02 Jun 2014

Braley Asks for Help from Iowans to Help Solve Stalled Congolese Adoptions

By Kirsten Hartman

Congressman writes open letter to Secretary of State John Kerry

Washington, D.C. - After months of pressuring the Congolese and American governments to make progress on an impasse that halted all adoptions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United States, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today called on Iowans to help him pressure Secretary of State John Kerry to make solving this issue a top priority.

Braley paid special attention to case of Michael and Erin Peat of Dubuque, who had the adoption of their two children halted during the final stage of the process.

"I want the State Department and the Congolese government to understand that this is an issue that people care deeply about throughout our entire state," Braley said. "Iowa stands behind the Peats and hundreds of other families that are being kept apart from their children?and I'm going to continue doing everything I can to keep up the pressure until this issue is resolved."

Braley is asking Iowans to co-sign his letter to Secretary Kerry on his website at braley.house.gov.

"No child should be denied a loving home because of bureaucratic paperwork," the letter reads.

The State Department announced this week that the Congolese government would issue a total of 62 'exit letters'?15 of which would be issued to American families?but the overwhelming majority of U.S. families have received no update from the Congolese government and their adoptions remain in limbo.

Approximately 460 families have had their adoptions suspended, but the Peats are one of only about 50 families that have had it occur at such a late stage in the process. They were granted their adoption visa by the United States. However, the DRC suddenly refused to issue exit letters, which is the final step allowing families to bring their children to the United States.

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.

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02 Jun 2014

IOWA CLIMATE EXPERTS DISCUSS NEW EPA CARBON RULES

By Susan Guy
Iowa IPL to Announce Statewide Canvass to Gather Signatures in Support of new EPA Rules
DES MOINES, Iowa - Monday, Iowa Interfaith Power & Light (IIPL) and Iowa climate experts will hold a statewide conference call with Iowa reporters to discuss a newly announced proposal to limit carbon pollution from power plants, a major driver of climate change, and to outline the positive impacts of that decision, as well as accompanying energy efficiency and clean energy investments, for Iowans.

Speakers on the call will also unveil plans to launch a statewide canvass to gather signatures from Iowans in support of the new carbon rules.  The canvasses will take place on Sunday, June 8th - the six-year anniversary of the start of the historic 2008 Iowa floods that devastated Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and communities across the state.

Conference call participants include :
  • Rev. Susan Guy: Rev. Susan Guy has served as the Executive Director at Iowa IPL since 2010.  She is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with an M. Div. from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, a B.A. from Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia.  Prior to Iowa IPL, Susan served as a pastor in both Disciples of Christ and United Methodist congregations, focusing on social justice ministries.  She also has experience managing non-profit organizations, and served as the first Heartland Field Organizer for the ONE Campaign on global poverty.
  • Dr. Yogesh Shah:  Dr. Yogesh Shah is the Associate Dean for Global Health at Des Moines University, a position created in 2006 to establish global health experiences that DMU students increasingly seek.  Dr. Shah has been instrumental in establishing the City of Des Moines as a member of the World Health Organization's network of age-friendly cities.  He also led the creation of the Heartland Global Health Consortium, and the creation of Heartland Climate Health Consortium, a collaborative of Iowa educational institutions to promote the effect of climate change on nutrition and human health.
  • Christopher J. Anderson, PhD:  Christopher J. Anderson is a climate risk analyst.  He is Assistant Director of the Iowa State University Climate Science Initiative, a research program that provides authoritative, scientific information for short-term and long-term climate-informed decision-making.  He holds doctoral and master degrees in agricultural meteorology from Iowa State University.  Mr. Anderson's research examines linkages between climate variability, climate change, and water management.  He has coauthored recent reports for the Western Utility Climate Alliance and US EPA containing recommendations on investments in climate modeling that would yield improvements in infrastructure planning for water utilities in major metropolitan areas (Options for Improving Climate Modeling to Assist Water Utility Planning for Climate Change) and flood mitigation in the Midwest United States (Iowa Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Report).  Currently, he is providing leadership to the Federal Highways Climate Resilience Pilot in Iowa in collaboration with Iowa DOT and University of Iowa IIHR.
02 Jun 2014

Iowa Student Inventors Could Win $20,000

By Michelle Heard

A group of student inventors from Iowa is set to participate in the fourth annual FIRST LEGO League Global Innovation Award program for a chance to win a $20,000 cash prize! The Robotic Raiders of Williamsburg, Iowa is one of three FIRST LEGO League teams (from a pool of more than 500 teams from around the world) selected to present their innovative creations June 3 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA (outside of Washington, DC). The winning team will get a $20,000 cash prize to use toward bringing their invention to market. Each of the two runners-up teams will get $5,000 each to continue development of their inventions.

