The Muscatine Art Center's new exhibition "Pedal Power: Bicycles from the Collection of Charlie Harper" is on view in the Stanley Gallery through August 2, 2015. As part of the exhibition programming, State Historical Museum of Iowa Curator, Leo Landis, will present "Bicycling Through History: Iowa's Love Affair with Two-Wheeled Travel" on Thursday, July 16th at 5:30 p.m. in the Music Room of the Muscatine Art Center. Admission is free, and reservations are not necessary.

As part of his presentation, Landis will discuss how cycling started as a pastime of wealthy men and became a recreational opportunity all Iowans can enjoy. He will also share stories of cycling from across the state, ranging from the first bicycles in the 1860s to John Entler's scrapbooks highlighting his stove and bicycle shop in Bonaparte in the late 1800s.

The State Historical Museum of Iowa currently features the exhibition, "Riding Through History", with 3,000-square feet of space dedicated to artifacts, stories, photos, and videos exploring the history of cycling in Iowa. The exhibition highlights the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa as one of Iowa's iconic traditions, largest cultural events, and economic drivers. "Riding Through History" was developed in partnership with the Iowa Department of Transportation and The Des Moines Register and Register Media, who ensure RAGBRAI's tradition continues as the longest, largest, and oldest bicycle event in the world. Visit www.iowahistory.org to learn more about the exhibition.

As curator, Landis works with nearly 100,000 artifacts in the State Historical Museum collection in Des Moines and historic sites across the state. He previously worked at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Conner Prairie in Fishers, Inddiana, and eight years as a curator at the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.

He received his Bachelor of Science in History from Iowa State University, his Masters of Arts in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, and has completed all but his dissertation toward a Ph.D., in History from Iowa State University.

PORTLAND, June 29, 2015 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden today announced that starting July 1, 2015, dairy farmers can enroll in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Margin Protection Program for coverage in 2016. The voluntary program, established by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides financial assistance to participating dairy operations when the margin - the difference between the price of milk and feed costs - falls below the coverage level selected by the farmer. Harden made the announcement while visiting Wolfe's Neck Farm and dairy school in Freeport, Maine.

"More than half of our nation's dairy producers enrolled in the 2015 program, which exceeded our expectations for the first year of the program," said Harden. "We are confident that dairy farmers across the country will again take advantage of this safety net program for 2016. USDA will continue outreach efforts, including partnering with cooperative extension services, to ensure dairy producers are fully informed about the protections that this safety net program can provide during periods of market downturns."

The Margin Protection Program gives participating dairy producers the flexibility to select coverage levels best suited for their operation. Enrollment begins July 1 and ends on Sept. 30, 2015, for coverage in 2016. Participating farmers will remain in the program through 2018 and pay a $100 administrative fee each year. Producers also have the option of selecting a different coverage level during open enrollment each year. Margin Protection Program payments are based on an operation's historical production. An operation's historical production will increase by 2.61 percent in 2016 if the operation participated in 2015, providing a stronger safety net.

USDA also has an online resource available to help dairy producers decide which level of coverage will provide them with the strongest safety net under a variety of conditions. The enhanced Web tool, available at www.fsa.usda.gov/mpptool, allows dairy farmers to quickly and easily combine their unique operation data and other key variables to calculate their coverage needs based on price projections. Producers can also review historical data or estimate future coverage based on data projections. The secure site can be accessed via computer, mobile phone, or tablet, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Dairy operations enrolling in the program must meet conservation compliance provisions. Producers participating in the Livestock Gross Margin insurance program may register for the Margin Protection Program, but this new margin program will only begin once their Livestock dairy insurance coverage has ended. Producers must also submit form CCC-782 for 2016, confirming their Margin Protection Program coverage level selection, to the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. If electing higher coverage for 2016, dairy producers can either pay the premium in full at the time of enrollment or pay a minimum of 25 percent of the premium by Feb. 1, 2016.

The Margin Protection Program was established by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for the taxpayer. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

For more information, visit FSA online at www.fsa.usda.gov/dairy for more information, or stop by a local FSA office to learn more about the Margin Protection Program. To find a local FSA office in your area, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

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GENESIS SPONSORS RED, WHITE AND BOOM!

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 60 percent of those injuries are sustained between June 22 and July 22.

David Dierks, D.O., emergency department physician, said the best way to avoid a trip to the emergency department is to leave fireworks displays to the professionals.

Again this year, Genesis Health System is sponsoring the spectacular Red, White and Boom! fireworks display on Saturday, July 4. The show will be bigger and brighter than ever before with more than two tons of fireworks shot from two barges in the Mississippi River.

