27 Feb 2014

Training to be Held for 4-H Leaders

By Amanda Heitz

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development staff announces statewide trainings for all new 4-H Club, Clover Kid and Project Leaders. This training is targeted to those who are beginning as volunteers or those with three years or less experience. The training is open to all volunteers and current club leaders are encouraged to attend if they have not attended before.

Advantages of this training program include : learning about the role of a caring adult, dynamic training to boost positive youth development knowledge and skills in order to support a vibrant 4-H club or Clover Kids group, and an opportunity to meet and network with other volunteers. The interactive training includes an agenda loaded with knowledge, skills, and tools needed to enhance a volunteer's work with 4-H youth. There will be age appropriate breakout sessions specific for 4-H Clubs and Clover Kids groups to provide more targeted skill building for volunteers working with those specific age groups. Volunteers will receive a binder of resources to prepare them for working with their club or group.

Training will be held in southeast Iowa on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Scott County Extension Office in Bettendorf 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There are numerous trainings throughout the state; volunteers are able to attend any of the locations. To register, go to www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/volunteertraining or call your local county office. Registration is due by March 24th for the March 29th session. The training will include a binder of resources and lunch. There is no fee to attend.

For more information on how to volunteer with 4-H in your county please contact your local Iowa State University Extension and Outreach office at 563-359-7577. For more information on Leader's Training in southeast Iowa, please contact Daleta Thurness, Youth Program Specialist, 563-263-5701 or daletac@iastate.edu .

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27 Feb 2014

3 Tips for Turning Your Personal March Madness into March Happiness

By Ginny Grimsley
By: Jaime Kulaga, Ph.D., LMHC

There's a lot of hype about March MADness, and if you're an NCAA fan (or married to one) you know it well.

But I'd rather think in terms of March Happiness; training mind and body, just as those basketball players train, to remain positive even when faced with stress, sadness and the cyclicality of life. You can create a habit of happiness.

During March Madness, 68 teams in the College Basketball Association compete the national championship. Sixty-eight teams, one month, 12,000 games - or that's what it feels like to me.

All those teams are vying for that one feel-good moment they've worked so hard to achieve. They've dedicated a large portion of their lives to training body and mind, and when the final two teams compete, one team, each team member, and thousands of fans experience fulfillment and happiness.

This March, compete against yourself. Train your mind and body to be healthier and happier than ever before. At this point in the game, you may feel the odds are against you. About 40 percent of people who set New Year's Resolutions have already quit trying. But this month, you are powering up, not gearing down.

You can do it. Here are my TOP 3 Tips for being happy in March and all year long:

Smile and Wave Goodbye to the Toxic People: Waving goodbye has never made you smile so big. In a world where everyone faces uncontrollable stressors and negativity every day (no matter how happy of a person you are), you must get rid of the things and people that are only going to bring you further down. Rid yourself of the toxic people in your life, the haters and the hurters. Take control of your happiness by not allowing others to steer your emotions up and down, or steal them altogether. If you can't completely rid yourself of the negative people, you can definitely set boundaries to minimize your interactions with them. Saying goodbye means saying hello to happiness.

Take Time to Decide: The best way to be unhappy is to go around making promises or commitments you can't live up to or, if you do live up to them, you despise every moment of it. You get one life, so make it a happy one. Don't over commit to someone else and then under commit to yourself. Your happiness is just as important as everyone else's, and don't think otherwise.

When you make an impulsive decision, it is typically based on intense emotions and made with little thought. In most cases, quick decisions are not only poor decisions, they also reduce your control and even ruin your credibility.

To create happiness, make a habit of taking time when making both large and small decisions. Retreat, Rethink, React are your new decision-making steps, in that order.

Forgive: When you hold grudges, possess anger or find yourself always looking backward, it is hard to move forward. The great thing about forgiveness is you don't have to feel it, you just do it. And you are doing it for you, not the other person. If you are angry with someone, your attention and energy is given to them, not you. You can't control your past, and that can be upsetting sometimes. But you can control your future, and you can drive right up to happiness.

As you compete against yourself in March, you must dedicate a portion of your life to training your body and mind. This takes time and commitment. Remember that you are competing for one thing -- that feel-good moment when you notice more days seem brighter; when you notice the win. It not only lies within you, but within your family (team) and all those who you interact with (fans).

This March, turn your Madness into Happiness.

