09 Jul 2012

Draft farm bill/House Agriculture Committee

By Grassley Press
Friday, July 6, 2012

Senator Chuck Grassley made the comment below about the approach to commodity program payment limits in the draft farm bill of the House Agriculture Committee.  The committee is expected to mark up a proposal next week.

The Senate-passed farm bill included provisions authored by Grassley's to limit payments, including a $50,000 cap on the Agricultural Risk Coverage program, the closing of loopholes exploited by non-farmers, and a $75,000 cap on marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments.

Senator Grassley's comment:

"I'm encouraged the House Agriculture Committee appears to be moving closer to a mark-up of its version of the farm bill.  But it's disappointing to see the approach the committee's draft bill takes on payment limitations.  We've heard it from the grassroots - commodity programs need sensible caps to prevent the subsidization of big farms getting even bigger.  There's nothing wrong with having a big farming operation, but those operations shouldn't be subsidized by taxpayers just so they can get even bigger.  In addition, we need to make sure farm payments go to actual farmers.  Not only did the Senate Agriculture Committee listen to those voices from the grassroots, but so did the full Senate when it passed a bill that included defensible and effective reforms on the farm program payment limitations.

"The House Agriculture Committee's draft doesn't even stick with the status quo for payment limits.  It would actually increase the payment limits from the current law.  Currently, direct payments have a limit of $40,000 per farmer, and the counter-cyclical program has a limit of $65,000.  The House draft bill would have a farmer choose between a counter-cyclical program and a revenue program and would increase the farmer's cap to $125,000 no matter what program is chosen.  Furthermore, this draft bill would not place any cap on the amount of benefits any one farmer could receive from the marketing loan program, leaving it completely uncapped.  This is simply an indefensible approach for farm programs and will lead to a continuation of the largest 10 percent of farms receiving 70 percent of the farm program payments.

"The other glaring omission in the House's draft bill is it doesn't address any of the loopholes currently being used by non-farmers to exploit the farm program.  With tight budgets and a growing federal deficit, taxpayers aren't going to stand by and accept non-farmers profiting from a program designed to be a safety-net for farmers.

"The House Agriculture Committee should take a serious look at the common sense and meaningful payment limit reforms the Senate adopted in its farm bill and adopt the same approach."

09 Jul 2012

Loebsack Announces More Than $47,000 for Battlefield Preservation in Davenport

By Robert Jackson Jr.

National Park Service awarded a $47,150 grant for dig

WHO Congressman Dave Loebsack

Mayor Bill Gluba

Friends of Credit Island

WHAT Press conference to discuss the recent announcement that the City of Davenport received funding from the National Park Service to perform an archeological dig at Credit Island.

WHERE Credit Island Pavilion

Davenport

WHEN TODAY, Saturday, July 7th

2:00pm

WHY Credit Island is one of the westernmost battles of the War of 1812. It was on this island in 1814 that Brevet Major Zachary Taylor was defeated by British allied Sauk and Black Hawk American Indians. The City of Davenport, following up on a Certified Local Government grant, is looking to do a subsurface archeological investigation of the site. It is hoped that the data recovered can be used for a future National Register nomination.

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Washington, D.C. - July 6, 2012 - Congressman Dave Loebsack today announced that the City of Davenport will receive a $47,105 grant from the National Park Service for battlefield preservation.  The funding comes from the National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), and will be used to help preserve, protect, document and interpret America's significant battlefield lands.  Davenport will receive funding for an archeological dig at Credit Island.

"Our nation's battlefields are hallowed ground.  Preserving them ensures that the service and sacrifice of previous generations will never be forgotten," said Loebsack.  "I am pleased that this funding is coming to Davenport for the archeological dig, and excited at the possibility of a National Register nomination, which would add to Davenport's already rich cultural heritage and support economic development.  I am looking forward to seeing what they discover at the site."

