News Headlines

By: Co-Reporter, Bri DulinOn Wednesday, February 18th, Vinton-Shellsburg FFA members traveled to Hawkeye Community College to compete in the Sub-District FFA Contest, earning impressive results. Advancing to the District Competition include: Kendalyn Appleby earned 2nd place Gold in Creed Speaking, Raine Wheeler earned 1st place Gold in Extemporaneous Speaking, Will McKenna received 2nd place Gold in Prepared Public Speaking, Bridgette Castle earned 1st place Gold in Chapter Website, Wyatt Shaver earned 1st place Gold in Ag Sales, in Chapter Program Zane Helter, Bri Dulin, and Kenzie Rhinehart earned 2nd place Silver, and the Parliamentary Procedure team of Levi Lutz, Ali Lutz, Ciara Dods, Kassidi Brunssen, and Andrew Allsup earned 1st place Gold.

Benton County residents are invited to attend the Benton County Health & Wellness Fair on Friday, March 7th, at Vinton-Shellsburg High School, held in conjunction the annual Kiwanis Club of Vinton with Pancake Breakfast.The Health & Wellness Fair will bring together dozens of local and regional organizations offering information, resources, and services focused on physical, mental, and community well-being.

The Iowa City Police Department was dispatched to the Highlander Hotel on Highlander Place in Iowa City, just after 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 21.The police report says that 32-year-old Allison See of Van Horne, entered a strangers hotel room, began stripping, and told the occupant, “Let’s do this.” Authorities reported that she eventually left the room but later returned and knocked on the door.

If you were anywhere near the Skate Center on Saturday night, you didn’t need a calendar to tell you something special was happening. The parking lot was jam-packed, the street lined with cars and pickup trucks, and inside the building, something even more beautiful was unfolding.It was the annual Daddy Daughter Dance.The Skate Center was filled wall to wall with little girls dressed in their very best — sparkly shoes, fluffy skirts, bows, braids, and bright smiles.

A free seminar offered by the State of Iowa’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) and Virginia Gay HospitalWelcome to Medicare will cover:» Medicare Parts A & B benefits» Prescription Drug Benefits (Part D)» Medicare Advantage Plans» Medicare Supplement Insurance» Identify Medicare Fraud, Errors, and AbuseThe event will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at Virginia Gay Hospital 504 N 9th Ave Vinton, IA 52349 REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED BY APRIL 16, 2026 Call (319) 361-7357 Seminar will be held in the Clinic Conference Room.

100 Great Iowa Nurses was established in 2004 and hosted by the University of Iowa until 2020. In 2022, with the support of Mary Greeley Medical Center, the program, now called Great Iowa Nurses, is returning to recognize Iowa nurses that routinely go above and beyond every day and take that extra step to ensure safe, compassionate care for their patients.

A few strong to severe thunderstorms remain possible this evening into early tonight along and south of I-80 with the main threats being hail and gusty winds.Rain or a mix will change to snow tonight from west to east, leading to periods of moderate to heavy snow mainly north and west of the Quad Cities.A Winter Storm Warning has been issued across the northwest portion of the outlook area with Winter Weather Advisories extending to the southeast, but not including the Quad Cities at this time.

Nick Fisher shared with the Local Kiwanis a bit about the Farmers Mercantile Hall that he owns in Garrison. If you'll notice, each month you can find both his ad and a article concerning the shows that are scheduled for the month. Here is a link to his Facebook page. He said that he is unclear of the date of construction of the building and even the courthouse records disagree with what he's discovered.

According to arrest records from the Vinton Police Department, Nicholas Newbrough, a Vinton Post Office employee and his wife Kendra Newbrough were arrested on October 10, 2025. The two were later released on a $5,000 bond each. The couple faced multiple charges concerning a theft that occurred at a residence on September 1, 2025.Court filings show that the couple faced a total of four charges.

One sentence in a courts ruling, takes away the settlement of a family in the loss of a Garrison man. "Decision of Court of Appeals Vacated; District Court Judgment Reversed and Case Remanded."In summation, the document reads, "Michael Griffith died on the job after falling through an open catwalk gate into machinery owned by his employer, Wendling Quarries.