By Dr. John Schantzen

Family Physician, KRHC

This time of year always seems to sneak up! It’s hard to believe Christmas is a few weeks away. This season I am excited to spend quality time with family, and am often left wondering when my children’s noses will stop running. Since the holidays and cold season tend to come hand in hand, let’s review how to treat colds with over-the-counter medicine and easy home remedies.

By Molly Montag, News Correspondent

Officials plan to hold a special meeting this month to decide on how much money to borrow for projects in Kossuth County’s urban renewal plan expansion.

It’s part of a proposal by the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors to expand an urban renewal area to include more than 100 wind turbines across the county. Officials estimate the tax increment financing on the wind turbines could collect approximately $51 million in 20 years.

By Molly Montag, News Correspondent

The Algona School District Board of Education has scheduled a hearing next month to extend a tax levy for instructional support services. The extension would begin in 2026.

Board members voted unanimously at the group’s Nov. 11 meeting to set a hearing on the tax extension for Dec. 9.

DES MOINES—Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.0 percent in October amid job cuts in manufacturing and construction. Meanwhile, the state’s labor force participation rate ticked down by 0.1 percentage points to 66.2 percent last month, and the U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent in October.

Deitering Bros employees, pictured at left with a mountain of food items. They donated around $3,150 worth of food for the Kossuth County Food Pantry. The Bancroft Chamber of Commerce matched that amount for a total of more than $6,300 of food for those in need in Kossuth County. Submitted photo.

Chamber Ambassador Vice-President Bridget Galligan addresses the crowd at the chamber coffee held at AK’s Chrome Kitchen on Friday, Nov. 15 to kick off the start of the annual Stuff the Trailer event. The event collects non-perishable food items as well as monetary donations to help stock the Kossuth County Food Pantry. The next Chamber Coffee and ribbon cutting will be held on Fri., Nov. 22 at Ivy & Co. Boutique located in the Eastland Hills Plaza on Highway 18 in Algona.

On Saturday, Nov. 16, Bishop Garrigan hosted the Top of Iowa Conference quiz bowl tournament. Teams from as far away as Nashua--Plainfield and Osage registered for the event.

The Giving Tree is up at Hager Foods in Bancroft. Each tag has the child’s age, gender, needs and interests on it. All you have to do is take a tag off the tree and write your name on the corresponding line on the sign out sheet. Purchase a new gift (around $25) for the child listed on the tag. Bring the wrapped gift, with the tag attached, to Bancroft City Hall on Nov. 30 or to the Bancroft Holidazzle event on Dec. 7 and place it back under the Giving Tree.

In below photo from AHS is Alejandro Gonzalez Gutierrez, son of Ivian Gonzalez Gutierrez, with Cameron Sheda-Spanish teacher and Greg Stewart-Kiwanis.

Second photo shows third grade Bulldog Heroes from left: Ethan Voss, Caden Coleman, Anna Struecker, Aileanna Yates, Avery Jenson, Kaylee Hovinga and Sadie Hoover.

Third photo shows fourth grade Bulldog Heroes from left: Trinity Thompson, Collin Wirtz, Parker Vaske, Max Luitjens, Harper Boeckholt and Zoe Fosado. Submitted photos.

The Euchre results for Tuesday, Nov. 12 at Pep’s are:

First place - Eddie Rahe and Bruce Keith with 60.

Second place - George and Karen Reinhart with 55.

Third place was a 3-way tie between - George Bierstedt/Charlie Kollasch, Theresa DeLange/Mark Wolf and Doreen Koepke/Sandy Boekleman with 53.

Most loners - Doreen Koepke with four.

The door prize went to Christy Albrecht.

The city of Bancroft will be celebrating Christmas during December with many events on the schedule. There is sure to be something for everyone. Plan to see the Many Voices Choir at St. John’s on Dec. 1 at 3:30 p.m. Then on Dec. 3 there will be Door to Door Christmas Caroling at 5:30 p.m.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa, Theresa Greenfield, announced on Thursday, Nov. 14, that USDA is investing $18,367,170 in 195 projects across the state to strengthen the economy and lower costs for agricultural producers and rural small business owners with funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

ALGONA, Iowa – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Kossuth County will be offering four opportunities to attend the Private Pesticide Applicator Continuing Instruction Course (P-CIC), led by Extension Field Agronomist, Gentry Sorenson.  Sessions in Kossuth County are scheduled for the following dates and times:

• Tuesday, December 17, 2024, 9:30 am: Iowa Lakes Community College, 2111 US-169, Algona

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — A sharp downturn in the agriculture economy is causing a ripple effect throughout the state resulting in the loss of up to 11,400 jobs and $1.5 billion in value-added economic activity (GDP) and a $100 million loss to the state and local tax base, according to an exclusive Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) economic analysis.