Et Cetera

William Penn University is pleased to announce that Tracy Lynn Rodman of Atkins, and Natalie Jane Reed of Walford, has been named to the President's List for the fall 2013 semester. To be included on the President's List, a student must complete at least 12 hours of credit with a minimum grade point average of 3.9 on a 4.

William Penn University is pleased to announce that Sara Ruth Petrzelka of Norway has been named to the Dean's List for the fall 2013 semester. To be included on the Dean's List, a student must complete at least 12 hours of credit with a grade point average of 3.5-3.89 on a 4.0 scale.  William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa offers both post-secondary and adult education programs.

The following area students were named to the Dean's List at Clarke University for the fall 2013 semester. Tammy Higdon, Natalie Ketchen of Vinton and David Meyers of Walford.  The list recognizes full-time Clarke students who have earned a 3.65 grade-point average or above, on a 4.0 scale, with a minimum of 12 graded hours. Clarke University is a Catholic, liberal arts and sciences university dedicated to preparing students who positively impact their workplace, family and community.

Along with the increasing consumer interests in buying locally WHAT ARE GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES?  Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPs, are a set of recommendations that can help improve the quality and safety of the produce you grow. These general guidelines can be adapted and/or incorporated into any production system.

Greg Annis, Vinton, a University of Iowa student, was one of 450 persons attending the 2013 Iowa County Engineers Association Annual Meeting, held at Iowa State University on December 10-12. This conference provides the county engineers and their staff members with continuing education in technical areas. It also provides the association with the opportunity to honor its own members for their achievements over the past year and provide scholarships to students at Iowa State University, University of Iowa, Des Moines Area Community College, and Hawkeye Community College who are interested in the field of county engineering.

State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald wants to encourage families to start their New Year off with a bang by considering a contribution to a loved one's future education. "With the New Year, comes an increased Iowa state income tax deduction when making contributions to College Savings Iowa," Fitzgerald said. "Iowa taxpayers are now able to deduct the first $3,098 they contribute per child on their 2014 state taxes.

Sometime every December, I park on a country road and wait for Santa Claus to go up a chimney. While children and Christmas purists would question much about that previous sentence, chances are that if you are from the Vinton area, you know exactly what road -- and what Santa -- I stop to see. As a child, I often rode with my grandparents or parents to 22nd Avenue and V61 (the Mount Auburn road, as my ancestors called it.

Contributions to College Savings Iowa accounts must be made by December 31, 2013 State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald has an important reminder about College Savings Iowa before the big ball drops on New Year's Eve. "Don't forget to make your final contributions to your College Savings Iowa account," Fitzgerald said. "You can wrap up the year by helping a child in your life with their future plans and take advantage of the tax benefits for yourself.

The names of nearly 1,350 candidates for degree from the University of Kansas this fall - representing 52 Kansas counties, 36 other states and the District of Columbia, and 34 other countries - have been announced by the University Registrar. Those candidates include Megan Connerly, of Walker. She received a Doctor of Philosophy in Education.

State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced today that the application for the 2014 Robert D. Blue Scholarship is available online at rdblue.org. Any Iowa residents who plan to attend college in Iowa for the 2014-2015 school year are eligible to apply. Awards are based on financial need, an original essay, academic achievement and written recommendations.