St Paul, MN -- Sydney Quandt, a senior at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., has been named to the Dean's List for academic excellence for the winter 2011 semester. Sydney is the daughter of Jim and Julie Quandt from East Moline, IL.

Des Moines, IA. Recognition for outstanding academic achievement has been given to the following Grand View University students for the 2011 fall semester:  Amber Bloch and Jordan Alexander Garrow, both from Davenport, IA.  The students are named to the Dean's List for earning a grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale while carrying at least 12 hours of classes.

Kansas City, MO. - Rockhurst University has announced the dean's list for the fall 2011 semester. This honor recognizes Gabriella Binion of Davenport who has achieved a grade-point average of 3.5 or above. 

Cedar Rapids, IA - Ashley Jipp, daughter of Gary and Wendy Jipp has been named to the Coe College Dean's List for the fall 2012 term.  LindseyJipp, daughter of Gary and Wendy Jipp has been named to the Coe College Dean's List for the fall 2012 term. The Jipps are from Pleasant Valley, IA.
Full-time students who rank in the top 10 percent of the student body are named to the Dean's List. For the past fall term, students achieving a grade point average of 3.875 or higher earned this high honor.

Morehead, KY (01/27/2012)(readMedia)-- Jami Whitcomb has been named to the Dean's List for the fall 2011 semester. Whitcomb is from Taylor Ridge, IL. To be eligible for Dean's List, a student must carry a semester GPA of 3.5 or better and take a minimum of 12 letter-graded hours (four courses).

Huntington, IN (01/30/2012)(readMedia)-- Huntington University has announced that the following students were named to the Dean's List for the fall semester of the 2011-12 school year:

• Valerie Van Ee, a junior Animation major from Eldridge, IA.

• Jenna Johnson, a freshman Nursing major from Davenport, IA.

• Christopher Burton, a senior Broadcasting major from Rock Island, IL.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center is pleased to announce the opening of the Ida Robinson Banquet Room honoring 40 years of dedicated service from Mrs. Robinson to the King Center and the City of Rock Island. Ida Robinson will leave the King Center for the final time as a full time employee on Tuesday January 31. Ida has been essential in establishing the King Center as a trusted resource due to her diligence, dedication, honesty, and integrity. Ida earned a reputation as a community legend by surpassing any duties in her job description in pursuing her desire to enrich our community. She leaves behind a legacy honored with a brand new plaque dedicating the room.

This beautiful new banquet and conference center, created with the King Center's renovation and expansion in 2011, is available for rent. The 3,700 square foot room is ideal for weddings, family reunions, birthday parties, corporate meetings, fundraisers, or other celebrations.

The room has natural lighting and a neutral color palate, making it easy-to-adapt for any occasion. The room can be divided in half creating two separate event areas or kept open to accommodate 450 people using theatre style seating or 200 people using round tables that seat 8 people each.

A full-service kitchen with commercial stove, warmers, freezer, and refrigerator

is also available. The King Center welcomes clients to provide their food as well as its preparation in our kitchen. They are also able to help select a caterer from a list of preferred partners provided upon request or clients can select their own.

Alcohol service is allowed with proper licensure, insurance, and notifications. A list of approved caterers of alcohol can be provided by the King Center

The King Center offers the following rental rates commiserate with the quality of the new facility yet still highly comparable to similar Quad City facilities:

• $ 250 per 3 hours to groups (3 hour minimum); $100 per each additional hour.

• $ 200 per 3 hours to nonprofit organizations with proof of valid and current 501 c(3) status; $75 per each additional hour.

• An additional and separate $100 required as a refundable cleaning and security deposit.

• Usage of the kitchen is an additional flat rate of $50.

The Ida Robinson Banquet Room is available Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 9:00 pm and Friday - Sunday 8:00 am - 12:00 am.

Please call the King Center at 732-2999 to make your reservations or for more information

Des Moines, January 26, 2012 -- AARP today urged the Iowa Senate Commerce subcommiteee chaired by Senator Matt McCoy (D-Des Moines) to listen to and act on behalf of the interests of Iowa ratepayers rather than the powerful utility company lobby as  they consider changing Iowa law to allow advance ratemaking for new nuclear power as proposed in HF 561.

