High school students from Howard-Winneshiek recently participated in a training coordinated by Iowa State University Extension at Luther College.  The training prepared students for their role as cross-age teachers in the Farm to School program which began in January.

    Last week, C US Bank challenged the community to make donations to earthquake victims in Haiti. If the donation total reached over $1,063 by the end of the business day Thursday, Jan. 28, Bank President J. Scott Thomson and fellow  bank branch employees Dennis Hovden of Ridgeway, Duane Johnson of Lime Springs and Charley Perry of Charles City would wear high heels to work on Friday, Jan. 29.

    Cresco Insurance Agency specializes in personal, business and farm insurance protection as well as life and health insurance. The independent insurance agency owned and operated by C US Bank in Cresco, recently welcomed Michigan native, Stephen Sopha as the new agency manager. Stephen, his wife Julie and four daughters, Addie, Josie, Ella and Gwen moved from Duluth, Minn. to the Cresco area this past month.

    Five years ago, children aged 8 to 18 spent an average of six hours per day online. Now, the same age group spends an average of seven and a half hours per day with some form of electronic media—this according to Deb Henkes of the Keystone Area Education Agency, during the “Keeping Kids Safer Online” seminar, held at Notre Dame Catholic School on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

    On Thursday, Jan. 28, the Howard County Economic Development Board accepted the verbal resignation of HCED Executive Director Ken Paxton.  Paxton did not provide reasons for his resignation.

    Thursday, Jan. 28 was celebrated as Mentoring Day on the Hill in Des Moines, Iowa. Three Helping Services Mentoring Coordinators, Kathy Schwartzhoff, Rosa Grant and Jill Hollowell met with State Senator Mary Jo Wilhelm (top photo) and State Representative John Beard (bottom photo) to discuss the importance of mentoring. To become a mentor, contact Schwartzhoff at Helping Services for Northeast Iowa, Inc. at 563-382-1720 ext. 108 or visit www.helpingservices.org.