News

A wastewater force main broke Thursday afternoon in the Vinton, releasing about 700 gallons of untreated wastewater to a nearby ditch. City workers shut off pumps at the K Avenue pumping station to stop the discharge while repairing the force main. Some wastewater flowed into Hinkle Creek. Residents should keep children and pets away from the area for 48 hours.

The annual Vinton Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4, at Riverside Park The Kiwanis have been organizing this Vinton event for a half-century or longer.    Rodgers Park event to include goat raffle An hour after the event at Riverside Park, the Benton County Conservation Board and Ehlinger's Vinton Express are sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt at Rodgers Park.

At the north edge of Evergreen Cemetery, a nearly two-century-old, storm-scarred walnut tree stands guards over two small, flat grave markers. That tree was one of many at the cemetery damaged during the July 11, 2011 windstorm. While its trunk remained undamaged, some of its bigger branches were destroyed; a few partially-broken pieces continue to rest on the remaining limbs.

On Tuesday, March 24th, Rhonda Saunders with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) received a Certificate of Recognition during a surprise event.  The Benton Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners nominated Rhonda for the State award as recognition for her outstanding dedication and service to the State of Iowa, the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, and the residents in Benton County.

An AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team is serving with the Benton County Conservation from March 11 to April 23. The team is enhancing various nature areas within Benton County.  The NCCC team of 10 from the North Central Region campus in Vinton, Iowa is widening and otherwise improving the Creamery Trail, cleaning up local watersheds and removing invasive vegetation while reintroducing native species.

Camping season has begun. All of the Benton County Conservation Campgrounds will be open this weekend for camping with the exception of Benton City.  Some campgrounds will not have shower facilities open yet. So get out there this weekend and enjoy the great outdoors. Hannen Lake Park is a great stop for modern campers who wish to do some lake fishing and have a beach to enjoy with the kids.

American history enthusiasts have been looking forward to April 2015 for a long time. This month marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, as well as Lincoln's Assassination.  Today, April 2, marks the 150th anniversary of the death of one of Vinton's most prominent Civil War soldiers.  Capt. Thomas Drummond, born in Ohio, moved to Iowa and had been a local business leader, the editor of the original Vinton Eagle, a state representative and state senator.

The Vinton Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce the newest member to our team, Matt Boggess, as the Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation! Matt began work with our department on March 9th and has been doing a tremendous job so far. He brings to us a wealth of experiences in both the private and public sector and we look forward to the positive impacts that he will have in our programming efforts in the years ahead!   Matt is a graduate from the University of Northern Iowa in the Leisure, Youth and Human Services Department.

On March 27th, the Vinton-Shellsburg High School held the Animal Learning Lab Open House from 11:30 am- 1 pm. Members of the community and sponsors of the Animal Learning Lab joined Mrs. Fleming and a few FFA members in the celebration of the new building. At the open house, the W.H.O Big Show interviewed Mrs. Fleming and some of the Vinton-Shellsburg FFA Chapter members.

In what Dan Gable called his first and perhaps only visit to a school to discuss his new book, "A Wrestling Life," the Iowa wrestling legend told Vinton-Shellsburg High School students that working hard and working smart are the key to success. Gable shared his story with the student body on Monday, before signing copies of his book for readers and fans.