The Pine River-Backus School Board reviewed a “balanced scorecard” that Superintendent Cathy Bettino presented at the Monday, June 17, regular meeting.

The scorecard itemizes seven directives or goals that the school focuses on during a school year, and assesses how well the school did in those directives. The directives include school identity and pride, elementary and ECFE-SE student readiness for the future, high school/ALC student readiness for the future, staff training to “meet the future,” extracurricular and networking for students, community outreach, and finances.

The Pine River City Council discussed the cost of paying the lease for the Pine River City Library on Tuesday, June 11.

Mayor Jim Sabas said the city was contacted regarding an increase in the yearly lease cost of the city library. The notice requested an increase of $1,284 per year, approximately $16,740. Sabas said library borrowing records show residents of Pine River only use the library 20 percent of the time, and area township residents use it 80 percent of the time.

75 years ago, June 16, 1988

From the Pine River Journal

Stark tragedy and pathos stirred this community Saturday night when it was made known that Hickle Harley Ware, 4-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ware, living 11 miles southwest of Pine River, had been lost in the dense woods near his home.

The body of Kathlynn Shepard, 15, who had been abducted in Iowa, was found in the Des Moines River by a fisherman on Friday, June 7. Dr. Julia Goodin, Iowa chief state medical examiner, confirmed that

the body was that of Shepard. Shepard and a 12-year-old friend were allegedly abducted by convicted sex offender Michael Klunder, who committed suicide following the other girl’s escape.

Shepard’s parents, Mike and Denise Shepard, were graduates of Pine River High School. They currently live in Dayton, Iowa. They still have family in the area.