(DES MOINES) - Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds departs Sunday, Nov. 10, for the World Forum for Direct Investment in Shanghai, China.

On Tuesday, Reynolds will be the featured speaker on the forum's opening panel to promote the state of Iowa and direct economic investment to an audience of international leaders.

Joining her on the panel will be the president of Embraer China, the Head of Business Development for Nestle, the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs/Economic Relations of the country of Hungary, and the CEO of Greatview Aseptic Packaging.

"Participating in this conference, combined with other meetings in the area, continues to cement the economic ties Iowa has with China," said Reynolds. "It is my hope that this visit will expand foreign direct investment opportunities and provide further economic prospects for the people of Iowa. I am excited to return to China and share Iowa's incredible success story as a reliable, hard-working economic partner."

The Iowa Economic Development Authority has scheduled other business meetings while Reynolds is in China.

Reynolds returns on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

Special Announcement:

This Saturday, Nov. 9th - at 6:30pm LeClaire Trivia Night - LeClaire Civic Center - Proceeds will be donated to Jason Griebel who was severely injured this past week.  He fractured his back on Wednesday following an 8 - 10 foot fall while working on a barge. He has insurance but no income. Come join us! Don't play trivia? You can drop off a donation!  Doors open at 6:30, trivia starts at 7:00. If you would like a table, please call 563-505-6703 or email chris@ccx.net. Just another example of why LeClaire is a great place to Live, Work, and Play - its citizens!

Strolling Santas and Characters needed for Christmas in LeClaire! Santas and characters from All Over the World welcome children and the young at heart to Christmas in LeClaire, December 6, 7 and 8!  Male and female volunteers are needed for all 3 days and for 2 evenings.  Please contact Kim DeWall at kimberleedewall@gmail.com for dates and times!

WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS!

The Shameless Chocoholic and Sweet Dreams Guest House 200 Jones St., LeClaire.  Specialty chocolates and confections - indulging never tasted so good! And, indulge in a great night's sleep by reserving the Guest House! Call Jen or Rebecca, 563-289-1339. www.theshamelesschocoholic.com

Valley Bank 2102 Spruce Hills Dr., Bettendorf, IA 52722 - 563-344-8960 At Valley Bank, we are committed to making a meaningful and positive contribution to the communities in which we are located. This community spirit and involvement has been at the root of Valley Bank since its founding in 1993 and continues today in the 18 communities that we serve. www.valleybank.com

Amy Barnes, Financial Advisor - Edward Jones 219 N Main St., PO Box 571, Port Byron, IL 61275.  Is it bizarre to believe your retirement concerns should be addressed by an actual human being, not a menu of options? Of course not. That's why our more than 11,000 financial advisors are in neighborhoods like yours, not a call center in who-knows-where. So face-to-face attention is a given. Join the nearly 7 million investors who know. Face time and think time make sense. Contact amybarnes@edwardjones.com or 309-523-3093

Tambi Rosendahl, Hair Stylist, Expressive Design 521 North Cody Road, LeClaire.  Specializing in micro-beading in Dream Catchers Hair extensions, color, highlights, hair cutting, waxing, facials, shellac, manicures, pedicures and protective color. 563-370-9263, Tambi011@gmail.com

CALENDAR

November 9th - Zion Lutheran Church, Princeton IA - Harvest Feast Dinner & Auction Everyone is invited to share in an evening of food, fellowship, fun auction items, and beautiful themed baskets, (the usual and unusual) plus wine tasting from 4:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at the Princeton Community Center  in Princeton.  The all homemade dinner features beef stew, apple sauce, relishes, bread, pies and a variety of desserts. The cost is $7.50 for adults and $4.00 for children ages 5-10. Children under 5 are free. All proceeds benefit local and worldwide outreach.   Zion cooks use only locally grown Sawyer Beef from the Sawyer Farms in Princeton. Sawyer Beef has been raised with specific standards for over 30 years. The cattle receive no growth hormones or routine antibiotics.

November 9^th - LeClaire Community Library - Stampin' Up Class for Kids! Join us from 10-11:30am and make 2 unique cards for the upcoming holidays. This is a free program, but we ask that participants register ahead of time due to limited space. Call the library at (563)289-4242 or email us at library@leclaireiowa.gov to secure your spot! Also, don't forget to bring a pair of small scissors! This class is open to 9-13 year olds only.