 

The question for AARP is not whether or not Iowa should consider building a nuclear power plant, the question is whether we should change the way Iowa builds and pays for multi-billion dollar utility projects and who bears the cancellation risk for these ventures.

 

There has been a lot of discussion about this amendment and how it supposedly protects consumers.  It needs to be stated clearly and publicly that neither AARP nor any other opposing consumer or business group concerned about this legislation has had part in crafting this amendment.  If this is bill passes, then Iowa ratepayers are in serious trouble.

 

A recent Iowa Utilities Board staff memo analysis of amended HF 561 confirms AARP's concerns that this version not only fails to protect consumer interests, the proposed changes it makes to Iowa law would actually create incentives for utilities to behave in a manner contrary to the public interest.

For example, the IUB staff memo says that HF 561 "would shift nearly all of the construction, licensing and permitting risk associated with one or more nuclear plants from the company to its customers."  The legislation does this by pre-approving spending and guaranteeing utilities can recover pre-approved prudent costs, "including a profit on capital investments." (Page 3, section 3)

 

AARP is concerned about keeping utility rates affordable and accessible, especially for for aging Iowans on fixed incomes.  November 2011 data shows that despite the fact that Iowa had a relatively mild winter, near record numbers of Iowans were still behind on their utility bills.

 

AARP opposes the language of the HF 561, which the IUB staff memo confirms significantly shifts risks from utility companies and their shareholders to ratepayers.  We've heard the comment, "what's a dollar or two dollars more a month to meet Iowa's future demands."

 

First, no one knows if the cost will be a dollar or two more or $20 or more a month.  Plus, Iowa's future demands haven't been defined for the legislature yet.  A report from the $15 million-taxpayer-funded project approved two years ago for MidAmerican to study Iowa's energy needs hasn't been released yet.  These are the unknowns.  Legislators need to consider what we know about this issue.

 

• Iowans, especially those on fixed incomes are already struggling with already utility costs;
• Iowans care about this issue - more than 1,000 have called the Iowa Senate since the opening of the session to oppose this legislation;
• A majority of Iowans 50 and over - 72 percent according to a spring 2011 AARP poll by Selzer & Co. - are opposed to this legislation;
• And, nearly 6 in 10 of those surveyed indicated they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for state office who supports this legislation.

HF561 is a game changer and an expensive raw deal for ratepayers.  We urge you to stand with Iowa ratepayers and oppose this bad deal for all consumers - residential, commercial and industrial.

 

--Anthony Carroll, AARP Iowa Associate State Director for Advocacy

 

 

 

 

Ann Black

AARP Iowa Associate State Director for Communications

600 E. Court Ave.

Des Moines, IA 50309

515-697-1003/515-707-1287 (cell)

ablack@aarp.org

ROCK ISLAND, IL (01/26/2012)(readMedia)-- Nearly 900 students have been named to the Dean's List at Augustana College for the 2011 fall term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term.

From your area, students who have earned this honor include :

Christopher Atha from Bettendorf, Iowa, a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Katelyn Benge from Bettendorf, Iowa, a Sophomore majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Allie Bierhaus from Bettendorf, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Elementary Education/Spanish.

Tyler Cowherd from Bettendorf, Iowa, a Sophomore majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Elizabeth Kuster from Bettendorf, Iowa, a Sophomore majoring in Creative Writing.

Muna Omar from Bettendorf, Iowa, a Sophomore majoring in Biology.

Anthony TouVelle from Bettendorf, Iowa, a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Anna Tunnicliff from Bettendorf, Iowa, a Junior majoring in History.

Peter Wessels from Bettendorf, Iowa, a Senior majoring in Business Administration-Finance/Accounting.

Moselle Singh from Le Claire, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Anthropology.

Thomas Harris from Davenport, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Biology.

Gaetano Iaccarino from Davenport, Iowa, a Senior majoring in Music General/Anthropology.

Kelsey Lovaas from Davenport, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Business Administration-Advising/Accounting.

James Wiebler from Davenport, Iowa, a Sophomore majoring in Biology.

Anthony Ash from Davenport, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Accounting/Business Administration-Finance.

Alannah Golden from Davenport, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Elementary Education.

