Des Moines, January 27, 2012 ?The Iowa Supreme Court has appointed District Judge Kellyann M. Lekar, Waterloo, as Chief Judge of the First Judicial District. Judge Lekar succeeds Judge Thomas N. Bower who was appointed by Governor Branstad to the Iowa Court of Appeals.

"Judge Lekar has proven leadership abilities," Chief Justice Cady said. "She has a strong work ethic, involvement in several innovative court projects and an excellent working relationship with judges and staff. I'm confident she will make an effective chief judge. "

Judge Lekar was born in Waterloo. She earned her undergraduate degree from Iowa State University in 1990 and her law degree from the University of Iowa in 1993. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Lekar was in private practice in Waterloo until her appointment to the bench in 2005. She is co-chair of the First Judicial District Family Law Mediation Committee and a member of the district's public outreach committee. She is also a state delegate to the American Bar Association's National Council of State Trial Judges a member of the American Bar Association, Courts and Community Committee of the Iowa Judges Association, the Iowa State Bar Association Jury Instructions Committee, and the Black Hawk County and Iowa State Bar Associations.

"I am pleased to have an opportunity to serve the First Judicial District as Chief Judge," she said. "As a native of Waterloo, I am proud to serve and represent northeast Iowa in this position. The judges and staff of the First Judicial District are hardworking, innovative and dedicated and I am privileged to work with them on a daily basis. Together we will strive to provide excellent judicial branch services to the citizens of the First Judicial District."

As chief judge, Judge Lekar will supervise all judicial officers and court employees in the district, supervise the performance of administrative and judicial business in the district, set the times and places of holding court, designate presiding judges, and serve on the judicial council, which advises the supreme court on administrative matters affecting the trial courts. In addition, she will continue to preside over cases.

The First Judicial District is located in northeast Iowa and comprises 11 counties: Allamakee, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Howard, and Winneshiek. The district has 14 district judges, six district associate judges, three associate juvenile judges, four senior judges, 20 part-time magistrates, and 204 employees, with an operating budget for the current fiscal year of approximately $16,501,993. A total of 99,309 cases were filed in the First Judicial District last year.

 

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During his weekly video address, Senator Chuck Grassley discusses the need for job-generating tax policy, spending reductions, regulatory relief, trade agreements, and energy development, as well as respect for the checks and balances that have helped to define America's system of government for 235 years.

 

Click here for audio.

Here is the text of the address:

I held meeting with Iowans in 36 counties this month.  People at the grass roots are looking for leadership.  13 million unemployed workers need to know that Washington can take action to help get people back to work and move the country in the right direction.

Workers, employers and entrepreneurs need an environment where the economy can improve and jobs can be created.

Taxes, especially tax certainty, are a major factor.  One of the biggest tax increases in history will happen at the end of this year if Congress and the President don't stop it.  Small businesses, where most new jobs are created, would be hit hard

Government spending needs to be reduced.  The problem isn't that taxes are too low, it's that Washington spends too much.  Massive federal debt gets in the way of economic growth.  So does the heavy hand of government regulation, and it must be lifted.

American workers also need new export markets for the goods and services they manufacture.  They need an energetic and enthusiastic effort to establish new international trade relationships for the United States.

The economy benefits from affordable energy, so domestic production has got to be a priority and a reality.  Even so, President Obama is denying the Keystone XL pipeline project.  This infrastructure project would create as many as 20,000 jobs.  The President's position works against creating jobs and getting people back to work.

Since 2009, President Obama's big spending stimulus and government intervention has failed in terms of job creation, economic growth and fiscal responsibility. We need a new direction.

On top of that, President Obama seems determined to test and even exceed the powers of his office.  America has a system of checks and balances that's generally worked for more than two centuries.  The President's interest in putting the executive branch above the other branches of government is unconstitutional and counter-productive.  It's something Americans rejected 235 years ago.

Today, finding common ground with the elected representatives of Congress would be more productive than trying to govern by edict from the Oval Office.

 

Financial Planner Shares Tips for a 21st-Century Filing System

Jane was not looking forward to going through her parents' belongings to get their house ready to sell. Their health had been failing for some time and they finally agreed to move to a retirement community. Now that they were both comfortably moved into their new apartment, it was up to Jane to get rid of the things they no longer needed.

Her parents had lived in the same house for more than 50 years, so Jane expected to find things that should have been tossed out years ago.  But she was amazed to discover 50 years of tax returns and bank statements carefully stored in boxes in the attic. Her parents had saved all their financial records!

Many people are confused about what records they need to keep and for how long. They hold onto tax returns, bank records, brokerage statements and other financial information simply because they don't know if they'll need it again. Like Jane's parents, the documents get packed in boxes that eventually take over valuable living or storage space.

Financial planner Rick Rodgers, author of The New Three-Legged Stool: A Tax Efficient Approach To Retirement Planning (www.TheNewThreeLeggedStool.com), says tax time is a great time to get organized.

"Most people are going through their records to get ready to file their return," he says. "This is the time to get smart about what you need to keep and then set up a system to store it efficiently going forward."

Rodgers suggests these five steps to help you effectively organize your finances for 2012 and beyond:

1. Out with the old - Discard the records you no longer need: Tax returns older than seven years; bank records and credit card statements that are not related to the tax returns you're keeping; brokerage statements that aren't related to purchases of current holdings. Be sure to shred all your old documents before throwing them out.

2. Go digital - Convert the documents you plan to save into digital images that are stored on your hard drive. Invest in a good scanner and scan as you go through your paperwork, shredding and tossing the hard copies as you go. On your computer, file by tax year, so your 2011 folder will contain your tax return for 2011 and all pertinent bank records and receipts. Organize the previous six years the same way. Next year you can delete the oldest folder when you add the 2012 folder.

3. Save a forest - All of the financial institutions you deal with would prefer to send your statements electronically. Stop receiving paper statements. Instead, download your statements electronically and store them in your new filing system.  Most banks and credit card companies keep at least a year's worth of statements available.  You need to download these files only once a year to complete the year's file.

4. Save backups in case of emergency - Make backup copies of your files on a CD. Choose a CD-R (recordable) as opposed to a CD-RW (rewriteable), because CD-R cannot accidentally be overwritten. Depending on your computer operating system, you may be able to continue adding data to a CD-R each year, until the CD is full. However, some operating systems won't allow that, so you'll need a new CD for each year.

5. Go paperless - Your new electronic filing system can be expanded to include all your financial records, from car maintenance receipts to pay stubs.  Wills and insurance policies can also be scanned and stored but, of course, keep the originals of those in a safe deposit box or fireproof safe.

Gone are the days of saving your financial documents in box and shoving it into the attic.  Technology advances have made organizing your personal finances easier with minimal cost.  Make 2012 the year you get organized by moving your finances into a 21st century filing system.

About Rick Rodgers

Certified Financial Planner Rick Rodgers is president of Rodgers & Associates, "The Retirement Specialists," in Lancaster, Pa. He's a Certified Retirement Counselor and member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisers. Rodgers has been featured on national radio and TV shows, including "FOX Business News" and "The 700 Club," and is available to speak at conferences and corporate events (www.rodgersspeaks.com).