Area News

The latest Student Performance profiles from the Iowa Department of Education took center stage at the Monday, February 3 meeting of the board of directors of the Mount Ayr Community Schools. Elementary report Elementary principal Chris Elwood reported that for the third consecutive year, Mount Ayr Elementary was rated as a “high performing” school, the…

Chloe Saville, a sophomore at Mount Ayr Community High School, scored 297 out of a possible 300 at an archery competition at East Union recently. She placed first among 121 girls competing at the meet. Saville, a member of the Diagonal High School archery team, is the daughter of Joe Saville of Mount Ayr and…

Dem. Candidate    Total SDEs*    %  SDEs* Joe Biden    101    33.7% Pete Buttigieg    75    25.0% Amy Klobuchar    56    18.7% Elizabeth Warren    49    16.3% Bernie Sanders    19    6.3% All others    0    0.0% * SDE – state delegate equivalent GOP Candidate    Votes    % Vote Donald Trump    106    99.06 Bill Weld    1    0.93

What is Pickleball you ask?  Pickleball is a mix between tennis, badminton, and table tennis.  It is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S.  According to the USA Pickleball Association, the sport has grown 650% in interest and numbers in the past 6 years. It’s such a fun, fast sport that doesn’t require…

Like those throughout the state, voters across Ringgold County participated in the Iowa Caucus Monday, February 3. On the Republican side, President Donald Trump received all but one vote at the county caucus. Trump collected 106 votes to one vote for Bill Weld. On the Democrat side, it was a much different story. By press…

              The 2020 induction class into the Mount Ayr Community Schools Hall of Fame was announced Friday, January 31 between the girl and boys basketball games during Foundation Night. Kim McGinnis Foster Kim McGinnis graduated from Mount Ayr Community High School in 1988. She was a talented multi-sport athlete,…

Approval of the maximum property tax for the upcoming fiscal year, a continuing pledge to support efforts by the Ringgold County Development Corporation, and raising yearly lease rates for lots at Loch Ayr were primary topics of discussion at the Qmeeting of the Mount Ayr city council. Property tax Following a public hearing, the council…

On January 22, the Boards of Education from Bedford and Mount Ayr met jointly to interview six semi-finalist candidates for the shared district superintendent position. Previously, both boards met with representatives from Grundmeyer Leader Services to review application materials for all 16 applicants and screen to the six semi-finalists. Each semi-finalist candidate spent 25 minutes…

Van Maanen, Sietstra, Meyer & Nikkel, PC, Certified Public Accountants recently released an audit report on the Mount Ayr Community School District. Financial highlights The District’s revenues totaled $11,1123,662 for the year ended June 30, 2019, a 5.6% decrease from the prior year. Expenses for the District operations for the year ended June 30, 2019…

State lawmakers met with local constituents at the first of three scheduled “Legislative Coffees” in Mount Ayr Saturday, January 25. District 24 House Representative Cecil Dolecheck (R-Mount Ayr) and District 12 Senator Mark Costello (R-Imogene) previewed the upcoming legislative session and answered questions from approximately 20 constituents in the hour-long town hall. Dolecheck, who enters…