Special to the Times Vedette
Morgan Wolf of Panora was conferred an Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography degree by Mercy College of Health Sciences, 928 Sixth Ave., Des Moines, on April 26.
Special to the Times Vedette
A total of 11 players participated on May 30. Sandy Rumelhart got two 16s and a 20; Dave Richter got two 16s and a 24; Jane Barcus got a 16; and Dan Webb, Rhonda Titus and Allen Pierce came up with a 20.
A total of 9 players participated on June 2. Rhonda Titus got the only 16.
The Guthrie Center cribbage players generally meet at Guthrie Center Library on Mondays at 8 a.m. and at the New Homestead independent living dining hall 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.
Special to the Times Vedette
Each semester, Central College recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement by naming them to the Dean’s List. This distinction is reserved for those who have earned a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher while completing a minimum of 12 graded credit hours. The students exemplify academic excellence and a strong commitment to their education.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two healthcare bills into law at the Guthrie County Hospital in Guthrie Center May 28, 2025, including her proposal to increase rural health care accessibility. Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch
By Robin Opsahl | Iowa Capital Dispatch
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law Wednesday her legislative proposal to increase physician training options and rural health care accessibility, a step she said will help ease burdens on rural hospitals and increase patients’ health outcomes across the state.
Reynolds signed House File 972 at Guthrie County Hospital in Guthrie Center, one of many rural health providers she said will benefit from the measure. The law, which she first introduced in February, includes multiple components. It directs the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to create a “hub-and-spoke” funding model for rural health care services based on the current Centers of Excellence Program and makes changes to Iowa Medicaid rates for providers serving mothers and infants.
Reynolds said improving rural health care access “starts with growing our physician workforce.” To address health care workforce shortages, the law makes changes to Iowa’s training and residency programs — HHS is also directed to work to draw down $150 million in federal funding that will go toward the creation of a projected 115 new residency slots at Iowa teaching hospitals. Reynolds said this expansion will help Iowa retain more of the health care providers who went to school in Iowa.
“Doctors often decide to practice where they do their residency,” Reynolds said. “Today, Iowa ranks 40th in the number of residency slots… which means many of our (medical graduates) don’t get chance to continue their training here.”
The new residency slots are one way to encourage medical providers to stay in the state — another part of the law works to provide an incentive to health care providers by consolidating the state’s medical student loan repayment programs to a new system with a boost of $8 million in funding, opening the program to individuals who are trained out-of-state who commit to practicing in high-demand areas of Iowa for five years.
Other medical professions, like Registered Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants, can also receive funding for training through the Health Care Professional Incentive Program, with Iowa HHS designating what fields are in high demand and eligible for the program.
Chris Stipe, the CEO of Guthrie County Hospital, thanked Reynolds for pursuing this measure, saying her administration has prioritized improving health care providers’ “ability to recruit and retain health care workers in rural Iowa.”
“It’s no secret, there’s a physician shortage and a nurse shortage, but let’s be honest, there’s a shortage of all qualified healthcare workers in nearly every field,” Stipe said. “And workforce shortages are often more severe in smaller communities. If we are to continue to effectively care for our rural Iowa communities, critical strategies such as loan forgiveness programs and graduate medical education programs must be funded and expanded and run efficiently.”
He also thanked Reynolds for signing a bill on health care workers’ safety. She also signed House File 310 Wednesday, a bill that expands the definition of “health care provider” under existing laws that provide increased penalties — a Class D felony — for assaulting people in certain occupations. The new definition would raise the criminal charges for assaulting anyone who is working, volunteering or participating in education at a hospital or rural emergency hospital.
Reynolds said the measure is necessary to address increasing cases of violence occurring at health care facilities.
See full story at Iowa Capital Dispatch.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
Gov. Kim Reynolds came to the Guthrie County Hospital on May 28 to sign two bills into law. Both relate to healthcare.
Gov. Reynolds signed House File 972 and House File 310. The first (also known as the Rural Healthcare Bill) opens additional residency slots in teaching at hospitals, to help foster more availability of healthcare staff statewide.
HF 310 aims to protect healthcare providers, in part, by strengthening penalties for those convicted of assault against healthcare providers. It also expands the definition of “healthcare provider.”
Approximately 100 were in attendance for the signing, including many staff of the hospital. Following the signing at Sneakers Café, Gov. Reynolds was given a tour of the facility.
Gov. Reynolds speaks at Sneakers Café.
Guthrie County Hospital CEO Chris Stipe welcomes Gov. Kim Reynolds to the hospital.
Gov. Reynolds signs two bills into law as healthcare workers look on.
Special to the Times Vedette
The D3baseball.com and the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Baseball Teams were both announced on Monday, May 27, and Buena Vista senior Evan Taylor was selected to the Second Team for each.
Taylor, who was the 2022 Regional Rookie of the Year, is now a three-time D3baseball.com All-Region selection (2022 First Team, 2023 Second Team) and a 4x ABC/Rawlings selection (2022 and 2024, Second Team, 2023 Third Team). He finished his final campaign this year by leading the region in doubles (26) and doubles per game (0.58) and ranked eighth in runs (58). He hit .371 overall which was second in the conference and recorded 66 hits to break the BVU all-time record with 244.
A native of Redfield, Taylor was one of four different players for the Beavers to land all-region honors this season.
Buena Vista concluded the year at 33-12 overall and ended the year at the NCAA DIII Regional Tournament from May 16-18 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.