Contributions to College Savings Iowa accounts must be made by December 31, 2011.

DES MOINES, IA (12/21/2011)(readMedia)-- Once again, the year has flown by, and it's already time to start looking ahead to 2012. However, State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald has an important reminder about College Savings Iowa before the big ball drops on New Year's Eve. "Before you start celebrating, don't forget to make your final contributions to your College Savings Iowa account," Fitzgerald said. "To help ring in the New Year and remind Iowans about the importance of saving for college, College Savings Iowa is giving away a $529 College Savings Iowa account." For more information and to enter the giveaway, please visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com.

Contributions to College Savings Iowa must be made by the end of the year to qualify for 2011 state tax deductions. Account holders can deduct up to $2,865 for each open account and can contribute online at www.collegesavingsiowa.com.* Contributions sent by mail must postmark checks by December 31, 2011.

College Savings Iowa lets anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - invest for college on behalf of a child. Investors do not need to be a state resident and can withdraw their investments tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses including tuition, books, supplies and room and board at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United Sates or abroad.** For more information about College Savings Iowa, call 888-672-9116 or visit collegesavingsiowa.com.

* Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income.

** Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

###

Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 888-672-9116 or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing.

Davenport, Iowa, December 21, 2011 - An indoor golf driving range will open to the public at 7am on Monday, December 26 at the River's Edge, 700 W River Drive in downtown Davenport. The indoor golf facility will offer an option for golfers to practice their swing indoors throughout the winter. With the loss of the indoor golf dome on Brady Street earlier this year, the River's Edge will now fill that gap by offering the only public indoor golf facility on the Iowa side of the Quad Cities.

Golfers may purchase 35 balls for $3 or 70 balls for $5. The indoor golf range will be available from 7am - 3pm on weekdays only. There will be 9 stations available. "We've already seen tremendous interest and excitement for this new indoor range," according to Troy Evans, Superintendent of Revenue Facilities. "We're pleased that the River's Edge can fill this gap for golfers in the area."

JACKSONVILLE, IL (12/21/2011)(readMedia)-- Dustin Secrist of Hillsdale has been chosen to serve on the residence life staff at Illinois College for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Secrist, is the son of Casey Secrist of Hillsdale. He is a graduate of Riverdale High School.

Resident assistants, or RAs serve the college in many capacities: as peer advisers for new residents, coordinators of residential life, and liasons between the students and administration. RAs are responsible for creating an environment that promotes positive academic and social experiences.

Founded in 1829, Illinois College is a residential liberal arts college fostering academic excellence rooted in opportunities for experiential learning while preparing students for lifelong success.

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley said today that Christopher J. Drew of Coralville has been selected for admission to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, for the 2012-2013 school year.

Drew will graduate in May from Iowa City West High School.  He is the son of Tracy and Stephen Drew.

"Admission to West Point is highly competitive and a great honor," Grassley said.  "Students like Christopher Drew work incredibly hard to earn this kind of opportunity, and I join many others, no doubt, in wishing him well and expressing appreciation for his commitment to serving our nation."

At Iowa City West High School, Drew has been active in National Honor Society, student government, Boy Scouts, track and field, jazz band, show choir, and the school musical.

Drew was one of the Iowa students Grassley recommended this year for appointments to the U.S. service academies.  Information about seeking a nomination is posted at http://grassley.senate.gov/info/academy_nominations.cfm.

For more than 200 years, the U.S. service academies have educated and trained the best and the brightest to lead and command the U.S. armed forces.

 

-30-

Simple Succulent Smoke

BBQr's Delight www.bbqrsdelight.com smoke cooking through the holidays and winter.

IDEA: Smoke flavoring ham or fowl adds a truly old time seriously rich succulent edge to food.

PROBLEM: Too much smoke can overpower the natural flavor of the food and smoking food can be labor and time intensive and requires special equipment.  Not true any more!

SOLUTION: Lightly smoke the food before you cook it in your oven. Put BBQr's Delight pellets in aluminum foil and make a pouch by folding the foil over and sealing the edges closed.  Poke one or two toothpick holes in the pellet filled pouch.  Now using your barbecue grill place the pouch directly above (on the grate) medium heat (yes, even in the winter).

Once the smoke begins, place food into the grill set a bit away from the heat and adjust the burner to low. The idea in this scenario is to smoke flavor the food NOT to cook it. Close the hood and smoke for an hour or so. The result is an incredibly rich wood flavor and mouth watering aroma. Now remove from the grill and begin cooking in your kitchen oven as normal. The good part is you need not be a BBQ smoke cooking expert to do this; just be skilled enough to fold aluminum foil.

 

 

BBQr's Delight Real wood pellets in foil pouch or cast iron pot make cooking with smoke incredibly tasty, economical and easy

Smoke for grilling: For grilling steaks, fish, hamburgers, etc. prepare BBQr's Delight pellets as above  and place on your grill's grates with the burner set at high heat and wait for the smoke. When the smoke starts pouring out, place in food, sear, and then reduce the heat to your preferred final grilling setting, close the hood and finish grilling as normal.

