Dubuque, Iowa (June 16, 2014) - The University of Dubuque congratulates the following students on being appointed to the Spring Semester 2014 Academic Dean's List.  To be named to the dean's list, a student must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for that semester.

from Bettendorf, IA

Michael Granados

Rebekka Jacobs

Sydney Kelling

Travis Timm

from Davenport, IA

Allison Chapman

Dathan Hill

Freedom Malik

Kelsey McCreight

Ramon Riley

Anna Runge

Devyn Sacrison

from Moline, IL

Olivia Larson

The University of Dubuque, founded in 1852, is a private, coeducational, professional University with a focus in the liberal arts.

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CARBONDALE – To stress the importance of more walking, biking and public transit opportunities, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will deliver opening remarks at a "Complete Streets" training event at the Carbondale Civic Center at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Simon will call for strategic investment in bike lanes and sidewalks across Southern Illinois.

The Complete Streets planning policy is a new approach to local infrastructure that highlights the importance of public transit and pedestrian access as a means of making local transportation safer, healthier and more sustainable. Representatives with the Active Transportation Alliance will provide the free training to local planning and zoning board members.

In Carbondale, the project promotes the use and improvement of bike lanes and sidewalks, said Angie Bailey, Director of Health Education for the Jackson County Health Department.

The project is developed by Smart Growth America. Nine public health agencies throughout downstate Illinois have signed on to the initiative, covering Bond, Boone, Champaign, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Fulton, Henderson, Jasper, Jefferson, Knox, Lawrence, Macon, Madison, Marion, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, Mercer, St. Clair, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Winnebago Counties.

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How Committed is Your State to Local Foods?
Physician-Chef Shares 4 Reasons You Should Care

Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire, respectively, claimed the top three spots in the 2014 Locavore Index, a ranking of each state's (and the District of Columbia's) commitment to promoting and providing locally grown foods.

At the bottom of the heap are Arizona, Nevada and Texas, with the Lone Star State dead last despite the fact that it's the nation's No. 1 cattle producer and No. 3 for crops receipts, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"There are many good reasons to eat locally produced foods, the first among them that they're very good for us," says cardiologist and professional chef Michael S. Fenster, MD, (www.whatscookingwithdoc.com), author of "Eating Well, Living Better" and "The Fallacy of the Calorie," (Koehler Books; fall 2014).

"There's a direct relationship between our food, our environment, our genetics and our health. Eating locally grown foods gives us our most nutritious meals, most flavorful meals. Few choices have as many personal ramifications as that which we decide to stuff into our gob."

He offers four more reasons - "the tip of the iceberg lettuce, so to speak" -- to go localvore:

•  Money: Eating organically, eating fresh and finding the seasonal local foodstuffs can be expensive - if you do all your shopping at the supermarket, Dr. Mike says.

"Finding healthful produce at venues like a local farmer's market can result in prices that are at least comparable, if not substantially less than, those at the megamarket, which has the additional costs of shipping from the nether regions," he says.

Likewise, visiting a local fishmonger can result in tasty bargains compared to flash-frozen fish flesh. Shopping for what is bountifully in season, and thus locally overstocked, can mean big savings.

"Finally, by purchasing items produced locally, your money strengthens the local economy and helps sustain the people producing the types of food stuffs that you wish to sustain yourself upon," he says. "That is the smiley face circle of life."

•  Freshness: In some ways, it's amazing we're alive considering all the food we eat that's dead, Dr. Mike says, noting almost 60 percent of the modern Western diet is prepackaged, preserved and processed.

"Any time we manipulate our comestibles in such a fashion, we add compounds that are not naturally found in them or remove parts that are," he says. "Those pre-cut vegetables in the supermarket may be convenient, but they started losing nutritional value and flavor as soon as they were sliced and diced."

Because local growers don't have to add preservatives or pick produce weeks early to ensure they'll produce will keep during shipping, local foods can be consumed at the peak of freshness and ripeness - when they taste their very best.

•  Rhythms: Our great hairy ancestors have always been omnivores.

"There is ample evidence that the reason we as a species became the smartest kids on the block is that we took advantage of a varied diet.  This hardwired drive for diversity in dining is also one reason why restrictive diets that seek to severely limit what we consume almost always, ultimately fail," Dr. Mike says.

By leveraging the seasonal and cyclic variations that naturally occur, your palate will never become dull and monochromatic, he promises.  A pleasant dining experience directly lights up our primal happy-happy joy-joy place, an experience that contributes directly to overall well-being.

