Special to the Times Vedette

The month of September is Responsible Gaming Education Month. According to a press release from New Opportunities, Inc. regarding problem gambling, more than half of teens gamble, despite it being illegal for those younger than 21. The release states that more than 20% of teens had bet on sporting events and 25% had played card or dice games.

Nancy Rowedder, a prevention supervisor for New Opportunities, says children who are exposed to and begin gambling by age 12 are four times more likely to struggle with compulsive gambling when they are older.

“While it may seem too early to think about your child gambling, some children start as young as 10 years old, and most have gambled by the age of 15,” she stated in a press release.

Rowedder says the following are signs that your child may be struggling with gambling.

• Playing gambling-type games on the internet.
• Asking for/borrowing money from family and friends.
• Bragging about winning.
• Decrease in school performance.
• Selling personal belongings.
• Withdrawal from friends and family.
• Lying, cheating, or stealing in school.
• Less involvement with usual activities.
• Missing money or valuables.
• Having gambling “stuff” (poker books, betting sheets, etc.)

If you think you or a loved one may be experiencing a problem with gambling, Rowedder recommends reaching out to 1-800-BETS-OFF from Your Life Iowa for free, confidential support.

Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Hospital invites community members to attend a series of upcoming town hall meetings this September. These events are designed to provide important information on the hospital’s construction project plans, answer questions and hear directly from residents as the hospital moves forward.

Meeting dates and locations:

• 10, 6:30 p.m., Guthrie Center High School Library, 900 School St., Guthrie Center
• 16, 6:30 p.m., Summit Grove, 113 N.E. Second St., Stuart
• 17, 6:30 p.m., GCH Clinics Panora Lobby, 103 S.E. 13th St., Panora
• 24, 6:30 p.m., Adair Community Center, 308 Stuart St., Adair

Topics of discussion will include:

• The goals behind the project and why it matters to the community
• An overview of the construction plan and how it supports those goals
• Details on USDA involvement and financing
• The project timeline and what’s ahead
• An open Q&A session for attendees to ask questions and provide feedback

These town hall meetings are open to the public.

Photo by LuAnn Waldo | Special to the Times Vedette

The 10 Squared Women of Guthrie County met Tuesday, Aug. 26 at The Port for their quarterly meeting. A large crowd of 57 women were in attendance with 14 attending by zoom.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

On Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 124 and the Guthrie Center Fire Department will host a Patriot Day event to remember the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America. The event will be held at the Veterans Memorial outside the Guthrie County Courthouse. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Everyone is welcome.   

The Flanery family at the Ring of Kerry/Skellig Islands.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

Once again, it is football season, where fans pack the stadium to cheer on their favorite team. But fans seldom travel as far as the Flanery family did when they flew to Dublin, Ireland, to watch the Iowa State Cyclones play the Kansas State Wildcats on Aug. 23. Both teams entered the game ranked among the top 25 in the country, so a great battle was expected.

And that is exactly what Ireland and the Flanery family saw, as the Cyclones battled rain and a slippery field to outlast the Wildcats for a 24-21 victory.

Dennis Flanery of Guthrie Center explained the reasoning behind the trip.

“My wife and I, our daughter and her husband had previously been to Ireland,” Flanery said. “It was the first time for my two sons. The ISU game was the initial reason for the visit. We had no travel issues; it was a smooth trip.”

In scheduling a trip of that distance, the family wisely chose to take in more than just a football game.

“The six of us traveled around Ireland the week before the game. It was Diane and I; our daughter, Erin, and her husband, Nate; my two sons, Ryan and Sean,” Flanery said. “My sister, Maria, and her husband, Jeff, met us in Dublin and attended the game with us.”

Flanery said the people and beauty of Ireland were memorable.

“The beautiful countryside and coastlines. The traditional Irish pubs and music. The great weather and friendly people,” Flanery said. “We hired a driver one day around the Ring of Kerry. She provided us a lot of information about the area and day-to-day life in Ireland.”

Several other items came to mind when Flanery thought back to highlights of the trip.

“All the Cyclone fans, great fresh fish, the Guiness, and the Cyclone victory,” he said.