Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Kent Gries reported a hit-and-run accident occurring during the evening hours of Jan. 17 on North Street in Guthrie Center. A 2012 Chevrolet Impala was legally parked southeast of 401 North St. and an unknown vehicle drove west through an alley north of the parked car, then drove south in the yards between the houses in the 400 block of North Fourth and North Fifth streets and struck the vehicle. The currently unknown vehicle then backed up and went around the Impala and exited the yards onto North Street. Estimated damage to the Impala is $2,500. 

Assistant Guthrie County Attorney Charles Abel, Panora Police Chief Matt Reising, Guthrie County Sheriff Matt Harmann, Rep. Carter Nordman, and Stuart Police Chief Dave Reha

Special to the Times Vedette

Today, State Representative Carter Nordman (R-Dallas Center), in collaboration with Assistant Guthrie County Attorney Charles Abel, Guthrie County Sheriff Matt Harmann, Stuart Police Chief Dave Reha, and Panora Police Chief Matt Reising, announced the filing of House File (HF) 2086, also known as the SAFE KIDS ACT, a bill aimed at strengthening Iowa’s child endangerment laws to better protect vulnerable youth.

The legislation comes as a recommendation from Assistant County Attorney Charles Abel, working in conjunction with Sheriff Harmann and Chiefs Reising and Reha. These local law enforcement leaders identified critical gaps in current statutes that prevent prosecutors from pursuing child endangerment charges in cases involving older minors. Rep. Nordman has drafted and filed the bill and is committed to shepherding it through the legislative process to ensure it becomes law.

“Working hand in hand with law enforcement and prosecutors is essential to crafting effective policies that safeguard the most vulnerable members of our communities,” Nordman said. “This bill is a prime example of that collaboration, ensuring we are doing everything we can to protect innocent children and minors from neglect and harm, no matter their age.”

Assistant Guthrie County Attorney Charles Abel highlighted the urgent need for the reform, citing real-world cases where current laws fall short.

“Under existing Iowa law, child endangerment charges are often unavailable when the victim is 14 or older, leaving prosecutors without the tools to hold abusers accountable,” Abel explained. “We’ve seen heartbreaking situations, such as parents exposing teens to methamphetamine without legal recourse, and even allowing registered sex offenders to reside in the home with older minors. These are clear instances of endangerment, but the age threshold ties our hands.”

In a joint statement, Sheriff Matt Harmann, Stuart Police Chief Dave Reha, and Panora Police Chief Matt Reising expressed their support:

“We thank Rep. Carter Nordman and Assistant County Attorney Abel for their commitment to being tough on crime and for truly listening to the feedback and needs of law enforcement in Guthrie County. This collaboration strengthens our ability to protect our communities, and we appreciate the strong working relationships that make initiatives like this possible.”

HF2086 seeks to amend Iowa Code Section 726.6 to extend child endangerment protections to all minors under 18, closing loopholes that currently hinder justice for older youth. The bill will now proceed through the Iowa House for committee review and debate.

Special to the Times Vedette

Approximately 80 displays were set up as part of the 32nd annual Guthrie Center Park Holiday Lights at Mitchell Park during the holiday season.  

“Many thanks to you all for putting up your displays to help make our city park ‘shine’ more than ever. The 32^nd year turned out to be our best ever,” Mary Jo Laughery said on behalf of the committee that put on the event.

Special to the Times Vedette

Origin Homes, a homebuilder based out of West Des Moines, is breaking ground on five homes in Panora’s Dream Acres on Jan. 21. 

“We continue to be so encouraged by the outreach, support and excitement for our Rural Housing Initiative,” said Matt Daniels, director of operations for Origin. “Panora has been on our radar for a year or two thanks to their great leadership, community and economic development plans with local businesses and other builders in the area. The homes at Dream Acres will be just two blocks away from the Little Panther Daycare, Panorama Community Schools and five minutes from Lake Panorama, so we believe they’ll be a great fit for this neighborhood.”

Homes are expected to be completed in mid-summer 2026 and will start in the $300’s. The homes will all be three-and four-bedroom ranches with two car garages, some with finished basements, and a range from 1,300-2,400 square feet. The plans that will be constructed are the Harris, McDaniels and Whitley (all named after notable country singers).

“Like many rural Iowa towns, we’re facing the hard truth that our lack of housing is holding us back. Origin Homes has a proven track record across Iowa built on collaboration, local insight and long-term vision that I believe will only strengthen our local economy, expand our tax base and keep our town moving forward,” Panora Mayor Curtis Thornberry said.

If interested buyers reserve a home in the early stages of construction, Origin can customize finishes, siding colors and more inside and outside of the home. View all for sale homes HERE.

In 2026, Origin is building an additional five homes in Knoxville’s Veterans District as part of this years’ ongoing Rural Housing Initiative. The initiative is aimed at building homes in rural communities across Iowa to improve the housing market. Origin has previously built and sold 10 homes in two phases in Knoxville, as well as 18 additional homes in Conrad, Jefferson, Manning and Gowrie. As part of the initiative, Workforce housing tax credits, awarded from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, will be used to help offset the costs of the homes to homebuyers.