Credit Island is one of the westernmost battles of the War of 1812. It was on this island in 1814 that Brevet Major Zachary Taylor was defeated by British allied Sauk and Black Hawk American Indians. The City of Davenport, following up on a Certified Local Government grant, is looking to do a subsurface archeological investigation of the site. It is hoped that the data recovered can be used for a future National Register nomination.

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06 Jul 2012

CROP, FOOD PRICE CONCERNS RISE WITH IOWA'S TEMPERATURES

By Rick Martin

Drought-like conditions taking toll on Iowa crops

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - July 6, 2012 - While Midwest corn and soybean crops are wilting from several days of triple-digit temperatures, shoppers wonder if they'll feel the heat of rising food prices later this year.

Economists say even with corn prices climbing to $7 per bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade yesterday, farmers are facing challenging times because the prolonged heat stress has diminished anticipated yields.  Those higher corn prices will also put a pinch on livestock farmers who purchase grains for animal feed. That, in turn, could transpire to higher prices for items such as meat, dairy and eggs at the grocery store.

"Food prices won't jump immediately because of these daily swings in the market caused by reactions to the weather, but there are those trickle-down consequences," said Dave Miller, director of research and commodity services at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. "That trickle-down is felt when supplies are tight and prices rise for several sectors of the farm economy, from processors to grain elevators to feed and ethanol plants. Those higher costs are shared down the chain."

Iowa farmers have been discussing the situation in a number of media outlets. Go to www.iowafarmbureau.com to see their interviews and perspectives.

Markets will be eyeing the next U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop production report released next Wednesday. But, even though the USDA confirmed that more acres are planted to corn and soybeans, prices for these crops are skyrocketing as hot, dry weather persists across much of the corn and soybean growing areas.  In the past two weeks, conditions have deteriorated remarkably:

  • Corn classified as "good to excellent" condition dropped from 67 percent to 62 percent in Iowa. Nationally, "good to excellent"-rated corn has fallen from 63 percent to 48 percent.
  • "Good to excellent" soybeans in Iowa dropped from 63 percent to 59 percent. Nationally, soybeans in this category dipped from 56 percent to 45 percent.
  • The amount of crop classified as "very poor to poor" for both corn and soybeans now stands at 22 percent.

Prices for crops have been on the climb and markets may swing next week. This sharp rally in corn and soybean prices is having some negative impacts on users of grains and oilseeds.  Several ethanol plants have closed as processing margins have turned negative and some livestock feeders are beginning to liquidate breeding stock in response to sharply higher feed prices and mounting losses on feeding livestock.

These price swings and other ag-related risk management topics will be discussed at the Iowa Farm Bureau Economic Summit, to be held July 23-24 in Ames.  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will provide the summit's keynote address on July 24.  For more information and to register, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.

 

-30-

06 Jul 2012

Loebsack Statement on Department of Labor's June Jobs Report

By Rick Martin

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Labor's announcement that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.2 percent in June and 80,000 jobs were added.

"Today's job report makes one thing very clear- we have a long way to go to get the economy back to where it should be. To make matters even worse, Republicans have so far shown no interest in even discussing a comprehensive jobs package.  Instead, they continue to play political games, in which the real losers are Iowa's middle class families.  I have long said that fixing our economy should not be a partisan fight.  If there is one thing that should bring the two parties together, it is working to create jobs. I have been willing to sit down and work together and the fact that it hasn't yet happened is disappointing.  It's time for Congress to put our country and families ahead of politics and get down to the real work that Iowans need to see get done."

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06 Jul 2012

Manzullo, Schilling Urge Sensata to Abandon Plans to Offshore U.S. Production, Keep Jobs in Illinois

By Andie Pivarunas

[FREEPORT] --U.S. Reps. Don Manzullo (R-Egan) and Bobby Schilling (R-Colona) today urged the CEO of Massachusetts-based Sensata Technologies to abandon plans to offshore production to Asia and instead keep the work and the jobs in Freeport, Illinois.

