News

Approximately 30 people and eggsactly one chicken attended the 4th annual Center Point Historical Society Cemetery Walk Sunday, Sept. 28. The fluffy fowl was a prop for Dr. Philip Andersen who portrayed the late poultry- loving Jake Floyd. Andersen’s wife DeEtta, CPU student Marissa Benischek, Walthill Nebraska residents Janet Brookman Kruse and John Kruse, CP city councilman John Stuelke and CP resident Jon Brendel also have the Historical Society’s undying gratitude for playing Center Point dear departeds.

On Saturday, October 4th Virginia Gay Hospital Healthcare Foundation with the support of Vinton Parks and Recreation Department (VPRD) and other area health and wellness organizations will host the first Benton County Community Health and Wellness Fair at the Vinton Skate and Activity Center from 10am to 2pm - Admission is Free. “The Community Health and Wellness Fair will provide important health-related information, screenings, and demonstrations for the family,” said Mike Timmermans, Virginia Gay Hospital Healthcare Foundation director and fair organizer.

A letter Dan Flaugh wrote from Iraq to a Vinton-Shellsburg elementary student who is now a high schooler, and the cross country T-shirt he wore during the home meet at Rodgers Park a dozen or years ago were among the special items that helped his friends and family remember him during the third annual Flaughless 5K on Saturday. While the event is not on the Vinton-Shellsburg calendar, countless V-S alumni, especially those who went to high school and ran the streets and hills of eastern Iowa during four years of cross country, gathered at Riverside Park for the event.

Ron and Sharalyne Albright of rural Vinton and many of their fellow antique car lovers from the Hawk A Model A Ford Club of Cedar Rapids visited Dysart and Vinton on Friday. In Vinton they met at Old School Produce, where Mike Elwick explained his business. They then drove their cars to the library to begin a tour of the painted murals and chainsaw sculptures by Brian Parr.

Benton Development Group will be hosing the USDA Rural Development for an informational meeting regarding housing programs available to Benton County residents.  The meeting will be taking place on Wednesday, October 8th at 7:00pm in the Van Horne Community Room.    USDA Rural Development works to improve the quality of life in rural areas.

Join the Benton County Conservation Staff on Sunday, October 5th from Noon to 3:00 p.m., as we celebrate the grand opening of the County’s Nature Center at 5718 20th Ave. Drive, just North of Vinton off Hwy 218 (the Southwest corner of Rodgers Park) Stroll the grounds and enjoy the trails and outdoor playscapes; designed with children in mind.

In addition to loaning books and videos, Virginia Holsten and her staff at the Vinton Public Library are now offering the sale of blue cups. The cups are part of a fund-raising effort to help obtain the money necessary to digitize decades of microfilmed newspapers. This will allow people to search the papers on their computers via the Internet rather than having to scroll through each year while using the microfilm machine in the library basement.

Vinton Parks and Recreation Director Duane Randall helped begin the first Vinton Farmers Market on 4th Street more than 20 years ago. On Thursday, he blew the whistle for the last time at the event, which has taken place at the historic depot for the past several years.  After Randall presented three balloon contest winners with their prizes for having the balloons they released at the first 2014 market returned from the longest distance, Randall received some gifts from market participants.

Dozens of Vinton-Shellsburg High School students received recognition on Monday for their academic success last year. Click HERE to see the program listing the names of all those honored.

While the Flaughless 5K begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 27), those who are free tonight can help organizer save some time before the race by picking up their race packets early. "We'll be at Riverside Park at the round shelter from 6-7 pm Friday night," says Georgia Meeker Sysouchanh. Also, Georgia says, there's plenty of room for those who want to help on race day.