16 Oct 2012

NCCC Hosts Community Workday at Camp Courageous

By Camp Courageous
Monticello, Iowa - On Saturday, Oct. 27, AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) members are collaborating with Camp Courageous to do trail maintenance at the camp's ropes course. The community day is being held from 9 am to 1 pm at 12007 190 Street in Monticello, Iowa.

Volunteers are coming together to clean up brush to make the woods, specifically the ropes course, as safe as possible and more easily accessible for campers. In the event of rain, volunteers will clean the pool, lodge, cabins and a closet with costumes used for weekly dances. AmeriCorps NCCC invites residents from throughout the area to participate in this collaborative event.

"I'm very excited to meet community members and spread the word about Camp Courageous," says NCCC member Callie Keeney.

Tools and snacks are being provided. Volunteers are encouraged to dress warm. For further information about the community day please email serviceproject.outreach14@gmail.com or call 319-529-0587.

Camp Courageous serves over 6,000 individuals with disabilities annually. Their mission is to provide exceptional year-round recreational and respite care opportunities for individuals with special needs and their families. The camp is run primarily on donations, giving all individuals the opportunity to give through gifts of time, materials, money and other means that support the camp.

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, national service program in which 1,100 young adults serve nationwide each year. During their 10-month term, NCCC Members - all 18 to 24 years old - work on teams of eight to 12 on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members mentor students, construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs. The North Central Region campus in Vinton, Iowa is one five regional campuses in the United States and serves Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The other campuses are located in Perry Point, Md.; Sacramento, Calif.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Denver, Colo.

In exchange for their service, NCCC Members receive $5,550 to help pay for college, or to pay back existing student loans. Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference. AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation improves lives, strengthens
communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.americorps.gov/nccc.

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16 Oct 2012

Genesis Nursing Homes Earn High Ratings From CMS

By Craig Cooper
Mercer County Nursing Home in Aledo, Ill., and Illini Restorative Care, Silvis, Ill., have each earned 5-star quality ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Five stars is the highest and most respected rating a nursing home can achieve. The combined rating is based on health inspections, staffing and quality measures.

Westwing Place at Genesis Medical Center, DeWitt, earned a 4-star rating in overall quality.

The 5-star rating from CMS is the highest ever for Mercer County Nursing Home.

"We believe in high quality resident care and set a standard of excellence in everything we do," said Myron Higgins, administrator, Mercer County Nursing Home. "Every member of our staff is dedicated to our residents and their families."

Mercer County Nursing Home is a 92-bed skilled nursing facility managed by Genesis Health System. The nursing home provides residents with superior short and long-term skilled nursing care administered by caring professionals. Highly trained and experienced staff offer residents individualized and compassionate attention while providing a wide range of health care services, including physical, occupational and speech therapy along with around-the-clock nursing care.

Mercer County Nursing Home earned 5 stars for quality ratings, 4 stars for health inspections, and 3 stars for staffing.

Illini Restorative care earned 5 stars for health inspections and 5 stars for staffing.

Westwing Place earned 4 stars in every category and 4 stars overall.

For more information about senior living options at Genesis, go to www.genesishealth.com/srliving.

About Genesis Health System

Genesis Health System and its affiliates offer a full continuum of care, including preventive, primary, acute and tertiary hospital care; home health; hospice; rehabilitation; and long-term care. Its affiliates include Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, DeWitt and the Illini Campus in Silvis, Illinois; the Genesis Health Services Foundation, Visiting Nurse Association and GenVentures Inc. Genesis also manages Mercer County Hospital, Aledo, and Jackson County Regional Health Center, Maquoketa, Iowa. Serving a 10-county area of eastern Iowa and western Illinois, the Health System also operates Genesis Health Group. For more information, visit our Web site at www.genesishealth.com.
16 Oct 2012

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO TRAVEL TO IOWA, OHIO, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND NEW YORK

By Randy Stalsberg

CHICAGO–Obama for America announced today that President Obama will travel to Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire and New York next week, following the second presidential debate.  On Wednesday, October 17, President Obama will campaign in Cedar Rapids, IA and in Athens, OH, and in Manchester, NH on Thursday, October 18. Also on Thursday, President Obama will deliver remarks at the 67th Annual Alfred. E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City.

Details on the President`s events in Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire and New York City are forthcoming.

