The Putnam Museum's Egyptian Gallery is undergoing a renovation - and the museum is looking for a new gallery name to go with its new look. The gallery has housed two mummies since the 1960s and is slated to reopen August 22 with several updated components, including new flooring, new lighting, new mummy cases, and a touch-screen video monitor that features results from the CT scans performed at Genesis two years ago. Name suggestions should be sent to arguello@putnam.org by July 30. The winner will be notified in August, will receive a lifetime membership to the Putnam, and will be invited to the gallery's VIP premiere on August 21.
The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs has announced improvements in how veterans benefits are delivered. Beginning July 1, each Iowa county is required to have a veterans-affairs office staffed by an employee. The new law also requires the county to have an employee accredited through the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers. Questions regarding federal benefits or this new law can be directed to the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs at (800)838-4692 or IowaVA.org.
WQPT has announced that the 15th-annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest has given Jayda Brunkan, a first grader from Eldridge, Iowa, a national first-place award in the first-grade level for her story. Jayda is one of only 12 authors selected from more than 35,000 contest entrants nationwide. This is the second year that Jayda has been a national winner. The illustrated stories of past winners can be found at PBSKids.org/readingrainbow. In mid-August, the newest winners will be posted.
"Learn,Act, for Earth's Sake" is an upcoming retreat to focus on climate change and will include presentations, discussion, and reflection on climate change, the fragility of the Earth, and how we can work to help the planet. For more information or to register, contact Barbara Gross at (563)336-8414 or olpretreat@gmail.com. The event will be held at Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, near Wheatland, Iowa, on Saturday, August 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The $15 fee includes lunch.
The Midwest Writing Center is compiling a database of local authors, editors, agents, proofreaders, and other literary individuals. People who wish to be included in this list should contact the center at (563)324-1410 or mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org.
Patients at Genesis Medical Center hospitals are less likely to be readmitted for three common conditions (heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia) than national averages, according to Hospital Compare (HospitalCompare.HHS.gov), the independent quality-of-care Web site of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The Martin Luther King Community Center will host its annual Family Fun Day on Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include a parade, merchant and food vendors, a talent show, an informational booth, children's games, and music from DJ Swift of Swift Jamz. The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Frances Willard School (25th Avenue and 9th Street in Rock Island) and proceed to Martin Luther King Center (630 Ninth Street in Rock Island).
The Quad Cities Family Fun & Kite Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, in Centennial Park, west of the Centennial Bridge in Davenport. This free, public event organized by the Quad Cities Kite Club and Davenport Parks & Recreation will feature kite displays, demonstrations, kite-making, and other family fun from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. The park is accessible from Marquette Street or Beiderbecke Drive. For more information, visit QCKites.com or call (563)650-4143.
From August 2 through 8, Genesis Health System, Gilda's Club of the Quad Cities, and the Scott County Family Y will provide an opportunity for children coping with cancer in their families to enjoy time together at YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln. Camp Genesis will provide children ages eight to 12 with a resident-camp experience with special cancer-education programs provided by Gilda's Club and Genesis. The usual $450 camp fee will be donated by Genesis, so there will be no charge to campers or their families. For more information or an application, contact Gilda's Club Quad Cities at (563)326-7504. Information can also be found at ScottCountyFamilyY.org or by calling (563)381-3053.
The federal Department of Housing & Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant program has awarded nearly $3.6 million to cities across Iowa. Funds are intended to develop viable communities by providing housing and a suitable living environment and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate incomes. Davenport will receive $465,206.
