Heading Home

By Jim Sloter

On our way back to Belgium and our friends there, realizing that the most varied and interesting travel adventure we had ever experienced was coming to an end, emotions were high and feelings mixed. Having spent four months traveling around Europe and the British Isles, we were excited to be going home, but at the same time, sad that our never-to-be-forgotten ‘trip-of-a-lifetime’ was coming to an end.

Of Lifeline alerts, cobwebs and wrong numbers

By Molly MacDonald

Let me tell you about Lifeline, the program where you punch a little button on a wrist band or neck band to alert someone that you need help. You all are probably already familiar with this or something like it, mainly because of those wretched TV ads where a whiny old lady cries, “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Does anyone but me find her annoying? But I digress.

This is what we should fear

To the Editor:

Love One Another As I Have Loved You

To the Editor:

This Is My Commandment, That You Love One Another As I Have Loved You. John 15:12.

Property tax increase is not the answer for EMS

To the Editor:

The Value of Trust

By Rev. Al Foote

Pastor, Evangelical

Free Church, Algona

It seems that trust is missing these days. We hear of lost trust in the media or our politicians or even of family members or close friends. We might even doubt the loyalty of the whole generation of “whippersnappers” that has recently come along. Lost trust makes us feel betrayed or compromised.

It will soon be that time of year again when Mother Nature provides some good old fashioned fun as these kids from the September, 1977 issue of the Algona newspaper demonstrate. How many kids will experience the joy of raking up a huge pile of leaves providing a safe place to land after a running jump. Hours of fun and it doesn’t cost a thing. What other outdoor games are free? Send your memories to news@algona.com

Band Day is Saturday

By Gene Miller

150 Years Ago

Erdrich novel a spellbinding ghost story

By Michael

The Sentence, a humor-flecked ghost story of a woman named Tookie, is the October featured selection for Writers and Writing. Author Louise Erdrich, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota and lives in Minneapolis.

The Sentence

Louise Erdrich

Harper Perennial

To the editor:

I suggest all voters in the upcoming midterms consider one question: “Should women have the same rights as a corpse?” Did you know the body of a corpse is protected by law? There are no state mandates allowing for the harvesting of organs unless the individual documented their authorization before death, or a legal representative designates this after death - - even to save a life. There are over 100,000 individuals on the national transplant waiting list.

How Your Home Is Assessed (and what to do if you don’t like it)!

By now most Iowans have (probably) paid their property taxes for the year. That payment was actually for the assessment that was done in 2021 because property taxes are paid in arrears. For purposes of this article, we are focusing on residential assessments and property classes (various classes of property are assessed differently and by different entities.)

Pub raised their own trout

By Jim Sloter

The ever-changing car

By Shane Goodman

With all the hype lately over electric cars vs. gasoline-powered vehicles, it got me thinking about how much our vehicles have changed in other ways, too. None may be as significant as the fuel source, but they are all meaningful in some way. Some of these features are now obsolete, and others will be soon.

The end of a matter is better than the beginning

By Dr. Micah Mitchell Pastor, Lighthouse to Nations, Algona

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 (NIV)

The last thing someone says typically will reveal their heart.

Algona high school will celebrate their Homecoming this weekend with a game against Gilbert at their new stadium.

Will today’s youth be able to match the enthusiasm of the students in this photo from October 17, 1977, in the Kossuth County Advance newspaper.

Anyone who can re-create this photo at this week’s game can send it to