Event to take place on 100th anniversary of Norman Borlaug's birth

(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds applauded House Speaker John Boehner and other congressional leaders' announcement today that a statue of Iowa's Dr. Norman E. Borlaug will be installed at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on March 25.

"The unveiling with be a historic event and celebration of Dr. Borlaug's legacy. His agricultural innovations saved an estimated billion people around the world from hunger and starvation," Governor Branstad said. "It is a fitting tribute that our state and nation will honor Dr. Borlaug on the 100th anniversary of his birth and on National Agriculture Day."

"The installation of Dr. Borlaug's statue will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a proud moment for our state," Lt. Governor Reynolds said. "Dr. Borlaug's statue will stand in honor of all that he achieved to help so many around the world. I am very pleased visitors to the U.S. Capitol will be able to learn more about Dr. Borlaug and highlight our state's leadership in agriculture, the biosciences, and STEM education."

Dr. Borlaug, a Cresco native, dedicated his life to breeding better varieties of wheat, and working with farmers and politicians alike to improve methods and policies to alleviate hunger and malnutrition worldwide. His achievements earned him recognition as "Father of the Green Revolution" and the distinction of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal, America's highest civilian honor.

In 2011, the Iowa Legislature approved a resolution and Governor Branstad appointed the Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Statue Committee to raise funds and commission an artist to design, create and install a statue of Borlaug into the U.S. Capitol Building. After conducting a worldwide artist search, the committee chose Benjamin Victor of South Dakota.

"From our decade of working together, I knew Dr. Borlaug - our state's and our country's greatest agricultural scientist - to be the most humble, hard-working and inspiring person I ever encountered," said Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of Borlaug's World Food Prize Foundation and the Chairman of the Statue Committee.  "Our committee extends our profound appreciation to Governor Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds, the bipartisan leadership of the Iowa Legislature, and the entire Iowa congressional delegation for the privilege to be part of this project, as well as to the artist Ben Victor for his magnificent creation of Dr. Borlaug's statue, and DuPont Pioneer and an anonymous donor for their great generosity in funding the cost of fabricating and installing the Borlaug statue."

"The global impact that Dr. Borlaug had is an example and a challenge to all of us as we look to the future and Iowa's role in feeding and fueling a growing world," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. "The installation of this statue will be a great opportunity to celebrate Dr. Borlaug and help inspire others, especially our youth that he was so passionate about, through his amazing story."

The statue of Borlaug will be part of the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Building, where each state is represented by two statues of notable citizens. The statue of Borlaug will replace the statue of U.S. Senator James Harlan installed in 1910, which will be relocated to Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The second statue representing Iowa is of Governor Samuel Kirkwood, installed in 1913.

Iowans are invited to participate in this momentous milestone in our state's history. Visit www.iowaborlaugstatue.org information about the statue and related events, including a link to the webcast of the March 25 ceremony. That site also includes information about a documentary on this project created by Iowa Public Television, and links to resources on www.worldfoodprize.org/norm where people can learn more about the Borlaug Centennial and get involved in sharing Dr. Borlaug's mission to fight hunger.

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The Quad City Wind Ensemble's (QCWE) Winter Concert will be performed on Sunday, March 16th at 3:00pm.  The concert will take place in the Allaert Auditorium at the Galvin Fine Arts Center on the St. Ambrose campus.  Admission in $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and FREE for all students through 12th grade.  See attached poster for details.

The QCWE was recently selected as performers at the Iowa Bandmasters Association (IBA) 2014 Conference in May.  The conference will take place May 15-17 at the Downtown Marriott in Des Moines, Iowa.

The IBA includes a membership of over 1,000, most of whom are directors of school bands.  It is one of the largest and most active of all state bandmaster organizations in the country.  Its driving force has kept good bands and good band music thriving in communities of all sizes through the state of Iowa.

The QCWE was founded in 1987 by Dr. Charles B. DCamp of St. Ambrose University, and has become one of the finest adult bands in the nation. In 2012 the QCWE was the Community Division winner of The American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble Performance.  For additional information, please visit www.qcwindensemble.org, or http://www.facebook.com/qcwindensemble

The Quad City International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) will be presenting a FREE Seminar on Monday, March 3, 2014 at the Western Illinois University River Drive Campus, 330 River Drive in Moline, Illinois.  The speaker will be John Sample and he will be presenting "Staying Motivated and Keeping Positive in the Workplace".  

Networking/Gathering begins at 5:30 PM, Dinner at 6:00 PM (reservation is required - meal cost is $8.00) and the speaker will begin at 6:30 PM. A short chapter business meeting will be held following the installation.