Cooking sets: BBQr's delight makes great cooking gift and sample kits some which even include a cast iron pot to switch out for the aluminum foil pouch.  Now you can simply pour BBQr's Delight pellets into the pot and place it on the grill for smoke in a few minutes.

Affordable: A $3.99 one pound bag can do at least 8-10 flavor packed outings so if you can afford about 40-50 cents per outing to make your food taste outstanding then this is for you.

Regardless of method, you have 14 favors of genuine wood smoke (not artificial chemicals) to pick from and no water soaking is necessary as with wood chips--yeah it is that simple!

With BBQr's Delight you can pick from or make your own secret mix: Mesquite, Hickory, Orange, Apple, Cherry, Pecan, Sugar Maple, Oak, black Walnut, Mulberry, Sassafras and genuine Jack Daniels Whiskey Filtering Charcoal, Alder and Savory Herb.

Clean up takes about ten seconds.

 

BBQr's Delight

P.O. Box 8727,

Pine Bluff, AR, 71611

877-275-9591

www.bbqrsdelight.com

ARVADA, Colo. -- 12/21/2011 -- Three Republican candidates for the nation's high office including Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, Senator Rick Santorum, and Speaker Newt Gingrich have confirmed their participation in the Presidential Pro-Life Forum on Tuesday, December 27, from 8:00 to 9:30 pm CST.

The national tele-town hall and radio simulcast will be hosted by Personhood USA and their partner organizations: National Hispanic Christian Leadership Coalition, Liberty Counsel, Bott Radio Network, Freedom Federation, Frederick Douglass Foundation, Champion the Vote, Oak Initiative, The Call, Georgia Right to Life, Rock for Life, and Iowa Right to Life.  An invitation has been extended to the remaining GOP presidential candidates.

The 90-minute pro-life tele-town hall will feature the candidates discussing their views on the rights of the preborn and other issues of great importance to pro-life voters.  Pro-life groups around the nation are inviting their members to attend.  Callers will have an opportunity to ask questions via email and give instant feedback to thoughts and ideas shared.

Nationally-syndicated radio host Steve Deace, whose influence in the Iowa Caucuses has been highlighted by numerous national media outlets, will broadcast the event live on his Salem Network program.

Last week, four candidates, Bachmann, Santorum, Gingrich, and Gov. Rick Perry, signed Personhood USA's Personhood Republican Candidate Pledge, declaring their intentions to stand with President Ronald Reagan in supporting "the unalienable personhood of every American, from the moment of conception until natural death."

"We're pleased to see the candidates standing for the rights of every person to live, love, and be loved.  The time has come to end the 40-year reign of the abortion industry, once and for all," said Keith Mason, President of Personhood USA. "This is an opportunity for everyone who understands that 'all men are created equal' to hear from the candidates their plans to recognize the most fundamental rights of every human being, no matter their age. Come, take advantage of this interactive and important event, and be a voice for the voiceless."

For information please visit www.personhoodusa.com.

CHICAGO, IL (12/21/2011)(readMedia)-- On the morning of Dec. 3, the booming voices of drill sergeants were heard throughout the Illinois National Guard's Kedzie armory in Chicago.

Recruits stood at attention while cadre of Company B, Illinois National Guard Recruiting Retention Command (RRC) conducted a simulated day of Army basic training.

With their families in attendance, recruits took part in the Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) workshops. The program is sponsored by the Family Support Brigade, a not-for-profit organization partnered with RSP to provide family support, and is designed to give both new recruits and their families an in depth look at the life of a Soldier in basic training.

"We are here to prepare the recruits physically, mentally and emotionally for the military," said 1st Sgt. Aaron Ferrer of Highland Park, the senior enlisted adviser for Company B.

The day consisted of four main events that included combatives, weapons familiarization, team building exercises and military operations in an urbanized terrain training.

These events instill discipline and confidence in the recruits. For example, combatives provides them a better working knowledge of self defense they can use in future operations, said Staff Sgt. Justin M. Gullion of Northbrook, the level-one combatives instructor for Company B.

Pvt. Katharine Linhart of Brookfield, with Company B, enlisted her junior year of high school. She recently completed Basic Combat Training and will attend Advance Individual Training to become a combat medic after she completes high school.

Linhart said the RSP training prepared her for basic training and helped her maintain that discipline.

"It's been very active and we do a lot of hands-on training," said Linhart.

The program exposes enlistees to what they may experience in basic training and gets them accustomed to the Army's core values, other Soldiers and noncommissioned officers.

"It definitely makes me feel like I chose to do the right thing with my life," said Linhart.

The program was designed not only to show recruits and their families the military lifestyle, but also as a tool to keep recruiting numbers high and attrition rate low.

By giving recruits a "sneak peak" at what to expect in basic training helps them make an educated decision on whether or not the military is the correct career path for them.

The state's program has shown increasingly effective results, said Ferrer. While the National Guard Bureau standard is 83 percent of Soldiers to ship to basic training, the Illinois National Guard has exceeded this.

"Our numbers in the state of Illinois for Fiscal Year 2011 recruit ship rate was 91 percent," said Ferrer. "This clearly shows that programs like RSP are working to make the process of recruitment and retention more efficient."

