19 Mar 2012

Poetry Out Loud Regional Contest Winners Move On to State Contest

By Tracy White
Students from United Township and Orion High Schools

 

On Saturday, February 18th, students from Orion High School and United Township participated in the Poetry Out Loud regional contest at Quad City Arts. The event was exciting and enriching and all in attendance were edified and entertained by the student recitations.

We are happy to announce the winners of the contest: 1st place went to Brianna Gray from United Township HS. Brianna recited "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll and "Song of the Powers" by David Mason. Runner-up was Anni Keleher from Orion HS. Anni recited  "Hope" by Emily Dickinson and "The Vacuum" by Howard Nemerov.

These students will now advance to Illinois' State Poetry Out Loud Competition, being held Thursday, March 29, 2012, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield.  The State champion will advance to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in April in Washington, DC where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed with the grand prize being $20,000.

Poetry Out Loud is presented by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. It is a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

19 Mar 2012

COMEDY COMPETITION STANDS UP TO DIABETES

By Chris Starman

Davenport, IA  Mar 6, 2012 - Iowa and Illinois comedians will raise money and awareness for the Eastern Iowa Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation with a night of standup comedy and competition in this year's Comedy For A Cause 3 - Last QC Comic Standing, April 13 at The Establishment Theatre.  Tickets for finals will cost $10, with all proceeds going to support the Eastern Iowa JDRF.

 

For the third year, DubStar has called upon area comedians to lend a helping hand to the Eastern Iowa branch of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Last QC Comic Standing is the area's only LOCALLY produced comedy competition.   This year, the event injects a new level of excitement with thirty-six of the best comedians in the Midwest competing in three preliminary rounds for ten spots in the finals.  Only one can be crowned Last QC Comic Standing and receive the cash and prizes.  The three preliminary rounds begin this week at Rozz-Tox, in Rock Island, March 9 beginning at 8:00pm.  The next two preliminary rounds will follow over the next two weeks, March 15 at The Pub in Davenport, and March 22 at Racer's Edge in East Moline.

 

The finals will be held Friday, April 13 at The Establishment Theater and will feature the top ten from the three preliminary rounds.  The top ten will perform for local judges Tony Tone from the Red Hot Brian Scott & Tony Tone in the Morning on B100, Entertainment Editor for the the Quad City Times - David Burke, Local headlining comedian - Jim Petersen, and local retailer and JDRF parent - Bob Boyer.  These judges will narrow the field from ten to three, and then name a champion.  Tickets for finals will cost $10, with all proceeds going to support the Eastern Iowa JDRF.

 

"This year's event was meant to showcase the amazing comedic talent in the Midwest, and specifically the Quad Cities.  Almost half of the comics are from right here in the QC," says DubStar founder Tony Boyer.  "We also wanted to bring the local comedy community together by using venues that have supported comedy after the loss of Penguin's.  The Establishment, Rozz-Tox, Racer's Edge, The Pub, and others have been so helpful in cementing a home for local comedy."

 

 

JDRF is a leader in setting the agenda for diabetes research worldwide, and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 research. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease which strikes children and adults suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump.   According to the American Diabetes Association, an estimated 25.8 million people in the United States, 8.3% of the population, have diabetes, with 7 million going undiagnosed.

 

DubStar is an amateur fundraising group founded in 2008 by Tony Boyer and Chris Starman; both have histories related to helping diabetics. DubStar's mission is to make a positive impact on deserving charities or groups, through fun and unique ways; "Party With A Purpose".  In February, DubStar hosted Minute 2 Win It, a recreation of the popular TV game show that raised funds for the Quad Cities Autism Center.  Additional information can be found at the DubStar website, www.facebook.com/DubStarQC.

 

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19 Mar 2012

MCC QC TO HOLD ANNUAL CHILI COOK-OFF WITH ENTERTAINMENT FEATURING ARMONIA

By Rev. Rich Hendricks
Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities ("MCC QC") invites the public to
its annual Chili Cook-Off fundraiser on Sunday, March 25, 2012 from 5 pm to 8 pm at
Connections Nightclub, 822 W. 2nd Street, Davenport, Iowa.

There is no cost to enter your chili and a $100 first prize is being offered. Entries must
be delivered by 5 pm, with judging of entries taking place at 5:15 pm. All are invited
to all you can eat chili, fixings and homemade desserts for just $5. There will also be
silent and live auction items to bid on (including unique multi-colored stained-glass
art) and live entertainment provided by the group Armonia (see page following).

