Grant will help create a health education program for older adults

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will use a $21,580 grant from The Wellmark Foundation to help revise the Chef Charles nutrition education program for older Iowans.

The Chef Charles Revision Project

According to the Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Iowa Department on Aging (IDA), Iowa ranks fifth in the nation in adults over age 65, with almost 15 percent of the state's population at least 65 years of age. By 2030, more than 22 percent of Iowa's total population is expected to be 65 or older.

Good nutrition and physical activity are integral parts to successful aging, making it important to remind older adults of the best choices in purchasing and preparing food and staying active and alert, said Carlene Russell, IDA Nutrition Manager. "Older adults who consume an adequate diet are more likely to maintain a healthy weight, be mentally and physically fit, and live independently for a longer time."

The Wellmark Foundation grant will fund the Chef Charles Revision Project. The revision will integrate information attained through qualitative program evaluation, professional independent program review, and future needs and preference assessment to create an evidence-based nutrition education program for older adults. This collaborative project is being conducted by ISU Extension and Outreach, Iowa Nutrition Network at the Iowa Department of Health and the IDA.

Currently, the Chef Charles program is offered at about one-third of Iowan congregate meal sites serving more than 3,000 older Iowans, said Sarah Francis, ISU Extension and Outreach nutrition specialist and assistant professor. "We expect this project will result in a nutrition education program that has greater impact and is more cost effective. Our goal is that older Iowans will be less at-risk for poor nutrition, eat more fruits and vegetables, and learn to make more healthful food choices overall. We also expect higher participant satisfaction than the current Chef Charles program."

Grant one of only six competitively selected

The Wellmark Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that seeks to improve the health of Iowans, South Dakotans and their communities. Through its initial 2011 Healthy Communities Grant Program, the foundation received more than 80 grant requests seeking seed support for smaller community health projects. This grant award to Iowa State represents one of six competitively awarded grants to establish pilot efforts or expand health initiatives throughout Iowa and South Dakota.

The Wellmark Foundation awarded a cumulative total of $140,000 to these six grants to serve as catalyst funding for local health projects.

"With a significant number of Iowans age 65 and older, the revised Chef Charles Program has great potential to make an even more significant impact on the physical and mental health of older Iowans, and we're excited to see results in the years to come," said Matt McGarvey, director of The Wellmark Foundation.

About Iowa State University

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers practical, how-to education based on university research. It's available to any resident of Iowa and is tailored to meet the needs of Iowans. ISU Extension and Outreach educators, specialists and volunteers live and work in all 99 Iowa counties.

For more information on the Chef Charles Revision Project, contact Sarah Francis, 515-294-1456 or slfranci@iastate.edu. For more information regarding The Wellmark Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.wellmark.com/foundation.

About The Wellmark Foundation

The Wellmark Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created by Wellmark Inc., doing business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Please visit The Wellmark Foundation's website at www.wellmark.com/foundation to learn more about the grant program, as well as a list of previous grant recipients. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and The Wellmark Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - Achieve Quad Cities is a community-wide alliance designed to increase the graduation rate by five percent over ten years by connecting students to career opportunities. In his latest show of support, Mayor Dennis Pauley is asking Rock Island citizens and businesses to help local junior high students achieve by volunteering to be Career Navigators (mentors), give a classroom presentation, or host a job shadow.  City employees have been involved with Achieve since it first started, over one year ago.

By connecting students to careers, they are more likely to stay in school and graduate.  Each student who drops out is a cost to the student and the community.  Over the course of a lifetime, each dropout costs our community over $500,000.  Achieve is working to encourage students to get their diplomas and have plans for their futures.

The City of Rock Island is promoting Achieve Quad Cities based on a recommendation from the Safer Communities Task Force to focus on mentoring youth.

Mayor Pauley stated, "I am challenging Rock Island citizens and businesses to get involved in this effort, to be more engaged and invested in the future of our youth, and to set the example so that other communities will be inspired and emboldened to join us." With the Achieve and City of Rock Island partnership, we will change the direction of students' lives.

To get involved and volunteer today, please visit achieveqc.org or call (563) 344-0338.

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DAVENPORT - Today is School Election Day for local school boards and the Eastern Iowa Community College District, and if today is typical, this election will see the lowest turnout election.  That's why Scott County Auditor Roxanna Moritz is reminding voters that today is the school election, and that there is a lot at stake in these elections.

"School elections tend to have the lowest turnout of all elections," Moritz said.  "In the 2009 school election only 2.86 percent of Scott County's registered voters cast ballots.  This was below the 3.76 percent average for the last eight elections."

