A West Central Valley Middle School student recently won a statewide contest organized by the Iowa League of Cities.

Rylee Krantz was named as a regional winner of the ‘If I Were a Mayor’ essay contest. Krantz and three other regional winners were invited to the Capitol Building on Tuesday to meet Governor Terry Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds and receive a plaque and $250 scholarship during an awards ceremony. Krantz’s essay was one of nearly 900 received by the League of Cities for this year’s contest.

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The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors is revisiting the possibility of providing $2.6 million of bond capacity for the City of Stuart to perform needed repairs and improvements to the city’s main thoroughfares.

 Stuart representative and D.A. Davidson Managing Director Chip Schultz says the city would pay all interest and fees, while also paying Guthrie County an annual $10,000 administrative fee for as long as the debt remains.

Schultz presented five and seven year repayment plans. He stated that a number of large projects taken on by Stuart over the past several years, including construction of the Saints Center, swimming pool and city hall have put the city in a position where they are unable to fund these needed infrastructure improvements on their own.

Supervisor Cliff Carney questioned whether the city was prepared to pay off any new debt, noting that any economic downturn could further jeopardize the city’s finances.

Menlo Flint Hills Resources ethanol plant manager Todd Benton told the Board that the plant is in favor of the improvements, because it would ensure ease of access to the facility for their many customers.

The Supervisors took no action on the request Tuesday morning.

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The Guthrie Center City Council unanimously passed the first reading of a proposed dangerous/vicious animal ordinance Monday night.

The ordinance identifies ‘dangerous animals’ as those known to show aggressive behavior, including biting, chasing and barking at human beings or other domestic animals. Additionally, numerous breeds of dogs are specified as being dangerous animals, including Pit Bull variations, Doberman Pinschers, Chows, German Shepherds, Malamutes, Wolf hybrids, Belgian Shepherds, Akitas, Rottweilers and others. Most wild animals kept as pets are also defined as being dangerous animals.

All dangerous animals must be registered with the City Clerk’s office annually. Additionally, owners of dangerous animals are required to carry a minimum of $100,000 liability insurance to cover any damage, injury or death caused by their animal. Plus, all dangerous animals must be kept indoors or in an outdoor pen which they cannot escape.

Vicious animals are defined as any animal that has bitten or attacked a person without provocation, any animal trained specifically to fight or attack and any animal deemed vicious by City officials. Vicious animals are prohibited in the city by the ordinance

Violations of the ordinance are deemed municipal infractions and are subject to fines. The City Council is expected to hold the second reading of the ordinance at the Council meeting scheduled for February 8th.

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A prominent architect found dead in his downtown Des Moines office this past weekend had some business ties to Stuart.

 In addition to his many projects in Des Moines, Kirk Blunck also played a role in the renovation of the Hotel Stuart and Stuart’s Rock Island Depot.

The Polk County Medical Examiner’s office is calling Blunck’s death ‘suspicious’.