News Rain, melting snow making traveling -- and parking -- difficult

The Vinton-Shellsburg School District is only sending its busses out on "hard surface" roads every day this week to avoid having one get stuck in the mud below the washed-out gravel.

But a street previously considered "hard-surfaced" turned out to be not-so-hard on Monday when a school bus parked in front of Shellsburg Elementary had its right tires sink into the soft surface.

Nobody was injured in this incident Monday morning, and with the exception of the busses being run on hard surface roads only, there was no interruption in the school day.

School officials said a water main breakage under the road that leads to the school's main entrance was a major factor contributing to the street problem. The bus has been towed from the spot.