Author: Valerie Close

Fall in love with the Taste of Vinton, Saturday, October 14

Posted by | Oct 1, 2017 | |

By Melissa Schwan, VU Director Adults 21 and over are all invited to join us on Saturday, October 14, 2017 for this annual event Taste of Vinton will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. Check in: 1-2pm in front of Cooling Dance Studio Sip various wines, beers and mixed drinks while shopping the latest steals & deals! Participating businesses include Cameron’s, Clingman’s, Fareway, Henkle Creek, LaGrange’s & La Reyna Vinton native, singer/songwriter Elizabeth Moen, daughter of Sam & Jennie Moen and granddaughter of Bob & Becky Moen, will be playing at Cameron’s Clothing! Listen to Elizabeth HERE! Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the event *Must be 21 to participate. ID required at check-in. Please check out the ‘Taste of Vinton’ page on Facebook and be sure to share it with your...

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Scratch Cupcake Fundraiser to benefit Friends of the Shelter

Posted by | Oct 1, 2017 | |

From NOW until October 13, FOTSI is selling Scratch Cupcakes! All cupcakes will come in packages of 6, which can be viewed at: http://www.scratchcupcakery.com/fundraising/delivering-smiles Once you select the package(s) you want, you can order by: 1. Emailing us (VintonFOTSI@yahoo.com), 2. Message our Facebook page (Friends of the Shelter, Inc.) 3. Contact a FOTSI representative 4. Come to our Adoption Center (211 W. 4th Street, Vinton) Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7pm. But, wait! This deal gets even sweeter! When the cupcakes are delivered to our Adoption Center November 2nd, they will be frozen! Scratch recommends freezing them for up to three months, although they have had customers go much longer! This means you can order as many packages as you’d like without having to worry they’ll spoil before you get to them…just in time for the holidays!! HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT: VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE! FOTSI will receive 40% of each package sold! The funds raised will allow us to care for more homeless animals, provide necessary vetting for our adoptables, purchase daily care and cleaning supplies and much, much more! Now we know you’ve never had an incentive to eat sweets like that before! *Payment options will be emailed to you once you submit your order! Have a question? Don’t hesitate to ask! Ready to place your order? We’ve got a pen in hand!  ​ ​​**Please forward this message to your friends and family! Contact us if you’d like to help...

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Benton County Republicans to meet Oct. 3

Posted by | Oct 1, 2017 | |

This is just a reminder that the Benton County Republicans monthly meeting will be held this coming Tuesday, October 3rd, at 7 p.m. at the Van Horne Community Center located at 500 1st Ave, Van Horne. Come join us as we jump into 2018 caucus planning and finalize details for our November fundraiser and gun...

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Dr. Oran R. Corbett “Doc”

Posted by | Oct 1, 2017 | |

Note: We are re-posting the obituary of Dr. Corbett due to a technical error with the first story. We are sorry for any confusion this may cause, however, we did not want to lose the information.  Thank you. Dr. Oran Robert Corbett, known and loved as Doc, passed away at Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton on Thursday, March 23, 2017, following a sudden illness. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Vinton with Rev. Mark C. Urlaub officiating. Visitation will be held Monday, March 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home in Vinton and one hour prior to services at the church on Tuesday. Committal services will be held 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at Oak Hill Cemetery in Coralville with military rites conducted by U.S. Navy Funeral Honors. Doc was born in rural Benton County, Iowa, on March 29, 1932, to John LuVern and Wilhelmina Isabelle McMillian Corbett. He grew up on the family farm where his love of animals became evident at an early age. He attended Vinton schools and graduated in 1949. He enlisted in the Navy, serving on the USS Wasp during the Korean War. He attended Coe College and Iowa State Veterinary College, graduating in 1960. There he met Shirley “Lee” Nelson. They were united in marriage on August 20,...

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Center Point Historical Society/Friends of Library to hole Harvest Potluck

Posted by | Sep 29, 2017 | , |

October 19—Center Point Historical Society/Friends of Library combined community Harvest Potluck and program at Library community room. Supper at 6: bring a covered dish: beverages, table service provided. Free program at 7: Talk and book signing by Iowa author Linda McCann on the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps in northeast Iowa, subject of her latest...

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Scam of the Week: Equifax Phishing Attacks 

Posted by | Sep 28, 2017 | |

You already know that a whopping 143 million Equifax records were compromised. The difference with this one is that a big-three credit bureau like Equifax tracks so much personal and sometimes confidential information like social security numbers, full names, addresses, birth dates, and even drivers licenses and credit card numbers for some. It can be the difference between being able to buy a house or sometimes even get a job or not. This breach and the way they handled it, including the announcement, was what Brian Krebs rightfully called a dumpster fire. The problem is that with this much personal information in the hands of the bad guys, highly targeted spear phishing attacks can be expected, and a variety of other related crime like full-on identity theft on a much larger scale. These records are first going to be sold on the dark web to organized crime for premium prices, for immediate exploitation, sometimes by local gangs on the street. Shame on Equifax for this epic fail. They will be sued for billions of dollars for this web-app vulnerability. So this Scam of the Week covers what is inevitable in the near future, we have not seen actual Equifax phishing attacks at this point yet, but you can expect them in the coming days and weeks because the bad guys are going to take their most efficient way to...

