(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds were joined today at a press conference by Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) Administrator Mark Schouten to share guidance for developing a school safety readiness plan in wake of the senseless tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.

"The thoughts and prayers of all Iowans are with the families and friends of the innocent victims of this senseless tragedy," said Branstad. "While it is difficult to understand such an evil act, we do know our children and grandchildren remain our most precious gifts and ensuring their safety in our communities is absolutely critical."

Earlier this year, Iowa HSEMD put in place a new school safety guide to assist schools in making plans and establishing procedures to make their facilities, students and staff safer.  This guide covers a variety of emergencies, including how to respond to an intruder with a gun who enters their school intending to do harm.

VIEW THE 2012 SCHOOL SAFETY GUIDE 

"Schools serve as society's pathway to upward mobility and growth," said Reynolds.  "It is our responsibility to keep students, teachers and school administrators safe. We applaud all those whose quick action saved children, including those teachers and school administrators and staff who acted as first responders and preformed heroic deeds."

The school safety-planning guide covers a number of threating events and helps schools plan how to respond.  The planning guide was prepared by HSEMD in conjunction with the following:

§  The Iowa Department of Public Safety's Intelligence Fusion Center

§  Iowa Department of Education

§  School Administrators of Iowa

§  The Iowa Association of School Boards

§  The Iowa State Education Association

§  Heartland Area Education Agency

§  State of Iowa Fire Marshal's Office

§  Des Moines Police, School Resource Officers

VIEW IOWA HSEMD SCHOOL SAFETY FLIP CHART 

"The State of Iowa through its Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has worked with Iowa schools over the past ten years to ensure the safety of their students," said Iowa HSEMD Administrator Mark Schouten. "Our office oversees a program through which we work to increase the security and safety of our state's critical infrastructure and facilities. One of the areas we have done a work in great deal of is in educational facilities."

VIEW 2012 IOWA SCHOOL SELF ASSESSMENT 

HSEMD has also worked closely with the Iowa Central Community College's Homeland Security Training Center to offer active shooter classes to law enforcement and other first responders for the past three years.  The training center has taught some 41,000 first responders through their active shooter and other classes over the past nine years and is currently the recipient of an HSEMD grant to continue active shooter training for smaller law enforcement agencies.

Some 500 copies of the school safety planning guide have been distributed to school administrators, school nurses, emergency management coordinators, and first responders over the last few months.  Electronic versions are available at the HSEMD website: www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov or can be obtained from your local emergency management coordinator.

By Jason Alderman

When it comes to making New Year's resolutions, getting into good shape financially ranks right up there with losing weight and eating healthier. All three goals require discipline and planning; and, as you've no doubt experienced, it's not unusual to encounter setbacks along the way.

Don't let losing a minor battle here or there convince you to surrender on the bigger war. You'll probably have more success if you start out taking small steps, learning from your mistakes and gaining momentum as you go.

Here are a few suggestions for better managing your personal finances in the New Year:

The first step on the road to financial health is to create a budget you can live with. If you're new to budgeting or haven't been successful in the past, start slowly. For a few months write down every cent you spend: mortgage/rent, utilities, food, gas, medical copayments, credit card interest - the works. You'll be surprised where you money goes.

At the same time, compare money coming in (income) to money going out (expenses). If you're just breaking even or losing money each month, you need to boost your income and/or aggressively trim spending. Try these strategies:

• Pay bills on time and send at least the minimum amount due. You'll avoid late fees and related interest rate increases; plus, you'll improve your credit score.
• Balance your checking account regularly and use in-network ATMs to avoid overdrafts and fees.
• If your employer offers flexible spending accounts, use them to pay health and dependent care expenses with pretax dollars.
• Raise insurance deductibles and shop around for better rates.

Once you start reducing expenses, use the savings to pay down debts more quickly. Try making a table of all outstanding credit card and loan balances and their corresponding interest rates. Then, each month pay the minimum amount due on each - except pay as much as possible on the account with the highest interest rate. Once that one's paid off, move to the next-highest rate account and so on.

Another smart move is to have an emergency fund in case of financial upheaval (layoff, medical emergency, unexpected car repairs, etc.) Ideally you should save enough to cover six months' of expenses, but don't be discouraged if that sounds insurmountable: Start slowly by saving a few dollars each week. You won't miss it and your little nest egg might just save you from needing an expensive short-term loan to cover an unplanned bill.

If something terrible happened to you, would your family be protected financially? Make sure you have a valid will, durable power of attorney, health care proxy and living will. Numerous books, online articles and sample forms are available if you want to draft them yourself, but you should probably review your documents with a financial advisor or attorney to avoid potential legal problems. Also, make sure you have adequate life and disability insurance.

It's debatable how much Social Security will be able to contribute toward your retirement income in coming decades, so if you're not already participating in your employer's 401(k) plan or an IRA, make that one of your top financial resolutions.

Sticking to resolutions is never easy - if it were, we'd already be doing them. But striving to improve your financial situation now will pay off big-time down the road.

CHICAGO - December 15, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today proclaimed "Game of Change Day" in Illinois in honor of the historic 1963 basketball game between Loyola University of Chicago and Mississippi State University that broke racial boundaries.

WHEREAS, on March 15, 1963, basketball teams from Mississippi State University and Loyola University of Chicago met in what became known as the "Game of Change"; and,

WHEREAS, Mississippi State basketball teams had won Southeastern Conference titles in 1959, 1961 and 1962, but were barred from the NCAA tournament due to an unwritten law preventing Mississippi schools from competing against teams with black players; and,

WHEREAS, following a 21-5 season in 1962-63, the dream of Mississippi State players to compete in the NCAA tournament was quietly supported by University President Dean Colvard and basketball Coach James "Babe" McCarthy; and,

WHEREAS, despite threats of school funding cuts, Klan violence and a court injunction to prevent them from leaving the state, twelve daring Mississippi State players and their coaches fled under dark of night in order to play Loyola; and,

WHEREAS, Loyola University Coach George Ireland - whose 100^th birthday we'll observe next year - built a team comprised of four black starting players which led the nation in scoring with 91.8 points per game en route to a 24-2 record; and,

WHEREAS, on game day, as the Mississippi State players took the floor - with none of their fans in attendance - they heard their fight song being performed by the Loyola band in a gesture of sportsmanship; and,

WHEREAS, the pre-game handshake between Loyola captain Jerry Harkness and Mississippi State captain Joe Dan Gold became a poignant symbol of the end of segregation in college sports; and,

WHEREAS, the civil rights movement grew because brave individuals put themselves at risk for the greater good, such as those who participated in the Montgomery bus boycott, the Freedom Rides, Selma's "Bloody Sunday", the integration of Little Rock High School and the 1963 "Game of Change"; and,

WHEREAS, the "Game of Change" showed how sports is a positive force for social change and how one person - or two basketball teams - can truly make a difference; and,

THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim December 15, 2012 as GAME OF CHANGE DAY in Illinois in recognition of the courage of participants in what was much more than a game 50 years ago.

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