Et Cetera

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs is celebrating Iowa's 175th Anniversary this year. The month of March is Iowa History month. Vinton Today will be sharing various events and articles with you. Some will be interactive and fun for the family. So be sure to look for those!---Tune in for more "Iowa History 101" online programs at noon each Tuesday and Thursday to learn about notable names and stories from the past, including Inkpaduta, Emir Abd el-Kader, Donna Reed and others.

75 scholarships now available; applications due May 31The Iowa Health Care Association (IHCA) Foundation is offering 75 scholarships, totaling $167,500 to help individuals interested in pursuing or advancing their career in long-term care. This is up from 33 scholarships offered last year. Scholarship opportunities are available for current long-term care employees, veterans and high school students.

The following area students are ranked among the top 2 percent of students in their college at Iowa State University.Two colleges are listed for those students who have majors located in more than one college (for example, business and human sciences) and who rank among the top 2 percent of students in both.Atkins, IA Laura Maschino, senior, C

The deadline to submit 2021 scholarship applications to the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is 11:59 p.m. on March 10, 2021. The online application can be found on the Community Foundation’s website at www.cfneia.org/scholarships. CFNEIA awarded nearly $588,770 in scholarships to high school, college, and adult students in 2020. A total of 272 scholarships were awarded to students pursuing higher education opportunities with an average award of $2,165.

Register for TreeKeepers Classes NowNature lovers are needed to help maintain and plant trees throughout Iowa and Illinois; volunteers can sign up now for virtual training through Trees Forever's TreeKeepers classes. The course is designed for people who want to become more knowledgeable about urban tree planting and care and will empower attendees to become effective environmental volunteers.

The deadline to submit applications to the Benton County Community Foundation for its 2021 grant cycle is 11:59 p.m. on March 15, 2021. The online grant application may be found on the Community Foundation’s website at www.bentonccf.org. Grants are awarded to projects in the following areas: arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health, and human service.

 By MARCIA ROGERS Iowa Student Loan Board Member(February 23, 2021) - As potential student loan changes are discussed by the Biden administration, you may have several questions about how your own student loan payments may be affected.At Iowa Student Loan, we have put together some information to consider when repaying student loan debt. These items are for informational purposes only; any action you take should be an individual decision based on your own situation.

Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs awards$108,000 for Historic PreservationGrants support projects in nine communities across the stateFrom Sioux City’s historic downtown to the old Muscatine County Jail, nine Iowa communities have received a total of $108,284 in new grants for historic preservation projects.The State Historic Preservation Office, a bureau of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, awarded the grants through its Certified Local Government program for historic preservation, which encourages governmental partnerships, provides training and technical assistance, and supports preservation of historic resources at the local level.

The University of Dubuque congratulates the following students on being appointed to the Fall Semester 2020 Academic Dean's List.To be named to the dean's list, a student must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for that semester.The University of Dubuque is a private university offering undergraduate, graduate, and theological seminary degrees as well as other educational opportunities with the intention of educating and forming the whole person.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced its Chancellor's List, honoring those with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages for the fall 2020 semester.UW-Platteville, founded in 1866 and located in Southwest Wisconsin, is home to approximately 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to the Platteville campus, the university has campuses in Richland Center and Baraboo.