By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the regular Oct. 15 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, citizens asked for clarification about EMS funding. One question was related to the service billing individuals’ insurance for EMS costs related to ambulance calls. Supervisor Steve Smith explained the EMS service will bill insurance as applicable.

Supervisor Maggie Armstrong added that there are some costs, especially some staffing costs, that cannot be billed to insurance.

“If you have a day where you don’t have a call to go out on, to be billed, you still have to staff people 24/7, so that is an expense,” Armstrong said.

Later in the meeting, Supervisor Mike Dickson asked about apparent changes made during and following the recent EMS informational meeting in Bayard.

“It’s been stated there was a meeting in Bayard, and then Steve (Smith) and Maggie (Armstrong) went to Coon Rapids and talked to Carroll County and are changing things,” Dickson said.

“So, all we did was we heard from the people in Bayard, and in Orange Township, and we took that into consideration, and we wanted to find out if there was an opportunity for the coverage that they wanted to stay the same. So that’s why we had the conversation with Carroll County,” Armstrong said. “And then we brought it back to the (supervisors) meeting that following Tuesday.”

Armstrong said when this was discussed with the full board, there was no objection.

“I thought this was a board plan,” Dickson said.

Smith and Armstrong explained that no changes have been made, but Dickson said they have changed the board’s countywide EMS map and plan. Smith said he stressed that the plan is “flexible.”

“I’m bringing it up now. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t bring it up last week,” Dickson said.

Supervisor Brian Johnson said the conversation that occurred with Carroll County has not caused any change yet.

“Nothing’s been done, it’s just a possibility that the board can look at down there,” Johnson said.

“So there really is no plan,” Dickson said.

As Smith and Dickson verbally sparred, Board Chair JD Kuster asked to “move on.”

County Engineer Josh Sebern reported on the recent Safety Action Plan Workshop, which is aimed at enhancing safety on roadways in the county. He explained that crash data is available and searchable to help the county identify specific areas or ways in which safety improvements can be made. Sebern added that 97 of the 99 Iowa counties are using this program.

Supervisor Maggie Armstrong told of grant funds available to help increase safety and said that it is likely Panora will install two “speed readout” displays similar to the one on the west edge of Yale.

“Not only do you get speed data, but you get traffic data, also,” Armstrong said.

Chip Schultz from Northland Public Finance provided an update on the bonds currently held by Guthrie County, and he answered questions from the supervisors.

County Auditor Dani Fink reported on upcoming election deadlines.

“Tomorrow, we’ll be sending about 700 mail-in ballots,” she said.

Supervisor Brian Johnson asked when those need to be returned by.

“By 8 p.m. on Election Day,” Fink said.

Fink added that any requests for a mail-in ballot must be made by Oct. 21.

The next regular meeting of the supervisors will be Tuesday, Oct. 22. The public is welcome to attend in person or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#.

Dave Grove and Mandy Norman of Edward Jones in Panora.

Dave Grove has been leading the Panora branch since 2011.

By Rich Wicks | Panora Times

Edward Jones has been providing financial advice and guidance in Guthrie County for more than 30 years. Dave Grove has been leading the Panora branch since 2011 and says he likes what the community has to offer. He and his wife, Sara, moved to Panora in 2012, and their three children, Norah, 11; Gracie, 9; and Leo, 7, attend Panorama Community Schools. The Grove family enjoys participating and being involved in the community. 

“It was a nice move from the metro area of Des Moines to a smaller community where we wanted to raise our children. It’s a great place to run a business and build a business. It’s nice to go to the office each day and hang out with our clients who have become our friends,” Grove said. 

Edward Jones is a Fortune 500 company and employs more than 50,000 people in the United States and Canada. The company recently celebrated its 100^th anniversary. Despite the size of Edward Jones, by placing its offices in the communities it serves, it provides the small-town touch with the backing of a large firm. The branch office staff includes Mandy Norman, branch office administrator. Norman brought more than 20 years of industry experience when she joined the team three years ago. She has been part of the community for more than 25 years and lives in Panora with her husband, Cory, and son, Avery. 

Talking personal finance is an intimate subject, and Grove said it is key to understand what is important to each investor. 

“We use what we call the five-step process at Edward Jones: 1) understanding where you are at, then 2) understand where you’re trying to get to, 3) developing a plan to accomplish that objective, 4) implementing the plan and, finally, 5) regularly following up on the plan,” Grove said. “We focus on each individual client and that person’s unique situation and goals. This isn’t rocket science; there is a lot that goes into understanding a person’s situation and making a recommendation. The variables are many, from Social Security, pension plans, 401Ks, taxes, 529 college savings plans and many more considerations. We try to sift through all the data, and making sense of it all takes perspective.”

Looking to the future, Grove expects to see continued change in the industry, and he plans to keep learning the ways to help his clients. 

“We’ve seen some pretty substantial growth over the last 12 years, and that keeps us busy each day,” Grove said. “The industry is always evolving, so we need to stay on our toes and keep up with the evolution of the financial industry.” 

Special to the Times Vedette

The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors will be hosting an informational meeting at Panorama High School on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. to present the county’s plan for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). This plan will outline the EMS ballot measure ahead of the November election. All are welcome to attend to learn more.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the Oct. 14 regular meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council, City Clerk Kris Arrasmith reported on the city’s premiums for Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance on employees.

“It’s actually dropping by 9.48%,” Arrasmith said.

Arrasmith reported this was the second year in a row that the premiums went down, which she says is a pleasant surprise since she had budgeted for an expected increase of around 20% annually.

The council voted unanimously to provide a three-year tax exemption for Guthrie County Quality Meats for the recent expansion. The expansion meets the criteria for the city’s tax exemption option.

Arrasmith reported on findings from the city’s audit. She explained that the same auditor performed the audit as one year ago, which helps in understanding the city’s processes. Arrasmith reported no big concerns from the auditor.

As part of the consent agenda, the council approved a fence at 500 N. 12^th St. (Rosenbeck) and an addition to a garage at 602 State St. (Bates).

The next regular meeting of the city council will be Monday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome.

By Shane Goodman | Times Vedette

Twin Vines held its annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with favorable weather and a sizable crowd. Attendees enjoyed wine, craft beer, live music with Joshua Sinclair, products from a variety of vendors and food from Weinie Wonderland and Smoke Shack Food Truck. 

Hilaree Stringham and Danielle Lauzon

Josh Sinclair and Devan Seeck

Josh Sinclair performs for the crowd.

Seth Hupp, Taylor Gross, Todd Johnson, Lisa Johnson, Jackie Wicks and Kirby Klinge

Ben Hayes and Michelle Meinecke

Molly Craman and Shelby Lewis

Theresa Christiansen and Stephanie Godwin

Erin Gerlich, Maggie Armstrong and Liz Ratcliff

Tyler Hoffmann, Rachel Hoffmann, Kelly Bump, Bill Bump (and Briar Hoffmann asleep in the stroller)

Mimi Bump, Mason Bump (with Pierre), Jeff Pump and Karen Bump

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

The Guthrie County Historical Village held its annual “Haunted Village” event on Oct. 13. Each building at the GCHV offered a different attraction, such as “the museum of bad luck,” in which displays showed the various items or actions that have been reported to cause bad luck.

However, there appeared to be no bad luck occurring at the event. The weather was pleasant, and a large crowd of little monsters and parents, many in costume, walked to the various buildings for treats and Halloween fun.

Michael Myers showed up to take a stab at Halloween fun.

Spiders of this size would be tough to kill anyway.

This witch won’t win any beauty contests.

A spooky table was set in a most unappetizing way.

Parents and kids flock to the Haunted Village.