As I was thinking about the subject of this column, I was leaning toward talking about how important it is that we have community pride! 
And then on Jan. 21, the Des Moines Register hosted their RAGBRAI announcement party and WOW, Algona is an overnight host community. Totally impacts how we view community pride.  

It took several years. It took many committed hours of coming up with the right plan. It took generous donations of money from Ed and Betty Wilcox and others. But the hard work and committed effort was worth it.
The Ed and Betty Wilcox Performing Arts Center has opened its doors. And by the numbers of people that toured the facility at the Jan. 13 Algona Area Chamber of Commerce-sponsored ribbon cutting and the Jan. 15 open house, the hard work was all worth it.

With the legislative session just underway, it seemed appropriate to devote this column to educational issues that will be under consideration this year.  This year will be no different than any other legislative cycle; there will be legislation each of us support, and ideas with which we disagree.  

Kossuth/Palo Alto County Economic Development Corporation is looking forward to 2017! 
We will be kicking off the year with our Quarterly Human Resources Committee Meeting. Hosted by K/PACEDC, Mike Koenecke will present, Arming Management to Manage Millennials, Preparing to Navigate through the Inevitable. 

Happy New Year! 

Ideas are just that - ideas until they come to fruition. For the past three months, we, at the Algona Upper Des Moines, have been discussing different ways we can improve the community’s newspaper.

Christmas Day is three days away. The day is a time to celebrate with our families. It is also a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
More than any other time of the year, people always seem to get into the Christmas spirit and seem to be more patient and kinder.

I just realized next week is my last week at the Algona Upper Des Moines.
It seems so long ago that I sat with Gene Hall — one of the best bosses I’ve ever had — to tell him I wanted to leave journalism. 
“You really love doing that emergency thing you do, don’t you?” was his reply. 
Yes, I do. 

We’re halfway through December, meaning that Christmas is 10 days away and a new year is just around the corner.
For us in the newspaper business, we are always thinking about ways that we can improve our publications. When a new year comes around there are always new ideas and new energy that is generated in the newspaper world. It’s all about evolving, changing and making our products even better than what they are today.

This was my first time seeing what the holidays have to offer in Kossuth County communities. I’ve always been amazed by holiday traditions in all small communities across the country. And Kossuth County didn’t let me down.
It started with the Bancroft Parade of Lights. It was interesting to see some of the floats and it was interesting to see the cars coming down Ramsey Street and backing their cars into parking spots to see the parade. They weren’t disappointed. 

I've been so busy lately that I almost had to check my drivers license the other day to find my address. 
Well, that is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. 
I’m currently taking two prerequisite classes, and on Jan. 10, 2017, I begin my first nursing class. I’m also working at the hospital on weekends and working on the Algona Upper Des Moines’ 150th anniversary special section, which will come out the end of December. 

On Friday, Veterans Day will be a priority for those who served in our Armed Forces and for the family members whose loved ones gave their all to make our country what it is today.
The Algona Upper Des Moines staff is doing its own little bit to focus on what these brave men and women have done for their country. In today’s issue, we have three pages of veterans who served before and are still serving today as our way of honoring these people.

This is my first actual issue as managing editor of the Algona Upper Des Moines newspaper.
Since my arrival in Algona on Sept. 1, I have spent time meeting people, learning the lay of Kossuth County and understanding the operations of the local newspaper. Now it is my turn to implement ideas that will make your weekly newspaper one of the best in Iowa. I’m excited about that opportunity.