News Headlines

Ms. Matese shares the history of the Iowa College for the Blind

VALERIE CLOSE, EDITOR - May 8th 2026 10:56 am

The Vinton Kiwanis had a unique presentation courtesy of member Carolyn Hibbs. She addressed the club as "Lorraina Matese" a teacher and matron at the Iowa College for the Blind, in the year of 1881. This is the year that Mary Ingalls, of "Little House on the Prairie" fame, arrived at the school. Matese was at the school during and after Ingalls attended and is rests in Vinton at the Evergreen Cemetery.

Proclamation Honoring the Rule of Law at America's 250th Anniversary

BENTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - May 6th 2026 12:46 pm

RESOLUTION #26-36PROCLAMATION HONORING THE RULE OF LAW AT AMERICAâ€™S 250th ANNIVERSARYWHEREAS, As the United States prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary in 2026, The Iowa State Bar Association and The Iowa State Bar Foundation proudly recognize the enduring role of lawyers in shaping, preserving, and defending our constitutional democracy.

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Join The Benton County Historical Society on May 11th

BENTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY - May 5th 2026 9:27 pm

Join the Benton County Historical Society on Monday, May 11, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Vinton Depot Museum located at 612 2nd Ave. in Vinton as historian Kevin Mason takes us on an immersive journey along the 1835 First U.S. Dragoon Expedition route in Iowa. This is a FREE event and everyone is welcome to enjoy the presentation.Drawing from his new book, Retracing the Dragoon Trail in Iowa, Mason uncovers how the state's prairies and wetlands evolved into the farms, towns and highways we know today.

Center Point-Urbana Celebrate with FFA Banquet

FFA - May 5th 2026 4:08 pm

Article Thumbnail. Center Point - Urbana FFA Chapter

Kolten McLaughlin & Kinze Manson,Center Point-Urbana FFA Co-Reporters,On Sunday, April 26th, the Center Point-Urbana FFA chapter concluded its 2025-2026 school year with its annual banquet and awards ceremony to show the success of the chapter members throughout the year and install the 2026-2027 officer team. At their annual banquet, 9 members were awarded their â€œgreenhandâ€ degree, 16 members were awarded their â€œchapterâ€ degree, and 4 members were awarded their State FFA degree for Iowa.

Steffen named as 2026 Alexander Fellow

VINTON SHELLSBURG COMMUNITY SCHOOLS - May 5th 2026 4:03 pm

Congratulations to our own Kelly Steffen, high school social studies teacher, on being selected as a 2026 Alexander Fellow through Vanderbilt Universityâ€™s Lamar Alexander Initiative!This highly selective, national program brings together outstanding educators from across the country with a mission to strengthen the teaching of American history and civics in high schools.

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Area businesses donate to Shellsburg's Summer Reading Program

SHELLSBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY - May 4th 2026 11:47 am

Article Thumbnail. Library Director, Marge McDonald with ECIREC CEO, Teresa Floyd

"Plant a Seed, Read" is all about growing young minds, and we couldnâ€™t do it without support like this! The Shellsburg Public Library would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Rural Electric Cooperative (ECIREC) in Urbana for their generous donation to our Summer Reading Program. Your support helps inspire a love of reading in our community!SPL would also like to recognize the following supporters of our Summer Reading Program.

VGH Celebrates Nurses Week Honoring Local Caregivers Who Make a Difference

VIRGINIA GAY HOSPITAL - May 4th 2026 11:45 am

As part of National Nurses Week, Virginia Gay Hospital & Clinics is proud to recognize the compassionate work provided by all the VGH nursing professionals who care for friends, neighbors, and families across the Vinton community every day.Celebrated annually from May 6â€“12, Nurses Week highlights the essential role nurses play in keeping communities healthy.

Cottage Garden Society gifts Benton County Conservation with Donation

COTTAGE GROVE SOCIETY - May 3rd 2026 1:59 pm

Article Thumbnail. Cottage Garden Society recently donated $1,000 to the Benton County Conservation Foundation to be used for native plantings at Wildcat Bluff Recreation Area.

Captions: Group PhotoPictured are representatives of Benton County Conservation and the Cottage Garden Society. Left to right: Will Souer, Bucky Heick, Faith Hunt, Cara Harill, Rhonda McClintock, Aaron Askelson, Brenda Hackbarth, Dandi Armstrong, and Stan Geiken.Group PlantingÂ Conservation representatives and Garden Society members teamed up to plant the seedlings around the Wildcat Pavilion.

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2026 BENTON COUNTY AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RELAY FOR LIFE

BENTON COUNTY RELAY FOR LIFE - May 1st 2026 2:28 pm

Relay For Life is more than just a fundraising walk. It is a community where everyone belongs. Relay celebrates cancer survivors and caregivers, honors loved ones, and helps fund the future of cancer research and care. The American Cancer Society is the largest nonprofit funder of cancer research in the United States. Our Benton County Relay community helps the American Cancer Society combat cancer right here in Benton County through advocacy, research, and patient supportâ€”to ensure everyone has the opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

Who says crime doesn't pay?

VALERIE CLOSE, EDITOR - May 1st 2026 2:10 pm

Article Thumbnail. Amber Bell, former Atkins City Clerk, receives 2 year's probation

After tens of thousands of dollars were misspent, Amber Bell, 41, former City Clerk for the City of Atkins, pled guilty to Felonious Misconduct in Office, a Class D felony. In exchange for admitting to the crime, the charges of Ongoing Criminal Conduct - Unlawful Activity and Unauthorized Use of Credit Card were dropped. If approved, Bell will receive a deferred judgment and will receive two years of probation.

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