01 Nov 2011

Grassley Questions Justice Department's Proposed FOIA Regulations

By Rick Martin

Open government advocates say "lying" diminishes integrity of federal government

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley is pressing the Department of Justice to explain its proposal to make false statements to Americans submitting Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, requests if the documents are deemed by the agency as inappropriate to release.

The Justice Department is considering changing existing FOIA regulations to allow agencies responding to a FOIA request to state that no records exist, even if the records do, in fact, exist, whenever they determine that the requested documents they possess fit within a certain exclusion of the law.

"It's hard to believe that the Justice Department thinks it's appropriate to make false statements to the American people to avoid releasing sensitive documents.  How about being truthful and simply saying that if the documents exist they would be sensitive and couldn't be provided?  This administration is creating more distrust of the federal government, which is already at a low point," Grassley said.  "It's long past time for the 'most transparent administration' to start acting like it instead of just talking about it."

Grassley wrote in his letter to the Attorney General, "The new proposed regulation stands in stark contrast to both the President's and your prior statements about FOIA, transparency, and open government.  In fact, this policy directly contradicts your many statements, to me and other members of the Judiciary Committee, as part of your nomination hearing, that you support transparency of the Executive Branch."

Grassley has championed the public's right to know by strengthening and reforming sunshine laws, including oversight and enforcement of the FOIA, and measures to protect watchdogs and whistleblowers.

Here is a copy of the text of Grassley's letter.  A signed copy of the letter can be found by clicking here.

 

October 28, 2011

Via Electronic Transmission

 

The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr.

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20530

Dear Attorney General Holder:

I write you today regarding the Department of Justice's proposal to amend the Freedom of Information Act Regulations.[1] Under the proposal, a new section 16.6(f)(2) would change existing FOIA regulations to allow agencies responding to a FOIA request to state that no records exist whenever they determine that the requested documents they possess fit within the exclusions under 5 U.S.C. § 552(c).

Institutional FOIA requesters with varying perspectives have expressed their opposition to section 16.6(f)(2).  In sum, they oppose it because it is contrary to FOIA's purpose of ensuring government accountability by providing for public access to information and records.  Requesters argue that section 16.6(f)(2) will interfere with the judicial review that guarantees that agencies are correctly interpreting and applying exemptions under FOIA.  They further maintain that the provision will severely damage government integrity by allowing a law intended to facilitate access to information to be distorted to allow law enforcement agencies to "lie" to our citizens.  In the opinion of requesters, section 16.6(f)(2) is not needed because answers to FOIA requests for documents that fall within § 552(c) exclusions can easily be framed in a manner that is truthful, while still not acknowledging whether any such documents exist.

Under normal circumstances, few requesters would litigate a denial where the FOIA request was denied on the basis that no records exist, because in that situation there should not be anything for a court to order the government to produce.  However, requesters contend that the enactment of section 16.6(f)(2) could very likely result in an increase in FOIA litigation because as soon as requesters understand that a DOJ "no records" response does not necessarily mean that there are no records, they will be forced to sue to discover whether there are any records or whether the response was made under section 16.6(f)(2).

On his first full day in office, President Obama declared openness and transparency to be touchstones of his administration, and ordered agencies to make it easier for the public to get information about the government.  Specifically, he issued two memoranda written in grand language and purportedly designed to usher in a "new era of open government."[2] The President's memorandum on FOIA called on all government agencies to adopt a "presumption of disclosure" when administering the law.  He directed agencies to be more proactive in their disclosure and to act cooperatively with the public.  To further his goals, the President directed the Attorney General to issue new FOIA guidelines for agency heads.

Pursuant to the President's instructions, you issued FOIA guidelines in a memorandum dated March 19, 2009.[3] Your memorandum rescinded former Attorney General Ashcroft's 2001 pledge to defend agency FOIA withholdings unless they lacked a sound legal basis.  Instead, you stated that the DOJ would now defend withholdings only if the law prohibited release of the information or if the release would result in foreseeable harm to a government interest protected by one of the exemptions in FOIA.  Your memorandum used the same grand language as the President's memoranda.  In relevant part, it reads:

As President Obama instructed in his January 21 FOIA Memorandum, 'The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails.'  This presumption has two important implications.

