Capturing summer in a jar is easy. Watch as a canning enthusiast shares tips while preserving three-berry jam.

Do-it-yourself approach with apothecary jars and gravel highlights seasonal colors. Watch how:

It’s fall and that means that our drives get a little more colorful each passing day.

Multimedia producer put together this fall multimedia tour of some of the region’s best colors and images of fall.

Also, we want your help in compiling a “best of” fall color tour.

Add a comment below with your favorite places to see color in the tri-state area. We’ll add the best suggestions to our map.

Have a noisy or wobbly appliance? The problem could be its fan. Cleaning and servicing is quick and simple, as shown in this week’s Your Home video.

At recent health care reform town hall meetings across America, many protesters have been out and about passionately standing up for their beliefs. Some use bullhorns to share their messages, others create signs. But unlike computers, poster boards don’t have a spellcheck feature. So a word of advice before you hit the streets with your homemade sign: Proofread your work!

One example:

For some other humorous misspelled sign errors, click here. Another site with funny sign photos is the Huffington Post, which has a photo gallery called “The Funniest Protest Signs of 2009.”

Tis that time again me hearties, to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day! The official day is September 19, but some folks have started celebrating a day early. If you want to get in on the fun, learn the proper pirate vocab and body language here. It’s important to use words like “Aye!” and “Shiver me timbers!” a lot. Get your fill of pirate videos here, which is the official YouTube channel of the guys that started this holiday back in 1995. Here’s a sample:

Last but not least, prepare for next year’s big pirate day by knitting a “booty bag.” Get various patterns here.

Arrrrr!

SPENCER, Iowa – With a record 2,220 entries – 600 more than last year’s record number – Vicki McLead, of Ida Grove, Iowa, took the Best of Show award for the second year in a row in the Clay County Fair photo competition.

Deborah Jensen, of Creston, Iowa, earned the Best of Color class award with a larger-than-lifesize close-up of caterpillars.
McLead’s well-lighted “Egg Whisk” took Best of the Black and White class; and Sara Ladegaard, of Arnolds Park, Iowa, won the top award in the Creative class with her enhanced rendition of “Orange Orchids.”

Peter LaMair, of West Des Moines took Best of Show honors in the Youth category. Also in the youth category, Philip Lorch, of Ocheyedan earned the Best of Color award; Maia van Holsteijn, of Spencer won Best of Black and White; and Erin Dvorak, also of Spencer won in the Best of Creative class.

A first-place ribbon for the adult Photojournalism Class went to Russell Roberts, of Chicago, with second place honors to Rebecca Welle, of Milford, and third place to Shelly Nelson, of Dickens.

The first-place youth award in the Photojournalism Class was won by Kyle Hess, of Spencer. Second place went to Andrew Smith, of Dickens. And Ryan VerMulm, of Hartley earned a third place ribbon.

The first place adult ribbon in the Beautiful Iowa Class was won by Josh Edwards, of North Liberty, Iowa. Kay Zieman, of Royal earned the second place ribbon. And Jalycee Storley, of Spencer, place third.

In addition to her first place in the Creative competition, Erin Dvorak also earned first place in the Beautiful Iowa youth category. Samantha Brueggeman, of Harris placed second, and Emily Lorch, third.

Brian Craig, of Milford placed first in the Special Theme Class (Motion), followed by Andrea Ver Meer, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Pam Halverson, of Peterson.

Ann Brody, of Greenfield, Iowa earned the first-place ribbon in the Youth “Motion” Theme Class. Gabbie Pearson, of Spencer took second place honors. And Trinity Lux, of Hartley, earned the third place ribbon.

More than 2,000 of the entries are on display in the Photo Barn adjacent to the Pork Producers’ Chop Shop, across from the show ring on the fairgrounds.

Superintendent Dana Metcalf said more than 800 volunteer hours have gone into preparation (entry, judging and hanging of the exhibit) for the display. In addition Metcalf said she anticipates another 100 volunteer hours during the Fair, and about that same time getting the photographs returned to the photographers.

Ah, Facebook, that most incestious king of all social media.

What’s on your mind?

These folks wish that this web post would disappear.

In the past few days, plenty of people have sounded off on the Kanye West incident. The rapper rudely interrupted country singer Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at Sunday’s MTV VMA awards, bounding on stage to say singer Beyonce’s music video was one of the best of all-time. Some people, including a number of celebrities and musicians have Tweeted about the fiasco, while others have created YouTube videos making fun of Kanye. Like this one  — a combination of Kanye’s outburst and Congressman Joe’s Wilson’s. Click the play button to view.

Or there is the YouTube video of Internet Hitler video weighing in on Kanye’s behavior. Click the play button to view. (Warning: This video contains some profanity.)

Since Sunday, Kanye has apologized several times, twice online and once on TV. He appeared Monday night as a guest on “The Jay Leno Show.” He said he was ashamed of how he treated Swift and is going to take some time off from touring. Watch his televised apology below.

The Sioux City school board election is Tuesday. Here are a number of links to information that will help you make a decision at the polls.

Five vie for seat on school board – profiles of candidates.

League of Women Voters Q&A with each candidate.

School board candidates raise, spend little.

Residents query candidates at forum.

NAACP hosts school board candidate forum.

Finally, if you don’t know where to vote, here are precinct voting locations:

Precinct

1. Heartland Community Church, 3601 Country Club Blvd.

2. Central Assembly of God, 2300 W. 19th St.

3. West Middle School, 3301 W. 19th St.

4. Emerson School, 2410 W. First St.

5. Riverside School, 2303 Riverside Blvd.

6. Faith Lutheran Church, 3101 Hamilton Blvd.

7. Crescent Park School, 1114 W. 27th St.

8. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1421 Gene, a St.

9. Lincoln School, 115 Midvale

10. Clark School, 4315 Hamilton Blvd. (plus Plymouth County residents)

11. Lamb Productions, 417 Market St.

12. Boys and Girls Home, 2101 Court St.

13. Sioux City Transit System, 2505 Fourth St. (Plus Concord Township residents)

14. Boys and Girls Home, 2101 Court St.

15. Unity School, 1901 Unity Ave.

16. Trimble United Methodist Church, 1424 27th St.

17. Bryant School, 821 30th St.

18. Calvary Lutheran Church, 4410 Central St.

19. North Middle School , 2101 Outer Drive North

20. Nodland School, 5000 Mayhew Ave.

21. Washington Heights Chapel, 2600 S. St. Mary’s St.

22. Morningside Branch Library, 4005 Morningside Ave.

23. Community Action Agency of Siouxland, 2700 Leech Ave.

24. Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 S. Martha St.

25. Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Ave.

26. East Middle School, 5401 Lorraine Ave. (Plus Woodbury Township residents)

27. St. James United Methodist Church, 2032 S. Cypress St.

28 Irving School, 901 Floyd Blvd.