Famous basketball player Michael Jordan once said, "There's no 'I' in team." It's based on a pun: when you spell the word "team," you don't use the letter, "I." It is the team as a whole that is important.
His statement became a well-known quote used by coaches and players of every team sport in the country as a motivator and reminder of what is most important about participating in a team sport.

The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors discussed a plethora of issues Tuesday, approving the Kossuth Wind Energy wind farm decommissioning plan on a split vote, approving discussing amending Kossuth County Ordinance 310-A, going over wellness issues and more.

Supervisor Kyle Stecker was quizzed at the Tuesday, Aug. 27 county board meeting by Burt resident Norm Becker.
Becker's inquiries stemmed from reimbursements Stecker received for a trip to Washington, D.C., for a National Association of Counties meeting.
Read the whole story in the Sept. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

The Kossuth County EMS Board, whose goal is to figure out how to implement emergency medical services in Kossuth County, has concluded that a broader, county-wide system will likely work better.

There were no specific mandates for Algona Community Development Director Jacob Tjaden when he was hired in 2018. His first year found him involved with various projects including developing an overdue city comprehensive plan and assisting with a downtown assessment.
"I know Algona is a progressive community that wants to grow and flourish. Being from rural Iowa and having worked in rural Iowa, I'm passionate about it," Tjaden said.

A Bancroft Summer Festival was held Thursday, Aug. 29, with food, music and sidewalk sales on Ramsey Street.
The event included free root beer floats and ice cream sundaes and various local businesses.
Read all about it in the Sept. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

Summer may be coming to an end, but the fall farmers market continues.
The Kossuth County Farmers Market will carry on Saturday mornings through Oct. 12. The final Wednesday will be Sept. 11.
Read more about it in the Sept. 5 Kossuth County Advance.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Red Oak) held a town hall in Algona on Friday as part of her 99-county tour. She took questions for an hour. One of the main topics was about ethanol waivers.
Fred Wirtz, a West Bend farmer, and Mary Alice Berte, a Livermore farmer, asked questions about ethanol waivers that the Trump administration granted to 31 oil refineries in August. The waivers allow refineries to not blend ethanol into their gasoline.

Kossuth County Auditor and Board of Supervisors Secretary Amber Garman walked out of the board of supervisors meeting Tuesday morning, Aug. 27. Garman felt that she had been unfairly attacked during the public discussion by Wesley resident Mandie Studer, due to Studer's claim that Garman had not publicly posted the agenda for the meeting 24 hours in advance.

Opportunity and messy are two words that describe a new era at the West Bend-Mallard School District.
On Friday, Aug. 23, students started classes for the first time all in one facility. In the past, elementary school students attended classes in Mallard and fifth through 12th grade students in West Bend.
Read the complete story in the Aug. 29 Kossuth County Advance.

Head of Northern Planes Aerosport Aaron McCartan, a Burt resident, has competed around the world as an aerobatic aviator. Last year, he went to Romania for the World Advanced Aerobatic Championship, where he won a gold medal and assisted the U.S. team in winning silver behind France.

City and school elections will be conducted simultaneously this year on Tuesday, Nov. 5. A law passed by the Iowa Legislature in 2017 ended the tradition of holding school board elections in September.
Secretary of State Paul Pate hopes the combined elections will increase voter participation.
Get the details in the Aug. 29 Kossuth County Advance.

Algona Municipal Utilities (AMU) is conducting its first electric long-range plan in 15 years. The cost for the study is $29,800, and it will take six to eight months to complete.
AMU General Manager John Bilsten said the growth since 2004 has caused AMU to re-prioritize portions of its plan. "We're at that time period where we want to analyze our electric system and develop a solid plan for the next 10 years," he said.

The Algona YMCA held its annual Back to School Bash in coordination with the Kossuth County C.A.R.E. team. According to Algona YMCA Membership and Marketing Director Julie Herbst-Ulmer, the goal was to get school supplies and book bags to students who need them.
Kossuth County C.A.R.E. Team Executive Director Linda Vaudt said that the C.A.R.E. team alone spent nearly $2,500 on supplies and bags.
Read more about the event in the Aug. 29 Kossuth County Advance.

When Joe Carter applied for the position at the Algona Community School District, he saw Algona as a destination community.
"This was a community we could call home, that provided tremendous opportunities professionally, as well as for our children," Carter said. "We really thought the combination of a strong school district and a community with great opportunites was a place we envisioned seeing ourselves."