01 Apr 2014

EPILEPSY AND MEDICAL CANNABIS (MARIJUANA) SENATE BILL - SB2636

By Rick Martin

QUAD CITIES - The Epilepsy Foundation is in support of Illinois Senate Bill 2636 which adds seizure conditions, including those characteristic of epilepsy, to the list of qualifying medical conditions in Illinois' Medical Cannabis Program.  Currently the law does not allow minors to qualify for medical cannabis.  SB 2636 would allow both adults and minors to have access to medical cannabis to treat seizure conditions.  The Epilepsy Foundation's national office issued a press release on 2.20.2014 calling for increased medical marijuana access and research:  

http://epilepsyfoundation.org/news/Epilepsy-Foundation-Calls-for-Increased-Medical-Marijuana-Access-and-Research.cfm

  • 1 in 26 have or will have epilepsy at some point in their lives - that means over 14,700 people in the Quad Cities Metro Area currently have or will develop epilepsy, a neurological condition that include recurring seizures. 
  • Approximately 1/3 of those will live with uncontrolled seizures.
  • People living with uncontrolled seizures live with the continual risk of serious injury and loss of life.
  • Illinois has a law that lists 35 conditions for which medical marijuana may be prescribed. 
  • Unlike 18 of the other 20 states that permit the use of medical marijuana, epilepsy is not included in the conditions for which marijuana may be prescribed under Illinois law.  

   

  •  In vitro and in vivo evidence exists of the impact that cannabidiol ("CBD") can have on seizures, as well as anecdotal human evidence.  

   

  •  For epilepsy, the useful form of marijuana is an oil; it is not smoked.  

  • It is high in CBD and low in THC, the hallucinogenic component of marijuana. 

  • There is no alternative recreational use for this form of marijuana; it is formulated to treat seizures.

  • It is appropriate to allow patients, parents and physicians the ability to determine collectively if the compassionate use of medical marijuana is reasonable in each individual epilepsy case, including intractable pediatric cases.  

  • Illinois residents suffering from seizures should be afforded the same benefits available to those suffering from any of the 35 conditions included in the Illinois medical marijuana law. 

  • Illinois families shouldn't have to split up and move out of state in order to gain access to a viable treatment for intractable seizures.

  • Senate Bill SB2636 Adds "Seizures, including those characteristic of Epilepsy" to the list of qualifying conditions. 

  • Senate Bill SB2636 also adds pediatric patients, under the age of 18, suffering from "Seizures, including those characteristic of Epilepsy" as qualifying patients. 

For more information contact the Epilepsy Foundation - Quad Cities at 309.373.0377 or email to efqc@efncil.org. 

Epilepsy affects 65 million people worldwide.  Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the U.S. after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Its prevalence is greater than autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined. 1 in 26 will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime:  that translates to over 14,700 individuals in our Quad Cities region.

It's time to talk about epilepsy.

01 Apr 2014

Exploration of Food and the Great Migration at Moline Public Library

By Jennifer Christiansen

The Moline Public Library welcomes Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar Donna Pierce, as she presents Meals on Wheels: Great Migration Recipes Ride the Rails North on Wednesday, April 9th at 7:00 p.m.  This program is free and does not require registration. 

Meals on Wheels is presented as part of the six-week series Created Equal and Changing America, which explores our nation's civil rights history through film, exhibition, and presentations.  More information about the series can be found at molinelibrary.com/createdequal or by contacting the Moline Public Library at 309-524-2470.

Before the Great Migration, 90% of all African Americans in the U. S. lived in Southern states. Between 1915 and the Civil Rights Movement in the 1970s, six million black people changed their address from the segregated and "separate but equal" Jim Crow South to the urban north. Several Illinois cities have come to be known as destinations of the Great Migration including Alton, Peoria, and Chicago.  Using cookbooks and oral history, Ms. Pierce will explore migrated recipes such as smothered chicken, chitterlings, black-eyed peas, barbecue, biscuits, grits, greens, banana pudding, caramel cake, and peach cobbler. For many Illinois children and grandchildren of uprooted families, these recipes transplant them back to a South (with ties to Africa) many of them have never known, except through stories and photographs.

Donna Pierce, former Assistant Food Editor and Test Kitchen Director for the Chicago Tribune, is a Chicago-based contributing editor for Upscale magazine and a columnist for the Chicago Defender.  At the Tribune, she shared the first place award for Best newspaper Food Project in 2008 with Bill Daley, having won two first place awards for her columns in previous years. Meals on Wheels, a Road Scholars program, is presented by the Illinois Humanities Council, which is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency), as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.  

