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The Benton County Dairy Producers are seeking youth in the dairy community for county dairy royalty. Opportunities include: Little Miss Squirt and Little Miss Milkmaid: Girls ages 6-8 Prince Farming and Sir farming: Boys ages 6-8 Junior Dairy Princess: Girls ages 11-14 Junior Dairy Ambassador: Boys ages 11-14 Benton County Dairy Princess: Females ages 16-22 Benton County Dairy Ambassador: ages 16-22 For more information please visit the Benton County Dairy Producers Facebook page.

The Vinton Police Department has received verbal promises of nearly $8,000 in donations for its very first K-9 officer project. Police Chief Ted Paxton and Officer Ben Parmater discussed the police dog project with the Vinton City Council during its meeting on Thursday. The department hopes to complete fund-raising in the near future and have the dog in service by the fall of this year.

South of Vinton-Shellsburg High School, between 2nd Avenue and Highway 218, Dusty Druschel envisions a housing development that up to 70 families will eventually call home. Work could begin as soon as this year. The first step toward this vision took place Thursday when Druschel and Vinton Unlimited Business Opportunity Group (BOG) member Rich Hainstock asked the Vinton Council to fund a study of the cost of infrastructure required for such a development.

Two local natives who have spent the last decade serving their country received a surprise word of thanks from one of America’s biggest superstars this week. Sgt. First Class Jonathon Martin and his wife, Cara (McCubbin) Martin, were backstage with their daughters Eryca and Taryn before a Carrie Underwood concert Monday night, when the singer walked in and stood beside Jonathon.

Easter is almost here!  Get a jumpstart filling those easter baskets and support VSHS choir students at the same time! The choir has started their annual World's Finest Chocolate fundraiser.  Some students are fundraising toward their individual accounts for the Music Department Florida Trip in June, and other students are selling chocolate toward the new choir robes.

(Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of stories about former Vinton-Shellsburg performers and athletes who are now teaching and coaching the same activities in which they participated as VSHS students a few years ago.) As a Vinton-Shellsburg High School senior, Mandy (Peterson) Barker won the top honor in all of Iowa for her solo mime act (entitled “Preparing for Mr.

“After forty-plus years as an employee of the district and thirteen years as a student of the district I have decided that now would be a good time to “graduate,” says Melvin Hurst, Jr. Hurst is one of several Vinton-Shellsburg employees who have requested and received approval for the early retirement program this year. “I have enjoyed working with the various staff members and students that have walked the halls of the buildings that I have worked at and will miss seeing both on a daily basis,” Hurst wrote in his letter to district administrators.

Matt Berninghaus has been named the new Superintendent of the Center Point-Urbana School District. Berninghaus comes to CPU from the recently-formed North Union district, centered in the smal town of Swea City, in Kossuth County, which borders Minnesota. "I am honored to be chosen as the next Superintendent of the Center Point-Urbana School District," says Berninghaus.

 Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today encouraged Iowans to nominate deserving farmers for the 2016 Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year Award. The award is given out each year to one statewide winner who is making outstanding contributions towards soil conservation and water quality.  The award is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

Matt Berninghaus has been named the new Superintendent of the Center Point-Urbana School District. Berninghaus comes to CPU from the recently-formed North Union district, centered in the smal town of Swea City, in Kossuth County, which borders Minnesota. "I am honored to be chosen as the next Superintendent of the Center Point-Urbana School District," says Berninghaus.