Rock Island, IL - The Amy Helpenstell Foundation has awarded a three-year funding commitment to Christian Care's domestic violence shelter in Rock Island. "We are thrilled not only to have been invited to apply, but also to have been selected as a three-year grant recipient," said Dr. Elaine Winter, Christian Care's Executive Director. "This grant from the Amy Helpenstell Foundation will allow us to help residents permanently transform their lives through counseling and case management. Like Christian Care, the Amy Helpenstell Foundation has helped thousands of Quad Citians over the years, and we deeply thank the Amy Helpenstell Foundation's board for its generosity."

The mission of Christian Care's domestic violence shelter is to empower abused women and children to desire and achieve a new and independent way of life while keeping them safe, warm, fed and clothed. By providing basic needs, professional counseling, holistic case management, advocacy, and access to community resources, Christian Care seeks to end the cycle of abuse and offers an opportunity for women to lead a successful new life.

Christian Care is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose vision is to transform lives. Through its mission of providing safe shelter, support and resources, Christian Care empowers both the homeless and survivors of domestic violence to make positive changes in every aspect of their lives. Christian Care's two facilities?a domestic violence shelter for women and children and a rescue mission for men?serve homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, veterans, men and women coming out of prison, and those with mental illnesses. If you know someone in need, call the Christian Care Crisis Hotline at any hour of the day or night at 309/788-2273.

For more information about Christian Care, please visit its web site at christiancareqc.org or its Facebook at facebook.com/christiancareqc.
ISU Scott County Extension will sponsor Braving the Holidays: A Guide to Navigating the Most Wonderful Time of the Year with Your Sanity and Waistline Intact on Wednesday, December 5, 2012 from 6:00-7:30 PM at Eastern Avenue Public Library in Davenport.

Holiday festivities bring time with family and friends, delicious food, great music and decorations, and rituals that come but once a year. Unfortunately, holidays can also bring some undue stress with that cheer - not to mention a few extra pounds. We all know the mile-long list of to-do's that seem necessary to make the perfect holiday season. Not to mention the temptation of cookies, candies and pie at every corner. This 90 minute presentation will offer clarity to the stress that comes with the holidays. We will discuss keeping your to-do list at a level that allows you to also enjoy the festivities, along with some practical suggestions for watching your
waistline during the busy holiday season.

This session is free, but please RSVP to ISU Scott County Extension at 563-359-7577.

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As the world population continues to grow, and there is increasing demand for crop production acres to raise food and fuel, efficiency in the cattle industry is becoming ever more important. Feed efficiency, or the amount of body weight gain from a pound of feed, is key to feedlot performance and profitability. Global food security is dependent on increased production from fewer inputs.

Efficient use of feed is even more important as the cost of feed and other inputs continues to increase. Feed costs have historically been 50-70 percent of the cost of production in beef enterprises, and as corn prices exceed $7 per bushel feed costs are nearly 80 percent of the cost in many feedlot operations. A feed efficiency improvement of approximately 10 percent across
the entire feedlot sector would reduce feed costs $1.2 billion.

Feed efficiency is often thought of as a feedlot attribute. But the cow-calf segment consumes about 70 percent of the calories in beef production, and of those more than half are used for maintenance. Unfortunately feed efficiency and feed intake is difficult to measure on large numbers of cattle, so improvements have been slow in coming.

The genetic improvement of feed efficiency in beef cattle is the focus of a large USDA funded integrated research and extension project. It will leverage a variety of methods to achieve the goal of feed efficiency. The five year, USDA-AFRI funded project titled "National Program for Genetic Improvement of Feed Efficiency in Beef Cattle" (www.beefefficiency.org) is to sustainably reduce feed resources required to produce beef. The project will rapidly develop and deploy novel nutritional, genomic and genetic improvement technologies.

Stronger international competitiveness of U.S. agriculture, increased food production through increased animal protein production without additional feed inputs, and reduced greenhouse gas footprint are goals of project participants. The project will gather existing individual feed intake and composition records across the major U.S. beef breeds and back fill deficiencies in these represented breeds through collection of new records.

