18
Sep
2001
• The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center says it has seen an outpouring of support from blood donors, volunteers, and people wishing to schedule blood drives in wake of the September 11 terrorist tragedies in New York City and Washington, D.C. Hundreds of people have also donated blood for the first time in the past week. However, the New York Blood Center reports that hospital demand for blood has been met with a now-abundant inventory of blood from people across the country. The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center is encouraging people interested in giving blood to call to schedule an appointment for the next two to eight weeks. Donors should continue to keep their regular appointments. Appointments can be made by calling (563)359-5401 or (800)747-5401. Whole blood can be donated every two months and must be used within 42 days. Platelets can be donated once a week but must be used within three to five days. It's important for the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center to continue to balance local needs with donations to sustain the demand in the weeks and months to come following the national tragedy.
• AU.S. Senate subcommittee has approved a $225,000 grant to study flood-control needs along the Mississippi River in Davenport. The money can be used to explore ways of protecting the city's wastewater treatment plant and the city, including measures to flood-proof homes and prevent sewer back-up. The catch is that to qualify for the money, Davenport must come up with 25 percent matching funds.
• Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan has filed a lawsuit against Casey's General Stores, claiming that the company overcharged customers for gasoline, with prices as much as $5 per gallon after last week's terrorist attacks. Iowa officials also say they are investigating reports of gas being $4 or $5 per gallon. If you see or suspect gas gouging, report it. In Illinois, call the Illinois Consumer Hotline at (800)247-5010. In Iowa, write Iowa Attorney General Price Check at 1300 East Walnut, Des Moines, IA 50319; fax (515)281-6771; or e-mail (consumer@ag.stat.ia.us). You can also look on the Web at (http://www.attorneygeneral.org).
• Each year, 1.1 million Americans suffer heart attacks and 460,000 of them die. Of those who die, about half expire before they reach the hospital. "Act in Time to Heart Attack Signs" is a campaign to educate the public about the importance of calling 911 immediately at the first sign of a heart attack. The warning signs are chest discomfort, including pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain; discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath that often comes along with chest discomfort but can occur before the chest discomfort; and a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. Cards listing the warning signs for heart attacks and strokes are available at Hy Vee and Drug Town Pharmacies and urge anyone observing these signs to dial 911. The cards are also available in either English or Spanish by calling (800)242-8721 and requesting the Emergency Action Card. More information on heart attacks and cardiac arrest can also be found at the American Heart Association's Web site at (http://www.americanheart.org).
• Placing a relative in a nursing home can be a difficult experience. Fortunately, the State of Iowa maintains a Web site at which you can check on the performance of nursing homes throughout the state. You can search based on the county of the facility, the name, the type of facility, and the city to find out how well a particular nursing home has done during state inspections since June 1999. Point your Web browser at the Departments of Inspections and Appeals site at (http://www.dia-hfd.state.ia.us/reportcards/). You can also find federal-government records pertaining to nursing homes all over the United States at the Medicare Nursing Home Compare site at (http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp).
• Arecent report from the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), a nonpartisan organization working for lower taxes, claims that the Bush tax cut was not responsible for the drastically shrinking federal surplus. The true cause is "a relentless onslaught of spending programs aided and abetted by lawmakers themselves." An example is that the total federal outlays in 1995 were $1.51 trillion. In 2001, they are scheduled to be $1.86 trillion. That's an increase of 22 percent. Average inflation during that period was 2.5 percent per year. And between 2001 and 2006, total federal outlays are expected to increase 20 percent, from $1.8 trillion to $2.2 trillion. You can learn more from the NTU press release on the budget surplus at (http://www.ntu.org/news_room/press_releases/pr_082201.php3).
• Grant applications for the Scott County Regional Authority Fall 2001 grant cycle are now available. Grant forms must be dated Fall 2001 and are available in Davenport, Bettendorf, and Scott County libraries and city halls in Davenport, Bettendorf, Blue Grass, Buffalo, Durant, Eldridge, LeClaire, Long Grove, New Liberty, Princeton, Riverdale, and Walcott. They are also available at the Scott County Courthouse and the offices of DavenportOne and the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce. Any not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, government/civic organization, or educational institution can apply. Mail completed applications to Scott County Regional Authority; P.O. Box 474; Bettendorf, Iowa 52722. You can get more information by calling (563)344-2626.