Benjamin Knapper from Davenport, Iowa, a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Richard Rector from Davenport, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Anna Rusch from Davenport, Iowa, a Sophomore majoring in Business Administration-Advising.

Ingrid Schneider from Davenport, Iowa, a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Alexander Wenskunas from Davenport, Iowa, a Senior majoring in Political Science.

Adam Bengfort from Davenport, Iowa, a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Zain Dada from Davenport, Iowa, a Senior majoring in Biology/French.

Kylie Koger from Davenport, Iowa, a Sophomore majoring in Classics.

Manisha Kumar from Davenport, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Pre-Medicine/Biology.

Jacob O'Rourke from Davenport, Iowa, a Junior majoring in Accounting/Economics/Business Administration-Finance.

Shelby Womack from Davenport, Iowa, a Sophomore majoring in Biology/Pre-Medicine.

Sheila Ahuja from Rock Island, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Pre-Teaching English.

Leo Anderson from Rock Island, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Business Administration-Advising.

Jessica Bacon from Rock Island, Ill., a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Angela Bahls from Rock Island, Ill., a Junior majoring in Commmunication Sciences and Disorders/Psychology.

Nicholas Cummins from Rock Island, Ill., a Junior majoring in Biology.

Tonnie Farwell from Rock Island, Ill., a Junior majoring in Accounting.

Clare Kilbride from Rock Island, Ill., a Junior majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Anna Letendre from Rock Island, Ill., a Junior majoring in Business Administration-Marketing/Psychology.

Nathaniel McDowell from Rock Island, Ill., a Senior majoring in English/Philosophy/Classics.

Amie Rogers from Rock Island, Ill., a Junior majoring in Art.

Rosalie Starenko from Rock Island, Ill., a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Erica Aten from Coal Valley, Ill., a Senior majoring in Psychology.

Elaine Guthrie from Coal Valley, Ill., a Senior majoring in Biology.

Crystina Mayfield from Coal Valley, Ill., a Senior majoring in French/Africana Studies/Classics.

Andrew Shearouse from Coal Valley, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Brandy Blakeney from East Moline, Ill., a Junior majoring in Mathematics/Scandinavian.

Michael Kautz from East Moline, Ill., a Junior majoring in Accounting/Business Administration-Finance.

Eryn Maccabee from East Moline, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in English.

Leart Neziroski from East Moline, Ill., a Junior majoring in Pre-Medicine/Biology.

Lindsey Sikorski from East Moline, Ill., a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Astrid Tello-Rodriguez from Milan, Ill., a Junior majoring in Psychology.

Micaela Terronez from East Moline, Ill., a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Kelsey Winter from East Moline, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Biology.

Samantha McGreer from Illinois City, Ill., a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Samantha Ott from Milan, Ill., a Senior majoring in Sociology-Social Welfare.

Laurel Williams from Milan, Ill., a Senior majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders/English.

Darshan Hullon from Moline, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Biology/Pre-Medicine/Psychology.

Kayla Ferguson from Orion, Ill., a Junior majoring in Creative Writing.

Alyssa Zwicker from Orion, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Psychology.

Courtney Brown from Port Byron, Ill., a Senior majoring in Biology.

Douglas Peters from Port Byron, Ill., a Junior majoring in Neuroscience.

Tyler Richards from Port Byron, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Business Administration-Advising.

Emma Thompson from Port Byron, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Spanish.

Jacob McManus from Reynolds, Ill., a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Alexandra Jones from Sherrard, Ill., a Sophomore majoring in Biology.

Lauren Reid from Sherrard, Ill., a Senior majoring in Business Administration-Marketing/Communication Studies.

Chelsea Vickerman from Silvis, Ill., a Junior majoring in Business Administration-Advising.

Rebecca Anderson from Taylor Ridge, Ill., a Senior majoring in Biology/Pre-Medicine.

Jessica Scheckel from Taylor Ridge, Ill., a Junior majoring in Biology/Psychology.

Nathan Woeber from Taylor Ridge, Ill., a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

Jennifer Youngs from Taylor Ridge, Ill., a Senior majoring in Psychology/Political Science.

Sarah Riedel from Long Grove, Iowa, a First Year majoring in Augie Ages Undecided.

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 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.