13 Sep 2013

Annual Interfaith Women's dialogue to be held at Jewish Center

By Linda Golden

The eighth annual Jewish, Christian, Muslim Women's Dialogue will be held this year on Monday, Sept. 30th and Monday, Oct 7th at 7:00pm at the Tri-City Jewish Center at 2715 - 30th Street in Rock Island.

This year's topic, "Who Is Stranger?" will be discussed from the perspective of each of the three faiths. The discussions, previously held at St. Mary's Monastery and teh Moline Mosque, will begin with a welcome from Rabbi Tamar Grimm.

For more information, call Linda Golden at 309-786-7031, Sister Catherine Cleary at 309-283-2118 or Lisa Killinger at 563-650-5733.  All women are invited to attend.

 

13 Sep 2013

Braley Announces Gabby Giffords & Mark Kelly to Headline 9th Annual Bruce, Blues & BBQ Event

By Rick Martin
Former Congresswoman and astronaut to keynote Braley's 9th annual grassroots fundraising event
DES MOINES, IA - Rep. Bruce Braley announced today that former US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly will headline his 9th annual "Bruce, Blues, and BBQ" Iowa grassroots fundraising event on Sunday, October 27, 2013. Braley is running for the US Senate seat currently held by Sen. Tom Harkin, who announced in January he was retiring at the end of his current term.

"I could not be more excited to have my friends Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly come to Iowa for Bruce, Blues, and BBQ," Braley said. "Gabby and Mark have made it their life's mission to bring people together and find common sense solutions that solve some of the tough problems facing our country. I work hard every day to live by their example, and I hope to bring that same spirit to the US Senate."

Giffords has become known across the country for her resilience in the face of violence, and for her consensus building leadership in Congress.  Giffords was shot in the head at point blank range at a Congress on Your Corner event in Tucson on January 8, 2011. Giffords represented the 8th Congressional District of Arizona in the US House from 2007 until 2012.
Kelly is a retired astronaut and US Navy Captain. As a Naval Aviator, Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War. He was then assigned to Attack Squadron 115 (VA-115) in Atsugi, Japan, and made two deployments to the Persian Gulf on the aircraft carrier USS Midway, flying 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm.
In January 2013, Giffords and Kelly formed Americans for Responsible Solutions to encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and protect responsible gun ownership. The organization recognizes that the rights of Americans to own guns for collection, recreation, and protection must be defended, and commonsense protections from gun violence can prevent shootings from shattering communities.

Bruce, Blues, and BBQ is Braley's annual grassroots fundraising event, held every fall since 2005. For the first time this year, the event will be held in Des Moines. Past keynote speakers include : Minnesota US Sen. Amy Klobuchar; then-US Sen. Barack Obama; then-US Sen. Hillary Clinton; and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. 

The event will be held on Sunday, October 27, 2013, from 1:00pm - 3:00pm at the 4-H Exhibits Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.brucebraley.com or by calling (515) 244-1270. Tickets will also be available at the door. Cost is $30 for individuals, $50 for couples, $75 for families, and $15 for students.
Sunday, October 27, 2013

1:30pm
   Bruce, Blues, & BBQ
Featuring Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly
Iowa State Fairgrounds
Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building
3000 E. Grand Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa
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13 Sep 2013

Davenport Woman Sentenced to One Year and One Day of Imprisonment for Bank Fraud

By Val Quast
DAVENPORT, IA - On September 12, 2013, Kelly Taylor, age 51, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced to one year and one day of imprisonment for bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.  Chief United States District Judge James E. Gritzner also sentenced Taylor to a five year term of supervised release, following the term of imprisonment.

Beginning in August 2012, and continuing until January 2013, Kelly Taylor executed a scheme to defraud Scott Schools Credit Union ("SSCU"). Taylor and her husband had been longstanding clients of SSCU and had a personal checking account at the credit union. On August 28, 2013, Taylor opened a business account at SSCU for the business owned and operated by Taylor and her husband.

