Wednesday, May 16th the Alta-Aurelia Trap team traveled to a shoot near Palmer, hosted by the Humboldt Wildcats. Two of the A-A High School squads placed for the A-A team. In first place was the squad of Noah Sundene, Cody Goodwin, Cory Goodwin, Nick Beazley and Wyatt Tuttle...

BV County Supervisor Tom Huseman was the guest speaker this past Tuesday. The county plans to build a new maintenance shed along Radio Road for a cost of $2 million. The new shed will have 12 bays which will allow trucks and other equipment to be stored inside. The County Engineer’s office will be located at this site. This building will take the place of the current Hudson Street site. Currently both Tyson and the railroad may be interested in purchasing the Hudson Street property. ...

The following individuals from your area are among 3,400 prospective candidates for degree attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee commencement exercises Sunday, May 20, in Milwaukee. UWM is the second largest university in the State of Wisconsin, with approximately 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students...

The Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Iowa Chapter, is pleased to announce the beginning of an Alzheimer’s / Dementia Support group in Alta. The Alta Chapter will begin on May 31st and be held regularly the last Thursday of every month at Trinity Lutheran Church, 401 West 2nd Street in Alta, beginning at 7 p.m...

Erin Lockin, a 2018 graduate of the Alta-Aurelia High School, is the recipient of the Alta Chapter GB P.E.O. Scholarship. Erin was honored at the P.E.O. Spring Brunch on April 21. Erin is the daughter of Brian and Keisha Lockin of Aurelia. Erin was chosen from many applicants from the Alta-Aurelia senior class. She plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa this fall majoring in business...

Alta Fire Department invites everyone to our EMS Appreciation Night on Monday, May 21 from 6-8 p.m. to kick off “National EMS Week”.  When you make that 9-1-1 EMS call, our first responders are the “front line” to provide lifesaving services to your call.  The EMT’s ask the public to join in celebrating and recognizing the “front line”...

The City of Alta joined cities from across the State of Iowa to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Home Rule Amendment to Iowa’s State Constitution by passing a proclamation stating, “Home Rule is essential to effective and responsive municipal governance in all cities in Iowa,” and that local control “continues to be vital to the health and prosperity of all cities in Iowa.”...

The Alta-Aurelia School District’s Board of Supervisors met Monday to deal with a variety of new business including mission statements, workshop feedback, district goals, superintendent evaluation and new staff hiring. The board approved a working mission statement drafted by parents, staff and community members in a previous meeting. ...

The Alta-Aurelia Community School District’s Board of Directors agreed to send Alta-Aurelia High School’s competing National History Day group to the National History Competition. The group of six qualified to move on to the nationals in part for its presentation at a recent competition on the Judenrat, councils that represented Jewish communities in German-occupied Europe during World War II...

According to John Searcey of Surprise, Arizona, “Good people live in Alta, Iowa!” Searcey recently came into contact with two Altans, who may have helped to save his life. He shared this story: I recently had the opportunity to come into contact with two model citizens from your community and owe them a great big thank you...

The management of Westview Trailer Park in Alta is not cooperating with the Westview Revitalization Plan previously presented to City Council, according to an update at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The plan, spearheaded by union organizer Jesse Case at TeamCAN (Teamsters Community Action Network), was formed to include efforts from Westview residents, the city of Alta and management to contribute to a long-term vision that all parties could be happy with while keeping residents in their homes.. ...

The Alta Parks Board reported that is has procured a concession stand manager, but is still struggling to secure lifeguards this summer for the pool. Chairman Randy Ericksen said that they will be lowering the minimum hiring age to 15 and raising the pay rate from $7.50 to $8.00 per hour. ...

The Alta City Council voted unanimously to rescind the Trails Committee resolution and purchase a new garbage truck. After learning that the Pedestrian Trail and Safe Routes to School Committee lost their matching grant from the Buena Vista County Foundation, leaving them with no funding or way to finish projects, the council decided to rescind Trails Committee Resolution 1514, dissolving City Council’s relationship with the committee. ...

