Guthrie County Extension Notes

Jan 15, 2024 | Guthrie County Extension Notes

Women in Ag Steering Committee Meeting

Tuesday, Jan. 23, 6-7 p.m. Guthrie County Extension office, 212 State St., Guthrie Center.

Contact Meghan McBride at mmcbride@iastate.edu or 641-747-2276.

Commercial Manure Applicators

Confinement site manure applicators and anyone interested in learning about manure issues should plan to attend a two-hour workshop offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in January or February 2024. These workshops are offered in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Registration is required. No walk-ins allowed. There is no fee to attend the workshops, but applicators will need to pay certification fees and send the forms in to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to complete certification requirements.

Due to uniform certification deadlines, applicators are encouraged to attend workshops prior to March 1 to avoid being assessed a late fee of $12.50 for those who are re-certifying. Those unable to attend one of the workshops can schedule time with their ISU Extension and Outreach County office to watch the training video. Due to scheduling conflicts, extension offices will no longer accept walk-in appointments to watch these videos but do offer scheduled dates and times to provide this training. Call 641-747-2276.

Private Pesticide Training

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1:30 or 6:30 p.m. Guthrie Center Activity Center, 209 State St., Guthrie Center. Pre-registration is appreciated 641-747-2276.

Guthrie County Extension is located at 212 State St., Guthrie Center, IA 50115. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 641-747-2276 or email xguthrie@ia-state.edu. Learn more about Guthrie County Extension at www.extension.iastate.edu/guthrie.

CORVETTE OWNER FOLLOWS IN FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS

CORVETTE OWNER FOLLOWS IN FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS

Jan 15, 2024 | What's in your garage?

Melissa Merical in the driveway of her home on Donahey Drive with her 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

Melissa Merical is the proud owner of a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times

The phrase, “Like father, like son,” is well known. But in the case of Melissa Merical, the phrase, “Like father, like daughter,” fits. That’s because her love of Corvettes reflects the love her father had for Corvettes. 

“I always wanted a Corvette when I was younger,” Merical says. “My father was a Corvette collector and had many Corvettes through the years. He was president of the Corvette Club of Iowa. He collected Corvettes and Dodge Vipers. He would take me with him to club meetings, parties and racing events.”

Now, Merical is the proud owner of a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. The name of the car’s color is as fancy as the car itself — Hypersonic Gray Metallic. 

“When the new C8 Corvette was introduced, I knew I had to have one,” Merical says. “I purchased it from Joel Hester at Karl’s Chevrolet in Stuart. I ordered it in 2020, and because of COVID delays, it arrived in 2022.”

When she was a child, Merical’s parents, Jim and Sandy Strong, had a condo on Lake Panorama’s main basin. Later, they had a home on the west side near Shady Beach, so she spent many years of weekends and summers at the lake. She grew up in homes in West Des Moines and Ankeny and graduated from Ankeny High School. 

Merical has lived full-time at Lake Panorama since 2006 when she built a house on Donahey Drive. Merical’s father passed away in 2008. Her mother has a log cabin across the street from her, and her sister lives in a home nearby. Her three children and five grandchildren all live within an hour’s drive. 

She is a self-taught artist and interior designer. Her website, Merical Creations, features a gallery of original paintings and large design projects. Beginning in 2012, Merical developed a portion of her family’s farm west of Panora that now is Twin Vines. She planted the vineyard and designed the house, barn and other structures. For a time, she had her art studio in the house.

Merical’s 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray features removable hard tops, an engine in the back, and a “frunk” in the front, where the engine is found on most cars. Online specs show the C8 Corvette can go from zero to 60 in 2.9 seconds and has a top track speed of 194 miles per hour. 

This isn’t the first notable car Merical has owned. 

“I had a 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T powered by a 5.7 Hemi,” she says. “That was a fun car to drive. I owned it four years and sold it when I got the Corvette.” 

Merical’s Corvette is in a cozy garage attached to her home. It is climate controlled with geothermal and in-floor heating with a shiny epoxy floor that is kept as clean as the Corvette. 

“My daughter Nicole says my Corvette is a ‘garage queen’ because I rarely drive it. She did convince me to drive her to the Jelly Roll concert in Omaha last year, and I even let her drive it back home,” Merical says. “I have been to the Guthrie County Cars and Coffee meets a few times. I’ve also been to several parades and area car shows. I really enjoy being with other car enthusiasts and talking cars and car-related topics.”

Does Merical plan any updates to her Corvette? 