FIRST, a not-for-profit founded by inventor Dean Kamen, challenged FIRST LEGO League participants, students ages 9-16 from around the world, to explore natural disasters and develop innovative ways to help people prepare, stay safe, and rebuild following these events

The Robotic Raiders invented a Cyclone Survivor Board Game, an educational board game that uses federal and local information to educate players on how to prepare for, survive and recover from a tornado.
02 Jun 2014

Statements on the Resignation of VA Secretary Shinseki

By Various

Loebsack Statement on the Resignation of VA Secretary Shinseki

 

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned.

"As a military parent, I have been outraged by what has come to light at VA health centers across the nation. I appreciate Secretary Shinseki's prior service to our nation, but believe that his resignation is the only way for the Agency to start fresh and ensure our veterans receive the timely access to health care they deserve. It is now time to move forward and focus on how we as a nation provide the best health care for those who defended our country. We must redouble our efforts to rectify this situation and provide the VA with the resources they need to prevent anything like this from happening in the future."

###

Braley Statement on Resignation of Secretary Shinseki

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today released the following statement following the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.

"Despite the recent and ongoing issues at the VA that led to today's resignation, Secretary Shinseki's service to our country deserves our sincerest respect and gratitude. While I agree with today's decision, this in no way diminishes our responsibility to fully investigate recent allegations of misconduct, punish those involved?and most importantly?to work together to solve these problems in service to America's veterans. We all owe that to the generations of America's veterans who continue to rely on the VA for quality care."

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02 Jun 2014

Boy Scouts of America "Prepared. For Life." License Plate Now Available

By Rick Martin
DES MOINES, IA - (May 30, 2014) -The Boy Scouts of America today announced that the Iowa Department of Transportation is now offering a Boy Scouts of America "Prepared. For Life." license plate.  The Iowa Secretary of State's office will be the sponsoring agency for the new license plate.
"The Boy Scouts of America has served the youth, families, and communities of Iowa for over a century," according to Robert Hopper, Scout Executive / CEO of Mid-Iowa Council.  "Scouts live in every county, in every zip code, and in every circumstance.  The new Boy Scouts "Be Prepared. For Life" License Plate will provide steady support for thousands of Iowa Scouts."
"Boy Scouts teaches kids the important lessons of character, leadership, citizenship and fitness," Secretary of State Matt Schultz said.  "As an Eagle Scout myself, I know those lessons will stick with kids for a lifetime and I'm honored to have the Iowa Secretary of State's office sponsor the Boy Scout license plate."
The application to request a Boy Scouts of America license plate is available at all local Boy Scout Council offices and websites in the state.  500 paid applications are required to be submitted prior to manufacture and distribution of the new plates.  All proceeds from the extra fees benefit Iowa Boy Scouts.
# # #
About Mid-Iowa Council, Boy Scouts of America
The Mid-Iowa Council serves more than 20,000 members and has more than 5,000 volunteers in 27 counties in central and southern Iowa. The Mid-Iowa Council supports the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in providing a program for boys and young adults to help build and enhance character, citizenship and fitness. Find out about Scouting in your hometown or neighborhood by calling 515-266-2135 or visiting www.midiowacouncilbsa.org.
02 Jun 2014

WQPT ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2014 AMBASSADORS

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS is pleased to introduce the 2014 WQPT/PBS Ambassadors.

The program, which is entering its 10th year, provides college students the opportunity to represent their local public television station at a variety of events throughout eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

"WQPT Ambassadors are an extension of the staff, and the leadership skills they acquire in the program have helped many move on to jobs as a direct result of their time as an Ambassador" said WQPT Special Projects Coordinator Bea Brasel.

The 2014 WQPT/PBS Ambassadors are:

Grace Brasel (Augustana College)

Celia Brasel (St. Ambrose University)

Kasandra DeFrieze (Western Illinois University-QC)

Erin Willhite (Monmouth College)

Alexandra Lenger (Iowa State University)

Nicolas Riojas (Augustana College)

Wendy Orman (Western Illinois University-QC)

Richard Yerington (Western Illinois University-QC)

Maggie Feeney (University of Northern Iowa)

Vincent Jones (Western Illinois University-QC)

Rebeka Farias (Western Illinois University-QC)

Koko Nicoue (St. Francis College of Nursing)

Remona Lang (Black Hawk College)

Katie Rosato (St. Ambrose University).

The 2014 WQPT/PBS Ambassadors are supported in part by a grant from the Davenport Rotary.