On Tuesday May 22, at 4:30 p.m. the Alta Library will behaving a Kick Off Night for their Summer Reading Library program. There will be games, a story time, fun and treats. Come join the the library for an exciting evening and learn about all of the exciting programs the library has planned for the summer...

Alta Kiwanis welcomed Officer Tim Smith from BV Co. Sheriff’s Department. Officer Smith has been on the job 18 years. He served Mapleton for four years, worked for Storm Lake PD nine years serving as field training officer. For the past four years he has worked in Sheriff’s dept. as instructor training officer. He has also been involved in periodic boat and jet ski patrol on Storm Lake...

The Alta-Aurelia Trap team hosted a trap shoot on Saturday April 28. Teams competing were Alta-Aurelia, Storm Lake, Okoboji. GTRA and Sioux City. In the High School division the Alta-Aurelia squad of Noah Sundene, Cody Goodwin, Cory Goodwin, Nick Beazley and Wyatt Tuttle won first place...

• Kid’s Creation Stations – Come & Go Children are invited to the library on Saturday, May 5 to visit our creation stations where we will have puppets, cars and floor mat, legos, crafts, floor puzzles and wedgits etc. • Movie Night At The Library: The Alta Community Library will be presenting “Peter Rabbit” Movie on Monday, April 14 at 4 p.m. Snacks will be provided. All ages are welcome...

The search continues for the City of Alta as it tries to fill the open Street Department position. A City Council meeting held Monday fell flat. Two candidates had interviews scheduled to fill the position. One withdrew their application, and the other did not show up...

On Wednesday, April 25, the Alta-Aurelia Trap team attended a shoot hosted by the Humboldt Wildcats Trap team. The shoot was held at the trap range near Palmer. The first place High School squad was A-A’s squad of  Noah Sundene, Cody Goodwin, Cory Goodwin, Matthew Arnts and Wyatt Tuttle...

The Alta City Park Board is in the process of bringing a new and updated park to the Alta community. We have not started any fundraising yet and currently have a couple of designs we are going through. We want to make sure we have the one we want before we begin fundraising. The one that has been in the paper is one of the designs...

Three Alta High School students did not quite make it to the moon, but they did get a trip to Texas recently to participate in the Regional Space Settlement Design Competition in Houston. The three students, Grace Meiers, a senior, Michael Ryherd, a sophomore, and and Michael Weiland, a junior, were chosen for the unique opportunity based on their essays and teacher references for class performance...

One farmer's trash is Molly Schroeder's treasure at Abel Acres in Alta. The young entrepreneur's business out in the sticks has given an outlet to defining the rugged beauty of rural America's charm. Abel Acres sells a variety of unique home décor items, from bed frames and tables to window dressings and goat milk soap. All of her items are locally sourced and support local businesses, which is a critical part of her mission. “We find things and repurpose them,” she said...

Once  again the Kiwanis were visited by two guest speakers. First was Emily Bodholdt, President of “Ready, Set, Grow” child care center Alta. Thanks to Alta School they are able to have child care located at west end of the old high school. Currently, 37 children are being cared for with 26 on a waiting list. ...

Cornwell, Frideres, Maher & Associates, P.L.e., CPA’s released an audit report on the Alta Community School District in Alta, Iowa. The District’s revenues totaled $8,661,774 for the year ended June 30, 2017, a 10.8% increase from the prior year. Revenues included $3,312,285 in local tax, charges for service of $1,306,320, operating grants, capital grants, contributions and restricted interest of $1,702,547, unrestricted interest of $4,649 and other general revenues of $2,335,973. ...

The Parks Board is putting the “work hard, play hard” mantra to use as they make progress on getting a new playground for Alta kids. Timothy Cunningham, a representative from a company that specializes in playground equipment, gave an estimate at a recent Board meeting, presenting various configuration options. ...