   

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of itsBridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Changing America is presented by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Local support for Created Equal and Changing America has been provided by Friends of the Moline Public Library, WQPT, and The Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/QCOnline. 

# # #

01 Apr 2014

No Fooling - No Fees to Checkout DVDs Now at Rock Island Library

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL: Effective today, April 1, you can keep your dollar when checking out a feature-length seven-day DVD or Blu-ray movie from the Rock Island Public Library. The same is true when you're trying to catch up on past seasons of True Blood, Mad Men or Game of Thrones.

The Rock Island Public Library has eliminated the $1 checkout charge on its entertainment collection, which includes both feature-length movies and collected seasons of television series on DVD and Blu-ray. The library's educational (non-fiction) collection of DVDs and Blu-rays never had a checkout fee.

Cardholders may check out up to five DVDs/Blu-rays from the entertainment collection, in any combination of movies and television series. Movies check out for seven days; television series for 21. The change applies only to DVDs and Blu-rays owned by Rock Island Public Library, including collections at the library's Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branches.

Late fees do still apply, so cardholders will want to return those DVDs on time. To help you remember that due date, sign up for free phone, email or text courtesy reminders from the library. Cardholders can change their notification preferences by visiting the library, or by using the "My Account" feature in the online catalog.

For more information about services and programs for children, teens and adults, visit the library's online branch at www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-READ (7323) or follow the library on Facebook or Twitter.

Founded in 1872, the Rock Island Public Library serves the area through three locations, which include the Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branches, community outreach efforts, and online opportunities that provide resources to enhance personal achievement and stimulate the imagination.

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01 Apr 2014

HRB AND ME&V AD AGENCIES ANNOUNCE COMPLETION OF MERGER; NEW ENTITY IS NOW AMPERAGE

By Lori Blackburn

Unique Combination of Capabilities and Expertise Amplified to Energize Business Growth

CEDAR RAPIDS/CEDAR FALLS, Iowa?Henry Russell Bruce (HRB) and ME&V Advertising + Consulting, two of Iowa's top advertising agencies, today reported the completion of a merger first announced on March 3. The new entity is now AMPERAGE Marketing.

AMPERAGE, a company of more than 50 people with offices in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque and Bettendorf, Iowa, creates a unique combination of capabilities and expertise to provide clients with evidence-based marketing and communications strategies that generate proven results. The tagline for the new agency is, "Move the Needle."

"Our goal is to forge a powerful connection for our clients to energize business growth," said Bryan Earnest, former president of ME&V, and now AMPERAGE president and CEO. "We will move the needle for our clients by connecting with their target audiences, motivating action, measuring effectiveness and reporting proven results."

Earnest also announced AMPERAGE's senior management team today: Jim Thebeau, former CEO of HRB, will be chairman of the board; Steve Erickson, former president of HRB, will be chief creative officer; Mark Mathis, former director of cool of ME&V, will be chief strategy officer; and Jim Infelt, former creative director for ME&V, will be chief digital officer.

The combined agency represents more than 200 clients across 10 states and offers branding, marketing, advertising, public relations, corporate communications, Web and digital marketing, media buying, fundraising and complete video services. Clients represent the healthcare, higher education, financial, manufacturing and nonprofit industries. Combined capitalized billings are approximately $33 million.

"We've already begun to see a positive response to the merging of our combined brands and reputations," said Earnest. "Companies and organizations are contacting us to gain the benefit of our depth of experience, consulting expertise and marketing capabilities. We're excited about the recognition of the merger in our markets and verticals."

Earnest also revealed that the actual merger of the two firms was almost a full year in the making, with both sides taking time to ensure that becoming a single business was right for all the clients, employees and owners.

"We found we had a lot in common," explained Earnest, "and that we had the same goals to grow our businesses. Just among the partners, we have more than 150 years of marketing, advertising and nonprofit fundraising experience. We all wanted to use that experience to achieve a new level of service offerings and dynamic results for our clients."

The alliance creates one of the largest advertising agencies in eastern Iowa and the largest fundraising consulting firm in the state, with more than $100 million raised for nonprofits over the last 15 years.

###

About AMPERAGE:

AMPERAGE is a full-service advertising and marketing consulting company offering comprehensive services to business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients across the U.S. Its primary focus areas are branding, marketing and communications services for the healthcare, financial, higher education and manufacturing sectors, and nonprofit fundraising. The origins of the company date to 1973. For more information, visit www.AMPERAGEmarketing.com,or call 800-728-2656.

