01 Aug 2012

Marriage and Family Counseling Intern to VA

By William Hiebert
Rock Island, IL, July 20, 2012 -- Mr. Robert Donohoo has completed his training at Marriage and Family Counseling Service. During his 18 month advanced residency in marriage and family therapy, he worked with William Hiebert, Executive Director and Dr. Derek Ball, Director of the Hiebert Institute, as a full-time resident staff member at Marriage and Family Counseling Service.

Mr. Donohoo remains in the community and is employed as a family therapist with the Veterans Administration in their Moline office. Mr Dohonoo is one of several hundred new family therapists that have recently been hired by the Veterans Administration as part of a new program. The Veterans Administration is employing hundreds of marriage and family therapists to deal with returning veterans and their various personal and relationship issues that service abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought about. During his residency, Mr. Donohoo passed the national marriage and family therapy examination and became Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Illinois The residency program was established in 1980 for the purpose of providing specialized training in marital and family therapy for a twelve-month period.

During his internship, Mr. Donohoo received supervision by the senior staff of Marriage and Family Counseling Service and provided over 1000 hours of clinical experience working with a variety of presenting issues. Following the completion of the internship at Marriage and Family Counseling Service, residents complete the basic requirement for becoming a full clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a licensed marriage and family therapist in Illinois.

Marriage and Family Counseling Service is a community sponsored counseling and education program sponsored by the United Way of the Quad City area, fee income and gifts. The agency has served the Quad City Area for 37 years, offering high quality therapy to individuals, couples and families from Rock Island and Scott Counties and the surrounding areas. Therapy services are offered on a "sliding scale" which means that fees are based on the clients' income. Many types of insurance coverage are also accepted.

Marriage and Family Counseling Service is located at 1800 Third Avenue, Suite 512, Rock Island, with services available to all residents of the Quad City area.
01 Aug 2012

Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds release statements on disaster designations

By Office of the Governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, today, issued statements on the USDA disaster designation of 42 Iowa counties as primary natural disaster areas due to the recent drought.

On July 16, Gov. Branstad sent a letter to Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting a drought disaster declaration for impacted Iowa counties. The letter to Sec. Vilsack can be viewed here.

Gov. Branstad released the following statement:

"In response to my letter, the Lt. Governor and I would like to thank Secretary Vilsack for the USDA's recent drought declaration of several Iowa counties.  This drought has had a significant impact on Iowa agriculture and the farmers who work hard every day to feed a growing world population.  This disaster designation will provide affected Iowans with additional resources during these difficult times."

Lt. Gov. Reynolds released the following statement:

"One thing that I know for certain is that Iowa farmers have the tenacity, resilience, resolve and fortitude to withstand these challenging times. The Governor and I stand with all Iowans as we work together to respond swiftly to these drought conditions."

 

# # #

01 Aug 2012

Harkin, Loebsack Welcomes USDA Disaster Designation for Drought-Stricken Iowa Counties

By USDA Communications

Continues call for action on Farm Bill and Disaster Assistance

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after learning that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack had issued a disaster declaration to assist Iowa farmers who have suffered losses from the ongoing drought impacting the Midwest.   The counties identified in this declaration have experienced a drought intensity value of at least severe for eight or more consecutive weeks, with some counties experiencing extreme drought conditions at some point.  Harkin is a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.

"The ongoing drought continues to inflict hardship on farmers in Iowa and across the Midwest," said Harkin.  "With today's announcement, farmers in eligible counties may apply and qualify for low-interest loans and other disaster assistance through the USDA Farm Service Agency, and farmers in all Iowa counties will be allowed expanded haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres.  I welcome today's actions and thank Secretary Vilsack for responding to our severe drought problems in Iowa."

In Washington, Congressman Dave Loebsack today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for issuing an agriculture disaster declaration for 42 counties that have seen extensive damage to crops and livestock from the recent drought.  Last week, Loebsack introduced the Agriculture Disaster Assistance Act to help farmers and livestock producers with drought losses beyond insurance until a new farm bill is signed into law.

"I have been walking the rows with farmers to hear firsthand about the damage the recent heat and lack of rain has done to their crops and livestock.  I applaud the USDA for their decision and will continue advocating for the farmers and rural areas who have been greatly impacted.

"USDA has moved to help Iowa farmers - now Congress needs to act and stop playing politics.  As Iowans continue to struggle to recover, our rural areas and farmers need certainty during these tough times. They need Congress to pass a long-term farm bill and extend access to agriculture disaster assistance, not take votes for the appearance of action and then leave for August recess.  Unfortunately, with disaster programs already expired and the farm bill is about to expire - it is now more important than ever for Congress to get to work instead of going on vacation while the fields wither."

