KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) office in Kansas City today announced a special regional emphasis program aimed at reducing occupational exposure to lead, one of the leading causes of workplace illnesses, for workplaces under OSHA's jurisdiction in the Midwestern states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

The potential for lead exposure depends on the industry, but generally speaking, lead is an ingredient in thousands of products widely used, including lead-based paints, lead solder, electrical fittings and conduits, tank linings and plumbing fixtures.

Some common operations that can generate lead dust and fumes include demolition operations; flame-torch cutting; welding; use of heat guns, sanders, scrapers, or grinders to remove lead paint; and abrasive blasting of steel structures.

"Occupational exposure to lead continues to be one of the most prevalent overexposures found throughout industry," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City.  "It is imperative we do all we can to reduce that exposure to workers.  This special regional emphasis program will serve to amplify OSHA's commitment to ensuring the safety and health of workers in all occupations."

This program will set targeted inspections in industries or workplaces where there is a potential for lead exposure, and also will cover complaints and referrals regarding lead exposure.

Lead is a potent, systemic poison that serves no known useful function once absorbed by the body.  It is well-documented that lead adversely affects numerous body systems - including damage to blood-forming, nervous, urinary and reproductive systems - and causes forms of health impairment and disease that can arise from acute or chronic exposure.

For more information on OSHA's lead standards, visit http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to promote the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health.

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Davenport, IA - Since 1837, St. Anthony Catholic Church has had an historic and deeply personal impact in the heart of downtown Davenport.  As the oldest church in Davenport, St. Anthony's presence continues to share love for neighbor as they conduct a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, June 14, immediately after the 11:30 Mass, at 12:30 p.m., to build a new Multipurpose Hall, Education Center, Gathering Center, Parish Offices and a warming kitchen, patio, and distribution window, affectionately named "McAnthony Window," out of which to serve meals to the homeless and underprivileged.

172 years after being founded by Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, St. Anthony's new 7,200 s.f. addition and renovation will allow it to meet the spiritual needs of people of all ages with the additional space.  Faith formation will now be housed in a single location to serve the Catholic families and especially the children and youth programs.  Small-group Bible studies will be able to meet in classrooms.  The church offices will also be relocated in the new facility.  In addition, the Gathering Center will become a place where parishioners of all ages can gather and lift one another up, building community and fellowship.  By strengthening and equipping the people at St. Anthony's, all will be more empowered to serve their neighbors in their daily needs.

A more unified, aesthetically pleasing campus, which will attract attention to the historically significant church square and will coincide well with the city's downtown beautification plans, will also be achieved through this project.  The beautification of Davenport's downtown area will not only benefit current residents but also will help to attract new business and tourists to the heart of the city.  In addition, it will create a unified square with historic emphasis placed on the original church building, a building to which Antoine LeClaire himself contributed the lead gift to erect.  Blending old with new, creating a more park-like atmosphere, and drawing attention to historic sites of significance in the heart of downtown Davenport, a need expressed by city officials, historic committees, and the residents of the Quad Cities who work, shop, and participate in cultural and social activities along the Riverfront and in downtown Davenport.   

St. Anthony's McAnthony Window will also undergo an addition of a covered patio area with heating elements for colder months.  The McAnthony Window helps to meet the needs for those who have little or no other means of support.  They currently prepare between 125 and 150 meals a day, 45,000 meals a year, out of a small, residential kitchen.  What St. Anthony can offer is limited by space and equipment.  Any future desire to increase the number of meals or days served is an impossibility with the current facilities.  Currently, meal participants congregate under an old awning and sit on benches.  There is no heating provided, and after this past winter, the pressing need for a heated space is abundantly clear. St. Anthony also assembles and distributes 1,200 Thanksgiving baskets, 1,200 Christmas baskets, and 950 Easter baskets annually.  
The campaign theme "Gathering our Community - Continuing our Outreach" reflects the committed desire of St. Anthony to come together to meet the needs of the parish and the community.  Many families served in volunteer roles throughout the campaign, and families of the parish have made pledges totaling over $1.5 million as of this date.  The parish continues to receive support for this worthy project both from parishioners as well as from the community at large and is graciously accepting all contributions and donations for this campaign and for the on-going support of their mission to the needy at McAnthony Window.  During this time of economic difficulty for so many, St. Anthony's is a beacon of hope in downtown Davenport, reaching out to those in greatest need.  For more information on St. Anthony's, please visit their website at: http://www.stanthonysdavenport.4lpi.com/.  

Russell Construction, located in Davenport, IA, will serve as the Design/Builder for the $1,800,000 expansion project.  Russell has delivered over $40 million in religious facilities in and around the Quad Cities area.  Construction is set to begin immediately and will be completed by June 2010.  For more information on Russell Construction, please visit their website at www.russellco.com.  

