THE NEWSPAPER THAT SERVES ALL DECATUR COUNTY
10 PAGES
USPS 310-140 LEON, IOWA 50144, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021
P.O. Box 580, 111 NW. 2nd, Leon, IA 50144 E-mail: JRNEWS@GRM.NET VOLUME 92 - NUMBER 07
Family Escapes Through Window During Fire A rural Davis City home was completely destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning. Three fire departments were summoned to the Justin Blades’ residence just north of Davis City at approximately 5:30 a.m. When Leon Firemen arrived on the scene, the house was completely engulfed in fire. It was reported that the Blades family,
which included three children ages 8, 5 and an infant, had to crawl out of a bedroom window. Everyone made it out safely. However, the family dog and its litter of puppies did not survive. Davis City and Lamoni Fire Departments joined Leon in battling the blaze for the next couple of hours. The structure was a total loss.
Leon Man Arrested after State Patrol Tactical Team Called to Assist Local Authorities On Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at approximately 4:10 a.m., Decatur County Sheriff’s Department took a complaint from a female subject stating that she had been physically assaulted by her spouse and that he had loaded firearms inside the home. According to a release by the Decatur County Attorney’s office, the female was able to escape the home with her minor children. Nearby residents in the 300 block of NW 6th Street were evacuated and the
Wellness Week at DCH March 23-26
Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team was called to assist local officers from the Leon Police Department, Decatur County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lamoni Police Department. Around 9:00 a.m. one suspect, Dalton Douglas McCleary (31) of Leon was taken into custody without incident. McCleary is being held in the Decatur County Jail charged with Domestic Abuse While Using or Displaying a Dangerous Weapon. No bond has been set.
Three Compete at State Speech Receiving I's Submitted Photo Some of the Central Decatur's Speech Team members participated in the Pride of Iowa competition on Friday, February 26 and then on Tuesday, March 2, Maddy Leahy, Addie Graham, Cadence Clark and Maggie Layton competed in the IHSSA District competitions. Receiving a I at Districts advances you to compete at State. At Districts, Cadence Clark in Action and Solo Musical Theater received a I rating in both and along with an Outstanding Performance Honor in SMT; Addie Graham in Solo Musical Theater a I rating; and Maddy Leahy in Solo Musical Theater a I rating. Maggie Layton competed in Prose receiving a II rating. Clark, Graham and Leahy all competed at State on March 10 with all receiving a I rating overall. All competitions were held virtually this year. confirmed the finding of the necropsy and indicated that the cause of death could not be determined. The release also indicated at this time there is no evidence
that the actions or inactions of the owner caused the death of the dog, and therefore they will not be charged with neglect of an animal causing death.
Decatur County Conservation T-shirt Fundraiser
Early History of the Leon High School
cises ever held in Leon were given in 1871, by the class composed of A. F. Woodruff, Matilda Jordan, S. A. Gates, and T. W. Silvers. Professor Frazier taught until 1876, when a second brick building of eight rooms was erected on the present site, at a cost of eleven thousand dollars, the first brick building being retained for some years as a janitor's residence In the 80's there were Professors A. B. Cornell, B. F. Miller, and S. M. Mowatt, who had charge of the school for seven years. Next came Professors Lyon, and
V. R. McGinnis, who served for two years each, followed by Sam L. Darrah, who was superintendent of the school for four years. During the summer of 1895; the present South School Building was erected, S. H. Lorey -being the contractor. (This structure, a two story building, was located on the site where the current South School building now sits) Following Mr. Darrah, came Professors Drake, Pierce, Voelker, and our present efficient instructor, Mr. Gass, who is now in his fourth year's work. During the year 1903, the building which was erected in 1876, was torn down and a new one built on the same site, which, with the addition annexed two years ago, forms our present modern and commodious North School Building, of which we are all so proud. We have in the high school, a corps of ten teachers, including the music, manual training, and domestic science teachers, and use, in our high-school work, twelve rooms, counting the manual training room and the three domestic science rooms.
Dog Owner Not Charged with Animal Neglect
Due to the COVID19 pandemic, the County Conservation On Monday, Febru- ter, and appropriate Leon Hy-Vee Pharmacy was not able to hold its ary 15 at approximately shelter. annual Savanna Hills 11:59 a.m. the Decatur An investigation Administered 300+ Vaccines Sweethearts Dinner. County Sheriff’s De- was immediately initi“This is our bigliland. As of Tuesday, partment responded ated. According to a gest fundraiser for the Leon Hy-Vee PharMarch 9, Jessie Gilto a call regarding a release by the Decatur deceased dog at a resi- County Attorney’s Of- liland, Leon Hy-Vee macy Clinic has doses Learning Center, and assisted of the Moderna COVID- we wanted to make dence in Davis City. fice, necropsy deter- Pharmacist, by Linda Craig and Ja- 19 vaccine. These vac- sure we did something,” Two other dogs mined that the dog located at the home was not emaciated, but mie Jensen, reported cines are available to stated Kayla Clausen, were not removed as it did have intestinal giving 110 COVID vac- individuals ages 65 and Naturalist. Instead, they are there was no indica- parasites (hookworms) cine shots in 2 days older. Visit www.hy-vee. tion that they had been and a heartworm infes- and a total of 300+ in c o m / m y - p h a r m a c y / going to do a t-shirt mistreated, neglected, tation. Tissue samples less than 3 weeks. "And covid-vaccine-consent fundraiser. This year the shirts are going or malnourished. They were sent to the state in our little pharmacy, to look a bit different that's a lot!" shared Gil(continued on page 10) had access to food, wa- diagnostic lab which
Editor’s Note: The following account of the history of Leon High School was discovered in the effects of Elizabeth Redman, a local historian. Her son, Chet Redman, passed it along to the J-R. The paper it was on had the date of 1919. The first school in Leon, Iowa, was conducted in 1854, by H. V. Wainright, in a log schoolhouse located on Gospel Ridge in East Leon. Mr. Wainright, who taught one term, was succeeded by Sarah PattersonBashaw, who conducted the school in the same school house, for two terms. When the time for the next term of school came, the old log schoolhouse was too small to accommodate the number of pupils, so that the lower floor of a two-story building used; at that time, as a courthouse, and standing about where Mr. Stephen Varga 's residence now is, was pressed into service, and George T. Young hired as teacher. While Mr. Young was teaching in the year 1857, a storm occurred which blew down the building, from which all fortunately escaped
with their lives. The courthouse having been blown down, a couple of buildings, one back of where Kraft, Grimes & Company's clothing store now stands, and the other across the street east of the present town square, were used for school purposes. About 1864, school was held in the old Methodist church, which stood where the town library is now located. J. C. Porter, Sarah Kirkpatrick, Professor Hastings, C. S. Porter,
and Mr. Caldwell were some of the teachers between 1860 and 1868, when the first building was erected for school purposes. This building, which stood upon the site now occupied by the North School Building and premises, was a four-roomed brick building. The first teacher-in the new building was Professor Aaron Frazier, who initiated a course of study requiring twelve years to complete. Under Professor Frazier, the first graduating exer-
The Decatur County Hospital has scheduled its Wellness Week for March 23-26 from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. daily at the hospital. The annual wellness panel can help you and your doctor make informed decisions about your healthcare. You can visit the hospital during Wellness Week to receive tests without a referral. A full wellness panel costs $40. Individual choices can also be done. This event is being held with Covid-19 safety protocols. Masks are required. Also, for those having tests, the hospital asks that you fast for 12 hours prior to testing for accurate results.
Printing Late March 24 The March 24 issue of the JR will be printed late. Also, office hours for the week of March 15 will be 10 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Outside of these hours, please feel free to call 641-446-4151 to leave a message. Thank you in advance for your consideration and understanding. Corey though. “We decided to focus our fundraiser around Mort, our Russian tortoise, who is also an educational animal,” stated Clausen. “Once the Learning Center is built, we plan to get more educational animals and provide many environmental education opportunities that we cannot currently provide.” Refer to ad inside this issue for more details.
The well-equipped manual training room will accommodate sixteen pupils at one time. The equipment for this department cost approximately three hundred and eightyfive dollars. The domestic science department consists of three rooms: a cooking laboratory, a sewing room, and a dining room, not, as yet, completely furnished, and their equipment. The cost of installing domestic science in our schools was about five hundred and fifty dollars. In the last two years, we have added the Normal Training to our course of study and this year; twenty-five pupils are taking this course. At the-present time, we have an enrollment in the high school of one hundred and eighty-five pupils, all greatly interested in their work. One year ago, a Parent-Teachers Association was organized. Their monthly meetings are well attended and much advancement has been made in the way of creating interest in our school by this organization. It is one of the greatest factors for good in our community. D. L. '16.