MCC QC is looking to sell its current facilities to locate to a handicap accessible space
that can also be used as a community center and all donations are most appreciated.

For more information, please call the Church office at 563.324.8281.

MCC QC tearing down walls & building up hope!
19 Mar 2012

Study May Prove PTSD is a Medical, Not Psychological, Condition

By Ginny Grimsley

A Chicago physician is recruiting veterans with PTSD for a study of a medical treatment that erases symptoms in 30 minutes.

With $82,000 in funding from the state of Illinois, Dr. Eugene Lipov (www.ChicagoMedicalInnovations.org), author of Exit Strategy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, plans to treat 10 patients and follow up with biological marker tests that would help prove his theory that PTSD is a medical, not a psychological, condition. He's seeking corporate donations to broaden the study in order to hasten the Veterans Administration's acceptance of the procedure, which has been used to treat 95 patients.

"The Veterans Administration's treatment for PTSD involves intensive psychological therapy and psychotropic drugs that works only about half the time and can take months or years," Lipov says. "My treatment, stellate ganglion block (SGB), involves two injections and works very quickly. In 80 to 85 percent of patients, it completely erases symptoms."

Lipov has treated 50 patients with SGB, an injection of anesthesia into a cluster of nerves in the neck. His success stories date back to his first patient, who remains symptom-free after three years. Another 45 or so veterans have undergone the treatment at four military institutions, including a small study still underway at the Naval Medical Center San Diego.

He theorizes that SGB works because it reduces excessive levels of cortisol, nerve growth factor and norepinephrine in the brain, all stimulated as an organic response to stress.

"This study will be the first that includes checking for post-treatment biomarkers," Lipov says. "If I can show there's a biological change, that the treatment's success isn't just a placebo effect, I can get more acceptance. Right now, part of the problem is credulity - people can't believe there's such a simple solution to a complex problem."

Treating PTSD with SGB is a new application for a procedure that's been safely used to treat other conditions since 1925. Lipov has FDA approval for its use for PTSD and recently it was approved for experimental studies by the Institutional Review Board.

But despite congressional support, he has been unable to secure federal funding for a large study that would hasten the treatment's acceptance by the Veterans Administration. So he's seeking private and corporate donors to match Illinois' contribution to his non-profit, Chicago Medical Innovations, so he can expand the biomarker study. People who buy his book Exit Strategy, about the latest PTSD developments, also help fund veterans' treatments; Lipov donates $5 from each book sale toward the two $1,000 injections.

"The more money I raise, the more patients I can treat, and the more veterans who get better, the more I can publish the results," Lipov said. "Basically, the more impressive the numbers, the more lives are saved."

An estimated 300,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan suffered post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, according to a Rand Corp. report. The debilitating condition is characterized by outbursts of rage, terrifying flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety and other issues that lead to substance abuse, violent crimes, joblessness and homelessness.

About Dr. Eugene Lipov

Dr. Lipov graduated from Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and completed two-year residencies in surgery and anesthesiology before receiving advanced training in pain management at Rush University Medical Center, where he worked as an assistant professor of pain management. Today he is the medical director of Advanced Pain Centers in Hoffman Estates, Ill. He has published research articles in several medical journals.
19 Mar 2012

Inquirehire Offers Pre-Employment Social Media Screening Services to Employers

By Helen Funkhouser
Inquirehire is pleased to announce an important new social media screening service that will help
employers acquire valuable public information about employment candidates.

Traditional background checks protect employers by revealing an applicant's past behavior. Social
media screening provides additional protection by revealing an applicant's current behavior. The
Inquirehire social media screen can identify several areas of concern for employers including violent
activity, illegal activity, racism/intolerance, and sexually explicit material. Social media screening is
offered in 3 levels to suit each employer's specific needs; basic, comprehensive, and executive.

The Inquirehire social media screening service utilizes advanced technology to search more than 200
websites for information based on each employer's specific criteria. A trained analyst then reviews all
material for job relevance before finalizing the report, which normally takes 48 hours to complete.

Studies indicate that many employers already conduct their own social media checks on employment
candidates. But the use of internal resources puts the employer at risk because they cannot "unsee"
protected class information. The Inquirehire social media screening service redacts protected class
information so the employer is protected. This service has been reviewed by the Federal Trade
Commission and has been certified to be compliant with the FCRA and Title VII.

