A Maddie Celebration

November 2nd, 2013  2:00pm until 4:00pm

Fundraiser and awareness:  Six year old Maddie has Alopecia, a disease that makes her hair to fall out.  This of course causes her to look different from her classmates and sometimes be teased.

Let's show Maddie that we care for her and she is a beautiful child!

The purpose of this fundraiser is to raise money and awareness of Alopecia in children. The funds will be used to purchase a couple of wigs for Maddie.  The remaining funds will be donated to the Children's Alopecia Project, a foudnation that educates the children and teachers at Maddie's school about Alopecia.

Please bring a cute hat for Maddie!  Donations welcome, too.

Maddie Celebration at Berean Baptist Church, 3103 West 13th Street (corner of 13th and Clark), Davenport, Iowa 52804

Des Moines, October 29, 2013 ?On Wednesday, November 6, members of the Iowa Supreme Court will visit five Burlington area high schools and the community college to meet with students and discuss the role of the courts. In Burlington, the justices will visit Burlington, West Burlington and Notre Dame high schools and Southeastern Iowa Community College. Justices will also visit Danville and Mediapolis high schools.

High School/Community College visit schedule for Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Justice Daryl Hecht will visit West Burlington High School at 8:30 a.m.

Justice David Wiggins will visit Burlington Notre Dame High School at 8:50 a.m.

Chief Justice Mark Cady will visit Burlington High School at 9:05 a.m.

Justice Thomas Waterman will visit Mediapolis High School at 9:15 a.m.

Justice Brent Appel will visit Danville High School at 9:30 a.m.

Justice Bruce Zager will visit Southeastern Iowa Community College at 10:00 a.m.

In addition to the school visits, the supreme court will hold a special session in Burlington on Tuesday evening November 5. During the special session, the court will hear oral arguments in two cases in the auditorium at Edward Stone Middle School, 3000 Mason Road. The session begins at 7 p.m. As always, oral arguments are open to the public. A public reception with the justices, sponsored by the Des Moines County Bar Association, will follow the oral arguments in the auditorium lobby.

Special Session

Tuesday, November 5, at 7:00 p.m.

Edward Stone Middle School auditorium

3000 Mason Road

Burlington, Iowa

The Iowa Supreme Court will hear lawyers argue in two cases:

Palmer College of Chiropractic v. Davenport Civil Rights Commission and Aaron Cannon

Aaron Cannon, blind since birth, began the Bachelor of Science program at Palmer College in 2004. The college had in place technical standards for admission and graduation providing that students have sufficient use of vision to perform chiropractic and general physical examinations. Palmer College denied Cannon's request for a sighted assistant, and Cannon filed a complaint of discrimination based on disability. On appeal Cannon argues the district court incorrectly concluded that the vision requirement was reasonably necessary for the chiropractic curriculum and that a sighted assistant would fundamentally alter the nature of the chiropractic program.

Joseph DeMocko, et al. vs. Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Iowa Code chapter 483A governs the terms and conditions under which individuals may hunt and fish in Iowa. Non-residents pay a higher license fee than residents and are subject to various restrictions. Appellants argue that the district court incorrectly concluded that they are not Iowa residents for the purposes of chapter 483A and that limiting landowner hunting licenses only to Iowa residents, as defined in chapter 483A, is unconstitutional.

For more information about the oral arguments

Attorneys' briefs for the two cases and a "Guide to Oral Arguments" are posted on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at:

http://www.iowacourts.gov/About_the_Courts/Supreme_Court/Offsite_Oral_Arguments .

Note to news media

News media are invited to attend the oral arguments. Court rules apply regarding still camera, video camera, and audio recording devices used during the oral arguments. Information on expanded media coverage is available on the Iowa Judicial Branch Website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/For_the_Media/Expanded_Media_Coverage .

The Iowa Court Rules regarding cameras and other electronic devices in the courtroom are on the Iowa Legislature website at:

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/ACO/CR/LINC/09-27-2013.chapter.25.pdf (the first page is blank)

Bettendorf, IA - For the 41st consecutive year, Happy Joe's will host special needs children from around the Quad Cities at the 2013 Quad City Special Needs Children's Party to be held Friday, November 22nd at the iWireless Center. Parties will be held at 9:00 and 11:30am. Happy Joe Whitty, his faithful dog Happy, the Happy Dancers, as well as our infamous Santa will be on hand to spread holiday cheer and delight to these special needs children. All Quad City area Happy Joe's stores will be participating including Bettendorf, Davenport, East Moline, Eldridge, Galesburg, Geneseo, Moline and Rock Island.

