03 Mar 2014

3 Smart Retirement Tips

By Ginny Grimsley

The Next Phase of the American Dream:
Growing & Preserving Your Wealth
Financial Planner Shares 3 Smart Tips for Retirement

Ever since the financial crisis of 2008, many pundits and experts have openly doubted the viability of achieving the American dream.

With homeownership, job opportunity and retirement security in decline, an Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll shows that most Americans agree with what the experts have said. Seven in 10 think that tomorrow's adults - today's kids - will have less financial security than adults today.

"There are several long-term issues we need to address, including our estimated $17.3 trillion debt, a legacy that our children are poised to inherit; but I think the United States will be stable for the next 10 years, and maybe longer if we get our financial house in order," says Stephen Ng, founder and president of Stephen Ng Financial Group, (www.stephenngfg.com).

"Many Americans who've worked their entire lives for a comfortable, if not luxurious, retirement want to know their money will be there - that's their dream."

Ng is an international financial planner with certifications in 19 states. He's passionate about teaching sound wealth practices to both clients and his community. Here are three important tips every pre-retiree and retiree should know to help preserve their wealth.

• Go to an independent retirement-planning advisor. Financial planning can be confusing. For most retirees who are not professionals, the numbers, rules and terminology can seem like a foreign language. An independent advisor, who is licensed in multiple products - insurance, annuities and more - allows for a higher degree of objectivity, tailoring options for a client's specific needs. He or she will not be bound to a corporate agenda or limited in their knowledge. Also, talk to the person who will be the architect of your financial future. Find out his or her values. How do they feel about their job? Are they patient in explaining your options? Do you trust your advisor?

• Pre-retirees: know your start-date options for retirement. Be aware that in most cases, withdrawals from tax-deferred retirement plans before age 59½ may be subject to a 10 percent federal income tax penalty. The latest date to begin required minimum distributions is usually April 1 of the year after you turn age 70½. In most cases, withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. There are 10 common planning options, some of which are funded by employers. They are the defined benefit pension; money purchase pension; profit-sharing plan; savings plan; employee stock ownership plan; tax-sheltered annuities, or 403(b) plans; individual retirement accounts; self-employed plans; simplified employee pensions; Savings Incentive Match Plans for Employees; and annuity contracts.

• Make sure you feel good about your annuity. An annuity is a contract with an insurance company in which you make one or more payments in exchange for a future income stream in retirement. The funds in an annuity accumulate tax-deferred, regardless of which type of annuity you choose. Fixed annuity contracts are issued with guaranteed minimum interest rates. Although the rate may be adjusted, it should never fall below a guaranteed minimum rate specified in the contract. Keep in mind that annuity guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the insurance company and contain fees and charges which are not limited to sales and surrender charges. All withdrawals of tax-deferred earnings are subject to current income tax, and, if made prior to age 59½, may also be subject to a 10 percent federal income tax penalty. Additionally, if purchased within a qualified plan, an annuity will provide no further tax deferral features. The contract, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the total amount invested.

"This may be plenty of information to take in for now, but this is only the tip of the iceberg," Ng says. "Don't be afraid to ask questions. And, the more education you have about your own money, the better."

About Stephen Ng

Stephen Ng is the founder and president of Stephen Ng Financial Group™ (www.stephenngfg.com). Since 1992, he has helped pre-retirees and retirees preserve and increase their wealth by, in part, helping them avoid common mistakes. He regularly holds financial management, retirement investing and insurance planning seminars at businesses, churches and non-profit organizations. Ng is a Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant and a Certified Estate Planner. He is also an Investment Advisor Representative offering securities and advisory services through SagePoint Financial, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Stephen Ng Financial Group and SagePoint Financial, Inc. are unaffiliated entities. Stephen brings a national and international perspective to his financial advice, with professional and educational roots in Australia and Asia, and certifications in 19 states.

03 Mar 2014

Heart of America Group with Elmore Marketplace News Remaining Retailers will open during March

By Pamela Cooper
DAVENPORT, IOWA - The 2nd retailer to join Elmore Marketplace, Pier 1, opened on Tuesday, February 25, 2014. The new Pier 1 location is more centrally located, easily accessible to both the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities, and a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

With Phase 1 of the project nearing completion, the remaining retailers are scheduled to open throughout the month of March. Heart of America Group Company officials indicated the retail line up will be completed with the opening of Banana Republic Factory Stores, Carter's, Charming Charlie, DSW, Gap Outlet, and Lane Bryant. While retailers are busy preparing for their upcoming openings, Heart of America Group is busy working on the construction of their Holiday Inn & Suites and newest creation---The J Bar, featuring high end bar fare and specialty drinks. The duo is located at the apex of Elmore Marketplace. Heart of America Group anticipates an early August opening for the hotel and restaurant.

