SPRINGFIELD, IL (05/15/2013)(readMedia)-- Approximately 20 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers who served in Afghanistan will return to Illinois this week. The homecoming ceremony for the Bilateral Embedded Staff Team (BEST) A10 will be May 16 at 10:30 a.m. Camp Lincoln, 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield.

The BEST A10 Soldiers were mobilized in August 2012. They trained for a brief time at Camp Atterbury, Ind., before deploying to Poland for approximately two months to train with the Polish Land Forces 12th Mechanized Brigade. The unique mission allowed Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers to train and deploy side-by-side with their Polish counterparts. Following the training, the Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan for seven months. Soldiers are from various parts of Illinois and were selected for the mission based on their training and skills.

The team was part of Task Force White Eagle XII, which included more than 2,500 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines from the U.S. and Poland. The task force was assigned two missions in preparation for the drawdown of coalition forces in 2014. The primary mission was to develop the Afghan Soldiers and Afghan law enforcement personnel to provide their citizens with civil and national security. Secondly, the combined U.S./Polish Task Force was tasked with transporting 10 years of war material out of their assigned area of responsibility as a key component of the eventual drawdown.

Task Force White Eagle/BEST A10 completed more than 1,600 tactical operations that ranged from clearing the roads of improvised explosive devices (IED) and humanitarian aid to neutralizing high-profile insurgent leadership. These operations resulted in finding and clearing 34 IEDs and 21 former Soviet high-explosive munitions. The Soldiers of the task force uncovered 35 insurgent weapons cache's that housed over a ton of various caliber weapon ammunition, 30 semi/automatic weapons and more than 45,000 pounds of homemade explosives. Task Force White Eagle was engaged in more than 300 firefights and five IED strikes. The combined efforts of the Polish Soldiers and Illinois Guardsmen yielded the capture of more than 80 insurgents, which included more than one dozen high-profile insurgent leaders.

Task Force White Eagle also transferred one base and one combat outpost to the Afghan government. The Afghan Ministry of Higher Education is in the process of making one of the former coalition bases into the new home of Ghazni University.

"The transfer of these facilities demonstrates the Afghan's increasing capability to protect their civilians and communities, sustain law enforcement and combat operations, and maintain critical local and regional infrastructure," said BEST A10 Commander Col. Michael Zerbonia of Chatham.

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Coordinator at Ft. Hood latest to be accused of assault

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after new allegations of sexual assault in the military.  It was reported that a Sergeant First Class, who was a Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program coordinator at Fort Hood, was accused of criminal behavior including abusive sexual contact and assault.  Loebsack is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the bipartisan Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus.  He has worked to address the problem of sexual assault in the military.

"The latest allegation of sexual assault by one of the very people who is charged with helping to prevent these heinous crimes is nothing short of outrageous. As a military parent, I am disgusted by these crimes. No person who serves our country in uniform should face a threat from within their own ranks.   I am deeply concerned that the Pentagon has just begun to scratch the surface of how pervasive this problem truly is.  The Secretary of Defense and our military and civilian leaders must take swift and decisive action to assure these horrible crimes are reported and prosecuted, that victims receive necessary support, and that it is made crystal clear that the chain of command will not tolerate these crimes.  The issue of sexual assault has been pushed to the side for too long. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will work to further combat sexual assault through this year's National Defense Authorization Act."

Loebsack authored a provision in the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act which required a review of the services and treatment available for victims of sexual assault and abuse throughout the military, including the National Guard.   He also worked to include provisions signed into law as part of the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act which required the establishment of special victim units to provide victim support, investigatory capabilities, and prosecutorial expertise as well as an independent review of how sexual assaults are prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).  Loebsack is also a cosponsor of the Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention (STOP) Act, which creates an autonomous Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office within the military to prosecute, report, and investigate sexual assault as well as to provide victim care and oversight.

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Urges women to seek preventative screenings, health care on Women's Health Day
SPRINGFIELD - May 15, 2013. An advocate for rural Illinois residents, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today encouraged Southern and Central Illinois women to improve medical research and treatment by signing up for the Illinois Women's Health Registry.
The registry is designed to help medical professionals understand why diseases effect women differently from men, but to date most of the women enrolled are from the Chicagoland area. This means downstate women's health needs may be unrepresented, Simon said.
Simon's message came as she proclaimed it Women's Health Day alongside officials from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Northwestern University and the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in the Capitol rotunda.
"As women, we are often juggling careers, volunteer work, families and any number of things. It is too easy for us to put our own health on the back burner," said Simon, who chairs the Governor's Rural Affairs Council. "But I encourage women, particularly in downstate communities, to take 30 minutes to participate in the Illinois Women's Health Registry. Just 30 minutes could help improve the quality of health care throughout Illinois for generations to come."
The Women's Health Research Institute at Northwestern University maintains the Illinois Women's Health Registry, which enables women to take a confidential health survey containing questions about family histories, stress and more. Beyond influencing research, the registry helps women understand their own health needs. According to the institute, regular screenings for women are more important, as they are more susceptible than men to developing lung cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and depression.
"The registry will help researchers include more women in their studies so we can better understand how and why illnesses develop in women, how to understand sex and gender differences, and what women can do to lead healthier lives," said Women's Health Research Institute Director Teresa Woodruff, PhD. "Women are the health navigators for their families, and we believe that healthy women lead to a healthy state."
The Office of Women's Health within IDPH offers a range of programs and services to help improve the health of women in Illinois, including the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) and the WISEWOMAN Program (WIP). The IBCCP enables low-income, uninsured women between the ages of 35 and 64 to access free breast and cervical cancer screenings. The IWIP helps women in 13 Illinois counties who are enrolled in the IBCCP to live heart-healthy lifestyles through screenings and classes that educate participants about meal-planning, increasing physical activity and more.
"We know that most women put the health of their family before their own. But unless women start taking care of their health first, they will not be able to take care of their families," said IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck. "Preventive screenings like those for heart, breast and bone health are key to detecting disease and health problems early, when they can be more easily treated. I encourage women to take steps to live healthier, happier lives."
For more information about the state's health programs for women, please call 888-522-1282 or click here. To access the Illinois Women's Health Registry, click here.
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Amana - With the chance for her own television show being dangled in front of her like a perfectly glazed carrot, Gussie Richardson decides to face her fear of the cameras to tape a cooking segment. With a few post hypnotic suggestions and "help" from the tipsy gypsy next door, Gussie cooks up a recipe for laughter that will have you bubbling like a cheese soufflé. Don't miss Cookin' With Gus, opening Thursday, May 30 at 3 p.m. on
The Old Creamery Theatre's Main Stage in Amana.

Written by Jim Brochu, Cookin' With Gus is directed by Sean McCall, Artistic Director at The Old Creamery Theatre. The cast consists of Deborah Kennedy of West Amana, Marquetta  Senters of South Amana, Eddie Skaggs of Cedar Rapids and Dion Stover of Chicago.

Tickets are $27.50 for adults and $18 for students. Show times are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Student rush tickets are available half an hour before performances. A student ID is required to get this special rate of $12 per ticket. Group rates for 15 people or more are available. Cookin' With Gus is rated Theatre PG and runs through June 30.

The media sponsor for Cookin' With Gus is WMT-AM.

Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or visit the website at www.oldcreamery.com for tickets or more information. Walk-ins are always welcome if seats are available.

Reservations are highly recommended.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company is celebrating 42 years of bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest.
Des Moines - May 15, 2013

Learn more about the team, visit the web site Runablaze.com that includes the resume of the team athletes and past running highlights.  1300 of the best Iowa runners, race directors, coaches, volunteers & fans receive this e-mail.
____________________________________

Runablaze Iowa is sponsored by:

Iowa's best running specialty stores:
Fitness Sports - Des Moines
Runners Flat - Cedar Falls
Running Wild - Cedar Rapids, Coraville, Iowa City & West Burlington

Iowa's on-line registration leader:
GetMeRegistered.com - Bettendorf

Iowa's best races:
Red Flannel, Loop the Lake, Market to Market, Hy Vee road races, Dam to Dam, Marathon to Marathon, Clive Running Festival, Sturgis Falls, Fifth Season, Midnight Madness, Park to Park, Capital Pursuit, IMT Des Moines Marathon and Living History Farms.
____________________________________