"At Inquirehire, we help employers optimize every hiring decision", says Jim Sweeney, President of
Inquirehire. "Social media screening provides valuable public information in a fully compliant manner,
and that helps employers make better hiring decisions."

About Inquirehire

Inquirehire is headquartered in Davenport, Iowa and operates nationally. Inquirehire provides
talent acquisition systems, applicant screening and evaluation services, and on-boarding
systems. All Inquirehire solutions are integrated, web-based, and fully configurable to meet
the needs of organizations of all sizes and types. For more information about Inquirehire, visit
www.inquirehire.com.

###
19 Mar 2012

Flower and Garden Show

By QCCA Expo Center

The annual Flower and Garden Show will take place this weekend, Mar 23-25, at the QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Ave., Rock Island.  Hours are: 10am until 8pm on both Friday and Saturday and from 10am until 4pm on Sunday.

Admission is $7 at the door or $6 in advance with tickets purchased at local Hy-Vee Food Stores or at the QCCA Expo Center box office.  Senior citizens admission is $5 on Friday from 10am until 4pm.  Children ages 6 to 16 are $1.

15 Mar 2012

ELECTRONIC RECORD TO BE ACCESSIBLE IN THIRD DISTRICT APPELLATE CASES FROM ROCK ISLAND COUNTY

By Tammy R. Wilson
March 5, 2012

Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride and Rock Island County Circuit Clerk Lisa Bierman announced Monday that Rock Island County joins three other Illinois counties in a pilot project to allow e-filing of an electronic trial record on appeal.

The Illinois Supreme Court Order authorized the Illinois Appellate Court in the Third Judicial District to begin a pilot project that will allow attorneys, parties and appellate justices to view, access and work from the official record of cases on appeal from Rock Island County.

Circuit Clerk Bierman said that utilizing the electronic transfer of record in Rock Island County will assist greatly in streamlining the workload in the clerk's office.

"I am very excited as we begin this project together with the Third District Appellate Court," Ms. Bierman said. "Being accepted as a part of this project for electronic transmission of appeals is going to be a way for the Rock Island County Circuit Clerk's Office to save expenses, improve our time worked on appeals and introduce more technology into our office.

"We have always worked together with our Appellate Court and will continue to do so. I thank the Supreme Court Justices for giving us this opportunity."

Rock Island joins Adams County in the Fourth Judicial District along with DuPage and Ogle Counties in the Second Judicial District to electronically transfer and make electronically accessible the official court record of cases on appeal.

In addition, the Court announced earlier this year a pilot project for the electronic filing of motions, briefs and related documents with the Illinois Supreme Court Clerk's office. That project involves the Illinois Attorney General, the State Appellate Defender's Office and the Office of the Illinois State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor.

Chief Justice Kilbride has said making the records on appeal available electronically will bring the courts closer to eventually making e-business universal throughout the Illinois court system. Since he became Chief Justice in October 2010, Justice Kilbride has pledged to move to make Illinois court operations more economical, more efficient and more user friendly by implementing improvements in technology.

"I am delighted that Rock Island County joins others in developing a process to make appeals more efficient and more e-friendly," Chief Justice Kilbride said. "I and my colleagues on the Supreme Court have been encouraging the use of e-business in all of our courts as much as is feasible. This is another step in that direction."

The pilot project is effective immediately in the Third District. It is a joint effort between the Appellate Court under Presiding Appellate Justice Daniel L. Schmidt, Clerk Gist Fleshman of the Third Judicial District, and Circuit Clerk Bierman.

Presiding Appellate Justice Schmidt praised the announcement as an improvement in how the record is obtained, utilized and transmitted. "Well, we're certainly excited about it here," Appellate Justice Schmidt said. "This project will make the record accessible by the touch of a key on the computer. It's an improvement that will make life easier for all involved. With records instantaneously accessible to judges and lawyers, it's going to help expedite the handling of cases on appeal."

"This is a win-win for everyone."

Appellate Justice Tom Lytton from Moline said the Court's announcement paves the way to increased efficiency in handling cases on appeal. "I think this is a wonderful idea that will make for much more efficient work in the Appellate Court," Appellate Justice Lytton said. "To have the record here with little delay will help to get cases ready earlier."