"That is really too bad, because the schools are so important to our communities and the school tax levies are more than the county or the city levies," Moritz said.  In Bettendorf the school levy is about $15.00 per thousand dollars of assessed value, while the city levy is $12.60.  In Davenport the school levy is about $17.05 while the city levy is $15.53. "In comparison the 2009 city elections had a countywide turnout of 9.6 percent.  Some of the smaller towns saw about 50 percent turnouts,"Moritz said.

That trend toward lower turn out may not be the case in the North Scott School district.  Contested races and controversy over whether to build a new elementary school in Eldridge are expected to draw voters to the polls. "My office anticipates that turn out in North Scott will be appreciably higher than in the other school districts. We have ordered significantly more ballots to cover the increase in voting," Moritz said.

Also today, voters in 30 Scott County precincts will see their election officials using electronic poll books.  "Electronic poll books save money and increase the accuracy of elections," Moritz said.  "With the increasing complexity of election law it is important that we give our election officials the tools they need to conduct elections.  Electronic poll books take the complexity of the law and turn it into simple to answer questions.  This decreases the opportunity for errors to occur and increases the security and accuracy of elections," Moritz said.

"Also the use of electronic poll books simplifies the process for maintaining voter files.  During the past fiscal year my office maintained more than 123,000 files for Scott County voters.  Updating these files by hand after major elections can take weeks costing more in overtime and temporary workers.  Once we fully deploy electronic poll books this updating process will only take a few hours," Moritz added.

Polls are open throughout Scott County from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Local school board positions and public measures will be on the ballot, as well as candidates for the Eastern Iowa Community College District.    Sample ballots are available on the Auditor's webpage at http://www.scottcountyiowa.com/auditor/.

There will be four positions up for election for the Bettendorf School Board, the Davenport School Board and the North Scott School Board.  The Pleasant Valley School Board will have positions for director districts three, four, five and six on the ballot.  The Bennett School District will have two positions up for election and the Calamus-Wheatland School District and the Durant School District will have three each.

Three school districts, Bettendorf, North Scott and Pleasant Valley will have ballot measures to update the revenue purpose statement for each district.  Also, North Scott will have a ballot measure submitted by citizen petition to loan textbooks free of charge or rental fee to school district students beginning July 1, 2012.

The Eastern Iowa Community College District will have positions for director districts three, four, five and nine on the ballot in Scott County.

Below is a full list of candidates for the major school boards and the community college district.

Bettendorf School District (vote for no more than four)

Barry Anderson

Ray Cassady

Paul Castro

Jeannine K. Crockett

Davenport School District (vote for no more than four)

Tyla Cole

Nikki J. DeFauw

Ralph Johanson

Ken Krumwiede

William Lee Sherwood

North Scott School District (vote for no more than four)

Dennis Albertson

Paul Dierickx

Joni Dittmer

Dennis Kirby

Barbara Kuhl

Tim Lane

Krista Long

John D. Maxwell

Pleasant Valley School District (vote for no more than one)

Director District 3 - Deborah K. Dayman

Director District 4 - Scott Isbell

Director District 5 - Joseph Bullock

Director District 6 - Amy Richmond

Eastern Iowa Community College (vote for no more than one)

Director District III - Joseph E. D'Souza

Director District IV - Robert H. Gallagher

Director District V - Mary Lou Engler

Director District IX - Michelle Garvin

For more information contact the Scott County Auditor's Office at 563-326-8631.

DES MOINES, IA (08/18/2011)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald announced today that 93% of the children that participated in College Savings Iowa's annual State Fair survey see getting a college education as a necessary step to achieving their career aspirations. "Iowa children are already planning for their futures," stated Fitzgerald. "This survey demonstrates how important it is for families to start planning and saving early to help make college a reality for their children."

"Every year we ask children visiting the fair what they want to be when they grow up and if they will need to go to college to achieve their career goals. Needless to say, we are always amazed by the responses they offer," Fitzgerald stated. Fifteen percent are planning on becoming teachers, with another 13% hoping to become veterinarians. Health care-related fields came in third this year with 11% of the responses, and professional athlete ranked fourth with 9%. "One little girl plans to go to college to become a princess, but not before having a great time a time at the State Fair."

In addition to the questions about career and college goals, the survey also asks children to identify their favorite thing to see or do at the State Fair. "Rides were definitely the favorite with kids this year," Fitzgerald said. Fair food was second on the list, with the Butter Cow and farm animals tying for third place. "Kids are especially fond of the big slide."

"Families that save and invest for their child's college education will be better prepared to meet the challenge of paying for it when the time arrives, and College Savings Iowa is here to help," added Fitzgerald. Anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest in College Savings Iowa on behalf of a child. This year Iowa taxpayers can deduct up to $2,865 in contributions per beneficiary account from their adjusted gross income. * To learn more about College Savings Iowa, visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com or call 1-888-672-9116.

*Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income.