Eight Algona Middle Scholars were accepted into ICDA District Honor Choir to be held in Algona. This district honor choir features fifth and sixth grade students from around the area. Their performance will take place in the Wilcox PAC on Tuesday Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.

Maggie Wartick

AHS Journalism

The AHS dance team traveled to Des Moines on November 30 to compete in the ISDTA State Championship. The state team from Algona High School is made up of 10 girls and coached by Danelle VanGorkom. They competed in two routines this year, one in the pom category and the other in the kick category.

Evan Posey

AHS Journalism

Algona High School is in full swing as the jazz choir started practicing their songs for the upcoming jazz season. Some songs they are singing include: “Hand in Hand” by Kait Karrigan, “You Make Me Feel So Young” by Frank Sinatra, and “Orange and Blue” by Sarah Jarosz. Algona High’s jazz choir has been coming in every few days a week at seven to practice and perfect their setlist for upcoming competitions and concerts.

Kindergarten Bulldog Heroes for January from left: Edison Friedrich, Chevelle Baade, August Traub, Julia Wright and Bo Jacobson. 

Magnetic tile blocks and audiobook VOX books are now available for use at the West Bend Public Library.

The items were gifted from the Mary Holland Dawson estate. Mary was an active member of the Friends of the Library.

Top photo: Ella Vonnahme (left) and Vivian Bleuer are listening to a new audiobook VOX book. The books include the audio recording in the book to read to the children.

WEST BEND—A complete remodel has been done on the West Bend-Mallard School Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) classroom. The classroom hadn't had any major updates since the building was built in 1957.

The FCS classroom is used for middle school and high school students learning about child development, basic food preparation, early childhood education and sewing, etc.

DES MOINES—Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig presented the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to the Schmidt Family of Hancock County during a ceremony at the recent Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines.

Schmidt Family Farms, which was designated as a Century Farm in 2011, is owned and operated by brothers Jamie and his wife Beth Schmidt and Lonnie and his wife Christine Schmidt of rural Garner.

Dittrich-Lawson

Dan and Connie Dittrich of Algona announce the engagement of their daughter, Haley Rose Dittrich to Kyle Alexander Lawson, both of Des Moines. Kyle is the son of Margarita Caro of West Des Moines and the late James Lawson.

The couple plans to marry on Feb. 17 in a ceremony at the River Center in Des Moines.

Twelve high school students and eight junior high students at Bishop Garrigan were selected to participate in the Diocesan Band Festival on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at Bishop Heelan in Sioux City.

Top photo: front, from left: Addison Kuper, Lauren Swift, Isabella Waechter and Molly Peterson. Middle: Alaina Bormann, Alaina Casey, Cora Deardeuff and Corbin Darling. Back: Elena Salinas, Griffin Geving, Nathaniel Darling and Spencer Doerning.

Algona Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting and coffee at the new GrandStay Hotel & Suites of Algona on Friday, Jan. 26. The hotel, which is locally owned by Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company, officially opened it’s doors to guests on Friday, Jan. 12. Cutting the ribbon was Aaron Pearce, president and CEO of Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company.

Three groups from Bishop Garrigan High School earned Division I or excellent ratings at the Iowa High School Speech Association district large-group contest on Saturday, January 20, at Northwestern College in Orange City. Tate Foertsch and Thadd Kollasch earned a "I" in Radio Broadcasting; Benjy Trainer, Sam Plathe, Brendan Plathe, and Violet Bode received a "I" in Group Improvisation; and Sam Plathe, Isabella Waechter, and Benjy Trainer were rated "I" in Musical Theatre.

All Call Theatre Company gave three performances of the Little Mermaid, Jr. on Jan. 26-28 to nearly packed houses.

“The All Call Theatre Company is a nurturing program,” Gina Geving, director said, “The young actors will carry these talents with them from elementary through high school.”

The theater company offers auxiliary benefits along with the opportunity to be creative.

By Danica VanGorkom

AHS Journalism

Jasper Wirth

AHS Journalism

Algona High School’s advisories have been doing different activities all throughout the school year. Each advisory chose their own activity to do to better the community for National Giving Back Day.

Aleena Rosacker

AHS Journalism

On Jan. 20, AHS speech students attended a large group speech contest in Orange City, at Northwestern College. Speech is an extracurricular activity where students compete at a regional site chosen the year of the competition.