Special to the Times Vedette
Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Bennett reported a single-vehicle accident occurring on Feb. 14 at an unspecified time on White Pole Road. James Paul Jones, 78 of Menlo, was driving a 2002 Buick Regal GS and collided with a utility pole/light support, causing $4,500 in estimated damage.
Special to the Times Vedette
Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Shane Jones reported a crash occurring as a result of a chase on Feb. 15 at 10:29 p.m. on South First Street in Guthrie Center. Hilario Ramos, 20, was driving a 2014 Nissan Rogue Select S owned by Los Altos Mexican Restaurant LLC and ran off the road, colliding with a concrete traffic barrier and a mailbox, resulting in $15,000 in estimated damage. Deputy Jones and Deputy Kent Gries, who was also on the scene, determined that Juan Manuel Trevino, 42, of Coon Rapids was chasing Ramos in a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado K1500.
Special to the Times Vedette
Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Shane Jones reported a truck vs. deer accident occurring on Feb. 12 at 4:18 p.m. on Highway 25. Dillan Lane Cooper, 22, of Casey, was driving a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado K1500 and struck a deer on Highway 25 south of Guthrie Center, causing approximately $5,000 in estimated damage.
Kim Finnegan trains Molly Allen on library processes.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
Kim Finnegan has been director at the Panora Library for 30 years and is ready to move on to the next chapter in her life.
“In 1992, I was asked to be on the library board, so I did that for a few years, and then the librarian was going to retire, and she asked me if I’d be interested in the job,” Finnegan said. “The board interviewed me, and then I had to take classes to be accredited,” Finnegan said. “I started in January of 1995, and that was in the old library, where city hall is now.”
At that time, the library building was in need of replacement, so Finnegan undertook the long process of figuring out how to make that happen. Thanks to generous donations, including a $200,000 from the Bill Deal family, Finnegan and the library foundation secured funding to build a new library.
“We had a lot of people who gave donations, and we had some grants,” Finnegan said. “It took a few years to build the new library, and we’ve been here for 19 years now.”
Finnegan said many citizens helped with the actual physical moving of books and other items.
Another big change during Finnegan’s tenure has been the library’s online presence.
“We decided we needed to go online with the card catalog, so that was a lot of work,” Finnegan said. “And then eventually a website, computers and stuff like that.”
A few years ago, when Molly Allen was hired at the library, Finnegan was beginning to think about retirement, and Allen seemed like a natural candidate to fill the vacancy when it would occur. That day now is just around the corner, as Finnegan’s last day as library director is scheduled for March 31.
“I gave the library board a six-month notice,” Finnegan said. “I have two grandkids, and I want to spend more time with them, so I’m looking forward to that. And I like to travel.”
Allen said she looks forward to working at the library each day and enjoys interacting with patrons.
“We moved here in 2020, and I’ve always loved libraries,” Allen said. “My mom and I had a used book store.”
The library will host an open house for the public to wish Finnegan well in retirement. The event will be Thursday, March 27, 2-5 p.m. with cookies and refreshments.
“I hope that people continue to support the library and support Molly,” Finnegan said. “Through 30 years, I’ve met a lot of people and had a lot of friendships with people. That is one thing I’ll miss, because I am a social person.”
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
During the regular meeting of the Guthrie County Bord of Supervisors, Sheriff Matt Harmann offered a budgetary presentation of the revenues and expenses he anticipates in the upcoming fiscal year. He explained that he is working to allocate budget items into four main categories: Patrol, Jail, Dispatch, and Administration.
Regarding revenues, Harmann pointed out that the main outside source of revenue is the fee collected for jailing inmates from other counties. But, since those numbers fluctuate, Harmann said he prefers to budget that revenue conservatively.
“The revenue changes with the increase of housing out-of-county inmates. We’ve kept it far below what its potential is,” Harmann said.
Supervisor Steve Smith asked if the county’s daily fee ($60) is in line with what other counties charge, and Harmann said most are $55 to $60.
Harmann explained that his proposed budget includes adding one officer, which he said would help decrease overtime. Harmann also said he plans to look into ways to access additional funding, such as the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) and Special Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). He said when these programs run, they may be able to help pay overtime wages. Harmann also said he would look into available grants.
Harmann said the overall budget is projected to increase, but he feels that is needed for the county.
“My ask is $85,000 from the previous year,” Harman said, and added that this should help with response times and officer safety.
No board action was taken on the budget at this time.
Through March, the Board of Supervisors meets 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#.
By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
This Saturday, Feb. 22, Girl Scout Troop No. 649 will be selling cookies at Hometown Foods in Guthrie Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.