• The State of Iowa is one of 27 states participating in a lawsuit against Hoechst, a German pharmaceutical company, alleging that the company blocked a generic version of a heart medication from being put on the market. The litigation claims that Hoechst paid Andrex Corporation about $90 million so that it wouldn't sell a cheaper form of Cardizem CD for the year in 1998. It is estimated that 10,000 Iowans and 1 million people nationwide have paid more for the medication because a generic version of the drug wasn't available. Cardizem CD is used for high blood pressure, chest pains, and heart disease. The lawsuit was first filed in federal court in Michigan and could take up to three years to resolve.

• CityLINK is a new a service of MetroLINK, Rock Island County's Metropolitan Mass Transit District. The new service provides round-trip service to Iowa City three times daily on weekdays and once on Saturday and Sunday. Stops will include University Hospitals, VA Hospital, and Coral Ridge Mall. Round-trip service to Macomb, Illinois, is offered twice daily and once on Saturday and Sunday and also makes stops in Viola and Monmouth. These new services complement MetroLINK's primary bus service in the Illinois Quad Cites, along with its other new program, RuralLINK. That program, started May 1, provides transportation services to Henry and Mercer counties and portions of northern Rock Island County. For pricing and scheduling information, call (309)757-1531, or visit (http://www.qcmetrolink.com).

• "What Tree Is That?" is a pocket guide for identifying trees that are available from the National Arbor Day Foundation. The 72-page guide offers identification of 135 different trees found in the eastern and central U.S., such as oaks, maples, spruces, and pines. Dozens of drawings illustrate the trees' leaves, needles, acorns, berries, seed pods, cones, and other features. To get your copy, send your name, address, and $3 to "What Tree is That?"; National Arbor Day Foundation; Nebraska City, NE 68410.

• A new low-income housing project for the elderly is being opened in Davenport-Luther Crest at 5454 North Gaines Street. The project's management team is now taking applications for 77 new unfurnished, one-bedroom apartments. Laundry, elevator, and air conditioning are furnished. Applicants must meet certain federal income guidelines and be 62 or more years old. You can call (563)332-9250 for an application.

• The Libertarian Party (http://www.lp.org) has pointed out the existence of a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) policy called "Under the Eagle's Eye" that has been monitoring Americans for years. The program trains postal clerks to watch for customers who act "suspiciously" while purchasing money orders or making wire transfers. If the customer does act "suspiciously," postal employees are required to fill out a government form 8105-B, also known as a Suspicious Activity Report. The forms are sent to the Treasury Department or stored in a Post Office database for at least five years. "Suspicious" behavior includes counting money in line, purchasing a large money order, or purchasing several smaller money orders. The information is being gathered to help law enforcement catch criminals laundering money from illegal transactions. People trying to locate information about the program on the USPS web site at (http://www.usps.gov) won't be able to find much except for a mention of the existence of form 8105-B but not what it's supposed to be used for.

• A new system for easy access to telecommunications between people who use a TTY and people who are not hard of hearing is now operational in Illinois under the name "Just Dial 711." The Federal Communications Commission mandated that all states have operational 711 systems in place by October 1 of this year. The mandate also includes linkups with cellular-phone users. If you would like more information on this service, contact Roberta Garrison at the Illinois/Iowa Center for Independent Living at (309)793-0090 (voice or TTY), or you can stop by 3708 11th Street in Rock Island.

• Want to help a child while enjoying lunch? Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Quad Cities is looking for a few new "Lunch Buddies" for fall 2001. All that's required is the ability to enjoy the company of children on a weekly basis. Participants must go through a short interview and then meet with a child once a week during the school year. Contact Big Brothers Big Sisters at (563)323-8006 to volunteer.

• The Mississippi Valley Blood Center has moved its Moline donor center to a new location: 4650 38th Avenue, 12 blocks east of the old site. Collections at the new facility began on Monday, June 11, as construction neared completion. The new center has greater visibility and allows more accessibility for residents in eastern Moline, East Moline, Silvis, and other parts of eastern Rock Island County. Staff and donors will also enjoy a larger space - 600 square feet bigger than the old site. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (563)359-5401 or (800)747-5401.

• The Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce School-to-Work partnership has received full funding from the Education-to-Careers Department of the Illinois State Board of Education. The full amount of the $194,424 request was granted to the partnership to continue its work between educational institutions and employers in Rock Island, Mercer, Henry, and Stark counties. Since 1994, the Chamber has worked to integrate changes into the curriculum educators must teach. The initiative, which begins in kindergarten and continues all the way through school, is designed to help students develop the skill necessary to become successful in the workplace, to pursue career development, to understand the relevance of their education, and to achieve high academics. This is the fourth year the federal grant administered by the state was awarded to the Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce School-to-Work Partnership. Employers wanting more information should contact Susan Zelnio, Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce, at (309)757-5416.

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