News

The State Library of Iowa announced that the Van Horne Library has met the conditions for state accreditation as outlined in “In Service to Iowa: Public Library Standards Sixth Edition.”Achieving accreditation requires a significant, ongoing local commitment to high quality library services. The Van Horne Library has been recognized for its efforts in all areas of library operations including governance and funding, staffing, library collection, services, public relations, access, and facilities.

The Salvation Army would like to say, “Thank you for the Donations!” and Offers School Clothing Vouchers to those in need. Salvation Army of Benton County is offering vouchers for school clothing for use at the Salvation Army Clothing Store at 5824 Council St NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402. It has clean, select used clothing.The store is closed on Sundays but is open Monday through Saturday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.

 All Charges are subject to review by the Benton County Attorney’s Office. An arrest or criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the Defendant is presumed innocent, unless proven guilty. Intrastate Warrants are issued by Law Enforcement Agencies for crimes happening in their jurisdictions. One Adult Arrests the week of July 22-28, 2024July 23Stormie Raeann Garcia, 28, Vinton, IowaIntrastate Warrant Arrest-Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury Four Juvenile Referrals for the week of July 22-28, 2024 Five Code Enforcement ViolationsPlacing Debris on Streets x 3Street Storage x 1Tall Grass & Weeds x 1 Three Traffic Citations for Offenses were issued the week of July 22-28, 2024 Thirteen Traffic Warnings for Offenses were issued the week of July 22-28, 2024 One Reported Motor Vehicle Accidents for the week of July 22-28, 2024 For the Week of July 22-28, 2024, 2024–77 complaints/calls for service were handled by the Vinton Police Department.

Virginia Gay Hospital (VGH) proudly announces the upcoming retirement of Rick Lazenby, effective August 9, 2024, after nearly two decades of exemplary service. Rick has been an indispensable member of our Maintenance team since October 25, 2005, contributing significantly to our facility's safety, maintenance excellence, and overall camaraderie.During his tenure, Rick has distinguished himself with his unwavering expertise and commitment, particularly in fire safety and maintenance.

Innovative pilot program demonstrates how government, non-profits and the private sector can partner together to address community challenges like food insecurity while also building Iowa’s economy Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced the launch of the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Program – Food Bank Pilot. The pilot program, which was authorized during the 2024 legislative session and is an initiative of the state’s Choose Iowa Program, aims to connect Iowa food banks with Choose Iowa members to help alleviate food insecurity within our communities.

On the agenda for discuss and approval were Benton County Handbook changes in sections: 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5.Vacation time for Benton County employees has been a topic of discussion for more than a year. According to current terms laid out in the Benton County Employee Handbook in Section 4.2,  employee vacation should be as follows:1 year - 10 days8 years - 15 days17 years - 20 daysRecently a long time employee, brought to the attention of the Board of Supervisors that they had been there for 39 years and is still allowed only four weeks of vacation.

Melissa Sherbon, 42, a former special education associate who worked at the middle and high school of the Benton Community School District was arrested in January of 2024. Sherbon was charged with Telephone Dissemination of Obscene Material to a Minor. This is her first offense. She pled guilty to the charge and received a 2 year deferred sentence and 2 years of supervised probation, a civil penalty of $855.

Hemorrhagic disease, commonly referred to as EHD or Bluetongue, has been impacting deer in Iowa for over a decade, with severe outbreaks occurring in 2012, 2013, 2019, and 2023. As a way to better understand disease impacts, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has created an online tool where hunters and landowners can report dead deer resulting from hemorrhagic disease outbreaks.