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Upcoming events in the area

Jun 19, 2026 | Events

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

Thursdays at Jamaica Library

From 4-5 p.m. every Thursday in June, the Jamaica Library is hosting “library summer camp” for kids of all ages. The free events include crafts, games, an obstacle course, tie dye, smores, hot dogs, free ice cream from Tojo’s, prizes and snacks. More details can be seen on the Jamaica Library Facebook page.

Free summer reading program in Panora

The Panora Library is holding a free summer reading program with special events at 10 a.m. on each Friday in June at the Panora Community Center. There will be stories, crafts and activities. The themes for the upcoming Fridays are:

  • June 26: Fun on the farm

 

Guthrie Center garage sales June 19-20

Guthrie Center’s citywide garage sales will be June 19-20. Guthrie Center will hold citywide cleanup on Wednesday, June 24. To participate, prepay at City Hall by noon on June 22. The base fee is $25, with certain items requiring additional charges. Any questions can be directed to Guthrie Center City Hall, 641-332-2190.

Good Egg Days in Stuart June 19-20

The annual Good Egg Days will be held June 19-20 in downtown Stuart. Events on Friday, June 19 include the Little Stinker and Little Stinkette contest for kids ages 4-8, the kiddie parade, announcement of the Grand Marshall and Citizen of the Year, kids’ water fight, food trucks and live music featuring Cody Hicks. Saturday, June 20 events include the 5K run/walk, parade, craft market, inflatables, balloon artist, face painting, trivia contest, and live music featuring Round A Bout. More details can be viewed on the Facebook page of Good Eggs Days 2026.

Panora Farmers Market June 20

The Panora farmers market will be 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 20, at the Guthrie County Historical Village, 206 W. South St. in Panora. 

Adair Chuckwagon Days June 19-20

This year’s Chuckwagon Days are June 19-20 and will include many familiar happenings and a few new events. Scheduled events include kids’ games, a BBQ, baseball, a bake sale, a bags tournament, foam party, pancake breakfast, 5K run/walk, parade, tractor show, sand volleyball, pickleball tournament, bingo, carnival games, scavenger hunt, fire truck rides, and a street dance.

One new event this year is Chicken Poop Bingo, which is set to begin at 1 p.m. on June 20. The Adair city park, 406 Audubon St., is the hub for Chuckwagon Days. For details on all events, see the Facebook page of Chuckwagon Days 2026.

Bacoon Ride through Guthrie County June 20

The annual Bacoon Ride will happen on Saturday, June 20. Bicyclists will begin and end the 71-mile loop at Waukee. This year’s route will follow the Raccoon River Valley Trail (RRVT) and will come through Redfield, Linden, Panora, Yale, Herndon and Jamaica before returning to Waukee. Each stop will include bacon-themed foods and/or beverages. To register, visit www.iowabicyclecoalition.org and click on Events.

Heroes and Hot Dogs June 20 in Guthrie Center

The Guthrie Center Fire Department will host an event called “Heroes and Hot Dogs” from 3-7 p.m. on Saturday, June 20 at Mitchell Park. There will be hot dogs and refreshments, bounce houses, demonstrations by members of the fire department, and the opportunity for youngsters to meet local firefighters. To help raise funds for the fire department, sponsorships for the event are still available. If interested, contact any member of the fire crew.

Bayard Fun Day June 20

A fundraiser “Fun Day” in Bayard will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 20 to benefit the summer meal program. There will be kids’ games, a freewill donation meal, bingo and a silent auction.

Redfield Old Settlers, June 26-28

Redfield’s Old Settlers celebration this year will offer a variety of events. The Friday events include a kiddie parade at 5:30 p.m. and a concert by Cory Jackson at 7 p.m. Saturday events include the fire department’s breakfast beginning at 6 a.m., the Old Settlers parade at 11 a.m., tournaments of bags and volleyball (both starting at 1 p.m.), a car show at 4 p.m., a street dance at 9 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. There will also be a kids water fight, horseshoes, a petting zoo, bingo, vendors, games and more. For the full schedule and any updates, see the Facebook page of Redfield Old Settlers.

Midwest Partnership golf outing June 26

The 31st annual Midwest Partnership golf outing will be Friday, June 26. The event will be held at the Lake Panorama National course. In honor of America’s 250th birthday, there will be a contest for the “best dressed team” in patriotic attire. Visit www.midwestpartnership.com for more details.

ACGC Booster golf tourney June 26

On Friday, June 26, the ACGC Booster Club golf tournament will be held at Guthrie Center Golf Course. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. with tee-off set for 10 a.m.

Golf tourney for Guthrie Center Library June 27

The fourth annual Friends of the Guthrie Center Public Library golf tournament will be held on Saturday, June 27 at the Guthrie Center Golf Course (2604 State St.). Registration will begin at 8 a.m., and a shotgun start will kick off the tourney at 9 a.m. The tourney format is a four-person scramble. Cost is $60 per person, which include cart and lunch. To sign up, go to https://www.guthriecenter.lib.ia.us/golf-tournament-fundraiser. Anyone interested in becoming a $100 sponsor may call the library at 641-747-8110.

