DAVENPORT, IOWA (August 18, 2009) Join the German American Heritage Center for a bus trip to historic Potosi and Platteville, Wisconsin on Saturday, October 24. Itinerary includes visits to the National Brewery Museum & Potosi Brewery and the Platteville Mining Museum-Rollo Jamison Museum.

The day trip includes a buffet luncheon in the National Brewery Museum restaurant, guided tours of both museums, a tour of a lead mine and a short train ride (weather permitting). An opportunity to tour the museum gift shops will also be available. The tour of the lead mine is the only portion of the day trip that is not handicapped accessible.

(More on the Platteville Mining Museum-Rollo Jamison Museum: The trip into the mine and back in time, involves descending 90 steps down into the 'bowels' of the earth. This involves a wooden walkway with hand railings on each side made up of 9 steps and then a level landing for a breather, followed by another 9 steps and another level landing, etc. It may be cool and damp in the environment so those making the trip should be prepared to wear a sweater or jacket and shoes with tread to maintain a firm footing.)

The bus will depart from the German American Heritage Center in Davenport, Iowa at 7:30 am (boarding at 7:15 am), and return at 5:45 pm. Cost for the trip is $50 for members or $60 for nonmembers. To register contact (563) 322-8844 or director@gahc.org. You may also register in person at the German American Heritage Center.

For a preview the museums that are included in the bus trip, visit their websites at:

National Brewery Museum & Potosi Brewery

Mining Museum-Rollo Jamison Museum

About German American Heritage Center's plans for the future
In October 2009, GAHC will have a re-grand opening where they will debut their newly expanded space to the community. The space will include a new large permanent exhibit, two traveling exhibit spaces, large program facilities, and an improved parking lot. The GAHC will create new programs based on the new permanent exhibit and two new temporary exhibit spaces. This exhibit is highly interactive, audiovisual and intergenerational.

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Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers - Growing Iowa's Communities One Farmer & One Neighbor At a Time

Des Moines, Iowa ? Aug. 18, 2009 ? Iowa agriculture puts healthy, affordable choices of food on the table for today's consumers and brings jobs and economic development to the state according to a just-completed economic analysis sponsored by the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers (CSIF).

The tally of agriculture's impact, based on 2007 Census of Agriculture data, reveals farming is tightly linked to many Iowa industries.  Production agriculture and ag-related industries directly and indirectly employ one of every six Iowans (or 17 percent of the state's workforce).  They're also responsible for adding $72.1 billion to the state's economy, or 27 percent of the state's total.  This represents a two percent increase over a previous analysis utilizing 2002 Census of Agriculture data.

That's good news during a time of economic adversity and shows Iowa agriculture continues to grow.  In fact, the strong presence of ag production, processing and manufacturing in Iowa helps buffer the state from the severity of national economic downturns.  Iowa's unemployment rate is 6.1 percent compared to the national total of 9.4 percent.

"What impresses me," says Dan Otto, Iowa State University extension economist who helped prepare the study, "is that when you consider the growth and diversification of Iowa's economy over recent years, agriculture is still a very dominant player. For certain counties, it is the dominant industry.

"The diversification of farming has made agriculture the leading industry in more than a quarter of the counties in our state," he adds.  "One could say that this study shows Iowa is as dependent on farming as Detroit is on car manufacturing."

Craig Floss, chief executive officer of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and CSIF board president, says the purpose of the study was to find out how much the state's current economy is being helped by farming today.  The findings are good news for Iowa.

"It's clear that farming, food and feed processing, and every other area agriculture touches, is critical to Iowa," he says.  "The continued support and growth of farming is vital to the long-term economic health of our state."

The CSIF-sponsored analysis shows that farming and ag-related industries in Iowa account for nearly $23 billion in value-added, (19 percent of Iowa's total), which takes into account the process of producing and converting agricultural commodities into products suitable for use by consumers both in and outside Iowa.  

The study also reaffirms the importance of livestock and poultry farming's contribution to individual families.  Statewide, livestock and poultry production contributes nearly $1.1 billion to   household income.  Raising livestock and poultry alone generates 43,324 jobs in Iowa.  When meat processing is factored in, research shows a contribution of 80,278 jobs to the state with a total economic value of $19.5 billion in Iowa.

