ROCK ISLAND, IL (03/16/2012)(readMedia)-- Forty-seven Augustana College students studied and worked in Sydney, Australia, for the first two months of 2012. The international study program known as "Augustana in Australia" places students in career-relevant positions in Sydney and immerses them in Australian culture.

From your area:

Rebecca Anderson from Taylor Ridge, Ill., was among the participants. Anderson is a senior at Augustana and is majoring in biology. (More info on Anderson is available at http://www.augustana.edu/x37549.xml.)

Thomas Harris from Davenport, Iowa, was among the participants. Harris is a junior at Augustana and is majoring in biology. (More info on Harris is available at http://www.augustana.edu/x37561.xml.)

Clare Kilbride from Rock Island, Ill., was among the participants. Kilbride is a junior at Augustana and is majoring in communication sciences and disorders. (More info on Kilbride is available at http://www.augustana.edu/x37570.xml.)

The students completed a five-week on-campus internship seminar and a complimentary class in either intercultural communication or business ethics before leaving for Australia on January 2. Once in Australia, students worked for a variety of employers in numerous fields - from healthcare to education and from hospitality to non-profit work.

During their trip, the students also visited the ANZ Stadium, where the 2000 Olympics were held; the Sydney Opera House; and the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney. Some students traveled to New Zealand and other areas of Australia, including Melbourne, Darwin and Cairns, where they were able to snorkel and dive the Great Barrier Reef. Students returned to the United States on March 2.

According to Karen M. Petersen, Augustana's director of business internships and the Australia program's director, "The highlight of the Australia internship program is the personal growth students experience by integrating into a totally new culture - both personally and professionally."

At Augustana, students choosing to intern or study abroad can receive financial support from the college thanks to a program launched in 2009 called Augie Choice. Focused on advancing student learning in the liberal arts in alignment with the college's strategic plan, Augie Choice grants students in their junior year or beyond the opportunity to receive a one-time grant of $2,000 to offset the expenses of study abroad, an internship or research project. Augie Choice funding, which recently surpassed the $1 million milestone, is a visible symbol of the college's commitment to experiential learning as a way of preparing students to stand out among their peers.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers nearly 90 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 287 faculty members and has a student-faculty ratio of approximately 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.

**Friday, March 16, 2012**

 

CHICAGO - March 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bill:

Bill No.: HB 1927

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

The bill clarifies the process to allow the court to release seized property - after probable cause for forfeiture is found at the preliminary hearing, but before completion of the criminal case - if a substantial hardship would result from the property being detained until the completion of the forfeiture proceeding.

Action: Signed                        

Effective Date: Immediately

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Iowa City, IA - Up next at Riverside Theatre is the area premiere of the gritty and complex Broadway thriller, A Steady Rain by Keith Huff, directed by Joseph Price.

 

A Steady Rain is about two Chicago cops, Joey and Denny, who are lifelong best friends and partners on the beat until a chain of events spirals out of control threatening their jobs, their friendship and their lives.

 

"Joey and Denny grew up together and have always lived 'back to back' knowing that they could rely on one another no matter the circumstances," Price said.  "We meet them in a sort of internal affairs purgatory...the men face a world where all seems lost and we witness their struggle to make sense of that world."

 

This gripping duologue features area actors Martin Andrews as Joey and Jim Van Valen as Denny.

 

A Steady Rain was performed on Broadway in 2009 and Huff is currently working on adapting the play for EON Films. Huff is a graduate of the UI's Playwright Workshop.

 

"The lives these characters live, what they see and are asked to do on a daily basis - it's slowly wearing them down - destroying them.  Both of them are looking for salvation.  Only one can find it. It's an exciting story to tell with complicated characters to explore," said Andrews.

 

Andrews is the Producing Director for Working Group Theatre and an MFA graduate of UI. He last appeared at Riverside Theatre in Working Group Theatre's The Toymaker's War and Riverside's All My Sons.

 

Van Valen is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Head of Acting at Cornell College and an MFA graduate of UI. He was last seen in Riverside's summer productions of Ah, Wilderness! and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

 

A Steady Rain also features lighting design by Bryon Winn, sound design by Katherine Horowitz, and costume design by Adriana Fernandez.

