SWEA CITY – An emotional Sonja Tobin was overwhelmed at what the community was doing to help her raise funds for ongoing medical expenses in her battle with a life-long heart birth defect.
“I don’t have the words to explain how I feel,” she said. “It is very nice. It is very generous.”
The benefit was held at the North Union Middle School in Swea City. It included a free will donation meal and a silent and live auction.

BURT — Johnny Lee White, 55, of Algona, died enroute to Mercy North Iowa-Mason City, following a motorcycle crash east of Burt on Saturday, Oct. 22.
According to Kossuth County Sheriff Deputy Mark McGregor, White was travelling west on 300th Street on his 1994 Harley Davidson motorcycle when he suffered a medical emergency and lost control of the motorcycle.

ALGONA – Traveling down from Chanhassen, Minn., to set up the Simply Nuts & More booth at Bishop Garrigan High School, Cheryl Rich-Johnson was amazed at the number of people visiting her booth during the annual AutumnFest Craft Fair on Saturday.
“This is crazy,” she said. “It has been great. We only come down once a year and a lot of people come down to stock up.”

ALGONA – Devastation has gripped Ste. Jeanne de Chantal parishes and schools in Haiti. St. Cecelia Catholic Church and neighboring parishes have risen to the challenge to help its twin church 1,000s of miles away.

SIERRA VISTA, Arizona — This week, surrounded by family and friends, Tommie Waller finally got to celebrate a day that was 40 years in the making, when justice was finally handed down to the former North Iowa man who murdered her daughter, Donna Marie Smith.
That fateful day
Waller has shed countless tears since that day in March 1976, when she traveled up to Tucson to take Donna out shopping in celebration of her 20th birthday.

BANCROFT – Each Friday throughout October, Bob Boland Inc. employees will be wearing Navy blue t-shirts with pink writing that says “Warriors in Pink.”
This is the local Ford Motor Company’s way of supporting those who are battling cancer or know of someone battling cancer.
“Everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer,” said General Manager John Clark. “In rural America we are good at supporting people.”

ALGONA – Jamie O’Neall will tell you that her battle with cancer has changed her emotionally, physically and mentally.
“Emotionally because it really brings to light just how important it is to savor life and live it to the fullest,” she said. “Physically because of everything it does to your body. And mentally, because I truly feel a majority of the healing is mind over matter.”

ALGONA – Those attending this year’s AutumnFest Craft Show will be able to browse through all the different booths. The vendors sitting at the booths are hoping for a positive impact for their businesses.

On Monday, Oct. 10, Dan Elbert of Elbert Chevrolet in Whittemore announced that, after 62 years of serving Whittemore and the surrounding areas, the Elbert family will terminate their Chevrolet franchise and will merge with Kemna Auto Center of Algona.

ALGONA – Singers from five Iowa Catholic schools joined their voices for the annual Diocesan Choral Festival held Wednesday, Oct. 5 at the Friedman Auditorium at Bishop Garrigan High School.
The five schools from the Sioux City Diocese that came together for the festival were Bishop Heelan of Sioux City, Kuemper Catholic High School of Carroll, Gehlen Catholic of LeMars, St. Edmond High School of Fort Dodge and Bishop Garrigan.

ALGONA – You are never too young or old to create a table for the Exceptional Opportunities annual Exceptional Dining event.
The event, held at Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday, Oct. 8, featured approximately 30 decorated and themed tables, raising funds for the Burt-based organization, which provides housing and employment services for individuals with disabilities.
Tables featured everything from patriotic and Christmas décor to beach and travel themes.
 

ALGONA – Ed Elbert was by his wife’s side each and every day that Connie battled breast cancer.
“My husband took me to every test, surgery and treatment,” she said. “People volunteered but he wanted to do this himself. This meant a lot to me.”

LONE ROCK – Area farmers rallied around a friend who had lost his father just the night before to harvest 160 acres of soybeans.
“We’re happy we could do it for him,” said Scott Looft. “It is just what we do in that area. It is as simple as that. It is just what you do for a neighbor.”
Merwyn ‘Mert’ Hurlburt passed away on Oct. 1 at the Hawkeye Care Center in Bancroft.

Ryan and Jayna Hoover of Ankeny are the proud parents of their first child, a daughter, Hayes Elayna Hoover, who was born on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Hayes weighed in at 7 lbs., 7 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.
Grandparents are Terry and Trudy Blome of Ledyard and Ted and Janice Hoover of Burt. Great-grandparents are Wanda Blome of Bancroft and Ted and JoAnne Hoover of Wesley.

The West Bend community knows it is fortunate with its medical providers — and now the rest of Iowa knows it too.
On Tuesday, Oct. 4, the Iowa Physician Assistant Society at its annual conference honored Luan Montag as the Physician Assistant of the Year.
“I’m very honored by this award,” said Montag. “I’m not sure I’m doing anything different than any other physician assistant.”