The Kiwanis Club of Algona and the Algona Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the new 150-foot zipline the Kiwanis installed on the grounds south of the Tietz shelter house on State St.
Algona City Council members have approved new regulations governing secondary homes on residential lots.
Known as accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, these are smaller, secondary homes built on the same lot as the main home. While Algona already had ordinances covering these structures, the new ordinance was passed Monday, July 21, to comply with changes in state law.
Locals can now access homes and businesses on a busy section of county road west of Algona.
Officials say the one-mile stretch of County Road P30 between U.S. Highway 18 and County Road B40 re-opened to local traffic after crews finished resurfacing. The road had been closed at times recently in order to allow crews to do their work.
State funding, local control and school accountability are important legislative issues facing Algona schools in 2025-26, local officials say.
The Algona Community School District set those as its legislative priorities for the 2025-26 legislative session during its July 14 meeting. The information will be forwarded to the Iowa Association of School Boards, which will collect similar information from districts around the state.
Lone Rock-—It’s always special whenever Blakjer Norwegian Church can host visitors from Norway. On July 12, Erik and Brit Wilberg and daughters Ingrid and Ellen toured the House of Worship of their Jensen and Wilberg ancestors who were among the church’s first members when the congregation was chartered in 1876. Cousins from the area joining in the “reunion” were Bill Blomster and extended family from Fairmont, MN. Lowell and Kathy Jensen (Swea City), Roger P.
Learn what inspires Teri Curry to stay dedicated to her role at the front desk of the Algona Aquatic Center, serving swimmers every summer.
For the past 25 years, Teri Curry has served as the friendly face that greets visitors at the Algona Aquatic Center. Today she continues to welcome kids, parents and guests to the pool in the summer. Many of the local youth know Teri well—she’s spent 27 years supporting students as a Special Education Teachers’ Associate.
The Camp Algona POW Museum is doing research on farms in the local area that might have hosted German POW’s while the camp was in operation. In addition, if there are any local businesses that used POW labor, the museum would be interested in learning about the businesses and the work of the prisoners.
An Algona resident was recently the target of an online scam that seemed so real that she fell for it at first despite the uneasy feeling she had.
She was on the internet when a new pop-up window appeared that looked to be from Microsoft. She assumed she had hit something by mistake and tried to get rid of the unwanted window. That prompted an alarm to sound on her computer, similar to a weather alert, but much louder than what she had her volume set to.
Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge is soliciting sealed bids (per harvested ton) for hay harvest on three tracts of land to be harvested in August 2025. The tracts are located in Kossuth County as follows: Portland Township: Sections 5 and 10; and Ramsey Township: Section 29.
1. Go-Kart Races: On Monday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. the Kossuth County Fair will have National Karting Alliance sanctioned go-kart racing. This year there will be 12 classes from Putt Putt all the way up to Clone Heavy. The age range of the drivers will stretch from 5 years old all the way to 60+. You can watch the races from the Grandstands at the Kossuth County Fairgrounds in Algona.
ALGONA—The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees met in regular session Tuesday, July 15, at the Algona Campus. The meeting featured an in-depth presentation on the College’s rapidly growing Allied Health programs, led by Chantel Teeter, Director of Allied Health Workforce Education.
Chantel Teeter, an Iowa Lakes graduate and long-time faculty member, was introduced by Vice President of Academic Affairs Kyle Norris.
Betsy Bekcer, ag educator at Algona High School, recently attended a Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education professional development institute at Greeley West High School in Greeley, Colorado to teach the Natural Resources and Ecology CASE curriculum.
The Kossuth County Farmers Market is a great place for finding fresh local food and homemade treats, but it’s also a hot spot for handmade crafts and specialty items.
Des Moines - On July 9, the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter released its Wildlife Connectivity Report at a virtual press conference, sounding the alarm on Iowa’s drastic loss of native habitat and calling for immediate action to reconnect the state’s fragmented ecosystems. Before European settlement, there were no written records of Iowa’s natural environment. Settlement began around 1833, and the state’s vast prairies, wetlands, and woodlands were quickly converted into farmland.
AMES, Iowa – The horticulture team with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will hold the 2025 Fruit and Vegetable Field Day on Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at the ISU Horticulture Research Station.