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16 Oct 2012

Library Lines - Rock Island Public Library - Oct 2012

By Lisa Lockheart
Learn More About Your Family Tree: Wednesday, Oct. 17, a program on Computer Genealogy. Main Library Community Room at 401 19th Street. No registration is required.

 

Thinking of buying a new computer, eReader, tablet or cell phone? The library will offer Technology Basics, a free showcase on what to look for in technology, at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 16 in the Rock Island Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street.

 

Learn more about social media, with Facebook and Twitter: What You Want to Know, at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. Library employees will answer some common about the features of both Facebook and Twitter, and how people use them to build connections with others.

 

Magic Workshops with Rick Eugene. Participants have a choice of two dates and locations: Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 6:30 pm, in the Rock Island Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street or Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 pm, in the Rock Island Southwest Branch Community Room, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Children from second grades on up will learn how to do magic tricks with professional magician Rick Eugene.

 

To register for any of the above events, call the Rock Island Library Children's Department at 309-732-7360.

 

Other events during the school break include :

  • Evening Storytimes: 6:00 pm,  Oct. 15 at the Southwest Branch;
  • Wednesday Lego Time: 4:00 pm, Oct. 17 at the 30/31 Branch;
  • Saturday Lego Time: 10:30 am, Oct. 20, Southwest Branch
  • Saturday "STEM-tivity:" 11:30 am, Oct. 20, Southwest Branch. Why do things float? Explore this topic with a fun, hands-on project around concepts in STEM (science, technology, engineering or math.)
On Oct. 18, the library will celebrate the Teen Read Week theme of "It came from the library!" with a free murder mystery party for ages 12 to 18. The murder mystery party is from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at the Rock Island Main Library, and features chances to play a murder mystery game, enjoy snacks, and win prizes. Teen Read Week dares teens to "read for the fun of it," from Oct. 14-20, 2012.

 

Learn how to survive a zombie attack with a Teen Zombie party, 5:30 pm at the Rock Island Main Library. Teens ages 12 to 18 will watch a zombie movie, enjoy snacks, and share tips on zombie survival.

16 Oct 2012

Hotel Blackhawk Wins 2nd Consecutive Smart Meetings Award; 1 of 125 hotels nationally to be recognized

By Rick Martin
Davenport, IA - Hotel Blackhawk has been named a 2012 Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Award winner. This is the second consecutive year it has received the recognition which was given to only 125 hotels nationwide.

The awards, in their ninth year, are presented by Smart Meetings magazine, the hospitality industry's premier resource for meeting professionals.

Results are decided during a two-month vote by readers with additional input from editors and industry experts. The awards recognize excellence in service and amenities among meeting facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

"This year's winners exceeded expectations and exemplified positive, professional standards that reflect a true commitment to the meetings industry," said Marin Bright, founder and publisher of Smart Meetings. "We want to reward industry leaders, innovators and top service providers that make a real difference for planners and attendees."

"We are very excited to win this prestigious award from Smart Meetings two years in a row," said Tim Heim, General Manager of Hotel Blackhawk. "Being one of just 125 nationally with this recognition again shines the spotlight on our stated goal to make the City of Davenport, Iowa and the Quad Cities a destination."

Hotel Blackhawk re-opened December 15th, 2010. The hotel retains its 96-year-old historic character while featuring modern conveniences throughout the 130 guestrooms and extended-stay suites, six meeting rooms and up to 300-person banquet capacity in the signature Gold Room.

Other features include wireless internet, a fitness center, business center, swimming pool, hot tub, Spa Luce (lu-CHAY), Milan Flower Shop, the Bix Bistro restaurant, the Beignet (been-YAY) Done That coffee shop and Blackhawk Bowl & Martini Lounge. The hotel is part of the Summit Hotels & Resorts group (www.summithotels.com) and the Historic Hotels of America network (www.historichotels.org).

For more, visit www.hotelblackhawk.com or find us on www.facebook.com (Search: Hotel Blackhawk).

-30-

16 Oct 2012

Lt. Governor Simon to host affordability summit at SIUC

By Kara Beach

Summits to follow at Illinois State, Western and SIUE

 

CARBONDALE - Advocating for affordable and accessible higher education for all students, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will host College Affordability Summits in Carbondale, Normal, Macomb and Edwardsville in the coming week.

 

Simon will call on state, federal and higher education leaders to increase transparency, target state aid and support a federal tax credit for middle class families in order to make college affordable for Illinois students. The average costs for a public university education have outpaced family incomes and available aid, increasing 128 percent since 1980 when adjusted for inflation.

