(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today thanked the myriad Partners for Education Reform who have signed on with their proposal to make Iowa's schools the best in the nation. Branstad and Reynolds both understood the need for a broad, bipartisan effort when they released their proposal just last month.

"We have many good schools with committed educators, but they are stuck in a system designed for the 20th century, not the 21st century," Branstad said. "I am ready to invest significant resources into these educational reforms, which truly have the power to dramatically raise achievement. I want to thank these vital partners who will help us move education reform forward."

Reynolds highlighted the importance of enhancing the teaching profession as a whole.

"This is about strengthening the teaching profession for the benefit of both students and teachers," Reynolds said. "Teachers are the single most important influence on a child's success inside school, and educators are being asked to do much more to prepare students for our knowledge-driven economy. We must make sure new teachers are ready to rise to that challenge, while also providing more support for teachers already in the classroom. Our Partners for Education Reform understand this."

An electronic list of the Partners for Education Reform can be found HERE. The growing list is as follows:

Pioneer

Wellmark

3M

Principal Financial Group

Iowa Chamber Alliance

Greater Des Moines Partnership

Urban Education Network of Iowa

Iowa Biotechnology Association

Iowa Board of Regents

Deere & Company

Master Builders of Iowa

MidAmerican Energy Company

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company

Monsanto Company

Iowa Board of Educational Examiners

Meredith Corporation

Alliant Energy Corporation

CenturyLink

Alliance Pipline, Inc.

Mechanical Contractors Association of Iowa

NECA, IA (NEC)

NextEra Energy

Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI)

Iowa Association of Realtors

StudentsFirst

Hy-Vee, Inc.

Iowa Engineering Society

American Council of Engineering Companies

Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa

National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB/IA)

Professional Educators of Iowa

Siouxland Chamber

Iowa Department of Education

College Student Aid Commission

 

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DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 19, 2013-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn came together today at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates in Des Moines, Iowa, before a crowd of 200 youth and business leaders to formalize a partnership enhancing the Wallace-Carver Internship Program for students involved in cutting-edge agriculture, science and research.

The partnership, as represented in the formal Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the World Food Prize Foundation that they signed, will expand opportunities for high school and college students and prepare the next generation of agricultural and scientific leaders. John Ruan III, chairman of the World Food Prize Foundation, also participated in the ceremony.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for young people to be inspired to commit their lives to agriculture and the fight against global hunger," said Vilsack. "USDA thanks the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute as well as the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship programs for their efforts to create opportunities for young people pursuing careers in agriculture and related fields. These students truly are the best and brightest, and they will discover-much like I did-that USDA is a dynamic agency that positively impacts people's lives every day."

Every year, over 1,000 students across the country participate in the World Food Prize youth programs, through which they research a global food security issue, write a paper, and present their solutions. The top 150 students and their teachers travel to Des Moines to participate in an exchange of ideas with the world's foremost leaders at the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute. From there, they can also apply for the World Food Prize Borlaug-Ruan International Internships at research centers around the globe.

Going forward, the USDA and the World Food Prize Foundation will annually choose the top students from across the country to participate in a one-week orientation at USDA headquarters in Washington before fanning out to assume internships with various USDA agencies and offices across the country. Students compete for the internships through the USDA Pathways Programs, a mechanism to recruit, hire, and retain current students and recent graduates, with oversight from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Besides strengthening the menu of USDA internship programs, the Wallace-Carver Internship helps attract and retain the best and brightest young people in careers in American agriculture.

The Wallace-Carver Internship helps to honor the legacies of George Washington Carver and Henry A. Wallace, two great American agricultural leaders of the 20th century. The internship offers students the opportunity to collaborate with world-renowned scientists and policymakers through paid internships at leading USDA research centers and offices.

USDA Virtual University ensures that all Wallace-Carver Interns have an Individual Development Plan, a mentor, and receive consistent training. For information on the Wallace-Carver Internship Program, click here. For information on other USDA internships, click here.

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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).

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Research reveals business sophistication level of NARI members

 

Des Plaines, Illinois, February 19, 2013?Members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) continue to lead the industry in terms of sales, production and employees, according to results of the 2012 NARI Member Profile Study, conducted by Fred Miller, president of Consumer Specialists.

 

The data?designed to provide a snapshot of NARI remodelers?shows slight growth in the number of company locations, in-house design work, dedicated salespeople and types of services offered.

 

"NARI members are quite adept at diversifying and adapting to market trends in order to remain successful," says Tom O'Grady, CR, CKBR, chair of NARI's Strategic Planning and Research committee and owner of O'Grady Builders in Drexel Hill, Pa. "The research suggests the majority of NARI businesses are operating on a sophisticated level, with ongoing evaluation of revenues, sales margins, overhead, income, performance, shifts in housing and consumer demands as the basis for decision-making."

 

This year's data shows other signs of improvement in the remodeling industry:

• NARI members reported a 14 percent boost in average sales, with 38 percent reporting more than $1,000,000 in annual sales.

