An Algona High School student launched a project aimed to make it easier for those who communicate in Spanish to better connect with the community.
 
See the full story in the Jan. 21 Kossuth County Advance.

Terri Doocy was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) when she was 30 years old. She waited 15 years before she received the life-saving kidney transplant she had been praying for, and the call to give her the news that a kidney was available and a perfect match for her came on Thanksgiving Day 2020.
 
Read the feature on Terri's journey in the Jan. 21 Kossuth County Advance.

Algona City council members were told last week the town’s street shed is no longer big enough or safe enough due to the increased size of modern equipment.
During a review of the city’s multi-year capital improvement plan put into place last February, Kurt Nielsen, the street superintendent, and Barb Smith, the public works director, said it’s time to replace the facility that was built 59 years ago.
 
Read the full story in the Jan. 21 Kossuth County Advance.

One of the primary goals for the Whittemore Legion Riders is to raise funds to help veterans in care centers in Kossuth County. They hold a raffle prize drawing every month, participate in parades and funeral escorts. 

After hearing from a bonding advisor, the Algona City Council requested a proposal that would accelerate plans for street improvement projects and increase the amount of money borrowed in the coming year.
No action was taken because the discussion was held during the council’s work session prior to its regular meeting Monday at City Hall. 
 
Get more about the council's regular meeting and its budget workshop in the Jan. 21 Kossuth County Advance.

Look inside this week’s edition to find your annual 12-page special publication celebrating the work of artists in Kossuth County. It is Section C.

ALGONA—RSVP volunteers who exchange pen pal letters with area elementary students say everyone involved in the program wins. Students improve written communication skills, teachers creatively instruct language skills, and volunteers share life experience, shared interests, and friendship.

ALGONA—Low interest rates are leading the Algona City Council to consider a plan for a multi-year street improvement project.

KOSSUTH COUNTY—Iowa’s state government finances have weathered the COVID-19 storm better than most states, and lawmakers across the board say whether that continues will play a central role in what the Iowa Legislature accomplishes in the 89th general assembly that started Monday in Des Moines. The traditional opening week of the session continued Tuesday evening when Gov. Kim Reynolds delivered her State of the State Address.

ALGONA—North McCoy Street is on the city of Algona’s radar for a reconstruction project, but that will not happen until drainage problems in that area near Bishop Garrigan School are addressed.

ALGONA—The Algona Community School Board approved a new director of teaching and learning at its meeting Monday evening, Jan. 11. 
The position is expected to provide leadership and vision for the ongoing planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum, instruction, assessment, and research components of the comprehensive school improvement plan, according to Superintendent Joe Carter. 
 

ESTHERVILLE—Music professors at Iowa Lakes Community College have spent hours finding a way for Iowa Lakes students to continue making music safely during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our students love to perform and are very adaptable. They know that without the masks, we wouldn’t be able to make music. We all love music too much to allow that to happen,” shared Carol Ayres, Iowa Lakes Music Professor.
 
See the full feature in the Jan. 14 Kossuth County Advance.

LU VERNE—Lu Verne (CWL) Elementary’s Ag in the Classroom day was delayed 24 hours due to weather, but students were able to enjoy it and learn from it Thursday, Jan. 7.
According to information from the school district, the goal of having presenters go to the school to talk about agriculture is to allow students as well as teachers to talk about Iowa agriculture and why it is important to our economy and our society. 
 

Editor’s note: From the Iowa Caucuses, a debate over the future of emergency medical services in the county, and the arrival and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, the first six months of 2020 were unlike the start of many years. Get the first of two parts of 2020 in review in the Dec. 31 Kossuth County Advance.
 
 

At least one Algona City councilmember voiced concerns that EMS should be considered an essential service, and everyone should pay their fair share to provide for the service in Kossuth County communities.