17 Jul 2014

Bruce Braley Reaction to Senate Vote Blocking Hobby Lobby Bill

By Sam Lau
DES MOINES, IA - Bruce Braley released the following statement after Republicans in the US Senate voted to block legislation that would have reversed the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision:

"I am immensely disappointed that today Senate Republicans blocked efforts to restore a woman's ability to access contraception after the Supreme Court's harmful Hobby Lobby decision. Women in Iowa deserve equal access to health care, and their ability to purchase contraception should never be subject to interference from their employers. I strongly believe women in Iowa should be able to make their own health care choices without their bosses' interference, and I would fight tirelessly to protect women's health care rights in the U.S Senate."

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17 Jul 2014

Illinois National Guard places first in qualified Soldiers

By Illinois National Guard PAO

SPRINGFIELD, IL (07/16/2014)(readMedia)-- SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - This week's National Guard Bureau qualification scorecard found the Illinois Army National Guard moved to first place among the states and territories for duty military occupational specialty qualified (DMOSQ) Soldiers. Of the available 8,983 Soldiers assigned, 8,713 are military occupational specialty (MOS) qualified, which is a success rate of 97.5 percent.

A Soldier is DMOSQ when he or she graduates from a school required to qualify for the job specialty.

"The importance of this is about being a ready and relevant force," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Mark Hebenstreit of Springfield, Illinois, human resources specialist for the personnel branch. "Units need to be able to perform missions, not only for deployments, but federal and state missions. It is important to have trained and competent Soldiers in the units to perform homeland security and combat missions."

The training branch (G3) and the personnel branch (G1) are responsible for identifying Soldiers who need to qualify in their occupational specialty and processing school applications in a timely manner.

"There is a 30-day window when we are allowed to obtain seats from other states," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Melton of Springfield, Illinois, training technician in the Individual Training Branch (G3/7). "We have to stay on top of the packets and process applications."

Melton called multiple states to use allocated school seats. Other states gave unused seats to Illinois, allowing Illinois to send more Soldiers to school.

"This is a team effort between the G3, G1 and the major subordinate command's," said Master Sgt. Christopher Anderson of Dixon, Illinois, the quota source manager for the G3. "It's challenging to get to number one in the state; it is a committed effort in proper manning."

While Illinois is currently number one, the numbers can fluctuate easily, as Soldiers move units and change jobs.

"We try to get the Solders trained as soon as possible," said Melton.

To be effective it is important the Soldiers know their jobs and are DMOSQ.

"We must be committed to ensuring our Soldiers are highly trained," said Lt. Col. Stanely Manes of Springfield, Illinois, chief training division.

17 Jul 2014

Simon: Protect Women's Access to Health Care

By Rick Martin

Birth control is a woman's choice, not a corporation's business

AURORA - July 16, 2014. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon advocated for women's access to comprehensive health care coverage today following a tour of a Planned Parenthood health center in suburban Chicago.

Simon said that women should be able to make their own health care decisions without cost or other barriers standing in the way, regardless of where they live or work.

"A woman's decision to use birth control is a personal one, and her corporate employer should not be able to interfere with it," Simon said.

Simon's visit to Planned Parenthood's Aurora Health Center comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that some for-profit businesses can use religious objections to deny access to full birth control coverage to female employees. This will prevent some women, particularly those working low-wage jobs, from getting birth control.

Legislation to override the decision was blocked by GOP Senators today.

The Affordable Care Act requires all insurance policies to cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs to women, categorizing it as women's basic preventative care. The Supreme Court ruled that for-profit companies owned by a family or small group of individuals can be exempt from the federal rule based on the owners' religious beliefs.

Those for-profit companies will still be required to provide birth control with a co-pay under Illinois law, unless they are self-insured (like Hobby Lobby) or receive a state exemption under the Health Care Right of Conscience Act.

"I am proud to live in a state that protects a woman's right to make private medical decisions. I urge all Illinois lawmakers to stand in support of women, not in the way of their health care," Simon said.

Simon chairs the Governor's Rural Affairs Council and has worked to improve women's health care in underserved areas.

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17 Jul 2014

Boys and Girls Clubs to Launch Great Futures Literary Challenge

By Mark McLaughlin
UPDATE: members of the community can start dropping off their donations of new or gently used books for young people at Boys & Girls Club locations and at Lagomarcino's in Moline. The Book Rack in Davenport has agreed to donate a big box of books, and more from the community would certainly be welcome.
IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - On Thursday, July 31, Boys and Girls Clubs across the country will celebrate the launch of the Great Futures Campaign to mobilize the community in support of today's young people. As part of that campaign, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley has issued a community literary challenge, encouraging Quad-Citians to donate in support of young people, their reading habits, and the future of the community.
At 3 p.m., July 31, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley (BGCMV) will introduce the Great Futures Literary Challenge at their Davenport Club, located at First Presbyterian Church, 1702 Iowa Street, Davenport, IA.
"The community is invited to the event," said Tim Tolliver, Chief Executive Officer of the BGCMV. "Quad-Citians will be asked to support literacy by donating new or gently used age-appropriate books for young people, ages 6 to 18. Each of our Clubs will conduct a reading contest from July 31 to December 12, with the winners of each club announced at our Holiday Ball event on December 13. Community members, companies and organizations are also welcome to donate to the general funds of the Boys and Girls Clubs, to help support our day-to-day operations."
To prepare for the event, Quad-Citians are asked to drop off books before July 31 at any Boys & Girls Club location:
  • Moline Club, 406 7th Street, Moline, IL
  • Teen Center, 1122 5th Avenue, Moline, IL
  • Davenport Club, First Presbyterian Church, 1702 Iowa Street, Davenport, IA
  • Administrative Office, 338 6th Street, Moline, IL
At the July 31 event, the books that have been donated so far will be given to members of the Boys and Girls Clubs in attendance. People can continue to support the Great Futures Literary Challenge by dropping off books at the above locations until December 12.
Tolliver added that the BGCMV has started a Wish List on their Amazon.com account for donations of books, e-books, e-magazine subscriptions and gift cards. To locate the Wish List, go to Amazon.com, click on the Wish List tab in the upper right-hand corner and choose 'Find a wish list or registry.' On the next screen, enter BGCMV in the space provided to reach the page.
"At the Holiday Ball, we will reveal how many books were donated and read by Club members, and we will also share this information with the media," Tolliver said.
The Needs of Today's Children
Through the Great Futures Campaign, the BGCMV is joining Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide in bringing attention to the needs of today's children. According to Tolliver, the BGCMV has multiple goals for the campaign, including:
  • Increase membership and access to Clubs for young people who need a safe place to go after school and during the summer.
  • Encourage regular reading habits and increase access to age-appropriate reading material.
  • Motivate kids to be healthy through better nutrition and health education, more access to healthy foods, avoidance of risky behaviors, and a lifelong commitment to fitness.
  • Ensure successful transitions to middle and high school, and foster college- or career-readiness with 21st century skills.
  • Engage youth in taking action in their community.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one out of three children nationwide leave school every day with no place to go, putting them at risk of being unsupervised, unguided and unsafe. Statistics from the Afterschool Alliance show that during the summer, three out of four children in America lack access to summer learning programs, increasing their risk of learning loss and putting them at a disadvantage before the school year starts.  

Statistics from other sources show that today's children also face additional problems:
  • The U.S. Census Bureau has found that one in five American kids live in poverty.
  • National Center for Health Statistics has revealed that three out of 10 kids nationwide are obese or overweight.
  • According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, our nation's graduation rate ranks 22nd among 28 countries.
Tolliver is asking the public to help the BGCMV to reach more kids and put them on the path to a great future. "At the Boys & Girls Clubs, we've seen the positive impact that occurs when young people have access to a safe place with caring adult mentors and enriching programs during out-of-school time," he said. "We want today's generation to be successful in every aspect of their lives, so they can become future leaders for our country."
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, as a chartered member of Boys and Girls Clubs of America, is a tax-exempt organization, duly qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions are tax-deductible in accordance with Federal law.
For more information on the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, call (309) 757-5777 or visit www.bgcmv.org.
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17 Jul 2014

Joann Weeks of Pleasant Valley, Iowa among Top Students Honored at Academic Awards Ceremony

By Phil Brozynski

LISLE, IL (07/16/2014)(readMedia)-- One hundred ninety-four students were honored for their outstanding academic achievements at the Honors Convocation and Hooding Ceremony held recently at Benedictine University.

Joann Weeks of Pleasant Valley, Iowa was presented the/recognized as a member of the Psi Chi national honors society in Psychology.

Benedictine University is an independent Roman Catholic institution located in Lisle, Illinois just 25 miles west of Chicago. Founded in 1887, Benedictine provides 55 undergraduate majors, 16 graduate and four doctoral programs.

Benedictine University is ranked No. 1 among the country's fastest-growing campuses between 2001-2011 in The Chronicle of Higher Education's list of private nonprofit research institutions, and Forbes magazine named Benedictine among "America's Top Colleges" for the third consecutive year in 2013. Benedictine University's Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program is listed by Crain's Chicago Business as the fifth largest in the Chicago area in 2013.

17 Jul 2014

Braley Writes President in Continued Bipartisan Effort to Resolve Stalled Congolese Adoptions

By Randy Stalsberg

Congressman urges President to engage with Congolese government

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in urging the United States government to address the issue of stalled adoptions with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ahead of the Congolese Prime Minister's attendance at a summit in the United States next month.

"The United States can and should speak with one voice when it comes to resolving this issue and uniting these families," Braley said. "Iowa families have made the courageous decision to bring a child into their homes and are being prevented from doing that by red tape–and that's not right."

 

Recently, a resolution introduced by Braley calling on the Congolese government to resolve the issue passed unanimously in the U.S. House.

 

Over 900 U.S. families have had their adoptions suspended by the DRC. Some, including Erin and Michael Peat of Dubuque were granted their adoption visa by the United States. However, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) suddenly refused to issue exit letters, which is the final step allowing families to bring their children to the United States.

In June, Braley met with Erin Peat and Kevin and Dawn Schafer of West Des Moines, along with other families who are facing delays in their adoptions from the DRC.

Braley has written the Congolese Prime Minister, the Congolese Ambassador to the United States, and Secretary of State John Kerry calling for a resolution to this issue.

The Letter to President Obama can be found below.

 

June 16, 2014

The Honorable Barack Obama

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama,

We write to ask for your personal engagement to resolve over 900 international adoption cases of Congolese children who either have been or are in the process of being adopted by American families, yet who are unable to obtain Congolese exit permits due to a suspension in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We understand that you have invited President Joseph Kabila to Washington in August for the first ever U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, and we urge you to use this event and the time leading up to it as an opportunity to press for an expeditious resolution that is in the best interest of these children.

In September 2013, the DRC suspended the issuance of exit permits for children adopted by foreign parents, reportedly due to concerns about suspected malfeasance in the local DRC adoption process and lack of information about the well-being of adopted children after they arrived in their new homes.  This suspension is having tragic consequences for these children as they wait to be united with their American families.  Already, 10 children who were matched with American families have died since the suspension went into place and many more have urgent, life-threatening medical problems. There are over 350 children who have been legally adopted by US families and have been given Congolese passports and U.S. visas, but are still waiting for exit letters to be able to leave the DRC.

Overcoming this impasse is a priority for many in Congress and we appreciate the State Department's efforts to raise this issue with its Congolese counterparts. In April of this year, a bipartisan and bicameral group of 170 Members of Congress wrote to President Kabila and Prime Minister Matata Ponyo, urging the DRC government to resume processing exit permits for adopted children. To date, there has been no official response to this letter. Secretary Kerry raised this issue directly with President Kabila during his visit to Kinshasa in May and later that month the DRC government did release exit letters for 19 children adopted by American families, 4 of whom were medically fragile. Unfortunately, this represented only a small percentage of the completed cases and leaves dozens of critically ill children without the medical care they need to survive. The U.S. Department of State has continuously engaged the Congolese government to resolve the remaining completed cases, but to date all overtures have been unsuccessful. For example, when the DRC Director of General Migration (DGM) Francois Beya visited the United States in June, he received multiple requests for meetings ranging from State Department officials to Members of Congress. Mr. Beya declined to schedule any meetings on the suspended exit permit issue. That is why we are requesting your direct engagement with President Kabila.

We respectfully request that you raise this human rights crisis with President Kabila prior to his attendance at the U.S.-African Leaders Summit next month, and then use the opportunity of the summit to press for a firm resolution.  We would appreciate your leadership on this issue to help unite these children and their families.

Thank you for your attention to this important request.

Sincerely,

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17 Jul 2014

Senior Star at Elmore Place Hosts Seminar on Identification Theft

By Marc Strohschein

Corporal Hank Jacobsen of the Davenport Police Department Shares Vital Information  

 

DAVENPORT, IA (July 16, 2014) - Senior Star at Elmore Place is hosting an important presentation on identification theft at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22 at 4500 Elmore Avenue in Davenport.  Led by Corporal Hank Jacobsen from the Davenport Police Department, discussions will focus on current information regarding typical scams and tactics often used by identification thieves and ways to avoid being an identity theft victim.

"We are looking forward to Mr. Jacobsen presenting this essential information to our retirement community and to all Quad Cities residents," said Marc Strohschein, executive director of Senior Star at Elmore Place.  "Identity theft, while important to guard against for all of us, is especially important for seniors who are so frequently targeted.  We encourage everyone to join us in learning more so that we can all avoid becoming the next victim."

An RSVP is requested by July 21.  Please call 563.484.5114 to reserve your space.

For more information about Senior Star at Elmore Place or to schedule a visit, call 563.484.5114 or visit the website at www.seniorstar.com.
17 Jul 2014

Presentation Showcases National Parks Established by the Hoover Administration

By Adam Prato

WEST BRANCH, IOWA– On Saturday, July 19 a park ranger discusses "Herbert Hoover's National Parks": special places like Arches, Isle Royale, George Washington Birthplace, Sunset Crater Volcano, and other national parks and monuments preserved by Herbert Hoover's administration. The presentation is free and begins at 2 p.m. in the visitor center.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. For more information go online at www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

110 Parkside Drive

PO Box 607

West Branch, Iowa 52358

319 643-2541 phone

319 643-7864 fax

www.nps.gov/heho

Twitter: @HooverNPS

Facebook: HerbertHooverNHS

17 Jul 2014

Blue Ribbon Foundation breaks Corndog Kickoff Fundraising Record for 4th Consecutive Year

By Lori Chappell

DES MOINES, IA (07/16/2014)(readMedia)-- Iowa State Fair fans were "Rock'n Round the Grounds" on Saturday, July 12th at the Blue Ribbon Foundation's 18th annual Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction and Fair Food Grazing Party. For the 4th consecutive year, the Corndog Kickoff has broken a record. Last Saturday's event raised a total of $424,000 for the renovation and preservation of the Iowa State Fairgrounds!

More than 1,800 Iowa State Fair supporters gathered for a night of fun, food and fundraising .The Blue Ribbon Foundation auctioned off 31 live and 205 silent auction packages for totals of $145,000 and $47,850, respectively. Patron contributions totaled $185,375. The remaining funds consisted of ticket and merchandise sales.

"The Corndog Kickoff set another record this year in terms of attendance and dollars raised. We cannot thank Iowans enough for their support. Their State Fair will continue to grow and prosper because of their generosity. Thank you," said Peter Cownie, Blue Ribbon Foundation Executive Director.

The Blue Ribbon Foundation encourages the public to attend this year's Iowa State Fair, August 7-17, and see the many improvements made possible through the support of Fair-lovers. Make a point to explore the finished renovation of the Patty and Jim Cownie Cultural Center. The final phase of construction added more restrooms accessible from the second floor entrance. There is now access to the plaza area from the hillside with a new set of stairs and landscaping. Improvements have also been made to the Youth Inn. The first phase of the renovation includes: a replaced roof, remodeled showers and the addition of cooling to the upper level.

Since its inception in 1993, the Blue Ribbon Foundation has been raising funds to renovate and restore the historic Iowa State Fairgrounds. More than $100 million has been generated to date and has supported 40 projects throughout the Fairgrounds. Improvements have been made to the William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building, the Grandstand, the Campgrounds and Ye Old Mill. In addition, funds support the building of new facilities such as the Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center, Elwell Family Food Center and the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center.

The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, please contact the Foundation at (800) 450-3732, bluerf@blueribbonfoundation.org or visit www.blueribbonfoundation.org.

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17 Jul 2014

Braley Leads Iowa House Delegation Letter, Urges Obama to Approve Disaster Declaration for Iowa Counties

By Kirsten Hartman

Iowa's Congressional delegation writes joint letter supporting Gov. Branstad's request

 

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today asked President Obama to quickly approve a federal disaster declaration requested by Governor Terry Branstad for 26 Iowa counties that sustained significant storm damage and flooding in recent weeks. Braley's letter was also signed by Rep. Loebsack (IA-02), Rep. Latham (IA-03), and Rep. King (IA-04).

"Just weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit affected areas and see first-hand the damage these storms left across the state," Braley said. "I will do everything possible to ensure that Iowa communities have the resources they need to recover and rebuild and I'm proud to join my colleagues in this bipartisan effort."

Braley's letter was sent in support of Governor Branstad's request for a presidential disaster declaration for the Iowa counties. Severe weather between June 14 and June 23, 2014 including tornadoes, flooding and heavy rains caused significant damage to infrastructure and property in parts of the state including the 1st District. The storms caused an estimated $11.6 million that could be eligible for Federal Public Assistance.

"We respectfully urge your swift consideration of this request and express our support for the designation," Braley's letter reads.

Branstad is requesting federal funding for the counties of Allamakee, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Butler, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Humboldt, Ida, Kossuth, Lyon, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, and Wright.

The letter to President Obama can be found below:

 

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write in support of a recent request from Governor Terry Branstad for a presidential disaster designation for 26 counties in Iowa. Severe weather, including storms, damaging winds, tornadoes, heavy rain, hail and flooding caused significant damage in those 26 counties.

Governor Branstad is requesting federal Public Assistance Program funding for the counties of Allamakee, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Butler, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Humboldt, Ida, Kossuth, Lyon, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, and Wright. These counties experienced severe weather between June 14, 2014 and June 23, 2014.

This severe weather caused significant damage to infrastructure and private property. A joint federal, state, and local preliminary damage assessment determined that damage caused by the severe weather in these counties caused an estimated $11.6 million of damage that could be eligible for Public Assistance.  A major disaster declaration will help ensure these counties make a complete recovery.

We respectfully urge your swift consideration of this request and express our support for the designation. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

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