WQPT is the public media service of Western Illinois University - Quad Cities located in Moline, Illinois

02 Jun 2014

LeClaire Chamber of Commerce Announcements - 5/30/2014

By LeClaire Chamber

CALENDAR

June 1st - Asbury Methodist Church "WORSHIP IN THE PARK" and Potluck Service 10:30 a.m.   The service will be held at Veterans Memorial Park Bandshell, 1645 23rd St., Bettendorf, followed by a potluck picnic with sliced ham provided. Please bring a dish to share and your own table service, drink & lawn chair.

June 5th - Wellness Open House - Dr. Crystal's Chiropractic Care, 419 N Cody Rd, Le Claire.  Hors d'oeuvres at 5:15 p.m., presentation begins at 5:30 p.m.  Come learn some great wellness tips, including how to prevent computer hunchback and how to reduce your oxidative stress. Drawing for a valuable door prize!  Everyone welcome! Questions? Call Dr. Crystal Buesing at (563)271-0226.  Hope to see you there!

 

June 5th - LeClaire Community Library - Children's Musician Steve Couch - "Amazing You and Your Body Show" 11am. Interactive TV sing all about the human body in this fun, educational show!

 

June 6th - First Friday in LeClaire 5-8 p.m.

Mississippi River Distilling Company - Food and Spirit Tastings and Strawberry Vodka is back!  www.mrdistilling.com

Wide River Winery - Wine and Music on the Mississippi - Live Music, Whoozdads? - 5-8 p.m. - www.wideriverwinery.com

Aunt Hattie's - Come in for a treat!

Razzleberries - Booze Cake while it lasts!

Bierstube - Karaoke - 9pm-1am

Restaurants and several shops will be open late!

June 6th-7th - LeClaire City Wide Garage Sales - email info@visitleclaire.com or go to http://www.visitleclaire.com/garage_sale_signup.htm by May 23 to sign up.

June 6th-7th - Princeton City Wide Garage Sales The Princeton Community Center will rent tables for $5 as a fundraiser, and the Center will be open from 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.  For reservations and set-up information, contact Pam O'Polka at 563-289-4612.

June 7th - See "FROZEN" at Zion Lutheran Church, Princeton 7:30pm on the back lot. Bring chairs and/or blankets. Dress in costume! Hotdogs, popcorn and of course "Frozen" ice cream from Big Dave & Holly's!

June 10th - LeClaire Community Library - Grout Museum Presents 'Largest Chemistry' See this Guinness World-Record breaking program with the largest chemistry demonstration. The fun starts at 2 pm

June 10th - Chamber Networking Event - Go Fish, Princeton 5:30-7pm - Everyone Welcome!

 

June 12th - LeClaire Community Library - 'Snakes Alive!' Tom Kessenich stops by with this fun, open-house style program showcasing all sorts of creepy crawlies and one very large alligator. Starts at 2 p.m.

June 13th - Wide River Winery LeClaire - Music on the Mississippi Lindgren and Lewis - 5-8 p.m.

June 15th - Bierstube - Fathers' Day Brunch - 10am-1pm

June 16th - Economic Development Meeting - LeClaire City Hall - 8:00 a.m.

 

June 18th - LeClaire Community Library - Illustrator Tim Read Tim Read is an established cartoonist, illustrator, and children's author. His program is highly engaging, funny, and appeals to a wide range audience - Starts at 2 p.m.

 

June 20th - Wide River Winery LeClaire - Music on the Mississippi The Ripplers - 5-8 p.m.

June 21st - Buffalo Bill Museum - Annual John Boesch Memorial Golf Outing 8 a.m. Clinic with Golf Pro Matt Boesch. Shotgun Start 9 a.m. Olathea Golf Course, LeClaire IA.  $65/person, includes cart and lunch. Hole prizes, Silent Auction. Don't golf? Join us for lunch $7! Call the museum today to reserve your place in this annual fundraiser! 563-289-5580.

June 21st - 129 - Live Music Adam Schmidt - 8-11 p.m.

June 27th - Wide River Winery LeClaire - Music on the Mississippi Broken Strings - 5-8 p.m.

June 27th - 129 - Live Music Jason Karl - 8-11 p.m.

June 28th - Go Fish will hand out awards for a Golf Outing/Princeton Days fundraiser held 9a.m.-4p.m. that day. Contact Deb at 563-289-9030 for more information.

June 30th - Happy Birthday, LeClaire Community Library! What better way to celebrate LeClaire Library's 10th Birthday with a magic show, balloon animals, and cake? Join us at 2pm for all the fun!

