26 Jun 2015

Quad Cities Museum Week Brings New Audiences Through the Doors!

By Jessica Waytenick

Quad Cities - As Sunday, June 21 came to a close, local museums reported increased visitation during the first annual Quad Cities Museum Week that ran June 13 through 21. Due to the success of the event, plans are underway for next year's event.

Museums reported anywhere from a 1% to 40% increase in visitation.  Most notably, the small museums recorded the highest percentage increase in visitation during the event.

Buffalo Bill Museum & River Pilot's Pier reported a 40% increase in visitation as did Dan Nagle Walnut Grove Pioneer Village, Alexander Brownlie Sod House, and the Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead.  These museums teamed up to create a Cody Trail passport that people could have punched at each location for a chance to win a gift basket.

The Deere-Wiman House welcomed 621 people during their first-ever tunnel tours.  Black Hawk State Historic Site had 94 people attend their tours, and Rock Island Arsenal Museum visitation was up 21%.  The Colonel Davenport reported strong numbers for their Pioneer Days & Buckskinners Rendezvous.

Additionally, the Family Museum had 4,471 visitors during their event up 1.5%, and Iowa 80 Trucking Museum was up nearly 50%.  All museums agreed the event was a success and brought many new visitors through their doors.

"I am so pleased that the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau brought area museums together for Quad Cities Museum Week, and that I had the opportunity to work with museums I had never partnered with before," says Elly Gerdts, Marketing Coordinator, Family Museum. "When you group all of these terrific entities together, it really shows the amazing collection of museums the Quad Cities has to offer its community and visitors."

A museum geocache was also part of the celebration and has become a popular new treasure hunt for many geocache enthusiasts. Twelve museums participated in the geocache which involves people using GPS to find hidden cache boxes located outdoors around the museum's property.  The boxes contain little prizes and participants log in when they found the caches. The geocaches will remain in place indefinitely and you can still participate by going on www.geocaching.com.

"The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum received many positive comments from our visitors during Museum Week. Many from local and surrounding communities had visited us for the first time," says Donna Winter, Iowa 80 Trucking Museum. "It's all due to the hard work and collaborative efforts of all those who made Museum Week happen. I personally have experienced a renewed enthusiasm for our local attractions."

The website for Quad Cities Museum Week received 5,000 visits from May 22 through June 21, and over 10,500 page views. Over 2,600 people used a mobile device to access the site. Visitors to the website were from the Quad Cities region followed by visitation from the cities of Chicago, Omaha, Madison, and Milwaukee.

Stories on the event appeared in several newspapers and magazines outside the Quad Cities region including Group Tour Magazine, a popular trade publication read by Group Tour Planners that bring tour buses to the Quad Cities.

"The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau is ready to begin work on the 2016 Quad Cities Museum Week, and to continuing this great partnership," says Charlotte Doehler-Morrison, VP Marketing & Communications Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. "This event shows what can happen when area attractions work together towards a common goal that everyone has a vested interest in."

Museums impact our community in a variety of ways. They play a key role in education, job creation, tourism, economic development and more.  They bring quality-of-life to our community and to those whole live here and visit.  In fact, 78% of all U.S. leisure travelers participate in cultural or heritage activities such as visiting museums.  These travelers spend 63% more on average than other leisure travelers.

In the Quad Cities region, there are some 30 museums that are available to residents throughout the year.  A total of 21 museums participated in this year's Quad Cities Museum Week.  The group hopes to increase participation in 2016.

To find out more about some of the museums that participated in Quad Cities Museum Week, visit www.qcmuseumweek.com and plan a visit this summer or anytime throughout the year.
26 Jun 2015

Governor Rauner Signs Education Bill

By Catherine Kelly

Governor Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 3763 today making appropriations for General State Aid, Early Childhood Education, Bi-lingual Education and the Teachers' Retirement System.

Governor Rauner has always made clear that improving education is his highest priority. While the legislature's bill does not increase education spending by as much as the governor's proposal, it does increase K-12 education spending by $244 million and early childhood education funding by $25 million.

"Education is the most important thing we do as a community. I would have done more for our schoolchildren, but I am taking action today to ensure our teachers are paid and our schools are open and funded," Governor Rauner said. "I refuse to allow Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls to hold our schools hostage as part of their plan to protect the political class and force a tax hike on the middle class without real reform."

As part of his budget plan, the governor proposed increasing K-12 education by $312 million and early childhood by $32 million.

 

Bill No.: HB 3763

An Act Concerning: Appropriations

Action: Signed

Effective: July 1, 2015

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26 Jun 2015

Iowa State Fair New Foods

By Mindy Williamson

DES MOINES, IA (06/24/2015)(readMedia)-- The Iowa State Fair is known for fun, interesting, and delicious food. Each year, a list of new culinary adventures from sweet to salty, to strange and yummy are announced. In 2015, the list of new foods is sure to keep everyone in the family looking for more.

The 2015 New Foods includes:

• Apple Pie On-a-Stick

• Bruschetta

• Cattleman's Steak Wrap

• Chocolate Dipped Strawberries on a Stick

• Corn in a Cup

• Deep Fried Cherry Pie

• Deep Fried Nacho Balls

• Donut Sundae

• Golden Fried Peanut Butter & Jelly on a Stick

• Gluten Free Corndog

• Kernel Kluster

• Pumpkin Spice Funnel Cake

• Toasted Coconut Caramel Cluster

• Ultimate Bacon Explosion

• 27° Super Chill Beer

• and of course, the newest Fair Square flavor, Chocolate Marshmallow Malt

Concessionaires offering new foods in 2015 submitted entries for the New Food Contest. The New Food Contest entries were judged on taste/flavor, presentation/appearance, value and creativity/originality.

"We have something for everyone at the Fair," said Gary Slater, CEO for the Iowa State Fair. "But, we love the challenge of finding the next new and exciting Fair food."

Fairgoers can sample the top three contenders and cast their vote between August 13- 17. The 2015 New Fair Food winner will be announced on August 18.

Corn in a Cup is a heaping portion of grilled Iowa Sweet Corn cut straight off the cob. The best of Iowa's corn crop is then mixed with pork chorizo, butter, chayote cheese, lime juice, sour cream, mayo, and "Magic Dust," The Corn Stand's (Ruan Plaza) secret spice. It is considered the caviar of Iowa.

The Toasted Coconut Caramel Cluster is a delicious combination of toasted coconut, caramel fudge, and bits of pretzel, then frozen on a stick and freshly dipped in chocolate when ordered. The perfect treat for an August day, this sweet and salty goodness will be available at the Dipped in Chocolate Stand on the outside of the Livestock Pavilion. This will bring back Girl Scout cookie memories with a 2015 twist.

The Ultimate Bacon Explosion features 8 oz. of fresh brisket trimmings infused with a light jalapeno cheese, blended with seasonings, and then wrapped in bacon. It is then smoked and lightly sauced in a homemade Sweet Chili BBQ Sauce. As if it couldn't get any better, this is 100% gluten-free and can be found at the Rib Shack in Walnut Square.

Additional entries in the contest included Deep Fried Nacho Balls, Cattlemen's Steak Wrap, and Apple Pie On-a-Stick.

"It is fun to see what new foods we can offer each year and even though there will be only one winner in the New Foods Contest this year, Fairgoers will be able to try all the new foods and pick their favorite," said Slater.

To find new foods and old favorites, look for the Iowa State Fair Food Finder coming soon to iowastatefair.org.

 

# # #

Frequently ranked as one of the top events in the country, the Iowa State Fair is the single largest event in the state of Iowa and one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country. Annually attracting more than a million people from all over the world, the Iowa State Fair located at East 30th and East University, just 10 minutes from downtown Des Moines is Iowa's greatest celebration with a salute to the best in agriculture, industry, entertainment and achievement. "Nothing Compares" to the 2015 Iowa State Fair, August 13-23, 2015. For more information, visit www.iowastatefair.org.

26 Jun 2015

EQUALITY RALLY TO BE HELD AT MCC QC AT 6:30 PM ALL WELCOME

By Rev. Rich Hendricks

With the historic United States Supreme Court decision today making marriage equality the law of the land, MCC QC invites the Quad Cities to come celebrate this landmark event.  Doors will open at 6:30 pm with free toasts of sparkling grape juice for all, followed by a rally in the sanctuary where we will hear about what the decision means for our community from some key leaders.

For more information please contact Rev. Rich Hendricks at 563.940.9630 or at richdhendricks@msn.com

"At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won't be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black."  George Clooney
26 Jun 2015

Allergen-Free Peanuts Lead USDA Report Highlighting New Innovations in Ag

By USDA Office of Communications

USDA research last year also led to process for faster egg pasteurization, new methods of mosquito control

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new report on discoveries by USDA researchers that have led to new patents and inventions with the potential for commercial application and potential economic growth. USDA innovations included in this annual report range from USDA supported research that could offer solutions for millions who suffer allergies from peanuts and wheat to safe mosquito control that can help halt the transmission of diseases they spread, and others.

"USDA has a proven track record of performing research that has tangible benefits for the American public, and studies have found every dollar invested in agricultural research returns $20 to our economy," said Secretary Vilsack. "USDA is now accelerating the commercialization of federal research, and government researchers are working closely with the private sector to develop new technology and transfer it to the marketplace."

USDA received 83 patents in Fiscal Year 2014, up from 51 patents in 2013. USDA filed 119 patent applications and disclosed another 117 new inventions, which may lead to future patents and are detailed in the Department's 2014 Annual Report on Technology Transfer released today. Helping drive these innovations, USDA has 267 active Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with outside partners, which includes Universities, and other organizations, and more than 100 small businesses. The USDA's technology transfer program is administered by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

Highlighted discoveries from USDA's 2014 Technology Transfer Report include :

  • Procedures to remove up to 98-percent of the allergens from peanuts without affecting the flavor;
  • A new process for pasteurizing shelled eggs using radio frequency energy that is 1.5 times faster than the current pasteurization process;
  • A portable method for identifying harmful bacteria in food that could improve the response to foodborne illness outbreaks;
  • A new method for mosquito control that specifically silences genes in the mosquito so it does not pose a danger to other insects, including pollinators;
  • A new soil nitrogen test that rapidly and inexpensively determines the total amount of nitrogen in the soil that is available to a plant, reducing costs for farmers while benefiting the environment;
  • Improved information on non-honey bee pollinators and methods for trapping bees to assure quality apple production.

Over the years, USDA innovations have created all sorts of products Americans use every day, from food products to insect controls, medicine to clothing. Here are just a few examples of things USDA research is responsible for:

  • A new kind of flour made from chardonnay grape seeds that can prevent increases in cholesterol and weight-gain;
  • "Permanent press" cotton clothing;
  • Mass production of penicillin in World War II;
  • DEET, the active ingredient in all the world's most effective and widely-used mosquito repellents;
  • Frozen orange juice concentrate;
  • Almost all breeds of blueberries and cranberries currently in production, and 80% of all varieties of citrus fruits grown in the U.S.;
  • "Tifsport", a turfgrass specifically designed to withstand the stress and demands of major team sports and used on sports fields across the country.

The 2014 Farm Bill will help to build on these accomplishments by establishing a new Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research that leverages $200 million in public funding and another $200 million from the private sector to support groundbreaking agricultural research.

More information about the USDA innovations contained in this year's report, as well as a look at previous USDA research discoveries is available on the we
26 Jun 2015

AMTRAK EXHIBIT TRAIN ON TRAIN DAYS TOUR WITH VETERANS' LOCOMOTIVE IN GALESBURG THIS WEEKEND

By Rick Martin

The Amtrak Exhibit Train, showcasing the past, present and future of America's Railroad®, and powered by a specially painted locomotive thanking veterans, will be open to the public for free tours this weekend during Railroad Days in Galesburg. The new Amtrak Experience display will also be installed trainside for the weekend in Galesburg as part of the national Amtrak Train Days tour and their last scheduled Illinois visit this year.

The Exhibit Train and Amtrak Experience are open this Saturday, June 27, and this Sunday, June 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, at the Amtrak Station in Galesburg, 225 South Seminary Street. Veterans are invited to be first to board.

 

Media is invited to a preview of the Exhibit Train at 4 p.m. this Friday, June 26, in advance of the 5 p.m. opening ceremony for Railroad Days at the adjacent rail museum.

In addition to the Exhibit Train and Amtrak Experience, the Chuggington® Kids Depot based on the popular children's animated television series on Disney Junior will be open, famed railroad artist Andy Fletcher will be showing his work and rail safety information will be distributed by Amtrak employees on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Exhibit Train features displays including workable signals, virtual sleeping accommodation tours and trivia, the locomotive control stand and horns In addition, it features photos, uniforms, vintage advertising and memorabilia from the beginning of Amtrak in 1971 to today's modern sleeping cars and high-speed rail service. The train includes three baggage cars renovated into exhibit cars and one bistro car, all with historic paint schemes.

The Amtrak Veterans' Locomotive honors those who have served in all branches of the military. Amtrak painted the locomotive red, white and blue with an "America's Railroad Salutes Our Veterans" logo and 50 stars. It is a symbol of an Amtrak commitment that 25 percent of new employees will consist of veterans.

# # #
26 Jun 2015

Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds honors Iowa female Artists

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

The Iowa Women's Art Exhibition's inaugural three artists will be recognized on June 25th by the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa.

(DES MOINES) - Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will honor three Iowa female artists in her formal office on Thursday, June 25, 2015, at 9 a.m. in conjunction with Art Week Des Moines.  The three artists are a part of the Iowa Women's Art Exhibition.  The public is invited to view the works of art anytime at the Iowa Capitol building, but a special invitation is extended for those who wish to view the art when the artists are present with Reynolds.  This event is open to the press.

The project was started to highlight Iowa's female artists.  Art is essential to the quality of life in Iowa and female artists contribute to the entrepreneurial community of women in Iowa.  Increasingly, Reynolds hears from businesses and industry that not only are they interested in Iowa's friendly business climate when considering where to reinvest and grow, they're also interested in a high quality of life - including vibrant arts and culture - for their employees.

"I am continually impressed with the dynamic and innovative female leadership that I meet throughout the state and I am eager to continue highlighting their impressive achievements and skillsets," said Reynolds.  "Displaying this art in my formal office has provided me the rare opportunity to recognize female artists from Iowa and the important role they play as entrepreneurs in our state."

The artwork that was featured from the last three months comes from artists that all have a connection to Iowa.  The following artists' work is currently being displayed in the Lt. Governor's Formal Office:

Kathranne Knight (http://www.kathranneknight.com) is an Iowa based artist who makes delicate, complex, textile-like landscape drawings.  She received an MFA from Yale University in 1997 and her work has been shown nationally in galleries and museums.  Knight is published in New American Paintings #56, Northeast Edition and is the recipient of an Iowa Artist Fellowship grant, awarded by the Iowa Arts Council.  A photo of Knight's, Tinsel in August, created in 2010 can be seen here.  The work will be on display until the beginning of July.

Mary Laube (www.marylaube.com) was born in South Korea and grew up in the Midwest.  She received an MFA from the University of Iowa and a BFA from Illinois State University. Her work has been published in New American Paintings #87 and #101.  She received the Illinois National Women in the Arts Award in 2009 and a Project grant from the Iowa Arts Council.  Laube's Acrylic and Oil on Panel work, Onward and Upward, can be seen here.  It will also be on display until July.

Sarah Grant (www.sticks.com) grew up in Ames, Iowa.  She received an MFA in painting from the University of Iowa and is the founder and owner of Sticks, an object art and furniture business located in Des Moines, Iowa.  Her honors and commissions include being named a Louis Comfort Tiffany Grant nominee finalist; a Kirkwood Hotel Mural Commission; and the Jerome Foundation Invitational Grant.  A photo of Grant's, Fields meet Sky, an acrylic and collage on paper work created in 2013, can be seen here.

In July 2015, three new female artists will be featured in the Lieutenant Governor's formal office.  The public is welcome to visit.

###
26 Jun 2015

Committee Approves Bill to Crack Down on Federal Charge Card Waste and Abuse

By Grassley Press

Bipartisan Bill Will Improve Detection and Prevention of Waste and Misuse Across Federal Agencies

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs approved a bipartisan bill to curb waste, fraud and abuse in federal agency travel and purchase cards spending. The Saving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2015 (S. 1616) was introduced by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) earlier this month. The legislation was approved unanimously by the committee by voice vote.

"Federal agencies have made progress in strengthening financial controls over government travel and purchase cards  - but recent reports have revealed that more needs to be done to eliminate wasteful charge card spending," Sen. Carper said. "This bipartisan legislation would implement stronger and smarter controls to prevent potential abuse and misuse of government charge cards, and help ensure our taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly across federal agencies. I thank Sen. Grassley, Sen. McCaskill and Chairman Johnson for their partnership on this common sense, bipartisan bill.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that our federal agencies better communicate and coordinate to crack down on charge card abuse and misuse."

 

"This bill builds on my Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 by adding an additional layer of government-wide oversight to the work of individual agency inspectors general," Sen. Grassley said. "The recent Defense Department inspector general report, which was drafted in response to the 2012 law, highlighted some areas where the Defense Department was not properly implementing the required controls and flagged casinos as a high risk for misuse of charge cards. Our bill will make sure we're looking for similar patterns of misuse across all federal agencies and that agencies are sharing best practices to prevent misuse and identify potential cost savings."

 

"We've got the tools to prevent waste and fraud of government-issued change cards - and this legislation would finally give us the power to put them to use on a government-wide basis," said Sen. McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor and top-ranking Democrat on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. "By giving federal agencies the commonsense ability to better safeguard taxpayer dollars against abuses, it's my hope we can give Americans a little more faith in their government."

 

"I am pleased to partner with Ranking Member Carper to move this bill through committee," Sen. Johnson said. "I have said from day one that I want to use my chairmanship of this committee to pass common sense reforms that protect the American taxpayer. This bill is a perfect example - instructing the GSA to do a better job of monitoring the billions of dollars of credit card transactions by federal bureaucrats makes sense and will hopefully serve to cut back on the waste and fraud of Washington."

The Saving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2015 would help prevent charge card misuse and abuse by establishing an Office of Federal Charge Card Analytics and Review within the Government Services Administration to continuously examine charge card purchases made across the federal government. The legislation would also facilitate improved anti-fraud information sharing among federal agencies that use purchase and travel cards, in addition to requiring those agencies to share best-practices for detecting and preventing waste, fraud and abuse. In addition, the bill would encourage agencies to leverage purchasing power through strategic sourcing.

Last month, a Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General report detailed how some employees at the Department misused government-issued charge cards to gamble and pay for adult entertainment. This legislation aims to prevent charge card misuse and abuse by implementing more oversight controls for travel and purchase cards across federal agencies.

###
26 Jun 2015

Chad Wagner named to the Spring 2015 President's 4.00 Honor Roll at Bismarck State College

By Randy Stalsberg

BISMARCK, ND (06/24/2015)(readMedia)-- Chad Wagner of Davenport, IA, has been named to the President's Honor Roll with a 4.00 grade point average for the Spring 2015 semester at Bismarck State College.

"BSC students are great; it is always gratifying when the honor roll comes out and students like Chad get the credit they deserve for their focus and hard work," said Dave Clark, BSC interim president.

Students must maintain a 4.00 grade point while enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of classes to receive this distinction.

Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities. For more information, visit bismarckstate.edu.

26 Jun 2015

IBB members to stand up for biodiesel at EPA hearing

By Jenna Higgins Rose

Iowa Biodiesel Board asks for higher volumes in '16 and '17 under Renewable Fuel Standard

ANKENY, Iowa - A biodiesel-powered convoy travels from Iowa to Kansas City today, where members of the Iowa Biodiesel Board will stand up for the fuel's future in the Renewable Fuel Standard.

The Environmental Protection Agency is holding a hearing in Kansas City June 25 on its long-awaited proposed renewable fuel volumes under the federal RFS program. In biodiesel's primary RFS category, "biomass-based diesel," EPA has proposed 1.63 billion gallons in 2014, with gradual growth of about 100 million gallons per year to a standard of 1.9 billion gallons in 2017. Growth is also planned for the Advanced Biofuel category, which biodiesel can meet.

Grant Kimberley, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board and director of market development for the Iowa Soybean Association, will testify.

"I represent the entire Iowa biodiesel value chain ? from the farmers who grow soybeans, to biodiesel manufactures, petroleum marketers and other industry stakeholders," Kimberley's testimony says. "But I am also an Iowa farmer who believes in the power of biodiesel to have a positive impact on my local, state and national economy."

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy visited his family farm in 2009, where he had the opportunity to show her just how intertwined agriculture and energy are.

"When we diversify farm income by allowing farmers to play a role in energy, it has a great benefit of enhancing food security," Kimberley will tell EPA officials. "The rise of biofuels has no doubt saved family farms, which means more food security.  Farmers are innovative and will always rise to meet market demands."

Iowa is the top biodiesel-producing state.

While most industry leaders do not take issue with the proposed 2014 and 2015 biodiesel volumes, consensus is that 2016 and 2017 have been set too low.

"I ask that you set a final rule that is closer to the industry's initial request of 2.4 billion gallons for 2016, and 2.7 billion gallons for 2017," Kimberley will say. "We are more than capable."

Producer members testifying include AGP based in Sergeant Bluff, REG based in Ames, and Western Dubuque Biodiesel, a 30 million gallon per year facility located in Farley.

"I am a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in the Gulf, and I am concerned about improving U.S. energy security," Tom Brooks, general manager of Western Dubuque Biodiesel, will testify. "Our company...provided the first new hiring opportunity in our town of 900 in the past 15 years. These are well above average pay jobs."

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, an ardent biofuels supporter, also plans on testifying at the hearing.

The Iowa Biodiesel Board is a nonpartisan state trade association representing the biodiesel industry. The full testimony will be posted on IBB's website.

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