News

It is that time again the Benton County Fair open class Flower Show!    Everyone received a fair book containing the open class departments in the mail the first week in July..  Hope you saved it for reference!  The show is open to all growers residing in BENTON COUNTY ONLY.    The flower show is sponsored by the Vinton Garden Club and Van Horne Floralia Club which are members; National Garden Clubs, Inc.

Silently standing in the middle of the lawn of the Benton County Courthouse, surrounded by hundreds of area residents admiring a variety of classic and antique cars, Old Glory flapped in the July wind at half-staff, beckoning the car-lovers to stop for a moment to ask why. All over Iowa this week, flags assumed the lower position to reflect mourning and respect for a man who died serving his country, and a story much older than most of the cars that surrounded the courthouse.

Fluffy is there, again, at the Vinton Car Cruise. Molly too, for the fourth straight year. Ol’ Chub showed up, too, looking better than ever, although not quite ready for drag racing. And the Grinch showed up, too. Unique cars with unique names, styles, colors and license plates are again filling the streets in downtown Vinton as hundreds of owners from all over Iowa bring their beloved rides.

Two unrelated projects that Vinton-Shellsburg families hope to see finished by the time school starts have seen progress in recent days.  The "Barn" -- the Vinton-Shellsburg Ag Learning Lab -- is taking shape at the VSHS campus, just outside the FFA classroom and greenhouse. The new facility will have classroom space as well as a livestock area which will allow class time, hands-on experience with cattle and other farm animals.

The Iowa High School Golf Coaches Association is announcing their Spring 2014 Academic All-State Team. To qualify for this team, the golfer had to be a varsity player with a 27 or higher on their ACT score and a GPA of 3.75 or higher. The list of honorees in Class 4A includes 2014 VS graduate Mara Jessen, who played golf for coach Janet Woodhouse's Vikettes.

The Area Substance Abuse Council, in partnership with the Linn County sheriff’s department and 7G distributing, is currently offering no-cost assessments to area bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. These assessments are a great opportunity to not only assist local businesses with their alcohol policies, but also to survey the community as a whole to see what precautions are already in place, and what areas can be refined to ensure the safest atmosphere possible.

Some time in the near future, a clocksmith will arrive in Vinton to dismantle and remove the mechanisms of the Benton Courthouse clock to begin  its restoration.  Instead of spending their summer raising funds, seeking more grants and donations, the  members of the Courthouse Clock Restoration Task Force  can spend their summer weeks saying thanks for the donations and telling local residents about the state funding that helped the group reach its goal.

Former Vinton City Council member and one-time Mayor Dave Vermedahl has offered to serve on the Vinton City Council until a replacement for Dave Redlinger can be elected in November.  Mayor John Watson announced his intention to appoint Vermedahl to fill the position until a new member is elected.

Next Wednesday, July 23, will be "Batman Day" at the Vinton Public Library.  Children are invited to come for fun and games at 10:30 a.m. This is the 75th year of Batman, first known through the DC comic books in 1939.

The Benton County Community Foundation (BCCF) will hold its 2014 grant awards ceremony on Wednesday, July 23 at the Benton County Fair Grounds grandstand beginning at 6:00 p.m. This year’s grant distribution to support community projects totaled over $97,500. 2014 grant recipients included: ·         American Legion-Jennings-Bradshaw # 39, Belle Plaine Legion Hall Jennings Bradshaw Post #39 Kitchen Renovation ·         Area Substance Abuse Council, Students At Risk Support Group ·         Belle Plaine Area Ambulance, Auto Pulse ·         Benton County, Bison Tub ·         Benton County, Benton County Courthouse Clock & Bell Restoration Project ·         Benton County Historical Society, Heating and Cooling for the Vinton Depot ·         Benton County Volunteer Program, BCVP Medical Transportation Assistance ·         Benton Development Group, Benton County Greatly Expanded Marketing Project ·         Cedar Valley Friends of the Family, Emergency Shelter and Housing Assistance ·         City of Blairstown, Rescue Truck Refurbish ·         City of Newhall, Boy Scout Eagle Scout Project Park Beautification Project ·         City of Walford, City Park Pedestrian Trail Project ·         Garrison Betterment Committee, Garrison Betterment Park Committee & Garrison Emergency Services – Kid’s Health & Safety Fair ·         Genesis Development, Transportation for People with Disabilities to Achieve Community Inclusion ·         Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Benton County Girl Scouting ·         Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc.