Special to the Times Vedette

On July 1, a total of 16 players participated. Allen Pierce, Dennis Betts and Robert Klever each got two 16s; Dave Richter got an 18; Wayne Nichel got a 17 and a 20; and Dave Kading got a 24.

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.

 

Unique items from more than 150 years

By Rich Wicks | Guthrie Center Times, June 2026

Small-town pride runs deep in this part of the country. Annie Brincks of Adair oversees a collection of items that reflects that pride in the town where she lives and works. But it is not just her collection. It belongs to the entire community and is housed in a separate room at the Adair Public Library.

As library director, Brincks said the Adair Room has existed longer than she has worked in the building. During her tenure, however, she has seen scores of residents visit to enjoy the history, education and nostalgia the room offers.

“I’ve worked here since 2015. I left in 2021 to take a different job, then came back in 2023,” Brincks said.

Some of the materials are what one might expect to find in a library, including local history books, church cookbooks, high school yearbooks and scrapbooks documenting Adair through the years.

Other items, however, may come as a surprise. The collection includes high school letter jackets and sweaters, vintage photographs of Adair pioneers, novelty items distributed by local businesses over the decades, videos of notable Adair events and many other memorabilia items.

“People can check out the yearbooks. There are some old VHS tapes of different events. Local author books are back there, too,” Brincks said. “The thing people are most interested in is the class pictures.”

Most anyone from the area could certainly find photos and information about parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents in the room. For example, two large portraits donated by Nadine Arnold Petersen depict her great-uncle and great-aunt, Franklin D. Arnold and Laura Arnold. The couple were among the first settlers in Adair in 1869. Their son, Charles, was the first baby born in Adair.

The high school yearbooks chronicle the early years of education in the area, from Adair High School to Adair-Casey and later ACGC. Yearbooks in the collection date back at least to 1925 and continue through the present day.

One shelf includes numerous church cookbooks and other items from local churches, both past and present.

“There’s a church that closed a few years ago, and one of the members brought in some things from there to donate,” Brincks said.

Not all of the town’s history reflects positive events. The Adair Room also includes information about many of the more difficult moments in Adair’s past, including news reports and photographs documenting tornado damage and other severe storms in the area.

One of Adair’s most notable historical events was the first train robbery in the West, carried out by the Jesse James-Younger gang in 1873. The Adair Room includes books, photographs and information about the event and the aftermath.

Brincks said the Adair Room is available whenever the library is open and is entering its busiest season.

“In the summers, especially, we’ll get road trip people that stop in and spend quite a bit of time just looking through, because they’re interested in history,” she said.

Arrangement will provide Public Health services to Adair County. 

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the June 30 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, Guthrie County Health Services Director Jotham Arber explained a proposed 28E agreement between Adair and Guthrie counties.

“Public Health in Adair County, their administrator left,” Arber said. “So, in this agreement here, what we would do is cover just the Public Health piece. The immunizations, emergency preparedness and then the Public Health services like community health. Our anticipation is that we won’t be hiring anyone to do that; we would handle that internally.”

Arber explained that the 28E agreement would be for a 12-month period. He said staff from his department would likely be in Adair County once or twice per week on average if the agreement were approved. The supervisors unanimously approved the agreement.

The supervisors discussed the possibility of making security enhancements at the courthouse and specifically related to District Court. Supervisors discussed the need for security but also the desire to continue to allow face-to-face interactions between the public and county staff. The consensus was that while security enhancements would be welcomed, they must be balanced with what the county can afford. Pricing for more secure doors and other enhancements will be obtained for consideration.

Regarding security measures at the courthouse, Supervisor Maggie Armstrong shared her opinion.

“I think it’s a good idea to have this conversation often,” she said.

The supervisors appointed Sheriff Harmann’s office, Ryan Steffensen and Darin Sloss to serve on the county’s commission related to the Vicious Animal ordinance.

The supervisors meet regularly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend in person at the courthouse or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#

Preston Merical of Panora makes gun racks, bow racks, planter boxes, knickknack shelves, holiday decorations and deer mounts, to name a few.