First, an agency should not withhold information simply because it may do so legally.  I strongly encourage agencies to make discretionary disclosures of information.  An agency should not withhold records merely because it can demonstrate, as a technical matter that the records fall within the scope of a FOIA exemption.

Second, ... [a]gencies should always be mindful that the FOIA requires them to take reasonable steps to segregate and release nonexempt information....

At the same time, the disclosure obligation under the FOIA is not absolute.  The Act provides exemptions to protect, for example, national security, personal privacy, privileged records, and law enforcement interests.  But as the President stated in his memorandum, 'The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears.'...

... Open government requires not just a presumption of disclosure but also an effective system for responding to FOIA requests.  Each agency must be fully accountable for its administration of the FOIA.

I would like to emphasize that responsibility for effective FOIA administration belongs to all of us?it is not merely a task assigned to an agency's FOIA staff.  We all must do our part to ensure open government.

Proposed section 16.6(f)(2) stands in stark contrast to both the President's and your prior statements about FOIA, transparency, and open government.  In fact, this policy directly contradicts your many statements, to me and other members of the Judiciary Committee, as part of your nomination hearing, that you support transparency of the Executive Branch.  Further, this proposal is alarming given my questions to you at the April 14, 2010 oversight hearing about the significant increase in the use of FOIA exemptions by federal agencies between FY2008 and FY2009.  Although you responded that the significant increase in the use of exemptions was "troubling," your later written response indicated that the "increases demonstrate greater transparency."

I am concerned about your decision to propose section 16.6(f)(2) and share many of the concerns expressed by institutional FOIA requesters.  Accordingly, please respond to the following requests for information:

  • Has the DOJ instructed, or otherwise approved, an agency providing a knowingly false statement about the existence of documents in responding to a FOIA request or to a FOIA requester?  If so, how often has this been done?  Describe the circumstances surrounding each use of a knowingly false statement DOJ has approved as an appropriate response to a FOIA request.
  • Identify the authority by which the DOJ can adopt proposed section 16.6(f)(2), in light of (a) the case law applying FOIA and (b) the legislative history behind FOIA, both as originally enacted and as subsequently amended.
  • Is the DOJ currently using the procedure set forth in proposed section 16.6(f)(2)?  If so, identify how long it has been used and the authority by which the DOJ is able to utilize the procedure absent a new regulation or statute.
  • Given the many existing specific FOIA exemptions, such as the national security exemption in (b)(1) and the law enforcement exemption in (b)(7), along with the longstanding use of the "Glomar response," to protect national security and ongoing investigations, why does the DOJ maintain proposed section 16.6(f)(2) is needed?
  • Did the DOJ consider less expansive options for reforming FOIA, such as merely codifying the "Glomar response" in regulations?
  • What additional, less expansive alternatives were considered?  For example, did the DOJ consider a more limited "national security only" option for cases with national security concerns instead of across the board recommendations for agencies to lie to FOIA requesters when a request includes something as innocuous as the existence of a privileged interagency memorandum?  If so, provide a list of all other less expansive options considered.
  • What is your response to the concern expressed by institutional requesters that section 16.6(f)(2) is contrary to FOIA's purpose of ensuring government accountability by providing for public access to information and records?
  • What is your response to the concern expressed by institutional requesters that section 16.6(f)(2) will interfere with the judicial review that guarantees that agencies are correctly interpreting and applying exemptions under FOIA?
  • What is your response to the concern expressed by institutional requesters that section 16.6(f)(2) will severely damage government integrity by allowing a law intended to facilitate access to information to be distorted to allow law enforcement agencies to "lie" to our citizens?
  • What is your response to the argument by institutional requesters that section 16.6(f)(2) is not needed because answers to FOIA requests for documents that fall within § 552(c) exclusions can easily be framed in a manner that is truthful, while still not acknowledging whether any such documents exist?
  • What is your response to the argument by institutional requesters that the enactment of section 16.6(f)(2) could result in an increase in FOIA litigation because as soon as requesters understand that a DOJ "no records" response does not necessarily mean that there are no records, they will be forced to sue to discover whether there are any records or whether the response was made under section 16.6(f)(2)?
  • One set of comments[4] to section 16.6(f)(2) suggests that when DOJ "determines that a requester is trying to obtain information excluded from FOIA under [5 U.S.C.] section 552(c), the agency should simply respond that 'we interpret all or part of your request as a request for records which, if they exist, would not be subject to the disclosure requirements of FOIA pursuant to section 552(c), and we therefore will not process that portion of your request.'"  What is your response to this suggestion?
  • Do you agree that proposed section 16.6(f)(2) is inconsistent with the statements in the President's January 21, 2009 memorandum on FOIA?  If you disagree, explain how you are able to reconcile the two.
  • Do you agree that proposed section 16.6(f)(2) is inconsistent with the statements in your March 21, 2009 memorandum on FOIA?  If you disagree, explain how you are able to reconcile the two.
  • Does the DOJ intend to submit section 16.6(f)(2) to Congress and to proceed with its implementation?