Origin is a primarily custom homebuilder specializing in building custom homes on land in any of Iowa’s 99 counties. You can see their custom work here.

Special to the Times Vedette

Weary Ramblers won the solo/duo category of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, on Jan. 17. In addition, Weary Ramblers member Chad Elliott won Best Guitarist in the solo/duo category.

“It was a surreal moment for the two of us. We both were honored and so proud to represent the great state of Iowa. We also felt overwhelmed with a sense of acceptance into the blues community. We know that we come from a non-traditional approach and are grateful for their support and acknowledgement,” Weary Ramblers member Kathryn Fox said.

Weary Ramblers first won the Iowa Blues Challenge in the solo/duo category. The Central Iowa Blues Society hosts the event each October to look for the best Iowa acts to send to the International Blues Challenge. Weary Ramblers were chosen to represent Iowa blues in the solo/duo category.

On Jan. 14, Weary Ramblers hit the streets of Memphis to compete in The Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge with more than 130 acts from around the world.

“It was inspiring to be walking Beale Street alongside musicians from all over the world. We had many wonderful conservations with folks from Montreal to Australia, and everywhere in between. They all brought their own interpretation of the blues,” Fox said. 

During the four-day event, Weary Ramblers made the cut into the semi-finals and finals before battling for the top spot in the solo/duo category. Finals were held at the historic Orpheum Theater in downtown Memphis. 

“It’s going to open up a lot of doors and get many more ears listening to our music. We can’t wait to see what’s to come and enjoy the ride,” Elliott said.

Not only did they win in the solo/duo category, but Elliott was singled out with an award for Best Guitarist.

“Being a self-taught guitar player, throughout the years, I’ve created a hybrid form of playing that fills out the soundscape for stripped down performances. I have five fingers to work with, and I treat each like a band member. There were a lot of amazing guitar players at this event. Receiving the award for best guitarist was shocking to me, but it also validated all of the years of work I’ve put into playing the guitar,” Elliott said.

This comes on the heels of several wins for the Weary Ramblers. Weary Ramblers won the 2025 Josie Music Award in the “Song of the Year – Americana Duo/Group/Collab” category. They are also winners of the 21st annual International Acoustic Music Awards in the “Best Group/Duo” category. Their self-titled debut album spent 7 weeks at the top of the Contemporary Folk Chart as well. Each of these honors is in a different genre of music — blues, Americana, folk and acoustic.

When asked if Weary Ramblers has a genre, Elliott said, “We consider ourselves to be Americana. This genre is an open one, including blues, country, folk, bluegrass — you name it. It’s made it easy for us to have a label for our sound without putting us in a box.”

Regardless of their genre, the music made by Weary Rambles is making waves. They have two albums currently available. Their most recent album, Driftwood, was released in October 2025.

 “We’re planning tours throughout the country. If you’d like to stay up to date, sign up for our monthly newsletter on our website and follow us on social media,” Fox said. 

Learn more about Weary Ramblers by visiting www.wearyramblers.com.

Weary Ramblers performing live at the International Blues Challenge. Photo courtesy of Alex Hjulbyhavn Petterson

Weary Ramblers receiving their award on stage at the International Blues Challenge. Photo courtesy of Alex Hjulbyhavn Petterson

From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Drought conditions improved in the summer months across the state but then degraded again with a dry fall, according to the latest Water Summary Update.

Iowa ended the year with a statewide average total of 33.60 inches of precipitation, or 1.95 inches below normal. December’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 1.00 inches, or 0.37 inches below normal. The wettest conditions occurred in the southeast this month, bringing some relief to the area.

In 2024, Iowa finally ended a historically lengthy drought, but rainfall deficits remained into the new year. The early months of 2025 were marked by drought and dryness due to these deficits and below-normal rainfall. However, the summer months saw additional wet weather, resulting in drought-free conditions across the state throughout much of the summer and early fall. However, dry conditions returned in the fall, resulting in two drought regions being placed under a drought watch.

Statewide temperatures for the year were just under a degree and a half warmer than normal. The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows that by the end of 2025, some areas of Iowa had slipped back into abnormally dry conditions or drought conditions, mostly in northwest and eastern Iowa.  

“The dry start to 2025 subsided after the state experienced above-average rainfall during the summer. Initial concerns about drought expansion eased, leading to the removal of the Iowa Drought Plan Drought Watch designation statewide for a total of five months of the year. However, dry conditions returned in the fall. The state saw below-average rainfall for 2025, but National Weather Service outlooks are stable. Continued normal or above normal precipitation in January and February is important to maintain average conditions in the typically dry winter months,” said Jessica Reese McIntyre, DNR Environmental Specialist.

For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit  www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.

The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR — Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.