Area News

At their regular meeting Monday, July 15, the Mount Ayr city council received a detailed update on progress of the Ringgold County Wellness Center committee. Committee members Abby Elliott and Regan  Main summarized the findings of the public survey from earlier this spring and explained a new  wrinkle in the concept for a wellness facility.…

At last week’s school board meeting, elementary principal Chris Elwood reported that Mount Ayr Elementary School has once again been rated a “high-perforning school” by the Iowa Department of Education (IDOE) in its newly-released School Performance Profile. Mount Ayr scored 63.89 points out of a possible 100 to attain the rating. The state average is…

Coming on the heels of hosting a meeting of statewide leaders in economic development, the Ringgold County Development Corporation (RCDC) has announced its inaugural taskforce to activate its 2019-2020 strategic plan. Under the direction of the RCDC board of directors, the following individuals comprise the taskforce: • Brandi Shay, Tingley, Strategic Planning Lead • Molly…

A proposal for upgraded lighting at the athletic complex, the hiring of two new teachers, and routine preparations for the upcoming school year comprised the bulk of the Monday, July 8 regular meeting of the Mount Ayr Community Schools board of directors. Lighting After considerable discussion, the board tabled a proposal by Musco Lighting for…

[The following article appearing on the Iowa Rural Development  Council’s website – iowardc.org/news – summarizes last week’s statewide rural development meeting held in Mount Ayr.] The Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) and the Empower Rural Iowa (ERI) task force met jointly July 2 – and the host community of Mount Ayr showed both organizations what…

The 2019 Ringgold County Fair is currently in full swing and will run through Sunday. Thursday, July 11 Thursday activity begins at 8 a.m. with the 4-H/FFA swine weigh-in and stalling. 4-H/FFA sheep and meat goat weigh-in follows at 9 a.m. 4-H/FFA beef weigh-in begins at 10 a.m. Senior games will get underway at 10…

Ringgold County  was the epicenter of statewide rural economic development efforts Tuesday, July 2 as the Ringgold County Development Corporation hosted the joint quarterly meeting of the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) and the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Taskforce at the Mount Ayr Golf and Country Club. The more than 100 attendees included Governor Kim…

Final approval of a new  water ordinance, approval of a street improvement project, and further discussion on compensation for private swimming lessons were main items of discussion at the July 1 regular meeting of the Mount Ayr city council Water ordinance The council approved the third and final reading of Ordinance No. 39, which amends…

Activities for the 2019 Ringgold County Fair will open Wednesday, July 10 and conclude Sunday, July 14. (A special section in this week’s Mount Ayr Record-News and Diagonal Progress will highlight many of the fair exhibitors, contest schedules and entertainment options for this year’s fair.) Official Fair Books that contain more detailed information are available…

The Mount Ayr square filled up with classic cars and tractors Saturday afternoon for the the first “Cruisin in the Ayr” fundraiser for the Ringgold Outdoor Alliance. Another show will take place on Saturday, August 3. One the the stranger cars being showed was this tricked out hearse, complete with a skeleton in the casket.