Some people make mountains out of mole hills. But Jeff Klatt of Storm Lake makes treasures out of tree stumps. The woodcarving artist is a seasoned veteran in his field, and has carved out a name for himself with clients all across the country, from the the east coast to the west coast, and many places between. ...

Mr. Braunschweig, a member of the Alta-Aurelia Education Association, applied for and received an ISEA Community Outreach Grant sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association. The grants are designed to promote community service projects, help fund, and build relationships with families and students in the community...

These are exciting times for the Ready, Set, Grow! day care program in Alta. With both the infant and toddler rooms full to capacity and a waiting list growing, the Alta-Aurelia School District recently gave permission for the program to expand into two more classrooms at the former high school building. Space has become available as the district completed a preschool addition adjacent to the elementary in Alta, allowing preschool classes to move from the older building...

Author Tommy Murray is a retired teachers that taught in the Minneapolic Public Schools. He and his wife, Mary Ann live in Shorewiew, MN. The setting of his novel takes place in rural Iowa during the 1970 baseball season. Murray’s nocel Fathers, Sons, and the Holy Ghosts of Baseball follows 14 year-old T.J. along with a band of misbehaving teens and three cantakerous old coaches. All are trying to reach the summit of winning the state championship for Holy Trinity High School...

Even amidst struggles, the show will go on in Alta this July, according to Denny Weber, president of the Buena Vista County Fair Board. The Buena Vista County Fair is hard at work preparing to showcase its new entertainment line up this summer, even with uncooperative weather and challenges. Planning for each fair starts right after one ends, which means an entire year of effort is put in to what visitors see each summer...

Pets play an important part in many people’s lives. For veterans, dogs serve a more critical component to their life after discharge. Many veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders and other physical challenges after discharge rely on their canine partners for a variety of tasks. That is where Deb Mongan of Aurelia comes in...

The Joint School Improvement Advisory Committee met Tuesday night to discuss and review annual policies, gather input from community members and formulate a working draft of the Alta-Aurelia Community School District’s mission statement for the next year. The well-attended meeting at Aurelia Middle School actively provided feedback for the superintendent and administrators of the School Board to use moving forward...

The Alta-Aurelia Community School Board of Directors met Thursday night to address budget items, review leadership materials, approve bids, review contract offers and a resignation, and sent a resolution to the Iowa Legislature. A presentation shown by Superintendent Lynn Evans focused on elemental drivers of success and helped the Board get in a frame of mind to formulate plans and missions going forward...

The Alta-Aurelia Trap Team traveled to M&G Gun Club near Schaller for their first shoot of the 2018 season on April.  In the High School division the squad of Noah Sundene, Cody Goodwin, Cory Goodwin, Matthew Arnts and Wyatt Tuttle placed first as a squad...

Randy Tilk, Alta Municipal Utilities Manager visited with Kiwanis Tuesday morning. Randy is in charge of city electrical, water, and telecommunications systems. Recently the city purchased eight acres of land north of the fairgrounds. May of this year, Alta will drill well six. ...

Straight A Honor Roll Freshmen: Matthew Cummins, Alex DeRoos, Jessica Larson and Cade Rohwer. Sophomores: Chloe Kruger, Jimena Mendoza and Sydney Stanton. Juniors: Phoebe Feis, Emily Morse, Annika Patton, Brittany Turnquist and Chloe Wood. Seniors: Mary Barnes, Hope DeRoos, Jacob Hull, Carson Kruger, Mallorie Lane, Erin Lockin, Grace Newell, Lauren Rohwer, Kaleb Sleezer and Alicia Turnquist...

The Alta Fire and Rescue Department has released a report on the busy first quarter of 2018. The department fielded 50 calls from January through March, for a total of 446 hours on scene. The department also took part in seven local training events and many outside training opportunities, for a total of 2,603 on-duty hours. ...

