By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the March 18 regular meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, significant discussion was held about the upcoming fiscal year’s budget.

Matters still need to be decided by the State Legislature that will impact county budgets statewide, but those decisions will likely not be made until after budgets are due. Supervisor Chair Maggie Armstrong described the work she did in finding ways to alleviate some expenses out of the General Basic category.

“We then landed with 29% General Basic carryover, 22% General Supplemental carryover, and 26% Rural Service carryover,” Armstrong said. “That gives us some room for some potential projects.”

The working budget includes 3% increases for all county employees (except the supervisors, who would not receive a raise) and some specific additional raises in certain departments.

Supervisor Mike Dickson shared his opinion.

“I’m not OK with the extra raises above the 3%. I’m not in favor of that,” Dickson said.

Armstrong asked the supervisors for their comfort level with the carryover percentages she mentioned.

“I’m comfortable,” Supervisor Steve Smith said.

“I think we’ve got to move ahead. That legislation may not be done until about May 1, so I think we’ve got to go ahead and do our business,” Supervisor Brian Johnson said.

The supervisors voted to approve the carryover percentages Armstrong stated, by a 4-1 vote with Dickson opposed.

County Engineer Josh Sebern addressed the supervisors regarding Resolution 25-19 (Bridge Weight Limit Posting).

“Every year about this time, we update our bridge postings, and the inspections usually take place in November/December,” Sebern said. “It has to be done by resolution because they are white signs. They are regulatory. They are enforceable.”

Sebern told of two bridges in the county that are currently closed.

“We did have to close two bridges this year, due to the postings. He said the bridge near the county’s Bear Grove shed was closed due to “severely deteriorated wood pilings.”

“It is in design. It could go into construction in 2026,” Sebern said. “That’s on the fast track, as much as federal aid can fast track.”

Sebern described the other bridge closure.

“The other bridge that is closed is Baker 180 on Iris Avenue… Not eligible for federal aid… We are reviewing all options,” Sebern said.

Sebern explained the bridge does not meet traffic volume requirements for federal aid.

The supervisors unanimously approved the Bridge Weight Limit Posting as submitted.

The supervisors also discussed the possibility of filing a Petition to Intervene regarding pipeline issues. Armstrong said she met with officials from Greene County, who are also working on a the same effort.

Armstrong summarized the purpose of a Petition to Intervene as asking to “have a seat at the table.” No formal action was taken at this time, but the matter will be further discussed at the March 25 meeting.

Through March, the supervisors meet regularly Tuesdays and Thursdays 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#.

There will be no supervisors meeting on March 20.

Front row: Julie Bishop, CNA Hospice Aide; Bailey Illg, Social Worker; Carol Laughery, Dietician; Barbara Jacobsen, RN Case Manager. Second row: Jenna Anderson, CNA Hospice Aide; Erica Murphy, RN Case Manager; Lakota Sickles, CNA Hospice Aide; Rachel Stoline, CNA Hospice Aide; Carly Fry, RN Patient Care Manager; Amanda Hoffman, Social Worker; Tiffany Johnson, Community Liaison. Back row: Lynnea Anderson, LMSW, CHP, Regional Administrator; Joey Weber, Volunteer Coordinator; Dora Sircher, Nurse Practitioner, Robyn Van Zee, Team Coordinator; Mackenzie Davis, CNA Hospice Aide; Kelly Gafkjen, Chaplin, Alex Mcgregor, RN Case Manager; Wes Zollman, RN Case Manager, Carla Mueller-Kem, Bereavement Coordinator, Marie Lane, LPN Intake Coordinator. Not pictured: Natasha Hansen, LPN; Tanny Miller, LPN; Susie Kennebeck-Thelen, Community Liaison; Stacey Wood, RN Case Manager; Tiffany Benavides, PRN RN Case Manager; Laurisa Stringer, PRN RN Case Manager.

