News

ACT 1's 'Brigadoon' to open next Friday at VSHS auditorium

The villagers welcome the Americans to town in 'Brigadoon.'      Many ACT 1 performers and volunteers will be especially busy this weekend as they prepare the set for the opening of Brigadoon next Friday. Director Jill g. Lockard-Bobb has planned two work days, for today and Saturday. Dress rehearsals begin Monday.       Brigadoon is a musical that tells the story of two Americans who wander into an unsual Scottish town, where one of them falls in love.

ISU Extension offers Resources for Managing Tree Damage

Many area residents are facing choices about how to handle a variety of storm damage to trees.   As cleanup of the July 11 wind storm continues, city officials and homeowners are now faced with decisions about storm damaged trees. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has publications to help determine next steps, says Linda Fischer, Regional Extension Education Director. After hazards are eliminated and ground debris has been cleared, trees need to be assessed individually to determine whether further treatment is required.

USPS proposes changes for Mt. Auburn, Watkins and Brandon

Post offices in Brandon, Mount Auburn and Watkins may close as USPS cuts expenditures.        Area residents who receive their U.S. Mail via post offices in Mount Auburn, Watkins or Brandon will soon receive a letter in the mail inviting them to town meetings, where the only topic will be the future of their local post office.      The three area towns are on the U.S. Postal Service's list of possible closures; the USPS issued the list earlier this month as it struggles with lower revenue, much of it due to online transactions and email.

UI COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION TO MATCH FUNDS RAISED TO RESTORE GREENERY IN BENTON CO

  Iowa City, Iowa. University of Iowa Community Credit Union officials announced today that UICCU will partner with Trees Forever to help restore the greenery in Benton County. The UICCU will match funds raised, up to the first $500, for the Trees Forever Recover, Replant & Restore Program. The program helps respond to communities that lose trees and natural areas to storms and floods.

IFAA Offers Iowa Youth $10,000 in New Scholarships

  College-bound Iowa youth active in 4-H and/or FFA livestock projects and current undergraduate students may apply for $10,000 in new scholarships available from the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement (IFAA). The scholarships are available to freshmen entering any Iowa two- or four-year post-secondary institution this fall or current undergraduates attending Iowa State University.

Local Post Offices on list to close

Thanks to the rise in e-mail, online bill paying and other advances in technology, Brandon, Mt. Auburn, Elberon and Watkins are all on the list to review for possible closure. 178 post offices in Iowa are on the list.  Below is the list for Iowa. ANDOVER 52701 ALEXANDER 50420 ALLEMAN 50007 AMES - Memorial Union Station 500

Vinton Motorcycle Club reunites after 60 years

Members of the Vinton Motorcycle Club met recently in Vinton, decades after riding together.       The Vinton Motorcycle Club recently held a reunion in downtown Vinton, where the members met at Pizza Ranch to recall the old times they had shared. One of them even wore his decades old white coveralls with the club name on the back.      Dick Bridge, one of the members of the club, worked to organize the reunion, which brought people from several other states back to Vinton.

Sheriff gives supervisors update on new LEC, jail

        Nineteen prisoners are serving sentences this week in the jail area of the new Benton County Law Enforcement center; Sheriff Randy Forsyth gave the county supervisors an update on the new facility during their meeting on Tuesday.      Forsyth said the new building is working very well, with the exception of a few very minor problems.

Evergreen Cemetery volunteers needed for Saturday

     More volunteers are needed to help with clean-up of Evergreen Cemetery.     Tim Fuchs is organizing volunteers for this Saturday, July 30.     "We need rakers, dump trucks, chain saws and skid loaders," he said. "We Will provide lunch and cold drinks." Please call Tim at 319-213-4816 if you can volunteer.

Area families welcome home Breandan Fank, Valerie Baumgartel from Afghanistan

Camille, Breandan and Allison Fank pose for a photo after the welcome home ceremony.      In May, they inspired many while they were apart.      Today, they got to tell their story together.     Breandan Fank and his girlfriend Kosy Brown were reunited on Tuesday, at the welcome home ceremony for members of the 334th Brigade who returned to Iowa after spending nearly a year in Afghanistan.