😁 Happy Friday! Today is National Creativity Day, which means you have full permission to rearrange your furniture, finally open that sketchbook, or start a wildly ambitious side project you’ll definitely finish (probably). No pressure to be brilliant; just give your imagination some space to stretch its legs.

Weekend Weather:
Today 🌤️ Hi 80, Sat ☀️ Hi 87, Sun ☀️ Hi 87, Mon 🌤️ Hi 88

B&A Club: 
🎂 Happy Birthday
Jason Reiman (44 yrs)
Lexie Wiederin -- Dedham (24 yrs)
🥂 Happy Anniversary
Clark & Vickie Tibben -- Manning
Paul & Pam Wiese -- Arcadia (44 yrs)

MARKETS FROM SHERWOOD

Build-A-Bear hits all-time high after dropping record Q1 earnings results
The 2000s-era toy giant continues to top expectations as it eyes a major expansion in Orlando.

Nia Warfield

Build-A-BearBBW $50.87 (18.91%) shares jumped as much as 22% Thursday after the teddy bear retailer posted its strongest Q1 ever.

Earnings per share hit a quarterly record of $1.17, up 42% from last year and well above Wall Street’s forecast of $0.86. Revenue climbed 11% to $128.4 million, also a quarterly best and handily topping analyst estimates of $119.1 million.

Build-A-Bear has seen a resurgence in popularity by tapping into nostalgia and expanding its appeal to teens and adults, who now make up about 40% of its customer base. The company operates about 400 stores worldwide and plans to open a multilevel “retail-tainment” hub at Orlando’s Icon Park in 2026.

“We had a solid start to 2025,” CEO Sharon Price John said, highlighting strong brand momentum and ongoing efforts to expand globally. Build-A-Bear said it’s still seeing positive trends into Q2. Looking ahead, the company expects pretax income between $61 million and $67 million for the year, which includes the estimated impact of tariffs.

Today’s earnings pop puts the stock into positive territory on the year, now up about 11%. see stock

LOCAL NEWS

Community Gathers In Support For Send-Off Of 168th Infantry Regiment Alpha Company Wednesday Afternoon

A large crowd nearly packed the Carroll Athletic Stadium during today’s (Wednesday’s) send-off of the Carroll-based 168th Infantry Regiment, Alpha Company unit on a 12-month deployment. Family, friends, and community members gathered, wishing farewell to the National Guard soldiers deploying in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Capt. Alan Johnson, commander of the 168th Infantry Regiment’s Alpha Company, said it was overwhelming to see the amount of support everyone has and continues to give to this Regiment. The guest speaker for the event was Carroll-area native Scott Siepker, who said that having no military experience, he would not offer advice on what lies ahead but rather share what doesn’t get spoken enough to these brave soldiers. Capt. Johnson thanked everyone again, including the families, friends, and community members who stand behind each soldier in the company and ended the ceremony with words of encouragement for both the soldiers and those left behind. Soldiers were given time to say goodbye to family and friends before loading the bus and heading to Ft. Johnson in Louisiana. The Carroll Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Carroll Fire Department, motorcycles, and pedestrians all lined Grant Road, waving farewell to the 168th Regiment. Pictures from the send-off ceremony can be found here.

More Local Headlines

• Carroll City Council Approve Rate Increases For Solid Waste And Stormwater; Officials Will Hold Third Reading June 9 For Water Rate Changes

• Applications Now Open For 2025 Timmerman And Renze Grants Through Iowa Savings Bank

• Sen. Ernst Hears From Local Pork, Beef Producers During Wednesday Visit To Carroll

TOGETHER WITH JACOBSEN SEED
CONTEST: Nominate Your Favorite Farmer for Vittles w/Von

ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS TO: Thank a Farmer – They Feed the World! Farmers work tirelessly to put food on our tables. Their dedication, hard work, and resilience nourish communities near and far. Right now, we are honoring those who grow, raise, and harvest the food we rely on every day! So please take this opportunity to register your FAVORITE FARMER to sit down for a meal with Carroll Broadcasting Farm Director, Von Ketelsen. FORM

PODCAST
MUST KNOW PEOPLE - Season 2 Episode 4

A legacy of passion for community service

Katie Kruse is a dedicated community leader in Carroll, Iowa, recognized for her extensive volunteer work and commitment to enhancing local initiatives. In February 2024, she was honored with the Humanitarian Award at the 60th Annual Carroll Chamber of Commerce Banquet, acknowledging her significant contributions to various community programs. Kruse's leadership and dedication have left a lasting impact on Carroll, inspiring others to contribute to the community's growth and well-being. FULL PODCAST

AREA NEWS
Area headlines

🏡 The City of Glidden aims to enhance the appearance of corners on Idaho Street by inviting residents or organizations to plant flowers or other greenery at several intersections. City Administrator Brooke Peterson says a project was completed on these same corners a while ago; the city is now seeking extra help to maintain the landscape. Peterson says this would be an excellent project for organizations, youth groups, churches, or anyone who has a passion for gardening. Sponsors would be responsible for planting and maintaining the area throughout the year. There are currently ten corners available along Idaho Street from the 3rd Street intersection north to 5th Street. Peterson asks sponsors to choose low-profile plants for safety concerns with traffic at the corners and to make room for the next project the City of Glidden plans to roll out. There is also a garden at Northland Park, located by the shelter house, for anyone who would like to maintain a larger-scale plot. Anyone interested in sponsoring a corner or the garden can contact Peterson by email at [email protected] or by calling the office at 712-659-3010.

