News

Organizers are seeking wellness advocates to be a part of the upcoming Community Health & Wellness Fair on Saturday, October 17 at the Vinton Skate Center. This joint venture between Virginia Gay Hospital, Clinics, Home Health, Nursing & Rehab and the Vinton Parks and Recreation Department is focused on health, wellness & safety topics of local interest.

To help in fundraising efforts, Tootsie's Ice Cream has decided to offer a 10% weekend for the Serving Vinton Sign Campaign!  On September 18, 19 & 20, Tootsie's will give 10% of all profits from the Vinton location to the replacement "Serving Vinton" fund.  Mark your calendars and be sure to stop out and enjoy some delicious food and ice cream while supporting a worthy cause.

One of the tunes the Vinton Community Band played at its outdoor concert at the Center Point Historical Society Depot Museum on Sunday night, Sept. 13, was called “Happy Everything” and that pretty much said it all. The weather was good and cool. So was the band’s music. The Historical Society’s bake sale was very well appreciated monetarily.

A new fund-raising effort has begun in order to help the Vinton-Shellsburg Chamber Choir to cover the expenses of a trip to Wisconsin in the spring of 2016. VSHS Choir Director Michala Martin explains the concert, and how it came to pass after a V-S choir performance last year. "Last winter, at our annual Onalaska contest, the choir inspired someone -- this someone happened to be Andrew Brannon, the financial director of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisc.

At 8 p.m. last Saturday, the bell atop the Benton County courthouse chimed – four times. At that time, the big hand on the clock facing south was on “12;” the little hand on 8. The clock facing west, however, was five minutes behind. Five minutes later, when the west face of the courthouse clock was at 8, the bell chimed four more times.

Vinton police are investigating the recent break-in at the Benton County Speedway. One one or possibly more occasions this week, the perpertrators entered the structure, damaging a door, before taking some product from the concession stand and vandalizing equipment.  A $500 reward has been offered for information leading to conviction of those responsible.

Ribbons and banners were awarded at the Boer Goat Show judged August 23 at the 2015 Iowa State Fair. Complete results below: COMMERCIAL DOES Commercial Goat, class 1 1) Zeke Kauzlarich, Knoxville 2) Deppe Bros., Maquoketa 3) Harwood Farm, West Point 4) Harwood Farm, West Point 5) Break of Dawn Boer Goats, Lorimor 6) Harwood Farm, West Point 7) Nishna Valley Boer Goats, Atlantic 8) Lane Elmquist, Audubon 9) Break of Dawn Boer Goats, Lorimor 10) Scurr Bros.

