19
Apr
2005
• Trinity Regional Health System has announced that it has a buyer for its former North Campus at 1111 West Kimberly Road in Davenport. Select Medical Corporation, a for-profit health-care provider headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, will pay $4 million to Trinity for the 18-acre campus, which includes a 92,500-square-foot facility with an attached medical office building. Select intends to convert the former hospital site into a long-term acute-care hospital. The State of Iowa unanimously awarded a Certificate of Need to Select Medical for the project. Select's hospital will treat patients with serious and often complex medical conditions such as respiratory failure, neuromuscular disorders, cardiac disorders, non-healing wounds, renal disorders, and cancer. Closing on the sale of the property is expected to occur within a few weeks. Select plans on beginning construction immediately after closing and intends to make a major investment in the remodeling of the property. Select Medical Corporation operates 99 long-term acute-care hospitals in 25 states. Information about Select is available at (http://www.selectmedicalcorp.com).
• Volunteers are needed to help with the Quad City Greyhound Adoption (QCGA) kennel. QCGA is always in need of volunteers to help care for dogs. The kennel operates seven days a week, including holidays. The dogs are turned out four times a day. Volunteer duties include handling dogs, checking crates for messes, mopping out soiled crates, washing dishes, doing laundry, vacuuming, filling food dishes, and keeping the outdoor run clean. If you are interested in volunteering, call the kennel at (309)793-4578. For more information about volunteering or to learn more about adopting a greyhound, look at (http://www.qcgreyhoundadoption.com).
• Joanne McAleer, a teacher at the Kimberly Center in the Davenport Community School District, has been named the "Iowa Educator of the Year" by the Iowa Association of Alternative Education. She is a special-education teacher and advisor to the Student Council at the Kimberly Center. McAleer is a graduate of St. Ambrose University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in 1974 and her Master in Special Education in 1992.
• Iowa children could start school later next year under a bill approved recently by the state Senate. The legislation would require school districts in Iowa to start their year no earlier than August 22. Under current law, the school year is not supposed to start sooner than the week of September 1. However, most school districts receive waivers to start their school year earlier. As school districts have continued to move up their start dates in August, parents have raised concerns about the number of schools that do not have air conditioning and the amount of classroom time lost when schools dismiss early because of the heat. The earlier start dates also interfere with family vacation plans and special summer tourism events.
• The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports that the administration of synthetic cannabinoids inhibits malignant cell growth in human prostate cells in vitro in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, according to clinical trial data published in the March 1 issue of the journal Cancer Research. Researchers at University of Wisconsin's Department of Dermatology reported that the administration of the cannabis receptor agonist WIN-55,212-2 inhibited cell growth in certain human prostate cells, and also induced apoptosis (programmed cell death). Administration of a cannabis receptor antagonist prevented these effects. For more information, go to NORML's Web site at (http://www.normal.org).
• Area turkey hunters who are wheelchair-bound or have other mobility issues can now use a fully accessible blind located at Cairo Woods Wildlife Area, about 10 miles east of Wapello. The plywood blind was constructed by volunteers and staff from the Louisa County Conservation Board. It is located in a timbered area on the east side of Cairo Woods. Hunters wanting to use the blind can contact the conservation board office at (319)523-8381 or (lccb@lccb.org) to reserve a time. Preference is being given to persons showing a special need, especially those who are wheelchair-bound. The Mississippi Valley Callers Association (MVCA) was the major contributor for the project. The MVCA sponsors a major waterfowl-calling contest in Burlington each year and puts extra revenue from that event toward conservation projects. The Louisa County Chapter of Pheasants Forever donated funds for the project, and local volunteer Nathan Woodsmall provided much of the labor.
• The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the REAL ID Act, bringing us a step closer to a "national ID." The REAL ID Act would establish a national database of ID holders. The ID would essentially be an internal passport that would be shown before accessing planes, trains, national parks, and courthouses - and therefore a possible target for forgers and identity thieves. In calling for the use of "common machine-readable technology," the REAL ID Act paves the way for the federal government to force every state to put radio-frequency identification chips into their ID cards. For more information, take a look at (http://www.eff.org)
• Volunteers are needed to help with the Quad City Greyhound Adoption (QCGA) kennel. QCGA is always in need of volunteers to help care for dogs. The kennel operates seven days a week, including holidays. The dogs are turned out four times a day. Volunteer duties include handling dogs, checking crates for messes, mopping out soiled crates, washing dishes, doing laundry, vacuuming, filling food dishes, and keeping the outdoor run clean. If you are interested in volunteering, call the kennel at (309)793-4578. For more information about volunteering or to learn more about adopting a greyhound, look at (http://www.qcgreyhoundadoption.com).
• Joanne McAleer, a teacher at the Kimberly Center in the Davenport Community School District, has been named the "Iowa Educator of the Year" by the Iowa Association of Alternative Education. She is a special-education teacher and advisor to the Student Council at the Kimberly Center. McAleer is a graduate of St. Ambrose University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in 1974 and her Master in Special Education in 1992.
• Iowa children could start school later next year under a bill approved recently by the state Senate. The legislation would require school districts in Iowa to start their year no earlier than August 22. Under current law, the school year is not supposed to start sooner than the week of September 1. However, most school districts receive waivers to start their school year earlier. As school districts have continued to move up their start dates in August, parents have raised concerns about the number of schools that do not have air conditioning and the amount of classroom time lost when schools dismiss early because of the heat. The earlier start dates also interfere with family vacation plans and special summer tourism events.
• The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports that the administration of synthetic cannabinoids inhibits malignant cell growth in human prostate cells in vitro in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, according to clinical trial data published in the March 1 issue of the journal Cancer Research. Researchers at University of Wisconsin's Department of Dermatology reported that the administration of the cannabis receptor agonist WIN-55,212-2 inhibited cell growth in certain human prostate cells, and also induced apoptosis (programmed cell death). Administration of a cannabis receptor antagonist prevented these effects. For more information, go to NORML's Web site at (http://www.normal.org).
• Area turkey hunters who are wheelchair-bound or have other mobility issues can now use a fully accessible blind located at Cairo Woods Wildlife Area, about 10 miles east of Wapello. The plywood blind was constructed by volunteers and staff from the Louisa County Conservation Board. It is located in a timbered area on the east side of Cairo Woods. Hunters wanting to use the blind can contact the conservation board office at (319)523-8381 or (lccb@lccb.org) to reserve a time. Preference is being given to persons showing a special need, especially those who are wheelchair-bound. The Mississippi Valley Callers Association (MVCA) was the major contributor for the project. The MVCA sponsors a major waterfowl-calling contest in Burlington each year and puts extra revenue from that event toward conservation projects. The Louisa County Chapter of Pheasants Forever donated funds for the project, and local volunteer Nathan Woodsmall provided much of the labor.
• The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the REAL ID Act, bringing us a step closer to a "national ID." The REAL ID Act would establish a national database of ID holders. The ID would essentially be an internal passport that would be shown before accessing planes, trains, national parks, and courthouses - and therefore a possible target for forgers and identity thieves. In calling for the use of "common machine-readable technology," the REAL ID Act paves the way for the federal government to force every state to put radio-frequency identification chips into their ID cards. For more information, take a look at (http://www.eff.org)