•  Sustainability: All the reasons for purchasing high-quality ingredients locally ultimately circle back and rest upon the concept of sustainability. In knowing where your food comes from, in being able to ascertain both what it contains and what it does not contain, you take a proactive step in determining your own health and wellness, Dr. Mike says.

By focusing on procuring the best for you and those who depend upon you, you act to sustain yourself and your family. By affecting such a posture, you deliver local impact.

"With enough people acting locally, the impact becomes regional and if enough people demand control over their foodstuffs then, like a crazy cat video gone viral, it can have a global effect."

About Michael S. Fenster, MD

Michael Fenster, M.D., F.A.C.C., FSCA&I, PEMBA, is a board-certified interventional cardiologist. Also known as "Dr. Mike," author of "Eating Well, Living Better: The Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Health and Great Food," (www.whatscookingwithdoc.com), he combines his culinary talents and Asian philosophy with medical expertise, creating winning recipes for healthy eating. A certified wine professional and chef, Dr. Mike worked professionally in kitchens prior to entering medical school and maintained his passion for food and wine throughout his medical career.

Center for Worker Justice plans Rallies

 

State Representative Art Staed has asked Iowa Workforce Development, the U. S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, and the Iowa Attorney General's office to initiate an investigation into potential wage theft by a cleaning contractor at Outback Steakhouse restaurants across Iowa. Both the U.S. DOL and the IWD have agreed to proceed with investigations.

In a letter dated May 27, 2014 to Iowa Workforce Development, Staed lays out the case of Kossiwa Agbenowassi, an immigrant from Togo Africa, who worked 49 consecutive days for Sandpiper Maintenance and Repair cleaning the Outback Steakhouse in Coralville without being paid. Staed, along with the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa (CWJ) claims Agbenowassi may have also been illegally misclassified as a subcontractor, allowing the cleaning vendor to avoid paying taxes into the state.

"We must take a stand against business models that abuse workers, break the law and perpetuate a cycle of injustice." Staed wrote. "For these reasons I formally request an immediate investigation into the wage practices of Sandpiper Maintenance and Repair and their wage and labor practices with Outback Steakhouse and other companies throughout Iowa." Staed's letter requested the investigation include all Outback Steakhouses in Iowa.

Staed has tried repeatedly to reach corporate representatives of Outback to resolve the matter and joined around 70 people associated with the Center for Worker Justice in delivering a letter to the Outback restaurant in Cedar Rapids addressed to Outback management.

The Center for Worker Justice (CWJ) is a coalition of immigrant, community, faith-based and labor organizations who have highlighted wage theft cases in Iowa. Agbenowassi originally contacted CWJ after her attempts to be paid were unsuccessful. CWJ contacted both Sandpiper and the Outback to resolve the issue prior to delivering the letter.

According to Misty Rebik, CWJ's executive director, further actions are planned against Outback Restaurants across the state if the issue isn't resolved. "People have a choice when it comes to dining out.

We want the public to know which restaurants are responsible employers and which establishments aren't.

We plan to hold Outback accountable to their shady business model that undermines good businesses and workers."

Rallies will be held June 18th in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Davenport.

Outback Steakhouse -  10901 University Ave, Clive, IA. 6 PM (515-265-1862 or mark@scifl.org)

Outback Steakhouse - 1235 East Kimberly Rd, Davenport. 6 PM (309-716-8622)

Outback Steakhouse - 3939 1^st Ave SE, Cedar Rapids. 6 PM - 319-339-9873 or 319-361-3212

Outback Steakhouse - 4500 Southern Hills Dr, Sioux City. 712-276-0473

Last fall, Kossiwa worked hard 7 days per week cleaning an Outback Steakhouse to support her young children. Now, months later, she is still owed over $2000 in wages by the Outback's unscrupulous cleaning contractor, who refuses to answer her calls.

This is a classic case of wage theft, when workers aren't paid the wages they are legally owed. Studies say it's a growing epidemic in Iowa, and across the country.  We can't let this happen in our state.

The Center for Worker Justice (CWJ), Representative Art Staed, and our allies in labor, faith, and community groups have repeatedly contacted the cleaning contractor and the Outback to resolve this problem. They are refusing to respond.

Join us for a statewide day of action. We're calling on the Outback to pay Kossiwa her hard-earned wages and end their contract with this cleaning contractor.

 

 

 

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