ST. LOUIS (Sept. 19, 2011) - U.S. soybean farmers - especially those in Kansas - are undoubtedly especially proud this season of the Kansas State University (KSU) Wildcats - or, more specifically, their stadium playing field.

KSU recently installed AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan. AstroTurf products include a soy-based backing called BioCel®, from Universal Textile Technologies. BioCel uses soy-based-polyol technology developed with support from the soybean checkoff.

"We love seeing our U.S. soy on the football field," says USB New Uses program Chair Bob Haselwood, who farms about 65 miles east of Manhattan in Berryton. "The number one user of our soybeans is the animal ag sector, which uses 98 percent of our soybean meal. But soybean oil is used in a lot of things people aren't aware of, such as paint, cleaners and turf, and the list goes on and on."

"In fact, industrial use of U.S. soy has jumped 50 percent since 2006," adds Haselwood.

The sustainability of U.S. soy proves to be one important reason behind its increasing popularity in new, industrial uses. More often than ever, builders and other industrial customers choose soy-based products over those made with petroleum-based chemicals.

To recognize the new soy uses milestone, the United Soybean Board (USB) and Kansas Soybean Commission held a pregame event before the Wildcats' game on Sept. 17. The event offered the chance to hand out GameDay Grass samples to fans and talk to them about the versatility of soy.

While Kansas State became the first NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision institution to install soy-based AstroTurf, this superior surface is in use at every level of competition in facilities across the United States and Canada.

For example, the National Football League's St. Louis Rams and Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays play on soy-backed AstroTurf. As do the baseball teams at Kansas State, Ohio State and South Carolina. The football teams at Auburn, Tennessee and Texas all practice on GameDay Grass. And the Citrus Bowl, home of the Capital One Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl games, also sports AstroTurf. Click here to see if a venue near you uses AstroTurf.

BioCel combines the oil from U.S. soybeans with recycled content to make a polyurethane product alternative to similar petroleum-based goods. According to AstroTurf, the renewable backing extends the turf's life, enhances player safety, lessens our country's dependence on foreign oil and improves outdoor air quality.

This is just one of the new uses for U.S. soy that the soybean checkoff supports as part of its mission to help research, develop and promote additional ways to utilize the crop. Every year, thanks in part to checkoff funding, dozens of new soy-based products reach the marketplace.

USB is made up of 69 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit us at www.UnitedSoybean.org
For more information on new uses for U.S. soy, visit us at www.SoyNewUses.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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On the other hand, when laws place collective force at the disposal of those who would use it to exploit others, injustice prevails and there will be unrest in society. It does not matter if the exploitation applies to health, labor, education, safety, or religion. The law becomes legalized plunder, blurs society's understanding of justice and injustice, and disguises anarchy as order. Since people naturally rebel against injustice, unrest ensues.

True peace can be achieved only when man-made law obeys natural law, when justice is blind, and individual natural rights are protected

DES MOINES, IA (09/19/2011)(readMedia)-- Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) members around the state have used ISEA's student-designed stickers to celebrate student achievement and good work for over 26 years. Now in its 27th year, the popular Design-a-Decal program helps give statewide recognition to budding art students when their winning designs are printed on stickers and teachers use them to give positive feedback to their students. With encouraging messages like "Sweet Job" and "You Rule," the stickers get used on anything from homework assignments, to papers and projects-anything that can get stuck!

Students competed in three, grade-level categories: elementary (K-5); junior high/middle school (6-8); and high school (9-12). The 24 winning designs are printed in full color on sheets of one-inch square stickers and each design is featured twice.

"The Design-a-Decal contest is one of our longest-standing programs because it's so much fun for the students. The art teachers who administer the program are very enthusiastic and the students who submit designs love to participate, so it's a win-win for everyone. It's a wonderful way to encourage creativity and the end result are stickers teachers can use on homework and other assignments to encourage more great work," said Chris Bern, president of the ISEA.

The students who created the designs used on the decal sheets receive two plaques from the ISEA-one they can keep and one to be displayed at their school.

(A listing with names of the schools, supervising art teacher, and students whose designs were selected for use on the decal sheets is attached. Also attached is a sheet of the winning decals.)

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Monday, September 19, 2011

WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley said today that internships in his Washington, D.C., and Iowa offices are available for college-age Iowans.

Grassley said he encourages all young Iowans who are interested in learning more about government to apply.  The next internship session begins in January.  Applications should be submitted by October 15.

"Spending a semester working in a congressional office is a good way for college students and new graduates to learn more about the legislative branch of the federal government while gaining valuable work experience," Grassley said.  "Exposure to the work of a Senate office can enhance a college education and make students more competitive job applicants when they graduate.  These internships are available to students in all areas of study."

Full- and part-time internships are available for Iowans in Grassley's offices in Washington, D.C., Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Waterloo.  The next session of internships runs from January through May.  Interns assist staff members with administrative, legislative and communications work, including that of Grassley's staff on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he serves as Ranking Member.

This summer, Grassley interns in the Washington office produced a video describing their experience.  Click here to watch.

Application forms are available on Grassley's Senate website, in the placement offices of many Iowa colleges and universities, and in Grassley's offices in Iowa. Due to security-related delays in postal mail delivery to U.S. Senate office buildings, internship applications should be faxed to 202-224-5136 or emailed to intern_applications@grassley.senate.gov.  For more information, send messages to intern_applications@grassley.senate.gov or call 202-224-3744.