News

The Vinton-Shellsburg High School Voyagers Dance Team will perform its Spring Show this Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School gym. The dancers have been sharing some of their routines during halftime of VSHS basketball games. They gave the audience a sneak preview of their Storm Trooper routine last Friday.  Doors open at 6:30; the show begins at 7.

Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz were the winners among Benton County caucus participants on Monday evening.  The Democrats awarded Clinton 56 percent of their county delegates, while Bernie Sanders has 44 percent of them. The Republicans count the winners of their caucus by votes, not delegates. The final tally among Benton Co. Republicans was:  Cruz: 36% with 596 votes Trump: 25% with 410 votes Rubio: 15% with 246 votes Carson: 10% with 171 votes Paul: 4% with 72 votes Fiorina: 2% with 35 votes Kasich: 2% with 27 votes Christie: 1% with 23 votes Bush: 1% with 11 votes Santorum: 1% with 9 votes Gilmore: 0% with 0 votes 1600 total County Results for Democrats See statewide and county-by-county results below: Democrats Republicans   See some photos of the caucuses in Vinton HERE.

Olivia Spencer of Vinton and Owen Krug of Atkins were introduced to the Central Lutheran School student body as Heart Heroes as the school began its month-long Jump Rope for Heart campaign. Both Olivia and Owen were born with heart defects and have already had heart surgery and face an uncertain future regarding their hearts as they grow. Olivia’s mom, Kendra, and Owen’s mom, Rhonda, each shared some of Olivia’s and Owen’s history of hospitalization and open heart surgeries.

We would like to announce the four dates for our 2016 flight season. They are as follows:   EIHF FLIGHT # 23 Monday, 18 April 2016 Departs from Eastern Iowa Airport - 6:30 AM Returns to Eastern Iowa Airport - Approx 10:15 PM *   EIHF FLIGHT #24 Wednesday, 18 May 2016 Departs from Eastern Iowa Airport - 6:30 AM Returns to Eastern Iowa Airport - Approx 10:15 PM *   EIHF FLIGHT #25 Tuesday, 20 September, 2016 Departs from Eastern Iowa Airport - 6:30 AM Returns to Eastern Iowa Airport - Approx 10:15 PM *   EIHF FLIGHT #26 Tuesday, 18 October, 2016 Departs from Eastern Iowa Airport - 7:00 AM Returns to Eastern Iowa Airport - Approx 10:15 PM *   * Scheduled return times are barring any delays (weather or otherwise).

Tilford first grade students marked the 100th day of school with a variety of lessons about the number 100. They dressed up as they thought a 100-year-old might dress, filled bags with 100 crackers, candies, and other items to demonstrate what 100 looks like, and colored crowns. See more photos HERE.  

The Vinton Shellsburg Community School Foundation is lending it's support to a high school field trip to Waterloo's Veterans' Museum on February 8th and we're asking for your help. Please consider donating $5 for each student's cost. You can donate online here, by visiting our website at www.vscsdfoundation.org, or by sending a check for your donation amount to the foundation's school address, 1502 C Avenue, Vinton, IA 52349.

Vinton Police Chief Ted Paxton updated the Vinton City Council on two new programs he hopes to put in place this year. The Chief said during the council meeting that the department will present information to the council about the police dog program during its Feb. 25 meeting. “We have an officer who has prepared a Power Point presentation,” Paxton said.

Senator Joni Ernst will visit Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton to meet with staff and administration on Friday, February 5th. We appreciate Senator Ernst’s interest in improving access to mental health care services and learning more about Virginia Gay’s effort to include mental health in primary medical care delivery. Virginia Gay is slated to break ground on a new $5.

For the past 30 years or more, Vinton-Shellsburg High School choir members have been performing while wearing graduation gowns instead of actual choir robes. A new fund-raising effort by the Fine Arts Century Club (FACC) hopes to change that in time for the large group contest in May. “A choir robe can be considered much like a uniform that a band member or a basketball player would wear,” said LuAnn Urlaub, a member of the FACC.

Dean Brown made Benton County history on Wednesday, becoming the first person to ever successfully appeal a land use change rejection vote. But the decision which finally lets him run Red Shed Auto Repair from the shop he built on his homestead north of Vinton came at a cost: $500 for the original land use application fee, $500 for the appeal fee, and approximately $500 he agreed to pay each year to the only neighbors who opposed him to cover one-third of their dust control bill.