January 2023

• Akron officials wanted feedback on curbside recycling. Akron residents overwhelmingly rejected curbside recycling.

• Akron-Westfield school board elects officers: President Nick Schoenfelder and Vice-President Cory Tucker. They were sworn in along with Business Manager Mandy McCully.

• Akron Care Center audit reveals it’s strong financially.

‘Jersey Boys’ coming in April!

The Akron Opera House Board of Directors has announced “Jersey Boys” will be the 2024 spring musical. Performance dates are April 11-14. Watch Facebook and www.AkronOperaHouse.org for audition and ticket sales information soon. 

The Akron-Westfield Educational Excellence Foundation (AWEEF) will be honoring charter members and donors at halftime of the girls’ basketball game Jan. 26.

Akron Opera House announced the dates for the 2024 children’s theater production of “King Arthur’s Quest” presented by Missoula Children’s Theatre. Performances are  March 2 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

During the recent winter storms last Thursday-Sunday, over a foot of snow or more fell around Akron and it was brutal. Along with the below zero temperatures and the high wind chills of -30+, it was almost impossible to get out or want to go out.

Even though it's kind of pretty, the snow caused much havoc on everone in the area. As a matter of fact, most of the country was hit with horrible weather. Mother Nature must have been pretty angry!

On January 4 at 2:15 p.m. the Tri-County CERT executed a search warrant at 800 Dakota St. in Akron. This was the result of an ongoing investigation by the Akron Police Department for a possible firearms violation. As a result of the search, three firearms were seized. The Akron Police Department arrested and charged Charles Dickson, 44, of Akron with three counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person/convicted felon.

A major storm hit most of the area beginning around midnight on Sunday continuing through Monday. The storm dumped anywhere from six to eleven inches giving us a winter storm warning. Around Akron it seems eight inches or so was the norm causing Akron-Westfield to call off classes Monday and Tuesday.  In our area, this was the first real major snowstorm and it waited until January.

The Iowa Caucus will take place Jan. 15 promptly at 7 p.m. at locations in all 99 counties of Iowa. 

Iowa basketball superstar Clark has impact on A-W players

 By Greg Bates

Contributing writer

The sixteen-member Prairie Winds Jazz ensemble will return to the historic Akron Opera House with a big band and swing dance concert on Saturday, Feb. 3. The musicians from around the Siouxland area will perform a big band and swing dance concert at 7:30 p.m., with dance lessons presented by the Dordt College Swing Dance Club beginning at 6:30 p.m. 

By: Jennifer Wendel

By Jennifer Wendel

Akron-Westfield Elementary students demonstrated the true spirit of the holiday season by reaching out to deployed Marines, including their hometown hero, Jeremy Bosse, a 2020 graduate of AW currently stationed in Japan.

By Dodie Hook

A dream of owning her own building, rather than renting, for her hairdressing business has been achieved for Becky Meinen of Akron. 

Penny Virginia Harvey will be turning 80 years young on December 29, 2023. Please honor her by sending a card or a note to Penny at 531 Jespersen Blvd, Akron, Iowa, 51001. 

By Dodie Hook