This project will be featured at the upcoming Driftless Region Beef conference Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2013, in Dubuque, Iowa. Three of the speakers are involved in the feed efficiency project including Dan Shike University of Illinois; Matt Spangler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Dan Loy, Iowa State University.

The conference will begin at 1 p.m. on Jan. 31 and run till 11:45 a.m. on Feb. 1. Thursday's afternoon program will focus on feed efficiency at all stages of production, with an evening discussion focused on straight versus crossbreeding. Friday morning's program includes three breakout sessions for feedlot operations and three for cow herds.

Registration for the conference is $80 before Jan. 15 or $100 after Jan. 15. Additional information about the conference is available at www.aep.iastate.edu/beef . Registration will open for the conference on Dec. 1.

The Driftless Region Beef Conference is sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the University of Minnesota Extension, and University of Wisconsin Extension. The planning team strives to deliver the latest in research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information or to receive a brochure, contact Denise Schwab at 319-721-9624.

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Information available for Iowa attendees, local groups seeking information on parade

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that Iowans seeking information about the 2013 Presidential Inauguration scheduled for Monday, January 21, 2013 can visit his website at http://www.harkin.senate.gov/services/inauguration.cfm for information.  Included in this link is information on requesting tickets for the event as well as a page for local groups interested in participating in the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade.  In addition, the site links to official information from The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), which has recently launched a new website for the inauguration as well as the ceremonies' first-ever page on the social networking site Facebook.  Both sites are designed to be authoritative and comprehensive sources of Inaugural history and provide up-to-date Inaugural information.

"The inauguration is a historic occasion - one marked by ceremony and celebration," said Harkin.  "Iowans looking to attend can find a one-stop source of information, request tickets, or find information about performing in the parade by visiting my website."  

In addition to Senator Harkin's website, the JCCIC Inauguration website, which provides historical information, can found at http://www.inaugural.senate.gov. Its Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/JCCIC.

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Governor Proclaims Dec. 2-8 as "Iowa Farm Bureau Week"

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Nov. 8, 2012 - Members of the state's largest grassroots farm organization will gather with renewed vigor to hear nationally-acclaimed animal welfare expert, Temple Grandin,  keynote the 94th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), Dec. 4 and 5 at the newly- remodeled Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines.

Governor Terry Branstad has also declared Dec. 2-8 as 'Iowa Farm Bureau Week' to honor the many accomplishments and contributions of the 94-year-old grassroots farm organization.

"This year our annual meeting theme, 'People, Progress and Pride,' celebrates the accomplishments, challenges and potential of our many diverse family farmers.  Today's responsible farmers are strong members of their communities and are focused on the future; they're always looking for better ways to provide safe food choices for today's consumers, so they embrace innovation and the expertise of others," said IFBF President Craig Hill.  "That's why we're bringing together a diverse, high caliber group of speakers like Dr. Temple Grandin, noted animal welfare expert and livestock-handling equipment designer, who also consults for firms such as Burger King, McDonald's, Swift and others."

Temple Grandin's challenges as an autistic young woman and the unique perspective it gave her with animals was profiled in the 2010 HBO Emmy Award-winning movie, "Temple Grandin," starring Claire Danes.  Since the movie's success, Grandin's perspectives and livestock facility designs have won international acclaim.

Another nationally-recognized keynote speaker will provide unique insight for attendees, Dr. Lowell Catlett.  The 'futurist' economist and engaging speaker will take the stage at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 5 to discuss 'Food for the Smart Planet.' Dr. Catlett helps national and international organizations do futuristic planning on the impacts of technology on careers, lifestyles and the economy.

The author of numerous books, Dr. Catlett also works with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Labor, Interior, Defense, Education, Energy and the World Bank.

In addition to innovative speakers, the 94th IFBF annual meeting also features several 'hands-on' educational seminars to help Farm Bureau members navigate challenging markets, rules and regulations as well as the most current best management practices for water quality.  This year the access to expert advice from noted leaders has been expanded to include three separate sessions on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

Also, Iowa's best and brightest young farmers will take the stage for the IFBF Young Farmers Discussion Meet Dec. 4, competing for the state title and a John Deere X320 riding lawn mower and the chance to advance to the national competition, January 13-16, in Nashville.

