Strike up the bands once more, the 69th Annual Band Day Festival came to pass with melodious tunes and many colors as 16 bands gathered to march down State Street on Saturday, Sept. 30 for the Band Day Parade with 10 bands performing later on that evening on Bulldog Field for the field portion of the event. 

The Algona Boy Scout Troop 71 and Cub Scout Pack 29 banded together, joining forces with Boy Scout Troops in Texas and Florida to collect and distribute supplies to victims of Hurricane Harvey and Irma.
It all started when Mandie Studer was browsing a 31 bags director’s page on Facebook and noticed the request of a fellow director in Seabrook, Texas, requesting help for her cub scouts who were gathering supplies for hurricane victims. 

The Algona High School Bulldogs were traveling on the Road to Victory during their 2017-18 Homecoming Week held on Sept. 24-29. 
The week was kicked off with students from each grade, gathering together to decorate the high school hallways for the fun-filled week of costumes, games and general Homecoming festivities.
Bringing home first place for the best-decorated hallway was the sophomore class with the seniors claiming the title of the best billboards. 

80th birthday
Karen (Cookie) Hammer was born Oct. 11, 1937 and will celebrate her 80th birthday this year. Her family, including, Tom, Craig, Kelly, and Sheila, along with 11 grandchildren encourage family and friends to shower her with cards to help her celebrate. Cards and well wishes will reach her at 1509 East Nebraska Street, Algona, IA 50511.

ALGONA — After at least two years, the building that housed Bodacious and Godfathers Pizza will now house Napoli’s Italian Restaurant.
Tony Avdiu, who also owns Napoli’s Italian Restaurant in Fort Dodge, hopes to have the building open by Thanksgiving, if not earlier.
“This is going to be a new venture,” said Avdiu, who has owned the Fort Dodge location for the past year. “Algona needs an Italian restaurant. There is nothing here.”
 

Students at Bishop Garrigan High School experienced a “Blast from the Past” last week as they celebrated homecoming week with games, a coronation and general festivities. 
Sunday, Sept. 17 kicked off the week with a volleyball tournament at Garrigan, ushering in a week of cross-country meets, football games and volleyball tournaments and matches, culminating with the homecoming football game against Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn/Remsen-Union Royals on Friday night.

By Alyssa Larson
News Writer
 
On a mission to serve free ice cream to Iowans while at the same time celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, Bob and Kate Shaw began a journey that would last them over two weeks, visiting several towns across Iowa and encountering genuine kindness along the way. 
This year marks the Shaw’s 50th wedding anniversary and the ice cream truck’s 50th birthday. 

ALGONA — An executive producer and independent producer visited the Camp Algona POW Museum and Algona Nativity Scene last week to do research into the possibility of a feature film depicting the two sites.
“The hope is that they will be able to find a feature film producer that is interested in producing a film about that time and era in history,” said Don Tietz.

Bodhi Lee Kollasch

ALGONA — A number of Kossuth County charities have received gifts totaling more than $1.3 million from the estates of Kathryn and Harold “Whitey” Voigt, long-time residents of Algona.
“The Voigt’s generosity will make a large impact on students, churches and local organizations such as the public library, nature center and POW museum,” said Voigt’s attorney, Scott Buchanan in a press release. 

Strike up the band and make way for the Band Day Grand Marshals, Kirk and Julie Hayes, with a special appearance by the Honorary Grand Marshal Gov. Kim Reynolds. 
The longstanding, 69th annual Band Day Festival will commence on Saturday, Sept. 30 with the Grand Marshals leading the way down State Street before numerous bands and floats. 
Kirk and Julie are not unfamiliar to the festival, marching in the parade as members of the Algona High School band in 1951 – 1954. 

Marching bands across the area are busily preparing for the beginning of marching band season. For some bands, the season will be kicked off at the Band Day Festival in Algona, held next weekend on Saturday, Sept. 30 and for others, it will begin a week prior.
Algona High School and Bishop Garrigan High School band directors offered some insight into what goes into preparing for the whirlwind season.
 

Paityn Jo Shelton
 

When the new weapons laws came into effect on July 1, Kossuth County law enforcement and others read through them to see how it may impact what they do.
Among the changes that went into effect were firearm safety training program, permit renewal requirements and permit to acquire and increased the ability to use stand-your-ground defense when firing a gun in self-defense. 

ALGONA — Having stability is one reason why Algona was ranked the 20th safest city in Iowa, according to Algona Police Chief Kendall Pals.
“Although we do have people moving in and out, we don’t have a great deal of that,” Pals said. “That’s important.”
Overall, Iowa ranks in the top 20 states for low violent and property crime rates, coming in 18th in both, according to The SafeWise Report. Algona finished 20th overall. Eldridge topped the list.