 

• Eighty-two percent (82%) of NARI members offer more than one remodeling service.

 

• NARI members reported an increase in number of employees, with a 3 percent uptick in dedicated sales employees.

 

"Though the recession took its toll on many small businesses, NARI members seem to have prevailed," O'Grady says. "Many of us are taking time to refresh our operations and responsibilities in preparation for growth over the next couple of years." In fact, 93 percent of NARI members predict future sales to be as good or better in 2013, according to the Member Profile data.

 

To see the full 2012 Member Profile Study results, send your request to marketing@nari.org.

NARI is a professional association whose members voluntarily subscribe to a strict code of ethics. Visit the NARI.org site to get tips on how to hire a remodeling professional and to search for NARI members in your area.

 

Click here to see an online version of this press release.

 

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About NARI: The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the only trade association dedicated solely to the remodeling industry.  The Association, which represents 7,000 member companies nationwide?comprised of 63,000 remodeling contractors? is "The Voice of the Remodeling Industry."® To learn more about membership, visit www.NARI.org or contact national headquarters, based in Des Plaines, Ill., at (847) 298-9200.

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Feb. 19, 2013 - Anyone 50 years old or older, or
those with other factors associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, are
encouraged to pick up and return a free colon cancer testing kit in the Quad
Cities during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March.

The kits are provided free of charge as long as supplies last. This annual
screening is sponsored by Genesis Health System, Walgreens Drug Stores,
Illini Laboratory and the American Cancer Society. Completed kits should be
mailed to the Illini Laboratory. Participants will have results mailed to them
within four weeks.

The kits are designed to detect small amounts of hidden blood, which can
indicate early problems with polyps or cancer before other symptoms are
apparent. Anyone with a positive test should contact their family physician
and ask about a colonoscopy. Also, anyone 50 years old or older should ask
their doctor about having a first colonoscopy.

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer
diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American
Cancer Society's estimate for the number of new colon cancer cases in the
United States for 2013 is 102,480.

The death rate (the number of deaths per 100,000 people per year) from
colorectal cancer has been dropping in both men and women for more than
20 years. There are a number of likely reasons for this. One is that polyps
are being found by screening and removed before they can develop into
cancers.

Screening is also allowing more colorectal cancers to be found earlier when
the disease is easier to treat and cure.

Both men and women are at risk for colon cancer and more lives could be
saved if people better understood the risks of the disease and received
regular testing.

Screening and colonoscopy are the most effective ways to prevent colon
cancer from developing. Most cases of the disease begin as non-cancerous
polyps, which are growths on the lining of the colon and rectum. These
polyps can become cancerous.

Removing polyps during a colonoscopy can prevent colorectal cancer from
developing. Approximately 90 percent of colorectal cancers and deaths are
thought to be preventable.

Because there are often no symptoms to polyps, it is important to be
routinely screened.

For more information on colon cancer, including risk factors, prevention
options, and early detection methods, please call the American Cancer
Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

Free kits can be picked up at the following locations in March, or until
supplies last:

Walgreens Drug Stores

Bettendorf: 830 Middle Road, 3425 Middle Road; Clinton: 806 S. 4th St.,
1905 N. 2nd St.; Davenport: 1805 Brady St., 1720 West Kimberly; 1525
East Kimberly, 1660 West Locust St., 4011 East 53 rd St.; East Moline: 301
30th Ave.; 1301 Ave. of the Cities; Moline: 3601 16th St., 555 19th Ave.;
4000 Ave. of the Cities; Milan: 440 10th Ave. West; Muscatine:1703 Park
Ave; Rock Island: 3100 11th St.; 2955 18th Ave.

Other Pick-Up Locations
Genesis Cancer Care Institute, 1351 West Central Park, Davenport; Genesis
Medical Center, Illini Campus, 801 Illini Drive, Silvis; Illini Laboratory,
801 Illini Drive, Silvis; Genesis Medical Center, DeWitt, 1118 11th Street,
DeWitt; Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, West Campus Information
Desks; Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, East Campus Information Desks;
Jackson County Regional Health Center, Maquoketa; Mercer County Hospital,
Aledo, Ill; American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, 2397 Cumberland
Square, Bettendorf.

Risk Factors
Both men and women are at risk for colon cancer. Personal risk varies,
so your doctor can help you make informed decisions about when to begin

testing and the most appropriate testing method for you. Factors associated
with increased risk for colon cancer include :

• Age - most diagnosed are 50 or older.
• Race - African Americans are at greater risk.
• Personal or family history of colon cancer.
• Personal or family history of intestinal polyps.
• Personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative or Crohn's colitis).
• Certain genetic factors (familial adenomatous polyposis, Gardner's syndrome, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, Ashkenazi Jewish descent).
• Smoking, or use of other tobacco products.
• Physical inactivity.
• Diets high in red meat.

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