IFBF President and Milo farmer, Craig Hill, will address members and special guests on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 8:30 a.m. The organization will celebrate the contributions of dedicated Farm Bureau members with a recognition banquet Tuesday, Dec. 4, at noon and a young farm leaders' achievement luncheon on Dec. 5.

Farm Bureau's voting delegate session and elections will be held Wednesday, Dec. 5.   The following directors are up for re-election this year: IFBF District 1 board member Carlton Kjos, District 3 board member Phil Sundblad, and District 5 board member Morey Hill and Vice President Joe Heinrich.

Members can register for the 2012 IFBF annual meeting at their county Farm Bureau offices. For a complete listing of events and activities, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is pressing for a comprehensive plan from the federal judiciary in light of possible budget cuts due to sequestration.

Grassley said he became concerned after reading an email alerting him to the drastic measures the governing body of the federal court system would take if sequestration occurs.  The email lacked any reference to actions the courts should already be taking to limit unnecessary spending, such as limiting conferences expenses and travel for judges and other employees.  Savings generated by cutting these unnecessary expenditures could help the courts avoid layoffs, continue juror compensation, and ensure that defender services are maintained.

Grassley's concerns were presented today in a letter to Judge Thomas Hogan, the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts which is the operating body of the federal court system.

"The entire federal government is going to be absorbing some difficult cost saving measures.  But, it's disappointing that the federal judiciary outlined draconian measures in a vague email instead of providing a comprehensive plan.  It seems to present a Chicken Little mentality without much effort and forethought into avoiding major disruptions.  The last thing we want is for people to be laid off or justice to be delayed," Grassley said.  "The federal court system should have a detailed plan to ensure as little disruption as possible in case sequestration occurs.  I've outlined a great deal of questionable spending by the federal judiciary that could easily be curbed to give the cost saving a jump start."

The Senate Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over the federal courts system.  Grassley has been conducting oversight of unchecked spending by the federal judiciary for several years.

Here's a copy of the text of the letter to Hogan.  A signed copy can be found here.

 

November 8, 2012

Via Electronic Transmission

 

The Honorable Judge Thomas F. Hogan

Director

Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building

One Columbus Circle N.E.

Washington, D.C. 20544

 

Dear Judge Hogan:

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (A.O.) sent an email recently to staff members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary outlining the impact of the possible sequestration on the federal courts.  As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, I want to ensure the A.O. has a more comprehensive plan for sequestration than was outlined in the email.

The A.O. warned that "[a]n 8.2 percent cut could amount to a $555 million [funding] reduction" and would be "devastating."   In addition, the A.O. intimated the federal courts could be forced to downsize its staff across the country by approximately one third as well as potentially require involuntary separations and/or up to five weeks of furlough for court employees.  Your office also cautioned that defender services would be severely impacted by the suspension of payments to private attorneys and their staffs.  And finally, the A.O. suggested court security would be cut by fifty percent, and jurors would not be paid for their services.

There is no question that the funding reductions would be difficult to absorb.  However, I find it surprising that while the A.O. has been quick to outline the number of employees who would be either involuntarily separated or furloughed, other operational expenses are not mentioned.

For a number of years, I have been raising concerns about the significant amount of court funding spent on non-case related travel.  Thus far, the spending documents I have seen do not appear to justify the travel expenses associated with several events sponsored by various components of the judiciary.  For instance, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held a weeklong conference in Maui, Hawaii, costing taxpayers well over $1 million.  In another example, five district courts requesting new judgeships spent over $635,000 and used at least 1362 paid work days for non-court related travel in 2010 alone.  Additionally, the Federal Public Defender's Office (FPDO) for the Eastern District of California recently spent at least $25,000 for an employee spa weekend.  And in fact, the 62 FPDOs across the country have spent at least $17 million on travel expenses over the past two years alone.  While these only represent several examples, if spending on items of this nature were curtailed, the savings could go a long way towards filling the funding shortfalls your office identified.

According to the March 13, 2012 Report on the Proceeding of the Judicial Conference of the United States,[1] the Budget Committee "developed a report to the Executive Committee on the status of the judiciary's cost-containment efforts."  The report states that "given the current and expected worsening funding climate facing the judiciary, it is essential that the judiciary complete and implement, as soon as possible, as many of these initiatives as feasible."

I agree wholeheartedly that the judiciary needs to seek out and implement cost-containment measures, but I strongly encourage the A.O. to review the judiciary budget as a whole to identify those measures.  For this reason, I am requesting the following additional information:

1)      The detailed plan for how the A.O. intends to meet effectively the demands of any potential sequestration, and the demands of the federal court system.

2)      The cost savings for each measure outlined in the plan provided in question (1) would generate.

3)      Details regarding the decision-making process for determining where funding cuts would be made, how deep those cuts would be, and what, if any, programs would not receive a funding reduction.

4)      Details about how funding for non-case related travel throughout the federal judiciary will be reduced.

5)      The results of the Federal Judicial Center survey of judges "to ascertain which resources they consider most (and least) essential to performing their official duties."[2]

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.  I would appreciate receiving your response to this matter by December 4, 2012.  Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact my staff at (202) 224-5225.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

Ranking Member

1.  Report of the Proceedings of the Judicial Conference of the United States, at 9 (March 13, 2012), available at  http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/JudicialConference/Proceedings/Proceedings.aspx?doc=/uscourts/FederalCourts/judconf/proceedings/2012-03.pdf

2 Id. at. 7.

 





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Despite Party's Best Ostrich Act, Abysmal Tenure
to Blame for Romney's Defeat, Lawyer Says

As the United States prepares to inaugurate Barack Obama for a second term in office, many Republicans are still struggling to understand Gov. Mitt Romney's defeat.

Exit polls on Nov. 6, however, indicated that voters blamed former President George W. Bush for the country's economic troubles, and most believe that Obama's policies have helped the recovery.

Bush was such a poor president that conservatives no longer bother to defend the previous commander in chief, says New York attorney and political humorist Steven Sarshik.

"It has become conventional wisdom that Bush messed up so badly that pundits on both sides tend to gloss over the magnitude of his appalling legacy," says Sarshik, author of the satirical novel, "The Apology," (www.sarshik.com), a fantastical tale that begins on the day of Obama's second inauguration, when Bush gets himself into a jam in Europe.

"Conservatives won't go anywhere near Bush's eight years, except to tell liberals who blame him for the difficult recovery to stop living in the past. I mean ... the guy wasn't even invited to the Republican National Convention in Tampa," Sarshik says. "The Democrats mentioned him more at their convention."

Unfortunately, in political debate, reviewing Bush's record has become a non-starter, "but that doesn't mean his tenure didn't happen," Sarshik says.

He reviews some of the Bush policy flubs that directly contributed to Romney's defeat:

• A party of extremists: In order to compete with this season's Republican primary candidates and satisfy the hordes of Tea Party conservatives, "moderate Mitt" had to take a backseat in favor of pedal-to-the-metal, far-right Romney. The party took a dramatic shift to the far right as a result of Bush's expensive, fiscally irresponsible policies. After the primaries, "flip-flopper" didn't seem strong enough to describe Romney's shifting stances; his proposed policies became "Etch-a-Sketch," almost to the point of being Zen-like, Sarshik says. "Often, his answers to questions became exceedingly abstract, and I think the shifting discouraged independent and undecided voters."

• A clear and simple foreign policy narrative: A recent Vanity Fair exposé shows that Bush was given ample warning of the attacks on American soil before Sept. 11, 2001. While the 43rd president followed up with what still seems to many a non-sequitur war in Iraq, Obama oversaw the end of that protracted campaign and killed the man responsible for 9-11. Romney's foreign policy appeared to be a continuation of Bush's costly approach.

