STORM LAKE, IA (11/17/2015)-- The following students graduated from Buena Vista University in Summer 2015.

Daniel Lowe from Bettendorf, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in management. Lowe attended the Buena Vista University Graduate & Professional Studies online program.

Pamela Bergman from Davenport, graduated with a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction. Bergman attended the Buena Vista University Graduate & Professional Studies online program.

About Buena Vista University Graduate & Professional Studies

Buena Vista University's main campus in Storm Lake, Iowa, was founded in 1891, and its Graduate & Professional Studies (GPS) degree-completion program began 40 years ago. Today, the GPS program's 16 learning locations and online courses have given more than 15,500 graduates the opportunity to expand their potential with a pace, academic rigor, and class sizes that appeal to a wide variety of students. A diverse menu of over 50 different programs and courses designed for working adults delivers options that meet many educational needs, and a variety of class formats make scheduling even more convenient. Visit www.bvu.edu/gps.

Buena Vista University blends liberal arts with real-world experiences, preparing students for lifelong success, especially in the areas of elementary, secondary, and special education; business and accounting; and biological and chemical sciences. BVU is an affordable option for all students and, combined with its academic programs, has led U.S. News & World Report to rank BVU as the third best value school among Midwest Regional Colleges.

AMANA, Iowa- Amana Arts Guild

Christmas Haus Tour 2015

Dates: December 5, from 10am-4pm

December 6, from 1pm-5pm

$10 per person

Amana Arts Guild will host the Christmas Haus Tour again this year.  It's an event filled with lovely traditions and whimsical surprises.  During this festive season the Amana Arts Guild welcomes visitors to its 10^th annual Christmas Tour of homes.  Progress has not eradicated the town's treasured traditions and quaint customs.  Amana's cedar sided, limestone and time bleached brick buildings have weathered well over a century.  Tour private home decorated for the holidays and take part in the ambience of Christmas in the Amana Colonies.  Visit with homeowners and get to know the colonies in a whole new way while you visit homes with stories as remarkable and varied as the colonies themselves.

While in the area visit the Tannebaum Forest open November 27^th to December 20^th, this enchanted forest at the Festhalle Barn is created by local businesses, artists and volunteers.  Live Christmas trees inspire holiday wishes while you visit with Santa and see the 17 foot tall handcrafted Weihnacht's Pyramid.  Also enjoy Prelude to Christmas December 4-6, the Colonies advent celebration.  Shop on candlelit streets in the village of Amana and visit the Amana Church Bazaar and Cookie Walk.  The Amana Heritage Museum will offer a glimpse of the Amana Colonies Christmas from the communal era with a special exhibit.

The Dawn Rutledge Haus        730--47th Ave    Amana

This home, built in 1857, was once occupied by the William Graichen family.  Much later it housed businesses and was a duplex.  Over the past few years it was remodeled by David and Yana Cutler taking the property from a side by side duplex to a retail shop on the main floor and a two bedroom apartment upstairs.  Dawn Rutledge is honored to be the current inhabitant of both spaces opening her shop "A Neu Dawn" in May of this year and residing upstairs since the previous August.  In the remodeling beams were exposed where possible and old world charm has been mixed with the modern convenience of a Great Room concept home. Dawn's residence features mostly family antiques and items purchased on her trips to France, England and the Czech Republic.

The Lynn and Lothar Beyer House        4529--220^th Street       Amana

We bought our house in 2008 to open a book and music store (German Sense) on the first floor while living on the second floor. Later we moved the store into the remodeled garage building behind the house and used both floors as living area.

We do not know much about the early history of our house. A photo of an ox wagon from the late 1890 or early 1900 shows our house in the background without the entrance door on the east side. In July of 2013 we removed the old cement shingle siding and replaced it with new cedar siding revealing the original location and sizes of the windows. Where you currently see double windows (south and east side) there used to be two single windows about 1 to 2 feet apart. And where you can see smaller windows today (west and north side) we could find the standard sized larger ones (9 over 6).

Many of the Christmas decorations in the house including an advent wrath, a pyramid and several ornaments come from Germany.

Please use the entrance on the east side of the house.

Bruce and Deborah Kimm Haus        3172--121^st Street       Amana

This Old Chicago brick and western red cedar home was designed by Deborah and built by her father, James Hicks of Sarasota Florida over a period of three extended summers in the early eighties.  The floor plan was originally intended for steep hillside acreage but Deborah fell in love with the small wooded development north of Amana known as Waldenburg, German for 'home in the woods.'  In order to accommodate the new terrain the plan was flipped so the front of the house actually faces the backyard!  Guests are invited to climb the Rainbow Boardwalk on the east side to enter the residence.  This lower level, which was originally utilized as a dance exercise studio, has been converted into the Deborah Kimm Gallery displaying an eclectic collection of art and Bruce's baseball memorabilia.  Guests are then invited to tour the main floor.  The wooden cathedral ceiling of Canadian Hemlock and the natural stone fireplace in the great room were brought in from the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.  Several Amana artisans and craftsmen contributed to the current look of the kitchen and great room. Guests will enjoy viewing many antiques throughout the home as well as traditional and whimsical Christmas decor.

The Eric and Marsha Reihman Haus       709--13^th Ave      High Amana

The Reihmann Haus was originally built as the Wendler Haus with original wood siding built in 1869.  The Henry Bendorf family purchased the home sometime in the early thirty's, 1932-35.   While doing the renovations of the kitchen newspaper articles dating January 1935 were found in walls.  In the 1950's the living room was remodeled adding the natural pine car siding which the Reihmann's worked into their new theme.

The Bendorfs were voted post master of the village of High in 1949 and President Truman appointed Henry Bendorf as postmaster in August of 1949.  A small porch was built on north side of the house for customers.   They ran the post office until the Government halted the offices in the homes.  The High Amana post office in the Bendorf home was closed in 1968.

Another Wendler family member, Stuart Wendler, bought the home and later sold it to Eric Reihmann in 1985.  Eric and Marsha along with their 3 children live in the home and have remodeled the kitchen staying with a rustic theme throughout the home because Eric and the kids Caleb, Adam, and Miranda are avid hunters and fishermen.

Eric and Marsha added wood floors and concrete counter tops to add to the rustic look. Eric, having his own concrete business, thought it would be neat to have concrete countertops.  The small porch built on the north side of the building for the post office has been converted into a pantry for the kitchen.  Marsha has tried to keep the "Hunters Dream" real to go along with the roots of hunting and fishing that Eric grew up with here in Amana.  Eric is a taxidermist as well so his work is prominent throughout the home. It is decorated with nature and the blessing of God's abundance of the rich land that He created, Amana.   Marsha keeps nature as the focal point for the home as the kids were raised with the same roots of living off the land.  It's a humble natural décor.

TROY RICHARD THOMAS HAUS & ART STUDIO      4412 V Street           Homestead

This historic Amana brick home was built in 1864 and was designed as a communal kitchen for the Amana village of Homestead.  It is currently the home and art studio for Troy Richard Thomas.  Mr. Thomas will show seven antique and art filled rooms with decorated Christmas trees throughout.  The art studio and historic kitchen will also be available for viewing.   Parking is in the rear with a side entrance to the home.

AMANA ARTS GUILD CENTER     1210 G Street     High Amana

This former church building was built in 1858. Today this charming sandstone structure serves as the Amana's community arts and folk-life center. The attic gallery offers visitors during the warmer months an opportunity to experience wonderful art exhibits from regional and local artists and serves as the sales headquarters for handmade Amana Colony arts and crafts. During the Christmas Haus Tour, visitors will enjoy complementary treats and warm drinks, an opportunity to sit and visit for awhile, and are encouraged to browse through the" Khristmasmarkt" in the warmer lower level.

EPA's federal overreach imposes barriers on advancement of innovative, water quality improvements within the State of Iowa and harms Iowa farmers and small businesses

(DES MOINES) - Today, Gov. Terry Branstad intervened in a case pending in the U.S. District Court of North Dakota Southwestern Division against the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and their overreaching Waters of the U.S. rule.  Gov. Branstad joins in support of 13 other states: North Dakota, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and New Mexico.  Nationwide, governors or attorney generals from over 31 states have taken action to ensure innovative state-based water quality initiatives, like the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, are not bogged down in Federal bureaucratic red tape.

"The WOTUS rule is a federal overreach that imposes significant barriers and impairs Iowa's ability to advance innovative, water quality practices that would actually advance our common goal of water quality," Branstad said.  "I ran for Governor in 2010 to return predictability and stability to Iowa and this federal rule increases, rather than decreases uncertainty for Iowa farmers and small businesses."

In October 2014, Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds, Sec. Bill Northey and various state leaders commented on the proposed WOTUS rule and stated that the Federal government's rule seems to be more concerned with Federal control over local water bodies than actually improving water quality.

"The rule is an overreach by the federal government that hurts Iowa farmers and small businesses."  Reynolds said.  "I applaud the work Senators Grassley and Ernst, and other member of the Iowa congressional delegation and hope this rule is withdrawn so Iowa can continue to improve water quality through the collaborative and innovative Nutrient Reduction Strategy," said Reynolds.

Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said, "The misguided WOTUS rulemaking process has created uncertainty and has threatened to impede our efforts to get conservation and water quality practices on the ground.   Joining this lawsuit is the right thing to do and I hope that ultimately the courts will overturn the rule."

Urbandale resident claim helped reach milestone

DES MOINES, IA (11/17/2015)(readMedia)-- DES MOINES, Iowa - State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced today the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt has reached a milestone of $200 million in unclaimed property returned. "Since the program's inception in 1983, we have returned $200 million through the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt," Fitzgerald said. "Vona Burbank of Urbandale helped us reach our milestone. Her claim of $6,723 put our returns at just over $200 million! This milestone reinforces our dedication to reuniting unclaimed property with its rightful owners."

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 unclaimed property to the state treasurer's office.

"There is no time limit or fee to claim your money," Fitzgerald added. "The assets are 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 and safe deposit box contents.

Visit the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt at GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov to begin your search. Like Great Iowa Treasure Hunt on Facebook and follow the program on Twitter (@GreatIATreasure).

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