Thanks Outgoing IDPH Director Dr. Arnold for His Years of Service

CHICAGO - September 30, 2011. Governor Quinn today appointed Dr. Craig Conover as acting director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Jean Ortega-Piron as acting director of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Dr. Conover replaces Dr. Damon Arnold, who is leaving IDPH to create a Master's of Public Health degree program at Chicago State University.

"As he departs to pursue a new opportunity, I want to thank Dr. Arnold for his years of dedicated service to the people of Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "Dr. Conover's experience in a variety of medical fields will ensure that Illinois' public health system continues to protect and improve the health of the people of our great state."

Dr. Arnold's tenure at IDPH has seen the department winning a number of awards and grants, including a $24 million federal grant to implement its "We Choose Health" initiative, announced yesterday. Under his leadership, the department has consistently received top scores from the Centers for Disease Control for public health preparedness, and has transformed its grant tracking and monitoring system to increase accountability. Dr. Arnold also worked to secure public-private partnerships for the state's State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) to improve the health of Illinois residents.

Dr. Craig Conover has held several positions at IDPH since 2002, currently serving as Illinois' chief epidemiologist and medical director of the office of health protection, where he is charged with responding to and preventing disease outbreaks. Before joining IDPH, he served as attending physician at the Emergency Department at the University of Vermont and Chairman of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Provident Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Conover holds a master's degree in public health from the John Hopkins School of Medicine and an M.D. from the University of Rochester.

The Governor also appointed Jean Ortega-Piron to serve as acting director at DCFS. Since 1996, Ortega-Piron has served as Deputy Director, Guardian and Advocacy, acting as guardian for all children committed to DCFS by Illinois' juvenile courts. In that role, she was instrumental in establishing the first-in-the-nation Memorandum of Understanding between a state child welfare agency and Mexico, and also established a system for monitoring psychotropic medications for state wards, described by the Chicago Tribune as the "gold standard" in the country. She has also served as the DCFS chief administrative law judge and administrator of the Appeals and Hearings Unit. Prior to that, she worked as chief legal counsel for the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. Ms. Ortega-Piron is a graduate of Rosary College and the Chicago-Kent School of Law.

Q:        What's the effect on Americans when China undervalues its currency?

A:        China's policy of intervening in its currency markets to limit or halt the appreciation of its currency, the yuan, against the U.S. dollar or other currencies has the effect of keeping Chinese exports cheap and imports expensive, putting some U.S. businesses at a disadvantage.  That has a negative effect on U.S. jobs.  It's also an unfair and unlawful trade advantage for China to subsidize its exports.  New market opportunities are needed for job creation here at home, and market-based currency policy is an important factor in free and fair trade relationships.  Iowa has long been an exporting state, with good-paying jobs related to exports in manufacturing and agriculture.  One in every three tractors made in John Deere's plant in Waterloo is sold to customers overseas.  One in every three acres planted on Iowa farmland heads to the international marketplace.  Ag exports account for one-quarter of farm cash receipts in Iowa.  U.S. exporters deserve a level playing field with China's exporters.

Q:        What can be done?

A:        By law, the Treasury Department is required to name any country it suspects of manipulating the value of its currency to gain an unfair advantage in international trade.  Unfortunately, for too long, presidential administrations of both parties haven't done what the law allows.  The current debate in Congress over China's currency policy draws from more than five years of legislative proposals that would induce China, and other countries manipulating their currencies, to reform its currency policy or to address the effects of that policy on the U.S. economy.  I've introduced bipartisan legislation in the past, and this fall there is a proposal with bipartisan support to increase U.S. oversight of currency manipulation.  The measure would trigger meaningful consequences for countries that fail to adopt appropriate policies to eliminate currency misalignment and make sure U.S. trade laws may be used to counter the economic harm to U.S. manufacturers caused by currency manipulation, in accordance with international trade laws.

The executive branch also can and should prepare a case against China's currency manipulation in the World Trade Organization, the 153-member organization (made up mostly of sovereign nations) that governs international trade.  The framework for World Trade Organization policies is based on the principles of non-discrimination, reciprocity, binding and enforceable commitments, transparency, and safety valves.  In joining the World Trade Organization ten years ago, China committed to adhering to the trade rules of the global marketplace.  If China is not willing to live up to its obligations, the behavior should be challenged under the international rule of law.

WQPT Calendar of Events

Title: "A Class Apart": Special Screening and Discussion

Moderated by Alfred Ramirez with panelists Bob Ontiveros, Ernie Rodriquez and Henry Vargas

Where: Moline Public Library, 41st Street, Moline, Illinois

When: October 4, 2011  - 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

What: American Experience's "A Class Apart" tells the little known story of how a band of underdog Mexican-American lawyers take the Hernandez v. Texas case to the Supreme Court, challenging Jim Crow-style discrimination.

Admission: Free

Sponsored by: Ascentra Credit Union with additional support from The Moline Public Library, Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Western Illinois University.

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Title: WQPT presents Freedom Riders with special guest, Diane Nash

Where: Martin Luther King Community Center, Rock Island, Illinois

When: October 15, 2011 - 10:00 am

What: The public is invited to a special screening of the documentary "Freedom Riders" and then listen to Diane Nash - one of the leaders of the Freedom Rides Civil Rights movement. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.

Admission: Free

Sponsored by: Rock Island Community Foundation and Illinois Humanity Council

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Title: Taco Tuesday WQPT Fundraiser at Mulligan's Valley Pub

Where: Mulligan's Valley Pub in Coal Valley, Illinois

When: October 25, 2011 - 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

What: Help support WQPT when you purchase $5.00 tacos. Enjoy a great meal with 100% of the proceeds benefitting WQPT. Viewers, friends and others are invited to show their support for the station while enjoying great tacos.

Admission: $5 per order of tacos

Sponsored by: Mulligan's Valley Pub and Royal Neighbors of America

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Title: WQPT Trivia Night

Where: North Hall at the Highland Park Bowl, 4202 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, IL.

When: November 4, 2011 at 6:00 pm

What: Enjoy a friendly competition testing your smarts at the 4^th Annual WQPT Trivia Night. Bring your own snacks. Beverages are available for purchase.

CANTON, MO. (09/30/2011)(readMedia)-- Culver-Stockton College is proud to announce Kaitlyn Gutheil, a senior history and education major from Bettendorf, Iowa, was recently inducted into the Alpha Eta Lambda chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society.

Faculty sponsor D'Ann Campbell, professor of history, along with Patrick Hotle, professor of history, and Scott Giltner, assistant professor of history, welcomed the 12 new members into the society, "whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians" and honors history majors and minors with a 3.1 grade point average in history and a 3.0 cumulative overall grade point average.