Overnight spot became busy with trucks

The Ponte Vecchio or “Old Bridge” was our last stop in Florence, Italy, but well worth seeing. Originally built across the Arno River allowing all traffic at the time (about 123 AD), it has been destroyed by flood at least twice over the centuries and rebuilt stronger each time. 

As long as street improvements are underway in most towns and there is never an end of street complaints, this photo should put things into perspective of how far we’ve come and how much better conditions are than they were for are ancestors. The mystery gas station featured two weeks ago is located in Burt on 8th St.

Novel seamlessly weaves past and present

Beneath the Polish Moon 

Jake Kaminski 

Archway Publishing 

ISBN 978-1-6657-1458-7 

$17.99 

Every once in a great while, a novel comes along that hits you where it really counts – straight in the heart. 

Develop good

spiritual roots

Rev. Walt Reemtsma

Last fall a member of my church brought into my church office two sunflower stalks that he had pulled up from his garden. It was not hard to notice the root mass that was found at the bottom each stem. 

Visiting the elaborate Baptistry of St. John

150 Years Ago

Of Memorial Days past and present

With the tragedy in Texas still so fresh in our minds, and our feeling of helplessness when we think of those grieving families, it’s hard to try to write a light-hearted column. However, as I’ve said before, if I can make just one person smile, then perhaps that will justify my taking up space on the planet. So here goes.

Mosquito free !

As warm summer weather arrives, we know what comes along with it — mosquitoes. Now there may be someone reading this who actually likes mosquitoes, but I don’t. I don’t like the buzzing and, as a fair-skinned Irishman, I don’t like the biting. They apparently like me, and I want to end the relationship. Sound familiar?

School Shootings

Dear Editor,

In the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller from San Antonio said “ We make arms sacred and with a these same arms kill people.” When asked about republicans being pro-life he said it is inconsistent to “ protect the baby in the womb and then kill it when it’s 9 years old.” The Archbishop said politicians use a very narrow minded view on their base to gain support.

By Rev. Patrick Mostek, Assistant Pastor, Grace Church, Algona

There is Power in 

the Word of God

Roe vs. Wade doesn’t make murder safe

By Barb Smith

City of Algona

Emerald Ash Borer moves in Iowa

City of Algona to activate tree management plan

The City of Algona Tree Board will activate a plan this summer to remove ash trees from City property and work with residents to either remove or treat ash trees in the right of way. 

By Jim Sloter

By Michael Tidemann

 “Would you believe in love at first sight?” 

 That’s the question posed on the cover of Jeff Mitchell’s heartwarming novel, Stone City, set in the iconic Grant Wood hill country of eastern Iowa. Mitchell, former dean of industrial technology at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and currently an educational consultant, has always lived in the Stone City area, the subject of a Wood painting. 

By Brad Hicks, publisher

General’s orders

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer around these parts. Kids are out of school. Trees have canopied. Mosquitos are alive. Spring’s winds die. June’s stormy nature erupts on waves of humidity. Boats, balls in the gaps and crooked golf shots are launched.