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Nationwide - As the nation awaits confirmation from the Pentagon of the 5,000^th death of a U.S. service member in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, members of Military Families Speak Out are mourning the dead and calling on President Obama to honor the sacrifices of these service members and their families and honor all of those who serve by acting swiftly to end both wars.

Warren Henthorn of Choctaw, OK, the father of Army Spc. Jeffrey Henthorn who died in Iraq on Feb 8, 2005, says:

"Way too many have died on all sides of these wars. If I remember correctly, President Obama won the Democratic nomination based on the promise to end the war in Iraq. But, between Iraq and Afghanistan, at the end of this year we will actually have more troops in harm's way then we did at the height of the 'surge.' That's just as bad as we had it under President Bush. These wars now belong to President Obama. The blood is on his hands."

Henthorn is a member of Gold Star Families Speak Out, a national chapter of Military Families Speak Out whose loved ones died a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jane Bright of West Hills, CA, the mother of Sgt. Evan Aschraft who was killed at the perimeter of an oil refinery in Iraq on July 24, 2003, is also a member of Gold Star Families Speak Out. She says:

"My son was the 249th U.S. service member killed in Iraq - it's hard to believe that 5,000 of our troops have already died in Iraq and Afghanistan. How many more? We need to bring all our troops home from these wars and we need to take care of our veterans when they return home, giving them the medical and psychological care and treatment they need and deserve."

Maggie Pondolfino, a member of Military Families Speak Out from Portland, OR has been nervously watching the death toll in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rise as her son awaits a deployment to Afghanistan with the U.S. Army:

"It's been over a year since my only son returned from a 14 month deployment to Iraq. Over a year since I was immobilized with dread at every unexpected knock on my door and every unfamiliar van parked in front of my house. Daily, I obsessively checked the Department of Defense casualty list. Too many times the names were close to home...someone from our state, or even someone from his platoon," says Pondolfino. "I imagined the other mothers' grief and wondered would I be able to endure it? Then I had a year of relative calm. I even celebrated a new administration and momentarily experienced the hope that seemed to engulf the country. "Now as the nation braces for the news of the confirmation of the 5,000th death of a U.S. service member in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration that briefly gave me new hope prepares to send my son to another war with no clear mission and no exit strategy. And how do I prepare? How do I prepare for another year of going through the motions of living, while wondering if he will come home? If he does will he have to fight a war within himself? If he does not come home, my darling boy with his loving heart and keen intellect will have died for nothing. I know that no good will come from continuing the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, just more heartbreak, sorrow, and tragedy. When will we ever learn?"

Members of Military Families Speak Out and Gold Star Families Speak Out are available for interview.

Military Families Speak Out is a national organization of over 4,000 military families working to bring all U.S. troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and secure the care that our troops, Veterans, and military families need to recover from the impact of those wars on our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Gold Star Families Speak Out is a national chapter of Military Families Speak Out with over 150 families whose loved ones died a result of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

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In June, Modern Woodmen and Royal Neighbors to honor those who serve

Thank you - two simple words that can make a big impact.

Quad Citians will be asked to write thank-you letters and cards to American troops serving overseas in honor of Flag Day, a patriotic holiday paying tribute to the adoption of the Stars and Stripes in 1777.

Modern Woodmen of America and Royal Neighbors of America, two Rock Island-based businesses, will sponsor the collection during the first two weeks of June. All cards and letters collected will be donated to the Rock Island Arsenal Chapter of Association of the United States Army to distribute to service men and women stationed overseas.

Cards and letters can be dropped off between Monday, June 1 and Sunday, June 14 at Modern Woodmen Bank, 100 17^th Avenue, downtown Rock Island.

A drive-thru drop off will be held at Royal Neighbors of America on Thursday, June 11.

Project details and guidelines:

• All ages can participate in this project - create or purchase thank-you cards to donate to the effort.

• The more positive the message the better!

• You can include your name, address and email address if you desire.

• All letters and/or cards will be screened for security reasons.

• Do not seal envelopes - they must remain open for security.

• Any size cards and letters will be accepted.

• Please do not use glitter or include food items.

Modern Woodmen and Royal Neighbors celebrate Flag Day on June 14 to honor the nation's symbol of freedom. The two Quad-City-based fraternal financial services organizations have long celebrated patriotism and proudly offer fraternal programs that continue this tradition, by donating flags, honoring veterans, and supporting troops and their families.

Founded in 1883, Modern Woodmen of America touches lives and secures futures. The fraternal benefit society offers financial services and fraternal member benefits to individuals and families throughout the United States.

Royal Neighbors of America is a non-profit fraternal membership organization with a 100-plus-year history of helping women and their families. The organization insures lives, supports women, and serves communities by offering insurance and annuity products. Its members also participate in a variety of locally based volunteer opportunities and are eligible to apply for many member benefits such as scholarships and disaster aid.