Guthrie County Times Vedette Dec. 31: Happy New Year from the Times Vedette!

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TUESDAY, DEC. 31, 2024

Something to chew on

Consumers spend more than $22 billion on chewing gum annually, and that number is growing. What’s pushing this? It is driven by “stress-relieving properties,” “a growing shift from sugared gums to sugar-free gums,” and an “increasing preference for products that offer dental benefits.” And you thought chewing gum just tasted good.

Trident, Orbit, Mentos, Eclipse, Extra, Stride, Dentyne. These brands are helping lead the way. But if you haven’t noticed, gum packaging has changed. Sure, you can still buy the smaller packages, but the 40-piece plastic dispensers seem to fill the shelves in convenience stores now. Santa even put one in my stocking this year.

This isn’t the bubble gum of my youth, though. Dubble Bubble and Hubba Bubba were those choices, which were pushed by the amount of advertising for the brands on Saturday-morning cartoons. Remember trying to see who could blow the biggest bubble, and then struggling to peel the gum off your face?

Mom preferred Doublemint, Big Red and others that came in individual foiled wrappers in five-stick packs. Do I dare mention Fruit Stripe Chewing Gum? That brittle stuff tasted great for about 10 seconds and then… nothing. Big League Chew? My friends and I thought we were just like the professional baseball players when we dipped into a pouch of this stuff.

I still chew gum today, but not the sugary stuff. Regardless, I often crave it. That’s the effects of Aspartame, I am told. But chewing gum isn’t all bad. Flavored chewing gum can relieve bad breath. Chewing sugar-free gum after eating can help reduce tooth decay risk. Whitening chewing gums can coat the teeth to help prevent staining. The additional saliva that is created by chewing gum may relieve symptoms of acid reflux. And, maybe best of all, chewing gum can help burn 11 calories per hour AND relieve stress.

Modern chewing gum is made up of fillers, emulsifiers, softeners and a “gum base,” which may include any of 46 FDA-approved products including plastics, natural latex, synthetic rubber, wood glue, vegetable oil and talc, according to treehugger.com. Seriously.

You may wonder if chewing gum is biodegradable, but you already know the answer, as the evidence can be seen on city sidewalks and the underside of desks. This litter is concerning to me. According to GetGreenNow, up to 90% of ABC gum (already been chewed, of course) is “disposed of improperly with most dropped on the ground or stuck onto a surface.” This means thousands of pounds of gum are littered every year, and that doesn’t include the packaging.

Meanwhile, I keep buying and I keep chewing, but my teeth don’t seem whiter, the acid reflux continues, and I don’t feel less stress. And where exactly are the four-out-of-five dentists who recommend sugarless gum to their patients who chew gum?

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Guthrie County Supervisors handle light agenda to wrap up 2024

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors held a brief meeting of roughly four minutes for the final meeting of 2024. Minutes from the Dec. 17 and Dec. 23 meetings were approved.

One agenda item was a notice of position change for Jeremy Bennett, who is changing from Chief Deputy Sheriff to Senior Deputy. Incoming Sheriff Matt Harmann will name his Chief Deputy Sheriff.

[...]

	Hunting seasons starting to close

	From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Iowa’s pheasant, late muzzleloader and archery deer, and archery fall turkey seasons close on Jan. 10. Squirrel, quail, partridge and grouse remain open until Jan. 31. Furbearer seasons and rabbit season is open until Feb. 28. Crow season is Jan. 14 to March 31. Beaver trapping season closes on April 15. [...]

	Read the full story

	Iowa farmland values fall, breaking five-year trend

	From Iowa State University Extension and Outreach The annual Iowa State University Land Value Survey found that farmland values decreased 3.1%, or $369, to $11,467 per acre. The decrease this year nearly erases the 3.7% increase from last year and ends a five-year trend of increasing prices. The nominal value of an acre of farmland this year fell from last year’s record high, but is still higher than the nominal value in 2022. When adjusting for inflation, the 2024 average value is 2.5% lower than 2013’s inflation-adjusted values. [...]

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New Year events in the area

By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

Looking for a fun way to bring in the new year? Here are a few ideas that were passed along to us:

Pioneers Pub, 618 McPherson St. in Casey, is offering a New Year’s Eve Prime Rib Dinner special from 5:30-9 p.m. Reservations are recommended, 641-746-3313.
Tin Lizzie’s (next door to Pioneers Pub) offers live music from 9 p.m. to midnight, bringing in the new year with a performance titled, “The Faster Horses presents: A Fiddler & I Tour.”
On New Year’s Day, many of Iowa’s state parks are offering “First Day Hikes.” Some are guided hikes, while others are self-guided. A list of more than 40 such hikes is available at iowadnr.gov.
Another upcoming event in Casey is the Game Day for adults, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2-4 p.m. at the Casey Library, 604 McPherson St. Card games, board games, and refreshments will be offered.

Share your upcoming events with us at rich@gctimesnews.com.

REC annual meeting is Saturday