Panora Father Facing Child Endangerment Charge After Getting in Car Accident While Intoxicated Last Saturday

A Panora man was arrested and charged with child endangerment last weekend after the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office concluded he had been drinking prior to getting in a car accident west of Panora.

His 11-year old son was a passenger in his vehicle at the time of the accident.

According to the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office, 44 year-old Eric Alvin Weinkoetz of Panora, was westbound on Highway 44 two miles west of Panora just before 7pm last Saturday, when he collided with 40 year-old Craig Michael Twigg of Guthrie Center, who was traveling westbound ahead of Weinkoetz.

The accident report says Twigg became alarmed when he looked in his rearview mirror and noticed Weinkoetz “on his bumper.”  Startled, Twigg hit his brakes, and he and Weinkoetz’s vehicles collided.

Shortly after arriving at the scene of the accident to investigate, Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputy Todd Thorn noticed a smell of alcohol coming from Weinkoetz’s breath.  Weinkoetz admitted he had been consuming Vodka prior to getting behind the wheel of his car.

Upon being brought into the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office for questioning, Weinkoetz then refused an alcohol test. He was ultimately charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (OWI) 1st Offense, Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Damage to a Vehicle, and Child Endangerment.

After spending Saturday night in jail, Weinkoetz was released by the Guthrie County Magistrate on his own recognizance Sunday morning.

A preliminary hearing for his Child Endangerment charge has been set for Thursday, May 22nd, at 1:30pm in the Guthrie County Courthouse.

Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.

Ken Laughery Wins Main Street Guthrie Center Volunteer of the Year Award

The Iowa Economic Development Authority in conjunction with Main Street Iowa hosted their 27th annual Main Street Iowa Awards celebration last week, and one Guthrie Center resident was recognized for the extensive work he’s done in the community. 

Ken Laughery was named one of the recipients of the Volunteer of the Year Award for the work he’s done with Main Street Guthrie Center, and he says he’s honored to receive such recognition.

“It’s pretty humbling when you get an award like that (that’s) voted on by your peers.  There was a lot of people that worked as hard or harder than I did (to get the Main Street designation), I’m just the one that got out in the forefront.  I really appreciate all the support I got.”

Laughery was one of 51 individuals or couples from around the state to receive a Volunteer of the Year Award, which they garnered as a result of their “outstanding dedication and volunteer service benefiting local Main Street programs.”

Looking back at last week’s Main Street Iowa celebration, Laughery says he learned some things that have him excited for the future of the program in his town.

“The potential that we hold being part of this tight-knit group, seeing Woodbine up as a nominee for the National Main Street Community of the Year is just… In six short years, what they’ve accomplished and how far Guthrie Center can go because I know we have the support from the community that they had… If we just make the right tactical moves and have the success, even half the experience (Woodbine) has experienced, that would just be awesome.”

Next up for Main Street Guthrie Center is hiring an executive director for the organization. Laughery says five people applied for the all-important position, and final round interviews will be held in just a couple of weeks.

Main Street Guthrie Center wants to have the executive director hired by no later than July 1st.

Graduation Dates & Times for Guthrie County High Schools

Another school year has flown by and though it might be hard to believe, many of our area seniors will be graduating from high school in very short order.

We’ve got some information for area residents pertaining to when and where their child, grandchild, niece or nephew will be graduating in the weeks ahead.

In fact, all five school districts in Guthrie County will hold their graduation ceremonies next weekend, either Saturday or Sunday.

West Central Valley graduation will be held Saturday, May 17th, at 11am at the high school in Stuart.

Panorama graduation is scheduled for Sunday, May 18th, at 1pm in the high school auditorium.  Adair-Casey seniors will also graduate at 1pm next Sunday, with their ceremony being held at the high school.

Guthrie Center and Coon Rapids-Bayard seniors will also graduate from their respective high schools on Sunday the 18th, but those ceremonies will begin at 2pm.

Baudler: Some Good, Some Bad in 2014 Legislative Session

They worked overtime and pulled a couple of all-nighters in their final week, but the 2014 legislative session is officially complete for House District 20 State Representative Clel Baudler and other legislators from around the state.

Baudler gives us his general assessment of how he feels this year’s session went.

“I think it was maybe not as productive as last year’s because we did some heavylifting last year.  This year we had to pay for it, so we didn’t have the $880 million sitting around to do new programs, however, this year did bring some new stuff… some that I didn’t like and some that I liked a lot.”

One bill in particular that Baudler did like relates to medical cannabis oil, which patients will now be able to use to treat their severe epilepsy.  The bill passed during the session’s waning moments at the end of last week.

“(This bill) is something where if I can give the families of the victims that suffer from this disease some relief, and the victims some relief, and grandma and grandpa, the extended family that tries to care for these individuals some relief, it’s the right thing to do.”

While Baudler says there were many other bills that passed through the legislature this session that he’s also happy with, he does admit, the cannabidiol bill is the one he’s “most proud” to have played a role in getting passed.

Water Main Fixed, Stuart Speedway Gets Ready for Opening Night

Races at the Stuart Speedway are finally set to begin this weekend.

Owner Chuck Vanderheiden says the season’s first two weekends had to be cancelled due to water main issues at his racetrack, but after working with City of Stuart officials, those issues have been resolved. 

Though missing two weeks of races is disappointing, Vanderheiden says the delay to the start of the season has only built up his anticipation and excitement for the summer ahead.  He looks ahead to Sunday’s opening night.

“It’s just a big event, everybody is excited to get out opening night.  We usually have a great crowd and a great car count, and these guys put on a great show on this little quarter-mile dirt track–the (drivers) get the crowd wound up pretty good.  It’s exciting for me to get the first race under my belt for the year because that is always the tough one to get going.  Then once we’re started, everything goes pretty smooth.”

Vanderheiden says Sunday’s opening night will feature a special running of mod lite cars to go along with the other six classes that typically make up the race schedule.

For more information about Stuart Speedway’s schedule for the summer ahead, CLICK HERE.