Bill now heads to the President for his signature

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after the Senate passed the five-year, bipartisan farm bill sending it to the President for his signature. Loebsack has been fighting for over two years to get a long term, comprehensive farm bill passed and sent to the President in order to give Iowa farmers and rural communities the stability they need. Loebsack led the fight to ensure the bill would include robust funding for the Energy Title, which gives farmers and rural small businesses the ability to continue to create jobs and grow the rural economy in a value-added and sustainable way.

"I am pleased that the farmers and rural communities across Iowa and the nation will finally be able to have the stability they need to make decisions and investments that create jobs with confidence. This long-term bill will finally put an end to the year-to-year uncertainty. I am optimistic that the President will swiftly sign this bipartisan legislation into law."

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CORALVILLE, Iowa – City Circle Acting Company of Coralville is partnering with several local businesses to stage a clothing drive and auction to benefit the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP).

The DVIP provides support and advocacy to victims, many of whom are women in need of clothing to where to job interviews, work, or court appearances. Having access to quality professional clothing helps these women present a positive appearance and gain confidence as they rebuild their lives.

City Circle is holding the clothing drive and auction in tandem with its production of Nora and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore, which runs Feb. 14-16 at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets for the show are $12 to $27 and are available online at coralvillearts.org, by phone at 319-248-9370, or in person at the CCPA box office.

"City Circle was inspired by the stories told within Love, Loss and What I Wore to partner with the DVIP to raise awareness about the victims and survivors of domestic violence and the meaningful work of the DVIP," says Emil Rinderspacher, Chair of City Circle Board of Directors.

Based on the best seller by Ilene Beckerman as well as the recollections of the Ephrons' friends, the show uses clothing and accessories and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories that all women can relate to: mothers, prom dresses, mothers, buying bras, mothers, hating purses, and why we only wear black. Nine local businesses donated designer dresses, which the actresses will wear in the show, and the dresses will be auctioned off after the final production Feb. 16. All proceeds from the online auction will go to the DVIP.

Donations of gently worn professional clothing and accessories will be accepted at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts during the performances or at Catherine's Boutique  (7 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City) during regular business hours Feb. 10-22.

Catherine Champion, owner of Catherine`s, donated two dresses to the show and her shop is serving as a drop off location for the clothing drive. "We are big supporters of City Circle and the DVIP and the work they do. Please donate to this wonderful cause," Champion says.

Other local businesses donating dresses for the production and auction are: Dress Barn, Domby, Dulcinea, Francesca's, JC Penney, Revival, Textiles, and Velvet Coat.

More information: www.citycircle.org

Contact: Emil Rinderspacher, 319-331-7451 or emil@citycircle.org


WHITEWATER, WI (02/04/2014)(readMedia)-- The following students were named to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team for the 2013-14 season.

  • Maxx Hubbard, a freshman undeclared major from Sterling, Ill.

  • Grant Rosenboom, a freshman biology major from Bettendorf, Iowa

After finishing third in the national championships last year, the Warhawks have high expectations this season and intend to offer a strong challenge to each opposing team.

"The team is going to get better as the year goes on," said Tim Fader, the team's head coach. "We have to keep our eyes on the prize, every team has its struggles but we'll power through them. We are going to continue to push expectations and raise the bar, it's what we're known for and it's what we pride ourselves on."

When the wrestlers are not under the spotlights, they give back to the community. They helped build the new Children's Center on campus and they volunteer for the Salvation Army in Janesville every Thanksgiving.

View schedule >>

Join us for this unique fundraising event! We will be serving delicious home-made pie from the Walcott Pie Lady before the performance and will be holding a silent auction for more delectable pie donated by amazing local amateur bakers!

Seats are still available!  Call now and save $5 by purchasing your ticket in advance- 563-322-8844

Finding Home is a trilogy of pieces, poignant, joyful, and humorous, about puppeteer Monica Leo's parents and their immigration experiences. The first piece, My Father's Imaginary Friend, uses candlelight and shadows to interpret the story of her father's hope and survival during his incarceration in a concentration camp.

