In less than a month, Guthrie County residents will be at the polls deciding how County Supervisors are elected. Currently, Supervisors are elected solely by the voters in their assigned district. A committee of bipartisan, private citizens is suggesting that supervisors be elected from those same districts but that they be voted on at large, meaning by all eligible voters in the County instead of just those in their district. Absentee ballots for the August 4th special election are now available at the Auditor’s office inside the courthouse.
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Flint Hills Resources has announced a $10,000 donation to Ducks Unlimited’s Live Lakes Initiative, which aims to enhance, restore and protect shallow lakes and wetlands. The company operates an ethanol plant in Menlo, and some of the donated money will go towards local projects. Plant manager Todd Benton says Ducks Unlimited will use the funds to enhance Bays Branch wildlife area north of Panora. The wetland improvement projects are expected to start within the next 12 to 18 months.
Anybody who regrets not buying Guthrie Center 50115 Fest merchandise is in luck. Main Street Director Julie Bailey says they’ve found some remaining t-shirts and postcards from the May 1st event and they’ll be available during the city’s downtown sidewalk sale this month. She says they have sizes of shirts from small to 3XL and reminds that other downtown businesses will also have tables set up with bargains during the city’s annual sale, which takes place on July 17th and 18th.
A benefit will take place in Panora this weekend for a nonprofit organization with the goal of helping children with life threatening illnesses. President Bill Ridgley says Tori’s Angels pays all medical expenses for terminally ill kids in Iowa. The group’s benefit breakfast and silent auction will take place Sunday from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Panora Community Center.
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The 2015 Guthrie County fairbook has been released online. Guthrie County Extension Office Coordinator Vicki Frohling says a change this year is that there will be no showbills at the fair. Instead, there will be one at the livestock office and they will be available online. The Guthrie County Fair takes place from September 3rd-7th. To find an online version of the fairbook, click the following link: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/guthrie.