05 Jun 2012

Facebook: the Anti-Social Network?

By Ginny Grimsley
Addiction Specialist Offers Tips for Overcoming
Tech Disconnection & Anxiety

Social media sites like Facebook connect users with old friends, new acquaintances and everyone in between. However, studies are revealing an inverse link with online connections and deeper, face-to-face relationships.

Norwegian researchers recently developed a test for networking sites, called the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, which likens inordinate amounts of time spent on the networking site to drug and alcohol abuse. The test measures how often people use the site, if they do so to forget their problems and how using the site negatively affects their personal and working lives.

Researchers found the following groups of people most at risk for Facebook addiction:

• Women, who are more social than men,
• Young people, who are more tech savvy than older people
• Anxious or socially insecure people

"Social media, and the new emphasis on the importance of 'multitasking,' have helped drive a wedge between family members," says psychologist Gregory L. Jantz, author of #Hooked: The Pitfalls of Media, Technology and Social Networking (www.drgregoryjantz.com).

Ironically, people become less social the more time they spend on social sites, and they tend to get less done while multitasking because they do not focus on completing one task at a time, he says.

"When people abuse drugs and alcohol, they are trying to feel better, yet they are worsening their situation. We're finding this is also true for those who spend excessive amounts of time on social networking sites," he says. "Perhaps the hardest hit from social media addiction is the family unit."

Parents should monitor their own time online to ensure it's not further limiting the already shrinking amount of time available with their children, Jantz says. And they need to safeguard their children by monitoring their time, as well. Jantz suggests these questions for parents to ask themselves in gauging their kids' media usage:

• How much time do your kids spend with various forms of media? There are plenty of distractions from homework. Estimate how much time your child spends with the television, internet, social networking sites, cell phone, Blu-rays and game systems. The more time spent with media, the lower a child's academic performance, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study.

• How much time do your kids spend with you versus online media? Remember, simply being in the same room isn't necessarily interacting. The less the scales tip in favor of human-to-human interaction, the more likely there may be a problem.

• Do you know how each device works and how it can be used? Familiarity with your children's gadgets gives you a better perspective of what their habits may be like.

• What are the consequences of their tech habits, and what should be changed? Make a list of the good and the bad consequences of your family's technology use. After comparing the two lists, consider changes that can turn negatives into positives.

"Technology continues at its accelerating pace, and we are in unchartered territory," Jantz says. "Increasingly, social networking infiltrates our personal lives, but we need to remember that it is created to serve us, and not the other way around."

About Gregory L. Jantz, Ph.D

Gregory Jantz has more than 25 years experience in mental health counseling and is the founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, near Seattle, Wash. The Center, "a place for hope," provides comprehensive, coordinated care from a treatment team that addresses medical, physical, psychological, emotional, nutritional, fitness and spiritual factors involved in recovery. He is the best-selling author of more than 20 books on topics from depression to eating disorders.

05 Jun 2012

Bill to Provide for Veterans Passes House with Schilling/Schock Amendment

By Andie Pivarunas

Amendment turns missed opportunities into more convenient health care for veterans
Washington, DC - The House of Representatives last night passed H.R. 5854, the Fiscal Year 2013 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill, by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 407-12.  Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) teamed up with Congressman Aaron Schock (IL-18) and successfully included an amendment to the bill that directs $16 million within the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Rural Health to expand two pilot programs known as Project ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home) and Project HERO (Healthcare Effectiveness through Resource Optimization).  

In December, Schilling introduced H.R. 3723, the Enhanced Veteran Health Care Experience Act, based on the success of Project HERO and the promise of Project ARCH.  The Schock/Schilling amendment will expand these two successful programs, supporting the goal of Schilling's legislation, which allows but doesn't require veterans to access the health care they need in their hometowns with their own doctors.  Schock is a cosponsor of Schilling's bill.

"You can tell a lot about a country by looking at how it treats its veterans," Schilling said. "Our veterans have given so much for our country, and we must follow through with our promise to provide them with the care they need.  I've talked to many constituents in the 17th District who, like me, believe we must continue to make improvements to our veterans' health care.  The amendment Congressman Schock and I included would do just that, helping more veterans receive the care they need and deserve closer to home."