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IOWA FARM BUREAU MEMBERS DISCUSS TRADE, THE FARM BILL AND THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE WITH LAWMAKERS

Posted by | Sep 28, 2017 | , |

Twenty-three Farm Bureau members representing Iowa Farm Bureau’s Ag Leaders Institute visited Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11-14 to share concerns with all four of Iowa’s U.S. congressmen, Senator Charles Grassley, Senator Joni Ernst, trade officials and representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They discussed issues pertinent to Iowa farmers, including trade, but many topics centered around challenges for beginning farmers.              With 89 percent of crop land in the U.S. covered by the federal crop insurance program, Clark Dolch of Adair County, who also works as an agricultural loan officer, stressed its importance in the 2018 Farm Bill for lenders and producers. “Crop insurance is the main risk mitigation tool for young farmers and is vital for continued success in the industry,” said Dolch. “Telling my story to Congressman Young helps him have a real-world story as he is negotiating with those who do not understand the challenges we face in rural America.”             In farming, land is one of the most expensive starting costs with the majority of the loan payment being interest. Not allowing for interest expense deduction will increase the effective tax rates, says Quentin Stortenbecker of Hancock County. As the Trump administration begins work on tax reform, Stortenbecker relayed to lawmakers that production agriculture is a “capital-intensive industry that requires debt financing” and farmers will be “unable to restructure their balance sheets as their...

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UI welcomes students to the Class of 2019

Posted by | Sep 28, 2017 | |

UI welcomes the following area students to the Class of 2019. Bailey Gallagher of Atkins Hayden Vest of Brandon Ranae Grimm of Dysart Brittany Hogue of Newhall Cherie Morse of Newhall Nancy Zmek Lorenz of Norway Wyatt Tumilty of Shellsburg Olivia Stark of Vinton Mikala Niemeier of Walker Savannah Halstead of Atkins Caitlyn Landuyt of Blairstown Rebecca Kimm of Keystone Jehsua Smith of Luzerne Alex Harrelson of Shellsburg Katrina Thomas of Shellsburg Dalton Heffernen of Urbana Brandon Kinsey of Urbana Chris Streit of Van Horne Jessica Anderson of Vinton Aaron Henderson of Vinton Alexis Hicok of Vinton Chelsea Mier of Vinton Aaron Ohlsen of Vinton Audrey Tran Lam of Vinton Kayla Carrothers of Walker   The University of Iowa is one of the nation’s premier public research universities, dedicated to academic excellence, groundbreaking discoveries and creations, commitment to Iowa and the world, and a culture that prizes community, diversity, and opportunity. The UI is known around the world for its leadership in the arts, sciences, and humanities. It is home to the first and best creative writing program in the world, a world-class academic medical center and one of America’s top teaching hospitals, and a can-do culture that fosters a campus-wide dedication to student...

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Robertson, New Executive Director for the Benton Development Group

Posted by | Sep 28, 2017 | |

By Kristina Kremer, President BDG Benton Development Group, the economic development resource for Benton County, has announced the selection of Kate Robertson as its new Executive Director. Kate will fill the vacancy created by Emily Upah’s departure in June to join Alliant Energy. “We are excited to have Kate join our organization. Kate’s experience in sales and marketing and her love for Benton County made her a great match for our open Executive Director position. Kate will begin her role of Executive Director on October 2nd and will be in contact with many of our local partners in the next few...

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Benton County Board of Supervisor Minutes September `19, 2017

Posted by | Sep 27, 2017 | |

September 19, 2017 The Benton County Board of Supervisors met in regular adjourned session with Supervisors Wiley, Primmer, and Bierschenk present. The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. Unless otherwise noted, all actions were approved unanimously. Bierschenk moved/ Primmer seconded: Approve the minutes of Tuesday, September 12 and Friday, September 15, 2017. Motion carried. Bierschenk moved/Wiley seconded: To appoint Rick Primmer to the Early Childhood Development Committee. Motion carried. Primmer moved/Bierschenk seconded: To approve pay increase for Marla Sutton, part-time in the Recorder’s office to $15 an hour effective September 16, 2017. Motion carried. Primmer moved/Bierschenk seconded: To set land use hearing date of Tuesday October 15, at 9:15 a.m. for Dave and Mary Coots in Parcel A in SW ¼ SW ¼ of 31-86-10. Motion carried. Tami Stark, Brenda Hackbarth and Tom Pingenot were present to voice their concerns with the safety of the Benton County Fairgrounds’ grandstands. Stark stated they were not there asking for financial support from the county, but instead to bring safety concerns to their attention. There was an incident at Boomtown in the grandstands, and it could have been much worse than it was. The Fair Board is not taking any action and Stark didn’t want anyone held liable if and when a future accident could happen. The Articles of the Incorporation of the Benton County Agricultural Society was presented and...

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