News
Hainstock discovers another benefit to solar panels: Wind protection
Rich Hainstock has long been a believer in solar power, but the July 11 storm gave him one more reason to encourage others to consider letting the sun provide electricity for their home or business.
As he stood on his roof at the corner of Fifth Street and First Avenue after the storm, watching his neighbors repair their significantly damaged buildings, he said he believed his solar panels protected his roof from the winds. Welcome back Weather Guy!
Sometimes we get so busy on the news end, that we barely have time to look at the details, like our weather corner.
I see it's finally warmed up from 0 degrees (now how do you make a degree sign on the computer, sigh) to a mere 84 outside.
Thanks Jason Hicok for providing this service! He also has a website at http://www.
Sales Tax Holiday Weekend August 5th & 6th
Today Rep. Dawn Pettengill (R-Mt. Auburn) released details regarding the annual Iowa sales tax holiday. This year beginning at 12:01 am on Friday, August 5th through midnight on Saturday, August 6th, no sales tax will be collected on sales of clothing or footwear having a selling price of less than $100.00 per item.
All businesses that are open on August 5th and 6th are required to participate.
War Birds: Replica WWII planes raise funds for Honor Flight
The Cedar Rapids sky was filled with war planes Saturday. War Birds over Iowa did a benefit for Eastern Iowa Honor Flight by bringing in vintage exact replicas to scale of several planes, including a B-17 and Jet Fighter.
These remote control aircraft are identical to the real planes and when they are air born from a distance they look and sound real.
Blessed Hope Youth forfeit trip to help Vinton recover
For many months, the youth group of Blessed Hope Church, has been raising money to help pay for a missions trip to Michigan. They've planned and prepared.
Then the storm two weeks ago changed the hearts and minds of the youth.
Upon a request from the youth, the trip has been cancelled and instead of travelling, they will be working in Vinton for the next week, helping those that have no one else to turn to. Benton County Emergency Management Agency has deactivated
The Benton County Emergency Management Agency has de-activated the Emergency Operations Center after being operational the past 14 days 07/11-24/2011 for 15-18 hours per day in response to the severe windstorm of 07/11/11.
This includes de-activating the formal Volunteer Management program that was established utilizing the United Way 211 call center and Emergency Management volunteers to coordinate requests.
IBSSS Superintendent Clancy describes storm damage
Vinton Campus Storm Damage
by Patrick Clancy, Superintendent
Iowa Braille School
The storm that struck Benton and surrounding counties on July 11, 2011 did substantial damage to the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Vinton.
Storm cost: $4.7 million in damage to public properties; clean-up continues
The damaged sign in front of the Vinton Pizza Hut, surrounded by pieces of the building, announces that the business should re-open in a month, and thanks Vinton residents.
The Vinton Legion Hall is under repair, as the Legionnaires have canceled their fish fry fund-raisers until September. Many business buildings between those two sites remain in need of repair or removal following the July 11 storm. Farmers Sales auction brings to end era that lasted more than half century
More than 50 years after opening Farmers Sales and Service, Dell Hanson sold virtually everything in the building on Saturday.
"I don't intend to hold everything back," Hanson said before the auction, as many people began browsing the antique tractors, tractor parts, heavy equipment and even the homemade projects that Hanson invented and built himself. Vinton loses another WWII veteran; Jay Bolin dies at age 91
William "Jay" Bolin, 91, of Vinton, died Saturday. He was one of the remaining World War II veterans of Vinton, and a participant in the most recent Eastern Iowa Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
Funeral services are pending at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home.
See a story about Bolin and his military career HERE.