 

"Our state has set a goal to increase the proportion of working-age adults to 60 percent, from 41 percent, by 2025. The only way we can achieve this goal is if college is affordable," said Simon, a former Southern Illinois University law professor. "We must work together to rein in costs of a higher education."

 

The Governor's point person on education reform, Simon supports legislation for College Choice Reports, a standardized report for all degree-granting institutions that would help students analyze cost, debt and graduation rates across institutions. Simon also serves on the state's MAP Eligibility Task Force, which is reviewing ways to better target the need-based assistance to students. A task force report is due to the General Assembly January 1, 2013.

 

The College Affordability Summits are scheduled for Monday, Oct. 15 at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; Thursday, Oct. 18 at Illinois State University and Western Illinois University; and Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville on Friday, Oct. 19. Additional dates and locations will follow.

 

EVENT: Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Affordability Summit

TIME: 1:15 p.m.

DATE: Monday, October 15

PLACE: Trueblood Dining Hall, 1175 S. Washington St., Carbondale

NOTE: Simon will hold a media availability in the dining hall before shadowing a work study student. The job shadow is for photo and video spray only.

 

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16 Oct 2012

Loebsack Urges Postal Service to Keep Post Offices Open, Consider Local Input

By Joe Hand

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today wrote to the United States Postal Service expressing his concerns about possible post office closures.  The USPS will soon be holding meetings in communities across Iowa regarding the plans for individual post offices.  Loebsack pushed the Postmaster General to make clear how this process will be carried out, and stressed the importance of listening to community input as these decisions are made.

"I am concerned that the Postal Service may move forward with post office closures, despite their plan to keep offices open with possible service hour reductions," said Loebsack.  "I urge the USPS to carefully consider local input as they move forward with these public meetings, and request information about how the process will be carried out to ensure that the process is transparent and takes into account the needs of each community."

Loebsack is a cosponsor of H.R. 1351, which would address the USPS's financial needs without the upheaval and job loss that post office closures would cause.  He has urged leadership to address postal reform as soon as possible.  A copy of the letter Loebsack sent is available here.

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16 Oct 2012

'Lies, Love & Life' Unpeels the Negative Self

By Rick Martin

The best resource we have in affecting change and improvements in our lives is ourselves, writes Cathy Holloway Hill in "Lies, Love & Life," (www.chollowayhill.com).

"Relationships are ruined every day because of lies," says Hill, a former IBM executive. "The most damaging lies are the ones we tell ourselves."

While it may seem obvious that personal well-being is largely based on self-determination, the reality is that too many of us - perhaps most of us, at least sometimes - not only forget that we have the power to change; we often tell ourselves lies that impede our own progress, she says.

"No one wakes up and says, 'I want a miserable, unfulfilled and unhealthy life.' What then prompts people to continue dysfunctional and toxic, limiting, self-destructive behaviors?" Hill asks. "The book brings this self-sabotaging behavior to the surface and guides you through a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement."

In the forward of "Lies, Love & Life," best-selling author and psychologist Dr. Alan Zimmerman provides an overview of all that people risk and lose when "they pretend not to know" what they know, in fact, is true.

"If you're ever going to be truly happy and really successful, you've got to stop 'pretending' ... or as Cathy Holloway Hill says ... stop lying to yourself," Zimmerman writes.

"Reading Hill's book is as good as hiring a life coach," writes best-selling author Simon T. Bailey. "... The book challenges us to see all the ways we deceive ourselves into living half lives and to jump from that sad state into a life of real meaning and truth. This book will make your life a lot more authentic .... Everything worthwhile requires work, and Cathy has mapped it out for you in a very easy-to-understand manner."

"Holloway-Hill's book is an honest and insightful examination of the powerful ways lies grow and shape our reality once we allow them to become a part of our personal narratives," writes CNN, E! and MSNBC media personality S. Tia Brown. "(It is) a critical resource for anyone ready to move beyond feelings of inadequacy and lack."

About Cathy Holloway Hill

Cathy Holloway Hill is founder of C. Holloway Hill Enterprises, an international consulting, training and professional speaking firm focusing on personal and professional growth and effectiveness. Her guidance is sought by Fortune 100 companies, youth organizations and individuals who want to transform their lives. Hill has a bachelor's in computer science, a master's in psychology and numerous life coaching certifications. After 25 years in the corporate world, she walked away from her successful career at IBM in order to pursue her passion - helping people live happier lives. She is a winner of Indiana's Torchbearer Award for contributions to her state.