And now for the "News" . . .
Jason Flogel won the 22nd Heritage Trail Run 10K (Dubuque, May 11) in 32:06.
Kristy Harken won the RUNorwalk 8K (Norwalk, May 11) in 30:52.
Nate Hopp won the Lace Up 4 Learning 10K (Cedar Rapids, May 11) in 33:47
Updates (really corrections) - Fitness Sports has 800 races listed on their website not 400 as reported, geez that's a lot!  Ellen Ries was 4th in the HyVee 6K not 5th as reported.  Ellen is a dietitian, employed at the West Des Moines HyVee.  Robyn won her 10th wooden shoe (almost consecutive) not 11th as reported.  She was injured last year and watched as Casey Owens won the coveted shoe (a wearable trophy, not great for running).
********************

About Runablaze Iowa
Runablaze Iowa athletes are based throughout Iowa.  Formed in 2006, the purpose of the team is to improve post-collegiate Iowa distance running. Major Iowa running specialty stores, Iowa races and Iowa runners at those races support Runablaze Iowa.

Contact:
Cal Murdock - Team Manager
515-274-5379
calmurdock@earthlink.net
Quad City Immigrants are getting their first hearing screenings this week.....thanks to Augustana students who are volunteering their time and expertise

(Rock Island, IL)   According to Augustana College Assistant Professor, Ann Perreau the screenings taking place this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday is a win-win for all involved.  The 64 immigrants attending "English as a Second Language" classes at Church of Peace in Rock Island will receive a vital service and the Augustana students will get some experience testing hearing.

Dr. Perreau says approximately 18 student volunteers will be assisting with the hearing screening.  She says all of the students are Communication Sciences and Disorders majors, who will likely pursue careers as speech-language pathologists and audiologists. "We have a relatively new audiology program at the Augustana College Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing and we will be using several pieces of new equipment following funding we have received from local agencies over the past 1-2 years to conduct this screening".

***The media is invited to the screenings for pictures and videos on Wednesday, May 15th at 10:00 am at the Church (1114 12th St.  Rock Island).  The students and organizers will be available for interviews***

The program is a cooperative effort among Black Hawk College, the Secretary of State, Rock Island School District, the Regional Office of Education Lights ON, Rock Island Library, and the Church of Peace.

The students are from many countries with the majority being from Myanmar (used to be called Burma), Iraq, and Africa (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania).


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 Further Reviews

The supreme court recently issued an order either granting or denying application for further review in the cases listed below.

 

DENIED

????

NUMBER

COUNTY

CASE NAME

 

 

 

10-0687

Scott

State v. Wailand

10-1458

Polk

Cordova v. State

11-1545

Wapello

In re Det. of West

11-1584

Polk

Rockas v. Stockdale

11-1735

Sioux

State v. Stienstra

11-1807

Cedar

State v. Noe

11-2014

Des Moines

State v. Wilson

12-0438

Jasper

Asbury v. State

12-0444

Polk

Filippone v. DNR

12-0548

Pottawattamie

State v. Rollins

12-0577

Winnebago

Mfrs. Bank & Trust v. Weber

12-0621

Black Hawk

State v. Weber

12-0633

Scott

Sticks, Inc. v. Hefner

12-0648

Des Moines

Wilson v. State

12-0696

Hardin

Faris v. City of Iowa Falls

12-0724

Polk

State v. Powell

12-0735

Polk

State v. Twombly

12-0758

Hardin

Van Den Boom v. City of Eldora

12-0759

Clayton

Maruna v. Peters

12-0888

Polk

Jones v. Lockner

12-0893

Pocahontas

Fridolfson v. State

12-0931

Guthrie

Sutton v. Iowa Trenchless

12-0962

Polk

State v. Keahna

12-1167

Jones

State v. Heggebo

12-1286

Webster

In re Marriage of Hefley

12-1320

Story

State v. Charlson

12-1715

Jasper

Krohn v. Frazee

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today will hold two bill signing ceremonies as he signs into law House File 527 and House File 355.

The following bill signing ceremonies are open to the media:

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

4:30 p.m. Gov. Branstad signs House File 527 into law

Governor's Formal Office

State Capitol

Des Moines, IA

4:45 p.m. Gov. Branstad signs House File 355 into law

Governor's Formal Office

State Capitol

Des Moines, IA

House File 527 an Act requiring certain aggravated misdemeanants to submit a DNA sample and including effective date provisions.

House File 355 an Act relating to driver's licenses, including the renewal of driver's licenses electronically and including effective date and transition provisions.

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CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today released the following statement regarding the passage of House Bill 2591 - the Employment First Act, which he proposed for Illinois in his 2013 State of the State Address.

"Our Illinois is a state where every person has the opportunity to chase their dreams and reach their full potential.

"As I said in my State of the State address, I'm committed to making Illinois the nation's leading employer of people with disabilities.

"Today we took a good step towards that goal with the passage of a bill that will make Illinois an Employment First state. This bill will require all state agencies to work together to make competitive employment for people with disabilities a priority and develop measurable goals and objectives for the state of Illinois.

"I salute Representative Esther Golar, Senator Daniel Biss and advocates across Illinois for their tireless work to pass this legislation. I look forward to making Illinois an Employment First state."

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Shop, play, pose, dance, eat.

James Johnson, Porcelain Vessels

Sat & Sun May 18 &19
Fine Art Fair

Saturday, 10am-5pm & Sunday, 10am-4pm in Washington Park
Our juried fine art fair in Washington Park features the work of 70 artists & artisans. We invite you to meet the artists, learn about process & inspiration, and invest in original hand crafted pieces. Shop for hand-blown & fused glass, ceramics, metal work, free form sculpture, painting, jewelry, fiber, fabric, photography, mixed media, textiles, copper work, hand turned wood, watercolors, leather work, wearable art, & more! It's an art gallery in the park!
Kids Creation Station

Sat & Sun May 18 &19
Kids Creation Station

Saturday, 10am-5pm & Sunday, 10am-4pm in Washington Park
Parents and children are invited to get creative with hands-on projects. This year we feature the art of sand painting. Sand paintings have a long established cultural history in numerous social groupings around the globe. Get your face painted and join us in the Story Bubble for storytelling for all ages! Story Bubble is made possible by a partnership with Great Midwestern Educational Theatre Company.

The Heavenly States

Sat May 18
The Heavenly States

In concert! Saturday, 9 pm, Town Clock Main Stage
This Oakland-to-Autsin indie pop group have been a Dubuque favorite for years. Their brand of intensely fun and personal music filled with loud guitars, driving rhythms, and violin will get you dancing!
Writers Guild Book Cover 2013

Sat May 18
Local Author Book Fair

Saturday, 10am-5 pm in Roshek Building Lobby
Our newest addition to DubuqueFest! Shop our book fair comprised of 20 local authors. Meet the authors, pick up some new books, get them signed, and learn about the writing life from your favorite local authors. The fair is features books for children, photography, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, humor, comic books, and more! This event is hosted by River Lights Bookstore for DubuqueFest.




Tim Olson & His 1930s Camera

Sat & Sun
May 18 & 19
The Worlds Longest Panoramic Photo of a 3-Day Outdoor Arts Festival

Saturday, 10am-5pm & Sunday, 10am-4pm in Washington Park
You're invited to find Tim & his old-timey camera during the fest & pose for this panoramic portrait! Photographer and artist Tim Olson will use a 1935 vintage studio camera to create a hundred foot long portrait of DubuqueFest. During the festival, Olson will roll his camera along a path that winds through Washington Park and, at intervals of approximately ten minutes in time and ten feet in distance, he will stop and make a single exposure. The 250+ photographs will be stitched together to create a single, highly detailed panoramic portrait of the festival. Look for Tim & his camera during the festival and join him to pose for the portrait! This project is made possible by funding from the Iowa Arts Council.
Jay Jubeck of The Fast Clydes

Friday May 17
The Fast Clydes

In concert! Town Clock Mainstage, 5:30 pm
Classic rockabilly will get your toes tapping and your hips twisting!
DubuqueFest Poster 2013

There's More!
Friday-Sunday
May 17-19

All Weekend in Washington Park & Town Clock Plaza in Dubuque, Iowa
The Dubuque County Fine Arts Society invites you to celebrate music, art, and culture at the 36th annual DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival, May 17-19 in downtown Dubuque. Live music and performance on two stages, shop for fine arts, books, and records, Writers Guild Book Release, Old House Tour, interactive art for all all ages, and so much more! For a full schedule of events visit dubuquefest.org. Plan your weekend at DubuqueFest!

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