BANCROFT — No one was sure what check broke the $1 million mark during Wednesday’s (April 19) Kossuth County Community Foundation 2017 grant award celebration at the Summit Center.

LEDYARD — An individual might be hard pressed to find someone in the Ledyard area that does not know Rev. Sam Belz. 
Since being ordained and installed at the Bethany Evangelical and Reformed Church in Ledyard on Aug. 9, 2015, Belz has been reaching out to community members both in and outside of his church community. 
Growing up in one of the few PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) churches in Iowa, Belz said, “Coming here (to Ledyard) is sort of like coming home.”

Whip cream bottles were pulled off the shelf and ran through the checkout, making their way to Bertha Godfrey Elementary School for a special event, concluding the Read a Million Minutes program on Friday, April 21. 
Students rejoiced, as they saw pie tins being filled with whip cream for the impending creaming of their principal Stacy Mueller and custodian Billy Bradford. 

Students partied in “Small Town USA” at Saturday night’s Bishop Garrigan Prom. 
The entrance, hallway and Friedmann Auditorium were completely transformed with twinkly lights, rustic weathered wood, windmills and tulle, creating an atmosphere of a classy country gathering. 
 
For more on this story, please see the April 27 issue of the Kossuth County Advance.

50th anniversary
 
Bob and Bev (Johnson) Cink were married on April 22, 1967 and will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. Their family, including their children, Jeff (Jackie) Cink and their family, and Julie (Joe) Bollig and their family, are encouraging family and friends to shower them with cards to help them celebrate. Cards and well wishes will reach them at 501 East Elm Street, Algona, IA 50511.

50th anniversary
 

Berschman, Arndorfer
 
Steven and Jill Berschman of Lakota and Richard and Robin Arndorfer of Bancroft, are pleased to announce the engagement of their children, Carrie Berschman of Lakota and Burke Arndorfer of Bancroft.
Carrie attended Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines where she studied diagnostic medical sonography with cardiac specialty. Currently, Carrie is working as a cardiac sonographer at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minn.

Oliver Craig Amen
 
Caylan and Teralynn Amen of Hardy are the proud parents of a baby boy, Oliver Craig, born Tuesday, April 11 at Kossuth Regional Health Center. He weighed 7 pounds, 2.6 ounces and was 20 inches long at birth. Maternal grandparents are Merci and Jay Hanson of Hardy. Paternal grandparents are Craig and Crystal Amen of Humboldt. Caylan is employed at Snap-on and Teralynn is a mail carrier. Welcoming baby Oliver home are two older sisters and one old brother. 

Students at every grade level are beginning to advance along side technology as new games, resources and courses are being offered at the Algona Schools. 
Jackie Fonley, Algona Schools technology director, works to provide up-to-date technological resources to students and teachers within the Algona schools. 
Over the years, major changes in school technology have taken place. 

LU VERNE — In her first year of a sharing arrangement as a curriculum director, Karen Sandberg is developing a vision of what teaching and learning should look like in the LuVerne Community School District.

ALGONA — In an effort to provide more information about the Kossuth County Historical Society Museum, a Kossuth County version of Antiques Roadshow was held on Tuesday, April 11, at the Kossuth County Ag and Motorsports Museum.
“I think it is entertaining for people interested in what people have from years ago,” said Jan Ricke, a member of the historical society. “A lot of them looking are wondering if their item is worth anything at all.”

I was surprised and awestruck recalled Jim Murray upon being named the 2017 Iowa Elementary School Principal of the Year. Murray is an Algona native, currently serving as principal for Tifford Elementary School in Vinton. 

50th anniversary
 

Maxton Mark Kuecker

The halls at Algona High School and Bishop Garrigan High School were filled with the living dead on Wednesday, April 5. 
As part of the Every 15 Minutes program, a two-day demonstration was held for both high schools. This program brings home the tragic effects of drunk driving accidents—claiming an average of one life every 15 minutes, and its domino affect to help students make good decisions.