After opening the business account at SSCU Taylor immediately wrote $430,000 worth of checks drawn on the account and deposited the checks into her personal account. Taylor knew that she did not have sufficient funds in the business account to cover the checks. Several days later, Taylor wrote $430,000 worth of checks drawn on her personal account and deposited the checks into her business account. Taylor knew that she did not have sufficient funds in her personal account to cover the checks.  

Taylor continued to write checks between the business account and her personal account in close succession in order to take advantage of the time required for the bank to process the checks. By operating in this manner Taylor was able to make it appear as if there were sufficient funds in her two accounts to cover large checks and debits despite the fact that the true balances in both accounts were grossly insufficient. Taylor knew that she did not have sufficient funds in her accounts to cover the checks drawn on the accounts and she continued to kite insufficient funds checks between the accounts in order to deceive the credit union until her accounts were closed in January 2013.        

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Davenport, Iowa, Police Department, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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13 Sep 2013

Olson for Governor Campaign Announces 29 Legislator Endorsements

By Alex Youn
Cedar Rapids - Showing continued momentum in his campaign for Governor, Tyler Olson today announced the support and endorsement of 29 state legislators.
"I am proud to have such overwhelming support from colleagues in the legislature," said Rep. Tyler Olson. "Together we will build a strong campaign organization all across the state that will bring my vision to begin the next thirty years to Iowa voters."
"Tyler has been a champion of working families across Iowa and has the experience and vision to make Iowa a better place for the next generation," said Rep. Chris Hall.
"Tyler's experience in business gives him the background to lead our state's economic development efforts. We need to stop focusing solely on attracting the big fish, we need a greater emphasis on innovation, Tyler understands that," said Rep. Scott Ourth.
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13 Sep 2013

Tom Jones meets Elvis at The Old Creamery Theatre

By Shelly Klimes
Amana - The energy, charisma and music of Tom Jones and Elvis all come together for one spectacular tribute show at The Old Creamery Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. on the Main Stage.

Starring tribute artist, Irv Cass, who has spent many years perfecting his Elvis performances. He has worked with the famous show "Legends in Concert," in four different states, as well as performed live in many countries and on dozens of cruise ships. Irv is proud to carry the world champion title from the "Images of Elvis" competition in Memphis, TN as well as winning many other competitions and awards throughout his career. Irv has also appeared in the movie "Almost Elvis" as well as TLC's "The Men Who Would Be King," and a special for 20/20 among other TV specials. He's shared the stage with celebrities DJ Fontana, The Jordanaires and Willie Nelson, just to name a few.

Irv is also an accomplished Tom Jones impersonator and is credited for convincing many others to pay tribute to a variety of artists. Irv's favorite part of performing or emceeing at Elvis themed events is making friends with all those he meets.

The event will be emceed by the multitalented Ronny Craig, formally of Tama, Iowa. Ronny worked for 10 years as a professional Elvis Tribute artist and opened his own show in Branson, MO, which had a successful five year run. He is also the producer of the Elvis Explosion, a highly popular contest in LaCrosse, WI and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows.

Call the box office at 319-622-6262 or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for more information, ticket prices or to reserve your seats. Walk-ins are always welcome if seats are available. Reservations are highly recommended for this one day only special event.
13 Sep 2013

Simon: State should prioritize mental health funding

By Ted Nelson

CARBONDALE - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon, will advocate for the state to prioritize mental health funding following a tour of a group home and crisis center Friday.

"Mental health providers are on the front lines, serving some of our state's most vulnerable residents, and they depend on state funding," said Simon. "I am committed to working with the governor, legislators and stakeholders to support programs that are allowing people with developmental disabilities to thrive."

Simon will visit a group home and a mental health crisis center operated by The H Group. For more than 50 years the agency has provided mental health services in Franklin, Jackson and Williamson Counties. Simon's visit follows a tour earlier this spring of the Murray Developmental Center in Centralia.

Lt. Governor Simon is the only Southern Illinois member of the state's Budgeting for Results Commission. In order to evaluate programs, the bi-partisan commission - comprised of Lt. Governor Simon, legislators and leaders in business, education, budgeting and finance - spent the summer holding public hearings to gather testimony from service providers, advocates and stakeholders, regarding the success of existing programs and services. The commission will advise the Governor on the Fiscal Year 2015 budget.