November 10th - Faithful Pilot Wine Tasting 3-5 p.m. $15 for 15 wines and small bites.

November 11^th - Veterans Day - Enright's LeClaire Superwash is offering FREE CAR WASH TO ALL VETERANS AND ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL! 9-11 a.m. and 3-5 p.m.

November 12^th - Chamber Networking Lunch - Subway in LeClaire, noon. Everyone welcome!

By November 15^th - Grace Marine needs your help! Grace Marine has applied for a $250,000 grant from Chase (the bank/credit card company) as part of a newly launched program, Mission Main Street Grants. In order to be eligible, we had to submit a grant application outlining our plan that would result in the growth of our business and how it would benefit our community. We also have to receive at least 250 votes on Facebook to be eligible to win. If you would, please click on the following link and vote for us before Nov. 15. And if you are willing, pass this along to any friends who may be willing to support us as well. https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/business/detail/46890 If we can get the 250 votes we need we'll be considered for one of 12 grants they'll award in January 2014.

November 17th - Faithful Pilot Brunch 3 courses for $25.00 seating at 10:00 & 12:30

November 18^th - Economic Development Meeting. Great River Financial Services. 8 a.m.

November 19^th - BUNCO! LeClaire Civic Club will be having BUNCO - 10 am - 12:30 pm. It will be free this month. Dessert and prizes will be provided. Come play! It's easy!! Come and join the fun!

November 23rd - Faithful Pilot Cooking Class! Chef Robert will be doing a cooking class once a month!  Class is at noon and cost is $20.00 and you receive a complimentary glass of wine with the class!

November 29th - Faithful Pilot open until 4 for lunch for all the shoppers!

November 30^th - Shop Small Business Saturday! Remember our unique and wonderful local businesses, restaurants and services!

Save the Date

December 6th- First Friday in LeClaire! 5-8pm

Mississippi River Distilling Company Food and Spirit Tastings www.mrdistilling.com

Wide River Winery Wine Samples.

Faithful Pilot Live Music with Bobby Ray Bunch, a LeClairian as well!

Aunt Hatties - Come in for a red velvet cupcake!

Razzleberries - Booze cake while it lasts!

Restaurants and several shops will be open late!

December 6th-8th - Christmas in LeClaire 2013!

Friday - 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Crafts and Silent Auction at Civic Center

Free Trolley Rides

Strolling Santas

Cookie Tin Sales

Bazaars and Craft Fair

Baked Goods

Saturday - 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Breakfast with Santa - 8-10 a.m.

Santa's Playhouse - 12-3 p.m.

Strolling Santas

Crafts and Silent Auction

Cookie Tin Sales

Bake Sale

Free Trolley Rides

Sunday - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Free Trolley Rides

Strolling Santas

Local Stores Open

Crafts and Silent Auction at Civic Center

For more information, contact Joyce 289-4205, Diane 370-3509, Vicki 289-3882

December 7^th - First Saturday in LeClaire!

Mississippi River Distilling Company - open till 8 p.m.

FYI

Visit the NEW LeClaire Chamber of Commerce website www.leclairechamber.com and see our updated Facebook page!

Locals Love Us - Quad Cities has presented Aunt Hattie's an award for 2013/2014 Best Gift Shop! Aunt Hattie's is the winner of 4 out 18 voter groups: Education, zip code 51265, Household income of $40 K to $69,999, and gender - female. Congrats, Aunt Hattie's!

LeClaire Antiques and Appraisals current hours are Friday through Mondays 12-4pm or by appointment until Dec. 23.

Faithful Pilot - Every Wednesday 1/2 priced wine night with Chef Tapas menu to go along side.

"Something NEW" at the LeClaire Civic Club - BUNCO! Every third Tuesday from10:00 AM through 12:30PM!  Call Debbie for details - 563-289-4458.

