Special to the Times Vedette
On Tuesday, July 29, at Panorama West Golf Course, 25 players participated in the men’s league. Chip Hansen had a low score of 29. John Harre needed 14 putts. Jeff Houston made the longest putt. Jay Ganske was closest to the pin. The scramble was won by Paul Brewster, Tim O’Brien, and Jason Wolf with a score of 3 below par.
Saundra Devick shows her art for sale at Art on State.
By Rich Wicks | Panora Times, July 2025
Saundra Devick painted this Arizona landscape.
“I didn’t even take art in college, but then one day I felt like I needed a break,” Devick said. “So then I started, and one afternoon a week I would go over to a friend’s house, and I painted under her instruction for many years.”
Devick enjoys painting with oils, pastels and watercolor. She found each medium has unique qualities. The subject and circumstances of a particular painting generally determine which medium she will use.
“Watercolor is the most challenging but also the most fun,” she said.
Landscapes and nature are frequent images in Devick’s paintings. When weather allows, she prefers to paint outdoors. But her favorite painting is a portrait.
“My favorite painting is here at Art on State. It’s called ‘Girl in a Box,’ and it’s the granddaughter of a friend,” she said.
Devick made two additional portraits of the same image using pastel.
Devick credits the teaching of several painting instructors in developing her skills and techniques. In recent years, she has begun teaching painting classes at the Des Moines Art Center, at a local art gallery, and in her own home. She has also taught workshops on a method of pouring watercolor. In her case, the student truly has become the teacher.
A scene in Jamaica inspired this painting by Saundra Devick.
“I think that’s typical for any artist,” Devick said. “Particularly in my oil, I’ll reach a point where I wonder, ‘Oh shoot, can I finish this or not?’ But oil is easy to correct.”
Devick’s artwork has earned numerous awards. One of her oil portraits was selected as a finalist in the portrait category of The Artist Magazine’s annual art competition. Her art was also featured in a book titled “Splash 8” for her use of a new technique in watercolor.
For approximately 10 years, Devick has displayed some of her art for sale at Art on State in Guthrie Center.
For now, Devick plans to continue enjoying her artistic outlet in whatever direction it takes her.
She offers her painting as commissioned work as well. Those interested may contact her at sdevick@msn.com.
Devick encourages anyone with a budding interest in art to simply “take the plunge” and begin. She also suggests finding an experienced artist to provide guidance.
“I believe everybody can paint, with the right instruction,” Devick said. “And, for a beginner, I would recommend oil or acrylic.”
For Devick, art has transformed greatly from her original goal of simply a break from chores.
“It’s developed into a new way of looking at our world — a world of design, pattern and color,” Devick said. “A world of beauty beyond expression, just waiting to be noticed, if we just pause a moment and do so.”
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
Anyone interested in listening or dancing to local music is invited to Raccoon Ridge Music Hall (RRMH) on specific Sunday afternoons from 2-5 p.m. RRMH is located approximately one mile east of Nations Bridge Park at 3281 298thLane. The next Sunday event is set for Aug. 3 and will feature the Ridge Runners. Admission fee is $10.
Additional Sundays schedules include:
For all of the above events, attendees are welcome to bring their own beverages and snacks. If you can bring enough to share, even better.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
Have you ever wondered why Guthrie County roads have names such as Pecan, Koala, Ute, Amarillo and Jaguar? Those names do not seem to have a clear connection to Iowa. But, if you think the roads throughout Guthrie County are named in a haphazard manner, think again. There is definitely a system, and it is more planful than most people realize.
Although each county can devise its own system for naming roads, many follow a similar pattern. In Guthrie County, roads names tend to be short and easy to spell. Short road names mean the road signs can be shorter, which also means less expensive. Also, shorter signs are less likely to be damaged in high winds.
The specific naming of rural roads in Guthrie County follows a pattern that is helpful to know. There are six types of road names (highway, road, avenue, street, trail and lane). Highway is the name for any federal or state highway. Road is the name for a paved county roadway. Avenues are generally north/south gravel roads. Streets are generally east/west gravel roadways. Trails are long and often winding gravel roads. Lanes are short gravel roads, usually dead ends.
Avenues have names, starting alphabetically at the western edge of the county. So, if you were looking for Apple Avenue, it would likely be very close to the western border of the county, while Dogwood Avenue would be about three miles further east.
Streets have numbers, generally starting with 100th Street at or near the northern border of the county, and street names increase by ten for each mile. In other words, 140th Street is most likely one mile south of 130th Street.
However, the general rules above do have exceptions for a variety of reasons. But, knowing these general rules can help drivers make sense of what initially seems random, and it can ease drivers in navigating to a certain destination.
From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers more than 200 hunter education courses each year, and now is the time to enroll before hunting seasons arrive.
Hunter education is a mandatory program designed to introduce students to firearms safety and several other life-long skills that are important to the many different types of outdoor recreational activities.
A person who is 11 years old or older may enroll in a course, but those who are 11 and successfully complete the course will be issued a certificate which becomes valid on their 12th birthday.