“I ordered the car fully optioned and have not made any additional improvements,” she says. “I am planning to have Detailer’s Eye in Panora give the car a ceramic coat in the spring, which will help protect the paint. 

“I don’t consider myself a gearhead,” Merical says. “But I do enjoy driving a car with more than average horsepower. My dad was a pilot and enjoyed flying in the air as well in his Corvettes. I share that same passion.”

The vanity license plate on Merical’s Corvette references the word Mistletoe. 

“My dad used to call me that when I was a little girl,” she says. “I thought this would be a good remembrance of him, because this is the kind of car he loved.” 

As they say, like father, like daughter.

 

The vanity license plate on Merical’s Corvette references the word Mistletoe, a nickname her father gave her when she was a little girl.

Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office Weekly Report Jan. 8-13

Jan 15, 2024 | Guthrie County Sheriff's Report

1-8-24

6:20 a.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a request for lift assistance in Panora

10:25 a.m. Panora Police responded to a complaint of suspicious activity

10:40 a.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call in Bayard

1:55 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy responded to a trespass complaint in rural Panora

2:35 p.m. Panora Ambulance transported a patient from Audubon County Hospital to Des Moines

5:45 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy responded to a report of a vehicle in the ditch in rural Casey

7:30 p.m. Panora Ambulance transported a patient from Audubon County Hospital to Des Moines

9:15 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist in rural Adair

9:50 p.m. Stuart Rescue responded to a medical call in rural Stuart

1-9-24

1:01 a.m. Stuart Rescue responded to a request for lift assistance in Menlo

1:31 a.m. Stuart Police assisted an Adair County Deputy with a stalled vehicle on I-80

3:45 a.m. Stuart Police assisted a motorist on I-80

5:07 a.m. Stuart Police assisted a motorist on I-80

7:53 a.m. Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 44

9:28 a.m. Guthrie County Deputy responded to a vehicle in the ditch on Highway 141

9:46 a.m. Panora Fire assisted a person in rural Panora 

12:25 p.m. Panora Ambulance transported a patient from Audubon County Hospital to Mercy

12:52 p.m. Panora Ambulance and Guthrie County Deputy responded to a medical call on Highway 25

12:56 p.m. Stuart Ambulance and Fire and Menlo Fire responded semi rollover on I-80

3:13 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy responded to a vehicle in the ditch on Highway 141

3:39 p.m. Panora Police responded to a complaint 

4:16 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 141 

4:17 p.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call in Panora 

4:43 p.m. Stuart Police assisted a pedestrian 

4:58 p.m. Stuart Ambulance responded to a medical call in Stuart 

5:37 p.m. Stuart Police assisted a pedestrian 

9:05 p.m. Panora Ambulance transported a patient back to Panora Specialty Care 

11:23 p.m. Stuart Ambulance and Stuart Police responded to a medical call in Stuart 

11:49 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy and Panora Police performed a warrant check in Jamaica 

1-10-24

1:48 a.m. Guthrie County Deputy transported one male to Guthrie County Jail 

2 a.m. Stuart Police assisted a motorist on White Pole Road 

3:46 a.m. Casey Fire assisted a pedestrian in Casey 

12:15 p.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call in Panora

1:40 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy served a civil paper in Stuart

1:50 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist in rural Panora

3:40 p.m. Panora Ambulance transported a patient from Guthrie County Hospital back to Panora Specialty Care

5:40 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy checked on a disabled vehicle in rural Stuart

5:55 p.m. Stuart Police followed up on an investigation

6:30 p.m. Stuart Police performed a welfare check

7:45 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy checked on a disabled vehicle in rural Menlo

8:25 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy performed a welfare check in Casey

9 p.m. Guthrie County Deputies attempted to locate a stranded motorist in rural Bayard

9:52 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy gave a ride to a stranded motorist

11:55 p.m. Stuart Police responded to a noise complaint

1-11-24

2:05 a.m. Stuart Rescue responded to a request for lift assistance in Stuart

6 a.m. Panora Ambulance transported a patient from Audubon County Hospital to Des Moines

10:56 a.m. Panora Ambulance transported a patient from Audubon County Hospital to Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital

2:35 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy performed a welfare check in Bagley 

3:41 p.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call in Jamaica 

3:51 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy responded to a two-vehicle accident in Guthrie Center 

5:25 p.m. Stuart Police provided traffic control on a vehicle being removed from the ditch 

7:15 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy put down and removed a deer from Highway 25

7:58 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy served civil papers in Bayard 

