DES MOINES, IA (06/23/2010)(readMedia)-- Fireworks, barbeques, and parades will be in full display as Americans celebrate our nation's freedom on July 4th. State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald encourages past and present Iowans to include the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt in their Independence Day fun. To date, over $122 million in unclaimed property have been returned to Iowans.

People may find more to celebrate with a visit to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt website. "Each year, we have more and more people come forward to reclaim their lost or forgotten money," said Fitzgerald. "Our goal is to keep reminding people to check our list for their names. We are consistently updating our website which is full of names of individuals and businesses from all across Iowa that have money waiting for them to claim."

Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report and deliver unclaimed property to the State Treasurer's Office. The assets are then held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits, and safe deposit box contents.

All Iowans are encouraged to visit www.greatiowatreasurehunt.com and check to see if they have unclaimed property waiting for them. Individuals may also send an email to foundit@iowa.gov. For those who prefer corresponding by mail, please write to State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald, Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, IA 50319. Please make sure to provide current name, previous names and addresses.

The fact that summer's here isn't a license to forget about good nutrition and good choices for kids and families. It's why many parents will remind their kids that reading books and riding bikes around the neighborhood are better choices than eating potato chips and turning into a couch potato while school's out.

At the same time, federal lawmakers need to wrap up important policy decisions that will impact the wellbeing of the nation's school children when they return to school this fall.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I helped advance "The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010" this spring. The bipartisan bill reauthorizes federal youth nutrition programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program.

The economic downturn has put increased pressure on neighborhood food pantries and federal nutrition programs to help those in need. Our legislation bumps up federal spending by $4.5 billion spread over the next decade to help thwart the pangs of hunger in America. That comes to a nearly ten-fold increase reflecting the considerable need that exists to channel more resources to those who still go to bed on an empty stomach.

Federal policymakers also must address the other end of the nutrition spectrum. It's no secret the United States is battling an obesity epidemic, including an alarming rise among children and teenagers. America's growing waistline poses significant health risks to individuals and a costly burden to the nation's public health systems as research tells us obesity leads to chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

The Senate's Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 does not increase the deficit, and it includes measures designed to give parents, schools and communities additional tools to promote healthy habits that will lead younger generations to enjoy longer, high-quality, productive lives. The legislation would increase the number of children eligible for free or reduced cost meals, encourage schools to adopt better nutritional standards as outlined by the USDA and automatically enroll foster children for free school meals.

The current federal school nutrition law expires on September 30. I'm pushing the Senate leadership to get this bill passed before we start the next school year. The federal government obviously shouldn't dictate what every child in America eats for lunch. But taxpayers have a vested interested to know Uncle Sam expects quality, wholesome, nutritious foods to be served by taxpayer-subsidized food programs.

Whether it is spring, summer, fall or winter, parents obviously never stop worrying about the wellbeing of their children.  The earlier we all start teaching healthy eating habits, the better.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (06/18/2010)(readMedia)-- Twenty-two Augustana students will spend two weeks in mid-July administering medical care to impoverished Nicaraguans. The service trip gives students hands-on experience in the medical fields and immerses them in Latin American culture. It is organized through JETS (Joining Education Through Service), a student organization at Augustana. The students will be accompanied by Dr. Darrin Good, professor of biology, and three doctors-two alumni and one the spouse of an alumna.

The students will set up their free medical clinic-usually in a tent or covered pavilion-in six small Nicaraguan towns. The students will work with translators to evaluate patients' symptoms and make a preliminary diagnosis. Before prescribing treatment, they will consult with one of three Nicaraguan doctors or the three American doctors who confirm the students' diagnosis.

From your area, this includes:

Andrew Spyrow, a first year from Bettendorf, Bettendorf majoring in general studies.

Mark Stumphy, a junior from Moline, Moline majoring in general studies.

Good founded the JETS program in 2008 and has since been to Nicaragua three times. He started JETS because he saw the need for an international program that was shorter than traditional programs and would fit the interests of pre-medicine students. He also wanted the program to be a service learning opportunity and to capitalize on Augustana's excellent Spanish department.

"Students on the trip really do begin to understand how truly lucky they are to have been born in a wealthy, developed nation," Good said. "They return with a love of the people of Nicaragua and a sense that impoverished people don't choose to be poor or become poor because they are lazy. They gain an understanding of world poverty and health disparity around the world."

For Brett Anderson, a junior biology and pre-pharmacy major, the trip will be his first time out of the country. "This is the perfect opportunity for me to experience a different culture," he said. "I am looking forward to bringing help to people who really need it."

Augustana students, faculty, and alumni travel to Nicaragua twice a year through the JETS organization. They partner with Global Medical Training (GMT), a non-profit organization that provides medical services to poor communities in Central America. GMT determines where the Augustana clinics are needed and also arranges several tourist experiences that expose students to the history, food, economy and ecology of Nicaragua.

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, but it is also one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. According to the United Nations 2007-08 human development report, 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day and a large number of households are headed by woman. Quality medical aid is either unavailable or unaffordable to much of the population.

The students leave the United States on July 11 and return on July 23. For more information on the Nicaragua trip, please visit www.augustana.edu/Nicaragua.

For more information, contact Kamy Beattie at kamybeattie@augustana.edu or 309-794-7721.