A mobster, or a teenager? How to tell the difference

VINTON TODAY
June 24, 2013 9:08 am

National Public Radio was rebuked by at least one listener a while ago because they aired a story in which a college student referred to a Florida town as “gay,” with “gay” meaning “not cool,” or whatever word with which the kids of 2009 have replaced “cool.

A Mr. (try to) Fix It's Father's Day to remember

VINTON TODAY
June 19, 2013 9:58 am

Ah, Father’s Day. The day for dads from all over to do special things, go to nice restaurants, and receive phone calls and other messages of appreciation while they celebrate the importance of their role.

Father's Day: Thanks is never enough

VALERIE CLOSE, EDITOR
June 16, 2013 7:33 pm

Today as we celebrate dad's day, I think about my dad, his dad, my other granddad, my husband, my son in law and my son, who is soon to be a dad, my father in law and his dad, both whom have passed away.

Upstream or down, we are all in floods together

LARRY STONE
June 12, 2013 11:00 am

Ann and Jim Kuhlman’s lives changed forever when the Winnebago River flooded their Mason City home in 2008.    Ann, a lay pastor, received a surprise phone call cancelling her church service.

To the Editor: Benghazi – Cross Border Authority?

JOHN STIEGELMEYER
June 7, 2013 11:08 am

There has been no satisfactory explanation of why Leadership was unwilling or unable to launch a rescue mission to save Americans at the Benghazi sub conciliate, and likely we the people will never hear why.

Opinion: Congratulations on 5th Anniversary

VINTON TODAY
June 4, 2013 5:19 pm

On the occasion of the Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home's fifth anniversary of being in business, my brothers and I wanted to honor the milestone by saying thank you to the Vinton community for your support of the business and our Dad, Frank Van Steenhuyse (who will no doubt be thoroughly embarrassed by this, which of course is part of the fun).

'WILD” LANDS CAN BE RURAL OR URBAN

MATTHEW PURDY, BENTON CO. CONSERVATION
May 31, 2013 11:56 am

Centuries ago, “wild” prairies, wetlands, forests, and savannas soaked up water, holding it on and in the land like a sponge. Floods were rare.

Heroes among us: Still leading us in times of peace and war

VINTON TODAY
May 27, 2013 1:52 pm

While most of the crowd was facing south or east during the end of the 2013 Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Park, I looked west and south for a moment.

With a cluck, cluck here, and cluck, cluck there

VALERIE CLOSE, EDITOR
May 23, 2013 10:06 pm

One of our favorite shows is America's got talent.  Usually it's not for the talent in the beginning of course, but because of the lack of it.

Tribute to heroes: A serious lesson from a toy helicopter

VINTON TODAY
May 23, 2013 3:56 pm

I will try to describe with words, the post-holiday sounds in the Close house since I opened my most unusual Christmas gift as an adult: Whine. Thump.