By Rich Wicks | Panora Times

Preston Merical of Panora has discovered a hobby that also brings in a bit of income while giving him a chance to unwind and be creative. For the past several years, he has been crafting unique woodwork items of many varieties. 

Merical wasn’t new to woodworking but found it to be something he enjoyed spending more time on. His wife, Amber, shared a story of the instance that started it all.

“We saw a welcome sign that was priced at $70, and he said he could make something like that,” she said. From then on, Merical has been spending time creating various wooden items. 

“I’ve always liked it, but I never really got into it until about three or four years ago. I just started cutting some wood up, and now here’s all this. It’s a couple hours here and there, then on the weekend I’ll put in a few more hours,” he said. “I enjoy it. It’s relaxing and quiet, and then at the end I get to see that I actually put something together.”

Some of his creations are for the home he shares with his wife. Other items are created at the request of friends and acquaintances. Recently, Merical started getting the word out about his products via Facebook.

“I do have a Facebook page for it, Roughcut Rustics,” he said. 

The items Merical creates are greatly varied. He makes gun racks, bow racks, planter boxes, knickknack shelves, holiday decorations and deer mounts, to name a few. The one similarity in all of his work is the rustic appearance. Many of the finished products have a slightly burned appearance. 

“I just use a small bottle torch for it,” Merical said. “I like to keep everything rustic looking.”

Merical pointed out that he does not need a garage full of tools or equipment to ply his craft.

“Really, I’ve just got a table saw, a couple hand saws, a miter saw and a sander. It’s pretty simple,” he said. 

Pointing to a deer head mount he created, Merical explained its significance.

“That Euro mount I made is for the first buck I shot,” he said.

When asked about a memorable creation, Merical detailed one of his largest projects.

“I made a couple planter boxes for a lady my dad knows. She said they were beautiful and worked great,” he said. “It took a skid loader to put them on the trailer.”

Amber talked about a memorable project that her husband took on when a customer had the seat from an old buggy and wanted it repurposed. 

“It wasn’t functional when he got it, but he refinished it and redid all the wood on it,” she said. 

Not all of Merical’s creations are kept or sold. Amber and Preston also believe in supporting their community by donating some items for local fundraisers. 

For the foreseeable future, Merical plans to keep making items that catch his imagination and/or are requested by customers. He also noted that he is not necessarily done when a customer takes an item home. 

“I do tend to check in on people that have bought from me, to ask how they like it and if there’s anything they want changed. I will change it if they want,” Merical said.

Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Josh Armstrong reported a single-vehicle accident occurring on June 28 at 2 a.m. Siri Juliana Barlow, 18, of Waukee, was driving a 2023 Chevy Blazer  northbound on Wagon Road. At the Morrisburg Church left-hand curve, Barlow drove straight off the road and continued in the grass to follow the curve of the road. She struck and broke a Guthrie County owned curve indicator sign and struck and destroyed a mailbox belonging to the homeowner at 2692 Wagon Road. Barlow over-corrected, driving across the road over a strip of piled gravel, being used for shoulder repair of Wagon Road, and rolled onto the Blazer’s top in the west side ditch of Wagon Road.

This section of Wagon Road was closed to all through-traffic for road maintenance.

Estimated damage to the Blazer is $1,501. Estimated damage to the mailbox belonging to the homeowner of 2692 Wagon Road is $200. Estimated damage to the road curve indicator sign is $300. Barlow was issued citations for failure to maintain control and leaving the scene of the accident.

Special to the Times Vedette

Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Taylor Wheatley reported a two-vehicle accident occurring on June 27 at 9:50 a.m. Kelly Jo Pitsenbarger, 59, of Adel, was reversing a 2026 Chevy Equinox in the Guthrie County Quality Meats parking lot before striking the driver’s side of a 2021 Toyota Tacoma driven by Jennifer Lynn Adamovicz, 57, of Panora, who was entering the parking lot. Estimated damage to both vehicles is $1,000. No citations were issued.