Buffalo Bill Museum Expansion "It's an exciting time in the museum's almost 57 year history," said Robert Schiffke, Executive Director of the Buffalo Bill Museum & River Pilots' Pier, "as we start another expansion of our facility."  The women who were members of the LeClaire Women's Club, who founded the museum in 1957, wouldn't recognize the building today, but they would see many of the items first exhibited in its original location at 114 North Cody Road, LeClaire. Included will be an Archival Workroom allowing careful access to the museum's extensive print and photograph collection, a "hands on" classroom for children visiting the museum, and exhibits that highlight LeClaire's role in the region's economic growth through its shipyards, button factories, and river pilots who opened the region to river commerce.  An architectural drawing of the expansion is available for public view at the museum during regular hours, and donations towards the expansion are being accepted. "We appreciate the support of the community in this project, and donations of artifacts and funds are always welcome.  We are truly a community institution, and volunteers have grown the museum into the LeClaire landmark that it is today" said Connie Curlott, President of the Board of Directors.  The museum is open 9am - 4pm, Mon.-Saturday; 12noon - 4pm, Sundays. Call 563-289-5580 for more information or to donate to the project.

Last call to get your Business Artwork hanging in the LIC before the busy holiday shopping season! There is canvas artwork hanging on the walls of the LeClaire Information Center (LIC) of several businesses including Wide River Winery, Style with PM Interiors, Steventons, Blue Iguana, Grasshoppers, Mississippi Cottage Antiques, Mississippi River Distilling Co., First Central State Bank, Twilight Riverboat, The Shameless Chocoholic, Riverview Dental, and Bierstube. This opportunity is available to all LeClaire businesses that want to make arrangements with Margo Moffitt and pay a one-time fee of $125 to have the artwork produced. It also costs you $100 per year to have the artwork displayed in the LIC. This is an inexpensive way to showcase your business to everyone who comes into the LIC (we have had about 19,500 visitors in the LIC over the last 14 months). It also helps visitors find your business (especially if you aren't right downtown), and aids the volunteers when answering visitors' questions. If you are interested, please contact Margo before Nov.15 at 563-355-6400.

Street Level Commercial Space for Rent, 117 S. Cody Road, 700 sq.ft. (20'x35'). Contact Vince Ramsey, 563-289-3129.

Apartment is available over Artswork 223 1/2 N Cody. It is a lovely 1 BR with all the trimmings - garage, deck with a beautiful view, laundry, 2 full baths, contemporary kitchen. Call 563-940-3742 for more info.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

Primitive Cottage is collecting food for the Princeton Presbyterian Church's Food Pantry which is in great need of food donations. They have helped alot of people, and now they need our help.  Donations can be dropped off at Primitive Cottage in LeClaire. Please check the expiration date on items because anything that has expired can't be given away.

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

Chamber 2013 Networking Events - Everyone welcome to attend!

November  12^th - Subway - lunch - noon

December 10th - Hungry Hobo - lunch - noon

LeClaire 2013 Events Calendar:

First Fridays each month 5:00-8:00 P.M.

December 6-8 -Christmas in LeClaire

Family Nights at the LeClaire Rec Center: Details at www.leclairereccenter.com

www.LeClaireChamber.com and visit the Chamber on FaceBook!

Each year, about 600,000 Americans - one in four -- in the United States die from heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Of the 715,000 Americans who have a heart attack each year, about 525,000 are first-timers, says the CDC, and those individuals may not know what's happening. Sadly, many people do not get to the hospital on time, says paramedic Dale Hemstalk.

"If someone is having a heart attack, for example, they should get to the hospital without delay upon the initial onset of symptoms," says Hemstalk, who is also a software developer with Forté Holdings, Inc., a provider of health-care software that works closely with paramedics, emergency medical technicians and firefighters to speed delivery of medical services. The company's newest software, iPCR, (www.ipcrems.com), takes electronic patient-care reporting in the field to new levels of portability and affordability.

"We live in an age in which we should be taking greater advantage of our technology for health purposes - but you have to call for help first!" Hemstalk says.
He shares warning signs that it's time dial 9-1-1.

• Symptoms for a heart attack: Men and women frequently report different symptoms. Men tend to have the "classic" signs, such as pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest that goes away and comes back; pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms; chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.
For women, symptoms tend to be back or jaw pain; difficulty breathing; nausea or dizziness; unexplainable anxiety or fatigue; mild flu-like symptoms; palpitations, cold sweats or dizziness. Triggers tend to be different between the sexes, too. In women, it's often stress; in men, it's physical exertion.

