A Blonde Raccoon Has Been Seen Roaming the Roads of Hornick, Iowa

There's a new resident in the town of Hornick, Iowa that has people talking.

If you're not familiar with Hornick, it's a small little town in Woodbury County that is technically part of the Sioux City metropolitan area.

You should know this new member of Hornick is not your ordinary, average resident. Those who have encountered him describe him as a fury, four-legged, blonde raccoon. That's right, I said a "blonde" raccoon.

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Now when you think of your typical-looking raccoon, chances are you probably conjure up images of a critter with those distinctive black mask markings around its eyes, with black rings around its fluffy tail. Nope, not this little dude, supposedly this new Iowa resident is a very rare albino raccoon.

Dakota News Now is reporting that several videos captured from Hornick resident Krystal Folsom's phone depict a blonde raccoon hanging out outside her back door.

According to the Dakota News Now article, a couple of weeks ago, Folsom peeked out of her door, and low and behold there was a blonde raccoon.

Folsom has lived in Hornick for eight years, and during that time, she's seen numerous raccoons, but never an albino one.

Dakota News Now reports that Folsom had a hunch she was dealing with a rare little critter so she hopped on the internet and did some research. She discovered that blonde raccoons are indeed rare. It has to do with the pigment in their skin, the recessive genes have to be just perfect for it to come out as blonde.

Now Folsom is on a quest to get more quality time with old Blondie. She started putting out corn and grapes with the hope that it would help lure more raccoons to her yard.

Sounds like the plan is working, her blonde fury friend made another appearance on Tuesday night of this week. Word has it, this time he came right up to her window.

Folsom is a big animal lover at heart and plans to keep on leaving out food for the raccoons in the hope that she continues to have many more Blondie sightings in the future.

Source: Dakota News Now

Dives Worth a Drive in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota

Almost every small South Dakota town has a watering hole. It’s where the locals go to kick back a few brews and engage in conversation.

Some of these establishments are located in buildings almost as old as the town itself. There might be a fresh coat of paint on the walls or new vinyl on the booth seats, but the ambiance is still reminiscent of a good ol’ dive.

If you think a "dive" is all about the sketchy clientele, the smell of the Devil’s lettuce, and stale Grain Belt, you’d be wrong. Not every dive has a bad reputation.

What makes a dive, a dive?

A dive has character. Neon beer signs and local memorabilia adorn the walls.

You might find a pool table, dart board, and a few video lottery machines.

The bartender knows the regulars by name and they know what you drink.

Some dives don't even serve food except for bags of chips and pickled eggs that sit in a jar of brine on the bar.

Dives aren't fancy. You might see 70's-style wood panels on the walls and wobbly tables leveled with a folded napkin.

Finally, the bathrooms. The bathrooms in dives are in a class by themselves and could be a whole topic on its own.

There are several small-town dives in our area with friendly faces, cheap booze with a burn, and even really good food! We use the term "dive" in the most affectionate way.

Here are some of the best and why you should go there.

Gallery Credit: Karla Brown

10 South Dakota Myths Even Some Natives Believe

Have you ever notice how much outsiders (and some insiders) get wrong about South Dakota? They believe and repeat some of these ridiculous South Dakota stereotypes.

SO, to do our part in educating folks, here's a list of some of the most ridiculous myths outsiders always believe South Dakota.

Gallery Credit: Andy Gott

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