News
Iowa House sends bill making illegal immigration a state crime to governor
By Robin OpsahlHouse lawmakers sent a bill making illegal immigration a state crime in Iowa to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk Tuesday.Senate File 2340 was approved on a vote of 64-30. The bill would make entry or being found in Iowa an aggravated misdemeanor for people who have been denied admission, deported or otherwise removed from the U.S., of if they have an order to leave the country outstanding.
City Council Meeting starts rough, but sails through a variety of business
The Vinton City Council met on Thursday night in regular session. On the top of the agenda was the approval of a Class B retail alcohol license for Kwik Trip Inc., Class C retail license for H Squared Pizza, McBride Mobile Taps, and Benton Co. Agricultural Society (pending dramshop approval).Citizen Input This brought Misty Meister who addressed the council. MATT KINGSBURY OF VINTON-SHELLSBURG IS IOWA SECONDARY PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Matt Kingsbury, principal of Vinton-Shellsburg High School, has been named the 2024 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year by School Administrators of Iowa. Kingsbury expressed, “It is a great honor to be named as the 2024 Secondary Principal of the Year. I’m truly appreciative of this award, and it represents the collective efforts of our staff, providing quality educational opportunities for our students. Water Conservation order issued for those in Dysart
The Poweshiek Water Association has implemented a MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION ORDER for those in the Tama and Amana water systems which include Dysart."PWA regrets the need to ask the public for this conservation effort but it is in the best interest of the entire system. Your actions will help save as much water as possible so our customers and livestock we serve can still continue to drink.
Plans for a "pocket park" in downtown Vinton
The Vinton City Council heard a presentation from a subcommittee of Vinton Unlimited last Thursday night. The group proposed plans to build a "pocket park" in the area where Clingman Pharmacy used to stand at 106 E 4th Street The four women, Marcy Horst, Emily Henkle, Karilea Reis and Melody Snow, shared a recommendation from the Iowa Economical Development Authority. High Speed Chase ends in arrest
On the 13th of March, 2024, at approximately 14:32 hours, a Benton County Sheriff's deputy observed a silver Chevy Silverado with no license plates traveling westbound in the 2900 block of 74th St. near Atkins. The deputy attempted initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle, but it took off at a high rate of speed and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit went south onto 29th Ave and then went eastbound on various gravel roads into Linn County.
Benton County Pork Producers Supporting Local Food Pantries
Recognizing the critical role that food pantries play in addressing hunger within communities, IPPA is reimbursing county pork producer organizations up to $1,000 for pork products donated to food pantries in their counties. This initiative underscores Iowa pork producers’ dedication to giving back to their communities."Amid the ongoing challenges faced by many Iowa families, pork producers step up and offer assistance wherever possible," said Matt Gent, a pig farmer from Wellman who serves as IPPA president. Vinton-Shellsburg Conquers FFA Week
By Co-Reporter, Juliana LuisIn mid-February, Vinton-Shellsburg FFA members woke up Sunday morning thrilled for the week ahead of them. FFA Week is a week out of the year that V-S FFA members anticipate. They had planned a week full of fun, making memories, and making new friends. The busy week of games and fun officially started on Monday, February 19th. VINTON PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES
$10,000 Grant Will Help the Library better serve with patrons with dementiaThe Vinton Public Library has been selected as one of 310 libraries to participate in round two of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities.
Accident in Shellsburg results in Injury
On 3-13-2024, at about 7:21 PM, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting vehicle accident with injury on Main St in Shellsburg IA.Deputies responded and found that a 2019 Polaris ATV being driven on Main St, had overturned and the driver and sole occupant was injured.The driver, a 48-yr old male, from Shellsburg IA, was transported by air to the U of I Hospital in Iowa City.