These are basic questions, most of which should have been answered before you decided to seek comments on proposed section 16.6(f)(2).  Therefore, I ask that you respond in writing no later than November 7, 2011.

Finally, if you intend to proceed with section 16.6(f)(2) as currently drafted, I ask you to confirm this intention in writing when you submit the new regulation to Congress.  Based on the information that I have at this time, I will take all necessary action, including introducing legislation, to block section 16.6(f)(2) from ever taking effect.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

Ranking Member

CC: Honorable Patrick J. Leahy, Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee

01 Nov 2011

A Call for Justice in the Land

By Jo Cohrs
Currently we are witnessing around the country if not around the world a movement that has been given the name "Occupy Wall Street" after the focus of the very first gathering that seems to have begun this movement that now encompasses over 80 cities in the United States. At its core this is a movement that is calling the nation to think again about justice for all citizens. The Preamble to the US Constitution begins with these words: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice,..." The call for justice, fairness between people was at the core of our coming together.

Yet as a faith based group we also must look at the unique tradition coming from the Holy Scriptures and understand that the call for justice is again central to our mission. When the Prophet Amos was speaking to the leadership of the Northern Kingdom of Israel his message from God was again for justice for many were being ignored by that same leadership. In the 5th chapter of that book and in the 24th verse we find these words, "Let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" Amos was calling for the nation to remember that it needs to see that justice falls on all of its citizens.

In the New Testament in the Gospel of Luke we find Jesus reading from the Prophet Isaiah as he stands before the congregation of his home town. He says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

This then is our directive, to bring good news to the poor and to proclaim release to the captives. As we look at our current society we see a nation where the wealth has been denied to many, where the advances of health care have been denied to many, where  opportunity for worthwhile employment has been denied to many.

Occupy Wall Street and the other occupy manifestations around the country are reminding us that justice is at our core as a people and as a faith community we need to take this opportunity to reiterate that not only is this at the core of the Republic but it is a directive in the center of our faith.

Churches United of the Quad City calls upon the Christian Church to remind the community through word and deed that justice and working for justice is at the center of the faith. We must use this opportunity to lift up the call from the Jesus that we follow and remember those that often get forgotten. Let this be the moment in history when the people of faith say this society must offer compassion to all, fairness to all, justice to all.

"Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me."(Matthew 25:40)

Voted by Churches United of the Quad City Area Board of Directors 10/27/2011
01 Nov 2011

Participate in the National PTA's Healthy Lifestyles Month with TOPS

By Rick Martin

MILWAUKEE, WI - With the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and other health problems, it's important that parents encourage and teach kids about nutritious food options and physical activity.  The National PTA's (Parent Teacher Association) Healthy Lifestyles Month this November is an opportunity to use creative events and activities to show that living healthfully can be fun.  TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, provides advice to promote wellness at home and get involved with the PTA Healthy Lifestyles initiative.


The facts

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and adolescents should participate in 60 minutes of physical activity each day.  Today, there are more video games, less homemade meals, and a reduction of physical education and sports programs at school - trends that have contributed to a growing problem of decreased physical activity among children.  One in three children and adolescents are overweight or obese, and according to the American Diabetes Association, one in every 400 children has diabetes.

Although there has been an increase in childhood obesity, there has also been a rise in initiatives to temper this trend.  Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign, a program that TOPS supports, is one such plan that ties into the goals and message of Healthy Lifestyles Month.


