It’s that time of year! Get your cleaning grubs on, don your rubber gloves and get busy organizing.

The Sedan Area Chamber of Commerce Annual City Wide Yard Sale is Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8.  See more information in a complete story elsewhere in today’s Prairie Star.

The Moline City Wide Garage Sales will be held April 30 and May 1. Contact the City Office to be put on map at 647-3665.

The City of Longton will have a city-wide garage sale on Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24. Maps will be available at Kirk’s Mini-Mart, Longton Grocery and Rick & Debbie’s Cafe. Participants are encouraged to contact City Hall to be put on the map free of charge. Rain dates are April 30 and May 1.

Two area high schools are filled with excitement this week for the upcoming weekend prom festivities.

The Elk Valley Jr.-Sr. Prom will be held this Saturday, with walk-in beginning at 5:30 p.m., and dinner following at 6 p.m.  This year’s prom theme at Elk Valley is “The Afterglow.”  The public is invited to come view the prom attendees as they arrive for prom.

The West Elk Jr.-Sr. Prom will also be held this Saturday.  The theme this year is “A Night on the Ocean Floor.”  Pictures will begin at 6 p.m., followed by promenade at 7 p.m., and the prom from 8-11 p.m.  After-prom activities will be held beginning at 11:30 p.m.

This year’s prom prince and princess candidates are Sabetha Young, Cortney Miller, Kailey Townsley, Sydney Hines, Cole Mull, Michael Craig, Luke Stewart, and Ty Roebuck.  Candidates for prom king and queen are Natasha Harper, Denim Lanning, Jennifer Eldridge, Leigh Campter, Nathan Cooley, David Townsley, Cody Jones, and Kaitlin Wilson.

State Rep. Jeff King, R-Independence, will hold a listening tour throughout Montgomery, Elk, and Chautauqua counties at the following locations beginning today (Thursday).

Area patrons are invited to any of the tour locations:
• Thursday, April 22: Montgomery County Judicial Center basement in Independence, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, April 26: Niotaze City Hall, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.; Peru Truck Stop, 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.;  Chautauqua Senior Citizens Center in Chautauqua, 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Buck’s BBQ in Sedan, 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
• Tuesday, April 27: Howard City Library, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.; Grenola Senior Center, 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Moline Community Center -10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Elk Falls Senior Center, 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.; Longton Senior Center, 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.; Elk City Community Center, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Read more

A “Wake Up America” rally is set for Saturday, April 24, in the Severy school auditorium and the event will be open to the public.

Local sponsors of the town hall event say that speakers will include Gary  Benefield, Larry Halloran, Dale Chafee and Derrick Sontag.

Benefield will speak on behalf of the National Rifle Association. Halloran will represent the I-Caucus. Chafee will talk about the Fair Tax and Sontag will represent Americans for Prosperity.

Several candidates for public office have indicated they may attend. They include Todd Tiahart for U.S. Senator, Jim Anderson for Fourth Dist. Representative, Kris Kobach for Kansas Secretary of State and David Powell for Kansas Insurance Commissioner.

The candidates will be available for questions and answers.

Doors will open at 10 a.m. and a light lunch will be served on the premises.

For information about the Wake Up America rally, contact one of the following: Julaine Hilton 620 736-2096, or Gene Perkins 620 374-2045.