The Bettendorf Bulldogs and the Pleasant Valley Spartans have united to heighten awareness regarding the dangers of using electronic devices while driving. Thanks to Bettendorf Police Chief Phil Redington and Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher several hundred T-shirts warning of the dangers of Texting While Driving will be given to the students and worn at the Bettendorf/PV basketball games on Friday, December 12, 2014.

During the past week, School Resource Officers Bruce Schwartz and Deputy Jayne Ruckoldt have been announcing statistics and displaying videos regarding the dangers.

On Friday, December 12, 2014, teachers will be asked to view with their students a 10 minute public service announcement regarding the dangers of texting and driving. The PSA was put out by AT&T and is presented from the perspective of people, especially teens, who have been impacted by the death or serious injury of someone who was texting and driving. Teachers are encouraged to discuss the video with students.

The three main types of driver distraction are: visual, manual and cognitive. Texting is the most alarming driver distraction because it involves all three types of distraction. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation texting makes drivers 23 times more likely to crash. This is not just a teen problem.

Drive Safe - It can Wait!

Committee includes jurisdiction over energy, trade, healthcare and technology issues

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that he has been named to serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the 114^th Congress. The committee has jurisdiction over a wide range of issues, including energy policy; healthcare policy; trade policy; telecommunications and the internet; environment and air quality; and consumer affairs and protection.

"Having a seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee will allow me to make a greater impact on job creation, growing the economy, making sound investments in renewable energy such as wind, solar and biofuels and growing the Middle Class in Iowa and across the country," said Loebsack. "I look forward to this new opportunity that will benefit the state and will continue to work with anyone who is willing to come together and to find a way to move Iowa and our nation forward."  

The Energy and Commerce Committee is the oldest standing committee in the House and is an exclusive committee, meaning members of the committee may only serve on other House committees with a waiver from leadership.

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Gold has made headlines in recent years, but it remains arguably the most misunderstood investment resource, says gold financial strategist William A. Storum.

"The conventional narrative is that people ran to gold in the panic of the 2008-09 economic crash, and that the price eventually plummeted by 28 percent from the 2012 close - from $1,675 an ounce to about $1,200 in 2013 - but there was no context or national discussion as to what that really meant," says Storum, author of "Going for the Gold," (www.goldandtax.com).

"What most in the media failed to emphasize was the fact that this drop was the first since the year 2000. Such a long-lasting bull run should not have been overlooked, and despite the 2013 setback, gold remains a valuable investment."

The reasons to own gold have not changed, he says. Many, however, simply don't know that there are many ways in which to invest in gold - not just owning the metal. Storum reviews those options.

•  Along with coins and bars, a well-established way to invest in gold is to invest in the shares of a company that mines gold. As long as the price of gold increases, gold-mining firms are likely to show higher profits, which will increase their share prices. Gold producers are also valued on their production volume. Higher profits can generate ample dividends to investors, but lower gold prices or other circumstances, such as unrest in a host country, for example, can result in losses. So, investing in mining stocks and funds is, in many respects, like any other stock market investment. Many gold mining stocks are publicly traded, and several mutual funds hold a diverse collection of these stocks. Stocks and funds rate high for convenience and profit potential, but investors are exposed to market swings.

•  Of course, don't forget about actual gold ... which comes in the form of coins and bars. This is the most direct investment, readily at hand and free from fraud, which many folks prefer due to market volatility. However, you'll need to minimize dealer markups and find a practical mode of storage. Bullion is a good form to start with; it's a term referring to a gold item that's valued solely by its weight and purity. Generally, you'll pay a premium of nearly 2 to 3 percent when you buy and take a discount of the same magnitude when you sell. If premiums and discounts are much higher when buying and selling, you're probably being ripped off. As gold has been shown to be a good long-term investment, these premiums and discounts will likely be marginal costs.

•  Among the new forms of gold exchange-traded funds, bullion ETFs (exchange-traded funds) have become the most popular. They offer a direct pay on the price of gold, but they don't provide direct access to gold you can touch and trade. Funds holding a variety of mining stocks are known as open-ended mutual funds, whereby investors buy shares from a fund company and sell shares back to the same company. ETFs have emerged in recent years to rival mutual funds. Bullion ETFs are among those with the highest visibility and, for investors, bullion ETFs provide a practical way to profit from gold price increases without worrying about dealer markups, storage, insurance and other concerns. The advent of bullion ETFs permits institutional investors to buy gold and include it in their asset allocation.

"These are just some of the ways you can invest in gold," Storum says. "It's important to note that there are different types of tax implications for these investments. For example, whereas gold stocks are taxed like regular stocks, bullion ETFs are taxed as collectibles with different rates and rules."

About William A. Storum

William A. Storum, JD, is a member of the California Bar Association (inactive) and a licensee (inactive) of the California Board of Accountancy. He has extensive experience in individual, corporate, real estate and partnership taxation and has represented clients in tax audits and other tax matters with the IRS. As an investor, Storum came to understand the need to own gold in order to preserve wealth from our government's reach. He wrote "Going for the Gold," (www.goldandtax.com), in an effort to clarify widespread confusion about investment in and taxation on gold. Storum graduated cum laude from the University of Santa Clara with a bachelor's degree in accounting with a minor in economics, and from the University of Santa Clara School of Law, cum laude.

Names Expert Robert Bloom as Advisor to Committee

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today directed the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to take further action in light of recent reports of disturbing issues within residential care centers for troubled youth. The Governor today directed the Children and Family Services Advisory Council to convene immediately to assess the situation and develop necessary steps to resolve these issues. In addition, the Governor named a top expert as an advisor to the committee, which will meet Thursday. The Governor issued the below statement:

"The recent revelations regarding some residential youth centers in Illinois are alarming and unacceptable. They must be addressed immediately.

"Today I am directing the Children and Family Services Advisory Council to meet promptly to respond to the issues at these residential youth centers and develop a comprehensive action plan to address them.

"Every necessary corrective action will be implemented and monitored by the Department and its advisory committee. Our most vulnerable are of highest priority and must get the care and protection they deserve.

"The Department must take every step necessary to prevent these harmful incidents to youth from ever happening again."

The Governor directed the Children and Family Services Advisory Council to meet this Thursday, Dec. 11 to immediately address the issues at some of the state's residential care centers. In addition, the Governor today also named Dr. Robert R. Bloom as advisor to the Children and Family Services Advisory Council. Dr. Bloom, former longtime Executive Director of the Jewish Children's Bureau, previously served on the Child Welfare Advisory Board and is a widely respected expert on the topics of residential treatment and institutional child abuse.

Additionally, as announced previously, the DCFS is bringing in an independent expert to conduct a full investigation of the residential treatment centers with which the Department works. The results and recommendations from that review will be made public.

The DCFS is also conducting a comprehensive review of data from residential facilities to determine whether performance has improved since the timeframe examined by the Chicago Tribune and whether further sanctions or consequences are warranted.

Lawrence Hall Youth Services and ERIC Family Services have both been placed on intake hold effective Dec. 4, 2014.