28 Aug 2012

Governor Quinn Signs Law to Increase School Safety

By Erin Wilson

ELGIN - August 27, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law to keep both students and faculty safe as they head back to school.  House Bill 5602 allows juvenile criminal records to be shared with school officials when there is an imminent threat to individuals at the school and certain offenses have been committed by a student. Today's action is the latest by Governor Quinn to improve safety in Illinois schools.

"Our children and their teachers deserve to go to school everyday feeling safe," Governor Quinn said. "This new law will help ensure that schools are safe learning environments where the bright young minds of our future can be nurtured without fear."

Sponsored by Rep. Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills) and Sen. John Millner (R-Carol Stream), HB 5602 arose from an incident at School District U-46 in Elgin where a teacher was attacked by a student who was under investigation at the time for two other violent attacks. The new law, which is designed to strengthen safety in schools, provides that information from these law enforcement records may only be shared orally and may not become part of the student's official school record or public record. This bill will require law enforcement and the school district to provide support services to an at-risk student when appropriate. The law is effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Also today, Governor Quinn signed two new laws that benefit community colleges in Illinois.

Senate Bill 3428, sponsored by Sen. Edward Maloney (D-Chicago) and Rep. Daniel Beiser (D-Alton), requires that one of the 12 members on the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) must be a public community college president, the Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago or the CEO of Illinois Eastern Community Colleges. The law, which is designed to improve community college representation, is effective immediately.

Senate Bill 2929, sponsored by Sen. Michael Noland (D-Elgin) and Rep. Keith Farnham (D-Elgin), allows community colleges seeking bids for projects to utilize the Procurement of Domestic Products Act, which requires the promotion and use of goods manufactured in the United States. However, in cases when available domestic products are too expensive, of low quality or when foreign purchases better serve the public interest, the use of domestic products is not required. The law is effective immediately.

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28 Aug 2012

Maria Bribriesco Announces Final Health & Wellness Series Topic

By Sandra Travino
Social Worker Rebecca Dwyer-Elias: Tips On Achieving & Maintaining A Positive Self Esteem

AUGUST 28, 2012 BETTENDORF, IA - Maria Bribriesco, candidate for Iowa House of Representatives (District 94) and Bettendorf resident, has announced the final session in a four-part Health & Wellness series "Tips on Achieving & Maintaining Positive Self-Esteem " with social worker Rebecca Dwyer-Elias, LCSW, LISW.  This presentation will be at the  Bettendorf Public Library August 28, 2012 at 6:30 PM.  Ms. Dwyer-Elias will deliver a short presentation followed by a Q&A.  This event is free to the public.

"Bullying in our society is a tremendous problem.  It's been in the news lately but it still doesn't get enough attention." Maria said recently.  "One's self esteem is battered whenever one is subjected to bullying whether it be at school, at home, or at work.  This type of informational program is a step in the right direction to combating this social problem." 

In private practice since 1999, Rebecca earned a Masters of Social Work from San Diego State University in San Diego, CA. She is skilled at establishing the core conditions of counseling with her clients, developing accurate diagnostic assessments, and applying appropriate treatment planning and theoretical interventions.

About Maria Bribriesco
Maria Bribriesco, a long-time resident of Bettendorf and graduate from the University of Iowa College of Law, is candidate from the Iowa House of Representatives, District 94. After 27 years working for the U.S. Army at the Rock Island Arsenal, Maria retired as a Supervisory Attorney-Adviser in July 2011.

Maria is married to local attorney William J. Bribriesco and is the proud mother of attorneys Anthony and Andrew Bribriesco and doctor Alejandro Bribriesco.
28 Aug 2012

Braley Op-Ed: Paying it Forward - One Year Later

By Rick Martin

It's hard to believe that a year has passed since Andrew Connolly, a Dubuque veteran, passed away from a rare form of cancer in his spinal cord after returning home from his service in Iraq. That day I lost a friend, his wife Jenny and son Brody lost a wonderful husband and father, and Iowa lost one of its greatest sons.

Andrew faced incredible challenges, but throughout it all, he still focused on helping others - "Paying it Forward," as Andrew would say. When he came back from his tour of duty in Iraq, the apartment he, Jenny, and their son Brody who has special-needs, were living in could no longer accommodate their family's needs. They knew that Brody would need a handicapped-accessible living environment for the rest of his life.  As Andrew's cancer spread, it became apparent that there were two members of the household who needed more accessible housing.

