• In From the Cold recently announced its 2005 grant awards, distributing more than $12,000 to nine area agencies serving homeless persons or those in danger of becoming homeless. The 2005 grant recipients were: Churches United of the Quad City Area, Community Health Care, DeLaCerda House, Family Resources, Humility of Mary Housing, John Lewis Community Services, The Salvation Army, Supplemental Emergency Assistance Program, and Vera French Community Mental Health Center.
• Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities recently dedicated the "Women Build" home, the third Habitat house built in East Moline. The house is located at 738 22nd Street and will become home to partner family Kim Butler and her three sons. A large portion of the funding for this home was provided by the United Way Women's Leadership Initiative and the John Ruhl Sr. Endowment. For more information on Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities, visit (http://www.habitatqc.org) or call (563)359-9066.
• Earlier this month, the U.S. House passed the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005 (HR4128), which is meant to provide protection for property-owners in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision that said governments may forcibly acquire private property for economic development. The bill does not alter state law, and it does not affect the traditional use of eminent domain to build road, utilities, or other facilities for public use. The bill would prohibit the federal government from using eminent domain for private economic development and prevents states from using eminent domain for private economic development if the state receives any federal economic-development funding. Any violation by the state will make it ineligible for federal economic-development funds for two years. The U.S. Senate takes up the measure this week.
• The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has secured $200,000 for a flood-control project in Davenport in the final Fiscal Year 2006 Energy & Water appropriations bill. The House and Senate were expected to pass the final bill this week. The president must sign the bill before it becomes law. The funds will be used to complete the pre-construction engineering and design activities for flood protection for a water-treatment facility in Davenport.
• September sales of ethanol in Iowa topped 112 million gallons, breaking the previous record of more than 108 million gallons sold in July. This figure represents a market share for ethanol-blended fuels of 75 percent, a small increase over August, when ethanol blends accounted for 74 percent of sales. Ethanol market share reached an all-time high in June when 78 percent of gasoline sold was blended with ethanol.
• Iowa's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, opened November 1 to all qualified applicants. The program, which has been open to elderly and disabled people since October 1, is designed to help low-income families meet the cost of home heating. With natural-gas prices expected to jump 30 to 50 percent this winter, state officials expect that more Iowa families will seek help this year. In each of the past four years, the number of applicants has increased about 4 percent. Last year more than 85,000 Iowa households received assistance. Even if the number of households tops 90,000 this year, the number is less than half of the estimated 200,000 Iowa households eligible for the program. To qualify, a household must earn no more than 150 percent of the federal poverty level. That means, for example, that a family of four can have an annual income of no more than $29,025 to qualify. While the program is not designed to pay a family's total energy bill, it will provide some help. Iowans who would like to apply for LIHEAP assistance may contact the nearest Community Action Program by visiting the Iowa Department of Human Rights Web site at (http://www.dcaa.iowa.gov), or calling (515)281-0859. Applicants are required to show proof of income and a recent utility bill.