Obituary: Gerald Lee Schaefer
Gerald Lee Schaefer age 79 died July 8, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. Gerald Lee Schaefer (Jerry) was born on November 6, 1945, to Lowell and Maxine (Collier) Schaefer in Ringgold County, Iowa. Jerry was welcomed home by his big brother Carl. His family continued to grow with the addition of a sister Gwendolyn Kay…
Read MoreBoys basketball state tourney moving to Hilton in 2027
A century after playing championships inside State Gym, the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and Iowa State University (ISU) enter an exciting new era together as the IHSAA State Basketball Tournament will move to James H. Hilton Coliseum starting in 2027. An initial five-year agreement with support from Discover Ames will place the five-day,…
Read MoreStreamlined registration for officials
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) and Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) have collaborated to streamline the officials’ registration process in the 2025-26 school year. When officials register through DragonFly ahead of their 2025-26 sports seasons, they will now be able to select IGHSAU and IHSAA shared sports for one registration fee.…
Read MoreThree Raiderettes named Pride of Iowa All-Conference
The Mount Ayr Raiderette softball team found out late last week that three of their players were named to the 2025 Pride of Iowa Conference, all-conference team. Mount Ayr had a pair of second team selections and an honorable mention pick. The Raiderettes finished the season 11-10 overall and were 7-7 in the POI. The…
Read MoreSnapshots of History
Last week I honored the Mount Ayr High School class of 1975 as they get together for their 50-year reunion. There are many overeaters in that class, so I know the event will be well catered. The class of 1965 graduated 60 years ago and I found some information on what Mount Ayr was like…
Read MoreLOOKING BACK in the Early Files
One Hundred Years Ago (From the Mount Ayr Record-News, Thursday, July 29, 1925.) Narrow Escape From Death: Turning a flip flop in a Ford coupe, tumbling down a 30 foot embankment over a rocky surface into the water below~just like they do to produce thrillers for the movies, except at a higher rate of speed~was the…
Read MoreCity continuing RCDC partnership
Mount Ayr city council members voted to continue support of RCDC financial partnership at their regular meeting on Monday, July 28. Public forum Several people were in attendance to address the council during the public forum. Randy Taylor was present to clarify that the County Board of Supervisors have not made a cost sharing request…
Read MoreWHO hires Diagonal local
Anyone who tunes in to the “Today in Iowa” morning news show on WHO-TV Channel 13 may well see a familiar face on screen. That face would belong to 2022 Diagonal High School graduate Skyler Stamps, who recently joined the station as a multi-media journalist (MMJ) and on-air reporter. “MMJ means that I do basically…
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS: TOM HAWLEY IS RETIRING!
Lucky 13 Tom Hawley, owner and publisher of the Mount Ayr Record News and Diagonal Progress, recently announced his upcoming retirement. Hawley is planning for a lot more rest and relaxation after disseminating Ringgold County’s news for the last 13 years. Tom and his wife, Tami, purchased the stock in Paragon Publications, Inc., the corporation…
Read MoreEmergency sewer issue
Mount Ayr city council members approved having Garden and Associates apply for an Iowa DNR construction permit for sewer repair/replacement at an emergency meeting on Tuesday, July 22. Heavy rain event Local residents called into The City of Mount Ayr after 6-7” of rain fell between June 24-25, which led city staff to investigate potentially…
Read More