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A frightfully good time had at the annual Haunted Village 

Oct 14, 2025 | News

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

Guthrie County Historical Village (GCHV) held its annual Haunted Village event on Sunday, Oct. 12. Each building at the village had displays, costumed performers and/or Halloween-themed fun for kids of all ages. The Haunted Village marks the end of the season for GCHV, which is set to open again in May of 2026.

Jace and Kaiden Doyle sit with their spooky new friend.

Cassandra and John Mrozek with Asher in the stroller.

Each building held a scary surprise. The news office offered fortune telling.

Maeve and Declan Eichmeier listen as Kim Finnegan reads a story.

Fall Festival in Guthrie Center

Oct 14, 2025 | News

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

A beautiful afternoon on Saturday welcomed attendees to Guthrie Center’s Fall Festival. Various vendors offered their wares, and live music played throughout the event. The meat-smoking competition was canceled due to low participation.

Tricia Schreck provided Guthrie Center Chamber information and sold shirts.

Paisley’s Pumpkin Patch offered pumpkins and gourds of all sizes.

Maison Shriver painted a design on the face of Andrea Ortega.

Upcoming events in the area

Oct 14, 2025 | Events

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

This time of year, fall and harvest events abound — and the holiday events are approaching, too. Below are some upcoming events in or near Guthrie County.

Community Baby Shower Oct. 14

First Christian Church (105 N. Fourth St., Guthrie Center) is hosting a “Come and Go Community Baby Shower” from 5-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14. The event will honor all Guthrie County prenatal families and those with infants younger than 1 year old. Attendees are encouraged to bring new items to donate.

Legion Fish Fry in Stuart Oct. 15

The Stuart American Legion is holding a fish fry on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 5-7 p.m. at the Legion building (323 S.W. Second St., Stuart). The menu includes cod, Wally’s baked beans, roll and butter, pasta salads and desserts. Cost is $12 for adults (or $11 if donating a canned item to the food pantry). Deliveries available by calling 515-523-1666.

Community Meal at Faith Bible Church Oct. 15

Faith Bible Church (2096 Highway 4, Panora) invites everyone to a free community meal from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The meal on Oct. 15 will include baked ziti, tossed salad, garlic bread, pumpkin bars, and apple pie bars. Upcoming monthly meal dates are Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.

Linden Harvest Supper Oct. 16

On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Linden United Methodist Church will hold a country store and harvest supper. The country store opens at 4 p.m., selling crafts and baked goods. From 5-7 p.m., the supper will serve steak, potatoes and gravy, vegetable and dessert. $12 for adults, $6 for kids younger than 10, and $1 for kids younger than 5. Carryouts are available beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Adair Boys and Girls Club meal delivery Oct. 17

Anyone in the Adair/Casey area is invited to support the Adair Boys and Girls Club of Central Southwest Iowa by ordering Friday harvest lunchtime meals. The Oct. 17 meal will be chicken bacon ranch tater tot casserole. In Adair, deliveries are available at 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon or 12:30 p.m. In Casey, meals can be picked up at 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. at the Casey Community Center. Cost is $12 per meal, and each meal includes a side, cookie or bar, and water. To order meals for pickup or delivery, please call 641-742-3119 by the Wednesday beforehand. The menu for Friday Oct. 24 is chicken and noodles.

Country Jam at Raccoon Ridge Oct. 19

Raccoon Ridge Music Hall (3281 298th Lane, Stuart) will hold a “Country Jam” from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19. Admission cost is a freewill donation. Those attending are welcome to bring beverages and snacks. Other upcoming events at Raccoon Ridge include “Who Nu” rock and roll dance, 7-10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 ($10 admission), and music by “Jesse and the Medicine Men” on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2-5 p.m. ($10 admission).

Drive-through harvest dinner in Guthrie Center Oct. 22

On Wednesday, Oct. 22, 4:45-6:30 p.m., Main Street Guthrie Center will hold a drive-thru meal that includes ham balls, green beans, mashed potatoes, roll, and pumpkin bar. Cost is $10 per meal. The event will be held at the Guthrie Center Activity Center, 209 State St.

