DES MOINES, IA (05/07/2013)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald's Great Iowa Treasure Hunt spring publication is scheduled to be released soon. The upcoming list is the latest names of unclaimed property owners with undiscovered treasures. This is part of Fitzgerald's continuous promotion of the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt.

"In upcoming weeks, we will be publishing names of people who have had funds turned over to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt," stated Fitzgerald. "You don't have to wait for the publication, go to greatiowatreasurehunt.com and search the entire list anytime. I encourage everyone to search for their name; a lot of individuals will be pleasantly surprised."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $160 million in unclaimed property to more than 394,000 individuals since Fitzgerald started it in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report and deliver unclaimed property to the state treasurer's office, where it is held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits, safe deposit box contents and many other types of property.

Check the unclaimed property database to see if the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt has property belonging to you. Simply visit greatiowatreasurehunt.com to begin your search.

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SPRINGFIELD, IL (05/07/2013)(readMedia)-- As summer approaches and temperatures rise, more than 350,000 registered motorcycles in Illinois will emerge from their garages. The Office of Safety and Occupational Health would like to remind the motorcyclists of the Illinois Army National Guard of safety expectations and requirements.

Maj. Jayson Coble of Springfield, Ill., the safety and occupational health manager for the Illinois Army National Guard, said motorcycle safety is important because motorcycling is inherently more dangerous. According to the Division of Traffic Safety, there were 145 motorcyclist fatalities in 2011, an increase from the previous year.

"You're riding on two wheels instead of four," said Coble. "An experienced rider once told me that when you're on a motorcycle you've always got to watch out for everyone else around you, because they're not watching out for you."

Soldiers are reminded there are specific requirements for riding a motorcycle when on duty, which includes travel to and from training, as well as riding on any military installation. In order to ride, Soldiers must have the "M" designator on their Illinois driver's license and must have completed the Basic Rider Course within the last three years. Coble said the 15-hour course is offered free of cost at many sites throughout the state from February through October every year. A refundable $20 deposit is required to hold a seat, and the course provides a helmet and motorcycle for student use.

"The course teaches a person who has never ridden a motorcycle before, by the end of the weekend, to ride by themselves confidently," Coble said.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Ladd of Seymour, Ill., a driving instructor with the 129th Regimental Training Institute out of Springfield, Ill., has been an avid rider since graduating high school and said the Basic Rider Course is essential.

"I am a Motorcycle Safety Foundation-trained rider from the beginning," Ladd said. "I asked my father to teach me how to ride his bike. He told me when I turned 18, I could take a class from the state. I enrolled in the class after graduation and have been riding ever since."

Coble stated even experienced riders benefit from taking the basic rider course.

"The course teaches you things you may not have thought of before," Coble said. "Instructors talk about bad habits people get into after they've ridden for a while, and things certainly change over the course of time. After you've been riding for a long time, you can become complacent and complacency kills."

In addition to the course and licensure requirement, Soldiers must wear a helmet, eye protection, full-length pants, jacket, gloves and reflective gear. Coble said appropriate personal protective equipment is not only required, but will help save you in the case of an accident.

"I think the most important thing is a helmet," Coble said. "You have only one head, and that's probably the most vulnerable part of your body to injury and head injuries are the hardest to recover from if you survive."

Ladd echoed this sentiment.

"Buy a helmet that you'll wear," Ladd said. "It is the most important thing I've picked up as I became a more seasoned rider. I wouldn't wear a helmet if it was uncomfortable."

Ladd also said proper maintenance is another important part of safety, as well as riding alert.

"If there is any one thing to point out, don't ride when you're impaired," Ladd said. "If you make a mistake, there is no forgiveness."

More information can be found at http://safety.army.mil and http://www.msf-usa.org.

“Daddy Knows Best” by City High’s Jordan Adams named winner

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack announced at a ceremony over the weekend that a painting by Jordan Adams, a 10^th grader at City High in Iowa City, was named the winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition.  Jordan’s painting was chosen by judges Leslie Grossman, Curator and Gallery Director at St. Ambrose University and Rima Girnius, Curator at Figge Art Museum to represent Iowa’s Second District.  His painting will be hung in the U.S. Capitol and Jordan will receive a free trip to Washington to attend a reception held to honor all of this year’s winners.  A full list of the honorees and photos of their artwork is below.