Guest speaker Dale Arends, Chairperson of Buena Vista Supervisors spoke to us on Tuesday. He discussed various issues. Property taxes: These taxes are due now. The next asking next spring will be about the same rate $10 per $1,000. There is around $9 million in tax income from last year. New secondary road facility: Currently county equipment is housed in a building on Hudson Street. Hudson is a street not zoned in a residential area. ...

The following students were selected to compete in the Twin Lakes Conference Art Show, held Tuesday, March 20 at ICCC in Fort Dodge, Alicia Turnquist was awarded third place in pastels for her piece titled “Aww.” Grace Meier got first place with her pastel piece “Enchanted Forest.” Hope DeRoos recieved Best of Show in 3D for her ceramic “Stoneware Vase” and Vanessa Gonzales was awarded Best of Show for her 2D charcoal drawing titled “Does Anybody Care.” ...

A variety of items were addressed on the Alta City Council’s agenda Monday night, from permanent stop signs and a firearms resolution to a liquor license and a Trails Committee update. The resolution that created the Pedestrian Trails and Safe Routes to School Committee was reviewed, reaffirming that the committee was indeed still in operation, and had not been dissolved by the City Council or mayor as rumored. ...

The students of Alta-Aurelia (Aurelia building) which houses the junior high and Aurelia elementary participated in their 21st Annual Jump Rope for Heart event on March 28.  The students in grades 3rd through 8th grade formed teams and packed the gym, most trying for best participation, costume, attitude and all around fun. Not solely just for fun, the students raised over $4,300 for the American Heart Association.  ...

An Alta-Aurelia FFA “Donkey Basketball” fundraiser will be held Tuesday, April 17, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the old high school gym. Tickets are $7 in advance or $10 at the door (preschoolers free), and can be purchased from any FFA member or at the school office...

Alta City Council met Monday evening to review the much anticipated presentation of the Westview Revitalization Plan. The Westview Revitalization Plan, presented by union organizer Jesse Case and Pastor Renata Jimenez of Summit Evangelical Free Church, articulated the goals of Westview Trailer Park in addition to the responsibilities of residents, the owner and the city...

Superintendent Lynn Evans of the Alta-Aurelia Community School District announced that the elementary school principal and curriculum coordinator for the district, Kurt Hannah, will be resigning, effective the end of his contract this summer. A special school board meeting is planned for early Friday morning in the superintendent’s office to approve the resignation...

The Alta Park Board is proposing a new playground to be built next to the shelter house in City Park, working with a company that is specializing in such developments. A preliminary plan is shown, and the board is scheduled to meet with the playground developer April 3...

Iowa law guarantees that every child in the state receives an “equal” amount of money to fund his/her education. A district’s budget is basically derived from the number of children enrolled in the district multiplied by the district’s cost per child. ...

The Teamsters Community Action Network (TeamCAN) has been facilitating a discussion between parties involved in Alta’s Westview Trailer Park and community members intend to present a Westview Revitalization Plan to the Alta city council this coming Monday...

The Trinity Lutheran Church is hosting a spuds and splits fundraiser consisting of baked potato with toppings, banana split and drink. This event will be held Sunday, April 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Carry out is available. The cost is $8 per person, preschoolers eat free...

National Library Week: National Library Week will be April 8th thru April 14. Free coffee for adults all week. Snacks and coloring for all. Toddle time: Toddle Time will meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 9. The theme will be on spring. Come enjoy a story and other fun activities that will go along with the program’s theme...

The Pedestrian Trail and Safe Routes to School Committee met last Thursday to discuss the financial and logistical considerations of the Safe Routes to School project, in addition to homeowner concerns. The meeting included discussion on a bid for work from Kim Piercy. Lynn Evans, Superintendent of Schools for Alta-Aurelia, relayed that while he did not have a firm bid from Piercy, he expected the estimate to be $8,000-10,000...