Send your event information to rich@gctimesnews.com.   

Cribbage results from June 17

Jun 19, 2026 | News

Special to the Times Vedette

On June 17, a total of 15 players participated. Sandy Rumelhart and Robert Klever each got a 16; Dennis Betts and Rhonda Titus each got a 20; Dave Richter got a 21; and Chet Vaughan got a 24.

The Guthrie Center cribbage players generally meet at Guthrie Center Library, 400 Grand St., on Mondays at 8 a.m. and at the New Homestead independent living dining hall, 2306 State St., at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays and at 1 p.m. on Fridays. Organizers say there is always room for more, and they will be glad to teach you how to play. They play for quarters on Wednesday and Friday.

Dandelions, yellow fingers and mowing dirt

Jun 19, 2026 | Publisher's Column

Dandelions and kids go hand in hand. Yellow stains and all.

Most of us can remember being children, running barefoot through the summer grass and discovering those bright yellow “flowers” sprinkled across the lawn. I proudly picked them, bundled them into tiny bouquets and presented them to my mother. She smiled, thanked me and admired my gift. Then, at the first opportunity, she quietly tossed them in the trash when I wasn’t looking.

Sound familiar? The decades may change, but that scene has played out for generations. What has changed, though, is how we deal with dandelions today.

As a child, I thought knocking the tops off those weeds with the mower blade was a perfectly acceptable lawn-care strategy. Mom strongly disagreed. She never used store-bought fertilizer or weed killer. The rain and sunshine were the fertilizer, and I was the weed killer. Armed with a garden trowel, I was sent into the yard to hand-dig every dandelion in sight. And this was not a casual assignment. Mom inspected my work to make sure I got the entire root. If even a sliver remained, I was headed back for another excavation.

Oddly enough, I enjoyed the job. It certainly beat washing dishes or staining the deck. The dandelion-removal campaign did create one problem, though. Those yellow “flowers” served as convenient markers when I mowed. Once they were gone, I had no idea where I had already been. During dry summers, our lawn was more brown than green anyway. I often mowed dead grass, dirt and the occasional surviving weed.

Still, I mowed because that is what Mom expected. Every now and then, I tried arguing that mowing dead grass seemed unnecessary. Those discussions never ended well. In fact, they often resulted in bonus chores, such as edging with those awful hand-trimming shears.

Eventually, I learned three important life lessons: Dig dandelions by the roots, mow whatever is growing and keep your mouth shut.

And then there were the stains. Do you remember how dandelion juice turned your fingers yellow? No matter how hard you scrubbed, the color seemed permanent. But yellow fingers were fine. They were badges of childhood, right alongside grass-stained jeans, scraped knees and black bicycle-chain grease smeared across your socks. Getting dirty was part of growing up. It meant you had been outside, exploring, working, playing and making memories.

These days, we spend too much time trying to eliminate every weed, stain and inconvenience from our lives. Maybe we should save a few dandelions. After all, some of life’s best memories started with dirty fingers, grass-stained jeans and a bouquet that never quite made it to a vase.

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading. 

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Panthers nearly finish comeback against ACGC, fall 8-7, face Woodward-Granger tonight

Jun 16, 2026 | Sports

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

The Panorama baseball team (2-12) nearly completed an epic comeback at ACGC (5-8) on Monday, June 15. Panorama was down 8-1 heading into the final inning when the bats finally got hot. Panorama rattled off six runs in the seventh inning to make it a one-run game but ultimately fell short.

Panorama hosts Woodward-Granger (6-6) tonight, Tuesday, June 16. W-G won a close battle between the two earlier this season, 6-5.

Photos by Eli Cooper
Click images to enlarge

Panorama drops both games in doubleheader vs. Van Meter, 16-2 and 24-6

Jun 16, 2026 | Sports

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

The Panorama baseball team (2-11) lost both games in its home doubleheader against Van Meter (7-6) on Friday, June 12. In game one, Panorama had four hits coming from Cruz Crandall, Jaxon Vogel, Hunter Kline and Mason Cates, who had the team’s lone RBI. Mound time was split between Crandall, Vogel and Braden Bahrenfuss. Crandall and Bahrenfuss had one strikeout each.

In game two, Van Meter stayed hot, scoring nine runs in the first inning. Panorama did answer back with a four-run flurry of its own, tacking on two more runs in the second, but it was not enough to combat Van Meter’s bats. Impressive performances were found by Cruz Crandall who went 3/3 with two singles, one double and one RBI. Mason Cates went 2/3 with two doubles and three RBIs. Brayden Meinecke and Jaxon Vogel had one RBI apiece. Panorama used three pitchers again in this game with Mason Meinecke, Vogel and Adrian Leone splitting time. Mason and Leone had one strikeout each.