28 Jan 2015

Statement from Secretary Vilsack on Expanded Market Access for U.S. Grown Apples to China

By USDA Office of Communications

Agreement expected to boost apple exports by $100 million per year

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2015 - This weekend, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reached agreement with Chinese officials to allow all U.S. grown apples to gain access to the Chinese market. This will allow a greater share of U.S. apple exports to China in the coming months and has the potential to increase U.S. fresh apple exports, which were valued at more than $1 billion in 2013, by approximately 10 percent. With this new agreement, the apple industry estimates that within two years, exports to China will reach 5 million bushels annually, a value of nearly $100 million per year. The agreement was reached during bilateral discussions between USDA and China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) in San Francisco.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today made the following statement regarding this announcement:

"USDA values the relationship we are forging with China to bring mutually-beneficial food and agricultural trade to Americans and Chinese alike. The new access for American exports we're announcing today is the culmination of decades of hard work by USDA staff. These efforts will result in high quality, fresh U.S. apple varieties available for consumers in China and a significant boost in sales for American apple producers.

"USDA remains a strong partner and advocate in the international marketplace, working with foreign governments and international organizations to ensure the smooth and safe flow of international trade. The past six years have been the strongest in history for agricultural trade, with U.S. agricultural product exports totaling $771.7 billion since 2009. Strong agricultural exports contribute to a positive U.S. trade balance, create jobs and boost economic growth. As the President said in his recent State of the Union address, we now look to Congress build on this success and pass a bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority bill to continue to support a robust trade agenda that will create thousands of new American jobs."

For more information, please see this fact sheet: FACT SHEET: Helping U.S. Exporters Gain Access to Valuable Overseas Markets (PDF, 45KB).

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28 Jan 2015

Quad City Rollers 2015 season-opening home bout set for Jan. 31st

By AJ Juskewycz

DAVENPORT, IA - The Quad City Rollers, the QCA's premier all-female flat-track roller derby team, are hosting their 2015 season-opening game on Saturday, January 31st, at the QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201.

The Quad City Rollers All-Star team will take on the Fly Over Femmes Fatales followed by a "Fresh Meat" Mixer for the debut of the 2014 Boot Camp graduates. The night also includes a special appearance from our Junior league, The Orphan Brigade, who will be scrimmaging before the adults play.

The 2015 season is the ninth for the Quad City Rollers. Doors for the January 31st game open at 5:00 pm, the Juniors begin at 5:30 pm, the Veteran Mash-up at 6:30 pm and the Fresh Meat Mixer begins at 8:00 pm.

A complete breakdown of the Quad City Rollers individual ticket pricing for the 2015 season is as follows:

  • Advanced General Admission Tickets (adult), $10.00

  • Day of Game General Admission Tickets (adult), $12.00

  • Kids 12 and under, FREE

Tickets can also be purchase online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1155609. Day of Game tickets can be purchased at the QCCA Expo Center beginning at 4:30 pm.

Our complete 2015 season home games are:

  • Saturday, January 31 at 6:00 pm

  • Saturday, March 14 at 6:00 pm

  • Saturday, April 11 at 6:00 pm

  • Saturday, April 25 at 6:00 pm

  • Saturday, May 16 at 6:00 pm

  • Saturday, June 13 at 6:00 pm

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28 Jan 2015

How to Pop the Cork on the Good Life - and the Time to Do It Is When You Retire

By Rick Martin
Nationally Recognized Retirement Expert Offers 3 Simple
Tips in 2015 for Improving Retirement Prospects

Imagine a bright, golden vista filled with soothing, warm sunshine - perhaps it is California's Highway 29. You're driving this scenic route after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on a Tuesday during working hours. That's right, you're going to Napa.

Of course, this is precisely the kind of thing you're getting used to doing on Tuesdays - not only because you're becoming a wine connoisseur, but also because Tuesdays no longer belong to hours under the glare of fluorescent lights in front of your work computer. Aah, you're retired.

"That's the dream, and as a native San Franciscan I know it well. I myself have traveled the byways of food and wine in the Bay Area. More Americans could be living their dream during retirement, wherever they go to play," says Stephen F. Lovell, a nationally recognized retirement expert who emphasizes a comprehensive approach for well-being during one's golden years.

"Many baby boomers will retire in the next few years, and for many of them that dream has a nightmarish tinge?they're worried they'll run out of money."

Lovell, president of Lovell Wealth Legacy, (www.lovellwealthlegacy.com), says 2015 can and should be the start of that good life. He offers three simple ways to bring your dream into reality.

·  Revise your budget at the year's beginning. Ask yourself: How do I spend my money? Many of us believe we have a reasonable idea of where we put our money, but unless you account for your spending, you may miss out by not putting away enough for your happy retirement.