To register, please contact Marilyn McVietty by 11:00 AM by Friday,February 28, 2014 at (309) 944-6494 or email her at mcviettym@yahoo.com.

 

For more information, go to our website at www.iaap-quadcity.org/quadcity/meetingsevents

 

IAAP is the world's largest international association of administrative professionals. IAAP offers professional development, leadership training and networking opportunities for administrative professionals. IAAP is a non-profit, volunteer association.

Joining a professional organization demonstrates your commitment to your career. Work is most rewarding when we do it with enthusiasm and give it our best. Through IAAP you will gain knowledge, confidence and contacts that will help you advance professionally. IAAP works to build a professional image of administrative professionals in the workplace.

IAAP membership is open to all persons working in the administrative field, along with business educators, students, firms and educational institutions. There is no test of sponsorship required. Through IAAP qualified professionals can test for the certification rating, the benchmark of excellence in the administrative profession.

For more information please contact Kathy Riley at (309) 489-6122.

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A Program of the Cancer Support Community and LIVESTRONG™

Davenport, Iowa (February 2014) - Gilda's Club will be offering Cancer Transitions™ in four locations. Cancer Transitions is a free 2 hour, six-week workshop designed to help cancer survivors make the transition from active treatment to post-treatment care. Expert panelists including an oncology nurse navigator, nutritionist and physical therapist; will discuss exercise tailored to each participant's abilities, training in relaxation and stress management and tips for nutritious eating. Cancer Transitions will answer many of your questions about cancer survivorship post-cancer treatment.

Dates and Locations:

March 20th in Muscatine at Muscatine Community Y, Thursdays from 1-3 p.m.

March 25th in Moline (Location TBD) Tuesdays from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

March 26th in Davenport at Gilda's Club , Wednesdays from 2:30-4:30

April 3rd in Geneseo at Hammond Henry Hospital, Thursdays from 6-8 p.m.

For more details and registration, contact Melissa at (563)-326-7504 or toll free at (877)-926-7504 or by email at melissa@gildasclubqc.org

Quinn Administration Helped Lead Application and Funded Key Components That Will Make Digital Hub Possible

WASHINGTON - Governor Pat Quinn today joined President Barack Obama to formally announce that Illinois had won a new digital manufacturing hub, supported by funding from state and federal governments and corporate partners. The hub will have a far-reaching impact on jobs across many industries and benefit small businesses across the nation. The White House announced a $70 million Department of Defense award for the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute, which UI Labs will operate in Chicago. The support from President Obama, coupled with $16 million from the Quinn Administration, gives the institute the necessary funds to build partnerships with manufacturers and strengthen Illinois' economic comeback.

"Illinois is at the forefront of a high-tech manufacturing revolution that will make our state the center of high-tech job creation," Governor Quinn said. "This first-of-its-kind digital hub will make companies more competitive and stronger by providing them with the most cutting edge tools and technologies. It will be the birthplace for innovations that will change the world in which we live, work and play."

Earlier support from the Quinn Administration was essential to the launch of DMDI. In March 2013, Governor Quinn approved the investment of $60 million in Blue Waters at the University of Illinois, which provides the supercomputing power for this initiative. Blue Waters is the core of the DMDI, the key engine to generate new design, simulation and testing innovations. Blue Waters set Illinois' application apart from the other contenders for DMDI.

The Governor personally petitioned the Secretary of Defense twice and made the case to key White House officials about the benefits and importance of DMDI. The Governor brought key private sector partners into the initiative, including CAT, Deere & Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and many more.

Last December, the Governor joined UI Labs in announcing $5 million in state funding to support the Illinois Manufacturing Lab, a key first step in DMDI's development that helps small- to mid-sized manufacturers across the state.

Governor Quinn's administration - working with UI Labs and World Business Chicago - assembled the broad support for DMDI and directed the application for federal funding. Both the state and city of Chicago are expected to have representation on the initiative's governing board. The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) - a member-driven not-for-profit that serves as the state's technology advisor - also assisted with the proposal.

"We put together a powerful proposal that demonstrated DMDI's value to the federal government and to job creation throughout a broad region of the country," Adam Pollet, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said. "We're going to change the face of American manufacturing and we're proud that our strategic investment in a public university is what set our application apart."

"The DMDI institute provides a strong platform to connect Illinois manufacturers with the newest digital tools and provide them the know-how to build things faster, better and cheaper than China and the rest of the world," Mark Harris, president and CEO of the ISTC said. "The vision of Governor Quinn and his leadership in connecting Illinois' world-class research, technology and manufacturing strengths around initiatives like the Illinois Manufacturing Lab were instrumental in positioning the state as the hub for this Presidential initiative."

