Hannah Beveridge creates soaps and related products with fewer chemicals and artificial ingredients.

 

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, August 2025

In most any shopping mall, the stores selling scented lotions and similar products are usually some of the busiest because the pleasant aromas tend to draw people in. That experience has led to a hobby for Hannah Beveridge of Guthrie Center. 

Like many people, Beveridge enjoys the various scented products available from a wide range of manufacturers, but in June of 2024, after moving from Johnston to Guthrie Center, she decided to try making her own. After reading the labels of the mass-produced products, she felt there must be a way to create products with fewer chemicals and artificial ingredients.

During that time, Beveridge was taking classes toward her goal of achieving a bachelor’s degree in business management and finance. She also has a fulltime job as a bank teller in Adel. On top of all that, she and her fiancé are planning a wedding this October. Obviously, time has been a precious commodity, and Beveridge found herself multitasking when she first began working on making scented soaps.

“It was a challenge to be writing a paper while stirring a pot of soap while making sure my lotion didn’t bubble over,” Beveridge said. 

As she gained experience and found out what mixtures she liked best, Beveridge realized others might enjoy her products as well.

“If I’m going to make this for myself, I might as well share it with the community,” she said.

Beveridge began displaying some of her products at Art on State in Guthrie Center and at Hometown Basics in Casey. Her business is called Hannah Rae’s Home Goods.

Over the past year, Beveridge’s methods have evolved, and her product line has grown. 

“I started working with cold processed soaps, but that takes a long time because there’s a 30-day curing process,” Beveridge said. “I recently switched to hot processed soaps, and I’ve been selling them in those lather bags, which work like a loofah.”

Beveridge’s philosophy is simple.

“I wanted to make it my own and use local ingredients when I can. I try to find local honey when I can,” she said.

After starting with soaps, she has since branched out into other scented products. She now creates soaps, lotions, lip balms, room sprays and car fresheners. 

“I make handcrafted body care and fragrance items in small batches, with fewer additives and chemicals than most commercially produced products,” Beveridge said. “My goal is to develop a local line of products similar to Bath & Body Works.”

Beveridge continues to experiment with different products and scents but has a handful of favorite items. She has also found that, sometimes, the best scent is no scent at all. She named her unscented products “Plain Jane” because she feels it is more appealing that way. 

Beveridge’s soaps come in several scents, including black raspberry, mahogany teakwood, The Bee’s Knees, Razzle Dazzle and Plain Jane. Car fresheners are available in maple, sugar cookie, vanilla, apple pie, mahogany, Dreamsicle, and Fruit Loops. Lotion bars and body butter are available in vanilla, lavender or Plain Jane.

Beveridge noted that black raspberry soap is currently her most popular item.

“And all my mahogany products sell really well, too,” she said. 

Although Beveridge is mostly a one-person operation, she appreciates the help of her future mother-in-law, Debra Lemke, who assists at farmers markets and events.

Currently, Beveridge’s products are available at Art on State, Hometown Basics, the Panora and Guthrie Center farmers markets, and on her website and Facebook page. What began as simply an experiment and hobby is growing, and Beveridge welcomes the progression.

“I hope to become a household name in Guthrie County and make homemade products more accessible,” she said.

Beveridge’s array of products can be seen and ordered at www.hannahraeshomegoods.com.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the Sept. 9 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, the supervisors heard from Brett Michael, Mental Health Advocate, who serves an area including Guthrie County and six other counties. Board Chair Maggie Armstrong shared why she felt it would be helpful for the supervisors to hear from Michael.

Michael explained how he is assigned to work with individuals who are deemed by the court to be in need of involuntary mental health services.

“I get appointed to basically work with people through the process,” Michael said. “Overall, part of it is making sure people know what their rights are through the process. It can be a really confusing time for people. Some people are perfectly able to advocate for themselves.”

Supervisor Mike Dickson asked about the need for the advocate position, saying that county staff are already able to provide such services.

“We’re setting things up within the county ourselves,” Dickson said.