About Jaime Kulaga, Ph.D, LMHC

Jaime Kulaga, Ph.D., LMHC, is the author of "Type 'S'uperWoman - Finding the Work-Life Balance: A Self-Searching Book for Women," (www.mindfulrehab.com). Motivated by watching those she coaches become successful and with a true passion for helping others, Dr. Kulaga earned her bachelor's degree in psychology, and master's and doctorate's in counseling. As a licensed mental health counselor and certified professional coach, she has a special interest in the complex lives of today's women.

27 Feb 2014

State Treasurer Fitzgerald Has a Vault Full Of Gold For Iowans

By Karen Austin

DES MOINES, IA (02/27/2014)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald has a pot o' gold better than the one waiting at the end of the rainbow to give back to Iowans. He has a vault brimming full of unclaimed property to be reclaimed.

Treasurer Fitzgerald encourages everyone to not wait until they find a four-leaf clover to see if luck is on their side, but to check greatiowatreasurehunt.com to see if a treasure is waiting for them. "Our database contains names of individuals and businesses from all over Iowa," Fitzgerald stated. "We search our list looking for those Irish connections this St. Patrick's Day. Currently on the list we have over fifty records with the name Ireland, a few Shamrocks and over a thousand Greens." While there are no four-leaf clovers, there is one Clover Luck in Cedar Rapids, a few dozen Irish and a Lucky Pub Grub in Ankeny.

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $174 million in unclaimed property to more than 421,000 people since Fitzgerald created it in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report unclaimed property to the state treasurer's office. The assets are then held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits, and safe deposit box contents.

to begin your search. Be sure to like the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt on Facebook and follow the program on Twitter @GreatIATreasure.

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27 Feb 2014

Lt. Gov. Reynolds to Launch Statewide STEM Town Hall Tour

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

Stops in Mount Pleasant, Marshalltown, Spencer, Pella, Corning and Reinbeck  

(DES MOINES) - Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced a series of town hall meetings across Iowa about the importance of giving students a great education in science, technology, engineering and math. Reynolds is co-chair of the Governor's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Advisory Council along with Mary Andringa, Vermeer Corp. CEO. The Council's overarching goal is raising student interest and achievement in STEM and building a stronger STEM workforce pipeline.

The tour this spring will update Iowans on the progress being made by the Council, showcase student STEM presentations and seek feedback from community members about how the Council should set STEM priorities moving forward. Governor Branstad, Mary Andringa and local business leaders will join Reynolds at select town halls.

"Having the opportunity to engage with the students, parents, educators and workforce who are directly impacted by the Council's work is extremely rewarding and eye-opening," explained Reynolds. "These stops around the state will give us a look at the successes and the opportunities for further growth in the future."

"We want to hear feedback on the progress the Governor's STEM Council has made over the past two years, and the priorities we should set as we look ahead," said Andringa. "The STEM town halls are a way to engage communities in conversation about the value of STEM education and STEM economic development."

The public is welcome at the following STEM town hall events:

 

Thursday, March 6, 2014

2 p.m. Lt. Gov. Reynolds holds Southeast Region STEM Town Hall

Mount Pleasant Middle School

400 North Adams Street, Mt. Pleasant, IA

 

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

10 a.m. Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds hold North Central Region STEM Town Hall

Fisher Elementary School Media Center

2001 South 4th Street, Marshalltown, IA

 

Friday, March 14, 2014

2 p.m. Lt. Gov. Reynolds holds Northwest Region STEM Town Hall

Spencer School District Offices, Conference Room B

23 East 7th Street, Spencer, IA

 

Monday, May 5, 2014

1:30 p.m. Lt. Gov. Reynolds and STEM Co-Chair Mary Andringa holds South Central Region STEM Town Hall

Central College, Graham Conference Center

812 University Street, Pella, IA

 

 

 

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

1:30 p.m. Lt. Gov. Reynolds and Gov. Branstad hold Southwest STEM Town Hall

Corning High School Auditorium

904 8th Street, Corning, IA

 

Thursday, May 8, 2014

2 p.m. Lt. Gov. Reynolds hold Northeast STEM Town Hall

Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School Auditorium

600 Blackhawk Street, Reinbeck, IA

# # # 

 

About the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council

Established in July 2011 by executive order, the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council is a public-private partnership focused on increasing student interest and achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and promoting STEM economic development. The Council works to engage and prepare students for a career-ready path, regain our state's historic leadership position in education, and provide a vital competitive economic advantage. The 45-member Council is chaired by Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Vermeer Corp. CEO Mary Andringa. For more information, visit www.IowaSTEM.gov.

