Special to the Times Vedette
Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Matt Losee reported a car vs. deer accident occurring on April 19 at 8:52 p.m. on Highway 44. Shy Anne Strahm, 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was driving a 2015 Toyota Corolla westbound on Highway 44 and struck a deer, causing heavy front-end damage to the passenger side of the vehicle. Estimated damage is $5,000.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
During the April 20 meeting of the Guthrie County Hospital Board of Trustees, a public hearing was held regarding the hospital’s fiscal year 2026-2027 county budget. Chief Financial Officer Brandon Johnson summarized the highlights of the proposed budget. No public comments/questions were made, so the public hearing closed.
The trustees later approved three budgets for fiscal year 2027 (the capital budget, the operating budget and the county budget).
Chief Nursing Officer Mandy Schiefert reported on the nursing department.
“We are working on Nurses Week, May 6112. Our DAISY ceremony will be on Thursday, May 7 at 2 p.m. at Sneakers,” Schiefert said.
She also shared information on recently filled nursing positions.
“We onboarded a couple of new nurses that will be fulltime nights,” Schiefert said.
Chief Human Resources Officer Mary Anderson provided a report.
“Our new learning management system, Relias, we have implemented that. The new hires have been using it, and they really like it,” Anderson said.
Anderson noted that the hospital’s most recently measured employee retention rate is 92.4%.
Foundation Director Dennis Flanery offered an update on fundraising events.
“We had our annual Handbags and Bingo, which was another successful event, so thanks to everybody who either worked or attended or was a sponsor,” Flanery said. “Our golf event is our next big event that’s coming up. The first round of mailings went out.”
Chief Operations Officer Travis Martin shared information on the facilities project at the hospital.
“If you’ve been down 12th Street, you’ll notice they’ve started taking the front of the building off today, so there’s a gaping hole out front,” he said. “We are sealed on the inside, but you’ll see that the building is starting to come down.”
Martin also reported on the Stuart clinic.
“The interior framing is done down there. They’re starting drywall next week, so we are still anticipating being done by June 1,” Martin said.
The next regular meeting of the trustees is set for Thursday, May 28 at 4 p.m. The public is welcome.
Released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.
“Last week’s active weather pattern presented plenty of severe weather challenges across the state. Farmers certainly welcomed the moisture, but we could have gone without the wind, hail and tornadoes,” Secretary Naig said. “This week looks to be a bit quieter, and that will help farmers as they look to get the planters rolling.”
There were 2.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week, 2.8 days less than last year. Topsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 8 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 18 percent surplus. Corn planting in Iowa reached 2 percent complete, which is 14 percentage points behind last year when 16 percent had been planted. Soybean planting reached 1 percent, which is 9 percentage points behind 2025 when 10 percent of the crop had been planted. Oats seeding reached 51 percent complete, 14 percentage points behind last year.
The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at https://www.nass.usda.gov/.
Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Severe weather was the headline through the reporting period with several rounds of thunderstorms producing all modes of hazardous weather, including large hail, flash flooding and several tornadoes. This was also the third consecutive week of above-normal rainfall for much of Iowa. Temperatures were well above average with positive departures approaching 14 degrees from central to southeast Iowa; the statewide average temperature was 60.3 degrees, 11.4 degrees above normal.
Showers streamed across Iowa’s eastern half through Sunday (12th) afternoon while sunny skies and gusty southerly winds held over northwestern Iowa. Rainfall was highest along a narrow south-central to northeast band with 0.69 inch at Rathbun Dam (Appanoose County) to 0.95 inch in Peosta (Dubuque County); general totals where rain fell were in the 0.20- to 0.40-inch range. The first of four severe weather days occurred across northern Iowa on Monday (13th) as a low pressure center transited the Iowa-Minnesota border. Afternoon temperatures pushed into the upper 70s in the presence of ample low-level moisture and wind shear. A few weak tornadoes developed later in the evening along with pockets of large hail and locally heavy rainfall; Ringsted (Emmet County) registered 0.97 inch while Lake Mills (Winnebago County) collected 1.42 inches. Tuesday (14th) dawned unseasonably warm in southern and eastern Iowa where morning air temperatures and dewpoints were in the low to mid 60s. A secondary low pressure center pushed through central Iowa as the attendant cold front clashed with warm, unstable air to the east, firing strong to severe thunderstorms. The storms raced east into the evening hours, producing two EF-1 tornadoes in Masonville (Buchanan County) and Dubuque (Dubuque County). Large hail was also widespread in eastern Iowa with a 3.5-inch hailstorm reported in Elma (Howard County). Stronger storms training over the same locations also produced very heavy rainfall; six stations hit 2.00 inches or more with 2.45 inches in Hartford (Warren County) and 2.78 inches in Sully (Jasper County). Much of Iowa’s southeastern two-thirds reported totals of a few tenths of an inch with a statewide average of 0.51 inch.