🏥 Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday announced $2.94 million in new healthcare workforce grants aimed at expanding Iowa’s talent pipeline for high-demand healthcare jobs. Fourteen projects across the state received funding through the Iowa Healthcare Credentialing Grant, including Stewart Memorial Hospital and Clinics. Announced during Reynolds’ 2025 Condition of the State, the grant supports work-based learning programs that combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training. The programs are expected to train or upskill 399 Iowans for roles such as registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), certified medical assistants (CMAs), and healthcare technicians. Reynolds says, “Iowa’s healthcare industry has faced worker shortages in recent years. Drawing on the earn-and-learn model for health career registered apprenticeships that has already trained 80 job-ready CNAs and EMTs and has 394 current active apprentices, our state is continuing to meet this challenge head-on,” Stewart Memorial will use its $131,055 grant on its Fast Track to Healthcare Program, which will facilitate local students’ training and education through partnerships with local high schools and community colleges. Targeted careers include high-demand fields, such as nursing, radiology, and medical laboratory tech. Nearly 400 healthcare facilities applied for funding, but only 14 were selected as awardees to share a total of $2.94 million. Learn more about the Iowa Healthcare Credentialing Grant by following the link here.

👏 Van Meter has donated $1,000 to the IKM-Manning Construction Trades Program. Van Meter was selected as the 2025 Innovation Excellence Award winner through ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship and Training Trust. Through this award, Van Meter was allocated $1,000 to donate to an organization promoting trade programs for youth. Van Meter Sales Manager Ben Lorenzen says, “IKM-Manning Schools was an easy choice due to their recent investment in the Trades Program. We are partial to the Electrical Tradesman, but encourage all young people to consider a career in the Trades.” This year, the IKM-Manning Construction class, in partnership with Manning Municipal Utilities (MMU), had an opportunity for juniors and seniors enrolled to get hands-on experience in constructing a house. The house is nearing completion and will become available to purchase later this year. photo

LOCAL SPORTS

PODCAST: Weekly Sports Recap and Preview Show

More Sports:

• Sports Schedule

• Brincks Exteriors Sports Reports

• Brincks Cabinets + Design Athlete Spotlight 🆕 

• Macke Motors Photo Gallery

• Culver’s Player of the Game

• Outlaw Graphics Regional Player of the Week

• St. Anthony Athletes of the Week 

• Teamwork with Olsen’s Outdoor Power

If you want the latest local sports anytime when you want it, download our APP to read, listen, and watch everything our local sports department has to offer!

STATE NEWS
Rook Room opens Saturday with 700+ board games

Jason Clayworth

The Rook Room, a board game café and lounge years in the making, officially opens its doors Saturday — and Axios got an early look during a media preview Wednesday.

Why it matters: It's the only space of its kind in Des Moines, offering more than 700 unique board games to play alongside a full food and drinks menu.

State of play: The new hangout is situated in the former downtown space of St. Kilda restaurant, which closed at that location late last year.

What they're saying: Co-owner Tony Tandeski tells Axios he hopes the Rook Room becomes a neighborhood hub — a place where, like the 1980s TV show "Cheers," "everybody knows your name."

• There will be regular tournaments and game learning sessions, he said.

The intrigue: Game donations are welcome, and many on the shelves are from local players.

🍽️ On the menu: A range of sandwiches and snacks, including an achiote lime chicken sandwich (mozzarella, pico de gallo and lime cream) and spicy pineapple skewers — a nod to Tandeski's favorite fruit.

• Specialty drinks include the Charisma Check (Jameson, pineapple juice, sour, caramel and vanilla) and the RG&T (Revelton mulberry gin, lavender syrup and tonic).

If you go: Regular hours are 8am–midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 8am–10pm on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.

• A $7 PlayPass fee that includes game access and parking is required after 4pm.

• 300 SW Fifth St, DSM.

MORE STATE NEWS:

• Want to win an Iowa State Fair blue ribbon? Contest and competition registration is open

• JBS to build sausage-making facility in Perry

• Arrest made in 41-year-old Linn County murder case

• Iowa State football schedule: 2025 Cy-Hawk rivalry and other game times announced

MORE NEWS
What else!

• Simple hack to keep leftover wine fresh dubbed ‘life-changing’: ‘I swear by this’

• John Mellencamp calls out Pat McAfee for trashing Knicks’ celebrity fans: ‘I was embarrassed’

• Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley released from prison one day after pardon from President Trump

• See the video from Miley Cyrus for ‘More to Lose’

• Jennifer Love Hewitt returns in trailer for ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ reboot

WEEKEND

✅STREAMING: Why watching ‘Friends’ might be a red flag…
✅UV INDEX: Are you using the right sunscreen?
✅SUNSHINE AHEAD: More sunlight means more serotonin.
✅MOWING SEASON: The reason you have those “gnats” in your yard
✅HAPPY CAMPING: Tips and tricks that are full-blown genius
✅BEEF MONTH: Explore all of the cooking options
✅LISTEN: Catch the latest episode of “Must Know People” with John Ryan!
✅COMING UP: Live + Local on Thursdays starting in June!
✅SATURDAY: Touch-A-Truck Day in Glidden!
✅MERCHANTS BASEBALL: Home Game this Saturday vs. Clarinda

SHOWER THOUGHTS
The Internet killed the video and radio star.

GAMES
Ready…Get Set…Go

Take a Swing at Today’s Mini Crossword: For those of you that wake up each morning wanting a challenge—how fast can you finish this game. Ready…get set…go.

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