Armstrong said the county’s advocate cost is reimbursed by the State of Iowa, and she added that Michael’s position has been operating at the same hourly rate of $19.30 per hour for more than a decade. She asked the supervisors to consider a cost-of-living increase in that rate. No formal action was taken at this time. Michael said his time spent dealing with Guthrie County has ranged from seven to 32 hours per month.

Health Services Director Jotham Arber addressed the supervisors, reporting on status of Public Health and Environmental Health services.

“COVID vaccines are a big thing right now,” Arber said.

Arber shared a plan that is in the initial stages.

“I am working with the schools to try to get a 28E agreement drafted that would allow them to all share mental health services,” Arber said. “I talked to all the superintendents and all the school counselors, and I think there’s a great appetite to work together to get more mental health services into our schools.”

The supervisors meet regularly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend in person or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#.

Photos by Betty Cooper | Special to the Times Vedette

The Panorama marching band played at the high school football game last Friday at home against South Hamilton.

Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Josh Armstrong reported a single-vehicle accident occurring on Sept 7 at 3:33 a.m. on Highway 141. Obozokhai Jeffrey Arukhe, 48, of Waukee, was driving a 2015 Toyota Camry westbound on Highway 141 and made an evasive turn to avoid striking a piece from another vehicle on the roadway. The driver overcorrected and drove into the ditch on the south side of the highway, striking a tree with the left front bumper. Estimated damage to the Toyota is $1,501. 

Special to the Times Vedette

Experience the Cumberland Rose Players take on Groucho Marx’s show “You Bet Your Life” at the Warren Cultural Center, 154 Public Square, in Greenfield on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. Local celebrities, from mayors to business people dressed in 1940s and 1950s attire, will try to guess the secret word while being interviewed by our local Groucho. The secret words will be delivered by local youth so everyone in the room — except the contestants on stage — can see.

Free will donation gets you in the door.

This event is presented by the Cumberland Rose Players, The Sidey Collection and Greenfield Chamber Main Street.

Special to the Times Vedette

The Lake Panorama Association (LPA) will lower Lake Panorama by approximately 5 feet in October to perform scheduled maintenance on the dam. This follows a routine inspection conducted in December 2024 that revealed wear on hydraulic cylinders that have been in service for 20 years.

LPA management says repairs will include cylinder replacement and other minor improvements to hydraulic lines and the spillway. The Weitz Company, which handled the previous replacement of the dam cylinders, was awarded the contract with engineering support from Shive-Hattery.

LPA Members who own boats, docks and boat lifts were encouraged by LPA to contact their service providers before Labor Day to schedule removal and winterization. While lake use is not prohibited during the drawdown, LPA strongly discourages boating due to exposed underwater hazards. Members who have not yet contacted their service providers are advised to do so immediately.

The lake drawdown will also impact downstream users of the Middle Raccoon River. Beginning Oct. 1, river flow into the Middle Raccoon River will exceed seasonally normal levels. This will continue until the lake has been lowered by 5 feet, which should take 10 to 14 days. Recreational users, especially kayakers and fisherman, are advised to exercise caution during this time. For questions about safe flow levels and river access points, LPA recommends contacting Guthrie County Conservation for guidance. Guthrie County Conservation manages public entry and exit locations along the river and is a resource on responsible use of the Middle Raccoon River.

Once the cylinder replacement project begins, flow in the Middle Raccoon River will be variable depending on the phase of the project and rainfall that occurs. LPA management says they will continue to discharge water to ensure the minimum required flow will be met, or exceeded, at all times and that they are committed to meeting all Iowa Department of Natural Resources guidelines for minimum outflow to ensure uninterrupted operations for the City of Panora’s potable water treatment facility and the protection of aquatic life that exists downstream.

LPA management says the timeline for refilling the lake will depend on rainfall received within Lake Panorama’s watershed, noting that they cannot forecast if the lake will freeze at normal pool level or at a lowered level. They stated confidence in projecting that the lake will return to full pool level prior to the 2026 boating season. If the lake freezes below normal pool level, LPA says that level will be maintained throughout the winter and until the ice has melted from the lake.

Those with questions are encouraged to contact the LPA Office via email at lpa@lakepanorama.org.