 

A Steady Rain contains strong language and adult content.

 

Tickets for A Steady Rain, March 30 - April 15, are $15-$28 with discounts available for those over 60, those under 30, and youth. $15 students rush tickets are available on a first come first served basis 20 minutes before curtain. Tickets are available by phone at (319) 338-7672, online at www.riversidetheatre.org or in person at the Riverside Theatre Box

Office, located at 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City, IA.

 

Immediately following the opening night performance on Friday, March 30 there will be a reception and conversation with Huff in the theatre with a cash bar.

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Performance Schedule

 

Friday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.*

 

Saturday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Sunday, April 1 at 2 p.m.**

 

Thursday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Friday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Saturday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Thursday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Friday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Sunday, April 15 at 2 p.m.

 

There will be no performance on Sunday, April 8.

 

*Reception and conversation with playwright Keith Huff in the theatre with a cash bar immediately following the opening night performance on Friday, March 30.

 

**Talkback Sunday, April 1 - Stay after this performance to chat with company members and gain behind-the-scenes info about the play. Free and open to the public.

WHEN: 3-31-12

TIME: 1 - 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: Barnes & Noble, 320 W. Kimberly Rd., Davenport, Iowa 52806

WHAT: Dorris, a resident of Davenport, IA, will be available to sign copies of his book, Life Is Too Short: Life Is What We Make It.

Fear not, for in Life Is Too Short: Life Is What We Make It, author David Dorris shows you how to approach life's problems and that making the right choices is easier than you think. Life is like a baseball game where the pitcher is constantly throwing you curveballs. As this is the case, do you want to simply be a spectator, or do you want to get in the game and face life head-on? Although it may sound simple sometimes, life is not an easy game to play. There are many challenges to overcome and many choices you have to make. None of you have a choice as to how you come into the world; however, you do have a choice as to the kind of life you live. Follow David in Life Is Too Short: Life Is What We Make It, and find out for yourself how you too can knock life's curveballs out of the park.



For more information, contact Jim Miller at 888-361-9473 or jim@tatepublishing.com

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Expert Offers Tips for Easy Ways to Save
On Every Trip to the Market

More people than ever are clipping coupons for their supermarket trips, but they're often not saving as much as they could, says Toni House, author of How to Reduce Your Weekly Grocery Bill to $85 Per Week - Or Less!.

"You can easily shave $5 to $20 off your weekly grocery budget with a minimal investment of time," says House. "Cutting your bill just $10 a week will save you $520 over the course of a year.

"Taking a couple of extra steps to ensure you can use all the coupons you clip will save you more money - and protect your investment of time in clipping them."

How can consumers take advantage of coupons without becoming consumed by them?

Let us count the ways!

• Learn different stores' rules. Call the grocery stores that are convenient to you (near home OR work), ask these questions and write down the answers: Do you have double or triple coupon days? (If so, what are they?) Do you accept other stores' coupons? Do you allow "stacking" coupons - using them on sale items?

• Seek coupons far and wide. The Sunday paper is always a good place to start, but most households also get coupons through direct mail. And you can find coupon deals at SaveYourMoneySaveYourFamily.com, Coupon-Lady.com and a host of other sites. If there are brand-name products you just have to have, try Googling the name and "coupon."

• Plan meals around your coupons. Say you have coupons for 30 cents off a box of pasta, half-off spaghetti sauce (a type you normally buy - not a pricey splurge!), buy-one, get-one canned mushrooms and $1 off a pound of ground chuck. Can you smell dinner simmering? For less than $4?

• Organize your coupons. An expandable folder, like you might use for taxes, is a convenient place to store coupons at home. You might organize it by product - frozen foods, snacks, meats, or by expiration date. If you're going to do some meal planning around coupons, you might want a section for those. As you clip, sort the coupons immediately so you don't end up with a big pile that never gets sorted or used. Clip the meal coupons together and drop them in either the meals section or, if you're organizing by date, the date the first one is set to expire

• Save up to 30 to 50 percent with "shopping club" cards. Many supermarkets now offer "shopping clubs" that provide members with special in-store discounts. These are no-clipping-required coupons that never expire! Sign up for free and get a "membership" card that clips to your key ring. When the cashier swipes it, the discounts are applied to your grocery bill. Some stores have an associated website where you can log in while you're planning your shopping list and see what discounts are available that week.