• FEMA and the "heck of a job, Brownie" gaffe: "Frankenstorm" Sandy hit the Northeast days before the Nov. 6 election, which could have devastated Obama's campaign had he handled it poorly. Instead, his cooperation with New Jersey Rep. Gov. Chris Christie was the perfect example of how to handle local and state-level emergencies. During debates, in an attempt to back up small-government rhetoric and explain away Bush's poor handling of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, Romney said the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be dismantled in favor of state control, and "even better," be privatized.

About Steven Sarshik

Steven Sarshik has been a New York City trial lawyer for more than 30 years, handling all sorts of politically charged cases - much like the fictitious one he paints in "The Apology." He is also the author of "Wrongful Death," a novel about an NYC police shooting.

Happy Joe's is gearing up for a huge 40th anniversary celebration! The Happy Joe's company was founded November 16, 1972, and the first location opened in the Village of East Davenport. Founder of Happy Joe's, Lawrence Joseph Whitty, began his career as a baker. He later began working for a pizza chain and was convinced he could make improvements on their product. When they weren't interested, Joe's wife Sandie encouraged him to pursue his dreams of opening his own restaurant. Joe remembered seeing patrons at his previous job leave the restaurant and walk down the street for ice cream. That gave Joe the idea to combine pizza and ice cream into one restaurant concept. Joe's daughter Julie came up with the now famous name of Happy Joe's, and the rest is history. Joe never dreamed he would have more than one restaurant, but Happy Joe's now spans over 6 states with nearly 60 locations. Happy Joe's has become a family tradition and is well known by its two signature pizzas, The Happy Joe's Special (with Canadian bacon and sauerkraut which Joe invented in the kitchen of one of his relatives homes using leftovers), and the infamous Taco Pizza which Joe created in response to a franchisee's request to add tacos to the menu.

Happy Joe's is not only known for its pizza and menu products, but for the good work they do in their communities. The company has a stellar reputation for giving back and Joe has dedicated the company to a variety of causes, mainly those that revolve around children with special needs.

In honor of the company's 40th anniversary, Happy Joe's has launched the Happy Joe's Kids Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children with special needs, as well as their families and the groups that support them. This is a national foundation and the family hopes it will be a legacy to Joe's passion for children with special needs.

Fundraising efforts have already kicked off with a variety of events. The biggest and most exciting are just around the corner. The Happy Joe's Special Needs party will host over 1,000 children November 14th at the iWireless Center. The children are invited at no cost and it is Happy Joe's gift to them. Joe Whitty stated, "We do this party every year, but for our 40th we are making it even bigger. It is my favorite day of the year and the best Christmas present I could ever get is seeing these kids and how much fun they have at our party."

On November 16th Happy Joe's will host the inaugural Ladies Precious Luncheon at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf. Doors open at 11am. There will be a jewelry show and renowned speaker Mary LoVerde will be the keynote speaker. Tickets are $45 and proceeds will benefit the Happy Joe's Kids Foundation.

November 19th will be the Happy Joe's Tribute Dinner which will celebrate the lives of some very important people in the special needs community, as well as be a tribute to Happy Joe Whitty and his good works. Tickets are $100 per seat and doors open at 5pm. There will also be a silent auction. All proceeds will benefit the Happy Joe's Kids Foundation.

Finally, November 20th at the Blackhawk Hotel at 7:30 am there will be a Fully Roasted Cup of Joe breakfast. This is a full-on roast of Happy Joe Whitty. After 40 years in business, join us to kick the beans out of the big guy!

For information on any of these events or to purchase tickets, contact the Happy Joe's Support Center 563-332-8811. You can also register online www.happyjoeskids.org and click on the events tab.

What does Happy Joe have to say about all of this? "I would like to thank all of our loyal guests, franchisees, and team members for their dedication and commitment to Happy Joe's. There is no way we would have made it to 40 years without all of you! I'm amazed and proud how my staff has rallied to pull all of these events together. It is an exciting time and I'm proud that we have been able to launch a new foundation that I know will do a lot of good."

If you would like more information, please contact Kristel Whitty-Ersan at 563.332.8811, Ext. 203, or via e-mail at kristele@happyjoes.com.

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