In April 2011, the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General released an audit of its Office of Rural Health (where both Projects HERO and ARCH are funded) indicating that "at the end of FY 2010, Office of Rural Health (ORH) did not obligate $16 million of the $533 million received during FYs 2009 and 2010 which constituted in missed opportunities for ORH to improve access and quality of care for rural veterans by not having sufficient controls to ensure the use of all available appropriated funds."  The Schilling-Schock amendment directs $16 million to expand Projects HERO and ARCH in an effort to provide veterans with more convenient access to health care.

Project ARCH allows veterans in five veterans integrated service networks (VISNs) to receive their health care from non-VA health care providers.  To participate the veterans must enroll and meet the VA's distance travel criteria.  Project HERO allows veterans to access specialized medical services outside of the VA health system.  The VA contracted with Humana Veterans Healthcare Services (HVHS) to enable veterans to go to one of their prescreened network providers for care.  To participate, the veteran must be located in one of the four VISNs the program is running in.

Schilling and Shock spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives last night in support of their amendment.  Video of their remarks can be seen here.

# # #

05 Jun 2012

Improving Iowans' health care

By Hawkeye Caucus

The Executive MBA program through the University of Iowa helps health care professionals improve the quality and delivery of health care products and services to Iowans.

 

Nearly 20 percent of the 100 students taking EMBA classes in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines work in health care or health care related fields, including ten physicians, CEOs of healthcare facilities, and leaders in medical device and pharmaceutical industries. They learn how to better manage the business of today's increasingly complex health care practices and services so they can be delivered more affordably to Iowans.

 

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

Alex Taylor, associate director of the Tippie EMBA Programs: "Health care makes up 17 percent of US Gross Domestic Product, so it's not a surprise that 20 percent of our students work in health care."

 

DID YOU KNOW?

The Tippie Executive MBA program is the only program of its type in Iowa.  To find out more go to http://tippie.uiowa.edu/execmba/.

05 Jun 2012

Braley Provides Answer to Obama's Call for Veterans' Job Corps

By Rick Martin

President again calls for jobs program during visit to Honeywell Facility

 

Washington, D.C. - Today, while visiting Honeywell's Golden Valley facility in Golden Valley, Minnesota, President Barack Obama will speak of the need to create a Veterans' Job Corps program to put unemployed veterans back to work.

 

Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) is pleased that President Barack Obama continues to push for creation of a Veterans' Job Corps. On May 8, Rep. Braley introduced legislation to create a national Veterans' Job Corps, a program that would seek to put unemployed veterans back to work using skills they developed in the military - to improve national parks, serve as police officers and firefighters, and work in communities.

 

This is not the first time President Obama has called for the creation of a Veterans' Job Corps. In his January State of the Union address, the President first called on Congress to create the Veterans' Job Corps.  In early May in Albany, New York, Obama included the Veterans' Job Corps on a Congressional "To Do List" to create jobs.

 

"We have made progress in reducing the number of unemployed veterans, thanks in part to several initiatives focused on putting veterans back to work, but there is still work to do. The bottom line is the number of unemployed veterans remains far too high," Braley said.

 

"Men and women who've put their lives on the line for our country deserve every opportunity when they return home.  Why not provide them the chance to keep contributing to the nation they love, whether as firefighters, cops, or park rangers?  They've already rebuilt Iraq and Afghanistan.  Now is the time to give them the chance to help rebuild America."

 

The Veterans' Job Corps Act would allow the executive branch to create the Vets Job Corps program as a cooperative project between federal agencies.  Members of the job corps could be employed to improve public lands and national parks, prevent forest fires, work in public safety jobs like police and fire departments, and control floods.  Participation in the corps would be open to unemployed veterans and unemployed widows of veterans.

 

As the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Braley has worked to reduce unemployment among veterans and create jobs for returning service members.  Last October, Braley co-hosted a series of bipartisan field hearings on veterans' unemployment with Indiana Republican Marlin Stutzman.  In November, President Obama signed into law a pair of tax credits Braley championed to give businesses incentives to hire unemployed veterans.  In February, Stutzman and Braley held another veterans' unemployment hearing in Washington.