 

The second piece, German Eggheads in Rural Texas, traces the family's life in a Lutheran parsonage in rural Texas. Monica uses her mother's illustrations to create puppets and scenery that tell droll stories of language and cultural mix-ups and misunderstandings.

 

The third piece, Mutti's Muscles, uses dolls and other objects to follow her mother's rebirth as a metal sculptor and political activist in the United States after her father's death.

 

German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport, Iowa 52802.  www.gahc.org

Le Claire, Iowa, February 3, 2014 - Proving they are "Still Crazy," Mississippi River Distilling Company will release a new limited bottling in their Still Crazy series, "Six Shooter Smoke" on Friday, February 7.  There were just over 1,000 bottles of this specialty made.  This is rye whiskey with a cherry wood smoked six row barley added to give it a sweet, smoky nose and finish.

"We've had fun messing around with unusual flavors." said owner and distiller Ryan Burchett.  "Smoke flavor is nothing new to whiskey as Scotch whiskies are well known for their peaty smoke flavor.  But by using cherry wood smoked barley, this whiskey finished with a sweetness and smoke that is more reminiscent of a barbecue than a bottle of Scotch."

On Friday, February 7, MRDC will also be celebrating First Friday.  Chef Steph will have Six Shooter Smoke Cheddar fondue along with chocolate and Iowa Coffee Company Coffee Liqueur fondue to taste.  We'll be featuring the Moscow Mule made with River Pilot Vodka, fresh lime juice and ginger beer in the tasting room along with a Cody Road Hot Toddy.  Just what you need to get through this long winter!

The second in the Union Jack series of pint glasses will also be available Friday night.  For every bottle of spirits you purchase, you'll receive a pint glass that says "God Save The Gin."  Also available to purchase are is first of the series, "Stay Calm, Drink Whiskey" glass.

Mississippi River Distilling Company is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free tours are offered to the public daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process.  Tours end in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples of products for those patrons over 21 years of age.


Home Improvement meets Happy Days

DETROIT -Tim Allen's character "Tim the Toolman" adored hot rods, almost as much as Henry Winkler's Fonzie loved hanging out at Arnold's. Combine those two passions, along with some great baby boomer humor, and you get author Ron Lundmark's first novel.
"Dream Machines" is the humorous tale of two Detroit men who, as teens, drove an unfinished drag race in 1965 on Woodward Avenue, America's first highway. Fifty years later, the men recognize each other at their grandchildren's wedding. They kept their grudge and their hot rods for five decades, just in case.
"I lived in the earlier days of Woodward in the 1960s, when there were lots of drive-in restaurants to cruise and everybody drag raced in-between the stoplights," Lundmark said. "Woodward was considered the biggest illegal drag strip in the world. It was "American Graffiti" times a thousand."
The story takes place during the Woodward Dream Cruise, the largest one-day automotive event in the world, which brings 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars to Detroit each year.
"The book is really the story about the Woodward Dream Cruise and its history in the Motor City," Lundmark said.
For more information about the book, visit http://www.ronlundmark.com/; for more information about the Woodward Dream Cruise, visit http://woodwarddreamcruise.com.
Dream Machines
By Ron Lundmark
ISBN: 978-1-45821-070-8
Available in softcover, hardcover, e-book
Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Abbott Press
About the author
From Detroit, Michigan, Ron Lundmark grew up in the heyday of Woodward Avenue - America's first highway - in the 1960s, when there were drive-in restaurants to cruise and the biggest illegal drag strip in the world on which to race. He is a small business owner in Bay Village, Ohio.
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The Standard Process 21-day program combines whole food supplements with a whole food diet to cleanse the body

MOLINE, IL.  February 5, 2014–Daily exposure to toxins, including pollutants and diets high in processed foods, can ultimately disrupt the body's endocrine, immune, nervous and reproductive systems. To help patients purify their body, Healing Lotus Acupuncture, offers a 21-day purification program, developed by whole food supplement manufacturer Standard Process Inc. The program uses whole, organic and unprocessed food, along with whole food supplements to help cleanse the body.

