News

     Two long-time members of Vinton's oldest service club were honored Wednesday for their service to the community and the club. Lions Burton Davis and Keith Mossman, members for 62 and 63 years respectively, received recognition from Lions Club International and their local contemporaries. They also received Grass Roots Awards from visiting District Governor Paul Scherner of Dubuque.

            A man who possessed computer images of child pornography was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison.         William Oddo, age 62, from Atkins, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 19, 2010, guilty plea to two counts of possession of child pornography.

     Throughout the year, the Vinton-Shellsburg Dollars For Scholars program raises fund through a variety of events. One of those events took place Tuesday during the Vikings home basketball game. During halftiime, a basketball toss took place. For $1 each, a fan could purchase a basketball and toss from the stands into a garbage can on the court.

       Vinton Lion Alan Woodhouse presents a check for $1,356.90, proceeds from concession sales at home football games last fall, to Vinton-Shellsburg High School Athletic Booster president Renee Stein. Woodhouse chairs the Lions concession trailer committee and the trailer is staffed by Lions club members. The service club also sells concessions from the trailer at Vinton's annual Party in the Park celebration, raising funds for Lions International projects; Iowa Lions projects including KidsSight (preschool vision screening in cooperation with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics); and numerous local community projects.

       Virginia Gay Hospital & Clinics is pleased to announce that Mark Mossman, Board Chairman of Virginia Gay Hospital & Clinics has been selected by Modern Healthcare as Trustee of the Year for small hospitals. Modern Healthcare is recognized by healthcare administrators and providers as one of the leading national publications for healthcare related news and information.

  Second Half Property Taxes are due before March 1st, 2011 and payable during March without penalty.   Mobile Home Taxes and Special Assessments are also due at this time.   We are able to accept partial payments toward the amount due on all payments except those for the special assessments and tax sales certificates.

     It took 10 years for the population of Vinton to increase by 155; it jumped by 230 more today.       The Class 17 members are arriving at the Vinton AmeriCorps NCCC campus at the Iowa Braille School today. Nearly 20 had arrived by 10 a.m. Several were on airplanes this morning, heading to Cedar Rapids, where vans would take them to their new home.

       Twenty Vinton area leaders will spend the next several months working on a plan that will affect the changes in Vinton for years to come.       The plan will take into account the city’s needs in the areas of industry, retail, education, housing and infrastructure. It will also prioritize projects and list a target date for completing specific items.

  Today’s NCCC spotlight is Carrie-Ann MacArthur who hails from Eljay, GA.  Leading Oak 6 this year, Carrie-Ann is a recent graduate of Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, GA.  She graduated in December of 2010 with a degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and a minor in Business management.  Carrie-Ann loves helping others and giving back.

       In her “In the Statehouse” column today, Iowa House District 39 Rep. Dawn Pettengill shared the following information:      In Government Oversight, the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School presented the results of the Residential Study Committee and after hearing in January they had begun implementing the recommendations of the committee without the Legislature's approval.