27 Feb 2014

MALLARDS ROLL PAST MAVS 5-1

By Brian Lavelle
MOLINE, Ill. (February 26, 2014) - Gabriel Levesque scored twice and picked up an assist as the host Quad City Mallards ripped off five unanswered goals on the way to a 5-1 win over the Missouri Mavericks Wednesday night.  The win lifted the Mallards (26-15-8, 60 points) into fifth place while the defeat was the league-leading Mavericks' (33-16-2, 68 points) second in as many nights.

The Mallards took control in the second period by scoring three times in just over four and a half minutes.  Nick Grasso's drive from the right wing circle started the onslaught and tied the game at one at 3:31 of the second.  Just a minute and 19 seconds later Justin Fox buried Levesque's feed from the side of the net to give the Mallards a 2-1 lead.  Nicholas Rioux- who would finish the night with a goal and two assists- extended the gap to 3-1 with a power play one timer from the right wing circle at the 8:06 mark.

Levesque struck twice in the third period to put the Mavericks away.  He converted a Mallard two man advantage with a blast from the high slot at 4:15 of the third and capped off the win by burying Jeff Lee's centering pass from the doorstep at 12:17.

The Mallards started rolling only after the Eric Castonguay pounced on a rebound to give Missouri a 1-0 lead while up a man at 5:43 of the first period.

The Mallards next play at home Friday night at 7:05 p.m. against the Brampton Beast.  That game is the season's penultimate $1 Dog/$1 Beer Night presented by 97X.  $1 hot dogs and $1 beers are available at iWireless Center concession stands during each of the Mallards' 11 Friday night home games this season.

Tickets for Friday night's game and all Mallards regular season home games 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.

27 Feb 2014

ComedySportz show to benefit Hardacre Theater April 4

By Hardacre Film Festival

Regional improv comedy team to hold fundraising show in Tipton

TIPTON, IOWA–The Rock Island-based improvisation comedy troupe ComedySportz will perform at a fundraiser to benefit the Hardacre Theater Preservation Association (HTPA). The show will take place Friday night, April 4. The show is appropriate for all ages and will be held in the Tipton High School auditorium.

This is the second in a series of 2014 fundraising events presented by the HTPA, the nonprofit organization that purchased the theater in February with donor funds. The group is now raising money to renovate and update the theater.

"With this full calendar year of fundraisers, we're hoping to show the community the kind of entertainment we want to bring to the Hardacre Theater once it's renovated, including live entertainment from outside the Tipton community," said Greg Brown, HTPA president. "There will be something for everyone, and ComedySportz is really a show for everyone to enjoy."

The high-energy, all-ages ComedySportz show features two teams of improv comedy "actletes" competing for points and laughs, with a referee keeping things moving and calling fouls. Every show is unique, with new games, players, and audiences supplying all-new suggestions.

According to the ComedySportz website, "the audience of a typical ComedySportz match has everyone, from kids to grandparents and from grade schoolers to college students. Everyone has a good time, and no one gets offended. We are the perfect improv entertainment choice for the entire family or a first date. All ComedySportz matches are Rated E for everyone."

Quad Cities-based comedian Jeff Adamson will provide the opening act. Adamson has performed standup for more than 20 years, opening for such act as Jeff Dunham, Howie Mandel, Sinbad, and Darrell Hammond. The ticket price for the show will also be determined soon.

For more information, go to the HTPA website at thehardacre.org.

--END--
27 Feb 2014

Self-Funded Health Insurance Plans Offer Employees Critical Consumer Protections Under the ACA but Need Oversight to Protect Enrollees, Subcommittee Hears

By Brian Levin

WASHINGTON–Provisions within the Affordable Care Act are both boosting the economy and helping millions of Americans receive affordable, quality health care, but adequate oversight is needed for "self-funded" insurance plans, witnesses testified at a Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee hearing today.

"Of the workers who get coverage through their jobs, about three in five work for an employer who self-funds their coverage, which means that they directly assume responsibility for covering the cost of their employees' medical care," said Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA), a senior Democrat on the subcommittee. "While the ACA provides employers who self-fund with greater flexibility, it also ensures that workers with this coverage have access to many of the law's important new consumer protections."

