Waterloo, IA - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement tonight after securing the Democratic nomination for Iowa First District US Representative:

"I'm honored be the Democratic nominee in the First Congressional District.  Over the next five months, I look forward to a spirited campaign focused on my record of creating jobs and new economic opportunities for Iowa, making education more affordable and accessible, and honoring the sacrifice of our veterans long after they return home. 

"I learned about hard work and Iowa common sense growing up in Poweshiek County.  I'm running for re-election because there is still work to do.  And the only way we're going to fix the mess in Washington is by sending people there who have the experience to bring people together and get things done."

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Unusual Sorority Shares Demanding Lifestyle

College football fans are watching their teams practice and hoping the new recruits will be game-changers a few months from now. For them, it's the lull before the fall.

For the team coaches though, there is no lull. As usual, they're working seven days a week, heading out the door at 6 a.m. and coming home long after the wife and kids have gone to bed, says Kathy (Currey) Kronick, author of Mrs. Coach: Life in Major College Football (www.mrscoach14yrs.com).

"During spring ball games, they're not home, so their wives are doing everything but playing football," says Kronick, whose book recounts her years married to Coach Dave Currey. "And they'll do that, too, if necessary."

The life of a football coach's wife is notoriously demanding, so much so that in 1989, the American Football Coaches Wives Association was created to provide "camaraderie, support, information and service." They share a subculture unlike any other in the United States and, while it can be exciting and rewarding, it comes with many sacrifices.

"His career and the team are the No. 1 priority, no ifs, ands or buts about it. In that regard, it's a lot like military spouses, but with college coaches, the family lives in the public eye," Kronick says.

"The wives take care of everything at home, everything, because their husbands are at work day and night, seven days a week. Many wives also work - most coaches don't make a lot of money. The wives are also expected to attend games, fundraisers and recruiting dinners. Every couple of years, unless they're really, really lucky, they're single-handedly packing up the household to move the family across the country because their team lost and their husband got fired."

In 2008, three researchers interviewed nearly 300 college football coaches' wives to learn more about their lives. Their findings, Kronick says, paint a portrait of what fans never see when they are cheering - or jeering - the team.

• Wives pray for wins. Every loss can mean the coach gets fired. "So you not only have the stress of being suddenly jobless, but if he's fortunate to find another job, you'll likely be packing up the house and kids - without him, he's gone on ahead - to move to a new city and a new state," Kronick says. She moved 27 times during her marriage to Currey. Moving so frequently can be an adventure as families explore different parts of the country, but it's also hard to leave a place where you've made friends and grown comfortable.

• July is for weddings, funerals and making babies. College football coaches are off for the month of July, so that's when families plan important events. Some couples celebrate their wedding anniversaries in July - whether or not that's when the couple got married, Kronick says.

• Families must always be aware of the media. "You have to mind your p's and q's," Kronick says. "The media is always looking for something - they want to know the secrets. You also have to be very careful not to do anything that will make your school or team look bad." All the attention can be fun when the team is on a winning streak but, as Kronick points out, it's hard for kids at school when everyone's blaming their dad for the team's poor performance."

• Most coaches' families live on tight budgets. The majority of the families in the 2008 study had an income of $50,000 to $125,000 a year, with nearly 72 percent of the wives holding jobs outside the home.  Most assistant coaches have one-year contracts, Kronick says, so if they're fired - or the head coach is fired, which means the assistants lose their jobs, too - their income stops.

The life of a coach's wife isn't all hardship, Kronick notes. Out of necessity, wives become self-reliant and independent, if they weren't to begin with, and that boosts self-confidence.  It's fun cheering on your team, and lasting friendships are often formed among this group that shares so much.

"But in the end, most wives give up their lives for their husband's dream," Kronick says. "I couldn't do that any longer. I needed to pursue my own dreams, and to have a husband I could talk with about them."

About Kathy (Currey) Kronick

Kathy (Currey) Kronick was married to Dave Currey from 1974 to 1989. He was an assistant coach at Stanford University when they met and married, and later moved on to Long Beach State (Calif.), the University of Cincinnati and UCLA. They divorced in 1996. Kronick, who has a bachelor's in education of the deaf and a master's in counseling, is the mother of two children and is happily remarried.

Linkin Park will celebrate the release of their new album, LIVING THINGS, by bringing their live show to nearly 500 movie theaters nationwide.  Linkin Park One Night Concert Event: Recorded Live in Berlin will hit select theaters on Monday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m. local time.  The evening will begin with a special welcome from the band, and follow with a performance of both their new songs and chart-topping hits.  Presented by NCM Fathom Events and Warner Bros. Records, the show was captured on June 5 in Berlin, Germany during Linkin Park's World Tour.
Tickets for the Linkin Park One Night Concert Event are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.
The Linkin Park One Night Concert Event will be playing at the following movie theaters in your area on June 25 at 7:30 p.m.:
RAVE Davenport 53 18 with IMAX 3601 E 53Rd St Davenport IA 52807
Jason Smith, Vice President of Midland Communications, to Share His Vision on the Future of Unified Communications

DAVENPORT, IA - June 5, 2012 - Midland Communications, a leading provider of unified communications, announced today that Vice President, Jason Smith, has been invited by Technology Assurance Group (TAG), an international organization representing nearly $350 million in products and services in the industry, to share his vision on the future of unified communications with some of the industry's top manufacturers, vendors, suppliers and resellers at TAG's national convention. The 12th Annual TAG Convention will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 9th-12th.
With more and more businesses headed to the cloud, networking and IT infrastructure has grown substantially more complex in the past year. Today's unified communications providers require unprecedented levels of technical expertise, industry foresight and customer service in order to remain competitive. Midland Communications has been invited to attend this year's convention due to its superiority in each of these areas.
"Midland Communications has dominated their marketplace for quite some time," states Brian Suerth, Executive Vice President & Partner of TAG. "They are continually striving to stay on the leading edge of technology, and that's why no one can compete with them. Midland Communications knows what's coming down the pipeline and how it's going to ultimately affect their customers. That's why they are able to proactively support their customers and implement powerful technologies before their competitors even realize that they're behind the curve."
Several industry topics will be covered at the convention and best business practices will be revealed in areas ranging from cloud technologies, virtualization, hosted solutions, managed IT services to customer service. "The only constant in life is that it never stops changing. It's no different in our industry," commented Jason Smith, Vice President of Midland Communications. "That's why we continue to remain active in the industry and share our views at these kinds of events. We always come back to the office with something new and valuable that we can pass on to our customers. We're passionate about what we do and we feel that it's our duty to our customers to find out what's on the horizon. We're often able to leverage new developments and find ways to boost our customers' productivity, and more importantly, their bottom line profitability."
Midland Communications is among the top unified communications providers in the nation and its success is due largely to its innovative approach to business.

ABOUT MIDLAND COMMUNICATIONS

Midland Communications began more than 60 years ago in 1946 as the Worldwide Marketing Arm of Victor-Animagraph Projectors. In 1977 a communications division was formed due to a partnership with NEC America. Today, As a distributor of NEC America, for 33 years, Midland Communications has a customer base of more than 3,000 satisfied customers that include general businesses, government agencies, Universities, colleges, hospitals, and hotels.
Midland provides a wide range of communication services including VOIP, PBX and key systems, Wide Area and Local Area networking, computers, Computer integration, voice mail, CCIS, and video conferencing and paging systems. Our philosophy is simple, provide quality products at a fair price, backed by an average emergency response time of twenty minutes, and the best service in the industry. For more information on Midland Communications, call (563) 326-1237 or visit www.midlandcom.com.


ABOUT TECHNOLOGY ASSURANCE GROUP (TAG)

Technology Assurance Group, LLC (TAG) is an international organization of leading independently owned unified communications companies. TAG provides its members with the competitive advantages necessary to achieve a dominant position in their marketplace. Members benefit from programs including strategic partnerships with communication solution providers, best business and management practices, and advanced sales training programs.  TAG's mission is to increase its Members' sales and profits through education and to ease their introduction of new technology to the marketplace by leveraging their combined intellect and purchasing power. For more information on TAG, please call 858-673-5800 or visit www.tagnational.com.



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Amana - Shirley Valentine, a one-woman comic drama written by Willy Russell opens July 5 on The Old Creamery Theatre's Studio Stage in Middle Amana.

Tired of talking to the walls of her kitchen and living a life less - quite less - then what she dreamed of, Shirley Valentine goes to Greece with a friend. What she discovers is that the old Shirley, who loved life and wasn't afraid to live it, was there all along.

Shirley Valentine features Marquetta Senters of South Amana and is rated Theatre R for adult content. Tickets are $27 for adults and $17.50 for students. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA or 800-352-6262 or go online for tickets www.oldcreamery.com.

Shirley Valentine is sponsored by JBF Philanthropic Trust and runs through July 22. Show times are Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Group rates are available. Reservations are recommended. Student rush tickets are available for $12. No reservations are accepted for rush tickets. Come to the box office no earlier than 30 minutes before a performance for this special rate. A student ID is required for rush tickets.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company is celebrating 41 years of bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest.

DES MOINES - Today, the Senate voted down the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have closed loopholes that prevent women from fighting for equal pay and help stop pay discrimination before it starts. Former Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge and Iowa Women for Obama Steering Committee member released the following statement after the vote:

"We are disappointed that the Paycheck Fairness Act did not pass the Senate floor.  It would have helped ensure that all women receive equal pay for equal work.  The Act would have built on efforts by President Obama to protect and advance policies that promote fairness, equal opportunity and a level playing field for all Americans, like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

"The result of this vote could have been different if Mitt Romney had showed leadership and stood up for women and stood up to Republicans in Washington who deny millions of women a fair shot at what we've earned.  To this day, Mitt Romney has refused to support for the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Act.  Iowans were watching to see if Romney would come out on the side of women and equal rights, but instead we saw yet another example of his failed leadership on women's issues."

"Congress needs to remember that denying equal pay for equal work doesn't just discriminate against women - it also jeopardizes the economic security of families across the country."

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley is asking the Department of Homeland Security to explain an apparent preference for providing Congress with paper rather than electronic documents, an irony given the agency's interest in boosting its cybersecurity funding and expertise.

"It's ironic that the agency striving for expertise on cybersecurity is reluctant to send emails to Congress," Grassley said.  "It would be like if CBO presented estimates to Congress with an abacus or if the transportation secretary rode around town in a horse and buggy. The purpose of the letter is to find out what's behind the apparent preference for paper over email."

Grassley, with Rep. Darrell Issa, wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to ask why the agency tells members of Congress that it is unable to produce documents to Congress electronically.  The apparent preference for paper is in contrast with the President's executive order asking agencies to use electronic documents when possible and the Administration's interest in increasing funding for Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity programs by $300 million.

Grassley's encounter with the Department of Homeland Security's apparent preference for paper responses is related to his December 2011 request in the Operation Fast and Furious inquiry.  The agency is beginning to respond, and the responses are coming in paper form and will result in thousands of pages if the entire request is fulfilled.  Agency representatives have told Grassley's office that the paper preference is a policy, and the Grassley-Issa letter seeks verification and details.

The text of Grassley's December 2011 request to the agency is available here.  The text of the Grassley-Issa letter to the agency this week is available here.

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New graduates have good reason to celebrate their academic achievements.  After all, on average, a college degree remains a good indicator for boosting one's lifetime earning potential.  For many Americans, a college education is a lasting investment in future economic mobility.

 

After the gilded glow of the cap and gown and the pomp and circumstance of the commencement ceremony fade into memory, reality sets in.  The soaring costs of higher education and growing student debt are climbing to unprecedented levels.

 

College debt creates a significant financial burden on many new graduates.  For those fortunate to land a job in the still struggling economy, many will discover how hard it is to stretch a paycheck to cover the bills.  Making ends meet - let alone trying to get ahead - is that much harder with more than $1 trillion in outstanding student loans in the United States.

 

The lion's share of four-year degree recipients borrows money to attend college.  The percentage has increased from 45 percent to about 66 percent in the last decade.  After these graduates rejoice in flipping their tassels to the other side of the mortarboard, they not only walk away with a diploma, but they also walk away with an average debt of $23,000.  That figure jumps to nearly $50,000 for less affluent students who choose to attend private colleges and receive less need-based financial aid.

 

So, what factors are causing the explosion in college tuition?  And, does the student's debt burden square with his or her earning potential post-graduation?

 

In the U.S. Senate, I've led efforts to make it easier for families to save for college.  In the landmark 2001 federal tax laws, I secured a provision to make tax-free savings plans for college a permanent part of the tax code.  Encouraging families to save for college rather than relying on student loans can help many future graduates get off to a stronger start after graduation.  As then-Chairman of the Senate tax-writing committee, I also helped secure the tax deduction for college tuition and the tax deductibility of interest on student loans.

 

Now, even the longstanding sky-high rate of medical spending in the United States is less than the exploding growth of college tuition and fees.  Public policy needs to find a better way to expose the true costs of paying for a higher education and educate consumers.  That's why I'm working to give American families better tools to make informed decisions when sending their students off to college.  More useful information is necessary to help students check the value and earning potential of various college degrees.  Not all degrees are created equal.  Congress should have a serious debate about helping members of the next generation find the best path for their own personal pursuit of happiness as productive members of society.  Those pathways ought to be as broad and diverse as the next generation, from military and public service to vocational training, college, and post-graduate degrees.

 

My efforts to address escalating tuition hikes and student debt include my crusade to shine a bright light on public and non-profit private colleges with well-funded endowments that park their assets in tax-preferred vehicles.  Hoarding exorbitant assets in tax-preferred "rainy day funds" ought to be redirected towards lowering tuition for students and their families.  Through my rigorous oversight of the tax-exempt sector, including universities, hospitals and media-based ministries, I'm working to make sure non-profits are holding up their end of the bargain for the public good.  Tax-exempt colleges bear a unique responsibility to leverage their tax-advantaged resources to educate the public.  That's why I spearhead efforts to bring greater transparency to college revenues and expenses.  The public has a right to know how tax-advantaged dollars at tax-exempt higher education institutions square with their mission.  My review of soaring growth at college endowment funds a few years ago prompted several prominent schools to offer more generous student aid assistance.  As public awareness builds, let's hope the trend continues.  Whereas attending college is not an entitlement, colleges that benefit from tax-advantaged vehicles and tax-exempt status do bear a social contract to make higher education more affordable and accessible to the public.

 

Congress can take steps aimed at reining in college costs.  In May, I joined bipartisan forces in the U.S. Senate to try to bring greater transparency to the true cost of college tuition and fees.  The bill we proposed would cut through the clutter of financial aid letters that families receive from prospective colleges.  Decoding these letters to understand what is actually given, borrowed and owed can be next to impossible.  By having a clear picture in standardized language what students' debt burden will be after graduation, families would have an apples-to-apples cost-comparison to make with other colleges.  This ought to help students avoid taking on excessive debt and become more discriminating shoppers.  That alone could help control the soaring costs of college.  Colleges are increasingly competing to one-up each other to attract students, either through apartment-style housing, gourmet food services or amazing amenities that other institutions cannot match.  Empowering students and their families with better information about the cost and worth of a degree would help spark a race among colleges to provide a high-quality education at a good price.

 

Diplomas tied down with overwhelming student debt make it harder for the next generation to scale the ladder of opportunity.

 

Monday, June 4, 2012
CLINTON, IOWA - June 5, 2012 - A Clinton teenager with a family history of child abuse is saying "Enough!" and built a team of over 44 people to walk with her for the End. McKenzley Morris has raised hundreds of dollars in pledges and inspired local teachers to build a team of their own.

The 1,000 Mile Journey is a one mile walk for the end of child abuse going from the Courthouse to Bandshell Park in Clinton, Iowa and these local young people are taking that stand with hundreds of others.

On Sunday, June 10th, at 1:00 pm McKenzley Morris and Hanna Roth, Founder of The Rainbird Foundation will be speaking to those walking in The 1,000 Mile Journey. The event is sponsored by Brenton Williams Financial, Ashford University, and Clinton Printing. Local non-profits working in the area of ending child abuse will have booths including the Discovery Center, YWCA, Big
Brothers Big Sisters, Make a Wish, and Every Child Matters.

Live music by David Smith and activities for children make for a fun day for the kids. Proceeds go to the local participating non-profits and to the local Iowa affiliate of The Rainbird Foundation, a 501(c)(3) committed to the end of child abuse.

"It's a community effort," says Walk Director Shirley Darsidan. "We're asking Clinton, the Quad Cities, and surrounding communities to join us by walking one mile. 1,000 people walking one mile is easier and more fun than one person walking 1,000 miles. Ending child abuse requires the same, each person taking the next step, small or large, will make the difference. The 1,000 Mile Journey can be the next step."

Registration for children 12 and under is free, teens are $10, twenties are $20, and adults 30 and older are $30. Each participant is encouraged to raise pledges, funds that will be granted to local organizations, and prizes will be given to the top pledge earners.

Organizers are asking people to register online in advance at www.1000milejourney.org or from 6-8pm Friday the 8th at Riverside Restaurant on 2nd Street. For more information, please contact Shirley Darsidan at shirleydarsidan@rainbirdfoundation.org.

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