“Every year I am amazed at the creativity, ingenuity, and talent of our local high school students from across the District.  I send my congratulations to all of the young artists whose excellent submissions made it a very close contest this year.  I especially want to congratulate Jordan and look forward to seeing his artwork hanging in the U.S. Capitol,” said Loebsack.

Winner:

Jordan Adams, 10^th grade, Iowa City- City High

“Daddy Knows Best”

First Runner-up:

Emily Miller, 11^th grade, Fairfield

“Work”

Second Runner-up:

Amy Beattie, 10^th grade, Ottumwa

“Bridge”

Honorable Mentions: (listed alphabetically)

Katlin Hart, Agency

“Hippo”

Karen Jorgenson, Davenport

"Appearance vs Reality"

Sarah Lange, Iowa City

“Love is Love”

Jessie McElderry, Batavia

“Portrait of a Turtle”

Amy Van Fossen, Bettendorf

“Iowa in Spring”

Weddings have always been big business, but I was shocked to see how expensive they've become in the 17 years since my wife and I got married. According to the annual Real Weddings Study, the average wedding in the U.S. now costs $28,427, and that doesn't even count the honeymoon.

Wait, it gets worse.

Among the more than 17,500 surveyed brides who got married in 2012, the average amount paid for a wedding dress was $1,211. On average they also spent $204 per wedding guest and dropped $12,905 for the reception venue.

There are many ways to rein in wedding-related costs while still having a memorable event. Here are a few suggestions:

Create a budget. Unless you're a professional wedding planner, you'll probably be floored by how many expenses weddings can amass, including: wedding and engagement rings, invitations, postage, marriage license, clergy and location fees, flowers, bridal gown and groom's tuxedo, rehearsal dinner and reception, photography, catering, DJ or band, limousine, parking attendants, tips, gifts for wedding participants and honeymoon expenses.

Shop around. Bridal expos are a good way to meet a lot of vendors and gather ideas. Just don't get caught up in the excitement and commit to anything before you've done follow-up research. Some tips:

• Bring along someone from the wedding party as well as a trustworthy friend who isn't emotionally and financially connected to the wedding.
• You may feel pressured by vendors to sign contracts or put down deposits, but it's probably wiser to take their contact information and research them first.
• Create a separate email account for wedding vendor communications. Once you sign up for one offer or contest, believe me, your inbox will be swamped.

After you've settled on vendors, get signed contracts that specify dates, products, prices, deposit and payment terms, cancellation policies, liability insurance and whether tax and gratuities are included.

Here are a few suggestions for trimming costs:

• Date flexibility. You'll get more bang for your buck offseason – a June wedding might cost 20 to 30 percent more than one in April or October.
• Have your florist use in-season flowers.
• Daytime weddings are often cheaper than evening events.
• Instead of a hotel, consider less-costly alternative reception venues like community centers, museums, city park clubhouses or other public facilities looking to earn extra income. Ask whether they have their own tables, chairs, sound and lighting systems; if not, add equipment rental costs into the equation.
• A buffet dinner reception could save you $15 or more per guest compared to a plated dinner, because you're not paying for table service. Save even more by hosting an afternoon reception and serving lunch or hors d'oeuvres.
• If you're hosting a large reception, have a smaller display cake for the cutting ceremony, with a sheet cake stored in the kitchen.
• Serve wine, beer and one signature cocktail, instead of offering a full bar.
• Consider renting or buying a second-hand wedding dress from a consignment shop, or an online specialty site. The same goes for grooms wear.
• Hiring a disc jockey instead of a live band will save hundreds of dollars; plus you get a broader selection of music and a built-in emcee to move things along.

One last budgeting tip: Limit the number of guests to ensure you can have a meaningful interaction with each. Remember, spending just one minute apiece with 300 guests would take five hours.