Happy New Year! So far, I’ve accidentally started to write 2024 twice before shoddily replacing the four with a five. I have a strong feeling these two instances won’t be the last. Old habits don’t go away quickly, but the holidays sure seem to go by fast! This whole year has been trending that way, really. Our office looks forward to utilizing all our momentum as we move into 2025―it should be the best year yet! This is only possible through the support of our members like you; thank you for joining us on this 2025 journey. We love referrals; if you know of other businesses, organizations, or individuals who aren’t yet plugged in, send them our way! We want to ensure everyone has access to the uplifting business community culture in Ottawa and Franklin County.
The Countdown Is On
We are approaching our last call for Annual Awards and Banquet tickets―the event is only thirteen days away! We need to send over headcounts by next week, so we’re asking everyone to have tickets/sponsorships registered by Thursday the 9th. That might seem like enough time to wait, but don’t! Go ahead and click this link to get registered (view that here). We are incredibly excited to celebrate with you and this year’s award winners.
If you were initially considering donating an item to our annual auction but didn’t get it to us before the holidays, let us know and we can still squeeze it in! You should be seeing this site go live here pretty soon. We have some fantastic donations up to this point; it should be a great fundraiser. Thanks to all who participated in this way. If you don't plan on donating, the other way to support is by bidding!
Weekend Weather Watch
We have had relatively timid weather conditions so far this winter, but 2025 is bringing the storms! Forecasts continue to fluctuate, but what seems certain is that Franklin County will receive snowy, but possibly more hazardous, icy conditions this weekend. Here is what our Director of Emergency Management, Thomas Winter, shared this morning. “Things remain fluid in forecasting. The current trend has Franklin County receiving around 4-6 inches of snow and about .33” of ice. The timing of the storm has also changed. We could see freezing rain as early as 6am on Saturday. Right now, freezing rain/sleet is forecast to start around noon on Saturday. This will be the main hazard for the day. Sunday morning around 6am we should be looking for the transition to snow. The snow will start to exit around 6pm but we could see flurries all the way up to midnight on Sunday. Winds will be gusting 30-40 so expect whiteout conditions. Monday we will have dangerously cold weather with windchills in the -10 degrees area.” You can find the full report here if interested (click here for a situation update as of 1/3/25).
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Stay safe out there and talk to you soon!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
