McDonnell Appliance fixture for over 40 years in Mount Ayr
By Mike Avitt McDonnell Appliance has been a fixture in Mount Ayr for forty-one years. Randy and Robin McDonnell own the business started by Randy’s father, Randy McDonnell, Sr., in 1982 after the elder McDonnell had several years of appliance experience to his credit. So, how did it all start? Randy and Ruth McDonnell came…
Read More
The Mount Ayr city council covered a light agenda at their regular meeting Monday, May 1. Among actions taken, the city council: • approved Little League Coaches, adding Ty Boyer to the coaching roster. • renewed liquor licenses for El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant, LLC and Ringgold Post No. 172 of the American Legion of Iowa.…
Read MoreReynolds becomes third Mount Ayr athlete to win at Drake Relays
Ryce Reynolds has done it again. Running at the 113th annual Drake Relays in Des Moines, Reynolds set the school record in the 400 meter dash on Friday, April 28, finishing in 48.46, beating the second place finisher by .06 seconds (48.52). The championship finish put Reynolds in elite company, becoming only the third ever…
Read MoreRaiders claim POI Championship Monday
Raider Relays Mount Ayr hosted its Raider Relays last week in a boys only contest. (The Raiderette Relays are Thursday, May 4). The Raiders finished second overall with 127.5 points, behind Interstate-35 in first place with 165 points and just ahead of Clarke with 85 points. Wayne, Central Decatur, Bedford and Southeast Warren rounded out…
Read MoreSnapshot of History
BY MIKE AVITT I took this week’s photo on June 27, 2009. Let’s look at some Ringgold County graveyards and undertakers. The Mount Ayr Centennial Book says the Rose Hill Cemetery Association was organized in 1882 although several burials took place prior to that date. The earliest information I found was in 1884 when a…
Read MoreRedding city council member arrested
On March 17, Robert Lyde Mccully was arrested in Redding on charges of possession or carrying a dangerous weapon while intoxicated and harassment in the first degree. According to court documents, Mccully had a confrontation with his neighbor in which Mccully admitted to producing a 9mm Kimber and firing a shot into the air. A…
Read MoreWatch for motorcycles
To the editor: May is motorcycle awareness month so I thought I’d enlighten you with some shocking statistics from the DOT regarding motorcycle fatalities. Last year alone there were 49 fatalities involving motorcycles, with there being three deaths already this year, in Iowa solely. A majority of the accidents involved were motor vehicles, and the…
Read MoreBand concert was great
To the editor: I almost didn’t go to the Merrill Perry band concert, but I did as I had a great nephew playing in the band. I was not disappointed and Merrill would be so proud of MACHS band! A few years ago, the band was small but has grown by leaps and bounds under…
Read MoreLooking Back with Lora Stull
One Hundred Years Ago (From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, May 9, 1923.) Clarence Ives has been chosen as field captain of Diagonal Blue Sox baseball team. The baseball diamond for the next 3 years will be on the Chas. Wing farm east and across the road from the C.G.W. Depot. John C. Crawford left the…
Read MoreElwood to return as elementary principal
The Mount Ayr Community Schools Board of Education held a special meeting on Friday, April 28 at 2:30 p.m. to approve the elementary principal contract offered to Chris Elwood for the 2023-2024 school year. Elwood will return to Mount Ayr Elementary on July 1, 2023. Elwood originally planned to leave the education field and took…
Read More