They pursued a VA housing grant to help build a handicapped-accessible home, but ran into the same bureaucratic mess that many Iowans experience when dealing with the government.  The Connollys ended up connecting with me, and we worked together to finally secure a VA housing grant for the family.  With the help of that grant, local businesses, and union shops around Dubuque, Andrew and his family were able to stretch their resources and build an accessible home.

This is what Iowa is all about.  Business leaders and union leaders worked together.  Government funding worked with private funding.  Simply put, neighbors came together, and a home was built.

But neither Andrew nor I could understand how wounded men and women returning home from fighting for our country could not even end up with proper housing to accommodate service-connected disabilities.   So Andrew and I worked together to make a change. We introduced a bill called the Andrew Connolly Veterans Housing Act. Andrew testified in the Veterans Affairs Committee in Congress, and together we convinced Democrats and Republicans that our disabled veterans should not go without housing that accommodates their physical needs.

After a lot of work and bipartisan support, the Andrew Connolly Veterans Housing Act was signed into law by President Obama on August 6, 2012 - just a few days after what would have been Andrew's 29th birthday. The bill extends the adaptive housing grant program for disabled veterans for ten years, through December 31, 2022, and increases the total adaptive housing grant limit from $63,780 to $91,780. This will help many disabled veterans afford necessary, and often very expensive, changes to their home in order to live a fully functional life.

This bill passed because Andrew worked for it, and he even made some of the most unlikely neighbors - Republicans and Democrats in Congress - come together.  He is deeply missed, but he Paid it Forward every day. And although he's gone, the law bearing his name will continue to Pay it Forward for our wounded warriors for years to come.

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28 Aug 2012

Need Work? Tech Companies are Hiring

By Ginny Grimsley
Business Offers Insights for Future IT Job Candidates

"Do what you love" has been the advice embedded in American commencement speeches for decades. Now, however, it's "do STEM'' -- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

"We have the brains, we have the educational capability and I'm pretty sure students want a job when they graduate high school and college. We do not have to go overseas to find our talent," says decorated Army Ranger and entrepreneur Matthew Brosious, co-founder of FreightCenter.com. The third-party logistics company and freight software technology provider does for freight shipping what Expedia does for travel.

Brosious' company is hiring and, for students and people interested in new careers, what it's seeking in job candidates offers valuable insights.

"A formal STEM education is not necessarily crucial to obtaining a job in a STEM career," says Doug Walls, FreightCenter.com's chief information officer. Walls initially started as the company's IT administrator and after seven years is now CIO. According to Walls:

• Often times, the best developers are the ones who have a natural aptitude and an ability to comprehend emerging technologies.

• Web development and IT offer stable careers with plenty of opportunity for placement straight out of college.

• Web technology is increasingly going more mobile as users access the Internet via smart phones and tablets, so it's important to continue to learn about new techniques to reach this group of users.

• Following development or IT blogs and news is an excellent way to stay ahead in a progressive field.

• Having a well-designed and developed personal site offers employers like us an insight into your skill level and allows us to determine how job seekers apply the knowledge they've learned in school or on the job.

Located in Florida's Tampa Bay area, Freightcenter.com does well attracting qualified professionals, Brosious says. But job creators in other parts of the country may not be so lucky.

National statistics reveal a gap between STEM jobs and potential employees that will only grow wider if trends continue unchanged:

• Only about 6 percent of U.S. graduates leave college with a STEM-based degree, compared to 28 percent in Germany, 37 percent in South Korea and 47 percent in China, according to National Center for Education Statistics.

• STEM jobs are projected to grow twice as quickly as jobs in other fields in the next five years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics.

• Eighty percent of jobs in the next decade will require significant technical skills.

• Of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected in 2014, 15 will require considerable science and/or mathematics preparation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Brosious says getting young people interested in following a STEM track of education will require changes in the classroom beginning at an early age.

"Only one in five college students feel that their grade-school education prepared them very well for their STEM college courses," he says, citing a recently published survey by Microsoft.

That study also indicates students who pursue STEM degrees do so because they're inspired by a class or a teacher. And 16 percent more males than females are interested in those fields thanks to video games and clubs.