Heart of America Group is a thirty-six year old development company headquartered in Moline, Illinois with a knack for conceptualizing, designing, developing and managing some of the most exceptional hotel, restaurant and retail developments in the Midwest.

www.heartofamericagroup.com

--- ### ---
03 Mar 2014

Pre-School Open House Tonight

By Shelly Serrano
Attention family and friends: If you have or know someone who has a little one ages 3-4 ready for the Preschool experience we are having an Open House tonight at St. Mark Preschool from 6- 7:30 tonight Monday March 3rd. St. Mark is located at 2363 W 3rd St in Davenport.  Hope to see some of your faces there.
28 Feb 2014

CASI Owney Tapping is Tomorrow!

By Sarah Arp

Last year, the Center for Active Seniors, Inc. (CASI) & Great River Brewery teamed up to make the Owney Irish Red Ale to raise funds for CASI. Well, last year was such a hit we brewed it again! The reasoning behind this fundraiser is because since 2009, government funding to non-profit organizations that provide human services has been in steady decline, forcing these service organizations to change much of their funding strategies or face a reduction in their ability to provide critical services to their communities.  Competition amongst non-profits for the "donated" dollar is extreme:  How can an individual not-for profit make itself standout from the crowd to garner more support and exposure plus increase donor dollars?

That's when CASI & Great River Brewery came up with the Owney and" brewed" the prefect fundraising plan. Owney, an old Irish name for "elderly" is on shelves now at retail locations throughout the Quad Cities.  Proceeds from the sale of Owney Irish Red Ale will be used by CASI to fund services for seniors in the Quad City community.  There are two events schedule to celebrate this cause:

 

Owney Tapping:

March 1, 1-5 p.m. Great River Brewery  332 E 2nd St. Davenport

Golden Keg is at 1:00 p.m.

Food is at 2:00 p.m. provided by Senior Star

Owney Dinner:

March 3, 4:00-7:00 p.m. Kelly's Irish Pub & Grill  Davenport IA

$25.00 tickets: include corn beef, cabbage, roasted potatoes and two pints of Owney. Purchase tickets at CASI, Kelly's or Great River Brewery.

*Proceeds will benefit CASI to help local seniors* 

Stop in at any of these events to... Sit up, Take Notice & Raise your Pint to CASI!

Founded in 1973, CASI is a multi-service senior center providing a variety of social, educational, support and wellness programs and activities designed for adults over the age of 60 and their families/caregivers.

-          END  -
28 Feb 2014

Iowa Supreme Court Opinions February 28, 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. 12-2023

JOHN GIZA vs. BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY

No. 13-0412

RENT-A-CENTER, INC. vs. IOWA CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION
28 Feb 2014

LeClaire Chamber of Commerce Announcements - 2/28/14

By LeClaire Chamber of Commerce

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Urban Classic Home - Becky Curtis, owner. Unique home décor, artwork, lamps, furniture and accessories. Interior design services. 124 N. Cody Rd., LeClaire. 563-289-1221. Ribbon Cutting- March 7 - 4:30p.m.

Interiors by the Sewing Room - Window treatments, bedding, pillows for designers and residential clients in the QC for over 30 years. Residential interior design services. Style, quality and value. 818 15th Ave, Moline, IL. 309-755-0045

CALENDAR

February 28th - Tambi Rosendahl, Expressive Designs, Paula Sands Live 3pm - Featuring cancer survivors interested in hair extensions. 563-343-8599 or 563-370-9263 for more information.

February 28th - March 1st - Buffalo Bill Museum Fundraiser YOUNKER'S Community Days 2014 coupon books. Available at museum or online www.communitydayevent.com)

February 28th - LeClaire Community Library - LEGO Club 3:30-4:30pm. Recommended for ages 7 & up.