Background on ME&V and HRB:

ME&V Advertising + Consulting started in 1996. It is a two-time Inc. Magazine 500 fastest-growing companies designee and an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. ME&V has category specialization in healthcare, higher education, financial and nonprofit fundraising.  ME&V also includes a video production arm. ME&V currently operates in offices in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.

Henry Russell Bruce (HRB) just celebrated its 40th anniversary in Cedar Rapids. HRB was voted best ad agency in the Corridor by Corridor Business Journal readers six times. HRB has category specialization in healthcare, medical device marketing, higher education, fashion, retail, manufacturing and transportation. HRB currently operates offices in Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities.

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01 Apr 2014

Freedom Salute Ceremony for Peoria aviation unit that deployed to Afghanistan

By Illinois National Guard PAO

April 5 ceremony recognizes 238th General Support Aviation Battalion

PEORIA, IL (04/01/2014)(readMedia)-- Approximately 60 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers will be recognized April 5 by the National Guard Bureau Freedom Salute Campaign for their sacrifice and service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The ceremony for 2nd Battalion of the 238th General Support Aviation Battalion in Peoria, Ill. will be at 10 a.m. at the Army Aviation Support Facility #3, 2323 S. Airport Road in Peoria.

The unit mobilized in January 2013 and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, returning home Dec. 14. The aviation unit includes members from across Illinois.

While deployed, the 238th flew CH-47 Chinook helicopters for heavy helicopter air movement and air assault missions. The company was also in charge of re-supply operations and aviation maintenance support. The 238th moved personnel and cargo across the battlefield to decisive points at critical times.

The company flew more than 3,100 combat hours, moving more than 14,000 people and three million pounds of cargo during its rotation.

"I cannot speak highly enough of this company and its Soldiers," said Maj. Clarence Pulcher of Morton, Ill., commander of the 238th. "We executed all of our missions without fail and without a single serious accident."

Pulcher highlighted his maintenance section's performance after several of the unit's aircraft were damaged by a hailstorm in April, just weeks after the unit arrived in Afghanistan.

"It was a hailstorm of biblical proportion dropping anywhere from pea-sized to baseball-sized hail," Pulcher said. "Living most of my life in Southern Illinois, tornado alley, I have never seen anything like it."

Pulcher said his maintenance teams worked around the clock to get the Chinooks airborne within two weeks.

The Freedom Salute Campaign is a small way to show these patriotic citizen-Soldiers, their families and employers how much their sacrifice is appreciated. On behalf of the National Guard Bureau, the Illinois Army National Guard will present each eligible Soldier with an encased American flag, as well as a sequentially-numbered commemorative coin, certificate of appreciation and lapel pin. Families will also receive items recognizing their support and sacrifice.

The Freedom Salute Campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history. It is designed to publicly acknowledge Army National Guard Soldiers and those who supported them while deployed.

News media attending the event should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the ceremony and are asked to contact the Public Affairs Office to gain access to Camp Lincoln.

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01 Apr 2014

City of Davenport to host Davenport RiverVision 2014 Update - Consensus Meeting

By Rick Martin
The City of Davenport and Hargreaves Associates will host a Consensus Meeting on Tuesday April 1, 2014 at 6PM in the Figge Art Museum Auditorium (225 W. 2nd, Davenport, IA).  The 6PM presentation will be immediately followed by a "Gallery Walk" in the Figge Lobby where the public may view images from the presentation, interact with RiverVision consultants, and enjoy free food and beverage (food donated by The Barrel House, water and beer donated by the Davenport Development Partnership, and cash bar available).

The Hargreaves-led team returns to Davenport for the Consensus meeting related to the downtown Davenport riverfront. The scope of RiverVision 2014 encompasses the study area (Fifth, to the north, and from Iowa St to Warren St), reinforcing connections to Credit Island, north to Vanderveer Park, and above the Lock & Dam, providing the City of Davenport with an opportunity to further transform the central riverfront from parking to public space. 

High public attendance is anticipated for this Consensus meeting at the Figge Art Museum, which is the fourth in the series public meetings.  Three previous Public Workshops, hosted by the City and Hargreaves, involved discussions of possibilities for transforming the riverfront, with public input instrumental to shaping anticipated changes.  Hargreaves and the City of Davenport encourage the public to participate in refining the vision.

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01 Apr 2014

Mallards Set Playoff Roster Rookie Perry Added as Amateur

By Brian Lavelle

MOLINE, Ill. (March 31, 2014) - The Quad City Mallards have set their roster for the Central Hockey League President's Cup playoffs, the Mallards announced today.

