Area News

The commencement ceremony for the Diagonal High School Class of 2025 will be held Friday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the south gymnasium. The DHS Class of 2025 includes valedictorian Amanda Malone, salutatorian Rebecca Hoffman, Will Egly, Rylee Grace, Angie Nell, Braycie Pierson, and Zachary Swank. Prior to the handing out of diplomas, seniors…

One of the newer members on staff at the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office is a doggone good cop. That’s K9 Scoty, the six-year-old Dutch Shepherd police dog handled by RCSO deputy Eathon Baker. A Dutch Shepherd is a cross between a Malinois, an agile, high energy breed, and a German Shepherd, a comparatively more docile…

Tyler Martin, a senior at Mount Ayr High School, and Amanda Malone, a senior at Diagonal High School, were recognized by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Chris Cournoyer for outstanding academic achievement at the 23rd Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony on April 27 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The statewide program,…

Ringgold County Hospital’s board of trustees met Monday, April 28. They welcomed new board member Scott Giles, who is completing the unexpired term of Chris Eaton and heard the 2026 Fiscal year budget proposal presented by Clint Reynolds, CFO. With CEO Nicky Gilbertson gone until May 2, Reynolds and Amy Mobley are covering those duties.…

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Monday that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will invest $368,995 toward Mount Ayr’s Town Square Streetscape Reconstruction project. The downtown streetscape project will include water quality improvement features. Through the incorporation of permeable paver surfaces and bioretention cells, water quality will be improved while reducing…

Career and technical education (CTE) is a hot topic in the world of education, and school districts statewide are developing new programs or expanding existing programs to equip students with the skills necessary for success in an ever-changing employment marketplace. At the Monday, April 14 meeting of the Mount Ayr Community Schools board of directors,…

The Mount Ayr Sesquicentennial Committee continues its planning for the town’s 150th birthday celebration set for Friday, September 19, through Sunday, September 21. To pull off this ambitious event, the committee has set a fund-raising goal of $60,000 and is currently seeking donations and grants to cover the expense. Jeremy Rounds of the Southern Iowa…

Value-added grant helps small Iowa businesses expand and diversify Holdfast Farmstead in Mount Ayr was recently awarded a $9,541.50 matching grant to construct a commercially licensed kitchen and expand the availability of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) by growing their on-farm retail location. The local farm was one of 33 Choose Iowa value-added grants recipients selected…

Diagonal and Mount Ayr Community School students undertook 43 different service projects around Ringgold County Wednesday, April 23. HELP Pod service day projects were requested by various businesses and organizations leading up to the annual event. Diagonal Projects Several large scale clean up projects were coordinated around Diagonal. Students helped with highway trash pickup, Diagonal…

First service at new location set for May 4 Missio Church has secured a permanent meeting location in Mount Ayr after prayerfully planting the church over three years ago. On Sunday May 4, the congregation will hold their first church service at 10 a.m. in their new location at 1111 E. South Street in Mount…