About FreightCenter.com

FreightCenter.com is a third-party freight logistics company that uses web-based tools to help businesses and individuals with their shipping needs. It has garnered numerous awards, including Best Companies to Work For (2011, Florida Trend); Service Industry of the Year (2010, Pasco Economic Development Council) and Top 10 Websites (2010, BtoB marketing news magazine.) Matthew Brosious and his father, James, co-founded American Freight Cos. - the parent company of www.FreightCenter.com - in 1998 to facilitate freight shipping for household, business and enterprise shippers. The service enables customers to compare carriers' rates, book LTL, truckload and specialized freight transportation and track shipments online.

28 Aug 2012

Blackhawk Fire Protection District Listing Burn Ban

By Shelly Chapman

WHEREAS, our region had experienced severe drought conditions, as are many areas across the State and Country; and

WHEREAS, 70 ILCS 705/8.20 (d)(i) allowed for the Fire Chief to prohibit open burning within the district on an emergency basis; and

WHEREAS, an amount of rain sufficient enough at this time to reduce the drought conditions has been received.

THEREFORE, I, Gary D. Chapman, Fire Chief of the Blackhawk Fire Protection District, do hereby LIFT THE BURN BAN for ALL OF BLACKHAWK FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT which has been in place since June 28, 2012.

Done this 27th day of August, 2012
28 Aug 2012

BP Awards Camp Courageous $3,000.00 Grant

By Camp Courageous

MONTICELLO, IOWA - BP Petroleum in collaboration with their BP Fueling Communities Program, local BP stations, and Fauser Energy Resources has awarded Camp Courageous a grant in the amount of $3,000.00.  Camp Courageous is a year-round recreational and respite care facility for individuals with special needs.  Run on donations, without government support, formal sponsorship, or paid fund raisers, this year the camp will serve 6,000 campers.

Camp Courageous' relationship with Fauser Energy Resources began in 1981, when Don Fauser visited Camp Courageous as a board member of the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa.  During that visit the Petroleum Marketers decided to take Camp Courageous under their wing, at a time when the camp was struggling to survive.  Since then the camp has grown from serving hundreds of campers to serving thousands of campers, is open-year round, has grown from 40 acres to 200 acres; and from 5 buildings to over 20.

"Don Fauser, and his son, Paul, have been actively involved in the success of Camp Courageous for over 30-years. They are a good and carrying family of incredible integrity...and those exceptional traits pour over into their work.  Camp Courageous feels very fortunate to have BP Petroleum and Fauser Energy Resources come together to make this wonderful gift possible," said Charlie Becker, Camp's Director.

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28 Aug 2012

Lt. Governor Simon to name Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor recipients

By Kara Beach

SPRINGFIELD - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will recognize the commitment and courage of 69 law enforcement officers Monday at the Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor ceremony. Selected from 15 law enforcement agencies statewide, the award recipients have displayed exceptional bravery and heroism while serving their communities.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor was established by law in 1990 and officers can be nominated for the award by their command.

Jurisdictions with award recipients are: Aurora Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Elgin Police Department, Harvey Police Department, Illinois State Police, Itasca Police Department, Justice Police Department, Kinkaid Police Department, Lincoln Police Department, Pekin Police Department, Rock Island County Sheriff's Office, University of Illinois Police Department, Waukegan Police Department, Will County Sheriff's Office, and Winnebago County Sheriff's Office.

EVENT: Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor ceremony

DATE: Monday, August 27

TIME: 1:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center, 701 East Adams Street, Springfield

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28 Aug 2012

Quad City Phoenix Festival Rain Delay - New date to be announced later this week

By Rick Martin
Local Royal Neighbors of America chapters and the Semper Fidelis Club were to host the August 26 to shine a spotlight on domestic violence awareness and prevention. The festival was to feature live music, games, Zumba classes, product and food vendors, hip hop and belly dance instruction, martial arts demonstrations, clowns, a magician, free face painting, a bounce house, resource information and a silent auction to support area domestic violence shelters.

Paula Frazier-Millsap, Director of the Quad City Phoenix Festival will announce a new date and time later this week. According to Ms. Frazier-Millsap, "A little rain won't dampen our spirits or our resolve. Like the mythical Phoenix, we will rise from this minor setback and present an even grander festival."