Severe weather on Wednesday (15th) was dominated by large hail across much of southern Iowa along with isolated straight-line wind reports in the southeast corner. Significant rainfall occurred at more than 30 stations where at least 1.00 inch was observed. Many locations in eastern Iowa picked up more than 0.75 inch with multiple tenths of inch farther west. The statewide average rainfall was 0.55 inch with the highest total of 1.93 inches in Vinton (Benton County). Thursday (16th) was a pleasant day with morning lows in the upper 40s and low 50s under clear skies with a light westerly wind. Winds turned southerly into the afternoon hours, boosting highs into the upper 70s southeast to mid 80s northwest. Clouds increased overnight into Friday (17th) as a strong low pressure center pushed into northwest Iowa. A cold front rapidly moved through western Iowa as instability, wind shear and moisture ramped up from central to eastern Iowa. Initial discrete supercells fired in eastern Iowa, well ahead of the surface boundary. Frontal-based thunderstorms were able to overcome the low-level cap and rapidly intensify just east of Des Moines (Polk County). Thunderstorms merged along the front as several became severe and tornado warned. Washington (Washington County) reported structural damage to farm buildings from a tornado. Straight-line winds became the dominate severe weather mode as the front moved closer to the Mississippi River; Cascade (Dubuque County) measured an 86 mph wind gust. Moderate to heavy rainfall was widespread in eastern Iowa with 1.02 inches in Ottumwa (Wapello County) and 2.35 inches in Wayne County. Saturday (18th) into Sunday (19th) was much less active with partly cloudy skies and much cooler temperatures.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation in Rock Rapids (Lyon County) to 4.34 inches at Bellevue Lock and Dam (Jackson County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 1.27 inches; the normal is 0.87 inch. Lamoni (Decatur County) reported the week’s high temperature of 89 degrees on the 15th, 26 degrees above normal. Lake Park (Dickinson County) reported the week’s low temperature of 23 degrees on the 18th, 12 degrees below normal. Four-inch soil temperatures varied from the upper 40s north to mid 50s south as of Sunday.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
On Wednesday, April 22 from 5:30-7 p.m., Main Street Guthrie Center will hold a community input session at the Guthrie Center Activity Center (209 State St.). Attendees will hear results of the recent Guthrie Center survey and will be able to help with planning.
The seventh annual Spring Boutique will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Vets/Community Center on the Panora square. A variety of vendors and crafters are expected.
The pancake breakfast fundraiser for the Bagley Firefighters will be held on Sunday, April 26 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bagley Fire Station. The freewill donation meal will include pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, coffee, milk and juice.
The ACGC class of 2029 will hold a fundraiser meal at Café on the Hill in Guthrie Center from 4:30-7 p.m. For $12, enjoy either a hot beef sundae and brownie or a pulled pork sandwich, mac and cheese, green beans and brownie. Proceeds will help fund the class of 2029’s junior prom and senior trip.
On Saturday, May 9, Art on State (320 State St., Guthrie Center) will host its annual Mothers’ Day Tea, beginning at 2 p.m. For $20 per person, attendees will enjoy refreshments, storytelling and music. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 641-332-2267.
Lake Panorama Fin and Feather banquet will be Saturday, May 9 at the Lake Panorama National Clubhouse with social hour beginning at 5 p.m. A dinner plus silent and live auctions will follow at 6 p.m. All ages are welcome. Funds raised are used to stock fish in Lake Panorama. The group also helps improve fish habitat and sponsors an annual fishing derby for children during Panorama Days.
Dinner tickets are $50 each, with children 12 and younger $25. Another option is to join the Big Skipper Club for $150. This covers two dinner tickets, Big Skipper raffle ticket and an annual family membership. The cost of an annual family membership is $50. Supporters can mail a check or register online with a credit card or PayPal at the group’s website.
Guthrie Center Chaplains will host an appreciation event honoring all local law enforcement staff (including police, sheriff, deputies and state troopers) at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13 at the Freedom Rock on the western edge of Guthrie Center (across Highway 44 from the fairgrounds). Everyone is welcome to attend.
The Women’s Service Organization (WSO) 2026 fundraising home tour is Friday, June 5. Five Lake Panorama homes will be featured, with three on the west side of the lake and two on the east side. Tickets are $30 and include the tour and lunch at The Captain’s Pick at Lake Panorama National Resort, 5071 Clover Ridge Road. Tickets will be available beginning May 1 and can be reserved by calling or texting Toni Wright at 641-757-0886 or Sue Merryman at 641-751-5956. There will be a maximum of 260 tickets available, which organizers expect to sell out quickly.
Send your event information to rich@gctimesnews.com.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
A public notice from the city of Yale announced the intent to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mayor Beverly Louk by appointment. Those interested in being appointed mayor must submit a letter of interest to city hall, P.O. Box 97, by 5 p.m. on April 21, 2026. The council expects to appoint a successor at the council meeting on April 22. The successor shall fill the vacancy until the next regular city election, which will be Nov. 2, 2027. The electors of Yale have the right to file a petition, conforming to the requirements of Section 372.13 of the Code of Iowa, requiring that the vacancies be filled by a special election. Said petition shall be filed with the city clerk within 14 days after publication of the public notice or within 14 days after the vacancy is filled by appointment. The petition must be signed by eligible electors who are entitled to vote to fill the office of the mayor, equal in number to 15% of those who voted for candidates for the office of the last regular election but not less than seven signatures.