A household's discretionary spending on nonessential goods and services like a second smart phone case or the premier movie channel is could top 30 percent. And that is often twice what you intended?but you don't see it until you budget. "Budgeting puts you in the driver's seat," Lovell says. "From there you can control where you spend. You're buying on purpose, and sometimes you get a nice surprise. That alluring vacation is now within reach."

·  Be proactive about your financial interests before visiting a professional. Knowing which financial products may work best for your personal needs and how to protect your hard-earned money from unnecessary taxation is not what most laypeople excel at. That job is best handled by working with a professional. But, as with your health, you reap the benefits of being aware of your needs and of initiating the process of looking after yourself.

"Remember, 40 percent of retirees underestimate their life expectancy, according to an Ernst & Young study," Lovell says, "so if you don't want to run out of money, create your financial plan to cover this extended retirement period. Then, you odds for a comfortable retirement are improved."

·  Consider alternatives to stocks, bonds and cash. Many new investment types have appeared to solve planning and retirement issues. Yet most investors limit their choices by relying exclusively on stocks, bonds and cash. From 2000 to 2013, the stock market, for all its ups and downs, wound up at roughly the same place, around 1527. At a 2 to 3 percent investment cost per year, many investors, for all their efforts, lost money! "I educate my clients by bringing to their attention the wide universe of investment types. Results are that more suitable solutions are uncovered and then applied for the client's benefit."

About Stephen F. Lovell, MBA, ChFC®, CLU®, CFP®
CFS, BCM, CRPC®, AEP®, RHU®, AIF®

Stephen F. Lovell is a thoroughly credentialed, nationally recognized financial professional. Since 1990, he has been gathering various licenses ? in insurance, securities, real estate, commodities and as a registered principle ? to offer his clients a thoroughly comprehensive perspective on their wealth. He is president of Lovell Wealth Legacy, (www.lovellwealthlegacy.com), and a branch manager at LPL Financial. Lovell has earned several professional honors and memberships. Since walking with his mother as a child for the March of Dimes in San Francisco, he has been active in local and national charities. More recently, Lovell has taken to the airwaves as a radio host at KDOW, where he hosts a weekly show about pursuing financial success and, of course, enjoying the fruits of that financial success.

28 Jan 2015

Rand Paul Returns to Iowa in February

By Steve Grubbs

Trip to Emphasize Government Financial Audit and Privacy Rights

Contact: Steve Grubbs, steve.grubbs@randpaul2016.com

 

Friday, February 6, 2015

5:30 PM

Event: Liberty Iowa 'Audit the Fed' Rally

Contact: Adil Khan

Email: adil@libertyiowa.com

Location: Jasper Winery
2400 George Flagg Parkway
Des Moines, IA 50321

Media: Open, credentialed through Liberty Iowa

 

Saturday, February 7, 2015

9 AM

Event: Meet and Greet with Senator Paul for Congressman Blum

Location: Legends American Grill, Marshalltown

2902 South Center Street

Contact: John Ferland

Media: Open, via John Ferland

 

12:30

Event: Iowa State University basketball game

Host: Steve Sukup

Location: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa

Media: Open. Access through Iowa State University

 

2 PM

Event: College Students Gametime!

Location:

Iowa State Center

Suite 102, Scheman Building

Ames, Iowa

Contact: Matt Evans, U of Iowa YAL Chair

Media: Open, through RandPAC, Eleanor May

28 Jan 2015

Lt. Gov. Reynolds to address American Legion Summit in Washington, D.C.

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

(DES MOINES)  - The American Legion is hosting its National Credentialing Summit in Washington at the Mayflower Hotel on Feb. 17-18. The invitation-only event will bring together more than 200 key executives, thought leaders and lawmakers from across America to focus on best practices for helping veterans and transitioning service members get credentials for civilian jobs.

 

The summit will showcase panels of experts from the private sector, nonprofits, the military, federal agencies and other organizations, and feature guest speakers including Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, Teamsters President James Hoffa, Jr., Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Gen. David Perkins, head of the U.S. Army's training and doctrine command.

 

Reynolds, Iowa's Lt. Governor, has played a key role in leading the state's innovative Home Base Iowa initiative. The Home Base Iowa Act, signed by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in 2014, aims to recruit veterans leaving the service to Iowa to be matched with the high-quality careers available in the state.

"In Iowa, we believe in welcoming our nation's veterans and their families into our state and communities, and helping them find high-quality careers when leaving the service," said Reynolds. "Iowa's Home Base Iowa initiative continues to attract veterans to our great state and match their unique skill sets with 21st century careers."

