The Aurelia teachers are wishing all Warriors a safe and enjoyable summer in this unique project. The annual “checkout photograph” had to get a remix this year with some artistic help. It went out over social media with the teachers’ message: “We will miss you. See you in the fall!”...

Julie Hahn of United Bank of Iowa spoke at the June 1st Alta City Council meeting about the bank having entered into a purchase agreement for the old quilt shop building on Main Street. “Our plan is to remove the structure and construct a drive-through that will run along the south side of the main building and exit into the street,” she said. It would require a sidewalk elevation change to make the exit to the street, and she asked council members to consider the proposal...

A new Facebook page is anonymously calling out property owners in Alta. Alta’s Undesirable List is posting photographs of what its operator considers to be unsightly or nuisance properties, with the slogan, “There’s no badge of honor to be on this page.”...

At the June 1st Alta City Council meeting, the council accepted the resignation of Randy Sievers, Alta Code Enforcement Officer, who held the position since March. “He was hired at a bad time with this COVID-19. He couldn’t do his job as far as inspecting buildings which was a big part of it,” Mayor Kevin Walsh said...

Students recounted their experiences through the years and the unusual senior year they were dealt as they gave speeches at the Alta-Aurelia High School class of 2020 commencement. The ceremony took place on May 23rd in a different sort of way. The 50 graduates were seated on the football field, spaced apart, wearing masks as their friends and families watched from a distance outside the fence line...

Scott Mitchell will take over as the new principal at Alta-Aurelia High School and is looking forward to the 2020-21 academic year ahead. Principal Tom Ryherd, with the school district for 14 years, is approaching retirement. “Working with students to help them achieve their goals” is what Mitchell appreciates most about working in education...

The ICR Future Career and College Fair is being held Sunday, May 31 from 1-3 pm, featuring more than 70 colleges, universities, and career resources from across Iowa and the nation, enabling high school students to engage with experts and explore future opportunities...

The Alta-Aurelia High School commencement is scheduled for this Saturday, May 23rd at 2 p.m. at the Alta football field. The event had to be rescheduled from last weekend due to weather.

The Buena Vista County Fair hosted a unique fundraiser event May 16 - a drive in movie projected on the back of the fairgrounds grandstand in Alta. The turnout for the showing of Toy Story 4 was so good that the fair board hopes to do another such event...

One routine that Alta city councilman Tom Lane has always kept is gardening and sharing his vegetables with the community. Now is no exception; in fact, he has recently increased the pace, knowing some residents have an inadequate food supply due to the pandemic and job loss. He makes food deliveries at least weekly and last week provided food to about 170 families in and around Alta...

Alta-Aurelia School District is slated to receive financial relief funding through the federal CARES Act this month. The district is expected to receive about $77,500. Iowa received $71.6 million in elementary and secondary School Emergency relief. $64.4 million was earmarked for Iowa school districts for mitigating the impact of COVID-19...

Mason Barnes, 8th Grader at Alta-Aurelia, finished 3rd in season rodeo Saddle Bronc Steer Riding, 8th in Breakaway Roping, 12th in Goat Tying, and 18th in the All-Around for the year in the state of Iowa. Mason qualified for the National JH Rodeo Finals in Saddle Bronc Steer Riding. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 virus, the JH National Rodeo scheduled to be in Iowa this summer has been canceled...

Quarantine hasn’t kept the Alta-Aurelia community from expressing its “Kindness Counts” mantra. / Composite courtesy AA Schools

United Bank of Iowa - Alexa Fredericksen and Diogo Sliefert Bernie Saggau Award - Alexa Fredericksen Jim and Pat Wall Legacy Scholarship - Jair Lopez First Cooperative Association Scholarship - Matthew Arnts and Alexa Fredericksen GFWC Aurelia Scholarship - Sarah Sundene...

Alta - Aurelia High School Principal Tom Ryherd detailed plans for the Sunday, May 17th high school commencement, speaking to board members at the May 11th Alta-Aurelia School Board meeting which was livestreamed. The graduation will take place on the original date at 2 p.m. on the football field in Alta, weather permitting...

