By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

Groundbreaking occurred on Jan. 21 for five new homes being built at Dream Acres in Panora by Origin Homes. The homes will be on West Clay Street, near downtown Panora and the Panorama schools. Representatives of Origin Homes, Panora Fiber, the city of Panora and Lake Lumber were on hand.

The new homes will be on the north side of Clay Street with house numbers of 301, 303, 305, 307 and 401. Origin Homes, based in Des Moines, builds homes of various designs with the five planned in Panora priced between $312,700 and $364,000.

“We continue to be so encouraged by the outreach, support and excitement for our Rural Housing Initiative,” Matt Daniels, Director of Operations for Origin, said. “Panora has been on our radar for a year or two thanks to their great leadership, community and economic development plans with local businesses and other builders in the area. The homes at Dream Acres will be just two blocks away from the Little Panther Daycare, Panorama Community Schools and five minutes from Lake Panorama, so we believe they’ll be a great fit for this neighborhood.

Homes are expected to be completed in mid-summer 2026. The homes will all be three- and four-bedroom ranches with two-car garages, some with finished basements, and a range of 1,300 to 2,400 square feet.

“Like many rural Iowa towns, we’re facing the hard truth that our lack of housing is holding us back. Origin Homes has a proven track record across Iowa built on collaboration, local insight and long-term vision that I believe will only strengthen our local economy, expand our tax base and keep our town moving forward,” Panora Mayor Curtis Thornberry said.

If interested buyers reserve a home in the early stages of construction, Origin can customize finishes, siding colors and more inside and outside of the home.

In 2026, Origin is building an additional five homes in Knoxville’s Veterans District as part of this years’ ongoing Rural Housing Initiative. The initiative is aimed at building homes in rural communities across Iowa to improve the housing market. Origin has previously built and sold 10 homes in two phases in Knoxville, as well as 18 additional homes in Conrad, Jefferson, Manning and Gowrie. As part of the initiative, Workforce housing tax credits, awarded from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, will be used to help offset the costs of the homes to homebuyers.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the Jan. 22 meeting of the Guthrie County Hospital Board of Trustees, the trustees reviewed plans for funding the hospital’s improvement project.

CEO Chris Stipe summarized the funding plan.

“The USDA portion would be $37 million, that’s the cost of construction,” Stipe said. “Then there’s the separate loan of about $5 million that the banks are going to pay in, and then there’s our equity of about $4.8 million. So, that’s how you get to the $46 million.”

Although bids on the project are in, the formal USDA approval has not yet been received, so bids were not considered for acceptance at this time. The trustees scheduled a special meeting for Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. to consider taking action on bids.

Chief Human Resources Officer Mary Anderson provided a summary of hiring and personnel status.

“We have seven positions open now,” Anderson said. “And, we also have an offer out to a dietician. We should find out tomorrow if she is going to accept. So, we’re currently holding 153 employees, and our retention rate remains at 88.7%.”

Stipe shared information regarding the pursuit of a countywide EMS plan.

“The county is putting together another EMS board,” Stipe said. “Mary Jane Carothers will sit on that board.”

Stipe added that he would recommend Chief Nursing Officer Mandy Schiefert as a possibility to serve on the EMS ad hoc committee.

Foundation Director Dennis Flanery shared information on the annual Handbags and Bingo event, which is set for April 10. He said this year’s theme will be “Pajama Party.”

The next regular meeting of the trustees is set for Thursday, Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. The public is welcome.

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the Jan. 21 joint meeting of the Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center school boards, Superintendent Josh Rasmussen encouraged board members to contact state legislators regarding whole grade sharing and how the current rules impact the feasibility of the Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center districts’ potential consolidation.

Per current regulations, the two districts would each lose out on approximately $180,000 per year in operational sharing if/when consolidation occurs. Rasmussen said that additional incentives and supplemental weighting for three to four years after consolidation would be needed to give time to find new sharing opportunities with neighboring schools and recoup some of those lost sharing dollars. This is why the renewal of whole grade sharing, joint employment, and property tax reduction incentives is needed in order to move forward with reorganization/consolidation. 

Each of the two boards tabled action on approving the whole grade sharing agreement.

The Guthrie Center School Board discussed the possible purchase and installation of a new audio system for the high school gym. Matt Van Meter voiced a concern regarding the warranty on the bid being considered. He pointed out that the warrant information states that any equipment concerns should be brought up with the manufacturer.

“I’ve got one problem with it,” Van Meter said. “I think it’s a red flag that the company that’s installing it will not warranty the equipment that they’re putting in.”

After discussion, the board voted to table the matter until more warranty clarification can be obtained.

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be a joint meeting of the Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center school boards on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at the junior high school in Adair. The public is welcome.

Owner Anna Miller says, “I’m living my dream.”

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, January 2026

Numerous surveys have found that most American dog owners consider their pet to be a part of the family. Depending on the survey, the results on this question usually fall in the 95% or higher category.

The Ian and Anna Miller family of rural Guthrie Center is no exception. The Miller family includes three dogs: Odin, Raya and Trixie. But, at any given time, many more dogs are in the dog boarding facility they run, which is named Mitzie Rue’s Canine Corral. Anna Miller explains how the business came to be.

