News

The community of Shellsburg is excited to announce a bridge ribbon cutting ceremony to be held on Thursday, November 16th at 3:30 pm.   The Sells Street bridge has served the community for 108 years and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Shellsburg is celebrating the opening of the new Smith Street bridge which will provide an improved gateway to the Shellsburg business district.

V-S FFA Celebrates Personal Growth at Pork BBQ Degree CeremoniesBy: Co-Reporter, Izzie Birker On Monday, October 16th Vinton-Shellsburg FFA chapter and guests came together to honor all of the degree recipients, and new Discovery and Greenhand members. Before the officer team started the meeting and degree ceremony, there was a delicious potluck catered by the Merchant family with amazing pulled pork, party potatoes and all of the foods the members brought in for the potluck.

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.One Adult Arrest the week of October 16-22, 2023October 18 Fred Eugene Schmidt, 55, Vinton, IATheft 5th DegreeOne Juvenile Referrals for the week of October 16-22, 2023Seven Code Enforcement ViolationsRight of Way Violations x 4 Building Code Violations x 2 Zoning Violation x 1 Three Traffic Citations for Offenses were issued the week of October 16-22, 2023Eight Traffic Warnings for Offenses were issued the week of October 16-22, 2023Zero Reported Motor Vehicle Accidents for the week of October 16-22, 2023For the Week of October 16-22, 2023– 53 complaints/calls for service were handled by the Vinton Police Department.

In a "Settlement Agreement and General Release" obtained from the county, forms signed by the Benton County Supervisors address claims for the following:Failure to hireUnequal PayDenied BenefitsHarassmentRetaliatory Harassment.A settlement was made by Heartland Insurance Risk Pool on behalf of the county in the amount of $250,000. Along with the payment the female employee "voluntarily" to resign, and cannote ever work for Benton County again.

The Benton County Board of Supervisors met today and a motion was made and passed directing the Benton County Attorney to release a statement as follows:We wish to clarify previous actions related to the Board of health to clarify that the primary reason for the action was to reverse the 130% increase in the budget implemented by the Benton County Board of Health .

The best part of growing up in Vinton and being in this job is that I get to talk to people that I knew as a child. As I sat to talk with Sylvia Schoonover, I said something like, "I've known you most of my life." then I realized that I had known her my whole life. I was born to parents who attended church with Sylvia so we had that shared history to begin our visit.

The deadline for voting in the annual Scarecrow contest is TONIGHT by 7:00 p.m You have a few hours to take a trip around town to view the creations by the local businesses...maybe make it an after school trip!Ballots must be turned into the Rec Center, and yes you can use the drop box if you need to!So have a bit of fun in Vinton today as you explore the various scarecrows!Contestants: 1.

UPDATED: Over the weekend the final member of the Board of Health has officially received her letter of termination from the board, by the Benton County Supervisors. We, the former members of the Benton County Board of Health (BOH), are notifying the citizens of Benton County that the five members listed on the county's website as board of health members have been terminated effective immediately as of October 3rd, 2023 by the Board of Supervisors without a cited reason.

October is National Advanced Manufacturing Month, and in honor of this celebration we’re featuring a recent success story with one of our great manufacturing partners. Ideal Industries in Vinton is a full-service manufacturer of fabricated metal products and has been a Workplace Learning Connection partner for almost a decade.Last spring, Ideal Industries collaborated with WLC and Vinton-Shellsburg High School to create an enhanced internship experience for three Vinton-Shellsburg seniors.

Every October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Since last October, 10 Iowans have died due to this horrific crime.In 1989, Congress declared the month of October to be Domestic Awareness Month. For the last 34 years Domestic Violence Month has helped start the conversation on the crime’s impact on victims, survivors, and families everywhere.