF’s virtual wish list.
We are super proud, because we have ‘Lyons’ on our chest, that we like to give back to that community, he said.

Three Tyson Foods Inc. subsidiaries aren’t entitled to a $3.45 million refund of sales tax they paid on wooden pallets used to transfer food to customers, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
The Tyson chicken and tortilla divisions asked the justices to order the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to refund $3.45 million in sales tax they paid …

A simple blue bag stuffed with supplies gave some Southwest Florida seniors a peace of mind as the dreaded “hurricane season” kicked off June 1.
Electric company Florida Power & Light and Community Cooperative, which combats homelessness and hunger in Fort Myers, went door-to-door throughout the city on Tuesday, June 2, distributing three days of shelf-stable emergency preparedness kits, which include food, water and supplies.
It means a lot to me,” said Fort Myers resident Donald Green, one of about 500 seniors to receive the kits. “It means somebody is caring, and that’s important.”
The kits help provide meals should seniors be unable to leave their homes or receive home-delivered meals after a storm impacts the area.
Hurricane season in Florida lasts through Nov. 30.
The kits also include a hurricane preparedness guide with tips and resources.
FPL serves about 5.3 million residential customers in Florida.
In 2025, no storms made landfall in the U.S. during hurricane season, but it was an active one. Forecasters are predicting a below-normal season for 2026.
Typically, the most activity is between August and October. Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida nearly 4 years ago and recovery continues. The latest hurricane to hit the region was Milton in 2024.
This article includes information from the USA Today network.

FLINT, MI — Three days of free fun in Flint starts Friday.
The C.S. Mott Foundation, in accordance with its 100th anniversary serving Flint and Genesee County, wanted to be sure to build in a free celebration for the public to enjoy amidst its major milestone.
That’s how the Mott Foundation Centennial Family Fun Days was born.
There’s going to be a lot of activity, both inside and outside of the buildings throughout the Flint Cultural Center campus for everyone to enjoy, said Jennifer Acree, program officer on the Mott Foundation’s grant making team. We’re really excited about it … celebrating our 100th with the community.
The first-ever festival of its kind, Family Fun Days is a free, three-day community event being held June 5-7 on the Flint Cultural Center campus.
The event will bring together residents of all ages for live performances, hands-on art and science activities, a community lunch and more.
We couldn’t think of a better way to mark our centennial than to celebrate our hometown of Flint — its people, its spirit and its future, said Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Mott Foundation. This is our way of saying thank you to the community we’ve worked alongside for a century. We hope everyone comes out, brings their families and makes some great memories.
The celebration kicks off from 5-8 p.m. Friday, June 5, with free admission to the Flint Institute of Arts, Sloan Museum of Discovery and Longway Planetarium.
Local food trucks and cafes on campus will offer food for purchase. Live performers will take the stage outside the Flint Institute of Arts from 6-8 p.m.
The main event day takes place on Saturday, June 6 with activities running from noon to 6 p.m. across the campus. Highlights include:
Free community lunch from 12:30-2:30 p.m. (while supplies last)
Campus-wide scavenger hunt with big prizes
Gaming truck and bounce house
Live music and entertainment
3-on-3 basketball tournament at Flint Cultural Center Academy, with play beginning at 9 a.m. (registration required)
Fun activities hosted by the Flint Institute of Arts, Flint Institute of Music, Gloria Coles Flint Public Library, Sloan Museum of Discovery and Longway Planetarium
Explore the historic plewood Estate from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; tour the historic home from 1-4 p.m.
There really is something for everyone, Acree said.
She highlighted a foam party and reading challenge at the Flint Public Library, as well as the University of Michigan-Flint bringing an engagement truck with gaming for middle and high school-aged children.
She said the exhibits being open to the public through multiple Flint stles will help showcase the art, beauty and education in the area.
We’re really excited about it. It is our way of celebrating our 100th anniversary with the community, Acree said. It’s one of many things that we’re doing throughout the year, but this is probably the most public and most visible anniversary celebration. And so yeah, it’ll be three days of a lot of fun on the Flint Cultural center campus for people of all ages.
There will be food trucks on site, which are one of the only expenses that aren’t free — so Acree encourages anyone coming to bring some money for those who want to indulge. The cafes will also be open.
For live music performances, Acree encourages residents to bring their own lawn chairs to enjoy the show in a more laid back, casual setting.
One of the biggest draws will be the scavenger hunt, which is completed by visiting 10 locations on site.
Each participant will be given up to 10 clues to solve and get stamps along their journey to claim one of a smattering of top prizes, which include Beats headphones, wireless speakers or even an electric scooter.
The scavenger hunt is open to people of all ages.
When people come to one of the gates, they’ll receive a tote bag with a program, which has the scavenger hunt inside.
The entire scavenger hunt takes place within walking distance inside of the Flint Cultural Center campus.
The Whiting parking lot is the only lot that’s going to be available to the public, but Acree said MTA buses will be shuttling people throughout the event from Mott Community College and the William S. White lot at the University of Michigan-Flint.
We want to thank all the institutions for hosting, and they’re all going to have a variety of other activities for everyone to enjoy as well. … There’ll be swag throughout the campus, too, Acree said. You just have to come out and enjoy this wonderful weekend celebration with us. Really, it’s a whole family affair. We hope people come out with the whole family from grandparents to grandkids.
In February, the Mott Foundation announced it’s aim to grant $20 million to improve playgrounds and parks throughout the city of Flint. The foundation has already granted more than $7 million to Flint Community Schools to improve playgrounds at five elementary schools.
It’s one of several initiatives the foundation is supporting as it celebrates a century of working in partnership with its hometown and other communities around the world.
Residents have the chance to make their voice heard on what they’d like to see in their favorite Flint parks until June 6, with the option to share their opinions and priorities in person from noon to 6 p.m. on the Flint Cultural Campus.
Acree said many residents done so much work to maintain parks when other resources weren’t available for years, whether public or private.
The opportunity will allow for the chance to get to what’s needed as well as what can be added for play, recreation, fitness, and other areas, she said.
iPads will be available for use on site for residents to vote for their choice of up to three parks and up to three things they’d like to see in parks.
For 100 years, this is what we’ve done — to provide resources back to the community and do it alongside the community,” Acree said. I think it’s very propriate that this is how we decided to celebrate the 100th anniversary. More than half of our grant making is in Flint, and we’ve got a long history here.
While we do have grant making in other areas around the world, this is home to us. So we want to celebrate with the folks that have been on this journey with us. … This is a way to recognize the moment together because it’s not just about us. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the Flint community.