The $320 million DMDI, with $70 million funding from the Department of Defense and $250 million from other public and private partners, will apply the newest technologies to help manufacturers try and use new innovations in digital manufacturing and design, with an emphasis on defense manufacturers. This will mean better products, faster production and lower costs for U.S. manufacturers. The $16 million state investment in DMDI includes the launch of the Illinois Manufacturing Lab, additional equipment and workforce training, and providing Illinois companies with the assistance they need to utilize the DMDI. The DMDI was made possible by a strong partnership between state, federal and city officials.

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Seven Game Homestand Starts Tonight with Winning Wednesday Presented by T.G.I. Friday's

$1 Dog/$1 Beer Night Presented by 97X Returns Friday

MOLINE, Ill. (February 25, 2014) - The Quad City Mallards this week will hit the ice for three home games featuring the return of Winning Wednesday presented by T.G.I. Friday's and $1 Dog/$1 Beer Friday presented by 97X and culminating in a visit from Duck Dynasty's Mountain Man this Saturday night courtesy of Genesis Health System.

Mountain Man will drop the puck for the ceremonial faceoff prior to Saturday night's 7:05 p.m. game between the Mallards and Brampton Beast and will meet fans and sign autographs through the second period of that contest.

Mountain Man, whose real name is Tim Guraedy, is a neighbor of the Robertsons, the Louisiana family that has made a fortune from its best-selling duck calls and is the focus of Duck Dynasty.  Mountain Man is the only Duck Dynasty cast member who is not a Robertson family member or employee of Duck Commander.  He is a neighbor of the Robertsons who operates his own air-conditioning repair business and is known for speaking very slowly.

The Mallards will kick off a seven-game homestand tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. with Winning Wednesday presented by T.G.I. Friday's.  If the Mallards defeat the Missouri Mavericks tomorrow evening each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the Mallards' next Wednesday game- March 5 again against the Mavericks.

At each Winning Wednesday game fans also have the opportunity to purchase $2 hot dogs and beer at iWireless Center concession stands.  After each Wednesday contest- including this week's- fans are invited to join the Mallards for a post-game party at T.G.I. Friday's adjacent to the iWireless Center at 1425 River Drive in Moline.

Fans planning on attending tomorrow night's game can also save with the Harris Pizza Puck and Pizza Package.  With the Puck and Pizza Package, fans can purchase four lower level tickets for just $55 or four upper level seats only $45 for any Wednesday or Sunday home game and receive a certificate for a free large single topping pizza from Harris Pizza.  The Puck and Pizza Package is available at the iWireless Center box office.

This week also brings the penultimate $1 Dog/$1 Beer Night of the season when the Mallards take on the Beast at 7:05 p.m. Friday.  $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.  First intermission entertainment, will, courtesy of 97X, follow the hot dog-themed spirit of the evening.

The Mallards have also partnered with Metro, which provides earlier service on the Route 59 between Augustana College and downtown Moline during Friday home games this season.  The Route 59 will make one trip from campus to downtown Moline prior to the game (arriving at 5th Avenue and 15th Street at 6:30 p.m.) and will resume service from downtown to campus every 30 minutes from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.  Regular Metro fares are just $1 one-way or $2 round-trip.  As part of Metro's unlimited ride program, Augustana riders can use their Augustana ID as their fare.  Visit www.gogreenmetro.com or www.facebook.com/53and59 for more information.  

Tickets for this week's games or any remaining Mallards regular season home tilt 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

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said today that Katie Marie Gibson of Sioux Rapids has received an appointment to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Great Neck, N.Y., for the 2014-2015 school year.

Gibson is the daughter of Carolyn and Thomas Gibson.  She will graduate in May from Sioux Central High School.  Gibson participated in volleyball, basketball, cross country, softball, individual speech club, 4-H, Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society and the Harlan Institute Program, a law-based debate club.

"Admission to the service academies is highly competitive and a great honor," Grassley said.  "Students work very hard to earn this kind of opportunity.  I wish Katie well and thank her for her commitment to serve our nation."

Gibson was among the 55 Iowans Grassley nominated this year for appointments to the U.S. service academies.  Information about seeking nominations can be found on Grassley's website.

For more than 200 years, these academies have educated and trained individuals to lead and command the U.S. armed forces.

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September 13, 2014 - September 29, 2014

We have blocked seats on Lufthansa flying from Chicago to Dusseldorf.  Return flight is from Hamburg to Dusseldorf to Chicago.  Price is $1250.

Our group will be taking a Mosel River grape harvest cruise for one week.  We then will be going by train to Schleswig Holstein, having some free time before we attend the Low German Friendship Conference in Eckernforde on the Baltic Sea.  We have found that cabins are still available on the TUI Sonata.  The entire cost (including cruise) is approximately $4000.

