The News

Gugel named new Mid-Prairie board president, board approves esports and girls basketball sharing agreement

Jeremy Gugel was named the next president of the Mid-Prairie Board of Education and Denise Chittick was named vice president. Both were immediately sworn in prior to the business …

State title is a solid team effort

The attention clearly was on Mid-Prairie freshman runner Danielle Hostetler this season. She was following in the quick footsteps of a pair of sisters who won state championships, four of them in …

Mid-Prairie temporarily closes preschool after COVID spike

In an emergency meeting on Nov. 4, the Mid-Prairie school board voted to temporarily suspend preschool for three and four year olds following an increase in COVID-19 absences. The board will …

Gutsy effort lands 6th-place finish for M-P boys

Saturday’s state championship race was a lesson in survival for the Mid-Prairie boys cross country team. Jamie Stutzman fell to the ground in the first mile. Thaddeus Shetler, who …

Highland

Communication and family time key for online learners

Highland and Lone Tree schools have both applied to the state for online learning waivers, which have both been approved. Highland originally moved online on Nov. 17 due to a lack of …

Free school lunches “a huge relief” to students, parents and staff

Like many other area schools, the Highland Community School District has extended their participation in the Summer Food Service Program through the end of the school year. The federally-funded …

Highland school board leans toward block scheduling for 2021-22 year

During a work session on Monday evening, Oct. 26, the Highland School Board discussed doing a modified version of block scheduling starting with the 2021-22 school year. School administrators said …

Highland School District reflects on the start of the school year

Finding the good in everything is a tough task at times. But to sit down and reflect — we can find a lot of good happening in the Highland School District. We have had a ton of changes thrown …

Lone Tree

Lone Tree goes all virtual after Thanksgiving break

In a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 16, the Lone Tree School Board decided to move classes fully online following Thanksgiving break. Middle and high school students will finish this week with …

Lone Tree Schools promote positivity

Social media. Those two words either make people grimace or smile. Social media is a double-edged sword that is deeply embedded in society today. While many people do not know how every social media …

Friday Night Lights

Mid-Prairie Football Season record: 4-3 Friday’s game: Mid-Prairie vs. Tipton, Class 2A playoffs When: 7 p.m. Where: Mid-Prairie HS Admission: $6 At stake: A spot in the third …

Lone Tree provides free student meals

Lone Tree Community School is participating in the Summer Food Service Program during School Year 20-21. Meals will be provided to all enrolled children free of charge. Acceptance and …

Hillcrest Academy

Hillcrest Academy presents fall production

This fall, the scheduled Hillcrest Academy production will take new direction due to current limitations on traditional performances. Three students selected monologues to prepare and perform in the …

Hillcrest cancels open gyms

Hillcrest Academy has canceled their Nov. 22 and Dec. 6 open gym dates but at this time plans to hold its next open gym on Dec. 20 from 3-4:30 p.m for students in fifth through eighth grades. The …

Hillcrest’s Leah Bontrager finishes career-best 52nd

The smiling runner scored a personal-best finish in the Class 1A girls state meet this past Saturday. Leah Bontrager, a junior at Hillcrest Academy, placed 52nd in the state championship meet …

Bontrager grabs 8th in fast finish

The fire in Leah Bontrager’s eyes became evident in the final 50 yards of the Southeast Iowa Super Conference championship meet. While other runners seemingly struggled to finish off the …

Photo Galleries

A Running Faith

Race day always begins with a huddle. And a prayer. Less than 10 minutes before the Mid-Prairie girls cross country team was to successfully chase down a fourth consecutive state team title on …

Mid-Prairie presents play seven months in the making

At long last, Mid-Prairie High School students and staff were finally able to present “Three Fairy Godmothers,” the play they’d started working on in February. The actors were …

Front Runner

Danielle Hostetler chases golf carts. Really. Since late August, when Hostetler won her first high school cross country race in school-record time, the Mid-Prairie freshman has been chasing …

Alburnett ends Huskies’ season

Highland’s football season ended with a 40-19 loss to Alburnett in the first round of the playoffs on Oct. 16. The Huskies recorded their third-highest offense output of the season with 294 …

Slam and Bam

Running back Kayden Reinier and Mid-Prairie’s offensive line sent a message on its very first play last Friday night against Central Lee. Reinier ran 45 yards for a first down before he was …