• High school students in Iowa continued their strong showing on the SAT college-entrance exam and have increased access to Advanced Placement classes, according to the 2004 summary report from the College Board. Iowa students averaged 593 in verbal and 602 in math on the SAT, compared to a nationwide average score of 508 in verbal and 518 in math. Education officials pay more attention to College Board information that relates to the increasing numbers of Iowa schools offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the number of students who take AP exams. These courses are college-level studies available to high-school students, most often in their junior and senior years. Often, students with high AP-exam scores can gain college credit or advanced placement in college courses. In 2004, 7 percent of Iowa high-school students took the courses offered at 208 accredited high schools. Last year only 187 Iowa high schools offered the classes. Sixty-nine percent of Iowa students who take the classes score a three or higher on the AP exams; five is the highest possible score. Nationally, 61 percent of students scored three or higher. Keeping with national standard, local high schools in Scott County offer a variety of AP courses, with Bettendorf High providing 14, Pleasant Valley six, Davenport Central five, Davenport West five, and North Scott two.
• Kaplan College has announced that it has officially changed its name to Kaplan University, having received formal approval from its accrediting body, The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Kaplan University will offer its first graduate-level degrees, a Master of Arts in Teaching & Learning and a Master of Education, and has also been approved to offer a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Kaplan University's new offerings can be found at (http://www.kaplan.edu). Kaplan University, based in Davenport, has support centers in Chicago and Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida. The institution was among the first participants in the U.S. Department of Education's Distance Education Demonstration Program. Today, students have access to a wide variety of on-line programs, with traditional classroom-based studies available at the Davenport campus. Enrollment has grown rapidly, with approximately 200 students in 2000 to more than 18,000 on-line and campus-based students today. Kaplan University is affiliated with Concord Law School, the first institution to offer a Juris Doctor degree on-line. The deadline to enroll for the first term is November 5, and classes begin November 15.
• Local school districts will be receiving federal grants to support innovative approaches to physical-education programs. The funds are being provided by the Department of Education as part of the Carol M. White Physical Education Program, known as "PEP." This investment will be used for teacher and staff training and development, and the purchase of equipment and other support necessary to enable students to participate in physical activities. The Bettendorf Community School District is receiving $672,000, and the Davenport Community School District is receiving $466,000.
• Entries are being sought for the Rock Island Public Library's "Fractured Fairy Tale Writing Contest" for grades 3 through 8. To enter, write a silly, goofy, or scary fractured fairy tale of 250 words or more and send it to the library by Saturday, October 16. Winners will be announced at the "Night of Tales Unfolded" Halloween event. Entries may be dropped off at any Rock Island Library branch, or mailed to Sue Foster; Children's Department; Rock Island Public Library; 401 19th Street; Rock Island IL 61201. For details, call the Children's Department at 732-7360.
• The National Organizaiton for the Reform of Marijuana Laws reports that the Bush administration has decided not to challenge a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling striking down proposed U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations that sought to criminalize the possession and manufacture of edible hemp-seed or -oil products that contain trace amounts of THC. The allotted time for the U.S. Justice Department to appeal the Ninth Circuit ruling recently expired. The administration's decision not to appeal the ruling marks a victory for the Hemp Industries Association (HIA), which represents more than 200 hemp companies in North America. The HIA had urged the court to invalidate the DEA's regulations, first proposed in October 2001, arguing that the agency lacks the legal authority to regulate non-psychoactive hemp, and that minute amounts of THC in hemp products represent no threat to public safety. For more information, take a look at (http://www.votehemp.org).
• The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement is receiving a nearly $330,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The funds were awarded under the COPS Methamphetamine Training Initiative program, focusing on training and technical assistance, equipment purchasing, officer overtime, community outreach, and other approved costs. This federal grant program was designed to proactively assist law-enforcement agencies with the highest-priority needs in fighting the proliferation of methamphetamine.
• Visiting Angels (http://www.visitingangels.com), a non-medical senior home-care franchise located in Davenport, has announced that Michael Grady will facilitate a support group for caregivers. The support group is for the healing and affirmation of local caregivers. The Caregiver Affirmation Support Group will meet Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Institute for Cultural & Healing Traditions, 1530 Fifth Avenue in Moline. Attendance is free and is open to persons experiencing feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, overwork, depression, or loneliness while caring for another. For more information or to sign up for the group, call Visiting Angels at (309)764-3346.
• The U.S. Census Bureau has announced "The American Community Survey," which will replace the decennial long form in future censuses and is a critical element in the Census Bureau's re-engineered 2010 census. Full implementation of the American Community Survey is planned in every county of the United States. Data will be collected by mail, and Census Bureau staff will follow up with those who do not respond. The American Community Survey will provide estimates of demographic, housing, social, and economic characteristics every year for all states, as well as for all cities, counties, metropolitan areas, and population groups of 65,000 people or more. You can see a copy of the form at (http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/SQuest03.pdf). Be prepared to answer 24 pages of questions regarding work habits, education, health, and your family. For every question not answered, there is a $100 fine, and for every intentionally false answer, there is a $500 fine.