"Preparing and ensuring these recruits and their families a smooth transition into the military arena is our goal and we are here to do just that," said Ferrer.

Photo 1: Photo by Sgt. Charlie Helmholt, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment / Staff Sgt. Justin M. Gullion of Northbrook, the level-one combatives instructor for Company B, Illinois National Guard Recruiting and Retention Command, displays a dominant mounting technique to family members during a self defense workshop as a part of the recruit sustainment program Dec. 3 at the Illinois National Guard Kedzie armory Chicago.

Photo 2: Photo by Spc. Jason Dorsey, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment/ Staff Sgt. Francisco Santiago of Chicago, of Company B, Illinois National Guard Recruit Retention Command, explains the fundamentals of weapons handling during a class on urban warfare training as part of a recruit sustainment program workshop Dec. 3 at the Illinois National Guard Kedzie armory in Chicago.

For high resolution photos, please contact the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office at ngilstaffpao@ng.army.mil

Become our Facebook Fan!

www.facebook.com/illinoisnationalguard

-30-

LeClaire, IA, December 21, 2011 - The homegrown allure of locally made spirits has caught the attention of a national news anchor.  John Roberts, Senior National Correspondent for FOX News and former anchor and reporter for CNN and CBS News, toured Mississippi River Distilling Company in LeClaire while visiting family in the area over the weekend.  He was so enamored with the distillery and tour that he decided to tell the story to the world.

Roberts penned a "Food & Drink" feature article for FoxNews.com.  "When you walk into the tasting room, with its expansive view of the Mississippi River, you're hooked." he wrote.  Roberts contacted distillers Ryan and Garrett Burchett on Tuesday to ask a few questions for the story.

"What was really cool about talking with John is that he sincerely enjoyed his time at the distillery.  It's always fun to hear different impressions from tourists about what we're doing here.  It's a real thrill to have someone who has seen the world tell us he gets a kick out of what we're doing here and enjoys our products." said Ryan.

Garrett gave the tour to John and his family.  As mentioned in the story, John was worried that he asked too many questions.  "We get a lot of questions on every tour.  So I never thought twice about it." said Garrett. "But I guess it's not every day that you're questioned by a national news correspondent."

The brothers told John that if he makes it back to Iowa for the January Caucuses, they'd love to have him back to check on the progress of the next batch of Cody Road Bourbon Whiskey.  The whiskey was sold out while John was on his visit.

You can read John's entire article online at:
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/12/21/new-use-for-corn-in-iowa/

Mississippi River Distilling Company in LeClaire is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free public tours are offered daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process and ends in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples for patrons over 21 years old.  The distillery will be closed December 25 and 26 as well as January 1 for the holidays.

#####

Opinions of the Iowa Court of Appeals

 

2011

 

Opinions of the Iowa Court of Appeals will be filed at 8:30 a.m. on the dates listed below:

 

January 20

February 9

February 23

March 7

March 21

March 30

April 13

April 27

May 11

May 25

June 15

June 29

July 13

July 27

August 10

August 24

September 8

September 21

October 5

October 19

November 9

November 23

December 7

December 21

 


 

 

 

 

 

 








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.

 

Opinions Expected Next Filing Date

 

A list of cases on which the Iowa Court of Appeals is expected to rule will be posted at 8:30 a.m. one day preceding each opinion filing day.

 

Most Recent Opinions

 

 

Summaries for Most Recent Opinions

 

Click here for summaries of selected opinions most recently filed by the Iowa Court of Appeals.

 

Opinions Archive

 

This archive contains opinions from 1998 to the present.  Summaries of opinions are archived for opinions filed between 1998 to April 12, 2006 only.

 

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.

 

Business Association Aids U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation

CHICAGO - December 20, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today thanked the Illinois Retail Merchant Association (IRMA) for its efforts in organizing Illinois businesses to help the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program deliver toys for thousands of needy children this holiday season.

"On behalf of the people of Illinois, I want offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, CVS, Dominick's, Macy's, McDonald's, Sears, Target, Walgreens and Walmart for helping Toys for Tots in its time of need," said Governor Quinn. "Thanks to their efforts, children all over the Chicagoland area will have a happy holiday. It is a great day in Illinois when we all work together to do good things."

Following today's reports of a Toys for Tots donor having financial difficulties, IRMA worked with representatives of some of Illinois' biggest retailers to make sure that Toys for Tots has the resources it needs to be able to serve thousands more children. All told, support from IRMA members to the U.S. Marine Toys for Tots Foundation of Chicago has exceeded $36,000.

"Our members are proud to help 'Toys for Tots' during this time of need to make sure children have a joyful Christmas. 'Toys for Tots' helps the needy and disadvantaged children, and we're happy our Members can help Santa deliver a few more gifts this year," said David Vite, President/CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association.

"On behalf of the Chicago Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, we would like to thank Governor Quinn and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association for their combined efforts in raising $36,000 for the Official Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. Thank you, and remember "Every Child Deserves a Christmas," said SSgt. Chad Falkos of the United States Marine Corps.

For more information about Toys for Tots and how to support their mission throughout the year, visit www.chicago-il.toysfortots.org.

###

Pages