8:42 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy served civil papers in rural Panora 

8:45 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist in Bagley 

9:54 p.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call at Lake Panorama 

10:31 p.m. Stuart Police responded to a complaint 

11:42 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy and Stuart Police assisted a motorist on White Pole Road 

1-12-24

1:07 a.m. Stuart Police responded to a report of suspicious activity 

8:18 a.m. Guthrie County Deputy checked on two vehicles in the ditch on Highway 4

8:54 a.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist in Guthrie Center 

9:08 a.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on White Pole Road 

9:27 a.m. Stuart Police assisted a motorist 

2:42 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on White Pole Road 

4:11 p.m. Panora Fire and Ambulance responded to a single vehicle accident on Highway 44

4:31 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy responded to a commercial burglar alarm in Guthrie Center 

5:26 p.m. Stuart Police assisted a motorist 

7:32 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 141

8 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 25

8:12 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 44

8:52 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 44

9:53 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 4

11:09 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 4

1-13-24

5:51 a.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call in Panora 

8:23 a.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call in rural Yale 

8:31 a.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on White Pole Road 

9:30 a.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 44

10 a.m. Stuart Police assisted a pedestrian 

10:40 a.m. Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call at Lake Panorama 

12:11p.m. Stuart Police assisted a pedestrian 

3:30 p.m. Stuart Police assisted a motorist 

4:56 p.m. Stuart Police responded to a parking complaint 

6:17 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy and Panora Ambulance responded to a medical call in Bayard

6:34 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy responded to a commercial burglar alarm in Guthrie Center 

6:39 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist on Highway 4

9:59 p.m. Guthrie County Deputy assisted a motorist in Bagley 

11:31 p.m. Stuart Police responded to a report of suspicious activity 

Scoop it, pack it, block it.

Jan 15, 2024 | News

With plenty of winter weather finally at play, I can’t help but think of the countless hours I spent as a child playing in the snow. Sledding down hills. Having snowball fights. Making snowmen. But there was one snow activity I could never seem to master — igloo making. 

Like many of you, I could dig long tunnels into snow piles. I could create makeshift forts that would last… for a while.  I could even create really good snow walls. But a domed igloo? Forget it. My many efforts resulted in the same disappointing collapses. 

As a child, I was intrigued by a commercial for the Sno Bloc Maker by K-tel. “Scoop it, pack it, block it.” Sounded easy. And the igloos on TV looked absolutely amazing. 

“Big kids. Little kids. Moms and dads. Everyone is having fun in the snow.” They sure looked like it. The advertised price was only $2.99, and it even came with an aluminum shaping shovel. What a deal!

I wanted some of this “healthy outdoor fun” and to turn our yard into a “winter wonderland.” Who wouldn’t? So I begged Mom for one, and, lo and behold, it was under the tree on one of those Christmas mornings. My brother Steve and I bundled up and prepared for the snow-building task. We were going to create the biggest, fanciest igloos in town. What we were not prepared for was the variance in snow. The light stuff would not pack well in the Sno Bloc Maker. The wet snow would stick to the plastic. The slushy snow would fall out like potato soup. This was not the winter wonderland I saw on TV. 

We were patient, though, and, one day, we had perfect packing snow. One by one, we produced those snow blocks factory-style and stacked them up, carefully tilting each layer inward so we could properly form the dome until… you guessed it, another collapse.

“Scoop it, pack it, block it.” Right. More like “Scoop it, pack it, crack it,” as that’s exactly what happened to my Sno Bloc Maker by New Year’s Day. 

All has not been lost, though. Decades later when playing in in the snow with my kids, we came up with the idea of using large plastic bins to create snow blocks — and they worked quite well, at least for the first row or two. The weight was a bit much for the upper layers, and the attempts at doming still resulted in the same collapses. It was still a lot of fun and another simple reminder that, despite all our generation differences, some things never change.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@dmcityview.com
641-755-2115

Iowa State honors fall graduates

Jan 15, 2024 | News

Special to the Times Vedette

More than 1,700 graduates received degrees from Iowa State University this fall. Graduate and undergraduate ceremonies were held Dec. 15-16 at Hilton Coliseum. Of the 1,705 students who graduated this semester, a total of 1,742 degrees were awarded (1,431 undergraduate, 311 graduate) with some students earning multiple degrees. Area graduates include: Morgan Sheeder of Guthrie Center, Bachelor of Arts, English, Magna Cum Laude, and Peyton Parker of Panora, Finance.