Students may certify in several ways, such as the traditional classroom course or a hybrid online/field day course. Students 18 years of age and older may certify completely online with no field day requirement. For more information on course options, visit: https://www.iowadnr.gov/things-do/hunting-trapping/hunter-education-safety
“Our courses are taught by volunteer instructors who are also hunters, so very few classes take place after mid-November,” Jamie Cook, program coordinator with the Iowa DNR, said. “Many new hunters, and parents of new hunters, tend to delay in finding a hunter education course until classes become unavailable. My advice is to check the website weekly.”
To find a course and begin the registration process visit https://license.gooutdoorsiowa.com/Event/EventsHome.aspx
Hunter education is required for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1972, in order to purchase a hunting license. Iowa recognizes hunter education certificates issued by another state and some foreign nations.
By Kriss Nelson | Iowa Soybean Association
Nightly shop lockup might be part of your farm’s security. Maybe you have security cameras for surveillance as an added measure for your farm’s safety. But, is that enough?
From ransomware attacks shutting down agribusinesses to hackers tampering with GPS-guided equipment on the farm, cybersecurity threats are no longer just a problem in big cities. They’re showing up in rural America, putting your farm’s data, dollars and productivity at risk.
As farmers move toward more smart farming technologies that rely on the Internet of Things (IoT), this connectivity sets them up for potential cybercrimes that can affect livestock, crop production and financial systems.
The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm Management Team began laying the groundwork for increased cybersecurity in agriculture in 2022 and has since reached more than 2,600 farmers through workshops, conferences, webinars and educational resources.
Addressing the increasing cybersecurity risks, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach introduced the Cybersecurity Initiative Protects Iowa Farmers and Rural Businesses project in April 2022 to bolster rural digital security.
The initial project highlighted how straightforward, easy actions can create substantial change. For instance, farmers can begin by implementing strong passwords, multi-factor authentication and backup systems. A second project, Crisis Management for Smart Farming Systems on Iowa Farms, was launched in April 2025.
Both projects were supported by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/ National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grants. The farm management team is also partnering with the ISU Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach on the projects.
“I believe it was around 2021 when there was a noticeable surge in cybersecurity attacks targeting Iowa agriculture. We were hearing about incidents across different parts of the industry, especially in meatpacking and grain handling. That really prompted us to help farmers become more aware and better prepared for these kinds of threats,” Madeline Schultz, ISU Extension Specialist and Women in Ag program leader, said.
As the program developed, they quickly learned how vulnerable farmers are to cyberattacks. From apps on a phone that help farmers automate fans in the pig barn to precision and GPS equipment in a tractor or combine, to making sales online to your local cooperative, it was clear farmers needed information to help them keep their business secure.
“We wanted a way to bring awareness to farmers and talk about steps they can take to protect their farm,” she said. “Even starting with awareness on how social media can open up farm families and farms to a cyberattack is important. Setting the security controls and being aware of potential scams can help.”
Imagine you lose internet and your phone lines go down — and suddenly you’ve got 1,000 head of livestock needing feed. What do you do? How do you reach the people delivering your feed? How do you communicate with your buyers? It’s an emergency, and you don’t know how long it will last. Maybe it’s a cyberattack. Or maybe a severe storm has hit.
“The FBI has told us bad actors have already infiltrated agricultural internet systems. And when they decide to act, it could be serious,” she says. “Bad actors have the capability to shut down critical systems quickly. Hopefully, they won’t, but the message is clear: we need to be prepared,” Schultz said.
In addition, Homeland Security and Emergency Management reports six presidential disaster declarations in Iowa over the last five years due to severe weather. Power outages and system failures can disrupt smart farming infrastructure for days, or even longer.
Given the serious risks posed by severe weather and cyber threats, farmers must be prepared.
The second project, “Crisis Management for Smart Farming Systems on Iowa Farms,” takes the approach that a farm has lost internet access for any reason.
This project will involve Cybersecurity Incident Management Exercises (CIME). To learn more about how CIME can help you, click here.
“Up to this point, we’ve talked about prevention. Now, we’re shifting to emergency planning, what to do if, or when, your systems go offline,” Schultz said. “We’re walking farmers through realistic, hands-on planning scenarios that are both practical and engaging. It’s all about thinking through the what-ifs before they become reality.”
The ISU farm management team aims to help farmers understand the vulnerabilities in crop, livestock, and financial computer and smart farming technologies. To achieve this, planning tools, checklists and resources are being developed to help farmers create their own emergency plans and establish backup systems.
Agriculture is one of 16 critical infrastructures in the United States, along with hospitals, power, and others.
“In the event of an emergency, we want to help farmers be prepared to take action quickly to minimize production and financial losses,” Schultz said.
The ISU Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach is also working with hospitals, doctors and communities to run similar emergency planning exercises.
“The goal is to prepare for situations where critical cyber systems go down, whether it’s in healthcare or at the community level,” she said. “It’s essential for farmers and agribusinesses to be just as prepared as the medical industry or the power grid.”
Cybersecurity resources, including recordings from ISU’s Cybersecurity on the Farm Webinar series and conference, are available here.