Area News

The Mount Ayr City Council moved quickly through their agenda at their regular council meeting Monday. Mack Greene and Matt Henle were both absent from council proceedings. Sidewalk Project Two bids were received last Thursday for the E. Madison Street sidewalk replacement project. Both bids were under the engineer’s estimate for the project, and it…

School begins on Friday, August 23 for all kindergarten through grade students attending Diagonal or Mount Ayr Community Schools. Both Diagonal and Mount Ayr elementary schools are hosting a back to school night on Thursday, August 22 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Students in Kindergarten through fifth grade can find their classrooms, meet their teacher and…

By Mike Avitt What do you do after a thirty-seven year career as the minister of the Blockton Christian Church? Well, you spend your retirement with your grandchildren; such is the decision of Reverend Scott Marcum and his wife Debbie. And a noble decision it is. Scott Marcum was born in Grinnell and graduated from…

An attention seeking printing plate found it’s way onto the press, hiding within the pages of the Mount Ayr Record News Wednesday, August 15, 2024. The printing error was discovered after the newspapers were already delivered to the post office. All stories and advertisements that should have been printed on page 5 in the August…

The Mount Ayr board of education celebrated free meals for all students, reversed course on previously approved Title IX policies, and approved new staff contracts at their regular meeting on Monday, August 12. CEP free meal program The board learned that the district received final approval for their Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) application. Participation in…

One Sunday each year, Tingley swells from a town of 136 people to more than 700, as visitors flock to the community to share pie, ice cream and memories at Tingley Memorial Park. The 5th Annual Ice Cream Social planning committee is prepared to welcome visitors to Tingley Memorial Park again this year on Sunday,…

(Editors Note: This article appeared almost 100 years ago in the December 10, 1924 Mount Ayr Record-News. It is a fascinating look at life in our county 100 years ago and the norms present during that age. References to Blacks in the original article were in the vernacular of the day and have been changed…

The Mount Ayr city council decided not to have a third reading of the proposed rental housing ordinance and approved several bids at their regular meeting Monday, August 5. Public Forum Adam Triggs was present to ask the council if they were working with the county supervisors regarding zoning. “It‘s been brought to my attention…

A Linotype originally built in 1914, rebuilt and brought from New York to Diagonal in 1924, was up and running this past Saturday. The last time the 110 year old Linotype machine in Diagonal ran was roughly 36 years ago. David Seat from Juliet, TN came for the Centennial Celebration in 1988, and returned for…

A family connection to 4-H runs generations deep for Karie Wasteney and her kids, Kash and Keely. Growing up, Karie was a member of the Jolly Jinglers 4-H club, led by Cheryl Whittington and Cindy Schlapia. “It was the same club my mom and aunt were in,” Karie says. When she was in 4-H, it…