It starts at home

It's important to develop healthy habits at home, so children can go to school, friends' houses, and other places, ready to make sensible, healthy choices.

1. Physical activity - Get moving as a family and demonstrate to kids the necessity of exercise, which can also boost self-esteem and confidence and reduce stress.

• Take a group walk or bike ride around the neighborhood after dinner.
• Find free or low-cost physical activity areas in your community, such as a playground, bike trail, tennis court, or park.
• Take on active chores as a family, like raking leaves or shoveling snow.
• Use pedometers and have a contest to see who takes the most steps in a given week.
• Go to the gym as a family.  Many fitness centers offer discounted memberships.

2. Nutrition - While parents typically decide what their children eat, kids will often eat what is available to them.  Surround kids with healthy snacks and homemade meals to ensure that they're making good choices.

• Serve fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables.  Consider more unique snack ideas like homemade smoothies, a fruit salad, or vegetables and hummus dip.
• Offer water, fat-free milk, or 100 percent fruit juice with no sugar added.
• Since nuts and trail mix are often high in calories, serve them in small portions along with another healthy snack.
• Don't force kids to clean their plates if they are full.

3. Grocery shopping - Before going to the store, make a list of groceries your family needs.  Explain to the kids that you will only buy what's on the list to avoid unhealthy options slipping into the cart.  When making your way through the store, focus on the perimeters.  These areas contain healthier options, such as produce and dairy.  Also, never shop with an empty stomach, so you aren't vulnerable to buying extra foods.


Get involved at school

There are numerous ways to become engaged at your child's school.  Joining your local PTA can help you and other parents impact what's served at lunch, emphasize the importance of physical activity during the school day, and plan activities to promote health and wellness.  Here are some PTA program and activity ideas that will keep families moving and promote wellness:

• Create a document for parents about physical activity areas and resources within the community.
• Host a fundraiser for new fitness equipment.  Skip the candy bars and cookies and sell services, magazines, candles, cookbooks, or other alternatives to sweets.
• Plan a 5K run/walk or walk-a-thon event for the school district and encourage families to participate. 
• Hang up posters and other educational materials in the cafeteria to make students aware of the importance of a nutritious meal.
• Hold a seminar for parents with a health and wellness expert.
• Organize a healthy Family Fun Night with nutritious snacks, games in the gymnasium, such as basketball or kick ball, a dance, food trivia, and more.

It's also important to find out if your local school district has a wellness policy.  This should include nutrition education goals, physical activity objectives, guidelines for food available at school, opportunities for parents and students to get involved with the policy development, and plans for evaluation.  The best place to begin inquiring about a school wellness policy is at the district office.

TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is the original weight-loss support and wellness education organization.  Founded more than 63 years ago, TOPS is the only nonprofit, noncommercial weight-loss organization of its kind.  TOPS promotes successful weight management with a "Real People. Real Weight Loss." philosophy that combines support from others at weekly chapter meetings, healthy eating, regular exercise, and wellness information.  TOPS has about 170,000 members - male and female, age seven and older - in nearly 10,000 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge.  Membership is affordable at just $26 per year, plus nominal chapter fees.  To find a local chapter, view www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677.

###

01 Nov 2011

CHIROPRACTIC STUDENTS HELP THE NEEDY BY 'TAKING IT TO THE STREETS'

By Rick Martin
Davenport, Iowa - Local Chiropractic students volunteer time and find an effective way to raise money for local charities and food shelters in what seem the least likely places - the streets!

Every November for the last two years, as part of their local Chiropractic club (Maximized Living), students have spent Friday nights and Saturday mornings near the corner of 14th and Brady. They are asking for selfless donations of change and spare blankets from drivers at stoplights, as part of their annual blanket drive.

"I grew up in a home where there was always food on the table and a blanket to cover up with when it was cold" says club Co-President Cassie Kelley. " Being involved with the blanket drive for 3 years now has taught me to be more thankful for what I have."

Last year the student's collected over $2,000 which was donated to a local church, The Center, to help fund their food drive program for the homeless and needy.

