Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Bennett reported a single-vehicle accident occurring on Dec. 21 at 9:07 a.m. on 140^th Street. Luke Wesley Craig Skalla, 36, of Bayard, was driving a 2024 GMC Sierra K2500 DE pickup westbound on 140^th Street east of Justice Road and lost control while coming down the ice-covered gravel road, driving off the river bank and coming to rest in the water. The truck collied with the bridge pier, causing an estimated $100,000 to the bridge rail and $15,000 to the GMC pickup.  A passenger, Bridgette Jean Skalla, 31, of Bayard, was injured in the accident. 

Photos by Betty Cooper | Special to the Times Vedette

The Panorama Dance Team performed during halftime of the basketball games on Dec. 16 at Panorama High School. 

Click images to enlarge.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

With the planned facilities project at Guthrie County Hospital just around the corner, contractor Graham Construction has built full-sized cardboard mock-ups of some of the planned rooms. The mock-ups are in the back area at the Big Green Umbrella Media building, 104 Industrial Road in Guthrie Center. Hospital staff recently came in to give feedback on the design of the rooms and location of equipment.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

Again this year, the Guthrie Center firefighters will parade Santa Claus through town beginning at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. As shown, the route includes almost every part of Guthrie Center. Santa will begin his parade at the fire station, then through Mitchell Park, then through many of Guthrie Center’s streets before ending back at the fire station. Spectators are welcome to park in the swimming pool parking lot to see Santa check out the many lighting displays in Mitchell Park. After the parade, Saint Nick and his reindeer will depart to begin their busy night of delivering presents. Preliminary weather forecasts show good flying weather.

For 30 years, Betty Simmons and her late husband, Gerald, and their son, Raymond, have shared their amazing creations at Guthrie Center’s Mitchell Park.

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, December 2025

A famous quotation, attributed to anthropologist Margaret Mead, states, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 

That concept holds true at Guthrie Center’s Mitchell Park each holiday season. Pam Kunkle explained that for the past 32 years, a small group of volunteers has worked tirelessly to make the annual holiday light display happen. The Simmons family has played a crucial role in those efforts.

“For 30 years, Betty Simmons and her late husband, Gerald, and their son, Raymond, have shared their amazing creations at our park,” Kunkle said. “They have created hundreds of wooden characters for the displays, but they have gone over the top by building a working merry-go-round, a motorized Ferris wheel and, this year, a blow-up snow globe.”

Each year, the park holds upwards of 100 displays from local businesses, civic groups and families. The Simmons family has one of the largest displays in the park, and new items are added each year. The family’s display at the park includes characters that are designed on wooden planks, which Ray cuts to size. Betty then paints on each character.

For many years, Betty and her husband, Gerald, worked together on the project, but he passed away in 2010, and Betty worried that the park lighting project might end.

“But, I got a big surprise. Raymond stepped in,” Betty said. “Raymond has done a super job of stepping in and taking his dad’s place. He cuts out what I want, and he expresses his opinions, just like Gerald did. He’s particular.”

Betty and Ray work on their holiday displays all year long, designing, cutting and painting the wooden characters while also repairing items and figuring out how to make displays weatherproof. The holiday displays at Mitchell Park stay up until around New Year’s Day, depending on the weather.

“If we have a decent day, we’ll come in and take it down,” Betty said.

Besides the family’s large display near the swimming pool parking lot, Betty and Ray also have one of the first displays that visitors see when entering Mitchell Park. A large train display with various cutout characters sits just to the left as visitors arrive.

“This year, we added some more stuff to the train up there, too,” Betty said. 

Betty and Ray welcome anyone with time and/or talent to spare to help keep Guthrie Center’s lighting tradition going. 

“We work as a team with Mary Jo Laughery and Pam Kunkle, and my family. It just takes teamwork,” Betty said.

Although Betty has been involved for decades, she plans to continue for the foreseeable future because of the joy it brings to her family and the community.

“I just had my 85^th birthday, and I just take it a year at a time anymore. I enjoy doing it and knowing that I’m doing something that is pleasing other people in our town,” Betty said. “When I’m painting, I may not stay within the lines anymore, but who’s going to go up there and check? It’s something I can do in my house, and I enjoy it.” 

Courtesy of Adair Fire and Rescue

The Adair Fire Department hosted a vehicle extrication training exercise on Dec 9. Professional Rescue Innovations training professionals were on site to provide up-to-date and practical hands-on training. Firefighters representing Cumberland Fire Department, Guthrie Center Fire Department, and Adair Fire Department participated in this event and noted how the training is invaluable in keeping the departments in a state of readiness for vehicle entrapment emergencies.