Haunted House in Guthrie Center Oct. 30 and Oct. 31

A haunted house, hosted by Main Street Guthrie Center, will be held on Thursday, Oct. 30 and Friday, Oct. 31 at 302 Prairie St. Admission cost is $10, and children younger than 10 must be accompanied by an adult. The haunted house will be open 7-10 p.m. on Oct. 30 and 7-11 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Holiday Showcase Nov. 6-8

The Guthrie Center and Panora Chambers of Commerce are hosting a Holiday Showcase to encourage residents and visitors to kick off their holiday shopping. Businesses will have participating specials and drawings during the event. Dates and hours are Thursday, Nov. 6 from 5-8 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

 

Redfield Winterfest Dec. 6

Celebrate winter in Redfield on Dec. 6 at West Central Valley Middle School. A craft fair, silent auction and cookie walk run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kids shop for free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Santa visits at 1 p.m.  Then head over to Legion Hall and City Park for the lighting. The chili competition drop-off is at 3:30 p.m. with the judging beginning at 4 p.m. The tree and holiday display and lighting of the park occurs at 5 p.m. The chili feed runs from 5-7 p.m. for a free will donation. At 6:30 p.m., the silent auction ends. And, at 7 p.m., the lighted parade begins. 

Submit your event information to rich@gctimesnews.com.

Panora City Council reviews sidewalk sale ordinance, ‘emergency only’ credit card

Oct 14, 2025 | News

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the regular meeting of the Panora City Council on Oct. 13, the council members discussed sidewalk sales by downtown storefronts in the business commercial district. City Administrator Lisa Grossman read from the current ordinance, which outlines the number of days that a business can have a sidewalk sale consecutively.

Council members suggested amending the ordinance to stipulate that sidewalk sales can occur only during regular business hours, meaning that items would need to be brought inside or removed at the end of the business day.

Grossman suggested the matter should first be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission and then could come back to the council after that. No formal action was taken by the council.

The council discussed a request from Mason Caruthers for permission to hunt Canada geese on agricultural ground within city limits. The land in question is owned by Ethan Boyers. Caruthers’ request stated he would hunt at least 600 feet from any building or dwelling, and he added that Police Chief Matt Reising has no objection to the request. The council unanimously approved Caruthers’ request.

Grossman brought up a request to obtain an “emergency-only” credit card for Panora EMS use.

“There’s a fuel card in each vehicle, and each employee has a PIN. We’ve had a few situations come up where a PIN is incorrectly entered, and sometimes the employee has to then use their own card for fuel and get reimbursed,” Grossman said.

Grossman also said the credit card could help with various unexpected emergencies, such as in case of a vehicle breakdown or accident. She explained that if approved, the emergency-only credit card would be for only those situations when EMS staff are unable to use the fuel card. Council members were hesitant about the city having another credit card.

“I’m just looking at it as one more credit card out there. Personally, I’m not for it,” Councilmember Brian Dorsett said.

The council did not take formal action on the request.

The next regular meeting is set for Monday, Oct. 27 at 5:30 p.m. The public is welcome. Interested persons may attend in person or electronically by visiting the website https://meet.goto.com/cityofpanora or by phone 1-312-757-3121 (Access Code 295-099-701, Audio PIN 220#).

Sidewalk replacement project for Guthrie Center slated for 2027

Oct 14, 2025 | News

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the regular meeting of the Guthrie Center city council on Oct. 13, Darin Sloss (Street Department) shared the plans for many sidewalks in Guthrie Center to be replaced in 2027. He said it will be a Department of Transportation (DOT) project, and there will be no cost to the city. The total cost is estimated at $1.3 to $1.7 million.

“It’ll be a big project, but downtown will not be affected a whole lot,” Sloss said.

Part of the project is making sidewalks and street crossings ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. Sloss said public hearings will be held about the project in 2026, and the project is expected to begin in March 2027 and be completed by Labor Day 2027.

Sloss asked the council to consider approving the purchase of two Toro 6000 series mowers for the city at a cost of $17,468. The council approved the purchase.

City Administrator Kris Arasmith explained that the city’s Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance rates will increase by 3% for 2026, but she said that is a very moderate increase. The council unanimously voted to approval the renewal for 2026.

The council voted to give a full three-year tax abatement on the townhouse of Nancy Van Meter (1600 Cameron Pass).

As part of the consent agenda, the council approved a beer/liquor license for Little Charger ELC and a building permit (shed) for 102 North St. (Hughes/Cook).

The next regular meeting is set for Monday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome.