WHO: Sir David Chipperfield and Figge Art Museum staff

WHAT: Sir David Chipperfield will make a short statement about the 10th anniversary and will take questions from the press.  Photo and b-roll opportunity with Sir David Chipperfield and Figge model museum.

WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Sep. 10.

WHERE: Figge Art Museum, 225 W. 2nd Street, Davenport.

CONTACT: Sara Morby, Development Assistant, (563) 345-6642 or (309) 373-4711.

FAYETTE, IA (09/09/2015)(readMedia)-- Upper Iowa University announces the Dean's List for the Summer term 2015. To be honored, a student must have earned a minimum 3.50 grade point average for the semester and be enrolled as a full-time student.

Among the honorees were:

Kelly Gillespie, a Nursing major from Muscatine, IA;

Kelly Rasdon, a Nursing major from Davenport, IA;

Chelsea Reuter, a Nursing major from Davenport, IA;

Carly Addington, a Criminal Justice major from Davenport, IA;

Shaneika Allbritton, a Public Administration major from Davenport, IA;

Faris Denger, a Elementary Education major from Davenport, IA;

Monte Harrington, a Human Resources Mgmt major from Davenport, IA;

Jacob Hunter, a Information Technology major from Bettendorf, IA;

Tammy Lubell, a Accounting major from Bettendorf, IA;

XaVeria Mayes, a Psychology major from Davenport, IA;

Jennifer McKinley, a Psychology major from Rock Island, IL;

Nicholas Myers, a All Social Science major from Bettendorf, IA;

Samantha Peiffer, a Non-Matriculated major from Milan, IL;

Bobbi Shannon, a Management major from Geneseo, IL;

About Upper Iowa University Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 5,800 students--nationally and internationally--at its Fayette campus, 25 U.S. education centers, as well as centers in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and self-paced degree programs. With a focus on developing leaders and lifelong learners, UIU provides dual enrollment programs for high school students as well as continuing education and professional development opportunities for learners of any age. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.

WASHINGTON - Congressman Dave Loebsack today applauded the passage of legislation to give manufacturers and consumers more flexibility when it comes to providing and accessing product warranty information. The bipartisan E-Warranty Act of 2015 (H.R. 3154) gives manufacturers the option of fulfilling their warranty notice requirements by posting the information on their website. Loebsack is the lead Democratic cosponsor and joined with Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) to introduce the bill.

H.R. 3154 is the U.S. House of Representatives companion bill to U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Bill Nelson's (D-Fla.) S. 1359, which passed the U.S. Senate unanimously on July 9, 2015. It passed the House by a vote of 388-2 and now heads to the President's desk for his signature.

"I am pleased this bipartisan legislation, which includes a commonsense update to our nation's decades old warranty requirements, is heading to the President's desk," said Loebsack. "The bill will allow manufacturers to post warranty information online and give consumers easy access to written warranties."

If manufacturers choose to meet their warranty notification requirements by posting the information on their website, it must be in an accessible, conspicuous digital format. Manufacturers must also provide consumers with information on how to access the online warranty and obtain a paper copy, either by including instructions on the product packaging or in the product manual. The bill makes no changes to the rules regarding the content of warranty information.

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River Bandits righty wins award for second straight week - first player in MWL to do so in five years
DAVENPORT, Iowa (September 8, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Dean Deetz has been named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for his performance during the week of Aug. 31- Sept.7, the Midwest League announced on Tuesday.
The second straight award for Deetz, 21, marks the fourth time a River Bandit has won Midwest League Pitcher of the Week honors this season, following right-handers Angel Heredia and David Paulino, who won the award back-to-back for June 29-July 5 and July 6-12, respectively. Quad Cities last had four awards for Pitcher of the Week in the same season in 2007 when Elvis Hernandez (April 5-12), P.J. Walters (May 7-14), Tyler Herron (June 5-July 2), and Michael Schellinger (July 16-23) took home the award.
Following infielder Mott Hyde, who was the Midwest League Player of the Week for April 27-May 3, Heredia, Paulino and Deetz (twice) give the River Bandits five Midwest League weekly award winners this season. Quad Cities last won five weekly awards in 2007, when on top of Hernandez, Walters, Herron, and Schellinger winning Pitcher of the Week, Steve Hill was the Player of the Week for July 23-30.
Deetz won the award for his starts on Aug.31 at Burlington and Sept. 5 at Beloit, combining for 11 innings of shutout, four-hit baseball. The right-hander struck out three batters and walked two in his two starts in the week, and extended his scoreless-inning streak to 22 1/3 innings, dating back to Aug. 19 against Wisconsin. Deetz was Pitcher of the Month in August for Quad Cities, which posted a 2.65 team ERA in the regular season - best in the Midwest League and in the 56-year franchise history for the Quad Cities Midwest League franchise.
In seven games since joining the River Bandits from Short Season Class-A Tri-City July 29, Deetz has started six games and is 5-1 with a 0.76 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and 13 walks while allowing 17 hits in 35 1/3 innings. In his second season pitching in the Houston Astros organization, Deetz is 9-3 with a 1.70 ERA in 63 2/3 innings with 50 strikeouts and 23 walks, a .169 opponents' average and 0.97 WHIP.
A native of Nixa, Mo., Deetz was drafted by the Astros in the 11th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.
Deetz is the first River Bandit to win a weekly award twice in one season since Oscar Taveras was Player of the Week July 11-18 and Aug. 22-29 in 2011. Deetz is also the first player in the Midwest League to win consecutive awards since 2010, when Tom Wilhelmsen of Clinton won Pitcher of the Week Aug. 2-9 and Aug. 10-16.

(PORT BYRON, Il.)---Joe King is not one of the many who quit his soul-sucking corporate job to start his own business. On the contrary, King loved his career.

"I am just retiring from John Deere as an Engineering and Quality manager after 37 years," says King. "I had an excellent career with Deere and wouldn't trade it for anything."

Instead, King's focus in buying the franchise is on his son.

"My son wants to run a business and I want to help him get started as part of my retirement plan," says King. "I can't fish all the time."

King's solution was to become a franchisee of, Experimac, the new concept that provides pre-owned computers and devices; repair and upgrade services for laptops, phones and tablets; trade-ins of existing devices; and sales of accessories and software for Apple® devices.

King says his recent move to Apple products helped convince him this was an industry he wanted to work in.

"I am amazed at the simplicity and connectedness of the products and the apps and programs," says King. "And the translation between Windows products now is seamless."

King has noticed he's not the only fan of Apple's products.

"Many people like Apple products and operating systems in spite of their premium price," says King. "We think the idea of selling pre-owned, refurbished and upgraded Apple products will be a big hit with students and others who want Apple but don't want to pay the premium."

These days, everyone is on the lookout for a good deal, but not everyone wants to sacrifice quality in favor of a bargain. With Experimac, they won't have to.

"Many people will buy pre-owned quality tested, upgraded and supported Apple devices," says King. "They will use a more economical repair service for out of warranty work. They'll take advantage of the ability to sell or trade their used product, too."

King isn't worried about competition because, so far, there's no other company quite like Experimac.

"There is nothing that can provide our selection of Apple products and low prices with trade-in and buy back in the area," says King.

King will be in charge of Experimac stores located in the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa and Rock Island, East Moline and Moline in Illinois). He will be responsible for bringing the newest concept from industry veteran United Franchise Group throughout the area.

King plans to work with his son to grow the business. To start out, King will be the business manager and his son will be the store manager. Eventually, King will hand the reigns to his son when he decides to retire for good.

ABOUT EXPERIMAC

Experimac is the latest addition to the United Franchise Group family of brands, joining a team with over 30 years of franchise experience. Capitalizing on a sustained demand for Apple® products, Experimac provides pre-owned computers and devices, repair of laptops, phones and tablets, trade-ins of existing devices, sales of accessories and software and upgrades. For more information visit www.experimac.com.

Chamber Morning Network Breakfast allows opportunity for making professional contacts

 

DAVENPORT, IA (September 8, 2015) - Senior Star at Elmore Place is pleased to welcome Quad Cities Chamber businesses to the Chamber Morning Network Breakfast from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on September 16 at 4500 Elmore Avenue, Davenport.

Sponsored by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, the breakfast will provide a fantastic opportunity for developing new business connections and is expected to reach a diverse audience.  In addition to networking, the event will also feature "The Inside Scoop from our City Leaders" as presented by City of Rock Island Mayor Dennis Pauley.

"Senior Star looks forward to welcoming the Quad Cities community to this business networking event," said Marc Strohschein, executive director at Senior Star at Elmore Place.  "As an organization that has been an active part of the community, our networking roots continue to benefit all area businesses."

Check-in begins at 7 a.m. and the program follows at 7:30 a.m.  Cost to attend this event is $15 for Quad Cities Chamber members and $20 for non-members.  Please RSVP by visiting the Chamber website at www.quadcitieschamber.com to reserve your spot.

For more information about Senior Star at Elmore Place or to schedule a tour, call 563.359.0100 or visit the website at www.seniorstar.com.

About Senior Star at Elmore Place

Senior Star at Elmore Place, a Senior Star community, features 236 modernly decorated apartments spanning across 20 acres of beautifully landscaped property with many customized amenities to offer its residents three distinctive living experiences:  independent living, assisted living and memory care.  For more information, visit www.seniorstar.com.

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2015?Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today delivered remarks at the National Press Club encouraging Congress to act quickly to reauthorize a strong Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and support the ongoing success of the healthier meals now being served in schools across the country. Vilsack was joined by American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Sandra Hassink, MD, FAAP, and Jessica Donze Black, director of child nutrition at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Below are excerpts from their remarks as delivered:

Secretary Vilsack:

"It's important for Congress to find a way to provide for reauthorization without taking a step back, for Congress to continue the commitment that it made in 2010 to a brighter and better future for our children. And I'm confident if they are able to do that, if they're able to find a way to reauthorize, to provide additional resources, to do the right thing by this law, it [the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act] will do the right thing by our children. In turn, we'll have a generation of healthier and happier kids who will grow up?many of them will want to serve their country bravely and heroically around the world, others will contribute to a growing economy, and most will not be faced with chronic diseases that will cripple their ability to be productive."

Sandra Hassink, MD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics:

"I see children with obesity, have for 27 years, who have the health profiles of sick, middle-aged adults. They have high cholesterol, they have liver disease, they have sleep apnea, they have orthopedic problems, they have Type 2 diabetes. [...] This is a nutritional problem that reaches down into our youngest children. And since children typically consume more than half of their calories at school, we really have an obligation to ensure that those school meals are as healthy as possible. Just like we vaccinate to prevent illness, we can also vaccinate against chronic disease by providing children with nutritious foods in schools."

Jessica Donze Black, director of child nutrition at the Pew Charitable Trusts:

"Child Nutrition Reauthorization provides a tremendous opportunity for Congress to continue to build on the recent progress and ensure that every child has access to the healthy food they need to learn and succeed. The nation's $16 billion annual investment in school meals is a crucial catalyst to help the next generation thrive and succeed while establishing healthy habits for a lifetime. Spending these taxpayer dollars on nutritious meals remains a wise investment in the future of our children and in that of our nation."

During his remarks, Vilsack addressed five myths about the healthier school meals:

Myth: Participation is down.

Fact: Total breakfast participation increased by 380,000 students from FY2013 to FY2014 and has increased by more than 3 million students since 2008. The Community Eligibility Provision under the HHFKA has been successfully implemented in over 14,000 schools and has led to substantially higher program participation - on average, a 9 percent increase in school breakfast participation and 5 percent increase in school lunch. USDA has also received reports from many schools indicating a positive response to healthier offerings and increased participation.

Myth: Serving healthy foods is too expensive.

Fact: A USDA analysis suggests that last year, schools saw a net nationwide increase in revenue from school lunches of approximately $450 million. Ninety-five percent of school districts are now meeting the standards and receiving an additional 6 cents reimbursement per meal. In addition, USDA has provided $90 million in additional resources to help states and schools implement the school nutrition standards?yet, $28 million of those resources remain unspent and available to states and schools who need them. And today, USDA announced more than $8 million in additional resources to help school nutrition professionals better prepare healthy meals for their students.

Myth: Food waste has increased under the new standards.

Fact: A study released in March 2015 by the University of Connecticut's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity shows that students are eating more nutritious foods and discarding less of their lunches under the healthier standards. Kids ate 13 percent more of their entrees and nearly 20 percent more of their vegetables in 2014 than in 2012, which means that less food is ending up in the trash today than before the national standards were updated.

Myth: It's too difficult for schools to serve healthier meals.

Fact: USDA has and will continue to listen to stakeholders and provide guidance and flexibilities, as appropriate, to help schools and students adapt to the updated requirements. Early in the implementation process for school meals, when schools asked for flexibility to serve larger servings of grains and proteins within the overall calorie caps, USDA responded. In January of 2014, that flexibility was made permanent. USDA is also phasing other requirements in over the next several years. And hearing schools' concerns on the lack of availability of whole grain products, USDA is allowing schools that have demonstrated difficulty in obtaining adequate whole grain items to submit a request to the States to use some traditional products for an additional two years while industry works to create better whole grain products.

Myth: This doesn't have broad public support.

Fact: A recent poll by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation shows that more than 80 percent of Americans believe the healthier school meals should stay the same or be strengthened. A September 2014 poll released by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Heart Association shows that 72 percent of parents favor strong nutrition standards for school meals and 91 percent support serving fruits or vegetables with every meal.

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Please join the GAHC in welcoming this impressive speaker as he joins us on his Stickley Roadshow Tour. This event is sponsored by Knilans' Furniture and Interiors and is free and open to the public.

Mike Danial's firsthand knowledge of his topic is extensive. He began his career at the L. & J. G. Stickley Furniture Co. in 1974. In his 37 years at Stickley, he has seen the company grow from 26 employees in 1974 to approximately 1500 employees today. Mike's great-uncle, Vinchenzo Mellache worked for Leopold Stickley in the 1940s through 1959. Mike has worked in every department including Rough Mill, Fine Mill, Sanding, Cabinet Room, and Finishing Department. He even managed the Customer Service Department. In 1988 he became the project director of the Mission Oak Collection which now accounts for approximately 70% of company sales.
Today, Mike serves as Stickley's corporate historian and travels throughout the country lecturing on Stickley Furniture and the American Arts and Crafts movement. He is also the restoration specialist for the firm's corporate museum. When not lecturing, Mike is the author of "Ask Sadie!" the Stickley Answer Desk for the corporate level learning and information systems. He holds a degree in Business Management from New Hampshire College and a degree in Wood Technology from SUNY Morrisville.
This program is part of our exhibition,Built to Last: Gustav Stickley's Legacy of Design, now open through November 1st.

This exhibit is sponsored by the Riverboat Development Authority and Knilans' Furniture and Interiors.

The German American Heritage Center is located at 712 West 2nd St. Davenport, IA. For more information contact Kelly at 563-322-8844 or kelly.lao@gahc.org.

Exhibition

ARCTIC OCEAN – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, homeported in Seattle, arrived at the North Pole Sept. 5, 2015, becoming the first U.S. surface ship to do so unaccompanied. This is also only the fourth time a U.S. surface vessel has ever reached the North Pole, and the first since 2005.

Healy's crew and science party, totaling 145 people, departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska Aug. 9, in support of GEOTRACES, an historic, international effort to study the geochemistry of the world's oceans. This National Science Foundation funded expedition is focused on studying the Arctic Ocean to meet a number of scientific goals, including the creation of baseline measurements of the air, ice, snow, seawater, meltwater and ocean bottom sediment for future comparisons.

The United States is an Arctic Nation and the Coast Guard has operated in the Arctic since the 1860s.  Reaching the North Pole serves as a testament to the Coast Guard's continued ability to provide access and presence throughout this increasingly important and operationally challenging region of the world.

Healy is the United States' newest high-latitude vessel. It is a 420-foot, 16,000-ton, 30,000-horsepower icebreaker, capable of breaking over ten feet of ice. In addition to performing the Coast Guard's other statutory missions such as law enforcement and search and rescue, Healy is a research platform with extensive laboratory spaces, multiple oceanographic deck winches, and berthing for 50 scientists.

As the Arctic region continues to open up to development, the data gathered onboard Healy during this cruise will become ever more essential to understanding how the scientific processes of the Arctic work, and how to most responsibly exercise stewardship over the region.

Please click here for video of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy crew operating in the Arctic Ocean during a search and rescue exercise July 14, 2015.

Please click here for video of Capt. Jason Hamilton, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Healy, talking about the cutter's missions in the Arctic this year.

Please click here for the latest blogs about Healy's voyage. You can read mission reports from the Healy here.

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Coal Valley, IL - September 8, 2015 - Niabi Zoo announced today that it will begin its fall hours and schedule on September 14, 2015. The Zoo's fall schedule features shorter hours of operation and the Zoo will be open one less day each week.
Beginning on September 14th, Niabi Zoo will be closed every Monday through the end of the 2015 season. Tuesday through Sunday, the Zoo will close at 4:00pm each day with the last admission granted at 3:00pm. Free admission will be offered to all Zoo guests every Tuesday through Friday in October.
Niabi Zoo will close for the year after Sunday, November 1st.
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Contact:
Marc Heinzman, Zoo Director
(309) 799-3482 ext 234
mheinzman@niabizoo.com

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