"Children under the age of 18 accounted for 39% of the homeless population and 42% of these children were under the age of five. The Blanket Drive is not ultimately a cause to raise money and blankets, but this event is about human beings who need our help," says Kelley.

As part of their Chiropractic training, the Maximized Living club has focused on helping and giving back to their community. They have demonstrated the importance of giving not only their money, but their time through various activities. The club mentors students at the Lydia Home, works with Kids Against Hunger, volunteers to help at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, and makes donations to various organizations and individuals.

"As humans, we take many things for granted. I believe in not only giving money and material things, but giving of myself and my time," says Kelley. "As a club, we are excited to have the opportunity to serve our community and those in need to a much greater capacity. It's a great example of how a group of students working together within the community can make a substantial difference in the lives of many."

The blanket drive will begin Friday, November 11th at 4pm and continue through that Saturday at noon. Donations of blankets and spare change will be collected at the stoplights of 14th and Brady.

The club is part of a larger organization called Maximized Living which consists of hundreds of Doctors of Chiropractic worldwide that seek to change the way people view and manage their health through the inside-out. They do this by educating and delivering the Five Essentials of Health: Mindset, Nervous System, Nutrition, Exercise, and Detoxification.

For more information, visit www.MaximizedLiving.com.

01 Nov 2011

Morthland Files Bill to Block Pension Loophole

By Rich Morthland

Springfield, IL...State Representative Rich Morthland (R-Cordova) filed legislation today that will close the pension loophole that allowed two teachers union lobbyists to earn huge state pensions once they served a single day as substitute teachers.

 

A Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV investigation found that two lobbyists with no prior teaching experience were allowed to count their years as union employees towards state teacher pensions after subbing for a single day in 2007.

 

"These guys were lobbyists masquerading as teachers," Morthland said. "They took advantage of a pension loophole that allowed them to receive a teacher's pension after subbing for just one day in the classroom. That's a slap in the face to hard working teachers across Illinois. We need to block this loophole so lobbyists cannot weasel their way into a pension plan for which common sense dictates they should not qualify."

 

According to the Tribune report, Steven Preckwinkle, the political director of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and fellow IFT lobbyist David Piccioli were the only people who took advantage of a small pension window opened by state lawmakers just a few months earlier. The law allowed union officials to get into the Teachers' Retirement System and count their previous years as union employees after quickly obtaining teaching certificates and working in a classroom. Preckwinkle and Piccioli could collect nearly $3 million in pension payouts, based on their union salaries and years of union credit.

"Illinois' pension systems face serious financial problems, with more than $85 billion in unfunded liability," Morthland said. "So while these lobbyists' pensions may only be a drop in the bucket, they are stinking up the whole bucket. What they did was shameful and I intend to put a stop to it."

 

Morthland's legislation, House Bill 3870, would require Preckwinkle and Piccioli to make their entire pension contributions immediately in order receive their teacher pensions. The legislation is an effort to prevent the lobbyists from receiving the pensions they earned through the previously-established pension loophole.

 

###

01 Nov 2011

FREE Presentation on Financial Aid for College!

By Brittany Marietta

What: Free Presentation on Financial Aid for College presented by ICAN (Iowa College Access Network)

When: Wednesday, 11/9 - 7:00 p.m.

Where: Rivermont Collegiate - Becherer Hall Auditorium - 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf, IA 52722

Open to the public!  Bring your questions!

To spend LESS on college... spend an evening with us!

A college education is one of the most important investments you will make in a lifetime. Educate yourself on the resources available to you!

What: Free Presentation on Financial Aid for College presented by the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN).  This presentation is open to the public! Join us!

When: Wednesday, November 9th - 7:00 p.m.

Where: RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE - Becherer Hall Auditorium, 1821 Sunset Drive - Bettendorf, IA 52722 (located directly off 18th Street, behind K&K Hardware)

• Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Important deadlines
• Types of financial assistance available
• Scholarships & scams

Bring your questions!

This presentation is very helpful for high school students and parents who are unsure exactly what is involved in the financial aid process & filing the FAFSA. It can be confusing and discouraging! Make the process clear, ensure accuracy, and smooth the way - join us!