Special to the Times Vedette

Hospice of the Midwest announced that its Guthrie Center location has been awarded the 2025 Quality Award for Small Branches. This recognition highlights the company’s continued commitment to providing exceptional, personalized end of life care to Iowa families. Guthrie Center Hospice of the Midwest serves Adair, Guthrie, Cass, Audubon, Carroll, Greene and Dallas counties.   

“We are extremely proud of our staff for their unwavering dedication to providing patients and families with high quality, compassionate and supportive care during the end stages of one’s life,” Lynnea Andersen, regional administrator at Hospice of the Midwest IA, said. “This award is well-deserved, demonstrating our commitment to exceeding industry standards and ensuring that our patients and families receive the best possible hospice care and comfort.”

The Guthrie Center location demonstrated outstanding results across several key performance metrics:

• Hospice Quality Scorecard – Exceeded the target of 12 on the 2024 quality scorecard with a final score of 13.1.

• Live Discharges: Earned an impressive live discharge rate of 8.5%, significantly lower than the goal of 20%.
• Visits Near Death: Outperformed the national average on the Hospice Care Index (HCI) Visits Near Death, with a remarkable score of 98.17%.
• Hospice Visits Last Days of Life (HVLDL): Scored 30% higher than the national average, with a cumulative score of 78.3%, compared to the national average of 47.9%.
• CMS Hospice Care Index: Earned a perfect score of 10 on the publicly reported CMS Hospice Care Index, which captures care processes throughout the hospice stay, between admission and discharge.

Special to the Times Vedette

Jeramy Randol was hired by Farmers State Bank (FSB) as their newest loan officer. Randol joined the FSB team on Feb. 26, bringing a strong background in banking, a passion for customer service, and deep local roots in the community.

Randol is a 2017 graduate of Panorama High School, making his return to Guthrie County even more special. After high school, he pursued his education at Simpson College in Indianola, where he played football and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and sports administration in 2021. His educational journey continued at the University of Northern Colorado, where he received a master of science in sport and exercise science in 2022.

Following graduation, Randol and his wife, Zoe, moved back to the Des Moines area, where he began his career in banking. He worked with Iowa Trust in Panora and Clive, starting as a customer service representative and working his way up to credit analyst. In his new role at FSB, he is helping customers with their lending needs and financial goals.

Randol is glad to be part of Farmers State Bank’s tradition across Guthrie County. He and his wife, Zoe, and their son, Canyon, are settling into the community and building lasting relationships.

“I am extremely honored to be entrusted with the role of loan officer and am eager to be a part of the great culture and community that is Farmers State Bank,” Randol says. “I look forward to serving you for years to come.”

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

Winter storms in February and March resulted in significantly fewer blood donations statewide. As such, LifeServe Blood Center encourages citizens to donate blood now and help save lives.

On Thursday, April 24, a blood drive will be held 2:30-6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 105 N. Fourth St. in Guthrie Center.

On Wednesday, April 30, a blood drive will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the Panorama Middle School gym, 701 W. Main Street in Panora.

To sign up for either of these, or any other blood drives offered, visit www.lifeservebloodcenter.org or call 800-287-4903.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

On Friday evening, March 14, a strong storm brought powerful straight-line winds through Guthrie County and much of Iowa. In Guthrie Center, the strong winds blew a roof off the building at 111 S. Third Street and left it on a neighboring building and power lines.

Firefighters worked to remove the roof in sections. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Agencies at the scene included Guthrie Center Fire Department, Panora Fire Department, Guthrie County Emergency Management, Panora EMS, Guthrie Center Utilities Department, Guthrie Center Streets Department, Guthrie County Sheriff Department, and Alliant Energy.

Photos courtesy Guthrie Center Fire Department

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Special to the Times Vedette

Students at Art on State decorated glass containers with paint and napkins using mod podge on Saturday.

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.

Amy Westphal, Shua Westphal and Alyssia Westphal.

Alecia Eslick, Radina Jansen and Lori McCarville.

Shelly Rubel, Lucy Mc Cunn and Olivia Ross.