WASHINGTON - Chuck Grassley today said that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded two competitive grants totaling $3,030,257 to the Iowa Department of Public Health and the University of Iowa.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will distribute the money as shown below.

• $2,745,257 to the Iowa Department of Public Health to help pay for the Ryan White Care Act Title II.

• $285,000 to the University of Iowa from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to help pay for pharmacology, physiology and biological chemistry research project titled, "Evolution of Pre-mRNA Splicing in Primates."

Each year, thousands of local Iowa organizations, colleges and universities, individuals and state agencies apply for competitive grants from the federal government. The funding is then awarded based on each local organization or individual's ability to meet criteria set by the federal entity.

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Awarded Re-Accreditation from the American Association of Museums

Davenport, IA (3/31/10) - The Figge Art Museum has achieved re-accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.

"Our original museum was one of the first accredited museums in the US in 1973. This 2010 re-accreditation of our new facility, operations, and structure is confirmation that the Figge is well-run and providing a superlative service to our constituency," stated Sean O'Harrow, Executive Director of the Figge Art Museum.

AAM Accreditation is the field's primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability, and earns national recognition for a museum for its commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 35 years, AAM's Museum Accreditation program strengthens the profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and to provide the best possible service to the public.

"Accreditation assures the people of the Quad Cities that their museum is among the finest in the nation," said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. "As a result, the citizens can take considerable pride in their homegrown institution, for its commitment to excellence and for the value it brings to the community."

Accreditation is a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum's operations.  To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers.  AAM's Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, review and evaluate the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.  While the time to complete the process varies by museum, it generally takes three years.

Davenport, IA - Russell Construction is proud to announce that for the third year in a row, our safety program was recognized as a third place finalist for the Association of General Contractors National Safety Excellence Award.

Every year, the Association of General Contractors (AGC) recognizes companies from all across the country, that have developed and implemented premier safety and loss prevention programs and showcases companies that have achieved continuous improvements and maintenance of their safety and health management systems. The AGC Construction Safety Excellence Award is our industry's top recognition.

To become eligible for this award, companies had to compete at the state level and receive a letter of nomination from their home AGC chapter. The submission included application forms, a two page description of a company's Safety & Health Program and a one page description of why they should receive the award. This year, there were 128 finalist nominations that were passed on to the national judging committee, of those 48 finalists were selected; Russell Construction was among this group. The final step was to give a five minute presentation to a panel of safety experts along with a 10 minute question and answer session after the presentation.

In addition, each company was judged upon an overview of company safety program, increased employee involvement in safety, new programs,  procedures or resources used to promote safety, management's commitment to safety and specific unique activities the company does or provides to promote safety.

As a company dedicated to safety excellence, Russell Construction has accomplished several notable safety achievements over the last two years, including surpassing 1,100,000 hours without a single lost time incident. Additionally, in 2009, Russell was awarded the Saxies Safety Program of the Year, by the online safety organization SafetyXChange.

As a Midwest leader in Construction Management, Design/Build and General Contracting services, Russell is dedicated to supporting the local Quad Cities economy through competitive and efficient construction services. For more information on Russell, please visit their corporate website at www.russellco.com.

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Select assortment discount grocer ALDI to close Brady Street store in Davenport April 3; reopens fall 2010

Nearby stores remain open

Dwight, Ill. (March 30, 2010) - Beginning April 3, ALDI will close its Brady Street store location in Davenport.  The select assortment discount grocer will reopen with a replacement store in the same location this fall.  ALDI continues to offer Davenport grocery shoppers a smarter alternative at its other Davenport stores, located at 5266 Elmore Ave. and 2825 Rockingham Road.  Known for its premium ALDI select brands, ALDI is able to offer high quality grocery items at unbeatable prices.

"As many loyal Davenport shoppers know, our Brady Street location has been in operation since 1976," said Heather Moore, ALDI Dwight division vice president. "We look forward to giving our customers a new, modern shopping experience.  In the interim, we have two nearby locations that will continue to provide customers with high quality products at unbeatable prices."

Customers can expect to find more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased items sold under its select brands for prices up to 50 percent less than traditional supermarkets.  A model of efficiency, ALDI eliminates overhead costs by offering smart and efficient practices including a cart deposit system where shoppers insert a quarter to release a cart and get the quarter back upon the cart's return.  Other cost-saving practices include a smaller store footprint, open carton displays and encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags.

ALDI also saves consumers money by keeping stores open during prime shopping times - typically from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

A grocery retailer that has grown without merger or acquisition, ALDI opened 80 new stores across the United States in 2009 and plans to open another 80 U.S. stores in 2010, including 30 new stores in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas.

About ALDI Inc.

A leader in the grocery retailing industry since 1976, ALDI has more than 1,000 U.S. stores located in 31 states primarily from Kansas to the East Coast serving more than 20 million customers each month.  Beginning in the spring of 2010, ALDI will enter the Texas market with approximately 30 new stores planned for the Dallas/Ft. Worth region.  A select assortment discount grocer featuring its own ALDI select brands, ALDI applies smart and efficient operational and business practices to save customers up to 50 percent on their grocery bill.  ALDI, named 2009 Retailer of the Year by PL Buyer, sells more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery and household items in manageable, non-bulk packaging.  For more information about ALDI, go to www.aldi.us.

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