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Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Jason Gray reported at car vs. deer accident occurring at 6 p.m. on Nov. 7 on Highway 25. Stella Grace Largent, 16, of Casey, was driving a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on Highway 25 and struck a deer that approached from the westbound ditch, causing an estimated $4,000 in damage. 

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On Nov. 7, Rhonda Titus and Kathy Fielmier each got a 16. Roy Carl got a 16 and a 20. Sandy Rumelhart got a 17, Lela Swartz got a 20, and Robert Klever got a 16 and a 21.

On Nov. 10, a total of nine players participated. Wayne Nickel and Kay Phippen each had a 16, and Robert Klever got a 17.

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.

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Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Bennett reported a single-vehicle accident occurring on Oct. 26 on 160^th Road. Dustin Michael Woods, 34, of Guthrie Center, was driving a 1996 Freightliner tractor/semi-trailer northbound on Sycamroe Avenue and made a left turn onto 160^th Road and dropped the trailer off into the eastbound ditch, rolling the train trailer. The vehicle came to rest in the roadway, dumping grain into the ditch and roadway.  Estimated damage to the Freightliner is $35,000 and estimated damage to the grain trailer, which is owned by Austin James Smith of Yale, is $20,000. 

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The Guthrie County Community Foundation (GCCF) will host its annual fall reception on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Panora Community Center in Panora. This event is open to the public and provides an opportunity to hear from GCCF grant recipients about the impactful projects they are undertaking with the support of the Foundation. GCCF awarded grants to more than 25 local organizations, including programs for children, and emergency and medical services. The awards totaled more than $215,000.  

During the reception, representatives from each recipient organization will share briefly about their project and how it benefits the citizens of Guthrie County. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the work being done in the community and the Foundation’s role in supporting local initiatives.

All community members are encouraged to attend and show their support for the organizations working to make Guthrie County a better place.

The application process for 2026 begins Nov. 14.  For more information, contact the Guthrie County Community Foundation at gccfoundation@gmail.com or visit desmoinesfoundation.org/affiliates/guthrie-county.

2025 Recipients

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On Nov. 5, a total of 16 players participated. Paul McCool got a 16 and a 24; Larry Gardiner got a 16; Rhonda Titus had a 24; Chet Vaughan, Richard Ellis and Lela Schwartz each got a 16; and Dan Webb 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.

Downtown revitalization project will also leverage private investment.

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The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) awarded $950,000 in Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants to 10 communities across the state this week. The grants help rehabilitate underutilized downtown buildings to stimulate economic growth and further investment in Iowa’s historic main streets.

Guthrie Center received $50,000 to restore a vacant historic building with a renewed brick façade, new windows and doors, updated systems and a refreshed interior. The finished space will be ready for a future tenant, supporting reinvestment and renewed activity in the downtown core. Steve Smith, Roberta Gilson, Rebecca Peterson, Diane Flanery, Dennis Flanery, Carter Nordman and Brenda Dudley were among those who attended the awards presentation today at IEDA’s office in Des Moines.

“These projects are examples of the creativity and persistence we see in communities across Iowa,” Debi Durham, director of IEDA and the Iowa Finance Authority, said. “When we invest in our main streets, we’re investing in the places where people come together — where entrepreneurs get their start, where families build memories and where the character of our communities truly shines.”

The grants are administered through IEDA’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs. The funding will be distributed to the selected projects in the form of matching grants to their local Main Street programs. The estimated total cost of these 10 projects is nearly $3.6 million.

“These grants give a significant boost to excellent ideas that might not get off the ground otherwise,” Jim Engle, director of the Iowa Downtown Resource Center, said. “Each completed project lifts the entire district — when you see lights back on in an upper floor or a storefront filled again, it sends a strong signal that good things are happening, and more are on the way.”

Since the first Challenge Grants were awarded in 2002, more than $16.5 million in funding has leveraged nearly $73.5 million in further investment.