BATTLE CREEK, MI –– Jack in the Box will soon cut the ribbon on its first Michigan location since the 1970s.
The first of five planned Michigan locations, 2588 Cital Ave. SW in Battle Creek, will celebrate a grand opening on Monday, June 15.
The opening is slated for 6 a.m., where the fast-food chain will begin to serve its signature Sourdough Jack burger, breakfast sandwiches, egg rolls, tacos and more.
Flags outside the new location say coming soon, advertising the fast-food chain’s Famous Two Tacos and the Jumbo Jack Cheeseburger.
Inside the restaurant, the wheels are already turning.
New employees are training to make the stle menu items. Excitement to open the doors has spiked on social media and around town.
Jack in the Box, founded in 1951 in San Diego, currently has 2,200 locations across 24 states and Guam.
It returns to Michigan after a 45-year absence.
Locations previously existed in the Detroit area in the 1970s.
At least one more location in Calhoun County is planned with other locations in Kalamazoo and Kent counties to follow, the company announced previously.
More information on the planned Michigan locations can be found on the Jack in the Box website.
The new Jack in the Box location will be open 24 hours a day with dine-in, drive-thru and mobile ordering options.
Franchisee Niraj Patel is the owner of the Battle Creek location.
This is very exciting because we can give our community more food options and help provide 40 to 50 new jobs per location, Patel said at the time of the 2024 announcement.
Patel and his family have been in the West Michigan community for decades. He also owns and operates a dozen hotels throughout the region.
The Battle Creek location is currently hiring.
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