The kids just want to fit in

VALERIE CLOSE, EDITOR
May 1, 2015 12:50 pm

Have you ever heard this jingle: Laugh, laugh.  Thought I'd die.  Die? That means funeral. Funeral? That means flowers. Flowers? That means money.

To the Editor: Funeral home thanks community for response after tragic accident

FRANK VAN STEENHUYSE AND GAIL WOOD
April 29, 2015 5:14 pm

Thank you to all the people who came forward to offer prayers, assistance and support to the families of the victims, and to us, following the recent tragic accident.

The Muddy Morning Blues

VALERIE CLOSE, EDITOR
April 28, 2015 10:46 am

It seems that I write too much about sleeping, or the lack of enough sleep. Maybe because, as the joke goes, "I'm sleeping like a baby...up every 2 hours.

A brief, beautiful message above Victory Lane

VINTON TODAY
April 17, 2015 3:11 pm

If you are among those who have spent the past week mourning a friend or relative who died in last week’s awful accident – and especially if you are among those who had already attended way too many too-soon funerals in the past year – I have a story for you.

The Favorite Aunt

VALERIE CLOSE, EDITOR
April 11, 2015 2:42 pm

Now, I have lots of aunts. Quite frankly each aunt had their own thing that I liked about them.  My Aunt Helen, I would see a lot, and I would greet with "There's my FAVORITE Aunt!" to which she'd always laugh and reply with, "Yeah, right!"  My aunt has been one that when I was a kid, we would see a lot of because we both lived in town and we babysat my cousin so we'd see her most days.

After 150 years, there still is much to learn about the Civil War

VINTON TODAY
April 8, 2015 8:00 am

Imagine a war that claims the lives of 6.5 million Americans. You can’t. I can’t. Nobody can. It’s unthinkable. What kind of conflict would require that many casualties? The Civil War – which officially ended 150 years ago tomorrow – was that kind of conflict.

To the Editor: Thanks to our local 'quiet contributors' that make Vinton better

FRANK VAN STEENHUYSE
April 3, 2015 9:08 am

The signs of spring are everywhere. Some are very evident. Some are less evident. There is a quiet, behind-the-scenes, hard-working group of people in town who contribute so much to our community yet they go mostly unnoticed.

To the Editor: How education funding differs from private sector

MARY JO HAINSTOCK, V-S SUPERINTENDENT
March 31, 2015 1:34 pm

Dear Editor, Many people have been following March Madness in high school and college basketball.  In my world, I have been watching the March Madness that is occurring at the Capitol in Des Moines where politicians are debating the future of education.

VINTON TODAY
March 31, 2015 9:11 am

An editor's favorite story (and one more word of thanks)

VINTON TODAY
March 30, 2015 4:27 am

Here’s my favorite story about my job, although technically, it has absolutely nothing at all to do with any story I ever wrote: A few years ago, when there were just two granddaughters (we now have four), my daughter took them in their stroller to a Vinton barber shop as they accompanied their father to his haircut.