From August 26 to September 1, Campaign to Travel the State to Talk about the Clear Choice in this Election

DES MOINES - During the Republican National Convention, the Obama campaign's "Heartland Tour 2012: Moving the Middle Class Forward" RV will hit the road stopping in towns and cities from coast to coast talking about the clear choice between President Obama will move the economy forward to strengthen the middle class and Mitt Romney, who will take us back to the failed economic policies of the past that caused the economic crisis.

From August 26 to September 1, prominent surrogates will join the RV to talk about how this election offers two drastically different campaign approaches and two fundamentally different visions of how to grow the economy.

President Obama believes that the only way to create an economy built to last is to build it from the middle out, not the top down.  He is fighting for middle class security by supporting manufacturing, protecting the wind PTC and preventing a tax hike on middle class families by asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share.

The "Heartland Tour 2012" RV has scheduled stops in: Ames, Anamosa, Bloomfield, Burlington, Carroll, Cedar Rapids, Centerville, Clinton, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Denison, Des Moines, Dewitt, Eldridge, Fort Madison, Jefferson, Maquoketa, Marshalltown, Mason City, Muscatine, Perry, Waterloo and Waverly.

Monday, August 27^th with Governor Chet Culver

10:00 AM        Bus Tour Kick Off

Des Moines OFA Office

2932 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines 50312

 

3:30 PM          Carroll OFA Office Visit

803 US 30, Carroll 51401

 

5:00 PM          Crawford County Democratic Headquarters, Denison Visit

46 N. Main St., Denison 51442

 

6:30 PM          Council Bluffs OFA Office Visit

1851 Madison Ave, Suite 200 Council Bluffs IA 51503

Mississippi Valley Blues Society Features Blues Guitarist

In Conjunction with East West Riverfest

As a participant in the East West Riverfest, a Quad Cities celebration of arts, culture, and heritage, The Mississippi Valley Blues Society will be presenting blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Debbie Davies at The Muddy Waters, 1708 State Street, Bettendorf, IA, on Friday, September 7. The show will start at 9:00 p.m. with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $12 for members of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society or $15 for non-members (membership applications will be available at the door). Coupons for $5 off the cost of admission will be available at the East West Riverfest Opening Ceremony held from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the RiverCenter, 136 East 3^rd Street, Davenport, IA 52801.

In her amazing career Davies has received 10 nominations for Blues Music Awards, and in 1997 and 2010 won the award for Best Contemporary Female Blues Artist. She has been the featured guitarist in several female based bands including Maggie Mayall and the Cadillacs (led by John Mayall's wife) and Fingers Taylor and the Ladyfinger Revue (who opened for Jimmy Buffett during his 1991 tour). Besides her solo work, Davies is best known for her work with Albert Collins as a member of his band, the Icebreakers. Over the years she has collaborated with several well known artists such as Tommy Shannon & Chris Layton (a.k.a. rhythm section for Double Trouble), Coco Montoya, Jay Geils, and Duke Robillard.

This performance will be Davies'  debut of her new CD, After The Fall, which was released on M.C. Records on July 17. After The Fall is her 11th solo recording and is an all-original affair with Davies writing or co-writing six of the 11 songs. The year 2010 held some traumatic life experiences for Davies, and as she began to heal, she started writing and putting many of her experiences and feelings into songs. The result is 2012's After The Fall.

This performance is being presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society in conjunction with the East West Riverfest and is made possible by the Riverboat Development Authority.

For more information on events presented by the The Mississippi Valley Blues Society visit: www.mvbs.org; or email mvbs@mvbs.org.

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DAVENPORT, IA - On August 23, 2012, John Derek Smith, 37, of Rock Island, Illinois was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute marijuana, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. On August, 24, 2012, another co-conspirator, Terry Lee Alvin, 43, of Moline, Illinois, was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment. United States District Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced both men to three years of supervised release and pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.

From January 2011 through May 2011 Smith and Alvin were involved with several others in a conspiracy to distribute significant amounts of marijuana in the Davenport, Iowa area. The case was investigated by the Davenport Iowa, Police Department and the  Drug Enforcement Administration, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Iowa.

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Diabetics Can Maintain an Active Lifestyle

A whole industry has grown up around freeing diabetics to lead less restricted lives. Tubeless insulin pumps, a needleless blood-glucose monitoring system, and diabetic-friendly frozen foods are among the innovations helping people with the metabolic disorder to live lives on the go.

With the number of diabetics growing worldwide - 246 million at last count, according to the World Health Organization - businesses are motivated. In 2011, diabetes therapeutic products were a $23.7 billion dollar industry feeding a growing population that's starving for a better quality of life, says Chef Robert Lewis, "The Happy Diabetic," author of two cookbooks for people with the metabolic disorder.

"It wasn't long ago that Type 1 diabetics had to be sure they packed ample sterile syringes and insulin, whether they were going to work for the day or on a road trip," he says. "Monitoring blood sugar levels, which is crucial to keeping vital organs healthy, was painful, primitive and hit-or-miss.

"And food? That's been the hardest. A diabetes diagnosis can feel like a life sentence of bland eating."

Among the "firsts" Lewis says diabetics can look forward to:

• The first tubeless insulin pump. Thirty years ago, people with insulin-dependent diabetes had to give themselves shots around the clock to control their blood sugar levels. In some cases, diabetics were hospitalized to ensure they got the insulin necessary to prevent ketoacidosis, a condition that can lead to coma and death. In 1983, the insulin pump was introduced. It attaches to the body and provides continuous insulin injections. But while it was a major breakthrough, it can be bulky and awkward, with a dangling catheter. The most recent innovation is a streamlined version called the OmniPod. It has no tubes, it's smaller and it attaches anywhere on the body with adhesive. It also has a built-in glucose-monitoring system.

• The first needleless glucometer. The Symphony tCGM System uses ultrasound to monitor blood-sugar levels, which will free people from the painful pricks needed to get a small blood sample for testing multiple times a day. The device, which attaches with adhesive to the body, continuously tracks glucose levels day and night and can send the readings to your smart phone. Under development for more than a decade, Symphony is undergoing the studies necessary to win regulatory approval.

• The first diabetic-friendly frozen meals. Meals-in-a-Bun (www.lifestylechefs.net) are low on the glycemic index, low in sugar and carbs, high in soluble fiber, low in trans fat, high in lean protein and low in sodium, Lewis says. "And the best thing is, they are delicious."  The five varieties - two vegan and three vegetarian - include selections like Thai Satay, mushrooms, broccoli and tofu in whole-wheat flax bun. "This is particularly exciting because, while there have been advances in equipment that makes life easier for diabetics, there haven't been for convenient, packaged foods."

Diabetics who do not watch what they eat may wind up suffering kidney damage, stomach problems, heart disease, pneumonia, gum disease, blindness, stroke, nerve damage, complications during pregnancy, loss of limb and other health problems, according to the CDC.

But many Americans are trending toward healthier diets, eating less meat, gluten, salt and sugar, Lewis says. Tasty foods developed for diabetics will be excellent choices for them, too.

"What's good for diabetics is good for everyone," he says. "And you don't have to give up one teaspoon of flavor.

"There's a reason why I am called 'The Happy Diabetic'; I have discovered the joy of nutrition-rich food."

About Lifestyle Chefs

Lifestyle Chefs is a Santa Clara, Calif., company specializing in creating meals inspired by world cuisines and using only natural, healthy and nutritious ingredients. Lifestyle Chefs' products are all vegetarian and diabetic-friendly, perfect for families who want fast, convenient meals that are low in calories, high in nutrition and robust in flavor. Chef  Robert Lewis, "The Happy Diabetic," was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1998. He specializes in flavorful recipes that won't spike a diabetic's blood sugar.