Decorah girl wins area essay contest

The Hannah Lee Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution has selected a Decorah Middle School 7th grader as the winner of their annual American History Essay Contest, which is open to students in 5th through 12th grades.

Kalea Oftedahl 's winning essay was titled "A Child's Journey Through Ellis Island."  The theme of this year's essay contest was immigration through Ellis Island through a child's eyes.

Oftedahl's essay also advanced to the district level, which included entries from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.