 

A copy of the Veterans' Job Corps Act can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/d4m
05 Jun 2012

VANDER VEER STORE TEMPORARILY CLOSES AS ENABLING GARDEN CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES

By Ron Summers

Davenport, Iowa, May 31, 2012 - Beginning June 4, the store at Vander Veer Conservatory will close temporarily for the Enabling Garden construction project. The Conservatory will remain open for regular hours. The closing is necessary for work on a new
entrance as part of the Enabling Garden project.

The Enabling Garden is an accessible garden and features plantings that stimulate all the senses, and includes planting beds and containers raised for comfortable reach. This accessible garden can be used by persons of any age or ability and includes garden elements that appeal to all five senses. The gardens are designed to improve and maintain the physical mental and social health of everyone.

An artist's conception of the completed Enabling Garden can be found on the Parks and Recreation's website on the Vander Veer Botanical Park page. The web address is: www.cityofdavenportiowa.com/parks.

Construction is expected to be complete sometime in August. Patrons should check the

Parks and Recreation website for any notice on closure during the construction period.

05 Jun 2012

DAYTROTTER POSTS 2000TH SESSION FEATURING GLEN CAMPBELL

By Daytrotter

This Friday, June 1st, Two-Thousand And Twelve, we here at Daytrotter -- on the muddy Mississippi River in Rock Island, Illinois -- are posting our 2000th Daytrotter session. Point your browser to www.daytrotter.com and come celebrate with us.

We pulled out the stops and are commemorating the milestone with the debut session from country legend Glen Campbell. The Rhinestone Cowboy performs three classic cuts and the heartbreaking lead track from his new and final studio album.

In a symbolic nod to the sheer volume of killer, one-of-a-kind live sessions that we've posted since the site launched in February 2006, our 2001st posting is from the great Delta Spirit -- their 5th!

In celebration of our 2000th Daytrotter session, we are offering $20 annual memberships to Daytrotter for the next 24 hours only.

Coming at you from The Horseshack in downtown Rock Island, IL, Daytrotter brings you 5 new sessions a day, every day -- 140 Daytrotter session songs each week.

These fine people, traveling through America's heartland, take two hours out of their travels between shows to stop in for a session in downtown Rock Island, Ill. They use borrowed instruments, play with their touring mates, utilize an often unkempt toilet, eat some food and then cram back into their vans for the last half of the drive. What they leave behind is a pile of ashes, sometimes a forgotten stocking hat and four absolutely collectible songs - song as they are on that particular day, on that particular tour; dirty and alive

Recorded with minimal mic'ing, through discrete preamps and with some limiting, to the mixing console, they are printed to 1/4" analog tape running at 15 inches per second (usually BASF 468). There is no set formula or pattern to the recordings, and they are all live, no overdubs, straight to tape.

Here's to the next 2000 sessions and here's to the great artists we've worked and will someday work with!


05 Jun 2012

POLYRHYTHMS VERY 1ST ARTIST RETURNS FOR THIRD SUNDAY # 66

By Nate Lawrence
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June 17th, POLYRHYTHMS brings piano Great Willie Pickens; the same Willie Pickens who performed five years ago at the very first Third Sunday Jazz Workshop & Matinee event. A celebrated educator performer, Pickens returns to the Redstone Room, in the RME on the corner of 2nd & Main, Davenport, IA, to see where his jazz demystifying teachings have taken us 66 Third Sundays later. Third Sunday Jazz Events begin with a workshop at 3 pm and is followed by a matinee concert from 6 - 8 pm.

"As our inaugural performer, Mr. Pickens set the bar for artistry and teaching at the Third Sunday Jazz Workshop & Matinee series", said Nate Lawrence of Polyrhythms.  "Generous in sharing the benefit of his experience, his counsel imprinted upon us the importance of providing top quality content and to not insult the kids by dumbing it down.  How could we go wrong?"

A piano powerhouse, WILLIE PICKENS began his career on Eddie Harris' 1961 national hit record, Exodus, since then playing with James Moody, Roy Eldridge, Max Roach, Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, Quincy Jones, Bunky Green, Ira Sullivan, Wynton Marsalis, and so many more. But instead of joining the national and international jazz scene, Willie chose to make his home in Hyde Park, becoming a public school teacher, an active member of the Hyde Park Union Church, and a mentor to scores of upcoming musicians. Just passing his 81st birthday, Pickens is more in demand and playing better than ever. The Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich writes that Willie's intense dramatic performances result from his "large and complex chords, his great splashes of color and dissonance in the right hand and his barrelhouse octaves in the left." Pickens is joined by Ron Wilson on bass and Manuel Lopez III on drums.

