By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the regular meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, the supervisors had lengthy discussion regarding the upcoming fiscal year budget. The main topic was seeking ways to trim expenses.

County Auditor Dani Fink summarized the information she provided on the proposed budget.

“At this point, we’ve gone through all of the worksheets. The overall number, the only thing that’s really changed there is Josh’s (Secondary Roads budget),” Fink said. “I know the libraries are asking if a decision has been made on their FY 2026 contribution.”

Fink shared that the county provided $139,261 for county libraries in the current year, and the libraries are asking for an 8% increase, which would be $150,402. No decision was made at this time.

Supervisor Mike Dickson brought up that the county needs to work on cutting about $300,000 overall over the next two fiscal years.

As part of the consent agenda, the supervisors approved a Payroll Change Notice for a new hire, Sarah Hanson, as a Mental Health Therapist, at a pay rate of $38 per hour.

Through March, the Board of Supervisors meets regularly Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. at the courthouse. 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

At the Feb. 24 meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council, the second reading of the proposed ordinance to lower the speed limit on Bluff Street and School Street from 35 mph to 25 mph was held. No councilmember indicated hearing significant feedback against the proposed change.

Councilmember Garold Thomas said he is in favor of the change, for safety reasons, especially for Bluff Street.

“On the road up there by the hospital, there’s always somebody walking along there, and there’s no sidewalk,” Thomas said. “Those are the only two roads in town that haven’t been 25 mph.”

The council unanimously approved the second reading, waived the third reading, and adopted Ordinance 25-02 to make the speed limit change official. New speed limit signs will be posted as soon as available.

The council appointed 2025 Aquatic Center committee members Alan Mahaffey, Kari Carroll, Dana Stein and Megan Railsback.

Dr. Steven Bascom addressed the council on behalf of the library board regarding the library budget. He explained that the board is asking to implement a $1.50 hourly wage increase for library staff, to match the increase for other city employees. After discussion, the council approved an increase of 75 cents per hour.

The council set a public hearing regarding the proposed Fiscal Year 2025-2026 property tax levy. The hearing will be Monday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m., immediately prior to the regular council meeting.

The next regular meeting of the council will be Monday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

At the Feb. 24 meeting of the Panora City Council, the councilmembers discussed the proposed budget and set a public hearing on the matter for Monday, March 24 at 5:30 p.m., immediately prior to the regular council meeting on that date.

The council voted unanimously to approve a 3% pay increase for all city employees.

Susanne Gerlach (Public Financial Management) offered a presentation regarding the city’s public utilities and rates. She suggested modest increases to the city’s water and sewer rates to help build up a balance for future needs.

“I think, overall, things look really good,” Gerlach said.

During the Public Forum portion of the meeting, citizen Josh Calmer spoke regarding a sewer issue at his property, 411 E. Main St. He explained that he received a large bill (nearly $7,000) from Accu-Jet for fixing the problem, but he feels it should not be his responsibility, since the issue was with lining in the pipes, and he did not contact Accu-Jet.

Mayor Curt Thornberry agreed and said he had experienced a similar situation at his property.

“This should be on us because this was on the inside of the pipe. He has no access to the pipe,” Thornberry said.

The matter will be added to the agenda for consideration at the March 10 council meeting.

City Administrator Lisa Grossman mentioned a dividend the city received from the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) Safety Group in the amount of $26,676.

“This is the highest dividend I’ve ever seen,” Grossman said.

The next regular meeting of the council will be Monday, March 10 at 5:30 p.m. The public is welcome. Interested persons may attend in person or electronically by visiting the website https://meet.goto.com/cityofpanora or by phone 1-312-757-3121 (Access Code 295-099-701, Audio PIN 220#).

Many of Donna Benton’s cardinals can be seen this month at the Mary J Barnett Library.

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, February 2025

Donna Benton of Guthrie Center likes to collect things, and one item is particularly meaningful.

“As you can see, I am a collector, and I do like to decorate for the seasons. But the cardinal collection actually started a long time ago. My mom passed away in 1998, and, after that, occasionally my sister and I would share something cardinal, like at Christmas time or whatever. She always said that, if you see a cardinal, that means an angel is near,” Benton said. “So, over the years, I started collecting cardinals from there.”

Benton said her children would occasionally give her a cardinal item, but when her husband passed away in 2022, they started giving her cardinals more often.

“That Christmas, all the kids gave me cardinals. That’s how I got a lot more of them,” Benton said. “Some of them I leave up year-round.”

Regarding the belief that the appearance of cardinals has spiritual meaning, Benton is forthright about her opinion.

“I am a believer in that, because a day or two after my husband passed, there were cardinals right outside my window,” she said. “So, I knew he was checking to see if I’m OK.”

Benton enjoys watching all varieties of birds, so she has a birdfeeder just outside her kitchen window where she can watch for her winged visitors. 

Although Benton doesn’t go actively search for cardinal items, they tend to catch her eye when she is out and about. Depending on the particular item, she will either send it to her sister or keep it for herself.

She doesn’t have a favorite cardinal item and doesn’t know exactly how many cardinal items she owns. She explained that a friend offered to include another cardinal item. In this case, it was an autographed photo of longtime St. Louis Cardinals baseball player Stan Musial. Benton said she appreciated the offer but chose to focus only on winged cardinals for now.

Many of Benton’s cardinal items are displayed through the month of February at the MJB Library in Guthrie Center. Benton explained that the books displayed there belong to the library, but the other items, including a jigsaw puzzle, are hers.

Do you know someone in the county whose vehicle, collection or hobby would make an interesting story? Email your suggestions to rich@gctimesnews.com. n

Special to the Times Vedette

Chris Arganbright of the Bryton Insurance Agency in Panora delivered a $26,676 check to City of Panora Administrator Lisa Grossman. This is an Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) safety group dividend paid back by participating in the EMC Insurance Companies insurance program for cities. Total dividends returned to participating municipal utilities for 2024 were $7.3 million. The IAMU insurance program is in its 41^st year. It is unique in that it returns money to its members for their diligent efforts in safety and reducing losses.

Special to the Times Vedette

A total of 10 players participated on Feb. 21. Alan Pierce, Jim Carico and Deb Kiefer had 16. Clint Malbon went ahead with a 20 and 24. 

A total of nine players participated on Feb. 24. Rhonda Titus  got the high score of 34. Wayne Nickel got a 16.

The City of Bagley Cribbage Tournament will be held April 12. 

The Guthrie Center cribbage players generally meet at Guthrie Center Library on Mondays at 8 a.m., at the New Homestead independent living rec room at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays, and at the Guthrie Center Activity Center 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.