Sponsored by Royal Neighbors of America, Semper Fidelis Club, Alcoa, Quad City Times, dci Print, Dispatch/Argus, River Drive Records and A.D. Huesing.

What: Quad City Phoenix Festival to raise awareness of domestic violence

When: To Be Announced

Where: To Be Announce

Cost: Free

Contact: Paula Frazier-Millsap, (563) 210-7145

For more information about Quad City Phoenix Festival, call (563) 210-7145, or visit www.qcphoenixfestival.com or http://www.facebook.com/events/379611102066034/.
28 Aug 2012

DON'T LET OUR TROOPS BE FORGOTTEN ANYMORE!

By Move America Forward
Friends this is a message that I never wanted to have to write, but today the time has come to be honest with each other and admit that something has gone terribly wrong. Despite our best efforts, our troops overseas in Afghanistan are still suffering from a lack of compassion and attention from back home, especially from the news outlets and the politicians who claim to care so much.

Candidate Obama promised to refocus America's resources on Afghanistan. But by the time President Obama sent 33,000 more troops to Afghanistan in December 2009 in a policy known as the "surge", years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan had drained Western resources and sapped resolve
- NBC 8/22/2012

The President just threw some more troops into Afghanistan to fulfill his campaign promise and then just forgot about them. He didn't want to appear soft on terror, he didn't want to admit that he intended to ignore our troops, but that's whats been happening.

When was the last time you heard any politician talk about the importance of supporting our troops and defeating the terrorists? They are few and far between.

Our responsibility is to keep the faith, to continue serving our troops and supporting them until their mission is complete and they can all come home! We sent them over there so now it's our duty to help them finish the job - so sponsor a MAF care package today and send some much needed support to our soldiers, marines, airmen, sailors and guardsmen serving over in Afghanistan.


SOLDIER LAMENTS: "NO ONE REALLY CARES. ALL THE 'SUPPORT THE TROOPS' STUFF IS BUMPER STICKER DEEP"

As much as we have worked hard to try to help our troops feel appreciated and supported while deployed overseas, we're not doing enough! Too many of our troops feel that Americans don't care about the mission or the men and women sacrificing for it!

"We're bored with it," said Matthew Farwell, who served in the U.S. Army for five years including 16 months in eastern Afghanistan, where he sometimes received letters from grade school students addressed to the brave Marines in Iraq ? the wrong war.

"We all laugh about how no one really cares," he said. "All the 'support the troops' stuff is bumper sticker deep."
- NBC 8/22/2012

Never before in our nation's history have we as a nation put almost 12 years of time, effort, money, and most precious of all, American lives lost, into an effort like this conflict in Afghanistan. And yet, here today, we've lost the energy and fervor with which we supported our troops before. They noticed.



We must do better. We can't let this be OUR legacy as a generation. When this war began, and the anti-war protesters took to the streets, we stood by our troops, we got our American flags out and rallied to support the troops in the streets because we wanted to show the world that this would not be a repeat of the shameful way Americans treated their troops during Vietnam.

We didn't want the War on Terror to end up being a repeat of that sad chapter in American history. Now we're in danger of allowing that to happen to our troops in Afghanistan. We must show our support to correct this trend immediately! 


DON'T LET OUR TROOPS FEEL FORGOTTEN ANYMORE! WE NEED TO SEND  A SURGE OF SUPPORT TO REMIND OUR TROOPS THAT WE STILL SUPPORT THEM!

Each care package comes with tons of goodies that our troops love and appreciate, from coffee and cookies to beef jerky and gatorade. Our care packages have the comfort foods they need and personal care items like deodorant, sunblock, wet wipes and lip balm that help them deal with the tough environment!

SPONSORING A MAF CARE PACKAGE IS AN EASY, AFFORDABLE, AND TAX-DEDUCTIBLE WAY TO SHOW THE TROOPS THAT YOU CARE!

CLICK HERE TO FORWARD THIS IMPORTANT
MESSAGE TO FRIENDS & FAMILY
28 Aug 2012

Governor Quinn Takes Bill Action Sunday, August 26, 2012

By William Palmisano

CHICAGO- August 26, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bill:

Bill No.: SB 2950

An Act Concerning: Safety

Creates the Toxin Free Toddler Act, which prohibits manufacturers and retailers from selling food or beverage containers that contain bisphenol-A (BPA) that will be used by children under the age of three.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

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