Call either Mary Burchett at 563 355-6274 or call Erika Hansen at 563 355-6274 for further information.  We are holding the seats until Monday, March 3.

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA - (Feb. 25, 2014) - Six high-achieving Iowa high schools are participating this spring in an international test of science, mathematics and reading, providing each of them and Iowa with a global benchmark for where our learners stand compared to their peers in over 65 countries and economies worldwide. Iowa's participation in the project, along with Minnesota, Illinois and Tennessee, is being funded by the Kern Family Foundation through a grant to the education organization Innovate + Educate. The voluntary PISA-based (Program for International Student Achievement) test engages 15-year-old students in critical thinking and contextual problem solving, attributes that college and business leaders say are critical. The test is produced by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and is similar to the PISA test taken by over 500,000 15-year-olds around the globe every three years.
Iowa's schools were chosen based on aggregate ACT test scores (some of the highest in the state), size and geography. Each school will administer the test during spring semester 2014, and scores will be publicly reported. Each school commits to hosting conversations that engage business and community partners in gauging and improving performance in an international context. Three global business partners have signed on to help the schools leverage the results: Rockwell Collins, John Deere and DuPont Pioneer.
"This is a great opportunity for Iowa to see where we stand and look at how we can better prepare students for a knowledge-based, global economy," said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, co-chair of the Governor's STEM Advisory Council. "The schools' participation demonstrates Iowans' commitment to giving our children a world-class education."
The six high schools taking the OECD test are Adel-DeSoto-Minburn (ADM), Ames, Decorah, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Pella, and Cedar Rapids Washington.
"Iowa's business sector competes worldwide not only for customers but for talent, so these results will be a welcome window into how we stack up," said Vermeer CEO Mary Andringa who co-chairs the Governor's STEM Advisory Council."More important than any specific outcomes, the community conversations this test will drive hold great promise for advancing education in Iowa."
For additional information regarding the OECD test, visit http://www.americaachieves.org/oecd. For additional information regarding the Governor's STEM Advisory Council, visit www.IowaSTEM.gov.
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$70 million investment will leverage additional $250 million in private funds to focus on digital manufacturing

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today praised the announcement by President Obama that will establish a public-private partnership to boost advanced manufacturing through the Department of Defense. All three of Iowa's public universities, University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, will be involved in the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute, which will be headed by UI Labs based in Chicago. Last year, Loebsack led the charge among the members of Iowa's House delegation to ensure Iowa's premiere universities would be included in this consortium of 73 companies, universities, nonprofits, and research labs. Iowa based companies involved with the DMDI Institute include Deere & Company, Rockwell Collins, General Dynamics - Ordnance & Tactical Systems, General Electric, Honeywell and Siemens.

"Today's announcement will lead to the creation of good, high-paying jobs across the country in the manufacturing field," said Loebsack. "We must continue to focus on growing the economy and putting Iowans back to work. Investing in our universities and other businesses, which in turn leverages public-private partnerships, helps strengthen the economy and promote job creation."

Specifically, the DMDI Institute will create a novel partnership between world-leading manufacturing experts and cutting-edge software companies to enable interoperability across the supply chain, develop enhanced digital capabilities to design and test new products, and reduce costs in manufacturing processes across multiple industries.

The consortium consists of the following members:

23 Universities and Labs: University of Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa, Colorado University - Boulder, Illinois Institute of Technology, Indiana University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Purdue University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Southern Illinois University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, University of Louisville, University of Michigan, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, University of Texas - Austin, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Western Illinois University.

 

41 Companies: 3D Systems, ANSYS, Autodesk, Big Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc., Boeing, Caron Engineering Inc., Caterpillar, CG Tech, Cincinnati Inc., Colorado Association for Manufacturing & Technology, Cray, Dassault Systems, Deere & Company, DMG Mori, Evolved Analytics LLC, General Dynamics - Ordnance & Tactical Systems, General Electric, Haas Automation, Honeywell, Illinois Tool Works, Imagecom Inc. (Aspire 3D), International TechneGroup Inc., Kennametal, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, MSC Software, North American Die Casting Association, National Instruments, Nimbis Services Inc., Okuma, Palo Alto Research Center, Parlec, Procter & Gamble, Product Development & Analysis, PTC, Inc., Rockwell Collins, Rolls-Royce, Siemens, System Insights, The Dow Chemical Company, UPS.

9 Other Organizations: American Foundry Society, City of Chicago - Department of Housing & Economic Opportunity, Colorado OEDIT, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, MT Connect Institute, Reshoring Initiative, UI Labs.

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