News

By Cara Harrill, Conservation TechnicianSpring turkey season is right around the corner! Let’s take a look back at the history of wild turkey in Iowa, and how the once extirpated, or locally extinct, population has recovered. When the first settlers crossed the Mississippi into what would later become Iowa, they found an abundance of wild turkeys, which soon became a main food source.

Tacoa Talley, who was convicted in 2023 for the murder of Jodie Bevans, has filed an application for post-conviction relief under Iowa Code Chapter 822.Post-conviction relief allows those convicted of crimes to challenge the fairness of their trial or sentencing. Talley’s filing suggests he believes there was a legal or procedural issue with his conviction, such as inadequate legal representation or other factors that may have affected the outcome of his case.

By Robin OpsahlThe Iowa Senate unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday to start the process of amending the state constitution to allow child victims to testify remotely against their alleged abusers.Senate Joint Resolution 9 is a proposed constitutional amendment stating that the right of an accused party to confront their accuser can be limited by law in situations where a witness is a minor or has a mental illness, intellectual or other development disability.

Photo: From left to right: Kyle Koeppen representing the Vinton Shellsburg Community School District, Cyanna Boggess representing Vinton Unlimited, Deb Wilberg representing Farmers Savings Bank & Trust and Anne Williams representing the Vinton Area Ministerial Association. Absent: Tami Stark representing Vinton City Council. ---One hundred percent of your tax-deductiblecontributions are used for the betterment of the Vinton community.

Atkins Roundhouse was severely impacted by the 2020 Derecho, leading to its closure due to tree hazards. We received a Community Development Block Grant for a timber stand project which began in January 2025. While progress is being made, the property remains closed for safety due to heavy equipment use. Future plans for the Roundhouse include new trails, prairie and tree replanting after the project.

By Robin OpsahlThe Iowa House passed Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal Tuesday to set a statewide restriction on cellphone use in school classrooms.The measure, House File 782, was highlighted as one of the governor’s priorities heading into the 2025 legislative session. The bill would require school boards to adopt a policy beginning in the 2025-2026 school year banning the use of personal electronic devices during instruction time.

By Kathie ObradovichThe Iowa Senate voted Tuesday to ban the use of handheld cellphones and other devices behind the wheel, while turning down an effort to extend the ban to drivers of farm implements.A few minutes later, senators also voted to raise the state’s “default” speed limit from 55 mph to 60, a change that largely affects undivided paved highways.

By Layla Lynch,  East Unit Park RangerYou may have heard the term “GIS”, but have you wondered what it really entails? Maybe you have wondered how the maps you use at county and state parks are created. Is someone guessing where a boat ramp or shelter is and just posting a symbol on a map image, or is that person going out to the areas and documenting the exact location through satellite points? Let’s dig into GIS and see how we use it at Benton County Conservation!GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, is a technology that is used to create, manage, analyze, and map different types of data such as streets, buildings, vegetation, bodies of water, or any other points of interest.

After an incredible 38-year career at Virginia Gay Hospital (VGH), Monica Stark is retiring on March 17, 2025—exactly 38 years to the day after she first joined the VGH team on St. Patrick’s Day in 1987.Monica began her career at VGH after completing her training at Schoitz Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. As only the second full-time employee in the X-Ray Department, she played a crucial role in providing essential imaging services, assisting with EKGs, and managing with just one day of radiologist coverage per week.

Pictured: Top Row Left to Right: Brody Waters, Cooper McClintock, Ben McGowan, Ben Buhr, Andrew Allsup, Jameson Demuth, Cole Birker, Jonah Meyer. 2nd Row: Lily Ann Hesson, Kara Rollinger, Megan Schlitter, Eleanor Moen, Levi Lutz, Leif Allen, Steven Rogers, Andrew Pingenot. 3rd Row: Nora Grovert, Jenna Grovert, Bri Dulin, Madeline Pingenot, Carlie Clark, Sophia Newton, Will McKenna, Juliana Luis, Jazmyn Dods.