Sirens and flashing lights from Alta fire trucks through city streets is a common occurrence during the pandemic, and is not done because of emergencies but to brighten the lives of children on their birthdays. The Alta Fire Department is once again going above and beyond. When they hear of kids’ birthdays, they know it is time for a surprising drive-by, complete with sirens and flashing lights...

The Alta VFW has cancelled the Memorial Day Program on May 20, due to the COVID-19 virus. The new flags will be dedicated at the 2021 ceremony. Weather permitting, some of the flags may be displayed outside the school building in Alta. The VFW asks everyone to remember all our veterans past and present...

End of school year details have occurred over the past few weeks in the Alta-Aurelia School District. The school year officially ends May 22nd, although schools were closed in March due to COVID-19. Principals discussed the improvised end-of-year procedures at the May 11th school board meeting which was available by livestream...

A whimsical yard display greets passers-by in Alta. / Pilot photo by Dana Larsen

At the May 4th Alta City Council meeting, the council voted to purchase a new snowplow truck to replace the main truck that is 17 years old and has 78,000 miles. Street Department supervisor Brad Pedersen forwarded bids to the council before the April meeting, and at the May meeting the council voted to pay $92,518. ...

The Alta City Council met via conference call on May 4th to address various city issues and projects. City-Wide Cleanup The council voted to postpone the city-wide cleanup until the week of June 8th. Some council members and city officials suggested canceling it this year and instead focusing on ash tree removal, postponing it until fall, or continuing it and having groups of no more than 10...

Ready, Set, GROW Leaning Center in Alta will reopen on May 27. RSG board members met Monday to discuss the re-opening process. Health and safety will be the top priority, and the center will follow all state protocols. Outside doors will be locked, daily screenings will be done on arriving children, as well as staff and parents who enter. Masks will be worn by staff and additional sanitizing practices will be in place...

Alta resident Serenity Templemeyer shows off work she made during a Witter Art Gallery live stream. The gallery has conducted its classes and gatherings online during quarantine.. / Photo submitted

Graduation for Alta-Aurelia High School seniors will take place on Sunday, May 17th which is the original date. The ceremony will be streamed with the school district’s YouTube Channel. “We are trying to put a plan together that is in accordance with Public Health recommendations. We will also be scheduling an alternate date for June if necessary,” Superintendent William Walters...

A former mayor of Alta hopes to draw attention to issues with aging infrastructure in the community - an issue similar to that being faced by many communities of similar vintage around the area. Al Clark, who left office at the end of 2019, says the problems extend to water lines, sewer lines and storm sewers, and is concerned that the city hasn’t made progress on upgrades...

The Alta Firemen’s Association and Tyson Foods teamed up on April 21st to host a free meat drive-thru distribution in Alta. The meat was generously donated by Tyson. Eligible recipients were Alta fire district residents, and the long line of vehicles wound around from Casey’s to the Alta Community Center where the food was distributed. ...

COVID-19 concerns have slowed planning for a pair of playground developments in Alta, but hopes are to step up the fundraising process this summer. “With the virus stuff going on it has been kind of left on hold,” explained Heidi Reetz of the city park board, which is working with the school districts PTO organization on the effort to develop both new city park and elementary school playgrounds...

Alta-Aurelia joined many other schools in the state in lighting up the football field last Friday in a sign of solidarity. / AA Schools photo

Straight A Honor Roll Qtr 3 A Honor Roll Qtr 3 B Honor Roll Qtr 3...

The BVU Golf Course at Lake Creek is beginning sign-ups for league play. While there still continues to be many questions surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, the course plans to proceed with leagues and tournaments in a safe, alternative fashion. This could include:...

Prom and graduation plans in the Alta-Aurelia school district are on hold until Gov. Kim Reynolds announces whether to re-open Iowa schools on May 1st or extend school closures due to COVID-19. The matter was discussed at the April 13th school board meeting...

The Alta City Council addressed a number of issues during a meeting by conference call this week, including upgrades for a railroad crossing, handling of the city pool, and the prospects for taking over a vacant Main Street building. RAILROAD CROSSINGS...

Alta church leaders continue to forge ahead in taking care of their members while obeying directives on social distancing during Coronavirus. Northwest Christian Church will continue to forego in-person services at least through the end of April, and Pastor Ben Michaels is using primarily Facebook and YouTube videos to stay in touch with his congregation. “The church is not just a building, it’s a group of people,” he emphasized in a recent video...