Specifically, the counties of Appanoose, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Clayton, Clinton, Davis, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, Tama, Van Buren, Wapello and Wayne.

Benefits are also available for the contiguous counties of Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winneshiek and Wright.

 

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01 Aug 2012

Governor Quinn Signs Legislation Strengthening Workers' Right to Privacy

By Andrew Mason

New law makes Illinois one of the first states to prevent employers from demanding social network passwords

CHICAGO - August 1, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law protecting current and prospective employees' right to privacy in the fast-growing world of social media. House Bill 3782 makes it illegal for an employer to request an employee's or job candidate's social network account information, such as username or password, in order to gain access to their account or profile. Illinois is the second state to enact such a law.

"Members of the workforce should not be punished for information their employers don't legally have the right to have," Governor Quinn said. "As use of social media continues to expand, this new law will protect workers and their right to personal privacy."

Sponsored by Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), HB 3782 prevents employers from screening potential job candidates or reprimanding current employees based on information from their social network accounts that would otherwise be private. The new law protects workers' privacy and their choice to make certain information from their social network accounts private.

"Employers certainly aren't allowed to ask for the keys to an employee's home to nose around there, and I believe that same expectation of personal privacy and personal space should be extended to a social networking account," said Leader Radogno, who pointed out employers are not allowed to ask employees or job applicants about age, sex, race, or sexual orientation?all information that could be easily gleaned from a social networking site. "This law will not only protect employees' reasonable rights to privacy on the Web, but will shield employers from unexpected legal action."

The law's definition of social networking sites does not include email, and it does not prevent employers from obtaining information in the public domain about current or prospective employees.

"Social networking accounts are places where we document the personal and private aspects of our lives, and employers have realized they can get answers to questions they are already prohibited from asking by gaining unfettered access to our accounts," Ford said. "This legislation may protect employers from future lawsuits as much as it protects employees and jobseekers."

The law is effective Jan. 1.

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01 Aug 2012

FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC

By Aleshia Chiesa

FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC
Fans of Ne-Yo, Stefano and Nelly Furtado - Listen Up! Win a Trip to See Your Fave

NorthPark and SouthPark Malls are partnering with three top artists to give away an exciting concert getaway.  It's "Your Music, Your Choice." If you win, you can pick who you want to see: Ne-Yo, Stefano or Nelly Furtado.

The process is simple. Guest 18 years of age and older can enter for a chance to win by visiting www.mallsweepstakes.com
between August 1st and September 3rd.  The winning shopper and the guest of his or her choice will receive roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations to the concert or artist event of their choice.

Guests must enter online only by visiting www.mallsweepstakes.com for a chance to win.  We encourage our loyal shoppers to pick out the perfect concert attire and stop by NorthPark and SouthPark Malls as we prepare for back-to-school sales and events.

NorthPark Mall
320 W Kimberly Rd
Davenport,
563.391.6773


SouthPark Mall
4500 16th Street
Moline, IL 61265
309.797.8450

Guests can explore our retailer mix and get the most up-to-date information by
visiting
il.com

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01 Aug 2012

Gov. Branstad orders flags at half-staff to honor Sgt. Michael E. Ristau

By Office of the Governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Branstad is ordering all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, until 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 6, 2012 for Sgt. Michael E. Ristau., 25, originally of Cascade.

Sgt. Ristau was killed in Afghanistan, while serving on active duty in the U.S. Army, on July 13, when the vehicle he was riding in was attacked by an improvised explosive device.

The governor's directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. H.R. 692, signed in 2007, requires federal government agencies in the state to comply with the governor's executive order that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces.

Flags will be at half-staff on the state Capitol building and on flag displays in the Capitol complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

Ristau is survived by his wife, Elizabeth L. and sons, Hyle Ristau, of Tacoma, Wash., and Bradley Ristau, of Tennessee; his parents, Randy L. and Suzanne M. Ristau, of Cascade; sister Halie Ristau of Cascade; and brothers Christopher Powers of Dubuque, Iowa and Jesse Carrier of Bolivar, Mo.; grandmother Gertrude Meyer of East Dubuque, Ill. and grandfather Vernon Thomas, of Dubuque; father-in-law and mother-in-law Dan and Karen Lemley of Tacoma; and brother-in-law Collin Lemley of Tacoma.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. at the Cascade City Park.

The U.S. flag flown over the state Capitol on the day of the funeral will be presented to Sgt. Ristau's family at a later date, along with a proclamation honoring him.

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01 Aug 2012

College Savings Iowa Announces New Lower Fees for Participants

By Karen Austin

DES MOINES, IA (08/01/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald announced today that the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan has reduced its fees by over 20%. "This marks the fourth time in five years that College Savings Iowa has been able to reduce its fees," said Treasurer Fitzgerald. "This means more money stays in the account where it belongs, making it a great value for Iowans saving for future college expenses." The price reduction, effective August 1, 2012, will bring the annual asset-based fees of the plan's portfolios down from 0.34% to 0.28%.

"The plan's new lower costs will enable participants to put more of their investment returns toward the right place: their children's education," Fitzgerald said. "College Savings Iowa continues to share the benefits of its growth by lowering expenses, which is a testament to the commitment of the Plan to deliver well-managed college savings investments at low costs to Iowans."

College Savings Iowa offers families a tax advantaged way to save money for their children's higher education. It only takes $25 to open an account, and anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest in College Savings Iowa on behalf of a child. Participants who are Iowa taxpayers can deduct contributions up to $2,975 per beneficiary from their 2012 adjusted gross income, and there are no income or residency restrictions.* Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. For more information about College Savings Iowa, visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com or call 1-999-672-9116.

*Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

###

Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 888-672-9116 or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

College Savings Iowa is an Iowa trust sponsored by the Iowa State Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer of the State of Iowa sponsors and is responsible for overseeing the administration of the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan. The Vanguard Group, Inc., serves as Investment Manager and Vanguard Marketing Corporation, an affiliate of The Vanguard Group, Inc., assists the Treasurer with marketing and distributing the Plan. Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC, provides records administration services. The Plan's portfolios, although they invest in Vanguard mutual funds, are not mutual funds.

01 Aug 2012

MOMENTUM CONTINUES TO SOAR IN LeClaire, Iowa

By Jackie Stepaniak
The LeClaire Chamber of Commerce, with support of the LeClaire Board of Tourism, is
proud to announce the dedication of the Downtown Sound System on Friday, August 3rd at
5:00 P.M. at 122 North Cody Road in LeClaire, Iowa. There will also be the Grand Opening
of the LeClaire Information Center immediately following at 5:15 P.M. RSVP is not required
and refreshments will be served.

Afterwards, enjoy LeClaire's "First Friday" throughout downtown with open shops as well as
food and beverage tastings from 5:30 - 8:30 P.M. Details for these events can be found at
www.leclairechamber.com or www.visitleclaire.com.

The installation of a Sound System with speakers at regular intervals along both sides of
Cody Road was originally part of Phase 1 of the downtown streetscape project. As a cost-
saving measure, the conduit was installed but the actual wiring, control system, and
speakers were postponed indefinitely until funds could be raised to cover the complete
costs.

In 2011, the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce decided that it was time raise the funds
needed and invited local businesses, residents, civic organizations and committees to help
make the project into a reality. Donors giving $1000 or more will be honored through the
"Adopt a Speaker" program by having a donor nameplate displayed by a speaker.

According to Debbie Mulvania, LeClaire Chamber of Commerce President, "The sound
system will enhance the ambience of our downtown area by providing seasonal music for
tourists as well as residents. The system also affords the "emergency public broadcast
notification" capability through an over-ride option given to our municipal police and fire
departments."

The LeClaire Information Center opening in the downtown area has been established by the
LeClaire Office of Tourism in response to the closure of the Mississippi Valley Welcome
Center last year. The Tourism Board believes that this information center located in the
heart of downtown will increase visitation to LeClaire's attractions, restaurants and shops as
well as provide information to tourists as well as prospective residents and businesses
looking to re-locate to LeClaire.

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01 Aug 2012

Iowa's Freedom Rock on Iowa License Plates

By Maria Sorensen

The famous Iowa landmark known as The Freedom Rock, which sits just off I-80, may soon be making its appearance in another way, on Iowa license plates. The artist of The Freedom RockI Ray Sorensen Il submitted an application to the DOT last spring and it was approved.

Before the plates will actually be manufactured for distributionI Sorensen must collect 500 paid applications (see below for application). The application is for anyone who may be interested in purchasing a Freedom Rock license plate. Those wishing to order a numbered plate will need to submit $25 along with their application and those wishing to order a personalized plate will need to submit $50 along with their application.

The Freedom Rock license plate may be displayed on the following vehicles: automobiles, motor homes, multipurpose vehicles, trucks (3, 4 and 5 ton), travel trailers, trailers and motorcycles. The annual renewal fee for these plates is $5, which is due at the time the vehicle owner plays their annual vehicle registration renewal fee.

"My wife and I were renewing our plates and while we were looking at the options we both said, that would be cool to have The Freedom Rock logo on there. So my wife did the paperwork and got it going. We just thought it'd be another unique way to honor our Veterans since the Freedom Rock is only in Iowa." Sorensen said.

Once Sorensen has obtained 500 paid applicationsI the applications, fees collected and an excel spreadsheet will be submitted to the  of Vehicle Services. The manufacturing and distribution ofthe new plates will occur

approximately six to eight weeks after receipt of the 500 paid applications.

"We're getting a steady pace [oiC applications] through the mail and lots of interest in them but we still have a ways to go But we have some time so we're hopeful." Sorensen said of the process so far.

The deadline for submission is February of 2013. Individuals interested in applying should make checks out to: The Freedom Rock and must mail applications to:

The Freedom Rock
P.0. Box 97
Greenfleld, IA 50849

Speciñc questions for the DOT should be directed to: LaVonne A Short, the executive ofñcer of Ofñce of Vehicle Services at: 515.237.3110.

lf you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Ray Sorensen ll, please Contact Maria at 515.306.4290 or sorensenstudios@yahoo.com

01 Aug 2012

Veterans and the Minimum Wage

By Jon Soltz

Recently, Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy ran away from a veteran, who was trying to ask him about what he was going to do about raising the minimum wage.  As a veteran, I was dismayed that a United States Congressman would try to avoid someone who served our nation.  But then I began to consider the issue of the minimum wage, and why a veteran like this one would be so concerned about seeing it raised.

When I volunteered to serve in the armed forces, I was motivated by a sense of pride in America's status as a land of opportunity. Too many of the soldiers I served with have come home to economic hardships unbefitting their service and our country.  Vets are not immune from the downward trend toward low wages and low incomes in our economy and many I know struggle just to meet their basic needs.

We believe, as a country, that anyone who puts in a full day's work should be able to live off their earnings: This is one reason why we established a federal minimum wage over 70 years ago. But July 24 marked the three year anniversary of the last time the federal minimum wage was increased. Over the past three years, the minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 per hour - just over $15,000 per year for full-time work - even as the cost of basic expenses like food or gasoline has continued to rise.

Thankfully, Congress has now started to act in order to ensure that low-wage workers do not have to endure another year of stagnant pay. Just a matter of days after the three-year anniversary passed on July 24, Senator Tom Harkin and Representative George Miller introduced the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2012, which would raise the minimum wage to $9.80 by 2014, increase the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the full minimum wage, and index both to automatically increase with the rising cost of living.

If these bills were passed, over 28 million low-wage workers in the U.S. would see their paychecks rise by over $5,000 per year. The workers who would benefit from this bill are people that many of us meet every day - checkout clerks, restaurant servers, and homecare workers - almost 90 percent of whom are adults over the age of twenty.

While raising the minimum wage would provide much-needed support to these workers, it would also help support the economy as a whole by boosting consumer spending and giving businesses the customer base that they need in order to start hiring again. If we acted now to pass this proposed increase in the minimum wage, we could prop up our frustratingly sluggish economic recovery by generating more than $25 billion in GDP and creating the equivalent of over 100,000 jobs.

We cannot sit by while the paychecks of America's lowest-paid workers continued continue to get squeezed by rising prices. Raising the minimum wage is a modest step that we could take right now to ensure that real opportunity is available for all who work for it.

For veterans, when you consider that the highest unemployment rate among veterans is in the youngest age bracket (18-24), minimum wage jobs are often what these young returning troops rely on, while they gain the skills and education necessary on which they can build a career.

But if we don't pass an increase in the minimum wage, we have little reason to expect the economy to provide the same boost on its own. Low-wage jobs, primarily in the service sector, have already accounted for a majority of all job growth in the wake of the recession. Meanwhile, the largest employers of low-wage workers - retail giants like Wal-Mart and fast-food chains like McDonalds - are actually earning stronger profits today than they were before the recession, even as they continue to pay their employees the minimum wage.

The promise of opportunity in America is threatened today by a job market that does not allow many to work their way out of poverty. As a veteran I have seen men and women in uniform make incredible sacrifices to protect this promise of opportunity.  It's time for Congress to do its part as well by raising the minimum wage, and stop running away from the issue in more ways than one.

 

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