Verna Jones, the Legion's executive director in Washington, said much progress has been made since the country's largest organization of wartime veterans held its first credentialing summit in 2012, cosponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

 

"This summit will be a real learning experience for individuals who are committed to our military community, but may not know what specific steps need to be taken to provide veterans and their spouses with the credentials they need for the civilian work force," Jones said.

 

"We want this event to have a ripple effect, so that each person who attends will go back to his or her company, college, legislature or association and effect real changes to help veterans get jobs."

 

Panel topics include credentialing best practices in health care and in transportation, assessing the quality and value of credentials, credentialing of spouses, and tracking the outcomes of credentialing.

 

Jones said the upcoming summit is The American Legion's latest effort in its longstanding involvement with credentialing for the military community. "We've been testifying before Congress on this particular issue since 1997."

The summit will be held in the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel at 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW in Washington.

 

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28 Jan 2015

PLEASANT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL HONOR ROLL - 1st SEMESTER, 2014-2015

By Beth Marsoun

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE - GRADE 12

Zareef Affarka, Hannah Blaske, Madeline Bowman, Ryan Bubbers, Kelsey Culp, Matthew Doyle,
Ashton Ehrecke, Anna Fletcher, Emily Fuller, Andrew Hillman, Taylor Huber, Gabriel Johnson,
Jacquelyn Judickas, Melanie Kessler, Abigail Kurth, Christina Meadows, Katherine Melbourne,
Madison Morrison, Jack Moss, Tyler Oberman, Ajay Penmatcha, Bethany Piotter, Addison Royer,
Abigail Schafer, Kelly Schissler, Alexander Shepherd, Megan Spector, Nicholas Staver, John Stecker,
Aravindakumar Sundaramraj, Allison Theisen, Shipra Verma

FIRST HONORS

Uzair Ahmed, Andrea Aller, Lindsey Anderson, James Anil, Rachel Basala, Nicole Baxter, Victoria Campbell, Esther Chovan, Madalyn Coffield, Elizabeth Coin, Makenna Cox, Shannon Crawford, Adriana Ehlers, Siena Fah, Caitlin Ghere, Haley Hawbaker, Spencer Hickman, Amine Hocine, Rekha Karuparthy, John Kennedy, Bryce Kosinski, Kelby LaBarge, Rachele Miller, Jill Oberhart, Ann Peters, Hannah Pinho, Justin Rowell, Elizabeth Sharis, Grace Stori, Claire Swanson, Sean Ulrich, Gilles Vandereecken, Nicole Vershaw, Alissa Wagler, Alexander Waugh, Benjamin Whigham, Alison Young, Shao Yang Zhang

SECOND HONORS

Alexis Aguilar, Jordan Allender, Samuel Bailey, Sara Bastola, Halle Beeler, Sebastian Bladel, Jensen Bloomfield, Anna Brown, Sarah Bubbers, Collin Burns, Maranda Bussell, Haley Collins, Matthew Conway, David Cooke, Michael Cronk, Keiana Deevers, Christian del Castillo, Sara DePover, David Dickenson, Nathan Drapeau, Hailey Duwa, Nancy Garcia, Paige Gerhart, Stephanie Graham, Shelby Hildebrandt, Alexis Hooks, Michael Hudachek, Monica Johnson, Jeffrey Kardell, Yashpreet Kaur, Aishwarya Kothapalli, Caro Lamarque, Brendan Massengale, Colleen Matos, Hannah McKay, Sean McLaughlin, Alyssa Mick, Rachel Miller, Logina Mostafa, Jacqueline Nash, Colin Nelson, Emily Norwood, Waleed Omar, Nicole Oppel, Taylor Redmond, Abby Reed, Noel Reilly, Kaitlin Reither, Michael Ruccolo, Landry Said, Claire Schwarz, Mary Sears, Aman Sharma, Ryan Spelhaug, Michael Stevens, Joshua Wallin, Caleb Wilson, Chandler Yarde

COMMENDED

Austin Adamson, Shirlya Bacchus, Robert Beardsley, Jesse Belk, Jeffrey Bell, Shane Bleeker, Reed Brockhage, Caitlyn Burns, Bridget Bush, Austin Carroll, Mara Claeys, Blake Crowell, Matthew Cullinan, Parul Dadhwal, Matthew Delzell, Corinne DeVries, Carlotta Dooley, Aubrey Drake, Madison Foley, KayLynn Fullmer, James Geisler, Grace Gode, Keegan Gravert, Karlee Gray, Elizabeth Halligan, Madelyn Henricksen, Julia Hunt, Ryan Johnson, Richard Jones, Taylor Jordahl, Jessalyn Kehrberg, Zoheb Khan, Scott Kraft, Megan Lederman, Colin Lentz, John Lynn, Bradley Martin, Michael McBeth, Madison McDonald, Matthew Miller-Wells, Danielle Mohr, Grant Morthland, Erin Mullen, Paige Neal, Collin Parker, Kate Peer, Bryce Robinson, Jacob Rockey, Zachary Schony, Tristan Sekharan, Jessica Sevigny, Jordan Simon, Anna Sperry, Drake Stanbary, Erica Staub, Madison Tudeen, Shelby Vogele, Kaley White-Ciluffo, Thomas Witters, David Zimmer

