Area News

Changes are in store at the top of the Ringgold County Development Corporation (RCDC) as executive director Jodie Geist has announced her intention to step back from her full-time role as director. Geist will remain with RCDC on a part-time basis to help not only with the transition to a new executive director but also…

The Mount Ayr city council discussed next year’s sesquicentennial celebration and a rental housing ordinance with revised fee structure at their regular meeting Wednesday, October 16. Sesquicentennial Agreement Sesquicentennial planning committee members Korbie Rinehart and Lywanda Case were present to request that the city act as the fiscal agent for the upcoming celebration. The request…

The Ringgold County Board of Supervisors learned that Steelhead Americas has secured 6,000 acres of leased land at their regular meeting Monday, October 21. Molly Dunton, Lisa Stewart and Chris Joslin, all representatives of Steelhead, were present to update the supervisors about project development in the county. While focusing their efforts north of Hwy 2,…

Ringgold County Secondary Roads Department was recently awarded first place in a statewide Build a Better Mousetrap (BABM) competition hosted by the Iowa Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). Each year, county engineering departments compete in the annual competition by submitting innovative solutions to everyday challenges that local transportation professionals encounter. Engineer Jared Johnson and Assistant…

County engineer Jared Johnson and the Ringgold County supervisors fielded questions related to the potential resurfacing of 220th Avenue north of Mount Ayr. Jordan Stewart stated he does not agree with resurfacing the road north of Fife’s Grove past the north entrance of Loch Ayr Lake because that section appears to be catering to a…

As Hurricane Milton barreled towards Florida, even residents of the state’s east coast found themselves in the path of the powerful storm. For Ringold County residents Bruce and Michell Ricker, who own a ninth-floor condo on Ormond Beach, the experience was both terrifying and eye-opening. Located about five miles north of Daytona Beach in Volusia…

The Mount Ayr Community Schools board of directors met in regular session Monday, October 14. Action items included changes related to attendance policies at both the elementary and secondary buildings, presentation of elementary reading assessment scores, and a number of personnel items. Attendance Elementary principal Chris Elwood and 6-12 principal Josh Vanderflught presented changes to…

The act of dressing up in costume and visiting neighbors in search of treats, commonly associated with Halloween, is reminiscent of All Hallows Eve. Celebrated on October 31, All Hallows Eve emerged during the 9th century, in anticipation of All Hallows Day or All Saints Day on November 1. A shortened version of All Hallows…

[Editor’s note: The following article appeared in the October issue of DSM Magazine (dsmmagazine.com) and reprinted by permission. The Record-News added to the story.] by Dan Ray with photos by Duane Tinkey Collier (Cole) Wilmes couldn’t find any Godzilla toys when he was growing up in one of Iowa’s poorest counties. So he started making…