News

A relatively new tradition at Tilford Elementary involves considering the old.  Today is the 100th day of the 2014-15 school year, and first grade students have been studying how 100 might look like. Many joined their teachers today in dressing up as they think a 100-year-old might, Recent assignments include art work using 100 of a variety of different items: Pieces of macaroni, beads, stickers or ring-shaped cereal.

Continuing the success of the Vinton-Shellsburg High School Marching Band season, the VSHS Jazz Band earned the top Division 1 rating at its first event of the year, at the IHSMA State Jazz Band Festival at Union High School in La Porte City on Monday. The band's next competitions will be Tall Corn Jazz at UNI, Coe Jazz competition at Coe College and NEIBA Jazz at Independence.

On Monday, January 26, 2015 at 8:52 a.m. the sheriff’s office responded to a two car accident in the 2700 block of 61st St Ln. Bruce Tharp, age: 55 from Vinton was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Monte Carlo eastbound when Jessie Kleppe, age: 26 of Vinton driving a 2003 Honda Accord pulled from a private drive into Tharp’s path. Two persons from Tharp’s vehicle were transported to Virginia Gay Hospital by North Benton Ambulance and Kleppe was transported to Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids by North Benton ambulance.

Amy Andrews and Ethan Van Kooten had no money. How could they build a house? The Central College students, both environmental studies majors, wanted to build a small, sustainable home for their senior project. They proposed a $3,350 budget — but when no grant money was available, they became scavengers to complete the project as cheaply as possible.

The creation of Clickstop’s new charity organization, Clickstop Cares, in is in full swing, with the company announcing its first official donation date. Donations will be accepted Saturday, February 21, from 8 am to 10 am at the company’s Bing Miller Lane location: 2535 Bing Miller Lane, Urbana. Donations are always accepted by appointment as well, by calling 1-888-794-1413 or emailing Cares@Clickstop.

On January 25, 2015, Bethlehem Lutheran Church presented a gift of $102.00 to the Evergreen Cemetery .  The cemetery was formed in 1852 and officially dedicated in 1853.   Among those buried at Evergreen Cemetery are:   The 11th Governor of Iowa-Buren R. Sherman-buried in 1904   Veterans from "Declared" Wars beginning with the War of 1812 up through United States military conflicts over the past 60 years   Evergreen Cemetery is a non-profit perpetual cemetery, and is not funded by the City of Vinton or by Benton County.

The Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School Mary Ingalls Society First Edition Calendars are now for sale at Farmers Savings Bank, L’Marie, Nature's Corner and Henkle Creek Mercantile. Stop in and take a look – They make great gifts for friends, family or yourself. The calendars can also be purchased at the Front Office of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School or the Vinton Unlimited office, 310 A Ave.

When the Vinton City Council gathered at City Hall on Thursday night, they were expecting to hear some possibly bad news regarding the condition of the city’s sanitary sewer system, and the cost of repairing it and adding new updates to meet current environmental regulations. City officials had previously learned that fixing leaks in the system where rain water enters the sanitary system, along with making environmental updates mandated by federal rules, could cost $10 million or more.

Continued reports of counterfeit bills being passed in Vinton-area stores have had merchants seeking out a special pen with which they can determine if a bill is real or not. “We have taken a couple of calls where counterfeit bills have been discovered after the fact from the banks, so the counterfeit bills have filtered through to the general public through normal purchase transactions at the retail level,” says Vinton Police Chief Ted Paxton.

Congratulations to the 2014-2015 Vinton-Shellsburg Debate team members (back row) Shane Monaghan, Lela Aondofar, Rhianna Turner, Brittany Grendler, Quinn Monaghan, Grant Noren and Riley Ries. (Front row) Jonah Blix, Caitlyn Martin, Jenna Lane, Kylie Miracle, Olivia Oltrogge, Rachel Gordon and Karys Lillie on their outstanding performance at the Iowa High School Speech Association’s State Debate Tournament held on the DMACC campus in Ankeny last weekend.