News

Along with learning how to design, program and pilot a Lego robot well enough to earn the school's first trip to the State Competition, the members of VS Middle School Lego League teams are leading an effort to help recycle electronics. Working with an electronics recycling company, the students are collecting a variety of items, and the school progam will receive funding from profits from the resale of those items.

While recognizing there is room to improve, staff at Vinton-Shellsburg are proud of the results the Iowa Department of Education released earlier today. As a result of legislation action in 2013, the Department of Education developed Attendance Center Rankings for all the school buildings across the state.  Vinton-Shellsburg’s Middle School received an “Exceptional” ranking which is the highest ranking and one that only 3% of middle schools across the state received! Tilford Elementary was ranked as “High Performing,” the High School as “Commendable” and Shellsburg Elementary was given a ranking of “Acceptable.

The school board met in regular session on Monday, December 14 with all board members present.  Highlights from the meeting include an overview by Gail Showman of the Home School Assistance Program shared with Benton.  There are currently 125 students enrolled in the program. Under the Superintendent’s Report, Paige and Cloey Fall will continue attending CPU even though they moved into the district; Every Student Achieves Act was approved by Congress and signed by the President, it will replace No Child Left Behind starting next fall; staff are working on K-12 attendance policies and will have recommendations for the board’s review in January; the January board meeting will include building walk-throughs and then the meeting will begin at 4:00 at Tilford.

Usually at this time of the year, area residents are looking at the Cedar River and wondering how soon the ice will be thick enough for ice fishing or snowmobiles. Not this year. Area residents are watching the river, wondering how high the water will rise. In the past three days, the Cedar River level as measured at the Vinton USGS (United States Geological Service) monitoring station rose from 6 to 13 feet.

The Angel Tree program is again going to be a success this year, thanks to the many donors of money, clothing and toys. Approximately 200 children are signed up for the program, says LaNette Parker. Donors brought item to the WMT Stuff the Bus drive at Windsor Manor, and have left them at the Angel Trees set up at Farmers Bank and US Bank. and G & G Auto Parts.

Being diagnosed with cancer can be frightening, but it also gives you license to get away with a lot of things you wouldn't do otherwise.  "Laugh With Kathy" takes you on a journey through breast cancer and finding humor in the diagnosis, treatment and survival of the disease through one patient's experience.   “Laugh With Kathy”  is alternately laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving, Kathy gives you glimpses of what it takes to beat breast cancer.

Ray Knoff, Rick Ohrt, Kurt Karr, Jason Hicok and Kim Meyer, all members of the iVinton telecom advisory committee visited Indytel in Independence Tuesday night. The purpose of the visit was to gain an understanding of how the Independence municipal telecommunications service was built and is maintained. Indytel was formed in 1999. Marty Diesburg, general manager of Indytel conducted the facility tour, answered questions and provided information about options for constructing a system in Vinton.

Along with Daniel Webster's relatives and friends in Iowa, residents of Albuquerque have been asking since October how a man who pleaded guilty to killing another man in 2001 – and who since his release from prison had already been arrested for several felonies, including robbery, kidnapping and battery – could still remain free to kill a police officer.

Many of us have heard the story of Virginia Gay's gift: that she moved back to Ohio and had been there nearly four decades when her bequest established our local hospital.  Adjusted for inflation, her gift would have been worth nearly one million dollars. We want to keep her memory alive and to keep alive the spirit of philanthropy that established and has sustained our hospital.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office will be working extra patrol shifts throughout this holiday season. Deputies will be focusing their attention in areas where traffic accidents happen more frequently.  This project is part of a grant from the Governors Traffic Safety Bureau.  Sheriff Randall Forsyth received a 2015-2016 grant that provides $10,000.