Colleen Conrad will continue to remain active in Casey, particularly in historical research and community develop programs.

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, April 2026

The most recent census places the population of Casey at slightly less than 400 residents. Meanwhile, the community sits in a county with a population of approximately 10,000. With those numbers in mind, one might assume there would be little or no downtown businesses in Casey, but that assumption would be wrong. Colleen Conrad is a major reason why.

Conrad grew up in Casey and wanted to do something to rejuvenate the business district. Approximately 10 years ago, she and her husband, Corey, through Conrad Ventures LLC, began buying and renovating buildings in Casey. Conrad said that a favorite quote that relates to her efforts in Casey is, “I can do things you can’t do. You can do things I can’t do. Together, we can do great things.”

Conrad recalled how her efforts in downtown Casey began. 

“Years ago, I was trying to find out some things about my hometown, and I came across author Thomas Duncan, and I hadn’t realized that he was a famed author in the 1950s, and he was born and raised in Casey. His book back then was a national bestseller,” she said. “I was just in awe of him. He went to Harvard and Drake. He worked at The Des Moines Register. And when I was growing up, the library was the Duncan Memorial Library, named after him,” she said. “So, I grew up going to that library, but I had no clue who he was, and it made me realize how quickly history can be forgotten.”

Conrad then started getting interested in the condition of her hometown community. 

“It costs so much to fix these buildings,” she said. “There are so many talented amazing people who would love to have a business in town, but they can’t afford to fix these up, so that was a big goal.”

Conrad initially wanted to purchase just the old Mary’s Café building, but to get that, she had to purchase a total of six buildings. 

“Ironically, that building is the one that hasn’t been done yet because it has to be worked on with the city and the sewer system, so it’s just been on hold,” she said. “Mary’s Café has a history going way back to the 1920s. But I think it stopped being Mary’s Café about the early 1990s.” 

Some of the six buildings purchased by the Conrads have opened as businesses, while others are still in the works. Tin Lizzie’s Sports Bar is one of the completed projects. The building was renovated, held a grand opening in January of 2024, and was sold to Ryan and Sara Wahlert in the summer of 2025. 

Pioneers Pub & Grub is another business the Conrads have renovated/created, and they are now ready to hand off the reins to someone else. Conrad explained that it was never the goal for the couple to own and operate the businesses long-term but rather to get things rolling and then allow others to take over. She added her intention is to keep the business open during the search for a buyer, however long that may take. 

Conrad Ventures also created a pocket park in downtown Casey and is continuing efforts to renovate the corner building known by locals as the onetime location of the aforementioned Mary’s Café. 

The Conrads are not the only business owners in Casey who have invested in renovating buildings to operate businesses in the community. Nowadays, Casey supports many downtown businesses. The city offers a variety of shops and services, including choices for health and beauty, clothing and household needs, food, beverages and tasty treats.

Conrad pointed out that she has no plans to turn her back on the community she cherishes. She plans to remain active in Casey, particularly with her interest in historical research. She also focuses on helping the community develop programs to support area residents in need to help with housing, food insecurity and other challenges.

Looking back over a decade of involvement in helping to rehabilitate Casey’s downtown, Conrad recalled a moment that hardened her resolve.

“I remember when I first said I wanted to buy Mary’s Café and I said, ‘I’m going to make Main Street great,’ and this other gentleman just laughed at me. And that’s all it took. I was like, ‘Just watch me,’ ” she said.

Conrad also heard rumors early in the process, as some misunderstood what she was doing. 

“When I got involved, I was surprised that some people thought I had different intentions. I remember one rumor was that I was going to tear down all the buildings and put up windmills,” Conrad said. “Lots of funny stuff.”

Conrad is also involved in helping address local issues such as food insecurity and the need for affordable housing.

“Someone told me, ‘You know what, Colleen, you’re a visionary.’ I love that word,” she said. 

No one need worry that Conrad will be bored when Pioneers is sold. She plans to continue looking into the history of the Casey community and its residents. She also plans to remain involved in the current events of the community.

“I have lots of other goals in my life. I plan to travel when my husband retires. The goal has always been to save these buildings, rehab them and make them functional, and show people, even in other towns, and then pass the torch,” Conrad said. “I guess we’ll see what the future brings.”

By Susan Thompson | Times Vedette

On Wednesday afternoon, April 15, members of the Panora Women’s Service Organization (WSO) hosted their annual senior tea for Panorama Community Schools senior girls. The girls were encouraged to invite as many women guests as they wanted. The group of 89 included 26 senior girls plus their mothers, grandmothers, aunts and family friends.

Mary Jane Sprague, WSO president, welcomed the girls and their guests to the Panora Church of the Brethren sanctuary at 2 p.m. She asked each senior to stand and introduce herself and her guests, and tell something about her future plans.

The afternoon’s guest speakers were Kylee Boettcher and her daughter, Tyme Boettcher. Kylee is a Panora native and graduated from Panorama Schools. She graduated from Buena Vista University (BVU) in Storm Lake in 2002. She joined the faculty at Panorama in 2007 and was the head women’s basketball coach for five years before taking the same position at BVU in 2024.

Tyme Boettcher graduated from Panorama Schools in 2024 and enrolled at BVU, where she is a member of the women’s basketball team.  

Their speech focused on the strength of supporting women. They described this through a team scenario, supporting each teammate, no matter their role. They also used scenarios of general life situations, suggesting that positive outcomes come from success of women friends and coworkers. Through the examples shared, the mother-daughter team encouraged the seniors to be there for other women, during both good days and rough days.

Following the guest speakers, photos of the seniors were taken as the WSO women made final preparations in the Fellowship Hall for finger sandwiches, cookies, candy, tea, coffee and lemonade. Once seated, WSO members served drinks and the guests helped themselves to the food displayed on their tables.

