News

                The Iowa State Fair is quickly approaching and plans for the annual Governor’s Charity Steer Show are in full swing. Iowa cattlemen support this great event that benefits the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.        ​Reagan Burmeister daughter of Pete and Erin Burmeister of Rowley, Iowa, (granddaughter of Gary and Dana Burmeister of Benton County) has joined the Governor’s Charity Steer Show lineup of exceptional youth to show her steer at the August 10 event.

With a beautiful day for a party, Shellsburg residents came out to enjoy the day together. Kicking off the day with a parade, the town pulled out all the stops to celebrate the little town. Here are just a few pictures.

Learn more about buying sweet corn, keeping it fresh and growing your ownThe middle of summer is officially here and so is sweet corn season. With the unusual weather events this year, Iowans can still expect to see an abundance of their favorite sweet corn variety.Iowans in the southeast witnessed their first round of sweet corn on June 24. Four days later, producers were back in the fields harvesting larger amounts.

Dysart’s summer tradition returned on Friday, July 19th when the Dysart Development Corporation (DDC) hosted its 22nd annual Car, Truck & Bike Show. The event is growing in size, popularity and scope with 161 entries this year."Our goal every year is to grow the selection of vehicles that have never been to our show before and it's a great opportunity to bring people to downtown Dysart," said DDC President Nicole Taylor.

By Clark KauffmanThe state panel charged with ensuring transparency in government is being sued for allegedly violating Iowa’s Open Meetings Law.Briana Reha of Polk County is suing the Iowa Public Information Board and its members for the manner in which they approved a pay raise for the board’s executive director, Erika Eckley.The lawsuit alleges that on June 25, IPIB posted an agenda for its June 27 board meeting.

(The complete list of winners at the Benton County Fail will be posted at a later date.)The 2024 Benton County Parade of Champions includes the following:POULTRY1. Champion Market Broiler Special - Jeremy Wallace2. Reserve Champion Market Broiler Special - Geen Antwoord3. Champion Poultry Exhibit - Madison Rouse4. Reserve Champion Poultry Exhibit - Madison Rouse5.

 All Charges are subject to review by the Benton County Attorney’s Office. An arrest or criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the Defendant is presumed innocent, unless proven guilty. Intrastate Warrants are issued by Law Enforcement Agencies for crimes happening in their jurisdictions. Two Adult Arrests the week of July 8-14, 2024 July 10​Anna Dee Burgess, 32, Vinton, IA​​​Intrastate Warrant-Theft 2nd Degree-Shoplifting July 13​​​Jared Joseph Evans, 29, Cedar Rapids, IA​​​Driving While Barred One Juvenile Referral for the week of June 8-14, 2024 Zero Code Enforcement Violations for the week of July 8-14, 2024 Five Traffic Citations for Offenses were issued the week of July 8-14, 2024  Seven Traffic Warnings for Offenses were issued the week of July 8-14, 2024 One Reported Motor Vehicle Accident for the week of July 8-14, 2024 For the Week of July 8-14, 2024– 78 complaints/calls for service were handled by the Vinton Police Department.

The Van Horne Lions Club presented a check on behalf of the club to the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight. The $500 donation will be used to fly Veterans to the nation's capital, Washington D.C. Thank you to the Lions Club for your support! Pictured are chapter President Lou Albers and Treasurer Theresa Thompson. Roger Uthoff accepts the donation on behalf of Eastern Iowa Honor Flight.

During Wednesday morning's Storytime for children at the Vinton Public Library, Justin Hughes, the middle school band director, brought a variety of instruments to the library. He introduced just a few types of instruments and explained a bit about each category. The brass, woodwind and percussion instruments all captured the interest of the more than 30 children present.