February 28 - Masonic Center LeClaire - Chili Dinner 6:30 - 7:30p.m. Proceeds to BSA Venture Crew 212

Save the Date

March 1st - Pub Rock Bingo!  Fund Raiser for Freedom Rock, Coming to LeClaire as the Chosen Site for Scottt County!! Hosted by Cody Tucker of B100! LeClaire Rec Center, 429 N. 3rd St. Doors open 6p.m., event starts 7p.m. Space is limited and tickets are going fast! Go to Facebook: Freedom Rock Tour - Scott County Iowa or http://www.pubrockbingo.com/product-category/non-profit-events/freedom-rock-tour-scott-county-iowa/ for tickets, more information.

March 1st-2nd - Women's Health & Lifestyle Fair - Help Cindy Bruhn, Tourism Manager, promote LeClaire! Tambi Rosendahl, Expressive Designs, will also have a booth!

March 3rd - Penny Molumby, Style with PM Interiors, will be on Paula Sands Live! 3pm. Will talk about shade repair class, how to recycle to create exciting Spring Decor.

March 6th - Dwellings Opens at New Location 414 N. Cody Rd.

March 7th - Urban Classic Home - Ribbon Cutting 124 N. Cody Rd. - 4:30p.m.

March 7th - Buffalo BIll Museum Grand Opening & Ribbon-Cutting 5 p.m. Celebrate museum's expansion. Open House (4-7pm) LeClaire Chamber of Commerce's Ribbon-Cutting 5pm.

March 7th - First Friday in LeClaire - 5-8pm

March 8th - Style with PM Interiors - Hunter Douglas Honeycomb Cellular Shade Repair Class Style with PM Interiors, 1293 Eagle Ridge Road, LeClaire, Iowa, 2:30-4:00pm.  Fee - $15.00. Class size is limited. Reservations call 563-289-2330.

March 11th - Chamber Networking Lunch - Crane and Pelican noon.  Member, Brad Morrison of Riverbend Signworks, will speak about Branding.  Everyone Welcome!

March 8th - LeClaire Recreation Family Night 4:00-6:30pm, $2 per person, 3 and under free. Concessions available. Open gym. Movie "ET" starts at 5 p.m. www.leclairereccenter.com

Mar 28th - Masonic Center LeClaire - Dinner 6:30 - 7p.m. Menu tbd

FYI

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

Riverbend Signworks is excited to announce the release of the promised video update. The academy awards will NOT likely be calling us, but still....it's a FAMILY business! http://riverbendsignworks.com/videos/

Join Celebration Belle for our 2014 Cruising Season beginning April 2nd - October 31st. Make reservations online at www.celebrationbelle.com or call 1-800-297-0034

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

PROPERTY LISTINGS

Commercial Space Available for Rent - 118 N. Cody Rd. Call 563-289-2525.

Commercial Property Available - 1295 and 1297 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 Rent - 204 Jones St. - Call 563-370-2386 for more information. Will show by appointment. Commercially zoned only. Lease with option to purchase.

Home for Rent - Single family home on the River - two bed, two bath (could be three bed, two bath). Newly remodeled throughout, new appliances. 2 car attached garage. 1405 Canal Shore Dr. $1300 month - Dock access is negotiable. Call 563-529-1346.

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.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND
Beginning March 3rd - LeClaire Civic Club Morning Coffee Time 8-11am every Mon/Wed/Fri.  Coffee, donut, and chatter! Bring checker board, cribbage board, or a newspaper and meet old and new friends!
Ascentra Scholarship Competition - $10,000 in Scholarships Available. All entries judged on essay, resume, awards, extracurricular activities, volunteer services and work experience.  Applications and official rules may be picked up at any of our branches or found online at www.ascentra.org/scholarships. Deadline to enter is March 1, 2014.

First Presbyterian Church of LeClaire Meals for Seniors at the church every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12 noon. Please call 563-289-3646 and make a reservation 2 days in advance.

LeClaire Events Coming Up!

April 4-5 - Girls Getaway Weekend

April 25 - Masonic Center LeClaire-Taco Bar 6:30-7:30 proceeds to BSA Venture Crew 212

May 2-3 - French Market Days

May 3-4 - LeClaire Community Library Book Sale

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo

June 6-7 - City Wide Garage Sales

August - Tug Fest

October - Witch's Walk

December - Christmas in LeClaire

28 Feb 2014

MALLARDS, GENESIS HEALTH SYSTEM WELCOME MISS USA 2012 TO MARCH 7 GAME

By Brian Lavelle

Nana Meriwether to Drop Puck, Meet Fans When Mallards Take on Arizona

MOLINE, Ill. (February 27, 2014) - The Quad City Mallards and Genesis Health System will welcome Nana Meriwether, Miss USA 2012, to the Mallards' Friday, March 7 game against the Arizona Sundogs at the iWireless Center.