 

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE - GRADE 11

Joshua Bump, Alexander de la Bruere, Allison Denny, Hannah Dobroski, Carly Donahue, Claire Feeney, Rebecca Fuhrmeister, Megan Guest, Camille Jaime, Zain Khan, Lena Kosinski, Vignesh Krishnan, Cole Krueger, Brooke Lee, Susan Li, Lana Lindstrom, Julia Martin, Sarah Mendel, Farah Omar, Sarah Oswald, Michael Perenich, Aishwarya Pradeep, Rachel Preston, Grace Sack, Cooper Schou, Theodore Sergesketter, Karson Sommer, Rishi Wagle, Diana Wu

FIRST HONORS

Brooklyn Alman, Aiden Bailey, Sarah Bartlett, Kendall Beardsley, Johanna Bellig, Michael Berger, Celia Brecht, Margaret Burke, Daniel Carber, Alex Chaplain, Shelby Christensen, Conor Conway, Bennett Cournoyer, Kirby Curran, Kelli DeGeorge, Hannah Demarest, Brandon Eckhardt, Valerie Feld, Ana Paula Ferreira, Cole Finnegan, Megan Foltz, Reghan German, Emily Hammer, Neha Haque, Isaiah Harris, Emma Hauber, Sydney Hester, Levii Hildebran, Charles Humes, Omar Ismail, Bridget Joers, Cortland Johns, Brady Johnson, Alexis Kontos, Maria Korndorf, Ostap Kukhar, Michael Li, Caroline Mack, Swetha Marisetty, Hannah Mathews, Lauren May, Rachel McCracken, Hannah McDonald, Peter Molyneaux, Nabeeha Pasha, Nicholas Roth, Allison Schurr, Sara Stickney, Korryn Taghon, Tanner Thompson, Natalie Van Raalte, Emma Wichman, Madison Wild, Mackenzie Woods, McKenzie Yanek

SECOND HONORS

Elaine Andorf, Katherine Baker, April Bennion, Kyle Berst, Brenna Bleeker, Sarah Bowman, Paul Boyd, Jacob Bump, Zachary Corrigan, Alexander Crosson, John Czarnecki, Zachary Finn, Jenna Foley, Henry Friederichs, Thomas Griffin, Bailey Hanna, Sara Herzberg, Conor Johnson, Khaled Kayali,  Seema Kotob, Kathryn Kruse, Nicole LaMar, Jasmine Lara, Caitlin Lyon, James McCauley, Hannah McComber, Daniel McNamara, Cora Meyers, Kaitlyn Moroney, Rahul Namboori, Isabel Noble, Allison Ocel, Brennen Reynolds, Brooke Schuler, Nickolas Schwake, Sydney Snyder, Chloe Stone, Marta Storl-Desmond, Emilee Swanson, Alexander Syverud, Claudio Tekeli, Marah Tews, Austin Thompson, Brittany Vazquez, Elizabeth Warner, Ethan Welker, Amanda Welveart, Christine Yocom

COMMENDED

Andrew Aiello, Mackenzie Banowetz, Hannah Baucom, Jacob Bowman, Morgan Brake, Whitney Casas, Alyssa Conway, Kara Cosgrove, Jacob Daugherty, Eric Dilley, Alexis Dvorak, Nicholas Faulkner, Madison Flinn, Dallas Gill, Caleb Good, Carly Grimm, Levi Hamby, Emily Hamilton, Paige Hawbaker, Robert Hengst, Joshua Hoover, Melissa Hughes, Cassadi Kriner, Devin Lamb, Luke Leathers, Kennedy Lenz, Bobbi Malmgren, Ashly Malone, Gabrielle Meyer, Kristen Miller, Shawnee Molck, Spencer Nevills, Richa Patel, Melody Pershall, Stephen Pim, Nicholas Roys, Simran Sharma, Benjamin Slavens, Zachary Smith, Hannah Smith, Ashlyn Spay, Addison Stockwell, Jaya Thakur, Michael Tilka, Luke VenHorst, Adyson Werkmeister, Kyle Werning, Nicholas White, Megan Wirtjes, Bailey Yoder

 

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE - GRADE 10

Samina Abdullah, Joshua Bowman, Ryan Brohm, Emily Bruinsma, Laura Butler, Catherine Byrne, Meghan Dixon, Jarrin Flores, Natalie Garner, Vincent Gnad, Cristina Gunther, Jonathan Hahm, Dylan Hartford, Hannah Humes, Vijayendra Jagtap, Christian Jones, Samuel Lederman, Kara Lindhoff, Windsor Lundy, Ashley McMahon, Allison Miller, Kylie Murphy, Matthew Nelson, Emily Nutt, Isaac Sears, Emily Suen, Addie Swanson, Rachel Tebbe, Maureen Thomsen, Cameron Trentz, Grace Wilson

FIRST HONORS

Ryan Anderson, Madeline Barnes, Cassandra Berta, Kia Braet, Michael Brees, Tyler Brewster, Reece Callaway, Alice Chang, Cecily Clark, Mark Conway, Alexis Cordts, Maxim Cremer, Lindsay Danielson, Jarrett Fossum, Emma Gellerstedt, Benjamin Gorman, Thomas Hotard, Jessica Huang, Carly Jewell, Lillie Klauer, Brandon Letney, Montana Malmen, Megan Maloney, Alex McLean, Patrick McMonagle, Maci Noack, Mallory Obenauf, Mackinsey Paulson, Theresa Perenich, Carrie Peterson, Harrison Qu, Margarita Rasgado, Damandeep Riat, Keeli Richards, Charles Roethler, Julia Said, Tessa Schmidts, Madison Schony, Sarah Schwartz, Erin Sollars, Rachael Souhrada, Aditya Subramaniam, Ryan Thompson, Trenton Vogele, Andrew Wendel, Alexander Wong, Courtney Yarde, Sarah Yoerger, Peter Zucker, Elizabeth Zupancic

SECOND HONORS

Ian Aplington, Russell Berkley, Cameron Blunk, Meagan Burke, Paige Carter, Lauren Cramer, John Davis, Hannah DePover, Cole Edwards, Kaitlyn Evans, Alyssa Farrell, Sydney Frazer, Jenna Griffin, Brynn Hancock, Emma Hartman, Olivia Heckel, Jenna Hoover, Connor Hornbuckle, Kaitlyn Housenga, Ebteehal Ismail, Alexander Kitzmann, Emily Kueter, Eleanor Kurth, Jack McHugh, Parker McMillan, Michael Meyer, Sarah Meyers, Peter Mills, Ryan Morrissey, Scott Murphy, Zachary Myatt, Divya Nachnani, Cameron Peer, Hianca Pinho, Millenama Prasai, Reagan Putnam, Abhishek Roy, Arjun Salgado-Westman, Nicholas Schons, Malachi Scott, Zachary Sherman, Christian Simmons, Alicia Staver, Austin Stickel, Hannah Sturtzer, Sriram Sugumaran, Anna Vershaw, Shawn Yulga

COMMENDED

Tyler Ahlgren, Robert Arroyo, Ryan Bader, Daniel Bastola, Trevor Behan, Cosmo Benson, Taryn Bloomfield, Kelsey Borbeck, Tanner Bortolazzo, Lathan Carter, Cameron Carter, Joseph Chap, Kelsey Clarke, Joseph Clifton, Austin Collins, Darian Creighton, Evan Decker, Jackson Ferry, Samantha Foerderer, Isaac Franks, Gabrielle Graham-LeGare, Andrew Gratton, Michael Guhin, Megan Hackney, Jordyn Haessler, Danielle Henricksen, Madison Johnson, Jonathan Kaufman, Austin Kress, Alecia Krier, Ricardo Lozano, Samuel Lundry, Anthony Marchiori, Hannah Mausser, Samantha McGee, Adam McLemore, Seth Moffitt, Trevon Montgomery, Eric Morgan, Kate Morrissey, Carly O'Toole, Claire Park, Abigail Riley, Ariel Rivera, Andrew Sandry, Terry Saul, Abigail Schaller, Kyle Schick, Maya Sheybani, Ezekiel Sickels, Elizabeth Staebell, Devan Steinhart, Carson Sutherland, Teleah Thomas, Logan Thornburg, Andrew Van Nattan, Alexus Verel, Elena Volfson, Owen Ward, Antonio Wells, Gavin Wilken, Emily Wilkening, Nicholas Williams,
Skylar Yutesler

 

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE - GRADE 9

Hannah Allen, Ramya Banda, Alex Basala, Madelyn Bennett, Reegan Brockhage, Laura Brown, Perapa Chotiprasidhi, Megan Collins, Evelyn D'Antico, Lily Feldman, Elle Fietsam, Jacob Fuhrmeister, Srineha Gurram, Ashlyn Haack, Austin Halupnik, Veronica Henderson, Isabella Holland, Nia Howze, Cassandra Huffman, Camryn Hunter, Hallie Jones, Mark Kessler, Jordan Keyes, Lauren Kulas, Sydney Lear, Jack Lynn, Grace Necker, Naina Ninan, Abinaya Paravasthuramesh, Grace Parker, Roshni Penmatcha, Olivia Peters, Sydney Prochaska, Max Royer, Jenna Ruccolo, Kelsey Ruff, Annika Schulz, Caroline Sharis, Konnor Sommer, Gretchen Strobbe, Jidong Sun, Ava Thomsen, Keshav Wagle, Andrew Witters, Sophia Xiao, Nicholas Yanek

FIRST HONORS

Subrat Acharya, Jacob Ager, Zachary Ahlers, Mohammed Amish-Malik, Ashwathi Arumugam, Sophie Bergman, Samantha Bladel, Myra Bowe, Grace Budde, William Christophersen, Bailey Connors, Sydney Cournoyer, Evan Crawford, Brian Dayman, Rory Donahue, Giavanna Eckhardt, Justin English, Lucy Foley, Sydney Foley, Benjamin Fuller, Zachary Garner, Ethan Good, Hannah Gorsline, Seth Hamby, Abigail Hammer, Samuel Hanna, Justin Harrington, Brooke Harris, Katherine Harris, Emma Horsfield, Katelyn Jensen, Vivek Joshi, Bethany Junge, Sarah Kayali, Cassidy Kilcoin, Emma Kriley, Alexia Lara, Elizabeth Lindmark, Phillip Lyon, Leah Manahl, Giavanna Mariani, Mackenzie May, Nathan McKay, Kaylin McNeal, Abigail Melbourne, Bradley Melvin, Mackenzie Messer, Katelynn Mickle, Elizabeth Moore, Roshni Nair, Adrienne Necker, Lauren Nelson, Alexander Ngo, Parker Olson, Madeline Patramanis, Andrew Pavey, Benjamin Piotter, Katherine Schumacher, Trinity Shi, Gabriela Smith, Collin Smith, Cassidy Sorenson, Ellen Spelhaug, Alex Stein, Vishwajit Subramanian, Claire Thomsen, Nicholas Waugh, Sara Wetzel, Rachael Woods, Maxwell Yonash, Nathan Zabel

SECOND HONORS

Rebecca Abdullah, Maaz Ahmed, Brent Alman, Jack Angell, Ryan Aplington, Caleb Arnold, Kira Arthofer, Lauren Barlow, Rishem Bhogal, William Bogner, Robert Border, Jackson Castonguay, Jonathon Compton, Isabelle Davis, Maggie Davis, Nicole Deir, Maureen-Joy Delpilar, Hannah Deutmeyer, Michael Dobroski, Sean Dolphin, Hannah Edwinson, Sydney Einck, Emma Elceser, Tomas Elias, Sean Finnegan, Kelsie Foltz, Haley Germain, Camden Glenn, Emily Goodman, Connor Guenther, Jaleece Harrison, Emma Hartz, Nicholas Hofman, Haley Humphries, Rachel Hunt, Alysa Jones, Nicholas Kontos, Payton Krueger, Collin Kuebrich, Ramya Kumar, Adam Kunau, Hope Leonard, Samuel Lindhoff, Aliya Lovejoy, Audrey McCracken, John McGrath, Steele McKinnon, Megan Mitchell, Brooke Morin, Emma Morris, Elissa Moylan, Luc Nading, Mukul Nair, Alexa Neal, Olivia Nelson, Emeleigh Nevills, Logan Nichols, Kaylynne Nowak, Preston Olson, McKenna Olson, Mohammed Omar, Brandon Parejko, Morgan Parkhurst, Elizabeth Paxton, Kalista Paxton, Isabella Perales, Sophia Picchiotti, Lily Porter, Jeffrey Ransom, Kayla Reilly, Callum Revell, Corrine Richland, Ali Rizvi, Brendan Roethler, Daniel Romans, Jaejun Shin, Logan Smith, Taylor Stinson, Theodore Storl-Desmond, Jillian Sutton, Luisa Tekeli, Josette VenHorst, Jacob Vincel, Logan Volkert, Dermot Weldon, Jered Wilson

COMMENDED

Breanna Achenbaugh, Grace Auliff, Madison Banks, Isabel Bebber, Eric Berst, Joseph Betzel, London Bicknell, Konnor Bradley, Samuel Carr, Blake Childers, Katelyn Damitz, Courtney Davis, Tailynn Deevers, Daisy DeZarn, Cole Dorman, Jacob Dougherty, Cooper Edwards, Tiffany Engler, Kirsten Erickson, Fritz Friederichs, Alec Gelande, Charles Goertzen, Marshal Groves, Austin Hedgren, Sadie Jo Hixson, Dalia Hocine, Ethan Hornbuckle, Gage Howard, Zachery James, Nicholas Jordahl, Zafar Khan, John King, Avash Lamsal, Nicholas Lank, Chloe Lochner, Madison Mason, David Mathews, Peter Matos, Laura Newman, Megan Obenauf, Spencer O'Brien, Brock Redecker, Matthew Robertson, Josephine Sack, Alexander Schulz, Grant Sexson, Devyn Suhl, Hannah Thomas, Eric Thompson, Saifah Thong-Ngok, Matthew Umland, Garrett VanOsdel, Sean Wallace, Gavyn Williams, Tyler Woolison