• Upload coupons directly onto your shopping club card. Stores that have a shopping club website may also post manufacturer and brand coupons there. Log into the site with your card ID number, then click on the coupons you want and they'll load right onto your card! Instead of carrying coupons to the grocery story, you get your discounts when the cashier swipes your card.

• Organize your shopping club cards and coupons with your smart phone. If you shop at a lot of stores, you may be carrying around a lot of shopping club cards. Ditch the cards by loading them on a free club card organizer app available soon at saveyourmoneysaveyourfamily.com. You'll also soon find a free coupon organizing app there. It will allow you to click on coupons online and load them onto your phone for the trip to the grocery store.

Planning ahead is the most effective way to use coupons. Since we know you would never dream of heading to the supermarket without a list -- because that's a huge money waster - just match your coupons to your shopping list before you head out the door.

Be sure to check expiration dates, brand names and quantities on the coupon (if it says "8-ounce tub of lard," don't grab the 24-ounce tub of lard!)

Imagine, if you save just $1 a week with coupons, you'll have $52 extra at the end of the year. And then you can get that splurge spaghetti sauce - and the 24-ounce tub of lard!

About Toni House

Toni House has a bachelor's in accounting and a master's in business administration and was most recently the senior consultant and owner of an accounting firm. "How to Reduce Your Grocery Bill" is her second "Savvy Shopping" book. Her first was "Save Your Money, Save Your Family." Find her money-saving blog tips at www.saveyourmoneysaveyourfamily.com.

March 16, 2012

The first policy bill I authored this year passed through the Iowa Senate chambers on Tuesday.  In order to receive veteran discounts at stores, veterans must prove status.  It is irrational to believe these individuals must carry around their DD214 and Discharge Certificates to receive a 10% discount at a local business.  These documents are as important as birth certificates.  Therefore, Senate File 2037 allows the word "Veteran" to appear on a driver's license or a state issued ID to serve the same purpose.  Keep your DD214 in the lock box from now on!

The second funnel deadline appeared on Thursday which means any bill which has not passed one of the chambers and a committee in the other chamber is no longer available for discussion.  Think of this as a taxpayer protection rule.  This means all the wish list bills are now dead.

Budget bills have stalled as the House, Senate and governor's office are showing off to each other like peacocks displaying their feathers.  No one is ready to start the fight but the cards have clearly been displayed.  As a result there was still time this week to move through a series of "post-card" bills.  These are bills which sound good in theory and great to use as campaign fodder, however, in true application they are difficult to enforce.

The Iowa Senate passed a series of preservation clauses to buy American products and employ Iowa businesses in government contracts.  Though I whole-heartedly agree with the concept of these bills we must watch states like Illinois establishing the same protectionist clauses against Iowa companies.  These bills have the greatest impact upon the interstate commerce of companies on our borders.  Think of an Illinois company receiving a 5% leeway on bidding against Iowa companies.  Also, I fully support U.S. steel used in construction projects, however we must take on the bigger issue that steel refineries have largely been exported.  We are now feeling the drastic effects of businesses moving overseas.

The Iowa Senate also passed a bill allowing online gambling in virtual poker rooms with real money.  As I have never been a fan of gaming I simply caution on the extent which online gaming may go to in the future.  There is a possibility to move to betting on sporting events and even political races.  Sometimes, like with touch-play machines, you get more than what you asked for.

Next week the Senate will return to debate on education reform.  I look forward to sending you an update.  Thank you for the opportunity to serve in the Iowa Senate.


For more information please visit www.shawnhamerlinck.com.

hamerlinck signaturesmall.jpg
Shawn Hamerlinck
State Senator
District 42

AMES, Iowa - Stephanie Blaser and Gabriel Domingues, both of Bettendorf, Iowa, have achieved academic ranking in the top 2 percent of students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University.
-30-
Funktion
Rock Island Brewing Company (RIBCO) (1815 Second Ave., Rock Island, IL)
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Price: FREE
Age: 21+
Doors: 7pm
Show: 8pm

Funktion takes kinetic live performances, 'fireball of funk' on the road across country

Seven-member band Funktion is a funk-making machine. The band's kinetic live performances are fueled by a densely layered, harmonic funk-rock music with an upbeat, dance-inducing rhythmic groove including hints of hip-hop and jazz. No form of the funk genre is off limits, whether it's a smooth R&B vibe, cool island dub rhythms, rowdy hip-hop or its own unique, unhinged, guitar-fueled fireball of funk.