Funds raised by WSO with an annual home tour in June and a salad luncheon in December are used for a variety of community causes. One is an annual scholarship presented to a Panorama senior girl each spring. This will be the 44^thyear this WSO scholarship has been given.

Special to the Times Vedette 

On April 13, a total of 10 players participated. Chet Vaughan, Wayne Nickel and Sue Mozingo each got a 16; Bill Sheeder got a 21; Rhonda Titus, who is back from the snowy east with drifts way above her head, got a 20; and lucky Dave Richter got a 28. 

The Guthrie Center cribbage players generally meet at Guthrie Center Library, 400 Grand St., on Mondays at 8 a.m. and at the New Homestead independent living dining hall, 2306 State St., at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays and 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.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the April 13 regular monthly meeting of the Panorama School Board, a public hearing was held regarding the 2026-2027 Public Tax Notice. No written nor verbal comments were received, so the hearing was promptly closed.

The board unanimously approved a contract of $590,523 with Rigid Edge Exteriors LLC for the roof repair at the elementary school building.

As part of the consent agenda, the board unanimously approved contract recommendations including the resignations of Danielle Beasley (effective 3/10/2026); Girls Basketball Coach Randy Miller (effective end of this school year); Dean of Students and Football Coach Taylor Morris (contract not returned for 2026-27 year); Driver Scott Calmer (effective end of this school year); Driver Michael Artist (effective end of this school year); and Basketball Scorer Amy Block (effective end of this school year).

Contract recommendations approved for the 2026-2027 school year included Wyatt Clark (PE teacher, Assistant Football Coach); Jim Demers (Dean of Students, Head Football Coach); Angela Mincy (Head Volleyball Coach); Maddison Lynch (Assistant Volleyball Coach); and Aly Dalhauser (Head Girls Basketball Coach).

The board also approved 10 to 15 speech/drama students and three chaperones for an overnight trip to see “Wicked” in Omaha on July 12.

The board went into a closed session to discuss the superintendent’s contract, then reconvened in open session and approved a two-year continuing contract with Superintendent Huebner (July 1, 2026 through July 30, 2028) with a 2.1% raise in salary to $157,775 effective July 1.

Graduation for the class of 2026 is set for 1 p.m. on May 17. The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is set for Monday, May 11 at 5:30 p.m. The public is welcome.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the April 15 joint meeting of the Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center school boards, members discussed for an hour the possibility of the two districts merging.

In late 2024 and early 2025, the AC and GC boards were moving to preliminary steps of consolidation. However, the state’s reorganizational incentives expired at the end of fiscal year 2024. The districts would lose out on a combined total of approximately $400,000 in operation sharing after consolidation, making the plan no longer financially viable.

AC board member Randy Carney said he doubts the Iowa Legislature will restore funding for the reorganization incentive previously factored into consolidation plans. He said that because most of Iowa’s population lives in larger urban districts, there is likely little legislative support for funding that would primarily benefit small rural districts.

Carney, who has served on the AC board for many years, also expressed frustration that the boards have not formally discussed consolidation in more than a year. He recommended the topic be addressed at least quarterly.

“With the steady to declining enrollment and the amount of new money we get, we’re going to start tapping into our savings,” Carney said. “It worries me a little bit. I don’t want this to go under the rug. I don’t want to wait too long.”

GC board member Matt Van Meter said both districts’ enrollment has declined significantly since 2000.

“The walls are closing in faster than people might realize,” he said.

Van Meter said that because the $400,000 in incentive funding is no longer available and may not return, the districts should look for ways to reduce expenses by that amount.

Superintendent Josh Rasmussen emphasized the importance of fully evaluating all options to help ensure a successful outcome.

“You want to measure multiple times before you cut,” he said.

The boards reached a consensus to revisit the topic at their July meeting.

The Guthrie Center board voted unanimously to return to a five-block master schedule for the high school next school year.

As part of the consent agenda, the board accepted resignations from Daniel Woods, social studies teacher and wrestling and cross-country coach, and Jess Fridley, speech coach. Approved contract recommendations included Tyler Merical, physical education; Joe Bennett, custodian; Kellie Lewis, counselor; and Eric West, business teacher.

Students Cam Richter and Ava Sneller, with support from teachers Jen and Joel Betterton, shared a slideshow and details from the recent senior trip to Washington, D.C. Thirty-two of the 43 seniors participated in the trip, traveling through seven states. They departed March 15 and returned March 22. Students described their favorite historic sites and said the trip was enjoyable.

Upcoming dates include graduation on May 17 at 1 p.m. and the last day of school on May 22.

The next regular meeting — a joint meeting of the Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center school boards — will be held Wednesday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at ACGC High School in Guthrie Center. The public is welcome.

By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

The Panorama boys track and field team earned ninth place at the Ram Early Bird in Jefferson on Friday, April 10. Panorama scored 40 points on the night to place 11^th. Southeast Valley won the meet with 120 points.

The Panther boys left the meet with two gold medals — one by Syler Shaffer in the 400-meter hurdles and the other by Reed Draper in the long jump. Cristian Monrroy-Nunez was close to joining them, earning silver in the shot put. The Panthers next-closest finish was fifth in the 4×800-meter relay. Read the full results HERE.

Panorama returns to the track today, Tuesday, April 14, for the Earlham Varsity Coed Track Meet. Panorama faces ACGC, Atlantic, Clarinda, Colfax-Mingo, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Des Moines Christian, Earlham, Greene County, Nodaway Valley, Ogden, South Hamilton, Van Meter, West Central Valley and Winterset.