The landmark health care law protects workers in self-insured plans in a variety of ways. It allows, for example, parents to keep their children on their coverage until the age of 26; bans annual and lifetime limits on coverage so that battling a major chronic or catastrophic disease won't lead to bankruptcy; and provides the right to an external review of a benefit denial and the right to a summary of benefits and coverage, which helps ensure insurance decisions are made fairly and empowers those comparing plan options.

Furthermore, the economy has improved since the ACA was enacted. More than 8 million new jobs have been added, and the law is reducing job lock. With increased flexibility in the labor market, workers can make career decisions, such as changing jobs or starting their own business, without worrying about their health insurance coverage.

Employers may benefit from self-funding their health insurance plans. However, there are risks to such insurance models that require sufficient governmental oversight. For example, protections may be needed to ensure that employers don't repeatedly move back and forth between the fully insured and self-insured markets in a way that could raise costs and provide instability for workers. In addition, oversight of the insurance policies that businesses use to protect against occasionally higher costs in self-insured plans, called stop-loss insurance, will help ensure that this market is stable, especially for smaller employers and their employees.

"Ultimately, self-funding will likely lower costs for some employers who choose this path. But this trend will dramatically increase costs for other employers and their employees who remain in the insured market because self-funding is not a viable alternative," said Maura D. Calsyn, Director of Health Policy at the Center for American Progress. "We must acknowledge this and other trade-offs as part of the discussion about self-funding and affordability. Oversight and regulation of stop-loss insurance, which is extremely limited today, will help stabilize the small-group market and protect both employers and employees."

For more information on the hearing, click here.

For more information on the benefits and consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act, click here.

Committee on Education and the Workforce Democrats

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27 Feb 2014

FDA denials of role in employee email monitoring

By Grassley Press

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today testified before a House committee on the Food and Drug Administration's aggressive email monitoring of employees who were concerned about the safety of certain medical devices and released an investigative report on the monitoring with Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which convened the hearing.  Grassley made the following statement on FDA comments in media reports on the agency's actions in the case.

"An FDA official is quoted as saying the agency did not target, intercept or prevent any communications to Congress.  That's false.   The FDA may not have begun the email monitoring to try to capture privileged communications with attorneys, the Office of Special Counsel and Congress, but senior managers certainly knew early on that it was happening and they kept doing it.  Emails with two Senate committees' staff and a House member's staff were all intercepted, stored, and summarized for senior managers by the FDA contractors conducting the monitoring.  The FDA is trying to deny the facts rather than own up and take responsibility for what it did."
27 Feb 2014

Jason Woods of Clinton. Iowa earns degree from Benedictine University

By Phil Brozynski

LISLE, IL (02/26/2014)(readMedia)-- Benedictine University announced that it has awarded Associate of Arts (A.A.), Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degrees to 168 students who completed their degree requirements on or before December 2013.

Benedictine University has also awarded Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.), Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Master of Arts in Education (M.Ed.), Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) and Master of Science (M.S.) degrees to 261 students who completed their requirements on or before December 2013.

Nine students were awarded an Ed.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change and one was awarded a Ph.D. in Organization Development.

The December 2013 graduates include :

Jason L. Woods of Clinton. Iowa, who earned a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education and Organizational Change

Benedictine University is an independent Roman Catholic institution located in Lisle, Illinois just 25 miles west of Chicago, and has branch campuses in Springfield, Illinois and Mesa, Arizona. Founded in 1887, Benedictine provides 55 undergraduate majors and 17 graduate and four doctoral programs.

Benedictine University is ranked No. 1 among the country's fastest-growing campuses between 2001-2011 in The Chronicle of Higher Education's list of private nonprofit research institutions, and Forbes magazine named Benedictine among "America's Top Colleges" for the third consecutive year in 2013.

Benedictine University's Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program is listed by Crain's Chicago Business as the fifth largest in the Chicago area in 2013.

27 Feb 2014

Iowans for Ending Dog Racing launches organization

By Sam Roecker
Group Urges Iowans to Sign Petition at: www.EndIowaDogRacing.com

DES MOINES, Iowa - Today, leaders from Dubuque and Council Bluffs gathered at the state capitol to roll out "Iowans for Ending Dog Racing" -- a new organization aimed at mobilizing support across the state to end dog racing in Iowa.

The leaders of "Iowans for Ending Dog Racing" include Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol, Greater Dubuque Development Corporation President & CEO Rick Dickinson, Council Bluffs Chamber President Bob Mundt and former Council Bluffs mayor Tom Hanafan. 