Nana will drop the puck for a ceremonial faceoff just before the 7:05 p.m. start of the game and will meet fans, sign autographs and pose for pictures during that contest.

After being named Miss Maryland USA 2012, Nana went on to win the title of Miss USA 2012 in December of that year.  Nana is also a professional and Olympic-level volleyball player, philanthropist and highly accomplished student.

"Since her first visit to the Quad Cities last spring, Nana has been working with us as a member of the Genesis Philanthropy Board of Directors. Her expertise and experience with global health has been hugely beneficial to us.  Nana brings a unique perspective and a passion for health and wellness," said Genesis Health Services Foundation executive director Missy Gowey.  "I'm excited she'll have a chance to meet our Mallards fans and gain in her understanding of what makes the Quad Cities a great place to live."

In 2007, Nana co-founded the Meriwether Foundation, an international non-profit organization dedicated to improving health and empowering communities.  The foundation conducts health, education, nutrition and empowerment programs that provide assistance to impoverished rural communities in five southern African countries: Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  More information on the Meriwether Foundation can be found at www.MeriwetherFoundation.org.

Born in South Africa and raised in the Washington D.C. area, Nana was standout in volleyball first at Duke University and then, after transferring, at UCLA.  At Duke, Nana followed in the trailblazing footsteps of her father Delano, who was the first African American to be admitted to and graduate from the Duke University School of Medicine.  By the end of her college career, Nana had broken three NCAA volleyball records, led UCLA to the NCAA Final Four and earned NCAA All-American honors two years in a row.

Nana was a Dean's List student at Duke and was named to the Director's Honor Roll on multiple occasions while at UCLA before graduating with a degree in political science.  She was also named to both the NCAA and Pac 10 Conference All-Academic teams.

In addition to appearing on NBC for both the 2012 and 2013 Miss USA competitions, Nana has been featured in Sports Illustrated and on Lifetime's Project Runway and Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta and New York.

Tickets for March 7 game and all Mallards regular season home tilts can be purchased at the iWireless Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com 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 Genesis Health System
Genesis Health System, its affiliates and partners offer a full continuum of health care services.  Genesis Health System's affiliates include : acute and tertiary hospital care at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport and DeWitt, Iowa and Genesis Medical Center, Silvis and Aledo in Illinois; home health and hospice services through Genesis VNA and Hospice; Genesis Workplace Services, including occupational health, employee assistance and wellness services for employers and their employees; the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House; senior living facilities offering rehabilitation and long-term care; Genesis Health Group, with more than 170 primary care physicians and specialists; a Family Practice Residency program; Genesis Psychology Associates; three Convenient Care clinics; and Genesis Home Medical Equipment.  Partners include the Genesis Medical Park, Crow Valley, Genesis Imaging Centers and Spring Street Surgical Center, Davenport. Genesis Health System serves a 10-county area of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Genesis also manages Jackson County Regional Health Center in Maquoketa, Iowa. For more information, visit www.genesishealth.com.

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.com.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards.

-### Quad City Mallards ### -
28 Feb 2014

Soy Checkoff Harnesses Industry to Combat Herbicide-Resistant Weeds

By United Soybean Board
U.S. agriculture takes action to promote production practices to manage these costly weeds

ST. LOUIS (February 27, 2014) - Two billion dollars annually: Only a problem this large and costly could bring together private industry, universities from across the country and farmer-led organizations to provide farmers with answers.

That's how much University of Wisconsin researcher Vince Davis estimates herbicide-resistant weeds cost U.S. farmers each year.

To help fight this loss, the soy checkoff recently took the lead in creating the Take Action program to help farmers implement production practices on their farms that can manage herbicide-resistant weeds. Universities and herbicide providers have joined the effort, and all are promoting a unified approach to weed management.

"Diversification is the most important thing farmers can do to manage these weeds," says Davis. "This includes diversification of effective herbicide modes of action, diversified weed-management practices and also utilizing non-herbicide control options such as judicious tillage, cleaning equipment for weed seed and diversified crop rotations. Weeds develop resistance more quickly when production systems remain static."

Take Action recently launched a website, www.TakeActionOnWeeds.com, with interactive guides and other information on how to diversify weed management.

"What makes the Take Action program unique is the support from all the different organizations, private industry and universities," says Jim Call, United Soybean Board (USB) chairman and soybean farmer from Madison, Minn. "It really shows how big of an issue herbicide-resistant weeds are and how they impact all of agriculture."