Between 2009 and 2011, Illinois cut general revenue funding for mental health services by almost $114 million and was fourth in the nation for total cuts.

DATE: Sept. 13, 2013

TIME: 2:30 p.m.

PLACE: The H Group Administration & Counseling & Wellness Center, 310 West Plaza Drive, Carterville

13 Sep 2013

Branstad, Reynolds invite schools to again participate in the "Skype Your School!" initiative

By Rick Martin

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced that they again are inviting schools to Skype with them, following last year's successful "Skype Your School!" effort.

 

"We were excited to see the response to our Skype Your School initiative last school year, and are encouraging administrators, teachers and students to join us again this year," said Branstad. "We had great conversations with dozens of classrooms, and appreciate the opportunity to answer students' questions. As we work to restore Iowa's leadership position in education, we believe this level of accessibility is important and a positive experience for everyone involved."

 

To request a "Skype Your School!" classroom chat, teachers, administrators and students are encouraged to click on the featured image at http://Governor.Iowa.Gov, request a "Skype Your School" event in the comments section on Facebook.com/TerryBranstad and Facebook.com/KimReynoldsIA, or to use the #SkypeYourSchool hash tag on Twitter.

 

Last year's "Skype Your School!" effort garnered national attention for "pushing the frontiers of digital technology" on Skype's blog.

 

"Our Skype Your School initiative has enabled students to learn about new technology, and allowed us to stay in touch with classrooms throughout the state," said Reynolds. "We have had some great questions from students, and appreciate the opportunity to address a variety of topics straight out of Iowa's classrooms. The governor and I enjoy visiting all of Iowa's 99 counties every year, but our Skype initiative allows us to cover a lot more ground throughout the entire state."

 

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13 Sep 2013

Davenport: area residents "go the distance" during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

By Gillian Kocher

One Month. One Cause. One Million Miles.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to host Million Mile Run to raise awareness and funds during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, September '13

Philadelphia, PA - In an effort to raise the profile of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation will go the distance this September introducing the Million Mile Run. With firsthand knowledge of just how far parents of children with cancer would go to find a cure for their child, the Foundation will challenge supporters across the country to do just that,  collectively walk or run one million miles during the month of September to work toward better treatments and ultimately cures.

The brainchild of Foundation Co-Executive Director, Jay Scott, a running enthusiast, the Million Mile Run will invite ambitious individuals, as well as teams, to pledge to walk/run and contribute to the one million mile goal during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Drawing from the inspiration of Foundation creator Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who set out to raise $1 million through lemonade stands in 2004, Jay Scott feels that through combined efforts, reaching one million miles in just thirty days is attainable.

"The Million Mile Run will act as an easy way for walkers and runners of all abilities to contribute to the fight against childhood cancer and raise the profile of the awareness month," says Scott. "Though some people have commented that one million miles might be a crazy goal, and maybe they are right, my daughter Alex taught me that when you set your mind to something and garner the help of others, anything is possible. She reached her million, and I think we can too."

The Million Mile Run will utilize both the MapMyRun application and the ability for participants to manually enter the miles they log daily. Individuals who participate will average 3-4 miles a day, while teams can split up the 100 miles. For instance, a group of 4 employees can walk a mile at lunch every day and easily reach their goal. Additionally, participants are urged to recruit friends and family members to pledge dollar amounts for each mile, or provide a straight donation.

"September has become highly recognizable within the childhood cancer community as an important time of year," says Liz Scott, Alex's mom and Co-Executive Director of the Foundation. "However, for the general public, it still flies highly under the radar. We think the Million Mile Run has the ability and mass appeal to change that, one mile at a time."

Individuals and teams who are interested in participating or learning more about the Million Mile Run can visit MillionMileRun.org where they will find a video detailing the effort.

About Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $60 million toward fulfilling Alex's dream of finding a cure, funding over 300 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. For more information on Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org.

How far is 1 Million Miles?

A trip to the moon and back, twice.

More than 40 times around the earth.

