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On the Side

My, how blind we choose to be

The lyrics “Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies”* from Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 release of “Little Lies” popped to mind last week with President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden.

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor:

Our Kossuth County

Pressure of the holidays

By Elizabeth Adams, ISU Extension and Outreach in Kossuth County

 

Seasonal Cheer!

The Daily Umbrella

I beg your pardon

President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter, who was convicted on federal gun and drug charges, has some folks up in arms. In many ways, those emotions are justifiable. When president elect Donald Trump inevitably pardons the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters, more folks will be up in arms. In many ways, those emotions will also be justifiable. Meanwhile, these are not the first controversial pardons, and they likely won’t be the last.

Out of the Past

Try out for the community play

 

150 Years Ago

A respectable looking young man on a ferry boat at St. Louis, a few days since, being approached by the captain, for his three cents fare, replied: “I have no money,” jumped overboard, and was drowned.

 

125 Years Ago

Advance Poll

CURRENT POLL

There is a new poll running on the websites regarding people’s thoughts on the pardon of Hunter Biden by his father, President Joe Biden.

Vote at algona.com

 

PREVIOUS POLL RESULTS

Most miss date of first measurable snowfall

Families of Faith

‘Tis the season

Editorial Library, Metro Creative Graphics, Inc.

Christmas carols can be heard far and wide from Thanksgiving weekend through Christmas Day. Here’s a look at the origins of some of the most popular ones.

Throwback: Christmas in 1971

When you have eight kids under the age of 9, you make the paper in 1971. They also knew the most popular toys that year. I hope they got everything they wanted.

CHRISTMASTIME AT THE HOME OF Chuck and Sue Behr has the air of excitement without the least bit of effort.

The Daily Umbrella

1977 video games

The year was 1977 and, for my brother Steve and me, Christmas toys were forever changed. That was the year Mom introduced us to Pong. Or maybe it was Santa who did. I can’t recall. What I do know, though, is that we spent countless hours playing this most basic of video games on a 9-inch black-and-white TV in our basement, and we truly thought this was high-tech. For the time, it was.

On the Side

Skip the script

 

In the 1979 movie “The Jerk,” Navin Johnson, the main character played by Steve Martin works tirelessly and single-mindedly to “become somebody.” Already a multi-millionaire thanks to an invention, he is excited when he has a drink in his hand that mimmicks a celebrity advertisement for the same drink in an advertisement.

“Be somebody.”

Out of the Past

Maynard Ferguson coming to Algona

150 Years Ago

Ink Spots

Of my latest scary-but-with-a-happy ending episode

Well, you knew I’d have another misadventure before too long, right? This one, like most of my trials, had a happy ending, but was a bit scary for a while.

Families of Faith

“The Lord’s Prayer with different words is still sweet”

By Chris Burtnett, Pastor at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Algona

The Lord’s Prayer is the most well known, most frequently and most universally prayed prayer of Christianity. Its content and what is asked for in it is generally accepted…..except for that line about forgiveness, and it revolves around three little words. Those three words are debts, trespasses and sins.

Throwback: County 4-H elects new officers, 1965

From the Algona Upper Des Moines newspaper from Dec. 31, 1964

 

Linda Hoeppner, top left, was named county girls’ president and Rodney Scuffham, top right, was named boy’s president during the annual 4-H County Rally Night in the Algona high school auditorium Tuesday night. Miss Hoeppner is a member of the Lakota Luckies and Scuffham a member of the Plum Creek Boys club.

Writers & Writing

Memoir redefines the City of Light

 

Paris Lost and Found

Scott Dominic Carpenter

Travelers’ Tales

ISBN 978-1-60952-212-4

$16.99

 

Letter to the Editor

Can God Bless America?

To the Editor:

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