The heat didn’t hinder families coming out to celebrate red, white and blue fun during the Independence Day parade in Crystal. People gathered and sounds from horns and sirens blasted loud noises that echoed throughout the streets of Crystal as the parade moved through town. Excited happy children raced to gather candy from various fire trucks, floats and other vehicles containing riders who were waving and smiling as they took part in the parade to celebrates America’s independence on a hot Wednesday morning.

Despite the many problems and needs teenagers face on a daily basis — both in one’s personal life and in school — students at Carson City-Crystal Area Schools recently devoted one hour of their school day to selflessly give to thousands of families they will never meet. Students participated in an hour-long food packaging effort Friday, April 20, in the gymnasium of Carson City-Crystal High School, where they packaged 10,000 bags of food to feed the hungry.

A shed, pickup truck and other “odds and ends” were lost in a fire Wednesday morning behind The Corner Market convenience store on Stanton Road east of Vickeryville Road. Property owner Dean Young, whose son manages the store, said he was working in the greenhouse around 7 a.m. behind the store when he heard “crackling” and “little banging” noises coming from outside.

The third annual Crystal Lake Winter Festival has been canceled due to mild temperatures which have made Crystal Lake unsafe for winter activities. The festival was previously rescheduled from Jan. 21 to Feb. 11 in hopes that temperatures would be cold enough for Crystal Lake to freeze with a thickness of at least 12 inches of ice, but Winter Festival Committee Chairwoman Pam Greenhoe said mother nature just didn’t cooperate.