"We take the holiday season as an opportunity to reflect on the past and continue the tradition our father started 41 years ago," says Kristel Whitty-Ersan, Director of Marketing. "Without the support of local partners like Pepsi, Quad City's Optimist Clubs, and the iWireless Center, this wonderful event would not be possible. We would also like to thank all of our hard-working volunteers including Burke Corp., local Optimists clubs, city and state police volunteers, and others too numerous to mention. Thank you for helping us make this a bigger and better event each year."

Before opening his first Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream Parlor in the Village of East Davenport, founder Joe Whitty was nearly fired from another pizza chain for sponsoring a party for a group of special needs children without first checking with his boss. In 1972, on the eve his first restaurant's opening night , he invited a local priest to bless his business and promised that if he could make enough money to feed his family, he would give something back to the community. After just a few weeks in business, people were waiting out the door. True to his word, Joe shut down the restaurant for a few hours one day a year to have a party for those less fortunate, and has required his franchisees to do the same. Nearly 165,000 special needs children have benefited from the parties held throughout the chain over the past 41 years.

All media are welcome to join our team members at the iWireless Center on November 22nd at 9:00 and 11:30am.

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(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today released a letter to farm bill conference committee leaders renewing their call for the U.S. Congress to enact a farm bill reauthorization. The letter applauded the recent appointment of farm bill conferees, including Senator Tom Harkin and Congressman Steve King. This letter reiterates the message in a previous letter from Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and Department of Natural Resources Director Chuck Gipp earlier this year that a farm bill is important to rural America.

In the letter the Governor and Lt. Governor state: "We applaud both chambers for moving forward significant programmatic reforms that improve risk management and focus and improve the sustainability of relevant farm programs.  Given the current fiscal environment, we appreciate the hard decisions before you, but believe you will meet the challenge of forging a bipartisan compromise that respects each side's principles. Your work can help improve the efficacy and efficiency of various farm bill programs. In addition, you have an opportunity to shepherd through a significant piece of legislation which would demonstrate Congress's commitment to rural America."

The letter continues: "As leaders of a key agricultural state where the fall harvest is currently underway, we urge you to pass a bipartisan, long-term farm bill out of conference that meets the needs of our agricultural producers and American consumers."

A copy of the signed letter can be found here. The full text is as follows:

October 29, 2013

The Honorable Frank Lucas                          The Honorable Debbie Stabenow

Chair, Farm Bill Conference Committee &                                Chair, U.S. Senate Committee

Chair, U.S. House Committee on Agriculture                         on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry

1301 Longworth House Office Building                       328A Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20515                          Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Collin Peterson                                                  The Honorable Thad Cochran

Ranking Member,                        Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee

U.S. House Committee on Agriculture                    on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry

1301 Longworth House Office Building                       328A Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20515                          Washington, DC 20510

Dear Agriculture Committee Leaders and Members of the Farm Bill Conference Committee:

We write to thank you for your efforts to reconcile farm bill provisions from each chamber and to reiterate our support for swift farm bill reauthorization.  We were encouraged by the conference committee appointments, including two prominent Iowans.  We urge prompt, bipartisan resolution to enact needed farm program reforms, gain real cost savings, improve the sustainability of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and provide long-term certainty for farm families and agricultural producers.

We applaud both chambers for moving forward significant programmatic reforms that improve risk management and focus and improve the sustainability of relevant farm programs.  Given the current fiscal environment, we appreciate the hard decisions before you, but believe you will meet the challenge of forging a bipartisan compromise that respects each side's principles.  Your work can help improve the efficacy and efficiency of various farm bill programs.  In addition, you have an opportunity to shepherd through a significant piece of legislation which would demonstrate Congress's commitment to rural America.

As leaders of a key agricultural state where the fall harvest is currently underway, we urge you to pass a bipartisan, long-term farm bill out of conference that meets the needs of our agricultural producers and American consumers.

Sincerely,

Terry E. Branstad                       Kim Reynolds

Governor of Iowa                           Lt. Governor of Iowa

cc:          Iowa Congressional Delegation

Tom Vilsack, Secretary, United States Department of Agriculture