Special to the Times Vedette

On July 30, a total of 11 players participated. Wayne Nickel got a 20; Dick Ellis got two 16s; Dan Webb and Jim Carico each got a 17; Lela Schwartz got a 16 and a 20; Larry Gardiner got a 16 and a 17; and Chet Vaughan had a 16.  

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.

In other cribbage news, a cribbage tournament will be held Friday, Aug. 1 during Panorama Days at the community center. Registration starts at 1:30 p.m.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the July 29 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, County Auditor Dani Fink shared information on possible timelines if the county wishes to pursue the possibility of a March 3, 2026, special election regarding a proposed countywide EMS plan. Fink shared the required timing of various portions of the process.

“The ballot language would have to be published no later than Jan. 1, 2026. So, the board needs to determine how much time you want to allow the advisory council to work,” Fink said.

Fink explained that, depending on the supervisors’ preferences, the process may need to begin as early as next week. No vote or formal action was taken at this time.

County Engineer Josh Sebern shared details about the proposed road project on County Road P28 between Stuart and Panora. He explained that some portions would only need an overlay, while other sections would need more work. Sebern also told of the funding availability. He said he would hope to be accepting bids on the project sometime between December 2025 and February 2026.

Supervisor Maggie Armstrong summarized her understanding of Sebern’s information.

“I think the majority of us need to understand where we are financially; what we can do with our budget. And then, perhaps, a timeline. I know you said we don’t need to make a decision today, and we can’t today. But knowing exactly when we do need to make those decisions will be helpful for the board,” Armstrong said.

County Treasurer Brenda Campbell provided her department’s annual report.

The county’s IT (Information Technology) Administrator, Brian Hoffman, also provided a report.

“We did a phishing simulation training in April,” Hoffman said. “We had 181 phishing emails reported.”

Hoffman encourages staff to always report such emails, because he expects the actual number may be much higher.

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#.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the July 28 meeting of the Panora City Council, the councilmembers discussed Resolution 25-29, which would authorize participation in the Iowa State University Electric Grid Resilience Toolkit Collaborative Cohort. City Administrator Lisa Grossman explained that if Panora participates, it would be as a type of “test subject” before the program would potentially be offered statewide. The resolution states, in part, “recent disasters such as the 2020 derecho have demonstrated the need for communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from electrical disruptions.”

The council unanimously approved the resolution.

“We are one of five communities that were selected to work with Iowa State through a grant they received through the Iowa Economic Authority,” Grossman said. “I think we’re going to learn a lot.”

The council discussed disposition of the city’s 2003 red Chevrolet pickup truck, which the city no longer needs. Grossman suggested selling the truck on the govdeals website. The council approved this suggestion.

As part of the consent agenda, the councilmembers approved a 12-month Class C Retail Alcohol License for Los Altos Mexican Restaurant LLC.

The next regular meeting of the Panora council is set for Monday, Aug. 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Panora City Hall. The public is welcome.

Special to the Times Vedette 

A watercolor class was held at Art on State on Sunday, July 27 and taught by Mary Johnson. This was a rescheduled class from June. A total of seven artists participated in painting Superstition Mountain, which is located near Phoenix, Arizona. A variety of techniques were taught such as wet on wet in the sky and dry brush in the river.

The two painters in the first picture are Suzanne Michael and Chris Eighmy. The whole group is Cathy Ballard, Chris Eighmy, Valerie McCool, Jennifer Vanderpool, Jim  Spradling, Suzanne Michaels and Troy Michaels.

Art on State is an art gallery created by the Guthrie County Arts Council as an opportunity to bring together the artists of the county, encouraging them in their talents by providing means to display and sell their work and to bring awareness of artistic endeavors to the community at large by presenting performing and visual arts programs. Art on State is located at 320 State St. in Guthrie Center. Learn more at www.guthriecountyartscouncil.org or call 641-332-2267.

Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Hospital and Clinics says it is reinforcing its commitment to patient safety by enhancing its patient identification practices through a renewed awareness campaign.

GCH already uses two-point patient identification, but this campaign is focused on ensuring consistency, awareness and continued excellence across all departments.

Starting Aug. 1, staff will routinely check at least two identifiers to confirm a patient’s identity before administering care, treatment or medication. This means patients will be asked many times during the admission/care journey to confirm their identity to make sure they get the medication, procedure or care that was intended. This step helps prevent medical errors and ensures each patient receives the correct care every time.

“Patient safety is always our top priority,” Kassie Cline, perioperative services manager/clinical and Quality Shared Governance Committee Member, said. “We’ve been using two-point identification for years, but this campaign serves to re-emphasize its importance and make sure everyone — staff, patients and families — understands the role it plays in quality care.”

As part of this initiative, patients may notice additional reminders and educational materials throughout the hospital, as well as staff being extra diligent when confirming identity.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the July 28 meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council, the council returned to the topic of entry codes in use at the public library.

Mayor Mike Herbert explained that he met with Library Director Jerri Hawkins and now has a better understanding of the entry code situation at the library. Herbert said Hawkins had explained the reasons for the various codes in use. The council consensus was that as long as city hall and city staff are kept abreast of any changes in codes, they have no objection to multiple codes being used for various reasonable purposes.

City Administrator Kris Arrasmith informed the council that the Mitchell Park north shelter house is scheduled to be torn down, likely in September. The structure is in bad shape due to its age.

Arrasmith asked the council to consider approving the purchase and installation of a Ring “stick-up camera” at city hall to aid with security measures.

“We don’t need anything fancy, just mostly in case something happened, we could go back and look,” Arrasmith said.

She said the proposed camera would cost $300 plus $100 annually for service. She said the camera could use the existing wiring and would store recorded video on the city’s computer. The council approved the purchase as presented.

The council approved Resolution 2025-15, “Tax Exemption for Denny & Sue Leuwerke, 1602 Cameron Pass.

As part of the consent agenda, the council approved an alcohol permit for Tori’s Angels Foundation. Also included in the approved consent agenda were garage permits for 107 North Eighth St. (Nuehring), and 405 North Fifth St. (Ure).

The next regular meeting of the council is set for Monday, Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at city hall. The public is welcome.