Contact: Bonnie Campbell - (563) 359-1366 ext. 304 - campbell@rvmt.org

RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE is the Quad Cities' only private, independent, nonsectarian college prep school, serving preschool through grade 12.  For more information on RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE, please contact Brittany Marietta - Director of Admission
(563) 359-1366 ext. 302 - marietta@rvmt.org.  www.rvmt.org

01 Nov 2011

Area Residents Enroll in DePaul University's Freshman Class

By readMedia

CHICAGO, IL (10/27/2011)(readMedia)-- The following area students have enrolled this fall as freshman at DePaul University in Chicago:

Alyssa Phelan of Bettendorf

Catherine Bush of Davenport

Elizabeth Knowlton of Port Byron

About DePaul

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, non-profit university in the Midwest. The university offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on three Chicago and three suburban campuses. Founded in 1898, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds.

01 Nov 2011

Herman Cain on Top in Fox News Poll

By J D Gordon
This week's Fox News national poll confirms presidential candidate Herman Cain's staying power with 24 percent of Republican primary voters choosing him as their first choice for the nomination.  Cain's momentum in the polls has quadrupled since late August with a jump of 18 percentage points.

"Herman Cain's solutions and ideas are not just for one segment of America but for the benefit of all Americans.  Herman's message of inclusion and his straight forward problem solving approach are attracting many supporters," said Mark Block, Chief Operating Officer for Friends of Herman Cain. 

The Fox News poll is the second major national poll to be released since last week's CNN debate showing Cain's lead of the Republican field.

2012 Republican Nomination for President
among Republican primary voters

Now

27-Sep-11

31-Aug-11

Herman Cain

24%

17%

6%

Mitt Romney

20

23

22

Newt Gingrich

12

11

3

Rick Perry

10

19

29

Ron Paul

9

6

8

Rick Santorum

3

3

4

Michele Bachmann

3

3

8

Jon Huntsman

-

4

1
Source: Fox New Poll
01 Nov 2011

An Iowa Christmas Story

By Kelly Lao

"An Iowa Christmas Story" with Michael Zahs, Sunday November 20th, 2011 starting at 2p.m. at the German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second St. Davenport, IA 52802 563-322-8844, www.gahc.org. Free with admission.

Celebrate "An Iowa Christmas Story" with Michael Zahs at the German American Heritage Center. Michael is a two time winner of the "Iowa Teacher of the Year" Award and enjoys using stories and artifacts to bring the past to life. He does this so well that in 2010 the NEA named him one of the top 38 teachers in the country! Using his collection of over 30 holiday items, some from his personal 200 year family history in Iowa, you will learn how Christmas has been celebrated in our state since 1808, and how our state has grown and benefitted from its ethnic richness.
01 Nov 2011

LIVESTOCK WATERER BUSINESS EARNS IOWA FARM BUREAU'S RENEW RURAL IOWA ENTREPRENEUR OF MONTH AWARD

By Rick Martin

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Oct. 27, 2011 - A Conrad company focused on providing fresh water for livestock has earned the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation's (IFBF) Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur of the Month award.

Ritchie Industries started in Oskaloosa in 1921 when Thomas Ritchie patented his first watering device. He connected underground running water to automatic float-controlled watering equipment. The water was heated with a kerosene lamp, saving farmers time and labor.

As the countryside grew, the business worked with the local rural electric cooperative as it installed electricity to area farms. Even though technology and farming practices have changed, the need for waterers remains strong for livestock farmers. The company was purchased and moved to Conrad in 1943. Today, the company focuses on providing equipment to the beef cattle, dairy and equine industries; selling to customers all over the United States and Canada.

While the company's reach is wide, it remains committed to its 65 employees and local community.

"They (Ritchie Industries) made the investment to stay and grow and be a part of our community and county," said Brian Feldpausch, Grundy County Farm Bureau president, who nominated the company for the award. "They also support ag education in our schools and donate to the library. They're a mainstay and add support for future growth (here)."

Renew Rural Iowa (RRI) is an IFBF initiative supporting new and existing businesses through education, mentoring and financial resources. Registration is open for the Nov. 2 "Business Success" seminar, featuring Curt Nelson, president of the Entrepreneurial Development Center. The register for the seminar, to be held at Iowa Farm Bureau in West Des Moines, go to www.renewruraliowa.com.

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