28 Jan 2015

Military Homeownership Assistance Program Assists Iowa Military Service Members and Veterans Purchase Homes

By Ashley Jared

State Program Offers $5,000 Down Payment Grants to Service Members and Veterans

 

Des Moines - Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds joined state officials today to announce that the Military Homeownership Assistance program has assisted nearly 3,400 military service members and veterans purchase a home in Iowa. The program is jointly administered by the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs and funding is appropriated by the Iowa Legislature.

The Military Homeownership Assistance Program provides eligible service members with a $5,000 grant that may be used towards down payment and closing costs to purchase a home located in Iowa.

"More than 800 veterans have already been matched with jobs in our state through the Home Base Iowa initiative, with the opportunity for us to welcome thousands more. A key component in the transition to civilian life for these veterans is making their own permanent home right here in Iowa and this program will help them to achieve that goal," said Governor Branstad.

"Our efforts to match veterans and their spouses with quality careers in Iowa are working. With the Iowa Finance Authority's work to assist veterans in making a down payment on a home, we believe even more veterans will make our great state their home base," said Lt. Governor Reynolds.

When combined with the Iowa Finance Authority's other down payment assistance programs, eligible service members could receive a total of up to $7,500 in grant funds toward the purchase of a home. In fiscal year 2014, the program assisted 423 military service members and their families to fulfill their dream of homeownership.

"Upon my return from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, my wife and I started looking for a house in Osceola, where I now serve as a reserve Sheriff's Deputy and volunteer firefighter," said tenured military veteran Sergeant Byron Jimmerson. "We were excited to discover that we qualified for IFA's Military Homeownership Assistance Grant Program to help with the down payment. The grant helped ease the financial cost of owning a home, especially with the anticipated expenses of starting a family."

"The Military Homeownership Assistance Program was created by the Iowa Legislature in an effort to foster affordable homeownership opportunities for service members," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "Down payment assistance is a valuable resource and it affords service members and veterans an avenue to conduct civilian life in a permanent, stable home in Iowa."

 

"The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs' mission is to assist veterans with obtaining services and benefits that they are entitled to.  We are also concerned about the successful reintegration of veterans into civilian life and the community," said Colonel Robert King, Executive Director, Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs. "The Military Homeownership Assistance Program is an excellent program that directly impacts qualified veterans' ability to purchase a home. We are extremely pleased with the response of veterans requesting this program."

The Military Homeownership Assistance Program has provided more than $15.4 million in funding to support approximately 3,400 military service members and their families since the program's inception in 2005. Availability of funding for this program is subject to annual state appropriation and funds are made available on a first-come, first-served basis. More information about the program is available at IowaFinanceAuthority.gov.

The Iowa Legislature created the Iowa Finance Authority in 1975 to undertake programs to assist in the attainment of housing for low-and moderate-income Iowans.

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28 Jan 2015

Timber Lake Playhouse Hosts Teen Auditions for HAIRSPRAY

By James Beaudry
MOUNT CARROLL, IL -- Timber Lake Playhouse, the professional summer theatre in Mount Carroll, will hold open auditions for teenagers and young adults who look like high school students for ensemble roles in their summer production of Hairspray. The company is seeking to cast up to ten strong dancers who can sing. African Americans are strongly encouraged to audition.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, February 14th at the West Carroll Middle School in Mount Carroll, located at 633 South East Street. Performers should arrive at 10:30 a.m. to sign in. The audition will begin with a dance call at 10:45 a.m. Based on the dance call, people may be asked to stay and sing. All auditions will end by 2:00 p.m.

Anyone attending should bring proper footwear, a current photo, and sheet music for a song in the style of the musical. An accompanist will be provided. Singing to a recording is discouraged. Please bring a list of potential rehearsal conflicts, as well.

Rehearsals for the production will begin on May 22nd. Rehearsals are every day through June 3. The production runs June 4th through June 14th. TLP will try to work around class schedules for rehearsals. No performance conflicts are allowed. Visit the website for more information.

Hairspray will be directed by Lili-Anne Brown, artistic director of Bailiwick Chicago and recipient of the 2014 Jeff Award for best direction of a musical for her company's production of Dessa Rose. Choreography will be by Zachary L. Gray, who recently served as associate director/choreographer of Shrek The Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and was a resident performer and choreographer at TLP in 2008.

Winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Hairspray is a family-friendly musical piled bouffant high with laughter, romance, and deliriously tuneful songs. It's 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire ? to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning teen queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network, all without denting her 'do!

For more information,  visit www.timberlakeplayhouse.org, call the box office at 815-244-2035, or visit the company at 8216 Black Oak Rd. in Mount Carroll.

###

28 Jan 2015

Studies Show Bullying Continues To Have Devastating Impact On Young People

By Ginny Grimsley
TV Personality Says It's Time We All Say, 'No More!'

New laws, media attention and public awareness campaigns have placed a greater emphasis on bullying in recent years than perhaps ever in the nation's history.
Yet bullying remains a stubborn problem with far-reaching effects.

More than one in four students, 27.8 percent, report being bullied during the school year, according to a 2103 report by the National Center for Educational Statistics, but most victims never tell an adult.

That's one reason it's crucial that everyone - not just school officials - get involved in the battle, says TV personality Cindy "Rodeo" Steedle, who founded an anti-bullying initiative called Imagine No Bullying Now (www.imaginenobullyingnow.com) and often speaks on the subject at school assemblies.

"It's so important to me because I was bullied as a child," says Steedle, who rose to fame in 2007 as a contestant on VH1's "Rock of Love" and subsequently has made numerous other TV appearances.

Steedle recalls as a teenager enduring the taunts of other girls because she couldn't afford the nice clothes they wore. The bullying didn't stop with words.
"They would hit me on the bus," Steedle says.

The impact of bullying can be devastating. A 2012 report by the Centers for Disease Control said students who experience bullying are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties and poor school adjustment.

Bullying is bad for the bullies, as well. The CDC reported that students who bully others are at increased risk for substance use, academic problems and violence later in adolescence and adulthood.

"How many times have each of us witnessed an act of bullying and said little or nothing?" Steedle asks. "After all, it wasn't our responsibility. If our kid wasn't involved, we figured, it's none of our business."

That's the wrong attitude, Steedle says. She offers keys to facing up to bullying and doing something about it.

·  No one should make excuses for bullies. Some people claim bullying is simply a part of life. If no one is physically hurt, they will say, "What's the big deal? It's just boys being boys and girls being girls." Those people are wrong, Steedle says. "We must make it clear in our actions and our words that bullying will not be tolerated," she says.

·  Parents should monitor their children's cell phone and Internet use. Bullying takes many forms and it's not always in person. Text messages and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can become sources of bullying.

·  Schools must be at the forefront of the battle. Too many schools don't take bullying seriously. School officials need to recognize the depth of the problem, and implement and enforce strong anti-bullying policies.

·  But the problem goes beyond the schoolhouse doors. If we want to eradicate bullying in our communities, we can't rely on schools alone, Steedle says. All public and private institutions need to do more to demonstrate that bullying is simply unacceptable in our workplaces and in our homes.

"This is not a failure of one group of kids, one school, one town, one county or one geographic area," Steedle says. "Rather, it exposes a fundamental flaw in our society, one that has deep-seated roots.

"Until now, it has been too difficult, inconvenient ? maybe even painful ? to address. But we can't keep looking away. We have to stand up and say, 'No more!' It's up to us all to get more involved."

About Cindy "Rodeo" Steedle

Cindy "Rodeo" Steedle rose to fame in 2007 as a contestant on VH1's "Rock of Love," captivating viewers with an appealing charisma that landed her further appearances on seasons 2 and 3 of "Rock of Love." Her other TV appearances include the VH1 series "I Love Money" and "Rock of Love: Charm School" with Sharon Osbourne. Three years ago, to bring awareness to bullying, Steedle founded an initiative called Imagine No Bullying Now (www.imaginenobullyingnow.com). She also is co-creator and Executive Producer of the 2015 Taste of Speed Jet Port Experience (www.tasteofspeed.com), a luxury lifestyle event scheduled May 2 in Atlanta that includes a fashion show, live entertainment, classic cars, celebrity chefs and more. This is the second annual Taste of Speed, which was created to raise money for charity.

28 Jan 2015

LECLAIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERSHIP

By LeClaire Chamber of Commerce
It is time to renew your Membership for 2015!
In order to remain or be on the Chamber Website Membership Directory
and on the Directory in the March Newsletter, please renew by February 1, 2015!
Membership forms have been mailed out, or you can renew your membership by going to
www.leclairechamber.com and pay via Pay Pal.
If you did not receive a letter and form by mail,
please see the attached form, or
contact the Chamber at LeClaireChamber@gmail.com
.
If you have already renewed your Membership, Thank You!

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