Pickens was born into a Milwaukee family that valued music. Willie's mother, herself an amateur pianist, saw to it that Willie's emerging talent was developed by encouraging his formal study of the instrument. His stepfather, an avid jazz fan and alto sax player, introduced him to the music of Art Tatum via the radio; as there were few jazz venues in Milwaukee.  Pickens also discovered the likes of Nat "King" Cole and Bud Powell?artists that would have a profound influence on his musical development.

In 1954, Pickens earned a teacher's certificate from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in Milwaukee and went on to the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, in 1958, to receive his B.S. in Music Education.  Ultimately, Willie's love of jazz would drive his musical career. Having "caught the bug" playing with saxophonist Bunky Green and pianist Billy Wallace, Pickens moved to Chicago as soon as he'd finished his degree. "Chicago was where the action was," he says, and started his baptism by fire in the city many regarded as the hub of the jazz piano world.

Although Pickens met with moderate success as a young musician, he married and started a family in 1959 and quickly realized that "if you've got kids, you've got to be sure how much money is coming in every week."  Since then, Willie has had distinguished dual careers as a performer and educator: he has served as band director for Lindblom and Wendell Phillips high schools and as Chair of the Department of Music at Phillips; he started Kenwood Academy's first jazz band; he has also directed the City of Chicago's All-City High School Band and taught at the American Conservatory of Music.  Today, he continues to teach piano part-time in the Northern Illinois University's jazz program and serves in the Ravinia/Chicago Public School Jazz Mentors Program.

At 81, Pickens continues to be one of Chicago's most in-demand pianists for visiting artists.  He has performed several times at the famed Chicago Jazz Festival, to rave reviews, and has been the featured pianist on impresario Joe Segal's Jazz Cruises.  He has also performed with fellow pianist Marian McPartland, both in concert and on her well-loved NPR show, "Piano Jazz".

Polyrhythms Third Sunday Jazz Matinee & Workshop Series at the RME's Redstone Room is scheduled for, June 17th, and features an all-ages workshop at 3 pm, followed by the matinee performance from 6-8 pm.   Admission to the workshop session is Free for Kids, $5 for adults.  General admission for the 6 - 8 pm concert is $10 or $15 for reserved seating.  For ticket information, call Polyrhythms: 309 373-0790.  For more information, visit our website: www.polyrhythms.org.

Sunday June 17th, Doors open at 5:30 pm.  Come and experience great jazz with the legendary Willie Pickens Trio "live" at the Redstone Room.

Polyrhythms Third Sunday Jazz Series is made possible with major support of the Riverboat Development Authority, the Scott County Regional Authority, and the RME as well as the support of AT&T, the Doris & Victor Day Foundation, West Music, Davenport Clarion Hotel, KALA, IL Senator Mike Jacobs, Peeples Heating & Air Conditioning, the Austin Family Charitable Fund, Greatest Grains, Skylark Recording Studio and DJ Mixxin Mel.

 

05 Jun 2012

Iowa Supreme Court Opinions

By Iowa Judicial Branch
Iowa Supreme Court Opinions

June 1, 2012

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. 10-1278

FLYNN BUILDERS, L.C. vs. MATTHEW P. LANDE and CHRIS LANDE

No. 11-0699

EMPLOYERS MUTUAL CASUALTY COMPANY vs. LACINDA RANEE VAN HAAFTEN

No. 11-1581

JOSEPH O. DIER vs. CASSANDRA JO PETERS

No. 11-1919

IOWA SUPREME COURT ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY BOARD vs. G. BRAD DENTON II


05 Jun 2012

Iowa hosts Walk for the End of Child Abuse

By Shirley Darsidian
at The 1,000 Mile Journey

CLINTON, IOWA - June 1, 2012 - 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. This is the inaugural event for Iowa in partnership with The Rainbird Foundation, a 501(c)(3) committed to the end of child abuse in all forms for all children everywhere. (www.rainbirdfoundation.org)

On Sunday, June 10th, at 1:00 pm Clinton teenager 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 and Ashford University as well as other local businesses. Local non-profits working in the area of ending child abuse will have booths including the Discovery Center, YWCA, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
 
Live music by David Smith and activities for children from the Discovery Center 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.

