The Iowa Supreme Court gave citizen engagement and accessibility to public meetings a much-needed boost Friday in an appeal of a lawsuit against the Iowa City Community School District.

The district’s practice of posting full videos of school board meetings on the internet for on-demand public viewing was at the heart of the case.

Pizza Hut helps Kossuth Medical Center

150 Years Ago

Yesterday morning Sheriff Pinkerton started for Fort Madison with Barney Neal, sentenced for nine months in the State Prison. He will be absent four or five days. Barney will, if he thinks there is any show, for an escape, try his hand at dodging from “Jack,” on the way down, but if we were to guess on the result we shouldn’t bet anything on Barney’s success.

125 Years Ago

Fathers, Sons, and the Holy Ghosts of Baseball

Tommy Murray
Beaver’s Pond Press
ISBN 978-1-59298-629-3
$17.95

What we do...

Buzz over Water’s Edge for a Pollinator Party

Calling all curious kids! Summer is finally here, but that doesn’t mean learning needs to stop. Have you ever wondered how flowers bloom or how food gets to your plate? Spoiler alert: it’s not just farmers doing the work—pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds play a huge role too!

There has to be a better way

Why is “Loving Your Neighbor” So Hard?

By Adam Orban, Director of Worship at First Lutheran Church, Algona

“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Of fond memories and a sad farewell

I said goodbye last week to Seamus, my wonderful German Shepherd. He was about seven years old when I got him from a shelter five years ago. He had been in a shelter in Texas with no identification when he was picked up. That shelter had an arrangement with the shelter in Clear Lake to send a number of their dogs up from Texas.

The future of private property rights in Iowa rests in the hands of Governor Kim Reynolds

To the Editor:

The future of every Iowan’s right to own private property rests in the hands of Governor Kim Reynolds. At question is whether the Governor will sign HF639 into law to curtail the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines by private companies for profit without public necessity. Hundreds of impacted Iowa landowners anxiously await her decision.

Local Hereford yearling bulls headed to Montana

150 Years Ago

The bell tolls

It was a silver handbell, only 4 or 5 inches tall with a black handle, but it made quite a noise — and it had quite an impact. Mom used it every day in our childhood home.

She would step out onto the front stoop in the evening and ring this bell for a few seconds with all her might. My siblings and I would be playing in the neighborhood and knew this was her signal for us to get home for supper — and she better not have to ring it twice.

Stinson Prairie Arts Council brings unique things to do

By Anne Kohlhaas

Stinson Prairie Arts Council

Sacrifice

By Kent Madison, Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Lakota

We have just celebrated Memorial Day. A day to remember and give thanks.  A day to remember that freedom is not free. A day to remember that freedom is very costly, and to say thank you to the many who were, and are still willing to fight for it.   A day to remember and to say thank you to the many who were willing to fight for it, and in some cases to die for it.

From the Algona Upper Des Moines newspaper, April 27, 1983. Photos from the Algonquin 1922 yearbook belonging to the Kossuth County Historical Society.

Senior Howard Backus leads drive to print The Algonquin

Letter to the Editor