When it comes right down to it, however, the band's multifaceted sounds are simply dance music. The band's main intention is to get people up and grooving on the dance floor.

The band's sound includes smooth brass grooves with percussive vocals and hip-hop themes intertwined with retro funk bass lines, but it's energy and vibe also create a type of venue-wide positive energy. Funktion members say there's also positive energy when they are just hanging out or on the road and it translates on stage through the music straight to the audience.

Funktion's music, groove and vibe is ultimately shaped by all the musical elements that influences its members. These influences include the great funk and groove artists from the past and present including everyone from James Brown, Parliament, Herbie Hancock and Sly and the Family Stone to The Roots, Maceo Parker, 311 and Soulive.

"We've got seven guys whose passion is to play music," percussionist Jeremy Reisig said. "The reason we want to get it out there at a high level is that we love playing music with each other. We love messing around and we love that energy on stage."

The act, in May 2011, released its "Step Into It" album to high acclaim. It features the band at its best in the studio and features several special guests on horns and vocals. Ultimately, however, the band must be seen live to fully understand its impact and talent for extended cross-genre improvisations.

FUNKTION:
Andrew Schrock (Lead Vocals)
Terrence Massey (Trumpet, Vocals)
Hugh Little (Keyboards, Vocals)
Nate Heymoss (Guitar)
Neal Conway (Bass)
Sean Reisig (Drums)
Jeremy Reisig (Percussion, Flows)

ONLINE:
www.funktionmusic.com/
www.facebook.com/Funktionkzoo
www.youtube.com/user/funktionkalamazoo
www.reverbnation.com/funktionkalamazoo

MUSIC:
music.funktionmusic.com/

VIDEO:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qLXoHkyshA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v38QrCKZ9WA&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=AV4oVf-d_DwKDu2ifMFiHNfVIkfSzU5JVM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=34vNBa6SSbU
www.archive.org/details/WyceJammiesXiFunktion
Red Hawk will opened Friday, March 16 for regular play. The driving range at Red Hawk is also open as well but with mats only. Concessions and the Par 3 course will not open until April 1. Red Hawk is located at 6364 Northwest Blvd and their phone number is 563-386-0348.
This means all 3 courses, Duck Creek, Emeis and Red Hawk will be open for regular play for the season tomorrow. Emeis and Red Hawk ranges will be open as well.
Don't forget for those rainy days we still have an indoor driving range at the River's Edge, 700 W River Drive. It's open 7am - 3pm, Monday through Friday and this Saturday from 7am - 2pm. For other Saturdays, call the River's Edge at 563-328-7275 or see the Turf Schedule at www.cityofdavenportiowa.com/parks for details.


Davenport Parks and Recreation
700 W River Dr
Davenport, Iowa 52803

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS in partnership with the Child Abuse Council, Community Child Care Resource & Referral, Quad Cities Association for Education of Young Children, Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency and the Rock Island County Regional Office of Education is offering a Ready To Learn Conference on April 21nd from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The conference organized for early childhood professionals in homes, churches, centers and schools will feature 18 different breakout sessions that include "Prop Box Bags" discussing outdoor learning fun, "Got Dirt" discussing how to grow healthy kids and "A Merry Musical Day" discussing music and movement.

The registration fee is $20.00 and includes 3 workshops, a light breakfast and a free children's book.  At the conference all participants will receive a training certificate valued at 3 hours.  CEU and CPDU credits are available on the day of the conference for an additional $20 fee. Black Hawk College is also offering 1 college credit in conjunction with the conference. You must register for the course and pay separately by contacting Chris Bachelder at 309/796-5986.

To find out more about the conference or to download a registration form go to www.wqpt.org or phone 309-764-2400.

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University located in Moline, Illinois.

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