FYI

Wide River Winery has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, recognizes establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor.  Establishments awarded the Certificate of Excellence are located all over the world and represent the upper echelon of tourism based businesses. "We are so proud of our team for winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and we'd like to thank all of our past guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor," said Dorothy O'Brien, owner and winemaker at Wide River Winery.  "We appreciate the vote of confidence, "she added.   In addition to the winery, vineyard and tasting room in Clinton, Wide River Winery also has a tasting room in historic Le Claire, Iowa.  Both locations are open daily and feature live music on the weekends.

Ascentra Credit Union Awards $10,000 in Scholarships A total of $10,000 was given to 10 area students to help pay for their college costs as part of the Ascentra Credit Union Scholarship Competition.  There were five $1,000 scholarships available for high school students planning to enter college.  The other five $1,000 scholarships were for members age 19 or over, considered non-traditional or continuing education students. This year Ascentra expanded the number of scholarship recipients from two to ten to better serve our growing membership. Photos and more information about the winners can be found at www.ascentra.org.  All entries are judged on their essay, resume, awards, extracurricular activities, volunteer services and work experience.  Awarding a total of $10,000 in scholarships is another way Ascentra Credit Union recognizes that financial planning and education is essential to lifetime success for our members and community.

The LeClaire Community Library has a LOT going on! Contact LeClaire Community Library, 323 Wisconsin Street, LeClaire, IA 52753, (563)289-6002 or visit http://www.leclaire.lib.ia.us for more information!

LeClaire Information Center Volunteers Needed! Contact Cindy Bruhn at info@visitleclaire.com or 563-650-7963 to volunteer.

The Riverboat Twilight 2014 Cruise Season began May 27th.  Cruises will depart every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday through the end of October.  It is with honor and pleasure that the Twilight has called LeClaire her home port for the past 27 years.  Over the years we have had the unique opportunity of introducing 140,000 plus visitors to the many wonderful shops, restaurants and attractions the City of LeClaire has to offer. We look forward to another successful season.

August 10th - LeClaire Community Night, Modern Woodman Ball Park. Game time 5:00pm, River Bandits/Beloit Snappers. Mayor Bob Scannell will throw first pitch! A night to celebrate businesses and folks of Leclaire. Awards or special on-field recognition can be done followed by short video on mega-tron highlighting special places and faces in LeClaire filmed the week before. Businesses or groups interested in participating may contact Amanda Henzen, Account Executive and Director of Merchandise 563.333.2729 amandah@riverbandits.com

Visit the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce website www.leclairechamber.com and see us on Facebook!

If you would like to attend a Chamber Board Meeting in order to present a topic, please contact the Board in advance at LeClaireChamber@gmail.com in order to be included an upcoming agenda. Board Meetings are held the 4th Tuesday of each month.

PROPERTY LISTINGS

Commercial Property Available - Eagle Ridge Road, LeClaire, Iowa. Please call: Mike Burke - Mel Foster Co. mburke@melforsterco.com, Mobile: 563-349-2705, Direct: 563-823-5272

Commercial Space for Sale or Lease/Purchase - 204 Jones St. - Call 563-370-2386 for more information. Will show by appointment. Commercially zoned only.

For Rent - Fully furnished 2 bedroom apartment located in beautiful downtown LeClaire, Iowa. This is a 2nd floor apartment in a duplex style building. Apartment is located in a very nice quiet neighborhood with a gorgeous view of the beautiful Mississippi River just steps from the popular downtown shops, dining and nightlife. Perfect for single person or couple, absolutely no pets or smoking. Apartment has all newer appliances including washer and dryer and is fully furnished with all furniture, linens, pots and pans and dishes. Rent also includes all utilities. Perfect for executives, couples in transition or seasonal travelers. Available June 15th. No lease required. Rent is $950.00 per month and that includes all utilities and furnishings. Call Heidi at 563-320-6263.

Park Run Apartments/Newbury Living complex - 1, 2, & 3 Bedrooms Available - 1701 Iowa Drive, LeClaire, Iowa 52753. 1 BR, 2 BR or 3 BR unit. Call (563) 289-5159 more information today!

Do you have Residential or Commercial property available? Please contact the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce, leclairechamber@gmail.com, with a property description, complete contact information including phone numbers and rental or purchase pricing.

LeClaire Events Coming Up!

May-Oct - Farmer's Market - Every Saturday, 3-6 p.m. on the LeClaire Levee

June 6-7 - City Wide Garage Sales

June 14 - Cars & Coffee on the Levee, 8-10 a.m. All makes, models & years welcome!