• Symptoms for a stroke: There are clear, telltale characteristics of a stroke, including sagging on one side of the face, an arm that's drifting down and garbled speech. But there are also more subtle signs from the onset, such as sudden numbness of one side of the body, including an arm, leg and part of the face; sudden confusion, trouble speaking and understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden loss of balance; sudden headache for no apparent reason. Risk factors include diabetes, tobacco use, hypertension, heart disease, a previous stroke, irregular heartbeat, obesity, high cholesterol and heavy alcohol use.

• Symptoms for heart failure: This is not the same as a heart attack, which occurs when a vessel supplying the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients becomes completely blocked. Heart failure is a chronic condition where the heart can't pump properly, which may be due to fluid in the lungs. Warning signs include shortness of breath, fatigue, swollen ankles, chest congestion and an overall limitation on activities. Just one of these symptoms may not be cause for alarm; but more than one certainly is. Risk factors include various heart problems, serious viral infections, drug or alcohol abuse, severe lung disease and chemotherapy.

"At no point should anyone be discouraged from calling 911; the bottom line is, if you feel it's an emergency and you need to call 911, call 911!" Hemstalk says. "There are many reasons to seek assistance from emergency responders, and they are not limited to those that I've mentioned."

About Dale Hemstalk

A United States Air Force Veteran and Career Firefighter Paramedic, Hemstalk has been providing emergency care for over 20 years. During his tenure in EMS, Hemstalk has been an educator, Paramedic Preceptor and Field Training Officer. Working for government agencies and private companies alike, Hemstalk relies on his experiences to help design product features that improve efficiency, speed and accuracy while keeping the field provider's needs his highest priority. Joining Forte Holdings' team was a natural progression combining his love of the Emergency Medical Services industry and new technology along with his commitment to providing the best possible documentation on each and every call for service. To stay current in the industry, Hemstalk remains active in EMS, is still a full time Firefighter/Paramedic and continues his passion for treating those in need.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2013 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced funding for 424 projects across the nation that will help agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce their energy consumption and costs, and use renewable energy technologies in their operations.

"Today's Rural Energy for America Program announcements will provide further assistance for agricultural producers and rural small business owners to save energy, promote renewable energy creation, and boost the bottom line for their operation," Vilsack said. "By investing in renewable energy created in rural America, USDA is able to provide new income opportunities in our small towns while supporting the Obama Administration's comprehensive effort to combat the impacts of a changing climate."

Vilsack noted that today's funding announcement is another reminder of the importance of Farm Bill programs for the economic vitality of rural America, and a compelling reason why Congress must get a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill passed as soon as possible. A comprehensive new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would further expand the rural economy, Vilsack added.

The Rural Energy for America Program offers financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements. These federal funds leverage other private funding sources for businesses.

Vilsack announced more than $14 million in grants and loan guarantees to business owners in 22 states, the Western Pacific, the Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. For example, Grinnell Markets Inc., of Grinnell, Iowa, has been selected to receive a $39,000 grant to install more energy efficient lighting and refrigeration and to install a more efficient heating, ventilation and cooling system. L&S Pumping, Inc., in Strawberry Point, Iowa, was selected for an $11,675 grant to help purchase and install a geothermal heating and cooling system for a business equipment maintenance shop. DeChant-Notley Farms in Oberlin, Ohio, has been selected for a $29,775 grant to replace an inefficient grain dryer. The new model is expected to save 635,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually. That amounts to a 45 percent energy savings annually. In Derwood, Minn., Derwood Technologies Inc. is receiving a $14,800 grant to install a 9.95 kilowatt solar project on a building.

Under REAP, up to 25 percent of an eligible renewable energy system or energy efficiency improvement project can be funded through a grant, and additional support can be provided in the form of a loan guarantee. Since the start of the Obama Administration, REAP has helped fund more than 8,250 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects nationwide.

Harvey Allen of Elfrida, Ariz., used a $49,975 REAP grant he received in 2011 to help install photovoltaic water pumps. The REAP grant covered about a quarter of the cost of the new photovoltaic system with Allen covering the remaining costs. Allen said high utility costs were making it hard for him to keep his business profitable. The new pumps cut his well service utility bills in half. The meter for the new water pumps tracks how much electricity is being generated and how much is being used. Thanks to Arizona's abundant sunshine, the second time Allen irrigated with the new system, he discovered that he actually had a credit on his energy bill.

View the list of recipients announced today under the Rural Energy for America Program. Each award is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the grant or loan agreement.

President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA's investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users)