• The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention say there will be some delays in deliveries of flu vaccine this fall, but they won't be as bad as last year. It's predicted that 79 million doses will be delivered this fall and winter, with only 48 million delivered by the end of October. Health officials are asking that most young people wait until November to get their flu shots. For more information about the flu, point your Web browser to (http://www.cdc.gov/nip/flu).
• AU.S. Senate subcommittee has approved a $225,000 grant to study flood-control needs along the Mississippi River in Davenport. The money can be used to explore ways of protecting the city's wastewater treatment plant and the city, including measures to flood-proof homes and prevent sewer back-up. The catch is that to qualify for the money, Davenport must come up with 25 percent matching funds.
• Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan has filed a lawsuit against Casey's General Stores, claiming that the company overcharged customers for gasoline, with prices as much as $5 per gallon after last week's terrorist attacks. Iowa officials also say they are investigating reports of gas being $4 or $5 per gallon. If you see or suspect gas gouging, report it. In Illinois, call the Illinois Consumer Hotline at (800)247-5010. In Iowa, write Iowa Attorney General Price Check at 1300 East Walnut, Des Moines, IA 50319; fax (515)281-6771; or e-mail (consumer@ag.stat.ia.us). You can also look on the Web at (http://www.attorneygeneral.org).
• Each year, 1.1 million Americans suffer heart attacks and 460,000 of them die. Of those who die, about half expire before they reach the hospital. "Act in Time to Heart Attack Signs" is a campaign to educate the public about the importance of calling 911 immediately at the first sign of a heart attack. The warning signs are chest discomfort, including pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain; discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath that often comes along with chest discomfort but can occur before the chest discomfort; and a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. Cards listing the warning signs for heart attacks and strokes are available at Hy Vee and Drug Town Pharmacies and urge anyone observing these signs to dial 911. The cards are also available in either English or Spanish by calling (800)242-8721 and requesting the Emergency Action Card. More information on heart attacks and cardiac arrest can also be found at the American Heart Association's Web site at (http://www.americanheart.org).
• Placing a relative in a nursing home can be a difficult experience. Fortunately, the State of Iowa maintains a Web site at which you can check on the performance of nursing homes throughout the state. You can search based on the county of the facility, the name, the type of facility, and the city to find out how well a particular nursing home has done during state inspections since June 1999. Point your Web browser at the Departments of Inspections and Appeals site at (http://www.dia-hfd.state.ia.us/reportcards/). You can also find federal-government records pertaining to nursing homes all over the United States at the Medicare Nursing Home Compare site at (http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/home.asp).
• Arecent report from the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), a nonpartisan organization working for lower taxes, claims that the Bush tax cut was not responsible for the drastically shrinking federal surplus. The true cause is "a relentless onslaught of spending programs aided and abetted by lawmakers themselves." An example is that the total federal outlays in 1995 were $1.51 trillion. In 2001, they are scheduled to be $1.86 trillion. That's an increase of 22 percent. Average inflation during that period was 2.5 percent per year. And between 2001 and 2006, total federal outlays are expected to increase 20 percent, from $1.8 trillion to $2.2 trillion. You can learn more from the NTU press release on the budget surplus at (http://www.ntu.org/news_room/press_releases/pr_082201.php3).
• Grant applications for the Scott County Regional Authority Fall 2001 grant cycle are now available. Grant forms must be dated Fall 2001 and are available in Davenport, Bettendorf, and Scott County libraries and city halls in Davenport, Bettendorf, Blue Grass, Buffalo, Durant, Eldridge, LeClaire, Long Grove, New Liberty, Princeton, Riverdale, and Walcott. They are also available at the Scott County Courthouse and the offices of DavenportOne and the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce. Any not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, government/civic organization, or educational institution can apply. Mail completed applications to Scott County Regional Authority; P.O. Box 474; Bettendorf, Iowa 52722. You can get more information by calling (563)344-2626.
• The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention say there will be some delays in deliveries of flu vaccine this fall, but they won't be as bad as last year. It's predicted that 79 million doses will be delivered this fall and winter, with only 48 million delivered by the end of October. Health officials are asking that most young people wait until November to get their flu shots. For more information about the flu, point your Web browser to (http://www.cdc.gov/nip/flu).