June 21 - Buffalo Bill Museum Golf Outing - Olathea Golf Course

August 2 - 27th Annual Heartland British Auto Fest

August 7-9 - Tug Fest

October 5th - Bierstube - Dogtoberfest

October 12- Apple Fest

December - Christmas in LeClaire

 

Chamber Networking Events - Everyone Welcome!

June 10th - Go Fish - evening 5:30-7pm

July 8th - Big Dave and Holly's - lunch - noon

August 12th - McDonald's - breakfast 8:00am

September 9th - Steventon's - evening 5:30 -7pm

October 14th - Faithful Pilot - lunch- noon

November 11th - Bier Stube - lunch - noon

December 9th - Subway - lunch - noon

02 Jun 2014

Iowa Supreme Court Opinions May 30, 2014

By Iowa Judicial Branch

Notice: The opinions posted on this site are slip opinions only. Under the Rules of Appellate Procedure a party has a limited number of days to request a rehearing after the filing of an opinion. Also, all slip opinions are subject to modification or correction by the court. Therefore, opinions on this site are not to be considered the final decisions of the court. The official published opinions of the Iowa Supreme Court are those published in the North Western Reporter published by West Group.

Opinions released before April 2006 and available in the archives are posted in Word format. Opinions released after April 2006 are posted to the website in PDF (Portable Document Format).   Note: To open a PDF you must have the free Acrobat Reader installed. PDF format preserves the original appearance of a document without requiring you to possess the software that created that document. For more information about PDF read: Using the Adobe Reader.

For your convenience, the Judicial Branch offers a free e-mail notification service for Supreme Court opinions, Court of Appeals opinions, press releases and orders. To subscribe, click here.

NOTE: Copies of these opinions may be obtained from the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Judicial Branch Building, 1111 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50319, for a fee of fifty cents per page.

No. 12-1491

STATE OF IOWA vs. TREMAYNE LATOINE THOMAS

No. 13-0204

TUNIS E. DEN HARTOG, SHIRLEY ANN SCHWEERTMAN, LEONARD G. LYBBERT, JAMES EDWARD SCHUMAN, MICHAEL J. MAC, MARY ELLEN MOLINARO, WILLIAM JAMES ROBERT, and MARK D. FISHER vs. CITY OF WATERLOO

No. 13-1966

IOWA SUPREME COURT ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY BOARD vs. KATHRYN S. BARNHILL

No. 14-0049

IOWA SUPREME COURT ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY BOARD vs. LORI JO KIEFFER-GARRISON
02 Jun 2014

News from Truman State University

By Heidi Crist Templeton

Truman State University Announces Spring 2014 President's List

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (May 30, 2014) - Truman State University has released the Spring 2014 President's List. To qualify for this list, an undergraduate student must attain a semester 4.0 grade point average and must complete 12 semester hours of credit.

Area students include : Allison Fullenkamp, Exercise Science; Kayleen Green, History and Pre-Education/Secondary; and Scott McKillip, Business Administration - all from Davenport.

Truman State University Announces Spring 2014 Provost and Vice President List

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (May 30, 2014) - Truman State University has released the Spring 2014 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs List. To qualify for this list, an undergraduate student must attain a semester 3.50-3.99 grade point average and must complete 12 semester hours of credit.

Area students include : Simone Collins, Rock Island, Psychology and Pre-Education/Secondary; and William Daniel, Davenport, Business Administration.

Founded in 1867, Truman has the highest graduation rate among the state's public colleges and universities and approximately 50 percent of Truman students pursue an advanced degree immediately upon graduating. U.S. News & World Report has rated Truman as the No. 1 public university in the Midwest region for 17 consecutive years. The Princeton Review named Truman as the No. 9 best value college in the nation among public schools and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine places Truman at No. 12 in the nation on its list of "100 Best Values in Public Colleges."
30 May 2014

Governor Quinn Statement on Bipartisan House Passage of Highway Construction Bill

By Dave Blanchette

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today released the following statement regarding Illinois House passage of House Bill 3794, legislation that would authorize $1.1 billion in transportation infrastructure projects throughout the state. It will now be considered by the Illinois Senate:

"We must continue to invest in our world-class transportation system to compete in the 21st century.

"This capital construction bill lets us build upon the success we've had with the Illinois Jobs Now! program, which has already supported more than 400,000 jobs building and repairing more than 7,800 miles of roads and 1,450 bridges.

"This bill will put more people back to work improving our state's roads and bridges.

"I commend Speaker Mike Madigan and Leader Jim Durkin for working to pass this legislation and I urge the Senate to act quickly so I can sign it and continue Illinois' economic comeback."

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