“The name of the business comes from my wolfdog, Mitzie. I had her in college, and she passed away in 2017. We moved here with the idea to open a kennel; that was my dream. We thought this would be a good location,” Miller said. “Then, in 2017, my dad passed away. And then, a month later, Mitzie passed away. That was a rude awakening that there isn’t always tomorrow, so immediately we got started on it. By July 4 of 2019, we were open.”

Miller explained that her husband, Ian, did about 90% of the work turning an old machine shed into a kennel. 

“We offer boarding and dog daycare. We’re open seven days a week, but I do close, as far as pickups and drop-offs, on the big holidays. Daycare we offer Monday through Friday,” Miller said.

Mitzie Rue’s dog boarding is a family affair with help from the kids, Alice and Victor. Miller explained that Alice sometimes crawls into a kennel to read to a dog, which helps enhance her reading skills and the dogs always seem to enjoy.

“We offer walks while dogs are being boarded here, depending on the weather,” Miller said. “But, we don’t do grooming.”

Mitzie Rue’s Canine Corral is a state-licensed facility located at 2706 Roost Lane, just off Highway 44 between Panora and Guthrie Center. 

There are 14 kennels, and the facility is licensed to house up to 28 dogs, but Miller said the most she has ever had at once was 21. Those interested in learning more, or scheduling a stay, can do so on the website www.mitzierues.com or by going to the Facebook page. The business phone number is 641-755-3793.

“On holidays, we’re always full and have a wait list, so I recommend people book as soon as they know their plans,” Miller said. “We have a lot of regulars, but it seems like I get at least one new customer phone call every week.”

Miller shared that dogs do not need to be spayed/neutered to stay at Mitzie Rue’s. She selects kennel spots to avoid any problems that might arise from intact dogs being next to each other. Miller also said it is rare that she has to reject a dog due to aggression or behavioral issues. 

When asked what makes Mitzie Rue’s unique, Miller’s short answer was “family.” She then explained further.

“I think with me not having a staff, everyone knows me and my kids. We’ve gotten so close to some customers. We get a lot of word-of-mouth customers,” Miller said.

Mitzie Rue’s also goes above and beyond in treating all dogs like family. 

“Every month, a customer of the month is nominated, where a dog gets recognition on Facebook and sent home with a doggie treat bag. We like to do giveaways, and the dogs get spoiled on holidays. This Christmas, they got Christmas-shaped treats. At Thanksgiving, they get a Thanksgiving meal that everyone likes. For Easter, they usually get an Easter egg full of treats,” Miller said. “I have fun with it. I’m living my dream.”

Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Kent Gries reported a hit-and-run accident occurring during the evening hours of Jan. 17 on North Street in Guthrie Center. A 2012 Chevrolet Impala was legally parked southeast of 401 North St. and an unknown vehicle drove west through an alley north of the parked car, then drove south in the yards between the houses in the 400 block of North Fourth and North Fifth streets and struck the vehicle. The currently unknown vehicle then backed up and went around the Impala and exited the yards onto North Street. Estimated damage to the Impala is $2,500. 

Special to the Times Vedette

Today, State Representative Carter Nordman (R-Dallas Center), in collaboration with Assistant Guthrie County Attorney Charles Abel, Guthrie County Sheriff Matt Harmann, Stuart Police Chief Dave Reha, and Panora Police Chief Matt Reising, announced the filing of House File (HF) 2086, also known as the SAFE KIDS ACT, a bill aimed at strengthening Iowa’s child endangerment laws to better protect vulnerable youth.

The legislation comes as a recommendation from Assistant County Attorney Charles Abel, working in conjunction with Sheriff Harmann and Chiefs Reising and Reha. These local law enforcement leaders identified critical gaps in current statutes that prevent prosecutors from pursuing child endangerment charges in cases involving older minors. Rep. Nordman has drafted and filed the bill and is committed to shepherding it through the legislative process to ensure it becomes law.

“Working hand in hand with law enforcement and prosecutors is essential to crafting effective policies that safeguard the most vulnerable members of our communities,” Nordman said. “This bill is a prime example of that collaboration, ensuring we are doing everything we can to protect innocent children and minors from neglect and harm, no matter their age.”

Assistant Guthrie County Attorney Charles Abel highlighted the urgent need for the reform, citing real-world cases where current laws fall short.

“Under existing Iowa law, child endangerment charges are often unavailable when the victim is 14 or older, leaving prosecutors without the tools to hold abusers accountable,” Abel explained. “We’ve seen heartbreaking situations, such as parents exposing teens to methamphetamine without legal recourse, and even allowing registered sex offenders to reside in the home with older minors. These are clear instances of endangerment, but the age threshold ties our hands.”

In a joint statement, Sheriff Matt Harmann, Stuart Police Chief Dave Reha, and Panora Police Chief Matt Reising expressed their support:

“We thank Rep. Carter Nordman and Assistant County Attorney Abel for their commitment to being tough on crime and for truly listening to the feedback and needs of law enforcement in Guthrie County. This collaboration strengthens our ability to protect our communities, and we appreciate the strong working relationships that make initiatives like this possible.”

HF2086 seeks to amend Iowa Code Section 726.6 to extend child endangerment protections to all minors under 18, closing loopholes that currently hinder justice for older youth. The bill will now proceed through the Iowa House for committee review and debate.