In addition to the nineteen players on the roster proper, the Mallards have added rookie forward Joe Perry to fill one of two slots available for amateur players joining CHL clubs for the playoffs.  Goaltender Ty Rimmer and forwards Jim McKenzie and Mike Hellyer have returned to the roster for the playoffs while forward Gabriel Levesque has been placed on 14-day injured reserve and forward Jordan Lane and goaltender Eric Levine have been left off the postseason roster.

Rimmer returned to the Mallards today after being recalled by the American Hockey League's Oklahoma City Barons last Monday.  McKenzie has scored three goals and added five assists in 26 games since joining the AHL's Iowa Wild in January after starting the season with the Mallards.  Hellyer missed the Mallards' final 22 regular season games after being placed on injured reserve February 16 due to an upper body injury.

Levesque suffered a lower body injury yesterday during the Mallards' regular season-ending 5-3 win over the Missouri Mavericks.  Levine was signed last week when Rimmer was called up by Oklahoma City, and served as the Mallards' backup netminder in four games.  Lane picked up one assist and collected 88 penalty minutes in 56 regular season games.

Perry, 24, joins the Mallards after earlier this month leading Division III powerhouse St. Norbert College to its third national title in his four years as a Green Knight.  The 6' 2", 215-pound Nanaimo, British Columbia, native was named to the America Hockey Coaches Association Division III All-American first team after finishing the season tied for first in the nation with 24 goals and totaling 37 points in 32 games.  Perry earned NCAA tournament Most Valuable Player honors after scoring five goals and adding two assists in three tournament games.  He scored 50 times and recorded 106 points in 115 career collegiate games.   

  

In full, the active playoff roster is comprised of forwards Hellyer, McKenzie, Matt Boyd, Justin Fox, Thomas Frazee, Jeff Lee, Jordan Mayer, Gergo Nagy, Vladimir Nikiforov and Mike Stinziani; defensemen Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel, Matt Duffy, Darren McMillan, Mike Monfredo, Nicholas Rioux and Tyler Yaworski; forward/defenseman Nick Grasso; goaltenders Rimmer and Thomas Heemskerk; and amateur forward Perry.  

The Mallards head to Rapid City Friday and Saturday for games one and two of their best-of-seven opening round series against the Rush.  The Mallards return home for game three on Wednesday, April 9 at 7:05 p.m. and game four on Friday, April 11 at 7:05 p.m.  If a fifth game is necessary, it will be played on Saturday night April 12 at 7:05 p.m. at the iWireless Center.  Should a sixth game be required, the series will shift back to Rapid City on Tuesday, April 15.  If the series goes to a seventh game, the Rush would host the deciding contest on Wednesday, April 16.

Tickets for Mallards home playoff games can be purchased in person at the iWireless Center box office, online atticketmaster.com, at Ticketmaster outlets or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period. 

About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are in the midst of their seventeenth season their fourth in the Central Hockey League.  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The iWireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.net.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards.

-### Quad City Mallards ### -

01 Apr 2014

Iowa Supreme Court Opinions March 31, 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. 14-0512
JONATHAN NARCISSE vs. MATT SCHULTZ, in his Official Capacity as Iowa Secretary of State
01 Apr 2014

Vehicle burglaries in Dixon, Iowa

By Lt. Bryce Schmidt

On Sunday, 03/30/14 the Sheriff's Office took several reports of vehicle burglaries that had occurred late Saturday evening (29th) into early Sunday morning (30th) within the city limits of Dixon. The vehicles were unlocked at the time and smaller items were removed from the vehicles.

A reward is being offered to anyone who has information leading to the arrest of the subject(s) involved.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Scott County Sheriff's Office Investigation's Division at 563-326-8625.

01 Apr 2014

Branstad to sign Senate File 2341, Newton Speedway bill, into law Wednesday in Newton

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today announced he will signSenate File 2341, an Act relating to the rebate of sales tax imposed and collected at an automobile racetrack facility and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions, into law Wednesday, April 2, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. in Newton, Iowa. The bill will be signed before Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds hold their Jasper County "Iowa is Working" town hall meeting.

Senate File 2341 passed the Iowa Senate 36-9 and the Iowa House 82-14.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014  

10:30 a.m. Gov. Branstad signs Senate File 2341 at Jasper County "Iowa is Working" town hall meeting

Newton Manufacturing

1123 - 1st Avenue East

Newton, IA

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