News
National Garden Week: Area Garden Clubs celebrate
The week of June 2-8, 2013 has been proclaimed National Garden week by National Garden Clubs, Inc. This is a special week in which garden clubs are in the spotlight with activities focusing on public attention of the role which garden club members play in all phases of gardening. The Cottage Garden Society will be placing containers of flowers by the store fronts downtown. Creative writing and recycling: VSHS class spends 3 days sorting school waste
The Vinton-Shellsburg High School creative writing class spent three days after the seniors last day separating all of the paper and trash that the students were throwing away during locker clean-out this past week. High school students Sam Martin and Raechel Wehage spent three class periods collecting and sorting reusable school supplies from papers that students had gotten during class and no longer wanted. A Snapshot the 17 Pastors of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church of Vinton, Iowa, has pictures of 17 pastors from its 100 years, remarkably, including The Rev. E. C. Jessup, who presided over the chartering of the congregation on June 10, 1913. But these photos do not come close to including all who served the congregation. Lessons learned: What last week's flood taught us
I know that when you read this article, you will probably have come across the HESCO sand barriers that were put up by the City of Vinton on East 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue. City crews have already begun the process of removing some of the barriers blocking the 3rd Street intersection on 2nd Avenue. By some views, the process of putting up the barriers may be seen as a waste of time and effort since we didn’t get the flooding that was forecasted.
Flood review: River crests Saturday below predicted level
Vinton residents awoke on Saturday to hear some unexpectedly good news: This flood is over.
"We crested this morning," said EMA Director Scott Hansen.
Two factors resulted in higher river predictions than actually happened, said Hansen.
First, a river gauge in Waterloo was reading one foot higher than the actual level, said Hansen. Cedar River update: 18.73 feet reading at 3:45 a.m.
The Highway 150 bridge leading north out of Vinton remained open this morning as the Cedar River is rising slightly more slowly than anticipated.
The latest official reading showed the river level at 18.73 feet at 3:45 a.m, with an expected crest of 20.5 feet predicted for 1 a.m. Sunday.
With the Hesco barriers protecting the fire station and electrical utility buildings, emergency management personnel and volunteers went home Saturday evening to wait and watch.
Friday flood update: Barriers completed; forecast slightly revised downward
Crews and volunteers, including many AmeriCorps members, made quick work of the sand barriers that now surround the Vinton fire station and the Vinton Municipal Electrical Utility buildings. The barriers include a long open area that leads out of the flood plain so that utility and public safety officials can enter the area in their vehicles.
VMEU purchased the Hesco barriers as part of the flood mitigation program it worked with FEMA to prevent the kind of damage that occurred in 2008. Flood forces some residents from homes along Cedar River
"I love my house. I don't want to move."
Jennifer Parr stood outside her back yard, overlooking her recently-completed flower garden on Third Avenue near the light plant. While she spoke about the time and money she has invested in her garden, her husband and some friends were loading furniture into a trailer parked in the front yard. Water... fun! While some fight flood, many area residents enjoy pool
One of the ironies of Iowa weather: On a perfect day for going to the pool, scores of area residents were involved in working against, not playing in, the water.
But for many area children (along with some parents and, of course, the lifeguards), Friday was a great day to visit the pool, where being "up to here" in water is a good thing. Flood update: River crest of 20.8 feet expected Saturday evening
Volunteers are still needed for sandbagging around the Vinton Fire Station and the VMEU facilities along Second Street near the Cedar River.
The most recent prediction from the National Weather Service has the Cedar River cresting at 20.8 feet at 7 p.m. Saturday.
But Benton County EMA Director Scott Hansen said the river will rise up to 3 more feet today, based on the increase in reported water levels in Waterloo and other places north of Vinton.