Untie the bow

By Walt Reemtsma, Pastor at the Burt and Lone Rock Presbyterian Churches

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118: 24

From the Algona Upper Des Moines newspaper dated Sept. 29, 1942.

Letter to the Editor:

Readers of the Kossuth County Advance were recently led to believe that somehow livestock manure is linked to cancer rates. The January 9 edition of the Kossuth County Advance displayed a large map and headline that blared, “Cancer rates in Iowa linked to manure pollution.”

Last week’s Throwback was a class photo from Algona, not Wesley.

Tried and true remedies

Have you had a bout of the wintertime sniffles yet? Or something worse? If not, you likely will. When you do get sick, do you have any tried and true remedies you rely on? Most of us have some that were handed down by our parents or grandparents that we think make a difference — or at least make us feel a bit better while the sickness works its way out of our bodies.

Ski-Masked bandit hits Wesley Bank

175 Years Ago

In the ten years of the fifties Iowa had an unusual number of census enumerations.  There were federal counts of 1850 and 1860, and between them were state counts in 1851, ‘52, ‘54, ‘56, and ‘59. It is therefore easy to measure in cold figures the exact proportions of the Iowa movement. Beginning with 192,214 people in 1850.

150 Years Ago

Driving our community forward: City of Algona taxi service

By Rick Murphy, Mayor of Algona

Getting where you need to go safely is important – especially during these cold winter months. The City of Algona provides a taxi service, to assist people with their transportation needs within the community.

Fruits of the Spirit. One of the Basic Faith Groups.

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

One of the five basic food groups that constitute a well-balanced diet is fruit. (In case you are wondering the other four are vegetables, grains, protein and dairy). Eating something daily from each of these groups helps us to maintain good health, providing essential nutrients we all need to function well.

This photo from the Wesley school sometime in the 1950s was sent to Algona Publishing to share with readers. Maybe our readers will recognize some names and faces.

If you have a photo you think our readers would be interested in seeing please send it to news@algona.com.

Back row: Donald Cook, Phil Schneider, Evelyn Mckim, Larry Christensen, Pete Langmack, Durwood Walker and Jack Norman.

Open your mind to the world

By Donna Steven, Lakota Public Library

Of my undying, but somewhat timid, love of horses

All of my life, I have had a love/fear relationship with horses. I love how beautiful they are and I long to gallop over meadows on a black beauty named Declan. Or Sean. Or Kieran. (I love Irish names - hence my German Shepherd, Seamus.) However, up close, they’re - well - big. Even ponies are kind of large.

To the Editor:

Dear Republican Legislators:

Busier than a cat at a laser show

It’s good to be busy. It’s better than the alternative, because who wants to be bored? If you are retired, I get it. You earned the right to have every day feel like Saturday. But the rest of us need to be busy. It’s good for us.

County assessors begin their work

150 Years Ago

Bank Directors. ---- At the annual election of Directors of Kossuth County Bank, held on Tuesday, January 12, 1875, the following gentlemen were elected. Wm. H. Ingham, E. C. Buffum, J. B. Jones, T. Chrischilles, D. H. Hutchins, F. W. Hawes and Lewis H. Smith.

125 Years Ago

Light in the darkness

By John Heille, Lead Pastor at Good Hope, Immanuel and St. John's Lutheran Churches

Winter can be long, dark, and sometimes bitter cold. Truth is, there’s plenty of cold and darkness in our world even when it’s not wintertime, and we all need some warmth and some light. For a fleeting moment in time, many of our homes were filled with holiday lights and Christmas trees.