Although the body rids itself of toxins naturally, eventually it can become overburdened. Purification, also known as detoxification, can help remove toxins. The Standard Process 21-Day Purification Program is designed to lighten the toxic load, improve digestion and help maintain a healthy weight.*

"It gave me so much more energy, it helped me feel well . . . it kind of opened my eyes to how unhealthy I'd been eating," says Janet, patient of Healing Lotus Acupuncture.  "I think I lost a total of 12 lbs., and I'm thrilled with the results!  I would highly recommend it!"

 

Join us on March 3rd at 6pm, when Healing Lotus Acupuncture will be having a free special program, A New Healthy You, to introduce the 21-day purification process and explain in further detail the benefits of purification. To get started on your journey to optimal health and a New Healthy You, visit www.healinglotus.co or call Scott at (309) 764.4753 and register for this special event.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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About Healing Lotus Acupuncture

Scott Stewart, LAc., Dipl., is a graduate of National University of Health Sciences and has been serving the Quad Cities area for the last 2 years. The clinic is located at 4300 - 12th Avenue in Moline.  Scott is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist, who also studied and did research in South East Asia for 2 years.  His goal is to educate his patients so they can have a higher quality of life, with less pain and suffering.  For additional information about Healing Lotus Acupuncture, or to schedule your appointment, call (309) 764.4753 or visit www.healinglotus.co.

 

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Congratulations to the following students who have made the Rivermont Collegiate 2nd Quarter Honor Roll!

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

High Honors (All grades B+ or higher or B or higher for courses designated as Upper School level)

Asha Alla

Elizabeth Decker

Clayton Douglas

Faith Douglas

Jessica Elliott

Aislinn Geedey

Jacob Hansen

Mary Aisling McDowell

Elizabeth Paxton

Jozef Porubcin

Grace Sampson

Anna Senjem

Jack Westphal

 

Honors (All grades B- or higher or C+ or higher for courses designated as Upper School level)

Christopher Cumberbatch

Evan Didelot

Giavanna Eckhardt

Kenton Fee

Chirag Gowda

Jonathon Kokoruda

Allyson Lewis

Dwira Nandini

Lauren Schroeder

Genevieve Strasser

Nikhil Wagher

 

Upper School (Grades 9-12)

Headmaster's List (GPA 3.85-4.00)

Adam Dada

Jennah Davison

Anastasia Eganova

Maram El-Geneidy

Tejasvi Kotte

Summer Lawrence

Amanda McVey

Benjamin Nordick

Manasa Pagadala

Emilia Porubcin

Michal Porubcin

Shravya Pothula

Suhas Seshadri

Alexander Skillin

Loring Telleen

 

Distinction (GPA 3.50-3.84)

Christian Elliott

Shivani Ganesh

Ryan Howell

Victoria Mbakwe

Grace Moran

Thomas Rodgers

MingSui Tang

Pavel Yashurkin

Merit (GPA 3.00-3.49)

Hema Chimpidi

Aditya Gohain

Nathan McVey

Hayley Moran
5 Tips for Ensuring Desirable Lifestyle from
Exxon Manager-Turned-Life Coach

With reports of the unemployment rate dropping to 7 percent, lower than it was even five years ago and down from a peak of 10 percent in October 2009, many are breathing a sigh of relief. But the effects of a long bout of high unemployment are sure to have thrown off the balance of employee well-being, says former Exxon executive Bob Epperly.

"Of course, the rate does not take into account those who are underemployed, including over-skilled workers in menial jobs and those with too few hours. For those lucky enough to have decent employment, many feel insecure and are willing to skew their work-life balance into a tailspin, with exaggerated emphasis on their career," says Epperly, a CEO who realized at age 55 that even a very successful career cannot fulfill every aspect of life.

"Most people cannot afford to simply refuse the demands of their job, so what's a worker to do?"

Epperly, author of "Growing Up After Fifty: From Exxon Executive to Spiritual Seeker," (www.bobepperly.com), offers tips for correcting lifestyle imbalance.