The analysis included a review of data from several sources including the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the U.S. Bureaus of Economic Analysis and Labor Statistics, the Iowa Department of Workforce Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the IMPLAN economic modeling software.

Additional details, including a complete county-by-county breakdown of the analysis results (including jobs and household income), are available at the CSIF website, www.supportfarmers.com.

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ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 17, 2009 - The wind blew and the crowd rocked as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association wrapped up its first ever Rock the River Tour. On a blustery Sunday at St. Paul's Harriet Island Park, 23,000 people turned out for a day of rock and hip hop with a positive message.

The evangelistic summer concert tour started in July in Baton Rouge, La., and traveled up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, into the Quad Cities (Davenport, Iowa), and Minneapolis-St. Paul. A total of 112,798 people attended the summer series.

"This all happened because God put a burden on my heart for young people-how can we reach kids of this generation? For so many their lives are upside down and in a mess and they don't even know why," said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and international relief organization Samaritan's Purse. "That's why I'm so excited that we've had this opportunity to share the message of God's love with all of these young people. It's a chance to change thousands of young lives."

Graham shared brief, challenging Gospel messages multiple times during each Rock the River Tour event. A total of 2,871 responded to Graham's invitation to follow Jesus Christ. Along with the music and messages from Franklin Graham, Rock the River Tour included skateboard and wakeboard exhibitions.

Music artists participating in the Rock the River Tour included Flyleaf, Kirk Franklin, Superchick, DecembeRadio, Flame, Canton Jones and Lecrae.

In this challenging economy, many people have curbed discretionary expenses like vacations, entertainment and shopping excursions. Unfortunately, many folks - even those with medical insurance - are also cutting back on healthcare services they can no longer afford, including preventive care, check-ups and medications for chronic conditions.

This short-term budgetary fix could have disastrous long-term effects, as easily treated or preventable conditions morph into much more serious - and expensive - illnesses.

While our government wrestles with solving the national healthcare crisis, here are a few suggestions for stretching your healthcare dollars and ensuring your family receives proper care:

Use your plan wisely. Most health insurers supply educational materials on preventive care such as quitting smoking, weight loss and chronic disease management (like diabetes and high cholesterol). Many even provide financial incentives for completing treatment programs, getting immunizations and using generic drugs, since these practices save money in the long run.

Check your carrier's website for details, or visit the HHS's "Prevention" site (www.hhs.gov/safety) for information and web links on such topics as fitness, nutrition, risky behavior modification and much more.

Free screenings. Many pharmacies, clinics and health organizations such the National Kidney Foundation (www.kidney.org) and the American Academy of Dermatology (www.add.org) provide free screenings for illnesses such as kidney disease, skin cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Search "free screenings" at www.hhs.gov for nearby screenings.

Bargain with providers. Before going without needed care, speak to your doctor, dentist or hospital about your financial difficulties and see if they'll work with you to reduce fees or allow installment payments. They may also be able to suggest alternate treatments or connect you with programs that will help pay for your care.

For example, most pharmaceutical companies offer patient assistance programs (PAPs) that provide uninsured and low-income people access to drugs they couldn't otherwise afford. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or clinic how to proceed, or visit Partnership for Prescription Assistance (www.pparx.org), which has enrollment information on over 475 public and private PAPs, including links to Medicaid programs.

Laid off? File for COBRA. Under the 2009 economic stimulus plan, the government will pay 65 percent of the cost of COBRA coverage for up to nine months for employees laid off between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009. Granted, coverage is still expensive, but far less so than if you were uninsured and incurred a serious accident or illness.

Use public resources. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) helps fund over 7,000 community health centers serving millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans. Patients pay based on what they can afford for services such as routine checkups, maternity care, immunizations, prescription drugs, and dental, mental health and substance abuse care.

To learn more about this program and find the closest HHS-supported center, visit http://bphc.hrsa.gov. In addition, many university teaching hospitals and dental schools operate clinics on a sliding payment scale.

Medicaid. Many uninsured people not yet eligible for Medicare can obtain medical coverage through state-administered Medicaid programs. To learn more, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidGenInfo.

Don't let financial worries cause you to ignore your family's health needs. Resources are available; you just need to seek them out.