News

Benton County Conservation and Shellsburg Hometown Pride were among the grant winners by Diamond Vogel and Keep Iowa Beautiful. We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Paint Iowa Beautiful grants. This long-standing partnership supports community betterment projects across the state by providing free paint for initiatives that improve public spaces such as historic buildings, libraries, schools, parks, and community facilities.

Iowa Attorney General Bird today announced the launch of the new Iowa Cold Case playing card deck to help crack Iowa’s more than 400 unsolved murders. The announcement was made in a press conference at the Des Moines Police Department. Speakers at the press conference also included:Steve Ponsetto, Investigator and lead of the Iowa cold case unit in the Iowa Attorney General’s OfficeHaley Elliott, niece to Ruthie Kingery-PohlmeierBrandi Weber, granddaughter to Bill and Kay WoodJosh Okland, brother to Ashley OklandBrittany Okland, sister to Ashley OklandSheriff Jason Sandholt, Marion County SheriffChief Michael McTaggart, Des Moines Police Department, Chief of Police“Every name in this cold case playing card deck represents more than just an unsolved case,” said Attorney General Bird.

On Sunday, a 19-year-old Vinton man was arrested for allegedly reporting a fake robbery at the Evansdale Kwik Star. This led to an evacuation of the store over the weekend. Dakota Voyle Mathews, was arrested on Sunday for the false report to law enforcement.The Waterloo Courier reported that   "according to court records, Mathews left his house with friends on Saturday and failed to return home for Easter on Sunday.

By: Gabby PowerOn April 17, 2025, students in the Agricultural Mechanics class at Vinton-Shellsburg High School got more than just a lesson, they got real-world insight from a hometown expert. Nate Edwards, fourth-generation owner of Edwards Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning in Vinton, stopped by to speak with students about his business, the value of skilled trades, and even explained a few simple home plumbing fixes.

Is the breaded pork tenderloin your go-to when eating out? If so, it’s that time of year again and we need your help to uncover the 2025 Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin! The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) is on the hunt for the tastiest, juiciest, most mouthwatering breaded pork tenderloin sandwich in the state.Nominations for the 23rd annual Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest are officially open from April 17 to June 1, and you can throw your favorite restaurant into the ring.

Today, Governor Kim Reynolds signed the following bills into law:SF 397: A bill for an act relating to assaults, including assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and inmate assaults on department of corrections employees, and providing penalties.SF 166: An act relating to bank utilization of filing services offered by the Secretary of State.

The Charles and Helen Yundt Charitable Foundation is accepting grant applications for year 2025 from non-profit organizations serving the Vinton, Iowa community. Each grant awarded shall be for a specific purpose or project, with the intent to benefit the greater Vinton Community, with particular attention to education, health and human services.Grant applications are available through the Farmers Savings Bank & Trust website at fsb-vinton.

 By Brooklyn DraiseyThe Iowa House has sent a bill to Gov. Kim Reynolds’s desk that would do away with divorce court orders to pay a subsidy for higher education.Senate File 513 would bar courts from ordering either party involved in the dissolution of a marriage to pay a postsecondary education subsidy, through a temporary order or final judgment made on or after July 1.

Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff immediately until sunset on the day of interment for His Holiness Pope Francis who died on April 21, 2025 at Vatican City. He was 88-years-old.Gov. Reynolds’ order is issued in conjunction with President Trump’s proclamation to lower the United States flag for the same amount of time.

Photo: From left to right: Kyle Koeppen representing the Vinton Shellsburg Community School District, Cyanna Boggess representing Vinton Unlimited, Deb Wilberg representing Farmers Savings Bank & Trust and Anne Williams representing the Vinton Area Ministerial Association. Absent: Tami Stark representing Vinton City Council. ---One hundred percent of your tax-deductiblecontributions are used for the betterment of the Vinton community.