In addition to the checkoff, other supporters of the Take Action program include Cotton Incorporated, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Corn Growers Association, the United Sorghum Checkoff, BASF, Bayer, DuPont, Dow, Monsanto, Syngenta and universities throughout the United States.

The 70 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

###

28 Feb 2014

Lt. Governor Simon to honor Moline High School students

By Ted Nelson

Winners of NO MORE Dating Abuse video challenge 

MOLINE - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon and representatives of Verizon and the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) tomorrow will name four Moline High School students the first place winners of the "NO MORE Dating Abuse" video challenge. February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

Now in its second year, this challenge is the first of its kind in Illinois and is coordinated by the ICADV and Lt. Governor's office, and sponsored by Verizon. Last September, all high schools throughout the state were encouraged to invite their students to submit a video that called for the end of teen dating violence and promoted healthy relationships. Simon will present Moline High School with $1,000 for submitting the winning entries, and students on the winning team will receive iPads.

Simon also will be joined by state and local officials to honor the Village of Silvis as the newest Illinois Main Street community. The Lt. Governor serves as the ambassador of the Illinois Main Street Program, which is helping to revitalize downtowns and business districts throughout the state.

 

EVENT: NO MORE Dating Abuse video challenge awards

DATE: Friday, Feb. 28

TIME: 9:15 a.m.

LOCATION: Moline High School auditorium, 3600 Avenue of the Cities, Moline

 

EVENT: Silvis Illinois Main Street ceremony

DATE: Friday, Feb. 28

TIME: 10 a.m.

LOCATION: Silvis City Hall, 121 11th Street, Silvis

###
28 Feb 2014

USGC Urges US Farmers, Handlers, Exporters to Strictly Adhere to Stewardship Program Statement from the U.S. Grains Council President and CEO Tom Sleight

By Randy Stalsberg

"The U.S. Grains Council welcomes the announcement of an aggressive stewardship program for the release of Syngenta seed trait Agrisure Duracade to minimize the risk of export trade disruption. It is important for all sectors of the value chain -- individual farmers, technology providers, shippers and exporters alike -- to recognize the potentially significant international implications of their actions. The Council therefore urges producers who choose to plant Agrisure Duracade in 2014 to adhere carefully to their stewardship responsibilities in order to minimize the risk to U.S. export sales.

"Today's unfortunate reality is that biotechnology approval systems around the world are not synchronous. In addition, some countries still lack effective, trade-enabling policies regarding the low level presence (LLP) of unapproved biotech events in grain shipments. Inadvertent commingling is almost certain to occur in the high volume U.S. commodity handling system, and modern testing methods are likely to detect even trace levels of unapproved events. The presence of unapproved events in the export stream therefore carries a significant risk of major international trade disruptions. Given the increase in corn production in competitor countries and the ability of buyers to source anywhere in the world, leakage of unapproved events may even result in the closure of some major markets to U.S. corn exports for an indefinite period.

"The U.S. Grains Council represents a wide variety of members across the value chain committed to maintaining an open and fair grain trading system around the world. We recognize the desire of producers to deploy new technology as soon as it becomes available. We recognize also that continued technology development is essential to achieving global food security and creating new opportunities for producers and agribusinesses. We believe, finally, that countries lacking a functioning, science based regulatory system ought not to enjoy a de facto veto over U.S. technology deployment. At the same time, however, the risk of costly trade disruption is significant and should be taken seriously by the entire value chain.

"There is no easy solution to these conflicting goals. In the short term, we urge all stakeholders to weigh the consequences of their actions, recognize the international implications of planting and marketing decisions, and stringently adhere to their stewardship responsibilities. In the long run, we encourage all parties to join the Council in working for a resolution of the low-level presence and asynchronous approval issues, which is the solution ultimately needed to serve the common interests of producers, agribusinesses, and consumers around the world."

-30-

The U.S. Grains Council is a private, non-profit partnership of farmers and agribusinesses committed to building and expanding international markets for U.S. barley, corn, grain sorghum and their products. The Council is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has nine international offices that oversee programs in more than 50 countries. Financial support from our private industry members, including state checkoffs, agribusinesses, state entities and others, triggers federal matching funds from the USDA resulting in a combined program value of more than $26.5 million.

The U.S. Grains Council does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital/family status. Persons with disabilities, who require alternative means for communication of program information, should contact the U.S. Grains Council.

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