Fenton residents are getting into the holiday spirit Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14.
On Friday West Iowa Bank hands out calendars and provides coffee, cookies and door prizes throughout the day. On Saturday the Fenton Library hosts its annual open house 9-11 a.m. Later that day between 1 and 2 p.m., Santa Day occurs at the American Legion.
Get all the details in the Dec. 12 Kossuth County Advance.

Since 2016, the Swea City Quasqui Centennial Committee has raised more than $34,000 for Swea City"s 125th year celebration June 26-28. The committee hopes to raise more before the event begins.
"We really don't have a goal," siaid Nina Harbaugh, committee treasurer. "We never sat down and said, 'we have to have this much.' I think we've met out fundraising budget. I think we want to keep raising more for the parade and other events."

A new touch screeen display has recently been added to the Camp Algona POW Museum.
The display has four categories with details on the nativity scene (created by the POWs), German prisoners, Camp Algona personnel and Kossuth County WWII veterans. The categories contain stories of the people involved in the respective groups in the form of documents, audios and videos.
Read more about it in the Dec. 12 Kossuth County Advance.

A handful of holiday events took place Monday, Dec. 2, in Algona. The Kossuth County C.A.R.E. Team had Tacos for Tots, the Kossuth County Historical Society had a doll show and bake sale, and the Algona Area Chambers of Commerce facilitated the greeting card window displays and lighted holiday parade downtown.
Read more about the events and see more photos in the Dec. 5 Advance.

Jeffrey Lynn Winters is now an inmate of the Iowa Department of Corrections after he was sentenced Tuesday, Dec. 3, to life in prison without the chance of parole.
The sentence was automatic under Iowa law after he was convicted in Kossuth County District Court on Oct. 30 of first degree murder in the Aug. 27, 2018, slaying of Randy Page, 54 at Page's Lu Verne home.
Read more from the sentencing in the Dec. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

Former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential campaign stopped in Kossuth County Monday, Dec. 2, at Water's Edge Nature Center by Smith Lake.
"You all are going to be the ones to determine who is going to take our cause into battle," Biden said. "I want to make the case to you that I'm the one that's most ready to do that."
Read more about Biden's visit in the Dec. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

It takes logistical skills and dozens of volunteers for Hunting with Heroes (Lakota) to operate, let alone succeed.
"There are over 50 volunteers to make this event happen, most involving the actual hunting, logistics and banquet activities," explained Jason Becker, co-executive director. "All are unpaid and completely voluntary."
Read the complete story in the Dec. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

City Council members on Monday took the next step toward obtaining 55.42 acres of land directly east of the community when they approved the sale of bonds to fund the purchase.
At a meeting Monday, Dec. 2, the council unanimously approved financing terms for $945,000 in general obligation bonds to back the purchase of land for potential commercial and industrial park development.
Read the complete story in the Dec. 5 Advance.

U.S. Highway 18 from Spencer to Garner is the suject of a new planning and environmental linkages (PEL) study by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my family and I watched "The Grinch," the 2018 animated movie based on Dr. Seuss' book, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Lisa Risenberg, West Bend Public Library director, brought her annual report to the West Bend City Council Nov. 25.
The report was simplified to a flyer format for the council that had statistics about the library's usage over the past year.
Read the complete story in the Dec. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

Maddie McPeak, FFA chapter president, and Caleb Christensen, an FFA member, completed a service project to fight food insecurity on Nov. 20 at Algona High School.
McPeak and Christensen were required to design a business or service project for class. They chose a service project that created $70,416 meals.
Get the whole story in the Dec. 5 Advance.

The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors heard a budget request from the Kossuth County Library Association for $209,212.50 with a $5,000 technology grant per library.
The library association asked for more than they received last year, which was $199,250 and a $3,000 technology grant per library. All other requests were the same they have been in the past.
Get all the details in the Dec. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

LU VERNE — The Iowa Department of Public Safety announced in a press release this (Thursday, Dec. 5) morning that a man has been arrested and charged as a result of the investigation of the shooting at the Security State Bank here on Wednesday. The release also included allegations of how the subject was apprehended.

There is a financil incentive if the Algona Community School District and Lu Verne Community School District enter into a joint employment agreement.
For Algona, it would mean more than $830,000. For Lu Verne, it would mean an additional $70,000 each year for three years.
Read the complete story in the Nov. 21 Kossuth County Advance.