News

With a steady line of folks, for most of the morning, the Vinton Kiwanis served 430 hungry folks on Saturday morning. The Vinton Kiwanis organization is responsible for several projects in Vinton. They use fundraisers like their pancake breakfast to help support their activities. Proceeds from fundraisers throughout the year go to various communi

Keep Iowa Beautiful is calling on Iowans to help achieve our statewide goal of 2,500 volunteers to clean up litter across the state this spring. Iowans are invited to host a 2025 Pick-Up Iowa event in their communities. Pick-Up Iowa will run from April 1st, 2025 through June 30th, 2025.Pick-Up Iowa, a Keep Iowa Beautiful program, promotes focused efforts to clean up trash along Iowa’s roadsides, neighborhoods, streets, school grounds, parks, forests, and streams.

Belle Plaine residents reported on Friday morning shortly after 6:00 a.m. that in the northwest side of the town, that there was a heavy law enforcement presence. This was followed by what residents assumed was a "flash bag" or a loud boom near a residence in the area of 5th Ave. The Belle Plaine Police Department shared the following press release:Belle Plaine Police Department released the following on Friday: On February 25, 2025, a report was received that William Atkinson, 31, of Belle Plaine had made threats towards a financial company.

Correction: This fire was handled and coordinated by the Garrison Fire Department and Emergency Services. My apologies to the great men in Garrison!---Friday afternoon was a bad combination of earth, wind and fire. With winds gusting from 35 mph up to 45 mph it was the worst time to have a field fire. Unfortunately, the local fire departments were faced with that very challenge.

Are you a space nerd, or do you just want to see something awesome? Tonight, as soon as it gets dark, look up and you’ll see a rare sight: Seven planets all in alignment. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Neptune and Uranus. Technically only the first five are bright enough to spot with just your eyes. You’ll need binoculars or a telescope to see Neptune and Uranus.

Cedar River (above Nashua)About 8-10 inches of ice with the edges starting to become weak so use caution. Warmer weather is bringing more people out over the last week and they are having success! Black Crappie - Fair: Use a small jig tipped with a minnow in backwater areas with no current. Bluegill - Fair: Try a small jig tipped with a waxworm under a bobber a few inches off the bottom.

Center Point-Urbana's FFA is in its 2nd year. So far enrollment in the program has reached participation of 150 students in its Ag Programs. As part of the program, the organization is raising funds to construct a greenhouse. Across the state of Iowa, there are 264 FFA chapters. Of that number, 61% of the groups have their own greenhouse, and CPU is raising funds to build their own.

Photos:Top Row Left to Right: Bailey Duart (12) Avery Sweeney (12), Mya Rawson (12), Caleigh Lewis (9)Bottom Row Left to Right: Brady Holthaus, Jagger Clemons, Dany Small, Conduct of Meeting Team (9), and Evie Kratz---The Center Point-Urbana FFA Chapter made history at the sub-district-level competition, with two students securing first-place finishes-the first-ever sub-district champions in CPU FFA history.

Important Announcement from Virginia Gay Hospital:Virginia Gay Hospital will be upgrading our phone system from 6-7:00 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, February 25, 2025. During this time there may be a brief interruption in phone service. If you call and receive a busy signal, please try again. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve our services.

By: Co-Reporter, Sophia NewtonVinton-Shellsburg FFA members showcased their skills and dedication at the Southwest Sub-District competitions, held at Hawkeye on Wednesday, February 19th. Competing in a variety of events, the chapter demonstrated strong performances, earning multiple top placements. In Ag Broadcasting, Raine Wheeler secured a second-place gold rating, while Izzie Birker took first place in Ag Sales.