The student(s) listed below graduated from Mount Mercy University in December 2015. A commencement ceremony will be held Sunday, May 22, 2016, at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A panel of celebrity judges that included Peter H. Reynolds, children’s book author, illustrator, bookshop owner and founder of FableVision; John Schumacher, Scholastic’s Ambassador for School Libraries; and Mrs.

‘Twas the Night before Christmas In the City of Lights The trees at the Sanders Were sparkling bright   Cars were lined up out west To see Larry Kersten’s creations So many colorful displays And all those Dalmations   While at the local airport All those planes were a-sleepin’ Dreaming of odysseys And parachuters a-leapin’   But one certain plane Was feeling uneasy Rumors of approaching deer Made her fuselage queasy   See, she remembered a run-in She’d had once before With a four-legged creature Of famed yuletide yore   “I remember what happened,” Miss Underestimated sighed “When a deer with no sled Arrived at VTI late one night.

Vinton residents join many throughout the world in celebrating Christmas. Lights and decorations include the traditional Nativity scenes, as well as humorous displays.

The Vinton Garden Club member of National Garden Clubs ,Inc., District II and Central Region met at 12:00 pm at the Windsor Manor.  Seven members, and Michelle daughter ate a delicious lunch prepared by the cooks.

Christmas at Concordia weekend Dec. 4-6, 2015, included three events as part of Concordia University, Nebraska's annual Christmas celebration: Christmas at Concordia concerts, a community open house and the Scholarship Parade of Homes.

Minnesota State University, Mankato will present 1,740 degrees during summer/fall commencement exercises at 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday, Dec. 12 in Taylor Center on the Minnesota State Mankato campus.

By Bethlehem Lutheran Church   Teaching children how to swim is an important life skill that brings a lifetime of pleasurable experiences that are good for one's health.

Cornell College offers qualified Iowa high school students entering Cornell in Fall 2016 the Promise Scholarship for Iowans, worth at least $20,000 per student.

As the State Historical Society of Iowa's Special Projects and Outreach Coordinator, Jess Rundlett knows a lot about Iowa. And this week, Rundlett, the  daughter of Bill and Deb Rundlett of Vinton, won the All Iowa Trivia Bee on the WHO Radio Van and Bonnie Show.