The Iowa dog racing industry requires $13 million in subsidies every year, which costs Council Bluffs and Dubuque millions in local economic development and charitable giving.  "Eliminating the requirement that dog racing remain in Dubuque would be an enormous benefit to our community in terms of millions of additional dollars that could be spent on charitable giving and local economic development," said Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol.

Ending dog racing in Iowa would also open up the land where the current track is located in Council Bluffs for new development.  "The dog track in Council Bluffs sits directly off of I-80 on one of the top potential development sites in the entire state," said former Council Bluffs mayor Tom Hanafan.  "Since attendance and interest in dog racing has dramatically declined in the last two decades, our community would benefit greatly by opening up that area for new development and job opportunities."

Iowans for Ending Dog Racing is encouraging citizens from Dubuque, Council Bluffs and across the entire state to study the facts about the dog racing industry and sign the petition to end dog racing in Iowa at www.EndIowaDogRacing.com.

The organization is also encouraging Iowans to contact their local legislator and urge him or her to support proposed legislation to end dog racing in Iowa.  The proposed bipartisan bill that has passed a committee in the Iowa House would provide the dog racing industry with $70 million over seven years to end dog racing and explore new opportunities.  In addition, each casino currently subsidizing the dog racing industry has publicly committed to keeping their track employees on staff and giving them a new role within the casinos. 

"Ending dog racing in Iowa is common sense and is strongly supported by local business, citizens and city officials in Dubuque and Council Bluffs," said Mayor Buol.  "The time has come to turn the page on dog racing and allow these communities to create new opportunities for the people of Iowa."

Get the Facts on Dog Racing in Iowa:
  • Dog racing is bad for Iowa. The more you learn about the industry, the more you will want it out of Iowa. Ready to take action? Sign the Petition to get dog racing out of Iowa.

  • Dog Racing is Illegal in Most States.  Iowa is one of only 7 states legally operating greyhound racing tracks.  Commercial dog racing is illegal in 38 states.

  • $13 Million in Subsidies Keeping Dog Racing Alive in Iowa.  The only thing keeping dog racing in business in Iowa is a state law requiring subsidies to dog racing that now total more than $13 million annually.

  • Betting on Dogs Started to Decline 3 Years After Opening in Iowa.  Live dog racing started in Iowa in 1986.  By 1989 betting on dog racing began to decline.

  • Betting is Down 97% since 1986.  Combined betting at the Mystique dog track in Dubuque and Bluffs Run Greyhound Park at Horseshoe Council Bluffs has dropped from $186 million in 1986 to just $5.9 million in 2012 - a 97 percent decline. [Des Moines Register, 1/21/14]

  • 38% of Iowa purse money goes to out-of-state dog owners.

  • Of the purse money remaining in Iowa, 95% is paid to just 25 Iowans.

  • Council Bluffs Chamber and City Support Ending Dog Racing.  The Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce has joined the Council Bluffs City Council in adopting a resolution "strongly supporting" legislation calling for the elimination of live dog racing at the Harrah's/Horseshoe Bluffs Run greyhound race park and in the state of Iowa.  On January 14th the Council voted 4-0 to end dog racing.

  • Dubuque Chamber, City and Racing Association Support Ending Dog Racing.  The Dubuque Chamber of Commerce, the City of Dubuque and the Dubuque Racing Association all support ending dog racing in Dubuque and Council Bluffs.

  • Ending Dog Racing in Council Bluffs Means More Retail, Economic Development & Jobs.  Currently racing in Council Bluffs is conducted in a near empty facility that seats more than 2,500. Located just off I-80 near Bass Pro Shops, that property could be transformed into additional retail space, attracting more customers and revenue to the area and creating more jobs for Iowans.

  • Ending Dog Racing in Dubuque Means Millions to Local Non-Profits, Economic Development.  The current law causes Dubuque's non-profit Mystique Casino to lose more than $4 million each year to subsidize dog racing. With Mystique's profits split equally between the City of Dubuque and local charities, those millions would be better used to fund volunteer first responders, security in our schools, new capital improvement projects and industrial parks.

  • Both Casinos Committed to Keeping Track Employees Employed in Casinos.  Both casinos currently subsidizing dog racing have publicly committed to keeping their track employees on staff and giving them a new role within the casinos.  In addition, quality jobs will be created by ending the subsidy requirement and directing millions of dollars towards local economic development.

  • Proposed bipartisan legislation will end dog racing in Iowa and provide Iowa greyhound breeders and kennel owners $70 million over the next seven years to wind down.
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