Huston William Danker, 26, entered a guilty plea to first degree murder in connection to the death of Ryan Cooper. Cooper was a resident of Traer in 2021 when he was killed.

Vinton-Shellsburg fourth graders were the grateful recipients of books for their summer reading pleasure. An incredible collection was donated last week to help them leap into summer reading! John Arnold, brother of former Vinton-Shellsburg reading teacher Steve Arnold, desired to donate the books, as it had always been Steve’s goal for all students to be lifelong readers.

Farm Bureau partnered with ISU Extension & Outreach to offer a unique, up-close experience to kindergarten classrooms in Benton County! Tilford and Keystone Elementary were our first participating schools and we are so thankful they welcomed us into their classrooms for this program! The program ran for four weeks and included weekly classroom lessons that allowed students to explore the poultry industry and identify the basic needs of a growing chick.

One of 32 Programs Honored by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission for Innovation, Sustainability and Replicability The Iowa State Association of County Auditors (ISACA) announced it was recognized for excellence in election administration with a national Clearinghouse Award for Outstanding Election Official State Association Program.

Following a discussion on the hiring of an assistant in a closed session last year, the Benton County Supervisors approved a new hire in the HR Department almost a year later.

Due to the drought conditions, the City of Belle Plaine has been under water restrictions for the last month or so. Because of the look and smell of the water, citizens had been restricting its use even more.

By Clark KauffmanA LaPorte City man who has been engaged in a long-running dispute with the police department is now suing the city for malicious prosecution and false arrest.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and state and federal election security partners convened at the Iowa Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Operation Center to assure voters they are prepared to ensure Iowa’s election integrity throughout the upcoming 2024 Primary Election.

As part of a settlement with the Iowa Public Information Board, Benton County held training for open meetings and laws on Wednesday morning and into the afternoon.

I am sure you have heard; it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a community to protect a child. This is about creating that community within Benton and Iowa County for the protection of children.