Mr. Fleshman believes e-filing will bring a savings of time and resources to users across the board. "Every single appellate justice gets to view the electronic copy, potentially simultaneously, while with the paper record only one appellate justice can review it at one time. As well, attorneys will not have to wait; they can immediately work on their briefs. Authorized parties will have access to the same record all of the time.

"This is going to be a huge improvement for us, the court, the practicing attorneys and for the public."

The pilot program allows attorneys, parties and appellate justices to electronically view, access and work from the official record of cases on appeal from Rock Island County. However, the paper record will continue to be available to parties who would rather use it.

The accessible electronic record will include transcripts of the trial and associated hearings, motions, other pleadings and documents. It will exclude exhibits: i.e. photos and physical evidence such as weapons, clothing and the like.

Currently, once a notice of appeal is filed, the official record of the case is physically transported to the attorney of record on one side of the case. When that attorney concludes the filing of the necessary motions and briefs, the record is then physically transported to the attorney on the other side of the case. If additional briefs are required, the record is transported back and forth between the attorneys. After the case is argued in the Appellate Court, the record resides with the appellate justice assigned to write the opinion.

The two other appellate justices hearing the case may request the record as well, but it must be physically transported from the justice in possession to the justice who requests possession.

The pilot projects make the physical transfer of the record unnecessary, and removes the cost of repeatedly transporting the record back and forth from the District clerk's office. They provide a stream of efficiency in preparing and working on appeals that benefit not only the lawyers and the court, but the clients being served and taxpayers who fund the courts.

Under the Third District pilot project, a paper record pursuant to Supreme Court rules will remain with the Clerk and be accessible from the Clerk, but a mirror record will be produced electronically with identical pagination.

Attorneys and pro-se litigants who file appearances in the case will receive a password providing access to the record, as well as the justices in the Third District.

Attorneys for the parties, approved court personnel and justices of the Third District will have the ability to search, bookmark and make notes on their individual copy of the electronic record. Any markings or notations made by a user on the electronic record are secure and are unique to that user's copy. No user will be able to view or access another user's copy. The Third District Clerk will retain an unmodified copy of the electronic record at all times.

The electronic record will be in a format that supports searchable text, both word and phrase. Once a mandate is issued in an appellate case from Rock Island County, access to the electronic record will be terminated.

--30--
14 Mar 2012

Volunteers Needed to Wrap Trees for LL&W's MillionTrees Project

By Dr. Jeffrey Bassman

Chad Pregracke's Quad Cities-based environmental group needs volunteers to help in a project to improve the future of area waterways.  Living Lands & Waters, an East Moline, Illinois non-profit organization is planning to distribute 150,000 free oak tree saplings in April as part of LL&W's "MillionTrees Project."  The goal of the project is to improve the health of rivers in the Midwest, by re-establishing hardwoods that have been depleted by over-harvesting, flooding and disease.

Volunteers, including families with children, are invited to take part in tree wrapping events being held throughout March and April. "Wrapping 100,000 trees takes a lot of work" said Chad Pregracke, founder and President of Living Lands & Waters.  Pregracke adds, "It's a great venue to help the community and educate people on why trees are important."

Trees provide shelter and nut-bearing hardwoods are a viable food source for wildlife and migratory birds.  Slow-growing hardwoods like oaks have a harder time re-establishing themselves without help, and are often crowded out by faster growing species, like cottonwoods, willow and silver maples. Re-establishing hardwoods helps increase biodiversity, reduce erosion and run-off and improve water and air quality.

Individual registration is not required, but strongly encouraged.  Groups of 10 or more should pre-register.   Volunteers can stay for an hour or all day.  Hard working volunteers will receive LL&W MillionTrees Project t-shirts. For questions or to register, please contact Ashley Stover at Ashley@livinglandsandwaters.org or at 309.737.5913.

Tree wrapping events will occur at the following places and locations:

QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island:

March 13, 9am-5pm      March 14, 9am-5pm      March 15, 9am-5pm

March 16, 9am-5pm      March 17, 9am-5pm      March 18, 9am-5pm

Volunteers should show up at the North Hall of the QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Avenue, Rock Island.

LL&W Headquarters @ (17624 Rte. 84 N, East Moline, IL)

March 5-10, 8am-5pm

March 26-31, 8am-5pm                           April 2-20(excluding Sundays), 8am-5pm

Volunteers will be asked to help with the following:  bundling trees in newspaper, dipping roots in water, placing trees in bags and/or tying. Participating children MUST be supervised.  Volunteers are asked to wear warm and comfortable clothes that can get dirty.

