Special to the Times Vedette

The city of Jamaica will have a Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 4:30 p.m. at the Jamaica Shelter House. Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies and listen to Christmas music while seeing the tree be lit. 

Special to the Times Vedette

A free showing of “Klaus” will be held at The Fremont Theatre, 124 N. Fremont St., in Stuart on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. “Elf” will also have two free showings with one on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. and another on Tuesday Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. These free showings and others are brought to you by support from a number of area businesses. 

Special to the Times Vedette

A number of Panora businesses have holiday open houses scheduled for Friday, Dec. 13 and will offer specials and/or provide goodies. Those listed so far include:

• Restore Wellness Studio, 102 S.E. 13^th, 2-6 p.m., pop-up businesses in the group space, grazing boards and holiday punch
• Reshape Fitness Studio, 102 S.E. 13^th, 2-6 p.m., pop-up businesses in the group space, grazing boards and holiday punch
• Exit Realty, 108 E. Main St., 1-4 p.m., cookies and hot chocolate
• Sunset Realty, 218 W. Main St., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., cookies and drinks
• Panorama Daycare Center, 1301 E. Church St., 5-7 p.m., tours and refreshments, cookies and hot cocoa bar
• Iowa Trust and Savings Bank, 120 E. Main St., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., cookies candy and drinks
• Guthrie County State Bank, 505 E. Main St., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Bennett reported a single-vehicle accident occurring on Nov. 26 at 8:25 a.m. on 340^th Street. William Bradley Clauson, 57, of Dexter was driving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 pickup eastbound on 330^th Street and was blinded by the rising sun and drove off the right-hand-side of the road, entering the eastbound ditch and striking an electric pole before coming to rest. Damage to the Chevrolet pickup is estimated at $14,000, while damage to the fence is $1,000 and damage to the electric pole is $2,000. No injuries were reported, and no citations were issued. 

From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Pheasant hunting has been as much a part of the Thanksgiving holiday for generations of Iowans, as cranberries and stuffing. And with a weather forecast that will likely put birds in cover, this would be a good year to continue that tradition and get back to the fields.

“It’s a good opportunity for hunters to get out with less competition,” Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said. “Would also be a good time to invite someone new along and pass along that tradition.”

The Iowa DNR offers an apprentice license that allows someone to give hunting a try under the supervision of an adult mentor without completing hunter education. This license may be purchased twice in a lifetime before the individual is required to complete a hunter education course.

Iowa’s pheasant population is down slightly from last year when hunters bagged the highest number of roosters since 2007. According to the August roadside survey, the regions with higher pheasant counts are north of Interstate 80.

“The harvest is following what the roadside counts showed — better hunting in northern Iowa with lots of young birds out there,” Bogenschutz said.

Last year, more than 83,000 hunters harvested over 590,000 roosters, providing an estimated economic impact of $180 million in Iowa.

The Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever are celebrating 100 years of pheasant hunting in the Hawkeye State. The first season was held Oct. 20-22, 1925, when 13 counties in north central Iowa were opened to pheasant hunting. Hunters were allowed a three-rooster limit, for a half-day of hunting. An estimated 75,000 hunters participated.

Information on places to hunt, the August roadside survey results and more is available online by clicking the 100 Years of Pheasant Hunting graphic at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey.