19 Sep 2014

Loebsack Statement on Bipartisan, Bicameral Agreement to Reform Child Care & Development Block Grant Program

By Loebsack Press

Bipartisan, Bicameral Agreement Reached to Reform Child Care & Development Block Grant Program

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.–A bipartisan group of House and Senate leaders today announced a legislative agreement to improve and reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. Negotiated by Representatives John Kline (R-MN), George Miller (D-CA), Todd Rokita (R-IN), David Loebsack (D-IA), and Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Richard Burr (R-NC), the agreement will enhance transparency, strengthen health and safety protections, and improve the quality of care.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act provides funds to states to help low-income families pay for child care while a parent works or is in an educational or job training program. The law has not been reauthorized since 1996. Today's bipartisan, bicameral agreement is based upon legislation introduced in 2013 by Senators Mikulski and Burr that passed the Senate earlier this year.

"The Child Care and Development Block Grant program is a vital lifeline for countless Americans," said Rep. Kline, chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. "Working moms and dads have pursued a career, earned a degree, or acquired new skills and training because of the support available through this program. The commonsense ideas included in this bipartisan, bicameral agreement will only strengthen our support of these working families. I want to thank my House and Senate colleagues for working together to forge this bipartisan agreement."

"For working families in Iowa and around the country, access to safe and affordable child care is essential," said Senator Harkin, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. "This bipartisan bill will help to ensure working parents have access to quality, affordable child care and provide rich early-learning opportunities for children, including infants and toddlers and children with disabilities. This bill is a strong example of what Congress can achieve by working together. I am encouraged by the HELP Committee's growing record of bipartisan accomplishments and look forward to the President signing this critical bill into law."

"Every parent, regardless of their income level, deserves to know that their child is well cared-for," said Rep. Miller, senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. "This bipartisan, bicameral bill improves child care access, makes critical new investments, and helps to ensure children are safe and are receiving quality care. Reliable care sets children on the path toward success in school and in the rest of their lives. While helping to prepare the next generation, good child care also supports working parents to promote greater workforce stability. These updates to CCDBG are vital for our children, our families, and our nation's future."

"This bill helps a working Tennessee mother be able to pay for child care while she earns a degree so she can pay for it herself," said Sen. Alexander, the senior Republican on the Senate HELP Committee. "Every month, an average of 39,000 Tennessee children get childcare through this program while their parents earn an education or build a career. Today's agreement will continue success stories like the Memphis mother whose infant received care through this program while she earned a business degree and rose to assistant manager at a Walmart, enabling her to pay for the care of her second child at the same childcare center."

"For families struggling to make ends meet, quality child care is a necessity," said Rep. Rokita. "This significant agreement strengthens a child care program that has been untouched for nearly two decades. It does so by preserving provider choice, improving transparency, and most importantly, child safety. This bill could truly save lives, and I look forward to its passage."

"Every working parent with children no matter their income level worries about child care," said Sen. Mikulski. "What's affordable? What's accessible? Will my child be safe? Where can I get the very best care for my kid? It is not enough to simply ensure that kids have someplace to go. We must also ensure that they go someplace that is safe, that nurtures their development, that challenges their mind, and that prepares them for school," Senator Mikulski said. "I am so pleased that the Senate and House have come together on a bipartisan basis to revitalize, refresh, and reform this vitally important program to support child care providers, give parents peace of mind, and better prepare our children for the future. It's time to get this done for children, parents, and providers alike!"

"As the son of a single mother, I know how important quality, affordable child care is for working families," said Rep. Loebsack. "The Child Care Development Block Grant provides a critical lifeline to families and allows them to work or attend school with the peace of mind knowing their children are safe and well cared for. This bipartisan agreement makes long needed updates and improvements to CCDBG that will promote healthy child development and enhance quality and safety. I am pleased that both Republicans and Democrats from both the House and Senate came together to improve the lives of working families."

"Over three years ago Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and I made a commitment to reauthorizing the Child Care and Development Block Grant program so that kids could have safer environments in which to stay while their parents worked and taxpayers did not continue to subsidize providers who created unsafe settings and threatened their well-being. It has been a long time coming, but I'm proud we have reached this point," said Senator Richard Burr. "I am thankful for the work of my colleagues in the Senate and the House who stood together to ensure the passage of this legislation. This legislation will positively impact the lives of millions of children and their parents."

The bipartisan, bicameral agreement includes reforms to:

ü  Enhance parental choice by providing information about available care options from all providers, including faith-based and community-based providers, and allowing parents to choose the child care provider that best suits their family's needs.

ü  Strengthen safety in child care settings by requiring all providers to comply with state health, safety, and fire standards and undergo annual inspections.

ü  Promote high quality child care by reserving funds at the state level to improve the quality of care provided to children, enhancing states' ability to train providers and develop safer and more effective child care services.

The text of the bill is available here.

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19 Sep 2014

MIDWEST CLOWN ASSOCIATION TO HOLD ANNUAL SEVEN-STATE CONVENTION IN DAVENPORT

By Angela Gonzalez

Davenport - The Midwest Clown Association (MCA), an organization serving the educational needs of clowns in a seven-state region, will be holding their annual conference, called a Round-Up, October 1-5, 2014 at the Clarion Hotel Conference Center in Davenport, Iowa.

This will be MCA's 41st annual convention, with a theme of going "Back to School," providing classes for everyone from novice clowns to professional entertainers.  The Round-Up will feature 2010 World Clown Association Clown of the Year and Clowns of America International "Best in Clown" award winner Julie "Lovely Buttons" Varholdt, as well as Norm "The Great Normondo" Barnhart, a 2008 World Clown Association Clown of the Year and 2007 America's Funniest Magician award winner in Las Vegas, as headline performers.  The week will also include various competitions in make-up and costuming, balloon sculptures, face painting, skits and parade gags.

 

Midwest Clown Association was created to provide continuing education and promotion for the art of clowning in a seven-state region, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.  The organization's website (www. http://) provides up-to-date information from the association, registration information for conferences, a photo gallery of past competition winners, and schedules for upcoming events.  During the Round-Up, skit and parade competitions are open to the public with free admittance.  Skit competitions are held on Friday evening, beginning at 7:00 p.m., and parade competition begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.

"We're excited to be back in Davenport!  The local Quad Cities Clown Troupe hosted the convention at this same location in 2012, and our experience was such a good one, that the board decided to bring the Round-Up back to Iowa this year," stated board member Angela "Q.T. Pie" Gonzalez.  "You don't have to be a member of an established clown group in order to register and attend the convention.  Everyone is welcome, even if you've never clowned before.  There will be classes for all levels of clowning.  Our members are passionate about the art of clowning, and sharing it with others is one of our greatest joys!"

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19 Sep 2014

ICC GM ASEP Freshmen Prepare for First Internships

By Valerie Welsh

EAST PEORIA, IL (09/12/2014)(readMedia)-- Freshmen students in the GM-ASEP program at Illinois Central College are preparing for the first of four internships they will complete as part of their training. Local students include :

  • Charles Cain of East Moline
  • Austin Brimberg of Moline

GM-ASEP is a two-year automotive program designed to educate and train students for careers as automotive service technicians for GM dealers and AC Delco professional service centers. The program alternates classroom and laboratory work on campus with four internships with GM dealers or AC Delco service centers during which students are able to apply concepts learned in a real-world setting. Those completing the program earn an associate in applied science degree and are encouraged to take the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) exams, an evaluation program that qualifies the student as a technician nationwide.

For more information on the GM-ASEP program at Illinois Central College, contact the ICC Agricultural & Industrial Technologies Department at (309) 694-5192.

Located in East Peoria, Ill., Illinois Central College is a two-year community college that provides a high quality, affordable education to prepare students to enter the workforce or to transfer to a four-year college or university. For more information on ICC, visit www.icc.edu.

19 Sep 2014

KIRKWOOD COMM. COLLEGE SUMMER DEAN'S LIST

By Angela L. Parenteau

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (September 12, 2014)  -- Kirkwood Community College has released its Dean's List for the Summer 2014 semester. These students have achieved a 3.3 grade point average or higher after completing 12 or more credit hours with the college.

Kirkwood students from the area earning this distinction are listed below.

from Bettendorf, IA

  • Taylor Lampe, Pre-Business Transfer - AA
  • Chelsea Wehrle, Liberal Arts - AA


from Davenport, IA

  • Veronica Fleming, Horse Science Technology - AAS
  • Tyler Guzzo, Physical Therapist Assistant - AAS
  • Tyler Lightner, Agriculture Business - AAS
  • Joseph Roth, Liberal Arts - AS
  • Reed Stock, Liberal Arts - AS


-30-

19 Sep 2014

Chicago based unit receives Army Award for Maintenance Excellence

By Staff Sgt. Michael Camacho, 108th Sustainment Brigade

WASHINGTON, D.C.- (09/12/2014)(readMedia)-- The Illinois Army National Guard's 108th Special Troops Battalion based in Chicago received a national-level Army Award for Excellence in Maintenance (AAME) Sept. 10 during the 10th Annual United States Army Combined Logistics Excellence Award ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The 108th STB, which deployed to Kuwait in January under the 108th Sustainment Brigade in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, placed first in the large-unit category in the 2013 AAME competition. This is the second year since 2011 the unit has received the award.

"The AAME gives recognition and improves overall readiness," said Col. Drew Dukett of Roodhouse, Illinois, the 108th Sust. Bde. commander. "When you have a checklist of what needs to be done per the regulation you have to maintain a high level of readiness and maintenance."

This competition maintains the efforts and progress the 108th has already made in its stride toward efficiency, said Dukett.

"Especially in tough fiscal times, maintenance is vitally important. It preserves our ability to conduct military operations and saves the taxpayer the cost of having to replace Army equipment," said Dukett. "My Soldiers understand this and it has shown in their work. I'm proud of them and their dedication. The AAME award is a reflection of their efforts."

AAME evaluators from Fort Lee, Virgina, conducted onsite inspections in the final phase of the competition earlier this year. Evaluators visited the 108th STB's facilities in both North Riverside and the Northwest Armory near Humboldt Park.

The competition involves a thorough inspection in different areas of the unit including maintenance, supply, training and overall unit readiness. The AAME competition is divided into different phases spanning several months. The 108th STB won maintenance competitions at the state, regional and National Guard Bureau levels.

Competition categories are determined by the number of personnel assigned to a unit or command. Units with 300 or more personnel compete in the large category.

The 20-page nomination packet, required to enter the AAME competition, illustrated the unit's maintenance programs and Soldier readiness. The 108th STB is the first unit in the Illinois National Guard to win in the large category since the 232nd Combat Support Battalion out of Springfield in 2001.

The 108th SB as a whole is no stranger to logistical excellence awards. Units and Solders within the brigade have received awards and citations for excellence in supply, maintenance and combat support operations in recent years.

Capt. Alison Jacobs of Rochester, Illinois, the logistics officer with the 108th STB said the unit's success in the competition reflects the unit's overall dedication to mission readiness and support in Illinois and abroad.

"A major part of the AAME program revolves around units displaying that they are prepared for their mission for internal and external support," Jacobs said. "Being mission ready is especially critical for logistical support units."

Jacobs said it was the team effort that made the 108th STB successful in the AAME competition.

"Success doesn't come from the efforts of one person," said Jacobs. "It's a team dynamic, drawing support throughout the unit, from the leadership to Soldiers in the motor pool. It's not just about reaching the standard, but exceeding it and continuing to maintain that level."

19 Sep 2014

4 Principles for Staying Cool Under Pressure - and Succeeding

By Rick Martin
Athlete & World-Renowned Surgeon Shares Tips for Becoming a 'Super Performer'

We all ask ourselves the same desperate question from time to time: How am I going to make this work?!

"No matter how well we've done laying the groundwork for everything to run smoothly - becoming educated, choosing the right spouse, treating others well -- we all face situations that challenge us," says Dr. Robert J. Cerfolio, a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon known as "the Michael Jordan of lung surgery."

"If we can keep our cool and adhere to some basic principles, we can not only meet any challenge - we can perform with excellence."

A high-performance athlete in high school and college, Dr. Cerfolio parlayed his talents and focus into pursuing his medical career and creating a happy family with his cherished wife, Lorraine, and their three sons.

But after battling breast cancer, Lorraine recently passed away. Cerfolio, author of "Super Performing at Work and at Home: The Athleticism of Surgery and Life," (www.superperforming.com), shares the principles that helped him through that greatest of all challenges and lesser ones along the way.

"Apply these principles in work, sports and life in general, and you can become a super performer," he says.

•  Pressure equals opportunity. It's when something matters that the pressure starts to build; this is where the rubber meets the road for sports-to-life analogies.

"In sports as in life, remember your training; follow through just like you did during practice; visualize success; believe it will happen," Dr. Cerfolio says. "With friends, for example, high-pressure moments can be those times when they need you. The best way to have great friends is to be a great friend."

•  Strive to hit .400 every year - keep your eye on the prize; write it down. "My high school gave out an award each year to the best student athlete in each grade," he says. "I wrote down that I wanted to win the Klein Award in the ninth, 10th and 11th grades, and to win the most prestigious award at the senior graduation, the Deetjen Award.

He accomplished most of those goals, and a key to those achievements was writing them down and placing the paper where, for four years, he could see it every night.

"By writing them down, I had made my goals clear and objective."

•  Lean toward a "we-centered" ego rather than a "me-centered" one. "When I traded in my baseball uniform for surgical scrubs, I noticed the importance of stripping the many layers of the ego I once had," Dr. Cerfolio says. "This is really important: Your ego doesn't need to be visible to everyone -- or even anyone but yourself."

Being a top performer requires ego - it helps fuel self-confidence and provides some of the motivation necessary to achieve. But it should not hinder the performance of your team: your coworkers, friends and family. Over time, by keeping your ego to yourself, it becomes easier to enact a team-oriented ego, rather than a "me-oriented" one.

•  Time to quit? Rub some dirt on it. In life, work is unavoidable, so embrace it, go big, and appreciate the rewards. No matter how difficult the challenge you face or how much it may hurt to meet that challenge, push through and give it your all.

"Yes, there's a chance you won't succeed, or won't succeed to the degree you'd like. But you stand zero chance of success if you don't meet that challenge and give it everything you've got," Dr. Cerfolio says. "You owe it to yourself and your team, whether that's your ball team, your family team or your work team. When you sign up for any team, by definition you promise your time, effort and 100 percent commitment. You have to be at every game and every practice on time and ready to go."

About Robert J. Cerfolio, MD, MBA

Robert J. Cerfolio, MD, MBA, is the James H. Estes Family Endowed Chair of Lung Cancer Research and Full Professor Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, surgical training at the Mayo Clinic and at Cornell-Sloan Kettering hospital, and has been in practice for more than 26 years. The author of "Super Performing at Work and at Home," (www.superperforming.com), Cerfolio, who was a First Team Academic All-American baseball player in college, is a world-renowned chest surgeon and recognized as one of the busiest and best thoracic surgeons in the world.

15 Sep 2014

THE FIELDHOUSE OPENS AND HOLIDAY HIRING EVENTS AT NORTHPARK & SOUTHPARK MALLS

By Aleisha Chiesa

The FieldHouse is now open at NorthPark Mall!

WHO: The FieldHouse is new to the Quad Cities, but they have been in business throughout Iowa for over 80 years. They specialize in black and gold décor for those die-hard football fans in the Midwest.

WHAT: The FieldHouse is directly across from Skeffington's Formal Wear. A good place to park is in between JCPenney and Barnes & Noble. The FieldHouse has over 20 beers on tap with big screen TVs broadcasting the games, plus enjoy a family-friendly atmosphere that makes this spot appealing for youth sports teams after a big win. You can now enjoy burgers, chicken sandwiches, pizza and steaks made to order in the all new FieldHouse at NorthPark Mall.  Grand Opening festivities will take place on September 20 including entertainment and great specials.

NorthPark and SouthPark will host annual Job Fairs at both centers. Retailers and outside businesses will be available at NorthPark on September 12 from 4-6p and at SouthPark on September 19 from 4-6p.

For more information on great sales and events, visit www.north-park-mall-ia.com or www.shopsouthparkmall-il.com or follow us on Twitter @NorthParkMallIA or @SouthParkMallIL and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NorthParkMallIA or www.facebook.com/SouthParkMallIL.

WHEN: FieldHouse Grand Opening September 27, 2014 11a-1p

NorthPark Job Fair September 12 4p-6p

SouthPark Job Fair September 19 4p-6p

WHERE: FieldHouse - NorthPark Mall across from Skeffington's or at the outside mall entrance by JCPenney.

Job Fair, September 12 - NorthPark Mall in the common area between JCPenney and Younkers

Job Fair, September 19 - SouthPark Mall in the common area between Younkers and Dillard's

15 Sep 2014

SEPTEMBER PASSPORT EXTENDED HOURS & PHOTO SPECIAL

By Grace Cervantes

As a courtesy to our customers, the Scott County Recorder's Office will have extended passport hours and a discount on passport photos.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 4:30-7 pm.

Saturday, September 27, 2014 9 am-1 pm.

*Photo Discount $5 each (Reg. $8)

www.scottcountyiowa.com/recorder

15 Sep 2014

Harkin Announces Nearly $2.78 Million for Community Health Centers in Iowa

By Sen. Tom Harkin

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that 12 community health centers in Iowa have been awarded a total of $2,776,851 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase access to primary care ?services for Iowans. Harkin has been a staunch advocate of these centers and the services they provide through his dual role as both chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee that funds community health centers.

"Community health centers are a critical part of Iowa's health care system and on the front lines of providing care to more than 181,000 Iowans every year," said Harkin. "I have long fought to support the creation of community health centers because I know these facilities provide crucial healthcare for Iowa families in need. I congratulate these centers on today's funding and I look forward to improving access to health care for Iowans who lack access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance."

The health centers listed below are expected to hire 61 additional workers who will assist an estimated 12,135 new patients in Iowa with services, including extending facility hours and new services such as oral health, mental and behavioral health, pharmacy, and/or vision services.

Throughout his career, Harkin has worked to expand community health centers in Iowa by providing vital resources to ensure that all Iowans have access to affordable, quality health care. Under Harkin's leadership, national funding for CHCs has tripled from $496 million in 1989 to $1.5 billion in 2014. Building on this long legacy of expanding annual funding for community health centers, Harkin also successfully included an $11 billion Community Health Centers Fund in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to significantly expand the number of sites that provide preventative health services and primary care in underserved communities across the nation.  During this time, Harkin's support has helped to increase the number of CHCs in Iowa from only 2 in 1989 to 14 in 2014.  These centers now serve Iowans at over 85 different clinics throughout the state.

Details of the funding are below:

All Care Health Center - $209,876

Community Health Center, Inc.- $298,818

Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, Inc. - $205,432

Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa, Inc. - $242,114

Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa, Inc. - $211,212

Crescent Community Health Center -$205,714

Greater Sioux Community Health Center, Inc. - $196,584

Linn Community Care - $200,702

Primary Health Care, Inc. - $299,292

Proteus, Inc. - $195,767

River Halls Community Health Center, Inc. - $246,132

Siouxland Community Health Center, $265,208

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15 Sep 2014

Did Rep. Bustos Forget She Cut Veterans Benefits By $6 Billion?

By Jon Schweppe
New Bustos ad claims she cares about veterans, but why did she vote to cut their benefits?

And where was Congresswoman Bustos during the VA crisis?

EAST MOLINE, Ill.?In an effort to inoculate herself from her heartless vote to cut veterans benefits by $6 billion, Cheri Bustos is up on air with a new commercial, paid for by liberal special interest groups and wealthy D.C. lobbyists.

Jon Schweppe, communications director at Bobby Schilling for Congress, released the following statement:

"Cheri Bustos voted to cut veterans benefits by $6 billion by voting for the Ryan-Murray budget in 2013. Six. Billion. Dollars. She can run commercials wrapping herself in the American flag all she wants, but veterans haven't forgotten her heartless vote that cut veterans benefits by $6 billion.

"On top of that, Congresswoman Bustos failed to lead when veterans needed her most during the VA scandal. While veterans were dying on wait-lists at a VA hospital in Arizona, Cheri Bustos said and did nothing.

"Bobby Schilling led first on this issue. Schilling introduced the Enhanced Veterans Health Care Experience Act back in 2011, a bill that would solve the VA wait-listing issue by allowing veterans to use their own doctors in their own hometowns. Schilling's bill was included as a provision in this summer's VA reform legislation that passed the House unanimously 426-0 and has now been signed into law.

"Cheri Bustos might say she cares about veterans on TV, but her actions have proven otherwise. It says something about a politician's priorities when they say cutting $6 billion to veterans benefits is 'right for America.' If Cheri Bustos truly cared about veterans, then she should have kept her promise to give back ten percent of her salary and given the $34,800 to a veterans charity?instead, she refused to keep her word and refused to help veterans."

Bobby Schilling (R-Colona) was born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois. He has been married to his wife, Christie for 28 years and together they have 10 children. Schilling represented the Illinois 17th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011-2012, serving on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Agriculture Committee, and the House Small Business Committee. Schilling is seeking another term and is running against incumbent Congresswoman Cheri Bustos.

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