• Starting as an office located in the middle of East Moline Works, open three times daily at shift change, the IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union has become the largest credit union in the area and sixth largest in the state of Illinois. October 2004 marks the Credit Union's 70th anniversary. There are now 10 branches, and membership is open to residents in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas.
• Kaplan College has announced that it has officially changed its name to Kaplan University, having received formal approval from its accrediting body, The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Kaplan University will offer its first graduate-level degrees, a Master of Arts in Teaching & Learning and a Master of Education, and has also been approved to offer a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Kaplan University's new offerings can be found at (http://www.kaplan.edu). Kaplan University, based in Davenport, has support centers in Chicago and Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida. The institution was among the first participants in the U.S. Department of Education's Distance Education Demonstration Program. Today, students have access to a wide variety of on-line programs, with traditional classroom-based studies available at the Davenport campus. Enrollment has grown rapidly, with approximately 200 students in 2000 to more than 18,000 on-line and campus-based students today. Kaplan University is affiliated with Concord Law School, the first institution to offer a Juris Doctor degree on-line. The deadline to enroll for the first term is November 5, and classes begin November 15.
• Local school districts will be receiving federal grants to support innovative approaches to physical-education programs. The funds are being provided by the Department of Education as part of the Carol M. White Physical Education Program, known as "PEP." This investment will be used for teacher and staff training and development, and the purchase of equipment and other support necessary to enable students to participate in physical activities. The Bettendorf Community School District is receiving $672,000, and the Davenport Community School District is receiving $466,000.
• Entries are being sought for the Rock Island Public Library's "Fractured Fairy Tale Writing Contest" for grades 3 through 8. To enter, write a silly, goofy, or scary fractured fairy tale of 250 words or more and send it to the library by Saturday, October 16. Winners will be announced at the "Night of Tales Unfolded" Halloween event. Entries may be dropped off at any Rock Island Library branch, or mailed to Sue Foster; Children's Department; Rock Island Public Library; 401 19th Street; Rock Island IL 61201. For details, call the Children's Department at 732-7360.
• The National Organizaiton for the Reform of Marijuana Laws reports that the Bush administration has decided not to challenge a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling striking down proposed U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations that sought to criminalize the possession and manufacture of edible hemp-seed or -oil products that contain trace amounts of THC. The allotted time for the U.S. Justice Department to appeal the Ninth Circuit ruling recently expired. The administration's decision not to appeal the ruling marks a victory for the Hemp Industries Association (HIA), which represents more than 200 hemp companies in North America. The HIA had urged the court to invalidate the DEA's regulations, first proposed in October 2001, arguing that the agency lacks the legal authority to regulate non-psychoactive hemp, and that minute amounts of THC in hemp products represent no threat to public safety. For more information, take a look at (http://www.votehemp.org).
• The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement is receiving a nearly $330,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The funds were awarded under the COPS Methamphetamine Training Initiative program, focusing on training and technical assistance, equipment purchasing, officer overtime, community outreach, and other approved costs. This federal grant program was designed to proactively assist law-enforcement agencies with the highest-priority needs in fighting the proliferation of methamphetamine.
• Visiting Angels (http://www.visitingangels.com), a non-medical senior home-care franchise located in Davenport, has announced that Michael Grady will facilitate a support group for caregivers. The support group is for the healing and affirmation of local caregivers. The Caregiver Affirmation Support Group will meet Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Institute for Cultural & Healing Traditions, 1530 Fifth Avenue in Moline. Attendance is free and is open to persons experiencing feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, overwork, depression, or loneliness while caring for another. For more information or to sign up for the group, call Visiting Angels at (309)764-3346.
• The U.S. Census Bureau has announced "The American Community Survey," which will replace the decennial long form in future censuses and is a critical element in the Census Bureau's re-engineered 2010 census. Full implementation of the American Community Survey is planned in every county of the United States. Data will be collected by mail, and Census Bureau staff will follow up with those who do not respond. The American Community Survey will provide estimates of demographic, housing, social, and economic characteristics every year for all states, as well as for all cities, counties, metropolitan areas, and population groups of 65,000 people or more. You can see a copy of the form at (http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/SQuest03.pdf). Be prepared to answer 24 pages of questions regarding work habits, education, health, and your family. For every question not answered, there is a $100 fine, and for every intentionally false answer, there is a $500 fine.
• Starting as an office located in the middle of East Moline Works, open three times daily at shift change, the IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union has become the largest credit union in the area and sixth largest in the state of Illinois. October 2004 marks the Credit Union's 70th anniversary. There are now 10 branches, and membership is open to residents in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas.
