Here are excerpts from letters to the editor in the Feb. 11 print edition of the Advance, where you can read them in their entirety.
... Now is the time for our communities to make every effort to put the last year of hardship behind us and move forward together.  The best chance to do this will come from vaccination.  ...

... Putting Algonans in a position to own the power that’s generated is a way to ensure they get access to power, and that it comes at the best possible price. ...
 
Read the full Editorial in the Feb. 11 print edition of the Advance.

... Things had been so much easier before, but now they had the third little girl. The mom walked down the hallways of the church carrying a dozen items and two little ones. The mom stated that she had just changed the child, and now the little one made a squeaking noise that necessitated another bathroom trip.

... We are spoiled. Just because we can order something immediately, get what we want or need from a store or pharmacy without concern or have our questions answered almost immediately by information on the internet, doesn’t mean it’s that way with everything.

Given the state of private insurance reimbursement, tamped down Medicare reimbursement and delays in payments through the state’s Medicaid managed care program, local ambulance and responder services are left operating the on edge with little money for anything beyond basic staffing and limited equipment, gear and vehicle upgrades. What does it say about our values that this vital service is relegated to beef burger dinners and pancake breakfasts to raise money for necessities?
 

... As a moving gift, I presented myself with a snowblower. I imagine that’s a rite of passage for those over age 50 – that one dumps the shovel for a machine. I was well overdue by those standards but way too cheap to employ modern equipment. ...
What happened with Brad's snowblower? See On the Side in the Jan. 28 Advance.

... I only bring this up because if you believe in karma, it came back to haunt me last week. I was walking Seamus in the snow when I hit a patch of ice and my feet went skyward. ...
So, what happened with Molly? See the Jan. 28 Advance to find out.

The good news is – vaccine clinics are happening in Kossuth County. We are so glad to be able to distribute the vaccine to more people, including all people age 65 and older. 
The not-so-good news is – vaccine supply is still scarce. Getting vaccine to all the people who want it will be a long process. We are moving forward, but for those who are eagerly awaiting the vaccine it may feel like the pace is slower than molasses. 

...I’m just tired. How about you? ...  But fortunately in the pandemic of sin, we have a fool-proof solution with 100 percent effectiveness. 
In Matthew 11, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

... As a practicing Christian, I find it difficult to see much in Mr. Trump’s time in office including his thousands of public statements that are consistent with Gospel values. I am convinced that Jesus would have been far more willing to speak out than has been the case with many of Mr. Trump’s most enthusiastic supporters in church congregations. ...
Read a letter to the editor from a former Algona resident in the Jan. 21 Kossuth County Advance.

So what was daily life like in Hitler’s Germany for the average family? 
That’s the question L. Annette Binder tries to answer in her gripping and memorable novel, "The Vanishing Sky," a fictional treatment inspired by her father’s experiences as a Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany. 
 
Read Michael Tideman's review of the book in the Jan. 21 Kossuth County Advance.
 
 

... In 1993 I was afforded the opportunity to attend a presidential inauguration. My uncle, Bart, was in his final year of working for the United States Treasury Department, which is located in the first building east of the White House, and he issued an invitation to come and watch Bill Clinton and Al Gore be sworn in. He helped to secure the necessary tickets and off we went. ...
Read all of Gene Miller's Out of the Past column in the Jan. 21 Kossuth County Advance.

... People’s sense of fairness and their search for absolutes often arise during these debates. We are likely to see that on display again in our state Capitol. Republicans again have raised the concept of restoring the death penalty here. Early reports say the ultimate penalty would be only available if a first degree murder involves the death of a minor – someone under the age of 18. In Iowa, judges follow state law on these types of sentences ...

We are halfway through the school year, and I could not be more proud of the students, staff, and families of the Algona Community School District. Certainly this has been a school year unlike any other, and as a society we have all had the incredibly difficult task of navigating through a pandemic while still putting students first and doing what is best for kids.

Bless, blessed, blessing. These are big words in the church. They are big word in the Bible, too. In the Revised Standard Version of the Bible one can find “blessed” 286 times in 270 verses, “bless” 133 times in 122 verses, and “blessing” 71 ties in 68 verses. Definitely a big deal! We use them in a variety of ways in a number of contexts.