The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors met Thursday.
They heard a presentation from Hunger Free Iowa Initiative Community Resource Specialist Sallie Myers. She is traveling around the state trying to organize leaders in each county in the fight against hunger. Myers says nearly 12 percent of residents and 20 percent of children in Guthrie County are food insecure. That means they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from. Meeting with the Supervisors is Myers’ first step in implementing the program in Guthrie County. She has future meetings scheduled with Public Health Administrator Jotham Arber and representatives from Guthrie County Extension. After she meets with community leaders, Myers says the next step in implementing the Hunger Free Iowa Initiative in Guthrie County will be scheduling a public Hunger Dialogue meeting.
Guthrie County’s Conservation Director is now a hall of famer.
Joe Hanner was inducted into the Iowa Pheasants Forever Hall of Fame at a ceremony in late September. He has been a member of the Guthrie County chapter since 1987.
Hanner’s award notes his achievements in working with land acquisition projects around the County, including the acquisition and development of the Monteith and Bennie Hall Wildlife Areas.
Hanner says he is humbled by the award. Southern Iowa Regional Biologist Eric Sytsma says only about 50 people have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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Menlo Fire and Rescue will hold an event to kick off National Fire Prevention Week Sunday.
Firefighter Kayla Gilman says the event will feature refreshments and the unveiling of the department’s newest amenity. “Ice cream and desserts and also we got our new truck, so we will have an open house so everyone else can see that new truck.”
The event takes place Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Menlo Fire Hall.
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As we’ve reported, a Stuart man was arrested and charged with First Degree Arson after allegedly setting his hotel room on fire at Stuart’s Economy Inn Monday morning. Firefighters extinguished the blaze easily but Stuart Police Chief David Reha says the fire was intentionally set and could have easily grown large enough to cause substantial injury or fatality.
The Guthrie Center City Council met Monday night.
They met with Sheriff Marty Arganbright and a dozen residents from the 4th Street and South 12th Street neighborhoods who have had disagreements in regards to street parking. The Council took no action Monday but told the neighbors to try and use common sense in figuring out the parking issues on their own as good neighbors, or the city may have to become more vigilant in writing parking tickets.
The Council met with local businessman Dean Wetzel, who recently received a nuisance notice for vehicle scrap and tires being visible at his automotive repair lot. The Council is giving Wetzel 30 days to come up with a plan to clean up portions of his lot that are within view of the public.
Additionally, the Council voted to give themselves and the Mayor a 50% raise, effective when the next term starts in January. Councilors will now receive $1,000/year with quarterly payments and the Mayor will receive $2,400/year with payments made biweekly.
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