Prime viewing locations will be Schwiebert Park in Rock Island, the Genesis Family Viewing Area in LeClaire Park in Davenport and Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport.

"The professional fireworks displays are safer, bigger and better than anything we can do in our backyards,'' Dr. Dierks said.  "Even sparklers burn at 1,800 degrees (Fahrenheit) and can be dangerous.  Used improperly, they can cause burns and burn clothing.

"If kids use sparklers, we urge close parental supervision and urge kids to stay in one place and not run with sparklers.''

Sparklers account for 19 percent of the total fireworks-related injuries seen in emergency departments each year.  About one-quarter of all fireworks-related injuries are sustained by children nine years old and younger.

Firecrackers, illegal for use in Iowa and Illinois, account for about 20 percent of injuries.

Dierks said that people in the Quad Cities are listening to the messages about fireworks safety.  Genesis Medical Center has had very few hospital admissions related to fireworks injuries in recent years.  There is a similar trend of fewer fireworks injuries being reported across the country.

"Fireworks accidents happen, however, we have fewer injuries locally than in many other areas,'' Dierks said. "I think this is due, in part, because of the high quality of our local professional fireworks displays.

"Thousands of people in the Quad Cities attend these public shows and these shows have safety records that are outstanding.  Most  injuries locally happen when people use fireworks at home.''

Dierks said the most disturbing statistic is that children under age 15 account for about 35 percent of the injuries.

"A child will tell parents, 'I can do it myself, I don't need help.'  Often the child can't do it themselves and there are injuries,'' Dierks said.  "Those injuries can be severe.

"One of the reasons we continue to see fireworks injuries, some of them severe or fatal, is that people don't recognize how dangerous these devices can be.  Children often lack the physical coordination to handle any fireworks safely.  Even with a sparkler, they can fall and suffer burns.''

Here are recommendations from Genesis and from the U.S. Consumer Produc Safety Commission to prevent fireworks injuries at home:

• Make sure the fireworks you want to buy are legal in your area before buying or using them.

• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks, including sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 1,800 degrees?hot enough to melt some metals.

• Do not buy fireworks that are packaged in brown paper, which is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays.

• Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.

• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy, in case of fire or other mishap.

• Never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away.

• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

• Light fireworks one at a time, then move away from them quickly.

• After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding the device to prevent a trash fire.

• Light fireworks outdoors in areas clear of houses, dry leaves, grass or flammable materials.

• Do not smoke while handling fireworks.

• Ignite fireworks only smooth, flat surfaces.

• Don't place fireworks in containers before lighting.

• Alcohol and fireworks are a dangerous combination.

June 29, 2015 - Rock Island, IL - Rock Island County marked the sixth anniversary of its partnership with the Coast2Coast Rx program, the County's free prescription discount card that offers significant savings on thousands of prescriptions and other health care services.  The Coast2Coast Rx Card has saved participating residents over $6 million at its six-year anniversary.  Since its launch in June 2009 -- 19,728 participants have used the card to fill 191,711 prescriptions with an average savings to date of about 58 percent off the retail price in Rock Island County.

The card helps uninsured residents as well as insured residents that don't have a particular drug covered in their formulary.  In some instances the card is less than an insured's co-pay so insureds should always check the card's pricing versus the co-pay amount.

Rock Island County's endorsement of the program is based on the card's ability to save consumers significantly on their prescriptions and other healthcare services. The card generates revenue for public programs?providing $1.25 to the county for each prescription filled using the card.  "We are proud to be able to assist the residents of Rock Island County with their overall health and well-being.  We look forward to saving residents of Rock Island County a million or more dollars every year," said Martin Dettelbach, Chief Marketing Officer for the Coast2Coast Rx program.

As many consumers struggle with the high cost of medications and health care expenses, the Coast2Coast Rx card allows many consumers to save on their needed prescriptions while creating a revenue stream for their community. " We are confident the results will continue to grow as more residents participate in the available discounts on prescriptions and healthcare services.  We look forward to the strengthening partnership between Rock Island County and Coast2Coast Rx," said Steve Rohm, National Sales Manager for the Coast2Coast Rx program.

Consumers can easily access the card by simply printing it from the Coast2Coast Rx website - http://www.coast2coastrx.com/counties/il/rockisland/

The Coast2Coast Rx card allows all County residents, regardless of income, age, or health status to participate in the program and save on the cost of their medications.  The program has saved cardholders throughout the nation an average of 60% in 2015 on the cost of prescription drugs.  Even pets and people living outside the County are able to take part in the program.  The Rx card is distributed free of charge and may be used at all pharmacy chains and most independent pharmacies in Rock Island County and includes over 60,000 drugs in its formulary.

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