16 Oct 2012

Washington County 4th Annual Cook-Off for Charity

By Natalie Anderson
Area Chef Competition Benefits Washington County Charities

WASHINGTON, Iowa - The Community Foundation of Washington County (CFWC) will host its Fourth Annual Chef
Cook-off on Tuesday evening, November 13, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Parish Life Center in Richmond,
Iowa.

This year's chefs will be Stacia Bontrager, of Stacia's Catering in Wellman and Jaron P. Rosien, of JP's 207 Club in
Washington. Each chef will prepare a 4 course dinner. Attendees will judge each course and the overall winner
will be announced that evening during an awards presentation. Last year's winner was Jerry & Margie's Catering
of Riverside. Stone Cliff Winery of Dubuque will have wine for sampling and purchase beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50 per person and may be purchased from any Community Foundation Board member or by calling
Millie Youngquist, CFWC Executive Director at 319-653-4673. The number of tickets is limited and they should be
purchased by November 1st.

The Community Foundation of Washington County works together with many individuals, families, businesses and
organizations to establish and grow endowment funds that provide support to charitable causes in Washington
County for years to come. The CFWC is led by a local board of 10 directors who are active in the communities
of Washington County. Members are: Bob Freeman, Wellman, President; Robert Youngquist, Washington, Vice-
President; Colleen Sojka and Mary Jane Stumpf, Riverside; Steve Reif, Kalona; Jeff Johnston, Crawfordsville; Mary
Jo Roberts, Ainsworth; Steve Olson, Al Olson and Millie Youngquist, Washington.

For more information about the CFWC and how it can help you achieve your philanthropic goals, contact Millie
Youngquist at: cfwc.my@gmail.com or visit their website: www.cfwashingtoncounty.org.

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16 Oct 2012

Governor Quinn Encourages Schools to Participate in the Illinois School Breakfast Challenge

By Erin Wilson

Ongoing effort aims to end child hunger by serving healthy breakfast at school 

BERWYN - October 12, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today visited Irving Elementary School to emphasize the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and to participate in the school's "breakfast in the classroom" program as part of the 2012-2013 Illinois School Breakfast Challenge. A partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Midwest Dairy Council and the Illinois No Kid Hungry Campaign, the effort challenges every school in the state to make school breakfast a top priority. Governor Quinn sent a letter to superintendents throughout Illinois encouraging them to participate in the challenge earlier this year.

"No child should begin their school day with an empty stomach," Governor Quinn said. "The Illinois School Breakfast Challenge will help children across the state have a nutritious start to their day, so they are ready to learn, grow and play."

Serving breakfast in the classroom is a proven way to eliminate child hunger and help students succeed in school. Studies indicate that children who come to school hungry report headaches and stomachaches more frequently, have trouble focusing in class, make more errors and have slower memory recall. Researchers have also found that just by serving breakfast at school, students perform better on standardized tests and show a general increase in reading and math scores.  "Breakfast in the classroom" programs also help children develop healthy habits for life.

The state of Illinois offers a federally funded School Breakfast Program for children who come from households that struggle with hunger; however, less than 40 percent of the students who qualify participate. The Illinois School Breakfast Challenge encourages schools to take advantage of this program and prevent children from coming to school hungry. Schools with the largest percentage increases in average daily breakfast participation rates for August-December 2012 compared to January-May 2012 will receive awards. There are four tiers of awards, with each tier awarding three prizes of $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000. The Challenge kicked-off in Illinois in April 2012 as part of a nationwide effort to close the school breakfast gap.

Since Irving School introduced their classroom breakfast program, students' standardized test scores have dramatically improved. In 2010 - before the program was implemented - only 79% of third graders at the school met or exceeded state standards in math, but in 2011 - the first year of the program - 92% of third graders met or exceeded this standard. In 2012, it went up to 98%. As of Thursday, October 11, 2012, Irving School has served 9,271 breakfasts since the first day of school.

The Breakfast Challenge is part of the Illinois No Kid Hungry Campaign to end childhood hunger in Illinois. Governor Quinn launched the Illinois No Kid Hungry Campaign earlier this year with the Illinois Commission to End Hunger and Share Our Strength, the nation's leading child anti-hunger organization. The campaign is one of the key recommendations made by the Commission to eliminate hunger throughout Illinois.

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