16
Apr
2002
• Iowa House leaders have announced that they will not continue efforts on compromise legislation to lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for drunken driving from .10 to .08 percent. Legislators had come up with and agreed on a three-tiered plan with increasing penalties for higher blood-alcohol limits. This was shot down after federal officials said that they approved of the plan and then rescinded their approval the next day. Without the plan, the legislation lacks the votes needed to pass. Legislative leaders say they won't waste time debating a measure that can't pass. An October 2000 federal law requires states to adopt a .08 blood-alcohol limit. Iowa will be eligible for $2 million a year if it approves the lower limit and risks losing $47.2 million in federal road money between 2004 and 2007 if it does not. Lawmakers can still pass a bill next year, as Iowa won't start losing federal road money until October 1, 2003.
• Joe Hutter, a retired Bettendorf police officer, has announced his candidacy for the Iowa legislature. Hutter is running on the Republican ticket for the new 82nd District of the House of Representatives. That district includes residents of Bettendorf, Panorama Park, and Riverdale.
• State governments can make a big difference in how easy it is for their citizens to fully take advantage of the Internet to buy things, engage in legally binding transactions, and interact with government. The Progressive Policy Institute has a new report that measures how state laws, regulations, and administrative actions support or hinder Internet use by Americans. While Illinois is near the bottom of the list at 41st place, Iowa is fifth in the nation as a state friendly to e-commerce. One of the biggest contributing factors is that Iowa doesn't have a tax on Internet use. You can see the complete report at (http://www.ppionline.org/documents/States_Ecommerce.pdf).
• Green Home Building is a new Web site devoted to alternative building and sustainable architecture. It is comprehensive and informative, with many illustrations and links to specific resources. There is also an "Ask the Experts" page with two dozen experts who offer to answer questions from the public for free. Under the heading of "Sustainable Architecture" are listed a dozen principles, each with its own page: Think Small, Heat with the Sun, Keep Your Cool, Use Renewable Energy, Conserve Water, Use Local Materials, Use Natural Materials, Save Our Forests, Recycle Materials, Build to Last, Grow Your Food, and Store Your Food. The above is only a sampling of the interesting stuff found on this Web site. See for yourself at (http://www.greenhomebuilding.com).
• Applications are available for two grants that are due May 1. Applicants for both grants must be recognized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) organizations or be governmental entities. The Doris & Victor Day Foundation's primary mission is directed at meeting basic human needs through programs of not-for-profit Quad City organizations. Applications are available on the Internet at (http://www.dayfoundation.org) or by telephone at (309)788-2300. The Rauch Family Foundation provides grants to programs and projects for the enhancement of the Rock Island community. Its application is available at the Rock Island Public Library or by calling the number listed above.
• The agency's Pueblo, Colorado, address has been familiar for years, but now you can get answers you trust from the Federal Consumer Information Center by calling a toll-free number of surfing the Web. For answers to questions about all kinds of federal-government programs, benefits, and services, call (800)333-4636 or look on the Web at (http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/call/).
• The City of Davenport has been named a Tree City USA by The National Arbor Day Foundation. This is the 22nd year Davenport has received this national recognition. Tree City USA recognizes communities that have proven their commitment to an effective, ongoing community-forestry program. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
• The Bettendorf Public Library has Tech Teen Volunteers available to assist library patrons with navigating the Internet and using other electronic resources available at the library. Teens in 6th through 12th grades are offering their time and computer skills to help others. Tech Teen Volunteers are available at various times throughout the week for one-on-one instruction with library computers. Call the Bettendorf Public Library's reception desk at (563)344-4175 to get a Tech Teen Volunteer schedule or to reserve an available Internet station during the time that a Tech Teen Volunteer is available.
• The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the NORML Foundation have launched a new Web-site design at (http://www.norml.org). New features include easier navigation, comprehensive search capabilities, new and expanded NORML product lines, page-specific information tailored to interests, and updated state-by-state marijuana and medical-marijuana laws. NORML and the NORML Foundation say this new Web site is the first stage of the largest marijuana-law-reform campaign in history.
• Joe Hutter, a retired Bettendorf police officer, has announced his candidacy for the Iowa legislature. Hutter is running on the Republican ticket for the new 82nd District of the House of Representatives. That district includes residents of Bettendorf, Panorama Park, and Riverdale.
• State governments can make a big difference in how easy it is for their citizens to fully take advantage of the Internet to buy things, engage in legally binding transactions, and interact with government. The Progressive Policy Institute has a new report that measures how state laws, regulations, and administrative actions support or hinder Internet use by Americans. While Illinois is near the bottom of the list at 41st place, Iowa is fifth in the nation as a state friendly to e-commerce. One of the biggest contributing factors is that Iowa doesn't have a tax on Internet use. You can see the complete report at (http://www.ppionline.org/documents/States_Ecommerce.pdf).
• Green Home Building is a new Web site devoted to alternative building and sustainable architecture. It is comprehensive and informative, with many illustrations and links to specific resources. There is also an "Ask the Experts" page with two dozen experts who offer to answer questions from the public for free. Under the heading of "Sustainable Architecture" are listed a dozen principles, each with its own page: Think Small, Heat with the Sun, Keep Your Cool, Use Renewable Energy, Conserve Water, Use Local Materials, Use Natural Materials, Save Our Forests, Recycle Materials, Build to Last, Grow Your Food, and Store Your Food. The above is only a sampling of the interesting stuff found on this Web site. See for yourself at (http://www.greenhomebuilding.com).
• Applications are available for two grants that are due May 1. Applicants for both grants must be recognized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) organizations or be governmental entities. The Doris & Victor Day Foundation's primary mission is directed at meeting basic human needs through programs of not-for-profit Quad City organizations. Applications are available on the Internet at (http://www.dayfoundation.org) or by telephone at (309)788-2300. The Rauch Family Foundation provides grants to programs and projects for the enhancement of the Rock Island community. Its application is available at the Rock Island Public Library or by calling the number listed above.
• The agency's Pueblo, Colorado, address has been familiar for years, but now you can get answers you trust from the Federal Consumer Information Center by calling a toll-free number of surfing the Web. For answers to questions about all kinds of federal-government programs, benefits, and services, call (800)333-4636 or look on the Web at (http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/call/).
• The City of Davenport has been named a Tree City USA by The National Arbor Day Foundation. This is the 22nd year Davenport has received this national recognition. Tree City USA recognizes communities that have proven their commitment to an effective, ongoing community-forestry program. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
• The Bettendorf Public Library has Tech Teen Volunteers available to assist library patrons with navigating the Internet and using other electronic resources available at the library. Teens in 6th through 12th grades are offering their time and computer skills to help others. Tech Teen Volunteers are available at various times throughout the week for one-on-one instruction with library computers. Call the Bettendorf Public Library's reception desk at (563)344-4175 to get a Tech Teen Volunteer schedule or to reserve an available Internet station during the time that a Tech Teen Volunteer is available.
• The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the NORML Foundation have launched a new Web-site design at (http://www.norml.org). New features include easier navigation, comprehensive search capabilities, new and expanded NORML product lines, page-specific information tailored to interests, and updated state-by-state marijuana and medical-marijuana laws. NORML and the NORML Foundation say this new Web site is the first stage of the largest marijuana-law-reform campaign in history.
