The Iowa Women's Art Exhibition's inaugural three artists will be recognized on June 25^th 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.

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.

WASHINGTON - Four health care bills from Sen. Chuck Grassley today received unanimous passage by the committee of jurisdiction, the Finance Committee.  A fifth bill of which Grassley is the primary cosponsor also passed unanimously.  The bills cover physical therapy in Medicare, financial trusts for individuals with disabilities, rural hospitals, community-based independence for seniors in Medicare, and quality care for mothers and children in Medicaid.

"These bills fill gaps and try new solutions to improve health care," Grassley said.  "They're all bipartisan and non-controversial.  I appreciate the Finance Committee chairman's decision to put these proposals on the agenda, and I'll continue to work toward their enactment."

The Grassley bills passed out of committee today are:

·         S. 313, the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act (including lead Democrat Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, with 19 cosponsors, eight Republicans, 11 Democrats).  The bill allows physical therapists locum tenens rights under Medicare.  Locum tenens is the Latin phrase for "place holder."  Under current law, practicing physicians utilize locum tenens arrangements to have qualified substitute physicians, who are not employees of the physician, serve as "place holders" to provide care to their patients during short periods of absence.  This bill will give physical therapists the same rights.

·         S. 349, the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act (with Democrats Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida and Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan).  Under current law, individuals with disabilities cannot set up a special needs trust for themselves even when they are able.  This bill fixes that discriminatory exclusion.

·         S. 607, the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Extension Act (including lead Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, with 14 cosponsors, 10 Republicans, four Democrats).  This bill extends the rural hospital demonstration program for five years for a number of "tweener" hospitals.  In Iowa, it benefits hospitals in Newton, Grinnell, Carroll, and Spirit Lake.

·         S. 704, the Community Based Independence for Seniors Act (with Democrats Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York).  This bill creates a Medicare demonstration to expand the Special Needs Plan program to allow for 5,000 people to receive community-based benefits.  It is a small but novel proposal for Medicare that could be expanded eventually.

Grassley is the lead Republican co-sponsor of the following led by Stabenow, also passed out of the committee today:

·         S. 466, the Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act.  This bill provides for quality collaboration, including sharing best practices, and reporting standards for Medicaid for childbirth to improve quality.

Grassley is a senior member and former chairman of the Finance Committee.

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Des Moines, IA - Capping the first day of its two-day training sessions in Iowa, the FACT (Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency) Coalition today honored Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) with an award marking its appreciation of his efforts in to make corporate ownership more transparent.

FACT is holding a two-day training session in Des Moines called "Organizing for Tax Fairness." The training brings together community leaders, faith leaders, small business owners and activists to learn more about corporate tax avoidance and tax havens, the use of anonymous shell companies, and how they are used to facilitate money laundering, all at the expense of priorities that benefit all Americans.

The award for Senator Grassley is being given, "In gratitude to Senator Grassley for his leadership in fighting crime by making corporate ownership more transparent."  In prior sessions of Congress, Senator Grassley sponsored legislation, the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act, and the bill is due to be introduced again.  The FACT Coalition is keen to see meaningful progress on this issue.

It may surprise people to know that you only need to provide four items of information in order to create an Iowa company: the name of the company, the number of authorized shares, the name and address of the registered agent, and the name and address of each incorporator.  Registered agents and incorporators can be lawyers or companies paid for those services, not anyone actually in charge of the company. You don't need to list the officers, directors or shareholders - there in no need to indicate who actually owns or controls an Iowa company.  You need to provide more identifying information to get a library card or a drivers' license.  Many state incorporation laws require similar, scant information.

"We appreciate Senator Grassley's long-standing work on opening up corporate ownership to the light of day," said FACT Executive Director Rebecca Wilkins.  "When anonymous shell companies are used for tax evasion, the public loses through cuts to public programs or higher taxes, and when wealthy individuals and companies use anonymous companies to flood cash into our elections, we lose control over our democracy. When they are used to defraud the Defense Department, it puts our soldiers and our citizens in danger."

"Senator Grassley has been a leading proponent of strong legislation to eradicate anonymous companies in the U.S.," commented Heather Lowe, Legal Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at Global Financial Integrity.  "We are educating grassroots groups and small businesses here in Iowa about on this issue and we hope their interest encourages Senator Grassley to continue to back strong, comprehensive legislation to eradicate anonymous companies."

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