The English Society Horse Show took place August 18 through 20 in the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center at the 2015 Iowa State Fair. Complete results below: Five-Gaited Open 1) Judy Gauger, Marengo Five-Gaited Iowa Owned 1) Judy Gauger, Marengo Five-Gaited Stake 1) Judy Gauger, Marengo Three-Gaited Open 1) Green Wood Stables, Indianola Three-Gaited Iowa Owned 1) Clif Paulsen, Cedar Falls 2) Green Wood Stables, Indianola Three-Gaited Stake 1) Clif Paulsen, Cedar Falls 2) Green Wood Stables, Indianola Three-Gaited Pleasure -- 17 & Under 1) Jennifer DeRoos, Urbandale 2) Renae Van Zomeren, Leighton 3) Clif Paulsen, Cedar Falls 4) Green Wood Stables, Ankeny Three-Gaited Pleasure -- 18 & Over 1) Gretchen Stanislav, Granger 2) Delaney Morris, Norwalk Three-Gaited Pleasure Stake 1) Renae Van Zomeren, Leighton 2) Jennifer DeRoos, Urbandale 3) Gretchen Stanislav, Granger 4) Clif Paulsen, Cedar Falls Pleasure Model 1) Kelsi Keith-Rusch, Ottumwa 2) Clif Paulsen, Cedar Falls 3) Green Wood Stables, Ankeny Five-Gaited Pleasure Horse 1) Deanne Mundt, Urbandale Five-Gaited Show Pleasure Stake 1) Deanne Mundt, Urbandale Country Pleasure English -- 17 & Under 1) Ron Beckman, West Burlington 2) Green Wood Stables, Norwalk 3) Tina Sherman, Marengo Country Pleasure English -- 18 & Over 1) Renae Van Zomeren, Leighton 2) Kelsi Keith-Rusch, Ottumwa 3) Sara Eaton, Des Moines 4) Green Wood Stables, Norwalk 5) Terri Rocca, Iowa City Country Pleasure English Stake 1) Ron Beckman, West Burlington 2) Sara Eaton, Des Moines 3) Renae Van Zomeren, Leighton 4) Terri Rocca, Iowa City 5) Tina Sherman, Marengo Country Pleasure Western -- 18 & Over 1) HEARTLAND STABLES, Des Moine 2) Lesley Stucker, Johnston 3) Kim Herron, De Soto 4) Sandra Swalla, Newton Country Pleasure Western Stake 1) HEARTLAND STABLES, Des Moine 2) Kim Herron, De Soto 3) Lesley Stucker, Johnston 4) Sandra Swalla, Newton Country Pleasure Model 1) Marcia Pothoven, Pella Fine Harness Iowa Owned 1) Julie Phillips, West Des Moines Fine Harness Stake 1) Julie Phillips, West Des Moines Park Pleasure 1) Sally Graf, Clive 2) Renae Van Zomeren, Leighton Park Pleasure Stake 1) Renae Van Zomeren, Leighton 2) Sally Graf, Clive Park Open 1) Susan Aschenbrenner, Urbandale 2) Ed Rhoads, Waverly, Ohio 3) Mary O'Keefe, Cumming 4) Kelsi Keith-Rusch, Ottumwa Park Stake 1) Ed Rhoads, Waverly, Ohio 2) Mary Okeefe, Cumming 3) Kelsi Keith-Rusch, Ottumwa Saddle Seat Equitation -- 17 & Under 1) Renae Van Zomeren, Leighton 2) Ron Beckman, West Burlington Saddle Seat Equitation Stake 1) Renae Van Zomeren, Leighton 2) Ron Beckman, West Burlington Hackney Pony Single 1) Heavenly Acres, Dysart Hackney Pony Single Stake 1) Heavenly Acres, Dysart Hackney Harness Pony Single 1) Rise & Shine Stables, Altoona Hackney Harness Pony Single Stake 1) Rise & Shine Stables, Altoona Hackney Pony Pleasure Driving 1) Heavenly Acres, Dysart 2) Doug Anderson, Eldridge 3) Clif Paulsen, Cedar Falls 4) Doug Anderson, Eldridge 5) Judith McDonough, Douds Hackney Pony Pleasure Driving Stake 1) Doug Anderson, Eldridge 2) Judith McDonough, Douds 3) Clif Paulsen, Cedar Falls 4) Heavenly Acres, Dysart Roadster Pony Single - Open 1) Rise & Shine Stables, Altoona 2) Judith McDonough, Douds Roadster Pony Single - Amateur 1) Rise & Shine Stables, Altoona 2) Judith McDonough, Douds Roadster Pony Stake 1) Rise & Shine Stables, Altoona 2) Rise & Shine Stables, Altoona 3) Judith McDonough, Douds Morgan Gelding at Halter 1) Mary and Lyle Borg, Pella 2) Mary and Lyle Borg, Pella 3) Judy Gauger, Marengo Morgan Grand & Reserve Grand Champion Grand) Mary and Lyle Borg, Pella Res.

CriVen Llamas of Rogersville, Mo. captured Best of Show honors in the 2015 Iowa State Fair Llama show held August 22. The winning llama was selected from Grand Champion females and males in the Light Wool, Medium Wool, Heavy Wool, Silky Wool, Suri Wool, Non-Breeder and Miniature divisions. Additional results below: COSTUME Junior Costume -- 7-11 Years Old 1) Rustic Ridge Llamas, Winterset 2) Raven Dilley, Eldora Intermediate Costume -- 12-15 Years Old 1) Trisha Tjarks, Alden Senior Costume -- 16-18 Years Old 1) Rustic Ridge Llamas, Winterset Advanced Costume 1) Bethany Arnold, Hampton 2) Bushwhacker Llamas, Nevada, Mo.

Rosemary Thompson of Gilman exhibited both the Grand Champion Bull and the Champion Iowa Bull in the Shorthorn Cattle Show judged August 22 at the 2015 Iowa State Fair. Braden Gabrielson of Belmond took home the Grand Champion Female and Champion Iowa Female Banners. Landon Bolin of Dunlap exhibited the Reserve Champion Female and Mitchell Family Shorthorns of Waverly earned the Reserve Champion Bull banner.