News

The Eastern Iowa Honor Flights recently received several donations.   As we look forward to our last flight of 2014 (October 21), we shall soon begin planning for our 2015 flight season, and anticipate doing 4 flights again next year. This is all made possible by the tremendous support of individuals, groups, and corporations.   We would like to thank the Riders from American Legion Post #45, Manchester, Iowa for their support of the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight.

The Operation Backpack program that Vinton-Shellsburg High School students Riley Ries and Kylie Miracle began earlier this month is reaching many more students than anticipated. A total of 91 stuents from Tilford and Shellsburg elementaries are going home with a bag of food for the weekend. The program has received generous donations from local citizens and service clubs, as well as corporate donations of food items from Pepsi and items unused from the VAMA summer lunch programs.

DuPont Pioneer is awarding grants to Iowa communities for the purchase of grain bin rescue equipment. Fire departments in Avoca, Garber, Garrison, Gowrie, Low Moor, Rockwell City, Tiffin and Westside, Iowa, are receiving grants this year to purchase grain bin rescue equipment for use in their communities through the Pioneer community betterment program, and additional grants are still available.

Approximately 30 people and eggsactly one chicken attended the 4th annual Center Point Historical Society Cemetery Walk Sunday, Sept. 28. The fluffy fowl was a prop for Dr. Philip Andersen who portrayed the late poultry- loving Jake Floyd. Andersen’s wife DeEtta, CPU student Marissa Benischek, Walthill Nebraska residents Janet Brookman Kruse and John Kruse, CP city councilman John Stuelke and CP resident Jon Brendel also have the Historical Society’s undying gratitude for playing Center Point dear departeds.

On Saturday, October 4th Virginia Gay Hospital Healthcare Foundation with the support of Vinton Parks and Recreation Department (VPRD) and other area health and wellness organizations will host the first Benton County Community Health and Wellness Fair at the Vinton Skate and Activity Center from 10am to 2pm - Admission is Free. “The Community Health and Wellness Fair will provide important health-related information, screenings, and demonstrations for the family,” said Mike Timmermans, Virginia Gay Hospital Healthcare Foundation director and fair organizer.

A letter Dan Flaugh wrote from Iraq to a Vinton-Shellsburg elementary student who is now a high schooler, and the cross country T-shirt he wore during the home meet at Rodgers Park a dozen or years ago were among the special items that helped his friends and family remember him during the third annual Flaughless 5K on Saturday. While the event is not on the Vinton-Shellsburg calendar, countless V-S alumni, especially those who went to high school and ran the streets and hills of eastern Iowa during four years of cross country, gathered at Riverside Park for the event.

Ron and Sharalyne Albright of rural Vinton and many of their fellow antique car lovers from the Hawk A Model A Ford Club of Cedar Rapids visited Dysart and Vinton on Friday. In Vinton they met at Old School Produce, where Mike Elwick explained his business. They then drove their cars to the library to begin a tour of the painted murals and chainsaw sculptures by Brian Parr.

Benton Development Group will be hosing the USDA Rural Development for an informational meeting regarding housing programs available to Benton County residents.  The meeting will be taking place on Wednesday, October 8th at 7:00pm in the Van Horne Community Room.    USDA Rural Development works to improve the quality of life in rural areas.

Join the Benton County Conservation Staff on Sunday, October 5th from Noon to 3:00 p.m., as we celebrate the grand opening of the County’s Nature Center at 5718 20th Ave. Drive, just North of Vinton off Hwy 218 (the Southwest corner of Rodgers Park) Stroll the grounds and enjoy the trails and outdoor playscapes; designed with children in mind.

In addition to loaning books and videos, Virginia Holsten and her staff at the Vinton Public Library are now offering the sale of blue cups. The cups are part of a fund-raising effort to help obtain the money necessary to digitize decades of microfilmed newspapers. This will allow people to search the papers on their computers via the Internet rather than having to scroll through each year while using the microfilm machine in the library basement.