New Buena Vista University Golf Course at Lake Creek Country Club tee signs are up. The BVU marketing team assigned with the project and the signs were created by Commercial Sign and Design. The front and back nine switch has been completed, and a reduced green fee special for the month of April is in place so everyone can come out to see what’s new ($15 for nine holes, $25 for 18). ...

Tanner Morris of Alta, graduated with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Main campus in Davenport, Iowa on Feb. 28, 2020. Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first and largest college in the chiropractic profession, has campuses in Davenport, Iowa; San Jose, Calif.; and Port Orange, Fla...

An audit has been completed for the City of Alta for the fiscal year ending last June. City revenue of $1.88 million, including almost $571,000 in property taxes, $572,000 in charges for services, $324,000 in intergovernmental receipts, and over $201,000 in local option sales tax...

Lynn Deprez received a big surprise on Sunday evening, March 29th, when she stepped outside onto her front door and a parade of about 54 vehicles drove past her house in Alta. There was honking and shouts to Lynn and her husband, Darell, of “We love you!” and “Love you guys!” They were well-wishers who wanted to show their support for Lynn during her cancer battle...

Like in most places, Alta churches have made adjustments to reach their members via phone calls, technology and prayer. Summit Evangelical Free Church has suspended all worship services and activities until further notice due to Coronavirus, but resources for all ages are available...

Alta Fire Department (AFD) understands during these unprecedented times, our children are making sacrifices as well. Your child’s birthday means a lot to them, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, no school, social distancing and no groups larger than 10 has put a halt to such fun. ...

Kids miss their teachers and classmates, and teachers miss their students due to school closings because of Coronavirus. A solution to bridge the divide for a short time happened on Tuesday, March 24th, when Alta-Aurelia teachers participated in a “teacher parade,” a caravan of vehicles through the streets of Aurelia, then Alta. ...

The Alta-Aurelia School District is providing free meals to kids of all ages every Monday, Wednesday and Friday while schools are closed due to COVID-19. The meals are available for pickup and delivery to residents in Alta, Aurelia and surrounding areas...

It is now a standard worldwide, due to COVID-19, to educate students using unconventional methods, and the Alta-Aurelia School District is no exception. William Walters, Superintendent of Alta-Aurelia Schools, said the overall goal is to keep our students and families connected to school. ...

The Iowa High School Speech Association made the thoughtful decision to cancel Individual State Speech Contests that were scheduled around the state for Saturday, March 14 and the All-State Festival on March 30. State Contest means a large crowd of students and spectators from several school districts. ...

Alta-Aurelia Activities Director Grant Peckenschenider felt what was coming about a week before it happened. He expected the schools to get shut down before the announcements were made. “A week ago I felt it’d get postponed,” he said. “It’s disappointing but necessary.”...

PeopleWorks in Alta is not all about business. They leave room for fun. Located in the heart of Alta, the modern-looking renovated building at 224 S. Main St. offers a space for leadership and management training, meetings and parties, attracting people from all over...

The Alta-Aurelia spring play, “Home for the Holidays,” is being put on hold due to the school district’s closing due to the Coronavirus. “It is postponed indefinitely, depending on when school will be back in session,” play director Carrie Buddenhagen, said...

The Alta Community Library closed Tuesday, and will remain closed until further notice. All scheduled library events are cancelled.

Sunday, March 15 the Alta-Aurelia Trap team traveled to the Palo Alto Gun Club near Emmetsburg. This competition was open to the High School and Middle School athletes. Placing for the High School boys were Jacob Arnts first place and Tyler Erpelding second place. ...

The Alta-Aurelia High School concert and jazz bands put on a special performance Wednesday morning for the 5-8 middle school students. / Courtesy AA School District

Alta Elementary School administrators and teachers consider reading to be a priority for the pre-k through 4th graders and are working to boost reading test scores during the spring state testing cycle beginning May 4. Principal Stacy Mueller told the school board at the March 9 meeting that after analyzing the last few years of data, reading appears to be the subject on which to focus. “We know our reading needed some work,” she said...