• It's never enough. Ambition is admirable, but if it's all that drives you, no matter how much you accomplish, it will never be enough. If professional ambition is more important to you than anything else in your life, that's a red flag that your life is dangerously unbalanced. The consequences will be painful feelings of emptiness, lack of fulfillment, and having missed out. Take steps now to restore balance, beginning with personal, non-work relationships.

• No one ever says, at the end of their life, that they should have worked longer and spent less time with family. When it's all said and done, life is short, and many realize that time is life's most precious resource. Intense focus on work tends to deprive professionals of opportunities with their loved ones - moments and memories that cannot be replaced. Set goals for how much time you'll spend giving your family 100 percent of your attention each day and week, and stick to them!

• Make communication a top priority! The importance and value of real communication cannot be overemphasized. "More important than speaking is listening," Epperly says. "My relationships immediately improved when I began listening very carefully to what was being said."

• Only you are responsible for your life. The Serenity Prayer goes a long way in work-life balance; it reads: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Epperly says that recognizing he is responsible for his life and focusing on the aspects of it over which he has influence while recognizing those he needs to let go has been pivotal.

• Accept who you are. This can be challenging; it demands courageous self-reflection and letting go of the need for external approval. "When a friend asked me, 'Do you think the world is ready to accept Bob Epperly just as he is?' I suddenly saw that I had always felt I had to accommodate; that I wasn't okay as I am," he says. "I started to give myself permission to be me."

About Bob Epperly

Bob Epperly worked in management at Exxon Research and Engineering Co. for more than 20 years, finally becoming a general manager, and later was a senior executive in two startup companies. Having spent much of his professional life creating win-win environments for employees and employers and co-authoring a book entitled, "Interactive Career Development: Integrating Employer and Employee Goals", he now coaches people who seek life-transforming career change. During the last quarter century, he has made spiritual self-realization and psychological integration his top priorities. Epperly and his wife, Sarah, live in Mountain View, Calif., and have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Heeding some cold weather cautions can keep pets safe during storms Maximus and Nika

New York, N.Y.–In anticipation of multiple winter storms hitting the central and eastern U.S. this week, the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) urges pet owners to take measures to keep their families and pets safe. Winter storm Maximus has already affected 30 states, many of which will also be affected by Nika later this week.

"With such heavy amounts of snow, it's important to bring your pets inside and know what dangers your pets face in these extreme conditions," said Dr. Dick Green, senior director of Disaster Response for the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team. "Winter storms create risks for both humans and pets alike."

The ASPCA urges pet owners to develop an emergency plan that accounts for the safety of their animals, to stay up to date on community storm warnings, and to check with their local Office of Emergency Management for important information.

The following tips will help pet owners prepare for winter storms:

  • If it's too cold for you, it's too cold for your pet. Never leave your pet outside during a snowstorm for longer than you would want to be out there with them.
  • Don't let your dog off leash after heavy snowfall, as they can easily become lost.
  • Clean off your dog's paws and belly with a moist washcloth after going outside. Snow-melting salt can be very painful to dogs' feet and can make them ill if ingested. Clumps of snow can accumulate between toes and cause pain as well. Dog boots and salves can be purchased to protect sensitive dog paws.
  • Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification. The ASPCA recommends micro-chipping your pet as a more permanent form of identification.
  • During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep underneath cars for shelter. Bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give any resting cats a chance to escape.
  • If you lose power, be sure candles aren't in a location where your pet can knock them over.

To prevent your pet from going stir-crazy during this week's storms, try these tips:

  • Give your pet a puzzle toy stuffed with food, such as a kong.
  • If pets get all their toys at once, they'll get bored. Keep toys in rotation throughout the week so they feel new again.
  • Provide a perch where your cat can watch the action outside.
  • Hiding treats around the house can keep pets active and engaged. Keep in mind that any additional treats should be factored into their daily diet.
  • Going up and down stairs is a great way to help your dog exercise indoors, but be careful to avoid injury.

For more information on disaster preparedness and cold weather pet safety tips from the ASPCA, please visit http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/disaster-preparedness.

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