News : USDA offices closed due to federal government shutdown

The United States Department of Agriculture building in Vinton is closed today, as a result of the government shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

The offices were locked this morning; a sign taped to the door announced the closing. No one answered the phone.

Other government offices continued to remain open. The post office is not directly funded by tax dollars, so is not affected.

Benton County Treasurer Kelly Geater said the shut down had not immediate impact on her office. She was uncertain if a long-term shutdown would have any effect on the parts of county business under the jurisdiction of her office.

School impact

When asked if the shut down would impact Vinton-Shellsburg schools, Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock said, "Yes and no." She explains: "We have been notified from the state there may be some delay in some payments for federal funding such as Title I and Perkins. However, we will continue with all services to students and staff who are funded through this funding will not see any impact at this time. Fortunately, the district has some savings that we can use while the politicians at the national level decide the next steps." County impact Benton County Auditor Jill Marlow offered a similar prediction concerning the impact on the county. "There hasn’t been an immediate effect on the county at this time; however depending on the length of the shutdown some impact could be anticipated – primarily with direct and in-direct federally funded projects," said Marlow.

Click HERE to see a list compiled by CNN concerning the impact of the shutdown on specific federal offices/sites: