LOOKING BACK in the Early Files by Lora Stull

A declamatory contest for grade pupils was held at the high school auditorium last Thursday evening. Ten contestants were entered, seven in the humorous class and three in the dramatic. They were Grace Walker, Loraine Smith, Ruth Armstrong, Violet Heggs, Rosmary Frisby, Alberta Knight, Mardell McCracken, Lavon Burchett, Bessie Brooks, and Sylvia Treichler. Miss Bessie Brooks, who read “The Littlest Rebel,” won first place.

Trial of the case of the State of Iowa vs June Skinner, under indictment charging lewd and immoral conduct, occupied the time of the court Friday and Saturday and resulted in a verdict of acquital being returned by the jury Saturday afternoon.

Birth: March 22, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie Jensen.

Obituaries in this edition were: Lizzie Wilson Hathaway, Mary C. Shaffer Glendenning, David Ames Glendenning, Tilness Mackey and Rowena Beryl Ballew.

Doyle and Thelma Andrew, defendants, were ordered by the court on Thursday to remove obstacles in an east and west alley which lies south of their residence property in the Kirby addition to the town of Mount Ayr.

Action was brought by the Incorporated Town of Mount Ayr against the defendants following disputes as to the location of said alley. A survey was made, according to the record, showing that a fence had been built on the center line of the alley. The court order allows the defendants a period of six months to remove the fence and chicken house.

Miss Helen Zerovich, R.N. last week assumed her duties as head nurse at the Ringgold County Hospital.

Marriage: March 19, Rojean South and William Allen..Easter Suday, Bonnie Cowell and Ronald Johnston.

Births: March 23, a daughter Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Campbell..Friday a son to Mr. and Mrs. Tim Johnston..March 21, a son, Ronald, to Mr. and Mrs. Leo Morgan..March 21, a son, Gordon, to Mr. and Mrs. Vance Cox Jr…March 24, twins Janet and Robert, to Mr. and Mrs. Lee Weehler..March 23, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Glen Hoover..March 26, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Day..March 23 a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Dean Goodman..March 22, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. L. Henderson..March 17, a daughter Norma Jean to Mr. and Mrs. Maurice O’Connor.

Obituaries in this edition were Russell H. Morey, Charles Henry Wilson, and Earl C. Beatty,

The annual National Honor Society Installation will be held Thursday. New members to be inducted are Joni Brown, Sherri Klejch, Tami Solliday, Lesa Creveling, Cindy Howie, Rhonda Miller, and Marcy Solliday.

Mrs. Neil Chicken was re-elected president of Chaper CK, PEO Sisterhood of Mount Ayr during a meeting held March 12 in the home of Mrs. Royce Davis.

Cleda Daniels was elected vice president, Mrs. LBanks Wilson was re-elected recording secretary and Mrs. Don Solliday, corresponding sercretary; Ina Napier was elected treasurer, Mrs. Arlen Hughes, chaplin and mrs Jack Eddy guard.

A Lincoln, NE firm is presently engaged in developing a preliminary engineering report for the  Southwest Iowa Rural Water Association. While waiting for completion of this report, county rural water boards will be distributing available information and working with potential water users, both rural and town.

Another change in company is planned for Ringgold County cable television customers of AT & T Broadband.

In the second or third quarter of 2001, closing of a transaction selling the systems to Mediacom Communication Corporation.

Details about what would be involved in the development of Gooseberry Lake, a 500 acre lake to be located just northeast of Mount Ayr, were shared at a public hearing on the project held at the Ringgold County courthouse in Mount Ayr Thursday.

The public hearing was set to notify area property owners of the plans for the lake and the fact that the Goosebedrry Lake Agency may move ahead with a process that could take land by eminent domain if negotiations for purchase of the property cannot be worked out.

Winners in the annual Ringgold County Master Corn and Soybean Grower’s contest sponsored by the Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce were presented at the appreciation breakfast Saturday morning. Awards wee presented for conventional tilllage and no till for both soybeans and corn. Winner of the conventional tillage soybean top yield were Curt and Terry Lininger of Tingley with a yield of 58.74 bushels per acre. Conventional tillage corn award went to Davison Farms of Maloy with a yield of 217.63 bushels per acre. Winner of the no-till soybean and corn top yield was Elliott Farms of Mount Ayr with 60.19 bushels per acre and 2500.13 bushels per acre.

Nick Wurster was the lucky winner of a Mongoose Mountain bike given away at Community Grocers, Inc. The bike drawing was sponsored by 7-Up and Dr. Pepper.

Marriage: October 4, 2000, Amanda Campbell and Jamie Trammel.

Obituaries in this edition were: Wayne Oscar Burchett, Carroll (Lefty) Porter Geist, Violet Leoan Trower Grose, Lester Sickels, Coralyn Lorrayayne Clayton Swank, Joe Francis Junior Tapscott, Richard Everett Waddell.

Hospital turns down city request for parking lot.

In the regular meeting, board members heard a proposal from City of Mount Ayr council members Ken Robertson and Brad Elliott. They proposed that the hospital gifting the parking lot on the south side of Shellway Drive adjacent to the old hospital facility to the city of Mount Ayr. As city representatives, Robertson and Elliott indicated the parking lot, which the city estimates to be valued at $200,000 could be a significant asset to the city and community residents.

Kylie Wilson of Clearfield has been honored as a Presidental Scholar at AIB College of Business for the 2015-2016 winter term.

On March 8 Quentin Gregg was a recipient of the KAAN radio all star wrestler at a banquet held in Albany, MO.

Births: March 17, a son, Owen, to Shawn Young and Miranda Zollman..March 20, a daughter, Madilynn, to Lindsey and Dallas Early.

Obituaries in this edition were: Louise Moore Corll, Roxie Kaye Smith Fletcher, Eddie Eugene Overholser, Barbara Jean Deardorff.