ALGONA—Joanne Roepke Bode and Mary Beyerhelm Huey are hosting a horticulture farmer meet-up on Friday, Feb. 16 from 9-11 a.m. at The Feed Mill Coffee Co. in Algona.

The meeting is designed for farmers who grow vegetables, fruit, flowers and orchard crops.

AMES—Although they wear many hats, perform many jobs and are referred to using many terms, it turns out the people who grow Iowa’s crops and livestock prefer to be called “farmers.”

AMES—Farmers can estimate the cost of producing various crops in 2024 by using data published in the January edition of Ag Decision Maker.

The article “Estimated Costs of Crop Production” includes average production costs for corn, corn silage, soybeans, alfalfa and pasture maintenance. Decision tools are also available that allow farmers to enter their own numbers, so they can estimate production costs on their own farm.

WEST BEND—A free Thriving in Place program will be held on Feb. 6 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the West Bend Library. The program is part of the Stay Independent: A healthy aging series for adults age 60 plus.

Area residents are awarded degrees from UNI

CEDAR FALLS—Five area residents have recently graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

Algona: Alisa Altman, bachelor of arts degree, elementary education; Shari Lanus, bachelor of arts degree, family services; Shelby Weier, bachelor of arts degree, early childhood education.

Lu Verne: Kennedy Halsrud, bachelor of arts degree, English teaching.

ALGONA—Bishop Garrigan High School has announced the students who qualified for the first semester honor roll for the 2023-24 school year. Those with an asterisk (*) earned a 4.0 grade point average.

Thursday, Feb. 1

Chicken Alfredo penne, breadstick, lettuce salad, mixed fruit

11 a.m. – Exercise

Friday, Feb. 2

Crunchy Pollock, potato wedges, green beans, fluff Jell-o salad

10:30 a.m. – Bingo

Monday,  Feb.  5

Chili, cinnamon roll, carrots, pears

10:30 a.m. – Bingo

6:30-9 p.m. – Kiwanis BINGO

Tuesday, Feb. 6

Monday, Feb. 5

9 a.m.: Presbyterian Church

7 p.m.: Regional Dual Wrestling

Tuesday, Feb. 6

9 a.m.: Trinity Lutheran Church

10 a.m.: Grace Church

8 p.m.: Regional Dual Wrestling

Wednesday, Feb. 7

9 a.m.: Faith Assembly of God

10:30 a.m.: Divine Mercy

Catholic Church

8 p.m.: G/B BB vs. Clear lake

Thursday, Feb. 8

9 a.m.: First Lutheran Church

To update this information, email news@algona.com or call 515-295-3535. Some changes to schedules may occur without notice. 

____Libraries, Museums, recreation, EVENTS_____

Algona Nativity Scene: Small groups by appointment. Call 515-295-7241.

Algona POW Museum: Sat. and Sun. 1-4 p.m. through December, closed week days.

Legislative forum

A legislative forum will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. at the Algona Public Library. Senator Dave Rowley and Representatives Henry Stone and John Wills have been invited to attend. The forum will be hosted by the Algona Area Chamber of Commerce.

Coffee chatter

ALGONA—The Algona Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Event was another successful evening celebrating the success of the chamber in 2023. Sarah Mayer was recognized for her year as Ambassador president. Lynn Elliott-Carlson will serve as the Ambassador president in 2024. Kelsey Thompson was recognized as outgoing board president having served for 2022-2023 as president. Shannon Goche began her two-year term as board president on Jan. 1, 2024.

The crowd couldn’t get enough of Rod Schmidt and his wildlife stories last Sunday during a reception hosted by Stinson Prairie Arts Council and Haggard-Twogood Trust. Schmidt wore a head-to-toe buckskin suit that was his “uniform” for many years during his work with wildlife care and preservation.

During a holiday STEM session, kids at the Fenton Library had the opportunity to a solve a unique problem. Santa’s reindeer took off for a vacation in Arizona so the kids needed to design a parachute that Santa could use to sail down chimneys instead.

Photo above: Barrett Peterson, Mikaela Getzelman, and Zoey Peterson design custom shelves for the Elf on a Shelf.

Photo at right; Ivy Peterson tests her Santa parachute. Submitted photos