Area News

The onset of colder weather cooled the Iowa housing market in October. Following national housing trends, Iowa saw a decrease in sales, but experienced a welcome increase in new listings. (See how Ringgold County fared in the chart below). The new inventory provides a double dose of good news: those searching for their new homes…

The annual “Christmas in the Ayr” celebration sponsored by the Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce is planned for this weekend. Join area businesses and organizations for an evening of fun on Saturday, December 2. Lighted Parade A lighted Christmas parade will start the evening festivities at 5:30 p.m. The Mount Ayr Public Library is inviting…

Last month the Iowa Department of Education released the results of the online school accountability reporting system called the Iowa School Performance Profiles. The website shows updated scores and ratings for all public schools based on how they performed on a set of accountability measures in the 2022-23 school year. Overall, the Mount Ayr Elementary School received…

The Parnassus Chapter of the National Honor Society welcomed ten new students during an induction ceremony held at Mount Ayr Community High School on November 22, 2023. New inductees included Dylan Graham, Olivia Huntington, Jaxy Knight, Louden Main, Tyler Martin, Ashlyn Murphy, Brock Shaha, Adan Trujillo, Ella Vanderflught, Kamryn Willis. In order for a student…

The City of Mount Ayr pool committee is seeking to close the funding gap for the new 4,000 square foot swimming pool at Judge Lewis Park. While most of the funding has been secured, the committee is looking to raise an additional $500,000 to complete the 3.1 million dollar project. Earlier this year, the Mount…

Brittany Gilliland, a seventeen-year-old student at Mount Ayr High School, was one of 220 students selected to play as part of the Iowa All-State Orchestra this past week. The finest high school musicians across Iowa gathered at Iowa State University Hilton Coliseum for the All-State Music Festival on November 16-18, 2023. Musicians practiced together for…

Last month the Iowa Department of Education released the results of the online school accountability reporting system called the Iowa School Performance Profiles. The website shows updated scores and ratings for all public schools based on how they performed on a set of accountability measures in the 2022-23 school year. For the third consecutive year,…

The Mount Ayr City Council polished off a short agenda in under 30 minutes Monday evening. With an agenda that mostly approving what had been already decided at previous meetings, little new ground was broken. The council did hear from Jeremy Rounds of the South Central Iowa Council of Goverments (SICOG) about the city applying…

The Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce is preparing for their annual “Christmas in the Ayr” celebration on Saturday, December 2. The Mount Ayr Public Library is inviting the community to view the parade and tree lighting while enjoying some goodies. Lighted Parade A lighted Christmas parade will start the evening festivities at 5:30 p.m. Parade…

One precinct overlooked in election night count After discovering one precinct was not included in total counts, Ringgold County Auditor Amanda Waske requested an administrative recount for both Mount Ayr precincts, in accordance with Iowa Code section 50.50. In a letter to the Ringgold County Board of Supervisors, Waske stated that a flash drive from…