Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, August 22, 2002

"This is beautiful," was the only thing Peggy WHITSON could say as she exited the space station's airlock on her spacewalk last week. WHITSON logged four hours and 25 minutes on her spacewalk. She is the first female space traveler to spacewalk in the Orlan-M spacesuit and first to do a spacewalk as part of a space station crew. In addition, she is the first Iowan - male or female - to do a spacewalk.

Several strong storms moved through Ringgold county the past week bringing much needed moisture along with lightning and strong winds. Friday strong storms blew a tree limb on to the home of Ben and Melanie KNAPP in Mount Ayr and destroyed a garage being built on a home in Kellerton.

Ron RICHIE of Saint Joseph, MO, formerly of Mount Ayr, and a summer employee of the Ringgold county secondary roads department was killed in a mowing accident four miles south of Mount Ayr on August 16. RICHIE was operating a 1990 Tiger industrial tractor with a side mower attachment and apparently lost control going over a box culvert, was thrown from the tractor into the culvert and ran over with the tractor wheel.

Landi McFARLAND of Ellston exhibited the champion "hotel restaurant beef" FFA carcass at the Iowa State Fair. Clay PETTITT exhibited the reserve grand champion 4-H market broiler pen. Johnathan and Tyler TRIGGS showed a first place purebred Yorkshire gilt. McCREARY and McCREARY took home the reserve champion in the junior bull calf Gelbvieh division.

The Tingley Kitchen Band placed second in the kitchen band division and Charlie's Revue, a group headed by Charlie MANDERS of Ellston, also placed second in their classification. Marla JOHNSON of Mount Ayr placed first in the women's middleweight division of the Monster Arm Wresting tournament at the fair.

Several Ringgold county folks won ribbons in the open class competitions at the state fair. Those winning honors were Sharon WASTENY of Ellston, Susan McCAY of Diagonal, Elizabeth GARRETT of Diagonal, Barbara KIBURZ of Tingley, Louise COTHRON of Kellerton and Landi McFARLAND of Ellston.

Three new faculty members were announced by the Mount Ayr Community school administration. They are Betsy LESTER, high school math; Shaun KNIEP, high school English and speech, drama and publications, and Mike STILL, who will teach at South Central Academy.

Five new faculty members were announced by the Diagonal Community school administration. They include Shane WHEELER, social studies; Bonnie NEWGARD, English; Andrew DAVIS, K-12 vocal and instrumental music, and Heather MARTIN and Amy LYNAM, both paraprofessionals.

Transciption by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2012

 

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