The Mississippi Valley Blues Society has announced that it's taking the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival to the streets of downtown Davenport July 3 through 5. The festival is being relocated from its LeClaire Park "home location" because of flooding. Acts scheduled for the tent stage will perform at the Adler Theatre, and the main stage will be located at Second Street and Pershing Avenue. For more information, see the official festival guide inside this issue or visit (http://www.mvbs.org).
After using touch screens that didn't leave a paper trail for the past two years, Scott County is switching to new voting equipment for the fall elections. The new equipment, AutoMARK Voter Assist Terminal (VAT), will print out each person's ballot in order to leave a paper trail and comply with state and federal laws. The VATs, which cost $1,500 per unit, will be bought by the state and used in each precinct. The new equipment also helps those who are physically challenged cast their votes. The VATs, which have audio instructions, a keypad with braille, and a touch screen, can be set up according to each person's needs. - Marguerite Day
The Wellmark Foundation has announced a $1-million pledge to the newly established Embrace Iowa 2008 Iowa Disaster Fund, housed and administered by the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation on behalf of statewide disaster recovery and relief from flooding and tornadoes.
On July 11, 18, and 25 from 5 until 8 p.m., admission is free for everyone at the Family Museum, located at 2900 Learning Campus Drive in Bettendorf. Visitors can enjoy the newest exhibit, Spin: The Science of Rotation, and learn all about objects that spin and the "why" behind the science of rotation. For more information about the Family Museum, visit (http://www.familymuseum.org) or call (563) 344-4106.
Public tours of Rock Island Arsenal's historic Quarters 1 will be available Thursday through Saturday until August 3. To register, visit (http://www.ria.army.mil/sites/pa_tours/). Those without Internet access should call (309) 782-3488 for reservations. Parking is available on Gillespie Street in front of Quarters 1.
A new educational opportunity for residents of eastern Iowa and western Illinois was created recently by the Quad City Electrical Training Center and Black Hawk College. A new agreement will allow the Training Center's apprentices to earn an associate's degree or certificate from the college when they complete their training. For more information on the Quad City Electrical Training Center, call (309) 762-3270 or visit (http://www.KnowWatt.org).
Stern Beverage Company of Milan has earned the Orion Energy Systems Environmental Stewardship Award because the Anheuser-Busch affiliate reduced the amount of electric power used for lighting. Orion presents these awards to companies that achieve significant environmental benefits through use of Orion products and systems. Stern replaced 66 outmoded 465-watt high-intensity discharge fixtures with 66 221-watt high-intensity fluorescent fixtures. The project lowered Stern's annual lighting energy costs 50 percent and will pay for itself in 19 months.
A heightened emphasis on medication safety and new state laws have prompted Trinity Regional Health System to launch a new pharmacy-technician training program coordinated by the system's pharmacy department. The program will combine classroom instruction with hands-on experience within Trinity's inpatient hospital pharmacies. The program is the only one of its kind in the Quad Cities and the first bi-state program in the country to offer both clinical and classroom instruction. For more information, contact Amy Descamps at (309) 779-5739 or (descamae@ihs.org). The deadline for application is Monday, August 4.
The Iowa Department of Transportation has received $1 million for repairs that are needed immediately to restore traffic routes damaged by recent flooding in the east and southeast portions of the state. The funding was made available by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Scott County Regional Authority recently announced that it has awarded a $19,000 grant to the Kaaba Shriners. The Shriners will use this grant to purchase a new van, which will be used to transport children to and from the Shrine Hospitals for Children in Chicago and St. Louis. There is no cost for the children or their familes for this service, or for their treatments at the hospitals. For more information, call (563) 386-2526.
The Stanley Consultants Charitable Foundation of Muscatine has pledged $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with flood-relief operations throughout Iowa.
