By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the March 9 regular meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council, Streets Department Chief Darrin Sloss shared information on the cleanup efforts at the long-vacated Lacey building on State Street.

“A little over 50 man-hours were put into it in two days; approximately 10 tons of materials were removed,” he said. Sloss added that the process went fairly smoothly.

In other news, Sloss said he will post additional “25 MPH” signage on Oak Street as previously discussed by the council.

The council voted to approve a “general agreement” with Region XII to serve as Housing Inspector for Guthrie Center.

City Administrator Kris Arrasmith provided an update on RAGBRAI planning for the July 20 event. She noted that the preliminary plan is for many of the largest groups of riders to stay overnight at the fairgrounds, although smaller groups will likely end up in many other areas. She noted that the largest group (sometimes called a “charter”) is a group of approximately 1,500 cyclists, and that charter will bring in about 17 semi-trailers. Arrasmith added that charging cyclists for staying overnight in tents on homeowner lawns and similar areas is not allowed.

A public hearing on the Fiscal Year 26-27 Property Tax Levy is set for March 23 at 6:30 p.m., immediately prior to the regular council meeting on that date. The public is welcome.

Special to the Times Vedette

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), in partnership with Iowa State University (ISU), is hosting a farmer webinar, “Why it Pays to Test Your Soil Nitrogen,” on March 27 at 1 p.m. The free webinar is designed to provide new data and tools to farmers regarding this season’s nitrate trends that translate into practical, cost-saving tips for planting season.

The webinar will feature ISU researchers Dr. Matt Helmers, Dr. Mike Castellano and Dr. Richard Roth, who will share findings from their recent modeling analysis of soil mineralization and the factors contributing to the unusual nitrogen levels this winter, along with the latest nitrogen fertility support tools available to farmers to reduce input costs and support yield goals while protecting water quality.

“We continuously strive to provide the latest science and practical solutions to farmers to help them make the best decisions for their farms,” said Shawn Richmond, IFBF conservation and natural resources policy advisor. “This webinar brings credible science together with real-world tools so farmers can make confident nitrogen decisions that help reduce costs at a time when margins are tight and input costs are high — all while continuing to improve soil and water outcomes.”

“Since 98% of the nitrogen in Iowa’s soil is naturally occurring, the key is understanding how environmental conditions drive its availability. Our new modeling sheds light on that and gives farmers new insight to fine-tune their nitrogen rates so they can balance economic returns with environmental stewardship,” said Dr. Castellano.

To register for the webinar, visit https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZaEF2Vj1R-O4ah7jaXMHgg

Special to the Times Vedette

On March 6, a total of eight players participated. Dennis Betts got a 16; Allen Pierce got a 17, and Dave Richter got a 16, 16, 17, 24 and 24.

On March 9, a total of five players participated. Dave Richter, Joanne Zieser and Robert Klever got a 16; Roy Carl had 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.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

As of 10 a.m. Friday morning, March 6, Guthrie County and Adair County are no longer under an open burn ban. To see the updated status of burn bans or other important notices from the Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Agency, visit https://iowa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/c22956334fd8435080ed851f549c5263.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

The state basketball tournaments are underway for both the boys and girls teams in Iowa. Despite the fact that neither ACGC or Panorama were able to send one of their programs to the tournament, I thought it would be fitting to detail what the best basketball programs in the state are up to. The finish of the Dallas Center-Grimes vs. Norwalk game went viral last night in an ending I have never seen before.

With 45 seconds left on the clock, DCG was down by six points. Ava Smid stole three straight inbound passes and hit three straight layups, including one she was fouled on, scoring seven points in 16 seconds. DCG would win the game to head to the finals to face Carlisle. It was an unbelievable highlight, garnering millions of views across several different twitter accounts, even getting picked up by Barstool Sports. It reminded me of one of my favorite NBA highlights of all time: Tracy McGrady scoring 13 points in 35 seconds.

On the girls basketball side, the championships across all classes are being played throughout the day today and tomorrow and will be broadcast on Iowa PBS. As for the boys, their first-round matchups will begin on next Tuesday, March 10.

Girls basketball

1A: No. 1 seed Bishop Garrigan (23-2) faces No. 5 Dunkerton (23-2) in the semi-finals. The winner of that game will face the winner of No. 2 Newell-Fonda (23-2) and No. 3 St. Albert (22-3).

2A: In the 2A semi-finals, No. 1 Hinton (21-1) faces No. 4 Denver (23-2). As this column goes out, No. 2 Rock Valley (23-2) will be playing against No. 6 Treynor (22-2) for a chance in the final.

3A: No. 1 Mount Vernon (24-2) vs. No. 2 Maquoketa (23-4). I caught the end of the Maquoketa vs. Des Moines Christian game. DM-C blew a double-digit second-half lead, sending the Cardinals to their first state championship appearance in school history, led by their all-time leading scorer Cora Widel.

4A: No. 2 Dallas Center-Grimes (23-2) vs. No. 5 Carlisle (25-1). Can the Mustangs keep the magic rolling? They’ll have to defeat Carlisle star Macy Comito, who scored a 4A state tournament single-game record of 42 points in the semifinals. She can shoot the lights out.

5A: The title game for 5A is set for a showdown between No. 1 Johnston (26-0) and Waukee Northwest (19-5). That game is being played tonight, March 6 at 6 p.m. According to ESPN, The Johnston Dragons girls basketball program is ranked 17^th in the country.

Boys basketball

1A First Round Matchups:

No. 1 St. Edmund (23-2) vs. No. 8 Woodbine (17-8)

No. 2 Bishop Garrigan (23-2) vs. No. 7 Marquette Catholic (23-2)

No. 3 MMCRU (25-1) vs. No. 6 Boyden-hull (18-7)

No. 4 Burlington Notre Dame (24-2) vs. No. 5 Bellevue (22-3)

2A First Round Matchups:

No. 1 Kuemper Catholic (22-3) vs. No. 8 Union Community (22-3)

No. 2 Regina Catholic (22-1) vs. No. 7 Aplington-Parkersburg (22-3)

No. 3 Unity Christian (22-2) vs. No. 6 Western Christian (18-6)

No. 4 Treynor (22-3) vs. No. 5 Grundy Center (23-1)

3A First Round Matchups:

No. 1 Ballard (23-1) vs. No. 8 Gilbert (16-8)

No. 2 Storm Lake (23-2) vs. No. 7 Solon (23-2)

No. 3 ADM (22-2) vs. No. 6 Xavier (15-8)

No. 4 Pella (21-4) vs. No. 5 Carroll (20-5)

4A First Round Matchups:

No. 1 Cedar Falls (22-0) vs. No. 8 Urbandale (14-8)

No. 2 Waukee Northwest (20-4) vs. No. 7 Johnston (15-8)

No. 3 Waukee (21-2) vs. No. 6 Prairie (18-5)

No. 4 Dowling Catholic (20-3) vs. No. 5 Dubuque Senior (21-2)

There is a ton of great high school basketball to watch. The girls will be crowing their champions, and the boys will be battling all week long. On both sides, there is going to be plenty of college-level talent on the hardwood. The girls finals will be streamed on Iowa PBS, and here is a link on how to watch the boys games once they start next week.

Reach out with comments, complaints, story ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.