Jacob Anderson has been in Algona for just six months, and Wednesday, Jan. 22, the industrial engineer at Hormel Foods attended his first Algona Area Chamber of Commerce annual event.
"It is pretty amazing. I didn't know what to expect," he said. "The amount of items to bid on is amazing."
Read all about it in the Jan. 30 Advance.

Jeremy Ruehle started fishing with his grandfather when he was a young child, and that passion for fishing hasn't stopped since.
"I'd say I do something fishing-related every day," the Algona resident said. Ruehle owns River's Edge Gifts and More where he sells his personally made lures and jigs.
Get the whole story in the Jan. 30 Advance.

Many Iowans take pride in the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses. This year's event is Monday, Feb. 3.
Oftentimes, the caucuses set the tone for the rest of the Democratic presidential primary. However, many Iowans have been denied an opportunity to participate. People who move south for the winter and students attending out-of-state colleges have missed the chance to caucus.
Read the complete story in the Jan. 30 Kossuth County Advance.

The Kossuth County Historical Society has approached the city of Algona to help fund an area between the museum and a building to the north to make it more attractive and user-friendly.
"The first thing is safety," said Jan Ricke, president of the Kossuth Historical Society Board of Directors. "So many people walk through that area when they come out of the parking lot."
Read all about it in the Jan. 30 Kossuth County Advance.

Discussions have continued on whether or not Bancroft or Swea City should be the northern hub of a countywide Emergency Management System (EMS). During the Jan. 28 Kossuth County Board of Supervisors meeting, Kyle Stecker, EMS board president, provided an update on the latest EMS board meeting held Jan. 21.
One question raised was why Bancroft was not considered to join Algona to be the two communities in the countywide system with full-time employees.

Kossuth County Engineer Doug Miller is concerned about rural residents leaving snow in the road during and after a snowstorm.
At a recent Kossuth County Board of Supervisors meeting, Miller brought the issue up, stating that when snow is left in the road, it makes it tougher to clean.
Read the complete story in the Jan. 30 Kossuth County Advance.

January is a month of newness. A new year begins and with it come all sorts of New Year's resolutions.
Maybe you've made some this year or maybe you've made them in the past. As long as you've made at least one resolution in your life, then you probably won't be surprised by something I read last week.
Read the complete column in the Jan. 30 Kossuth County Advance.

Women, Land and Legacy is an outreach and education program through the United States Department of Agriculture.
In Kossuth County, Kelsi Sieren and Emily Ludwig, through the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach office, organize the event. Jan. 16, the event focused on stress management and relaxatin techniques.
Read the complete story in the Jan. 30 Kossuth County Advance.

Nate Voss of Algona has been named the winner of the Region 2 Conservation Farmer of the Year award for 2019. He was nominated by the Kossuth County Soil and Water District.
The award is part of the Iowa Soil Conservation awards program sponsored by the Conservation Districts of Iowa, the State Soil and Water Quality Committee and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. It is given based on a farmer's use of practice to prevent soil erosion and enhance water quality.

Some walked into the Thul Shed in blue jeans and a T-shirt. Others dressed in an outfit from a certain decade. However they entered the Algona Family YMCA generations prom, they listened to a night of music, bid on silent auction items and enjoyed just getting out of the house for a few hours on Jan. 25.
"For $45 a ticket, you want to have a good time," said Kathy Froelich, YMCA board president.
Read the complete story in the Jan. 30 Advance.

It was the first time Mick Wolf had been to the Bancroft Very Few Rules Chili and Soup Cook-off Saturday at Bunker's Bar and Grill/North Kossuth Golf Club. She was there cheering on her daughter, Erin and Erin's husband, Jeremy Fraker, who were participating in the event.

ALGONA — Algona held its first Frostbite Olympics a decade ago – an effort tagged by the slogan, Keep Winter Cool, and centered on a Saturday ice fishing derby at Smith Lake. 
Ten years later, the Algona Area Chamber of Commerce event has grown to three days.

Soup has been added to the Bancroft Chili Cook-off on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bunker's Bar and Grill at North Kossuth Golf Club.
The Very Few Rules Chili and Soup Cook-off is an event to promote fun with the various Booths according to Carole Berhard, executive director ot the Bancroft Chamber of Commerce. "We allow bribery for people's choice. We encourage people to decorate their booth."

Read all about what's affecting the corn industry in and around Kossuth County, from weather to trade deals. It's all in the Salute to Corn special section in the Jan. 23 Kossuth County Advance.

Algona held its first Frostbite Olympics a decade ago – an effort tagged by the slogan, Keep Winter Cool, and centered on a Saturday ice fishing derby at Smith Lake.
Ten years later, the Algona Area Chamber of Commerce event has grown to three days with many activities inside and out.
Read all about it in the Jan. 23 Kossuth County Advance.