Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Blake Michelsen reported a single-vehicle accident with a power line and pole and a private property on Highway 4 on Feb. 20 at 8:17 a.m. David Alan MacNaughton, 59, of Des Moines was driving a 2007 Pete Conventional 37 pulling a John Deere field cultivator that struck a power line. Deputy Sheriff Michelsen observed that MacNaughton had driven southbound underneath the power line and the cultivator snagged the line and pulled/detached the line from the home and transformer (located on the east side of Highway 4). When MacNaughton began dragging the power line and pole southbound on Highway 4, it caused damage to a home owned by Shane Andersen by pulling siding off the residence and tearing through a private fence on the property. Damage to the electric lines and pole is estimated at $8,066. Damage to the home siding and fence is estimated at $8,000. 

From the Iowa DNR

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recommends that paddlers wait for consistent warm weather to allow the water temperatures to rise slowly. It could be several weeks before water temperatures are ideal and safe as water and air temperatures continue to change.

“Air temperatures are warmer than normal this year, but the water is still dangerously cold,” said Todd Robertson, Iowa DNR River Programs water trails coordinator. “We have not had enough consistently warm days to raise water temperatures adequately. Cold water shock and hypothermia can set in quickly if you fall into the water at current temperatures.”

Safety tips for paddling in cold-water conditions

• Always wear a life jacket. Not only does the life jacket help keep your head above water, it helps to keep your organs warmer.
• Don’t paddle alone, especially in cold water, use a buddy system. Go with a small group of paddlers and know which paddler has the most experience.
• Let a friend or loved one know where you are going and when you are expected to return. It will be easier to find you if you need help.
• Dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. Plan as if you were to be in the water at some point. A wetsuit or drysuit is a must. Dress in layers so you can peel a layer off if you get overheated.
• Bring along a dry bag with extra clothing to change into should you get wet. Get out of wet, cold clothing as soon as possible. Having the right gear and understanding the stages of hypothermia is crucial for remaining safe.
• Stay away from strainers, wood/branch piles that can pull a paddler under. These are usually found on outside river bends where the current is going and are deadly hazards that must be avoided.

By Susan Thompson | Times Vedette 

Spring cleaning time is upon us. Once the April 15 federal tax filing deadline passes, most people are ready to clean out files and discard previous year’s tax returns, along with other papers that accumulate in their home office. Again this year, Panora Public Library to the rescue.

“We like the shredding truck to come after tax time, so people can safely dispose of old documents and tax-related forms,” says Kim Finnegan, director of the Panora Public Library. “This is a service we like to provide to the Lake Panorama, Panora and surrounding communities, because they support us throughout the year.”

There is no cost to individuals to drop off paper documents to be shredded. The Panora Public Library uses donated funds to cover the cost of this community service.

The “Shred-It” truck will be at the Panora Public Library Saturday, May 4 from 9-11 a.m. Those who plan to drop off paper to be shredded are asked to pull into the driveway north of the library.

Special to the Times Vedette

Buena Vista University (BVU) students and faculty attended the Iowa College Media Association (ICMA) conference on Feb. 8 and brought home 30 statewide accolades, including one major award for First Amendment advocacy. Iowa colleges and universities with student media outlets annually participate in the ICMA student journalism contest, which is judged by newspaper, radio, and television professionals.

BVU students earned 10 first-place awards throughout the evening in categories such as video news programming, experimental video, long-form audio storytelling, multimedia storytelling, and best air personality to name a few.

“We are grateful to actively participate in ICMA annually,” said Dr. Andrea Frantz, Professor of Digital Media. “Our students have the opportunity not only to have their work judged by professionals in the field, but also to see what other student media leaders across the state are producing. We’re proud of the outstanding showing our BVU Digital Media students made this year.”

Hunter Vasey of Guthrie Center was one of several Buena Vista University students to earn honors in the ICMA contest.

Here’s a look at the Iowa College Media Association award winners from the BVU digital media department:

Video:

• First Place-Best Video News Programming: Joshua Tigges “AgriVista: Threshing Together”
• First Place-Best Experimental Video: Joshua Tigges “2023 BVU Volleyball Season Hype Video”
• Second Place-Best Variety-Music and Comedy Program: Joshua Tigges and Joel Sikora “Ron Strauss at the BVTV Diner”
• Second Place-Best Video PSA or Promo: SCJ Mentors and Storm Lake High School Students “It’s more than a lake”
• Third Place-Best Short Video Documentary: Isaac Stone “Discover Albert City Threshermen”
• Third Place-Best Video PSA or Promo: Austin West “Buford in the Office”
• Honorable Mention-Best Variety-Music and Comedy Program: Austin West “The Beaver Playbook 2.27.23”

Audio:

• First Place-Best Air Personality: Joshua Woolcott “Woolcott’s Witching Hour”
• First Place-Best PSA: Joshua Tigges “The Tractor Apocalypse”
• First Place-Best Newscast: Colin Imhoff “KBVU News”
• First Place-Best News Programming: Carter Soyer “Yik Yak: the wild west of social media”
• First Place-Best Show: Joshua Tigges and Evan Brincks “Nascar at Night”
• First Place-Best Long-form Audio: Colin Imhoff “Supreme Court under public review”
• Second Place-Best Promo: Joshua Woolcott and Joel Sikora “Anyone can be on the radio”
• Second Place-Best Sports Broadcast: Joshua Tigges and Austin West “BVU vs. Coe conference volleyball championship”
• Third Place-Best Show: Isaac Stone “Stone’s Shenanigans”
• Third Place-Best Sports Program: Jaxon VanPelt and Nolan Faber “Travel Day”
• Honorable Mention-Best Air Personality: Isaac Stone “Stone’s Shenanigans”
• Honorable Mention-Best News Programming: Maureen Murphy “The Covid class”
• Honorable Mention-Best Show: Carter Soyer “Soyer Saturdays”
• Honorable Mention-Best Podcast Series: Carter Soyer “Murders at Camp Willow Creek”

Multimedia and Print/Online:

• First Place-Best Multimedia Storytelling Package: Carter Soyer “Be brave, be wrong, be creative”
• First Place-Best Multimedia Slideshow: Abby Clark “BVU football non-conference v. Gustavus and Lakeland”
• Second Place-Best Sports Feature Writing: Kosuke Fukuda “Athletes without borders”
• Second Place-Best Opinion Writing: Hunter Vasey “Something stinks: the litterbox lie”
• Third Place-Best Review: Carter Soyer “I would read this for the first time again if I could”
• Honorable Mention-Best Feature Reporting (Writing): Joshua Tigges “Soaring above Storm Lake: Bart’s Flying Service proves crucial to the community”
• Honorable Mention-Best Headline Writing: Hunter Vasey “Something stinks: the litterbox lie”
• Honorable Mention-Best Multimedia Storytelling Package: Joshua Tigges “2023 volleyball preseason look ahead”

Major Awards:

• First Place-First Amendment Award: Joceline Medina for KBVU 97.5 radio “American culture divided by religion”