"Every step someone takes, large or small towards the end of child abuse matters," says Walk Director Shirley Darsidan. "We're asking Clinton, the Quad Cities, and surrounding communities to join us by walking one mile and create a mass of people in our state who care about this issue and Registration for children 12 and under is free, teens are $10, twenties are $20, and adults 30 and older are $30. Each participant has the opportunity to raise pledges 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.
05 Jun 2012

CAMP COURAGEOUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNOUNCES ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND MEMBERS

By Camp Courageous

MONTICELLO, IOWA. -The Camp Courageous of Iowa Board of Directors announced the election of the following officers and members for the 2012-2013 term. The President of the Board of Directors is Winnie Williams of Monticello, IA.

Officers:
President: Winnie Williams, of Monticello, Retired Fawn Creek Homes, Anamos, IA
President-Elect: Margo Ahrendsen, Farmer, Camper Parent, and Advocate, Olin, IA
Secretary: Mary Van Houten, Banquet Manager, Kirkwood Hotel, Cedar Rapids IA
Treasurer: Randy Faulkner, Pres. Hawkeye Dry Ice/Owner The Firehouse, Cedar Rapids, IA

Those re-elected to a three-year term included:
Dr. John Bailey, Retired Medical Doctor, Anamosa, IA
Randy Faulkner, Pres. Hawkeye Dry Ice & Owner The Firehouse, Cedar Rapids, IA
Brian Gay, Executive Director, Midwest Free Community Papers, Coralville, IA
Bill Northup, Wells Fargo Bank, Regional Manager for Private Client Services, Des Moines, IA
Kay Pitlik, Retired Special Educator/Advocate/ Cedar Rapids, IA
Mag Welter, Retired Special Educator, Monticello, IA
Winnie Williams, Monticello, Retired Fawn Creek Homes, Anamos, IA
Jim Zimmerman, Principal Sacred Heart, Monticello, IA

Other board members include :
Aaron Cook, Farmer, Winthrop, IA
Jim Foels, Farmer, Brooklyn, IA
Larry Greco, Retired Cedar Rapids Police Department, Solon, IA
Merlin Hulse, Farmer, Clarence, IA
Mary Johnson, Rockwell, Marion, IA
Jim Klinger, Retired, Cedar Memorial Funeral Homes, Cedar Rapids, IA
Phil Martin, Retired United Airlines, Anamosa, IA
Steve Supple, Farmer, Cascade, IA
Bob Thoeni, Retired owner of Bob's Pioneer Seed, Monticello, IA
Dan Vorhies, Newton Sales, Monticello, IA
Chris Wiese, VP Sales LimoLink, Cedar Rapids, IA

Camp Courageous is a year-round recreational and respite care facility for individuals with disabilities. In its 38th year of serving those with special needs, a volunteer board of directors governs the camp. This year Camp Courageous will serve over 6,000 campers with special needs. The camp is run on donations, without government assistance, without formal sponsorship, and without paid fundraisers. What this means is everything that is donated to the camp goes directly to benefit the campers. Camp Courageous is available 24-hours a day, 365-days a year to meet the emergency needs of families with a special needs family member living at home.

Tours of the camp and programs about this unique facility are available by contacting the camp at 319/465-5916 or going to www.campcourageous.org

Past Board President, Aaron Cook, hands the President's gavel over to new President Winnie
Williams. (Back Row-Left-Right) Merlin Hulse, Randy Faulkner, Steve Supple, Bob Thoeni,
Dan Vorhies, Brian Gay, Dr. John Bailey, Jim Klinger, Jim Zimmerman, and Larry Greco.
Front Row-Left-Right) Mary Van Houten, Mary Johnson, Mag Welter, Margo Ahrendsen, Chris
Wiese, Jim Foels, Kay Pitlik, and Phil Martin. Not present, Bill Northup.

For More Information Contact: Charlie Becker-cbecker@campcourageous.org-319/465-5916 ext 2100

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