Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement this evening following the President's speech on the Islamic State. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Loebsack has received briefings regarding the ongoing situation.

"Without question, the security situation in Iraq and Syria and the escalating threat from ISIS is a national security concern for the United States. The challenge with assessing ISIS is not whether these are evil people, because they have clearly proven they are. We have known that for a long time. I agree with the President that we must not put troops back in Iraq, but targeted air strikes may be necessary to degrade and defeat ISIS. We must do everything we can to protect the American people and our interests at home and abroad. Those who pose a real threat to Americans must know, there is no hiding from America's strength.

"The challenge that remains is whether or not certain military actions will create long-term, unintended consequences. Our foreign policy cannot be bomb first, ask questions later - that is what got us into this situation in the first place. Our allies around the world, and specifically in the region, must share this burden and work together to bolster political and economic conditions in Iraq and Syria. We cannot overcome centuries of sectarian strife with bombs alone. Ultimately the governments in Iraq and Syria must take responsibility for their own security."

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (Sept. 10, 2014) ? Hy-Vee, Inc., the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Governor's Advisory Council on Brain Injuries have partnered to help educate Iowa's elderly about ways they can prevent falls and injury during National Falls Prevention Awareness Month in September.

The seventh annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day will be observed on Sept. 23, the first day of fall. This year's theme, Strong Today, Falls Free® Tomorrow, seeks to raise awareness about how to prevent fall-related injuries among older adults. Nearly 500,000 people over the age of 65 live in Iowa.

Hy-Vee, IDPH and the Governor's Advisory Council on Brain Injuries hope to keep Iowa's older population strong and falls-free by providing education and resources through several avenues ? pharmacies, websites, social media and a Sept. 17 webinar ? during the awareness month.

In September, when senior citizens fulfill their prescriptions at a Hy-Vee Pharmacy in Iowa, they will see educational information in their prescription bags.

"Our pharmacy staff often witness and help treat the aftermath of a fall, but this initiative enables us to bring awareness to the role we can play in prevention," said Andy McCann, executive vice president and chief health officer of Hy-Vee. "We encourage our customers to review their prescription and non-prescription medications with us, as this is one of the main preventive measures our elderly can take."

Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for people 65 years of age and over, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA). Every 14 seconds, an older adult is seen in an emergency department for a fall-related injury. And the chances of falling and of being seriously injured in a fall increase with age, the NCOA's website says.

"Older Iowans in our communities had 29,590 fall-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in 2012. These fall-related injuries resulted in 429 fatalities and approximately $135 million in hospitalization charges," said Maggie Ferguson, IDPH brain injury and disability program manager. "We can change this by bringing greater attention to the many preventive measures that can be easily employed to keep our seniors safe."

Studies show that a combination of interventions can significantly reduce falls among older adults. Falls Prevention Awareness Month promotional materials will encourage Iowa's elderly adults to take the following steps:

• Review all their prescription and non-prescription medicines with their doctor and pharmacist.
• Talk to their health care provider about their risk of falling.
• Have their vision checked at least once a year.
• Talk to their family about their concerns.
• Exercise to improve their strength and balance.
• Make their home safer by removing things they can trip over.

"We thank the Iowa Department of Public Health and Hy-Vee for helping us to bring awareness to this issue. I have personally witnessed how injuries resulting from a fall can steal the quality of life from seniors and their families," said W. Dave Johnson, a member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Brain Injuries.

On Sept. 17 at 11 a.m., the Iowa Falls Prevention Coalition will host a webinar titled "Aging, Fall Risk and Prevention Through Exercise." To register for the webinar, visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/760561400.

For more information about falls prevention, visit a local Hy-Vee Pharmacy; the IDPH Falls Prevention website at www.idph.state.ia.us/FallPrevention; or the NCOA website at www.ncoa.org/improve-health/falls-prevention.

TROY, NY (09/10/2014)(readMedia)-- Several institutions in the area have been named among the top 150 best colleges for your money nationwide by College Factual (www.collegefactual.com), a trusted resource that uses customizable tools and outcomes-based rankings systems to guide students through the college selection process.

In addition to the best value rankings nationwide, these institutions have earned high rankings in a number of other categories as well. These rankings highlight areas where each school performs better than average when compared to other schools on the list, which includes both research universities and liberal arts colleges. A number of outcomes-based factors were used to determine these rankings, including how well the institution retains and graduates students, the average loan debt per student, the boost in expected earnings, percentage of full-time teachers, and the average student loan default rate.

Here's how the following local institutions stacked up:

Saint Ambrose University is ranked 28 in Best Colleges For Your Money Nationwide, 4 out of 728 in Best Value for Business, Management and Marketing, 4 out of 344 in Best Value for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting, and 6 out of 416 in Best Value for Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies. You can view all of their rankings here: http://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/saint-ambrose-university/rankings/badges/

Augustana College Illinois is ranked 83 in Best Colleges For Your Money Nationwide, 24 out of 1383 in Most Focused for Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 19 out of 733 in Best Value for Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and 39 out of 764 in Best Value for Psychology. You can view all of their rankings here: http://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/augustana-college-illinois/rankings/badges/

"We publish a variety of college rankings to get students and parents focused on key factors they need to consider when choosing a school,' says Bill Phelan, CEO of College Factual. "How long it will it take you to graduate? 4 or 6 years? What will your expected earnings be, and how does that compare? What's the risk of student loan default? These are tough questions any prospective student should be asking and we highlight these factors throughout our ranking process."

With a focus on providing sought-after data and unique decision-making tools, College Factual puts the college rankings process in the hands of students and parents and not those of institutions or national publications.

College Factual's ranking system is based on a series of algorithms that include information from the Department of Education, nationally mandated data reporting for institutions and Payscale.

Sytsma and Wiklund bring new ideas to their changing positions

St. Paul, Minn. - September 10, 2014 -Pheasants Forever(PF) and Quail Forever (QF) recently named Eric Sytsma of Oskaloosa, Iowa, as the organization's new regional representative for southern Iowa. Sytsma will be replacing former regional representative, Jared Wiklund, who will transition into his new role as public relations specialist at team headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Sytsma, a former Pheasants Forever Farm Bill biologist in Iowa, looks to continue the growth of Pheasants Forever's presence in the state, which is currently home to 102 Pheasants Forever chapters, three Quail Forever chapters and more than 19,000 PF/QF members. His main role in Iowa will be supporting the extensive network of local chapters which fuel conservation initiatives across the state, and represent chapters as a liaison to local, state and federal natural resource agencies.

Working for Pheasants Forever since 2010 as a Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist, Sytsma has been instrumental in providing wildlife habitat conservation measures to farmers and landowners in southern Iowa. He is a lifelong Iowa resident and earned a bachelor of science degree in animal ecology from Iowa State University. Sytsma resides in Oskaloosa, Iowa with his wife, Jenna, one daughter and two dogs.

Starting in his new role as public relations specialist, Wiklund's primary responsibilities include writing press releases, articles for the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever websites, and fostering relationships with outdoor media outlets and journalists. He will also serve as a spokesperson and assist in the promotion of the organization's National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic, which will be held in Des Moines on February 20, 21 and 22, 2015.

Transferring from his position of Iowa regional representative since 2010, Wiklund brings four years of valuable field experience to team headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota. He currently resides in Hugo, Minnesota with his wife, Kari, one daughter and black Lab.

"Eric Sytsma and Jared Wiklund have both added passion and professionalism to the organization, and I am certain they will continue to provide outstanding customer service to chapters, agencies and media in their new roles," commented Tom Fuller, Pheasants Forever's north region director.

For information about Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever in Iowa or to learn about a local chapter, Eric Sytsma can be contacted at Esytsma@pheasantsforever.org or (515) 423-4747. For all other inquiries, please contact Jared Wiklund, Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever public relations specialist at (651) 209-4953 or Jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org.

About Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever

Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 140,000 members and 745 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent; the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.  Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $508 million on 475,000 habitat projects benefiting 10 million acres nationwide.

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For additional information please visit www.PheasantsForever.org and www.QuailForever.org