IOWA CITY, IA (12/30/2014)(readMedia)-- Kelly Van Acker, a native of Muscatine, IA, has graduated with High Distinction from the University of Iowa College of Education.

The College awards degrees "with highest distinction" to students in the highest 2 percent of the graduating class, "with high distinction" to students in the next highest 3 percent, and "with distinction" to the next highest 5 percent. Ranking is based on students' grade point averages for all college level study undertaken before the final registration.

To be eligible for graduation with distinction, students must complete a minimum of 60 s.h. in residence in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, of which at least 45 must have been completed before the student's final registration.

"You're either a cop or little people."?Police captain Harry Bryant in Blade Runner

For those of us who have managed to survive 2014 with our lives intact and our freedoms hanging by a thread, it has been a year of crackdowns, clampdowns, shutdowns, showdowns, shootdowns, standdowns, knockdowns, putdowns, breakdowns, lockdowns, takedowns, slowdowns, meltdowns, and never-ending letdowns.

We've been held up, stripped down, faked out, photographed, frisked, fracked, hacked, tracked, cracked, intercepted, accessed, spied on, zapped, mapped, searched, shot at, tasered, tortured, tackled, trussed up, tricked, lied to, labeled, libeled, leered at, shoved aside, saddled with debt not of our own making, sold a bill of goods about national security, tuned out by those representing us, tossed aside, and taken to the cleaners.

As I point out in my book A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, we've had our freedoms turned inside out, our democratic structure flipped upside down, and our house of cards left in a shambles.

We've had our children burned by flashbang grenades, our dogs shot, and our old folks hospitalized after "accidental" encounters with marauding SWAT teams. We've been told that as citizens we have no rights within 100 miles of our own border, now considered "Constitution-free zones." We've had our faces filed in government databases, our biometrics crosschecked against criminal databanks, and our consumerist tendencies catalogued for future marketing overtures.

We've been given the runaround on government wrongdoing, starting with President Obama's claim that the National Security Agency has never abused its power to spy on Americans' phone calls and emails. All the while, the NSA has been racing to build a supercomputer that could break through "every kind of encryption used to protect banking, medical, business and government records around the world." Despite the fact that the NSA's domestic surveillance program has been shown to be ineffective at preventing acts of terrorism, the agency continues to vacuum up almost 200 million text messages a day.

We've seen the police transformed from community peacekeepers to point guards for the militarized corporate state. From Boston to Ferguson and every point in between, police have pushed around, prodded, poked, probed, scanned, shot and intimidated the very individuals?we the taxpayers?whose rights they were hired to safeguard. Networked together through fusion centers, police have surreptitiously spied on our activities and snooped on our communications, using hi-tech devices provided by the Department of Homeland Security.

We've been deemed suspicious for engaging in such dubious activities as talking too long on a cell phone and stretching too long before jogging, dubbed extremists and terrorists for criticizing the government and suggesting it is tyrannical or oppressive, and subjected to forced colonoscopies and anal probes for allegedly rolling through a stop sign.

We've been arrested for all manner of "crimes" that never used to be considered criminal, let alone uncommon or unlawful, behavior: letting our kids walk to the playground alone, giving loose change to a homeless man, feeding the hungry, and living off the grid.

We've been sodomized, victimized, jeopardized, demoralized, traumatized, stigmatized, vandalized, demonized, polarized and terrorized, often without having done anything to justify such treatment. Blame it on a government mindset that renders us guilty before we've even been charged, let alone convicted, of any wrongdoing. In this way, law-abiding individuals have had their homes mistakenly raided by SWAT teams that got the address wrong. One accountant found himself at the center of a misguided police standoff after surveillance devices confused his license plate with that of a drug felon.

We've been railroaded into believing that our votes count, that we live in a democracy, that elections make a difference, that it matters whether we vote Republican or Democrat, and that our elected officials are looking out for our best interests. Truth be told, we live in an oligarchy, politicians represent only the profit motives of the corporate state, whose leaders know all too well that there is no discernible difference between red and blue politics, because there is only one color that matters in politics?green.

We've gone from having privacy in our inner sanctums to having nowhere to hide, with smart pills that monitor the conditions of our bodies, homes that spy on us (with smart meters that monitor our electric usage and thermostats and light switches that can be controlled remotely) and cars that listen to our conversations and track our whereabouts. Even our cities have become wall-to-wall electronic concentration camps, with police now able to record hi-def video of everything that takes place within city limits.

We've had our schools locked down, our students handcuffed, shackled and arrested for engaging in childish behavior such as food fights, our children's biometrics stored, their school IDs chipped, their movements tracked, and their data bought, sold and bartered for profit by government contractors, all the while they are treated like criminals and taught to march in lockstep with the police state.

We've been rendered enemy combatants in our own country, denied basic due process rights, held against our will without access to an attorney or being charged with a crime, and left to molder in jail until such a time as the government is willing to let us go or allow us to defend ourselves.

We've had the very military weapons we funded with our hard-earned tax dollars used against us, from unpiloted, weaponized drones tracking our movements on the nation's highways and byways and armored vehicles, assault rifles, sound cannons and grenade launchers in towns with little to no crime to an arsenal of military-grade weapons and equipment given free of charge to schools and universities.

We've been silenced, censored and forced to conform, shut up in free speech zones, gagged by hate crime laws, stifled by political correctness, muzzled by misguided anti-bullying statutes, and pepper sprayed for taking part in peaceful protests.

We've been shot by police for reaching for a license during a traffic stop, reaching for a baby during a drug bust, carrying a toy sword down a public street, and wearing headphones that hamper our ability to hear.

We've had our tax dollars spent on $30,000 worth of Starbucks for Dept. of Homeland Security employees, $630,000 in advertising to increase Facebook "likes" for the State Dept., and close to $25 billion to fund projects ranging from the silly to the unnecessary, such as laughing classes for college students and programs teaching monkeys to play video games and gamble.

We've been treated like guinea pigs, targeted by the government and social media for psychological experiments on how to manipulate the masses. We've been tasered for talking back to police, tackled for taking pictures of police abuses, and threatened with jail time for invoking our rights. We've even been arrested by undercover cops stationed in public bathrooms who interpret men's "shaking off" motions after urinating to be acts of lewdness.

We've had our possessions seized and stolen by law enforcement agencies looking to cash in on asset forfeiture schemes, our jails privatized and used as a source of cheap labor for megacorporations, our gardens smashed by police seeking out suspicious-looking marijuana plants, and our buying habits turned into suspicious behavior by a government readily inclined to view its citizens as terrorists.

We've had our cities used for military training drills, with Black Hawk helicopters buzzing the skies, Urban Shield exercises overtaking our streets, and active shooter drills wreaking havoc on unsuspecting bystanders in our schools, shopping malls and other "soft target" locations.

We've been told that national security is more important than civil liberties, that police dogs' noses are sufficient cause to carry out warrantless searches, that the best way not to get raped by police is to "follow the law," that what a police officer says in court will be given preference over what video footage shows, that an upright posture and acne are sufficient reasons for a cop to suspect you of wrongdoing, that police can stop and search a driver based solely on an anonymous tip, and that police officers have every right to shoot first and ask questions later if they feel threatened.

Now there are those who still insist that they are beyond the reach of the police state because they have done nothing wrong and have nothing to fear. To those sanctimonious few, secure in their delusions, let this be a warning: the danger posed by the American police state applies equally to all of us: lawbreaker and law abider alike, black and white, rich and poor, liberal and conservative, blue collar and white collar, and any other distinction you'd care to trot out.

The lesson of 2014 is simply this: in a police state, you're either a cop or you're one of the little people. Right now, we are the little people, the servants, the serfs, the grunts who must obey without question or suffer the consequences.

If there is to be any hope in 2015 for restoring our freedoms and reclaiming our runaway government, we will have to start by breathing life into those three powerful words that set the tone for everything that follows in the Constitution: "we the people."

It's time to stop waiting patiently for change to happen and, as Gandhi once advised, be the change you want to see in the world.

Get mad, get outraged, get off your duff and get out of your house, get in the streets, get in people's faces, get down to your local city council, get over to your local school board, get your thoughts down on paper, get your objections plastered on protest signs, get your neighbors, friends and family to join their voices to yours, get your representatives to pay attention to your grievances, get your kids to know their rights, get your local police to march in lockstep with the Constitution, get your media to act as watchdogs for the people and not lapdogs for the corporate state, get your act together, and get your house in order.

In other words, get moving. Time is growing short, and the police state is closing in. Power to the people!

This commentary is also available at www.rutherford.org.

Rock Island, IL: When it comes to toddlers ages three and under, play and learning go hand in hand. To help parents and caregivers support early learning pre-reading skills, the Rock Island Public Library will offer a new monthly play group at its 30/31 Branch.

Starting Jan. 8, the Play and Grow group will meet at 10:30 am on the second Thursday of each month within the bookstore at the 30/31 Branch, 3059 30th Street. The program uses Every Child Ready to Read pre-reading skills to help toddlers ages three and under with a parent or caregiver talk, sing, play, write, and read their way to early literacy.

Play and Grow meets at 10:30 am on Jan. 8, Feb. 12, March 12, April 9 and May 14, and offers play, stories and songs designed to support the early learning needs of babies and young toddlers. Additional activities include sharing strategies with parents and caregivers for healthy child development and early learning, and occasional presentations from local professionals on resources for parents of young children

Additional information about library events and services is available by visiting www.rockislandlibrary.org, following the library's Facebook and Twitter sites, or by calling 309-732-READ (7323.)

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is far from a one-size-fits-all disease. It progresses differently for everyone, and while some people experience only a few symptoms, others must cope with many more. The frequency and severity of MS flares also vary. But one thing is the same for almost everyone with MS: A lot depends on how well you stick with your treatment plan.

"There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of exacerbations", says Jack Burks, MD, a neurologist and the chief medical officer of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. "And if you're successful in reducing the number of attacks, you may also alter the progression of the disease in the long run," he says.
One way to manage MS attacks is to understand the potential triggers and take steps to keep your symptoms under control.

Read the full article.

WASHINGTON – The Federal Register Monday published a notice of proposed rulemaking by the U.S. Coast Guard to implement section 811 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-281).

This proposed rule would provide clear regulatory requirements for each facility owner or operator to provide seafarers associated with a vessel moored at the facility, and other individuals, access between the vessel and facility gate without unreasonable delay, and at no cost to the seafarer or other individual.

Generally, transiting through a facility is the only way that a seafarer or other individual can egress to shore beyond the facility to access basic shoreside businesses and services, and meet with family members and other personnel who do not hold a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).

Also, this proposed rule would provide facility owners and operators flexibility to implement a system to provide seafarers' access that is tailored to each facility. Facility owners and operators also would be required to amend and document their access procedures in their Coast Guard-approved facility security plans within one year of the publication of the final rule.

In particular, the Coast Guard seeks comment on:

  • Whether one year is an appropriate timeframe to implement the system.
  • Whether this proposal provides an appropriately-inclusive list of individuals who should be allowed access to a vessel.
  • Whether the approach provides the necessary flexibility for a diverse regulated population to ensure that timely access is reasonable in each case.
  • Whether the proposal provides an appropriately-inclusive list of methods for providing seafarers' access.
  • The Coast Guard's estimated non-compliance rate of MTSA-regulated facilities with respect to providing seafarers' access.
  • Whether the cost estimates for Facility Security Plan amendments and changes to facility operations to implement the proposed rule's provisions.
  • Other regulatory alternatives to this proposed rule.

You can read the NPRM at this link: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-29/pdf/2014-30013.pdf.

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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (December 29, 2014) - Pearce Eviston- who broke a 5-5 third period tie- Todd Fiddler and Mario Lamoureux scored two goals apiece as the Quad City Mallards (15-10-5) ripped off three unanswered goals in the third on the way to a wild 7-5 victory over the host Fort Wayne Komets (21-6-1) Monday night.

Eviston delivered the game winner by pouncing on a rebound just a minute and seven seconds after Fiddler broke in alone to even the score at five at 6:54 of the third.  Lamoureux's empty net goal finished off the Komets with just five seconds left in the contest.

The Komets took the lead into the third after Shawn Szydlowski cut into the slot and fired his second goal of the night into the top corner to put Fort Wayne on top 5-4 with just 1:39 left in the second period.  The Mallards had erased a 4-2 deficit with back-to-back goals from Joe Perry and Lamoureux in the second.  Perry's shot from the top of the left wing circle broke between Fort Wayne goaltender Roman Will's pads and narrowed the margin to a single goal at 14:29 of the middle frame.  Just over a minute and a half later Lamoureux jammed in the tying goal from the doorstep.

The Komets had seemingly taken control in the first period by roaring back with four straight goals after falling behind 2-0.  The Mallards were on the power play when Eviston opened the scoring from the left wing circle at 2:29 of the first.  Fiddler buried Evan Haney's centering pass to double the lead at 6:25, but that strike seemed to awaken the Komets, who responded just nine seconds later with Eric Faille's breakaway goal.  A mere 14 seconds after that, Gabriel Beaupre's long range drive tied the game.  At 14:42 Szydlowski swooped around a checker and snapped home the tie breaker from the slot.  Brett Perlini's one timer stretched the Komet lead to 4-2 a minute and two seconds later.

The Mallards earlier Monday signed Larkin Saalfrank as an emergency back-up goaltender.  Saalfrank, 23, played one game last season for the Komets.  The 6' 0", 185-pound Fort Wayne native arrived after Mallard goaltender Parker Milner signed a professional tryout agreement with the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild Monday.

The Mallards return to action Wednesday night on the road against the Evansville IceMen. The Mallards next play at home Friday evening at 7:05 p.m. against the Missouri Mavericks.  Friday also brings the return of $1 Dog/$1 Beer Night presented by 97X and MetroLINK.  Fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs and beers from iWireless Center concession stands during all Friday home games.  97X will follow in the spirit of the evening by presenting hot dog-themed intermission entertainment.

Tickets for all remaining Mallards regular season home games- including Friday night's contest- are on sale now at the iWireless Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The box office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.  Tickets are available for $10, $16, $20 and $28.

COMMENTARY:

This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Hilltop Campus Village Corporation. It was approved by the Main Street Iowa program in May 2009 and operations began following the formation of a board of directors, their appointment of a director in August, and technical training for volunteers in September and October.

We have all observed gratifying progress in efforts to revitalize our commercial corridors and seen increasing levels of quality reinvestment. Much of this has occurred as a result of partnerships being formed - with the area churches, colleges and universities, existing and new businesses, commercial property owners, the school district, multiple city departments, social agencies and interested volunteers who know that the successful encouragement of quality reinvestment helps enhance surrounding neighborhoods.

OVERVIEW:

Main Street Iowa recently put out their Cumulative Report Totals, an economic impact report that shows a running total of reinvestment and job creation in each of the 52 Iowa districts since they became part of the Main Street Iowa network.  While the results vary considerably by size of community and by how long the communities have been in the program, a look back 5 year shows some compelling data:

Among districts less than 25 years old, the Hilltop Campus Village is 2nd among all districts in private sector investment in rehabilitation,  7th in number of buildings rehabilitated, and 3rd in private sector dollars invested in acquisition. This doesn't include public sector investments in street resurfacing, curb repair, sidewalk upgrades, street lights and the other many things done to enhance the area by our city.

If these trends continue, we can look forward to more businesses, more customers coming to shop at those businesses and more employment opportunities in those businesses as they grow.

HAPPENINGS OF NOTE

Of particular interest to the businesses and institutions in the Hilltop Campus Village. The City of Davenport has been studying the potential of a possible city-wide broadband service and are looking for more input from businesses in our area as to what they might want to see out of such an offering. They have had a lot of residential participation, but need to hear from businesses too. This survey will run through Jan. 5.  The link to the background info and the survey is:

https://www.davenporttoday.com/business/business-stories/tell-davenport-what-you-want-from-the-internet . Let them hear from you!

There will be a Lydia Home meeting on Tuesday Dec 30th at 7 p.m., at the Lydia Home, 1431 Ripley Street. This informal monthly gathering is an excellent forum for neighbors and citizens to work with police and others to address concerns in the area and gather information. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Joyce Klopp at 563 322 0382.

The Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce is promoting VENTURE SCHOOL, a 6-week program for persons with a marketable idea, designed to accelerate the business startup process while increasing a person's chance for success. The program is offered through a partnership between the Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, The University of Iowa John Poppajohn Entrerpreneurial Center, and Ignite Quad Cities, a component of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. Information sessions will be held Thursday January 15 at noon and 5:30pm at the Quad Cities Chamber in downtown Davenport. Learn more and apply online at venture-school.com.

WORK GROUP SESSIONS

The four work groups that make things happen in our area deal with Design, Organization, Economic Restructuring and Promotion. All meet monthly and are open to the public. Persons wishing to learn more about these groups may do so by asking the director or a volunteer, by coming to the meetings as listed below and by visiting www.hilltopcampusvillage.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

o   Meeting time: Third Thursday of the month (January 15), 5:00pm, Hilltop Campus Village office conference area, 601 Brady Street, Suite 301

§  Reviewing Mission and Vision statements

§  Action Plan updates from Work Groups

§  Consideration of grant program for signage proposal

ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE

o   Meeting time: Second Monday of the month (January 12), 4:00 pm., Hilltop Campus Village conference area, 601 Brady Street, Suite 301

§  Prioritization of Org. Work Group 2015 Action Plan initiatives

§  1028 Harrison Street property update

§  Main Street Iowa Business Innovation Challenge Grant (Studio Start up phase 1) update

DESIGN COMMITTEE

o   Meeting time: Third Monday of the month (January 19), 5:00pm, Hilltop Campus Village conference area, 601 Brady Street, Suite 301

§  Design Review Board update

§  Prioritize Design Work Group 2015 Action Plan initiatives

§  Information column/public art update

PROMOTION COMMITTEE

o   Meeting time: Second Tuesday (January 13), 4:00pm, Hilltop Campus Village conference area, 601 Brady Street, Suite 301

§  Prioritization of Promotion Work Group 2015 Action Plan initiatives

§  Comprehensive Promotion Strategy development

§  Review of CHS presentation of December 18

§  Interest in Cupid Comes to the Hilltop

§  Start of planning for Altar Crawl in May

ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING COMMITTEE

o   Meeting time: Third Wednesday, (January 21) noon, Hilltop Campus Village conference area, 601 Brady Street, Suite 301

§  Prioritization of Economic Restructuring 2015 Action Plan initiatives

§  Bus shelter progress

§  New businesses and redevelopment plans

§  Needs survey for Hilltop Campus Village

The Hilltop Campus Village is a not for profit organization dedicated to restoration, redevelopment and revitalization of the area.  Questions, comments and suggestions may be addressed by contacting the Hilltop Campus Village office at 563-322-8293 or hcvscott@gmail.com or board members.

Quad Cities, USA - On Christmas Eve the bells at the Red Kettles finished ringing, but the goal has not yet been met. Currently, The Salvation Army in the Quad Cities has raised 86% of their goal with $655,000. Another $105,000 needs to be raised in order to meet the $760,000 goal. This goal is about 60% of the annual operating budget which helps provide homeless family shelter, transitional housing, a community meal program, rent and utility assistance, supplemental food boxes, nursing home visits, youth character building programs i.e. summer camps, and various other social services.

"This community's generosity has amazed me - the coins, dollars, checks and 3 gold coins have added up to $400,000!" said Major Gary Felton. "On Christmas Eve alone, the Red Kettles brought in $18,552 ... but we still need help! We encourage everyone to consider making their year-end donations to The Salvation Army to help make sure that we're able to continue offering various services to those hurting in our community."

The large Red Kettles will be inside the malls until January 5th and small Red Kettles are still standing on counters at the following stores throughout the Quad Cities: Hungry Hobo, Express Lane, Hy-Vee Gas Stations, Mother Hubbard Cupboards and Papa Johns.

For your gift to be tax-deductible in 2014, your envelopes need to be post-parked by December 31st. To make your year-end contributions today to help reach their goal you can mail your donations to 301 W. 6th Street, Davenport, IA 52803 or to give by credit card call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or go online to www.salvationarmyqc.org.

If you are interested in learning more about The Salvation Army, its programs in the community and how you can help, please call 563-271-7933.

Also Signs Legislation to Terminate Pension Benefits of Public Employees Convicted of Felonies

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law that makes it a crime to distribute private images without a person's consent. The law seeks to combat the growing epidemic whereby former romantic partners disseminate private images without the subject's consent. Today's action is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to protect the rights and privacy of the people of Illinois.

"Cyberbullying can have lasting and often devastating effects on a person, especially when it involves the distribution of very personal images," Governor Quinn said. "This shameful act can be as harmful as any other form of abuse. This law cracks down on perpetrators and will help prevent more people from becoming victims, most of whom are women."

Senate Bill 1009, sponsored by State Senator Michael Hastings (D-Matteson) and State Representative Scott Drury (D-Highwood), makes the non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images, also known as "revenge porn," a Class 4 felony. The law also removes any profit and voids any contract or agreement the offender may receive as a result of the illegal use of these images. According to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, 90 percent of revenge porn victims are women. The new law is effective June 1, 2015.

"This is an important modernization of our laws that will protect people's lives and reputations from cyberbullying and intimidation," Senator Hastings said.

Governor Quinn today also signed Senate Bill 2809, a new law that will help terminate the pension benefits of public employees convicted of felonies. Sponsored by State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) and State Representative Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook), the legislation allows the Illinois Attorney General to intervene in cases like those involving former Chicago Police supervisor John Burge, who was convicted of crimes committed while on duty but was still able to receive his publicly funded pension benefits. Today's action is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to make government and public employees more accountable to the taxpayers. The new law is effective June 1, 2015.

Governor Quinn also signed legislation creating a TIF extension for the Village of Lansing to support development in the West Lansing area. House Bill 6303 is effective immediately.

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Rock Island, IL: From tracking personal fitness to family budgets, and from games to new photo editors, it seems that there's a mobile app for just about everything.

A new monthly discussion group from the Rock Island Library can help you learn more about what's new and useful in these self-contained computer applications for smartphones and tablets. "APPy Hour" will meet at 7:00 pm on the second Wednesday of each month at Cool Beanz Coffeehouse, 1325 30th Street Rock Island.

The informal gathering gives smartphone and tablet owners to way to learn about new apps and to share their personal favorites with the group. The first meeting is January 14.

APPy Hours are free and open to the public, and will focus on apps of interest to adults and teens. Refreshments will be available for purchase from the coffeehouse.

Additional information about library events and services is available by visiting www.rockislandlibrary.org, following the library's Facebook and Twitter sites, or by calling 309-732-READ (7323.)

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Founded in 1872, the Rock Island Public Library serves the area through three locations, which include the Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branches, community outreach efforts, and online opportunities that provide resources to enhance personal achievement and stimulate the imagination.

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