In a letter sent this morning to Sensata CEO Thomas Wroe, Jr., Manzullo and Schilling expressed their concerns with Sensata's plans to shut down its Freeport plant and move the production and jobs to China. Instead, Sensata should follow the lead of other multi-national corporations who are "reshoring" American jobs -- bringing back production from overseas - to boost lead times, innovation and quality. Citizens of Freeport contacted both Manzullo and Schilling for help in appealing to Sensata to keep operations in Freeport.

"Labor costs in China are soaring, and energy costs are driving up the cost of shipping products," Manzullo and Schilling said in the letter. "We would ask that you strongly consider these factors as well as the important value of the highly skilled, highly productive workforce in the northern Illinois region that is second to none in the global economy."

The letter points out executives at Google Inc. have decided to manufacture the company's new Nexus Q home entertainment device in the United States instead of China, reportedly to speed up innovation time. According to a recent Boston Consulting survey of 106 U.S.-based manufacturing executives with sales greater than $1 billion, 37 percent were considering or planning to move production back to the United States from China.

Manzullo and Schilling added that Freeport has been a leader in innovative workforce development initiatives, such as the Work Keys program that assesses and trains workers to match the needs of area employers. The region is also supported by a superior transportation network led by United Parcel Services' second largest air cargo hub at the Chicago-Rockford International Airport, as well as the Union Pacific Railroad Global III Intermodal Hub.

"These are just some of the many reasons that we respectfully request that you reconsider your decision to move your Freeport operations," the letter stated.

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06 Jul 2012

Statement from Agriculture Secretary Vilsack on the Codex Alimentarius Commission's Adoption of Standards for the Veterinary Drug Ractopamine

By USDA Communications
USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623
Statement from Agriculture Secretary Vilsack on the Codex Alimentarius Commission's Adoption of Standards for the Veterinary Drug Ractopamine

WASHINGTON, July 6, 2012-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement today regarding the Codex Alimentarius Commission's adoption of standards for ractopamine on July 5th:

"After five years of hard work by the Codex Commission, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and our federal agency partners, the United States welcomes the Commission's adoption of standards for the veterinary drug ractopamine. This action by Codex affirms the pre-eminent role of science in setting international standards for food safety.

"Currently, American producers face trade restrictions due to unjustified bans on the use of ractopamine, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and used safely in the United States for 12 years as well as 25 other countries. These standards provide clear guidance to countries about safe use of ractopamine, which promotes lean meat production.

"Codex is an inter-governmental body created by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization of the United Nations, and is recognized as the international standards setting body for food safety by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Establishment of international standards for veterinary drugs like ractopamine are important since many countries rely on science-based food standards to ensure that the food they are importing is safe. U.S. agricultural exporters benefit and consumers worldwide benefit when countries adopt international standards.

"Consumers can rest assured that their food is safe, and exporters have greater certainty about the criteria they must meet in the international marketplace."

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

#
06 Jul 2012

"Rock Solid" begins Monday

By M. McNeil
An upcoming, two week summer school at Rock Island High is targeting at-risk freshman students

(Rock Island, IL)  This is the second year of Rock Solid which targets students are at least 2 to 3 grade levels behind in math and reading.    According to coordinator, Kristin Allen, the program will run for two weeks, 3 hours a day. Allen says before Rock Solid there was nothing in place to formally support at-risk students in the transition from 8th to 9th grade.  Last year, 30 students attended; this year there will be 42.   The program is funded through Lights on for Learning 21st Century grant.

The program is team taught by junior high and high school teachers and is held at the high school.  The lessons are designed to address the skill areas that are of concern, but they also blend in important transitional skills.

One example of a math lesson is where students look at various (anonymous) students' attendance patterns and grades.  They analyze the impact of attending/not attending school on grades outcomes utilizing various math skills. An example of a reading lesson is the students will go on a scavenger hunt around the building where students must read about various important locations in the building. They must determine the main ideas and supporting details of the reading passages.

The media is invited to attend any of the summer school sessions and talk to students and teachers about their approach to getting freshmen up to speed before the fall session starts.
06 Jul 2012

RI Library Lines: Week 6 of Summer Fun!

By Rock Island Public Library
Rock Island Public Libraries - Main, 30/31 and Southwest
Hungry for More Details?
Ant biting into book illustrationPick up the summer program brochure at any Rock Island Library, or visit the library website. Reading logs and entry forms are available at the Rock Island Main Library, 30/31 Branch and Southwest Branch. You have until July 27 to turn in your reading logs and entry forms!
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Want to know more about what's coming up at your library? Click News or Calendar on our website. You can also print a monthly events calendar. The links below will get you started.

 

Website calendar of events

Newsletters/MonthlyCalendar

Signup or Forward to a Friend Sign up at the City of Rock Island eNews site. Choose several options!
Reading is So Delicious for Kids

Tasty events this week include :

 

Storytimes, 10:30 am at 30/31 Branch:Tuesday, July 10; Southwest Branch, Wednesday, July 11; and Main Library: Friday, July 13.

 

Math Munch Club with Elizabeth: Final week of  tasty math projects, 3:15 pm to 4:00 pm, Tuesday, July 10, Main Library Community Room.

 

Book Tasting/Book Talk: Ideas for delicious summer reading for kids. 3:00 pm, Wednesday, July 11, 30/31 Branch, 3059 30th Street.

 

Lego Club: Building fun for kids, right after the book talk. 4:00 pm, Wednesday, July 11, 30/31 Branch.

 

Reading is so Delicious puppet show posterReading Is So Delicious Puppet Show: Puppets and magic fun with Rob "Mr. E" Erdmann, 6:00 pm, Wednesday, July 11, at the Rock Island Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road.

 

chicken run movie posterFriday Fest Movie: Chicken Run: Free animated movie for families, by Nick Park, the creator of Wallace and Grommit. 1:00 pm, Friday, July 13, Rock Island Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street.

 

Gobble Up Those Books! The Reading is So Delicious summer reading menu includes incentives for reaching age-appropriate reading goals at three levels, and an extra chance to win special prize baskets. Logs are due back July 27, so keep reading!

 

All programs are free. No library card required. Questions, call the Children's Room at 309-732-7360,
Teens: Feed your Mind - READ!

IRead Chef slicing book illustrationThis week, teens can earn Summer Reading points and have fun attending three tasty events:

 

Teen Iron Chef: Show off your mad chef skills and earn a gift card! 4:00 to 5:30 pm, Monday, July 9, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.

 

Teen Game Night: 5:30 to 7:00 pm, Thursday, July 12, Main Library Community Room. Play Wii and board games. Snackage, too.

 

Ice Cream sundae model in Main Library display caseFood Craft Day; 3:00 to 4:30 pm, Friday, July 13, Rock Island 30/31 Branch, 3059 30th Street. Make a whole bunch of food-themed crafts!

 

Teens ages 12 to 18 turn in a reading card when they complete at least six hours of reading, or a program card for attending an event.

Keep reading! Each card stands for 6 hours of reading, and you can turn in as many cards as you can finish. You earn a program card every time you attend a teen program. The more you read, the more chances you have to win. You can enter multiple times, and earn more chances to win books, DVDs, gift cards, or the grand prize, an Amazon Kindle® eReader!

Books are Brain Food for Adults

Gobble up some delicious fun just for adults, with these free programs:

Fit for Life! 7:00 pm, Monday, July 9, Main Library Community Room, 401 19th Street. Confused about what to eat? Want more from your workout? Get free diet and fitness tips from personal trainers Mike and Michelle.

 

OverDrive eBooks demo: Have a Kindle, NOOK, etc.? Learn how to check out eBooks with the library's free service. 6:00 pm, Tuesday, July 10, Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road.

 

Recipe Club Cooking Demo: Bring a recipe to share and sample a delicious slow-cooker recipe demonstrated by chef Rachel. 2:00 pm, Wednesday, July 11, Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road.

 

Remember to enter our Summer Reading Club contest for ages 18 and older! Just drop off an entry form for every book, eBook or audiobook you finish during the contest.

Entry forms and boxes at all Rock Island locations. Top prize is a new Sony® eReader. Entries due by July 27.
Like Audiobooks? Try OneClickdigital!

One Clickdigital advertisement

Rock Island Library has added OneClickdigital, a new service that allows you to download thousands of audiobooks for enjoyment on a portable listening device. All books are iPod compatible. To learn how to use it, sign up for a free online webinar in July, or click the link on our website to create a user name and get started. Details:

 

OneClickdigital subscription made possible by funding from the Milan-Blackhawk Area Public Library District.

Week 5 of Summer Reading

Wonder book illustrationSummer Reading is heating up at all Rock Island Libraries. With themes such as Reading is So Delicious, Feed Your Mind: READ and Books are Brain Food, the library is cooking up a summer stacked high with fun and reading.

 

Entire list of events: Summer @ Your Library" on the library website.

 

Summer Reading events and prizes sponsored by Friends of the Rock Island Public Library, Milan-Blackhawk Area Public Library District (Southwest Branch events) and the Rock Island Public Library Foundation (summer art and drama.)
Rock Island, Illinois > 309.732.7323 (READ) > www.rockislandlibrary.org Rock Solid, Rock Island.
06 Jul 2012

A Second Helping: The Church Basement Ladies Sequel opens July 26 at The Old Creamery Theatre

By Shelley Klimes
Amana - They're servin it up again in the church basement kitchen of East Cornucopia Lutheran Church of the Prairie. A Second Helping: The Church Basement Ladies Sequel opens July 26 on the Main Stage in Amana.

The year is 1969 and among the Vietnam War protests, the world, Pastor Gunderson and the ladies, are a changin.' Inspired by the books of Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, including the best seller Growing Up Lutheran, this all-new production will be sure to keep you laughing at the over-the-top antics and heartwarming humor that goes on in this rural Minnesota church basement kitchen.

The cast consists of Kamille Zbanek of Ely, Kay Francis of Naples, Florida, Deborah Kennedy of West Amana, Nikki Savitt of Arlington Heights, Ill and Sean McCall of Marengo. Written by Greta Gorsch with music and lyrics by Dennis Curley and Drew Jansen, A Second Helping is directed by Curt Wollen under the musical direction of Becky Barrett-Jones. The show is rated Theatre G and runs through Sept. 2.

Shows are on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27 for adults and $17.50 for students. 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.
06 Jul 2012

Iowa Supreme Court Opinions July 6, 2012

By Iowa Judicial Branch
Notice: The opinions posted on this site are slip opinions only. Under the Rules of Appellate Procedure a party has a limited number of days to request a rehearing after the filing of an opinion. Also, all slip opinions are subject to modification or correction by the court. Therefore, opinions on this site are not to be considered the final decisions of the court. The official published opinions of the Iowa Supreme Court are those published in the North Western Reporter published by West Group.

Opinions released before April 2006 and available in the archives are posted in Word format. Opinions released after April 2006 are posted to the website in PDF (Portable Document Format).   Note: To open a PDF you must have the free Acrobat Reader installed. PDF format preserves the original appearance of a document without requiring you to possess the software that created that document. For more information about PDF read: Using the Adobe Reader.

For your convenience, the Judicial Branch offers a free e-mail notification service for Supreme Court opinions, Court of Appeals opinions, press releases and orders. To subscribe, click here.

NOTE: Copies of these opinions may be obtained from the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Judicial Branch Building, 1111 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50319, for a fee of fifty cents per page.

No. 09-0146

STATE OF IOWA vs. ARZEL JONES

No. 10-0502

THE WALDINGER CORPORATION, EMCASCO INSURANCE COMPANY, and SECOND INJURY FUND OF IOWA vs. MICHAEL B. METTLER

No. 11-0117

MICHELE M. PITTS vs. FARM BUREAU LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY and DONALD SCHIFFER

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