More than 3,000 trips from NYC to Los Angeles.

                                                                     More than 38,000 Marathons.
13 Sep 2013

Epic 'Art of War' Series to be Produced in Rare Chinese-Japanese-U.S. Collaboration

By Rick Martin

Michel Shane, executive producer of Catch Me If You Can and I, Robot, has forged an unusual collaborative alliance with the Chinese government, artists, investors, and Japan's Genco Inc. and Flamingo Features to produce an epic television series based on The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

Filming will commence July 14 in historical locations throughout China under the direction of Executive Producer Hu Mei (Confucius), one of that nation's leading filmmakers.

"This will be the first time The Art of War has ever been done in the West as a film or TV series, and it's unique in that the complete series is being shot in China," Shane says.

Adds Taro Maki, founder of Genco Inc., a Japanese studio best known for its anime productions: "Our full-fledged multinational collaboration stems from a mutual respect for Sun Tzu and his masterpiece. Here is an undefeated general whose lessons remain as important today as they were 2,500 years ago. We want to honor his story and share his wisdom."

Sun Tzu, considered the greatest military commander in history, penned The Art of War around 525 B.C. It is one of history's most enduring texts and today is required reading in the curricula of military, business, economic and political science classes around the globe.

The series will cover the life of Sun Tzu, his contemporaries and their exploits, and explore the events that may have provided the foundation for lessons shared in The Art of War. Following the timeline of the final war between Wu and Ch'u, each episode will take the viewer farther across the battlefields of ancient China as Sun Tzu leads his outnumbered army to victory after victory. The life stories of Sun Tzu and those who influenced him will interspersed in the form of memories.

The Municipal People's Government in China has created a government board to oversee production matters, and each episode will be directed by various internationally acclaimed directors.

"This marks a new day," Maki says. "We're entering an era of true co-production, which holds tremendously exciting potential from many perspectives -- cultural, economic and political."

About Michel Shane: Michel Shane is a filmmaker, producer and co-founder of Hand Picked Films. He's best known as the executive producer of "Catch Me If You Can" and "I, Robot," along with his business partner Anthony Romano. One of motion pictures' premier independent producers, he specializes in financial structuring and feature film development. In recent years, he has worked with Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Will Smith, among others.

About Tari Maki: Tari Maki is president of Genco, Inc., a Japanese anime production studio established in 1997 in Tokyo, Japan. Genco has produced more than 100 titles of animation TV series and films including Sword Art Online, Elfen Lied and Tokyo Godfathers. From financing, studio booking to merchandising, Genco provides a wide range of production service for audiovisual projects.

About Flamingo Features: Flamingo Features has played a crucial financial and creative role in nearly 100 film, television and documentary projects throughout Asia. Flamingo Features manages content distribution rights for video on demand (VOD) and multi-media platforms to more than 70 million subscribers in Latin America and Japan. The company manages an active International Film Fund of nearly $1 billion dollars.

13 Sep 2013

Nooks and Crannies Tour: An All-Access Pass to the Brucemore Mansion

By Tara Richards

Visit every floor, peek into closed rooms, and satisfy curiosity through this all-access pass to the Brucemore Mansion during the Nooks and Crannies Tour - October 17, 24, and 31 at 6:00 p.m. Marvel at the Skinner pipe organ room, discover the architectural oddities in the attic, and experience the sight and sound of a "rain storm" in the basement Tahitian Room. Examine the superior craftsmanship and learn about ongoing preservation work. The tour is not recommended for children under ten or individuals who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs. Admission is $15 per person and $12 per Brucemore member. Space is limited; purchase tickets online at www.brucemore.org or by calling (319) 362-7375.

The Nooks and Crannies Tour is part of Brucemore's Thursday Night Lineup. Every Thursday night, Brucemore will feature a different specialty tour focusing on topics for all interests, including arts and culture, Midwestern industry, gardening, landscape design, architecture, preservation, behind-the-scenes at Brucemore, and growing up in the early twentieth century. For more information on the Thursday Night Lineup or the fall schedule, visit www.brucemore.org or call (319) 362-7375.

About Brucemore

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

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