Trees will be distributed in April to individuals, families, schools, businesses and organizations throughout 8 states.  The saplings will also be distributed to the general public during the QCCA Lawn and Garden Show, March 23-25th on a first come, first serve basis. The goal of the MillionTrees Project is to grow and plant 1 MILLION trees.

Anyone interested in volunteering may contact MillionTrees Project Coordinator, Ashley Stover at Ashley@livinglandsandwaters.org or at 309.737.5913. More information on the MillionTrees Project can be found at http://www.livinglandsandwaters.org/milliontrees/default.htm

###
14 Mar 2012

Navy Veteran is First North Carolina Candidate to Adopt "9-9-9"

By Rick Martin
??
March 5, 2012
(Atlanta) A career Navy veteran is the latest high-profile congressional candidate to join "9-9-9 The Revolution". Businessman and former presidential frontrunner Herman Cain today announced the official commitment of North Carolina Republican Bill Randall to make "9-9-9" the law of the land.
Randall is one of three Republican candidates running for Congress in North Carolina's open 13th district - an area of the state that saw big support for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election but has turned Republican due to redistricting. Randall is also the first candidate in the Tar Heel state to join "9-9-9", Cain's economic growth and jobs program.
"First, he chose nation before himself with an entire career in the United States Navy. Now, Bill Randall has shown he is truly dedicated to restoring this country's greatness with his vow to throw out the current miserable federal tax code," Cain said. "Bill Randall is a person we want not only in the trenches of literal warfare, but a person we want leading our 'Army of Davids'  against the 'Goliath' that is our giant, bloated, ineffective government."
Randall is not without campaign battle victories and scars of his own. A Tea Party favorite, he ran for Congress in 2010 in which he was outspent by a four-to-one margin and still got nearly half the votes. He also fell victim to nasty campaign tactics when a vandal defaced a billboard, a circumstance that gained national attention on a website founded by the late Andrew Breitbart.
This time around, Randall's embrace of '9-9-9' only adds to his cache of intellectual weaponry.  "The clock is ticking, and it is no secret that financial Armageddon is upon us," Randall stated. "Amidst this gloomy climate has emerged a bright ray of hope: Herman Cain's '9-9-9 Plan." Posterity will look back at our ineptness for not adopting '9-9-9', or with pride and gratitude for adopting it, thus helping to pull us back from the precipice of financial ruin. "
Randall's support for '9-9-9' brings the number of candidate commitments to 23, up from just 12 last week. These are 2012 U.S. Candidates who are committed to thoroughly reading the '9-9-9' bill that is being drafted, and then working to sponsor, introduce and pass '9-9-9' legislation.
Candidate commitments to '9-9-9' are a part of the much broader Cain's Solutions Revolution. To learn more, including the April 16, 2012 event "Revolution on the Hill", please visit www.cainconnections.com.
14 Mar 2012

discount drug program accounting sought

By Grassley Press

Grassley, Enzi, Hatch, Pitts Seek Details of Discount Drug Program

 

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Michael Enzi, Sen. Orrin Hatch,  and Rep. Joe Pitts today asked a wide range of stakeholders for a detailed accounting of how they operate the 340B program, a discount drug program that's meant to supply federally funded grantees and other safety net health care providers but whose exploding growth raises questions about program integrity.

 

A June 2011 Health and Human Services Inspector General report raised questions of program integrity without proper federal oversight of taxpayer dollars.  Likewise, a report from the Government Accountability Office issued in September 2011 said federal oversight of the program is "inadequate" to ensure that covered entities and manufacturers are in compliance with program requirements.

 

"With the reliance on self-policing among participating manufacturers and covered entities and the increase in the number of new settings in which the program is offered, the risk of improper purchases or diversion of 340B drugs has significantly increased," the members wrote.  "The problems identified by the GAO as it relates to the oversight responsibilities of each party and the expansion of the program need resolution."

 

Grassley, Enzi, Hatch, and Pitts wrote to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; the Biotechnology Industry Organization; Apexus, Inc.; and the Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical Access.  The legislators said that with so many stakeholders involved in the program, everyone must work together to ensure the program is serving the intended beneficiaries.

 

The members' three letters are available here, here and here.

 

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