By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the April 27 regular meeting of the Guthrie Center City Council, Becky Peterson spoke on behalf of Main Street Guthrie Center.

“The Main Street Challenge grant was the $50,000 that Main Street Guthrie Center was awarded for economic development with the Lacey building,” she said. “They have a new roof on it, and then the flooring has been put in, and it’s looking really nice. They’re hoping to have that ready by RAGBRAI.”

On behalf of Café on the Hill, Bill Messinger spoke, encouraging the city to consider changes regarding traveling food vendors.

“Restaurant business is really slow right now, and we’re seeing a lot more food trucks and things coming into town,” he said. “How do we promote our local businesses? Can we make it a little bit less appealing for the food trucks so they’re not here all week long?”

The council will add the matter to the agenda of the next regular meeting.

The council approved the purchase of replacement pool heaters for $20,000. The council also approved a tax exemption for Jordan and Kelsey Dinkla, 900 Tiger Lane.

City Administrator Kris Arrasmith reported that repairs were completed on the corner of the fire hall building. She also noted that the citywide garage sales will be June 19 and 20 with citywide cleanup set for June 24.

As part of the consent agenda items, the council approved a liquor license for Sparky’s One Stop.  Building/fence permits were approved for 101 South 12^th Place (G. Dean; shed), 602 North 12^th St. (T. Masters; garage), 702 North First St. (Railsback; shed), and 1507 State St. (Guthrie County Quality Meats; building addition).

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the city council is set for May 11 at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome.

Special to the Times Vedette

A number of Guthrie County residents and family members once again attended the Drake Relays, which took place April 22-25.  Kip Janvrin, a Panora native and an American former decathlete, is now on the track staff at Kansas State. He was inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame during this year’s Drake Relays.

Kansas State Track Head Coach Travis Geopfert, Gary Geopfert and Doris Bennett along with Mike Jay, who is the Drake Relays announcer, founder of The Track Guy, and announcer for NCAA track championship finals and the Olympics trials.

Kip Janvrin, Alison (Monaghan) Cate, who serves on the Drake Relays Executive, and Pat Moylan

Kip Janvrin, a Panora native and an American former decathlete, is now on the track staff at Kansas State. He was inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame during this year’s Drake Relays. He was also inducted in the Drake Relays Hall of Fame as an athlete in 1998.

More than 25 area residents attended the Drake Relays last week, as well as many athletes who stopped by to say hello.

By Morgan Sheeder | Times Vedette

April 22 was Earth Day. To celebrate, members of the Women for Panora’s Future met and gathered a dozen bags of trash on Highway 4 headed north of Panora. Ruth Rowedder and other members of Women for Panora’s Future clean both sides of the ditches bi-annually from Heritage Park north for two miles. The group often receives help from Panorama High School students looking to earn service hours, along with other members of the community hoping to maintain a clean and beautiful environment for the Panorama community.

By Morgan Sheeder | Times Vedette 

Each year, the Panora Lions Club offers the community an opportunity to demonstrate patriotism through its Holiday Flags program. Registering for this program allows Panora Lions club members to place a flag on your property on five holidays: Memorial Day (May 25), Flag Day (June 14), 4^th of July, Labor Day (Sept. 7), and Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11).

Registration is $50, and checks can be made payable to the Panora Lions Club. They can be sent in the mail with the flyer to the Panora Lions Club, 5262 Panorama Drive, Panora, Iowa 50216.

By the ACGC FFA Chapter | Special to the Times Vedette

Among the 42 ACGC FFA members who attended the State FFA Leadership Conference from April 19-21, several students showcased their talents in ways beyond competition.

Two members represented the chapter in the State FFA Band. Laurin Davis, a junior, played the alto saxophone and has now participated in the band for three years. Dayton Crawley, a freshman, performed on the tuba, making this his first time being involved in conference band activities.

In addition to the band, four members participated in the State FFA Chorus. Senior members Carter Dinkla and Tanner Downing joined junior members Montana Douglas and Allison Drake. Montana and Allison have each been selected for the chorus for three years, while this marked the first year of participation for Carter and Tanner.

While some members shared their musical talents, others took on important leadership and service roles throughout the conference. Carter Richter, Chase Slaybaugh, Colt Douglas, Calleigh Wolfe, Carrett Lemke, Cole Van Meter, Carson Kading and Tessa Slaybaugh served on the Courtesy Corps. In this role, they assisted members from across the state by helping with event logistics, guiding participants to contests, and working behind the scenes to keep the conference running smoothly.

Additionally, two seniors, Lucy Knutter and Shelby Gustin, served as voting delegates for the chapter, representing ACGC FFA in important decision-making processes during the conference.

By the ACGC FFA Chapter | Special to the Times Vedette

Members of the ACGC FFA Chapter had a strong showing at the Iowa State FFA Leadership Conference, bringing home multiple top finishes, gold ratings and state-level honors.

Leading the way was Rylee Robson, who earned a gold rating and a top-five finish in the Job Interview contest. Meranda Gruber also had an outstanding performance, receiving a gold rating and top-five finish in the Chapter Website contest. Members also saw major success in proficiency areas. Cole Van Meter was named State Runner-Up in Beef Proficiency, while Lilah Heinz earned State Runner-Up in Poultry Production, recognizing their hard work and success in their agricultural projects.

As a chapter, ACGC FFA earned a silver rating in the National Chapter Award competition and will advance to be judged at the National FFA Convention. This award was completed by Lucy Knutter, who represented the chapter through her work.

Several teams also earned top honors at the state level. The Farm Business Management Team — Ava Sneller, Caydance Boals, Camdyn Richter, and Stella Largent — received a gold rating, with Boals placing in the top 25 individually. The Chapter Exhibit Team of Mallory Schreck, Cora Fluharty and Taryn Caroll also brought home a gold rating. Additional team success included the Marketing Plan Team – Nora Langgaard, Hudson Gilland and Carrie Downing — who earned silver and placed ninth overall, and the Poultry Evaluation Team — Lillie Lauzon, Tatum Brittain, Brynnlee Seeck, and Alli Wiers — who also received a silver rating.

In individual events, Lucy Knutter earned a bronze rating in Individual Ag Sales, and Nora Langgaard received a silver rating for Treasurer’s Book. Members also competed in Quiz contests. Aaron Langgaard earned a gold rating in the Greenhand Quiz, while Reece Emgarten received silver. In the Discovery Quiz, Jaxen Knobbe and Jayen Clarke both earned silver ratings. In the Chapter Quiz, Stetson Ellis received silver, and Ryan Martens earned bronze.

Overall, the ACGC FFA Chapter represented their school well at the State FFA Leadership Conference, showcasing their skills, leadership and dedication to agricultural education.