(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today announced that he has asked the Iowa Supreme Court to review and overturn Wednesday's district court order to reopen the Iowa Juvenile Home, which was found to have mistreated youth and denied them the education they deserve.

"Governor Branstad has the duty to faithfully execute all laws of the State of Iowa. These laws include the entire statutory scheme of children adjudicated delinquent or in need of assistance ... these laws are based on a single, overriding premise -- the best interests of the children," the request said. "The district court's extraordinary and unprecedented order demands this Court's immediate review."

The governor is represented in the case by the Attorney General.

"My utmost concern is protecting the health, safety and education of the children who resided at the Iowa Juvenile Home," said Branstad. "The children were subjected to over 47,000 hours of isolation, denied the education they deserve and mistreated by staff. As chief executive, I have the responsibility to ensure the safety of Iowa's most vulnerable. These children are now in licensed and accredited facilities where they are being better served, receiving the education they were denied at the Iowa Juvenile Home and the treatment and care they need."

On behalf of the governor, the attorney general filed the request, called an Application for Appeal in Advance of Final Judgment, with the Iowa Supreme Court.  Under the district court's decision, the order does not take effect until the plaintiffs file a bond, giving both parties until March 3 to submit additional documents regarding the bond amount.

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February 7, 2014

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following comment on the announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that it will begin to receive data under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act on Feb. 18.  The agency said it will post the data on its website by the end of September 2014.  Grassley is the co-author of the bipartisan Sunshine Act, enacted in 2010, that will disclose the financial relationships between drug and medical device companies and doctors.  The legislation came after Grassley's investigative and oversight work exposed numerous examples of major discrepancies between the reporting of payments and the receipt of payments.

"The Sunshine Act will help inform the public about the financial relationships between the drug and medical device industry and doctors.  The disclosure of key items will be uniform.  Consumers will get a much fuller picture of the industry's financial presence in medicine than they have now.  The trend toward payment transparency is good for the public and good for accountability."

Can Mindfulness Raise Your Net Worth?
Meditative Focus Improves Both Health and Business
Intuition, Says Veteran Consultant

Sitting down with the intention of stilling one's mind and body is no longer the sole province of hippies and Eastern medicine aficionados, says leadership expert Dr. Stephen Josephs.

Nike, 50 Cent and the Marine Corps all embrace the benefits of mindfulness meditation, he says.

"The benefits of mindfulness meditation do not exist in a vacuum; mindfulness meditation not only lowers your blood pressure, it also offers a host of other positives, including increasing business acumen," says Josephs, who has coached executives for more than 30 years and recently authored the new book, "Dragons at Work," (www.DragonsAtWork.com).

"It sharpens your intuitive business sense. By relaxing your body, breathing evenly, and paying attention to the present moment, you notice things you might otherwise miss. Paying exquisite attention is the key to staying real, and daily meditation builds that capacity."

The benefits of a calm and focused mind are ubiquitous; Josephs offers tips for business leaders.

• If you're faced with what looks like an enticing opportunity, don't just do something. Sit there. Breathe quietly and let the fear and greed subside. The easiest way to fool yourself in a deal, negotiation or transaction is to let your thinking stray from what's happening and get seduced by a dream. It could be the dream your counterpart is spinning for you or simply the dream of results, good or bad. Like most people, you have probably experienced moments when you knew something - a business relationship, an investment - was going south, but you hesitated to act because you didn't have facts to support your intuition. Sometimes, your intuition knows something that your logical mind does not.

• Pay attention to what your body is telling you; you may be expressing signals that your logical mind is slow to notice. In a psychological study titled "The Iowa Gambling Task," researchers gave subjects the task of making the most money possible by choosing cards from four decks. Unbeknownst to the subjects, the decks were stacked. Some were "good decks" (producing winners more of the time) and some were "bad decks," (producing losers). After about 40 to 50 picks, most subjects caught on to which decks produced winners and losers. Their bodies knew something that their rational minds had missed. After about 10 picks they began to produce physiological symptoms of stress when their hands reached for the bad decks. If you're not paying attention to those subtle signals, your innate wisdom is inaccessible.

• Meditation develops emotional balance and a better business mind. If you've never meditated, try it! Start small by simply sitting still and keeping your eyes closed for five minutes. Feel the weight of your body in its sitting position. Try to simplify your thoughts to basic things, down to the subtle sounds of the room, your breathing. Mindfulness meditation does not require extensive study in ancient traditions. Notice the difference after only five minutes; you will feel more relaxed. Later, try it for 10 minutes, and then longer. Do your due diligence in that state of mind. The equanimity that will sharpen your acumen is also the source of your happiness in life. Don't trade it for anything.

About Dr. Stephen Josephs

With more than 30 years experience as an executive coach and consultant, Stephen Josephs, Ed. D, helps leaders build vitality and focus to make their companies profitable - and great places to work. His doctorate at the University of Massachusetts focused on Aesthetics in Education: how to teach anything through art, music, drama and movement. Josephs is particularly interested in the intersection of business performance, psychology and mind/body disciplines. His new novel, "Dragons at Work," tells the story of a tightly wound executive - a fictionalized case study of coaching that produces fundamental changes in a leader. Josephs has also co-authored "Leadership Agility: Five Levels of Mastery in Anticipating and Initiating Change" (Jossey-Bass, 2006) with Bill Joiner, which shows how certain stages of psychological development affect leadership.

Rock Island, IL. Bent River Brewing Co. began 2014 on an unexpected high note. Their Flagship Brew, the Uncommon Stout, was awarded a gold medal in the 2013 International Craft Awards Competition. General Manager, Nick Bowes, submitted the brewery in the summer of 2013 and was informed shortly after New Years of their achievement. This marks the beginning of what will undoubtedly be a successful year for the local company.

Bent River Brewing Co. started brewing for the Quad Cities in 1997 in downtown Moline and the beer was so popular that the demand grew and so did they. The second location was opened in early 2012 at 512 - 24th Street in Rock Island and is the main distribution hub, where all the bottled and kegged beer is packaged and sent out into now three states; Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

So much of their success is due to the Uncommon Stout; Bent River sells twice as much of the coffee-infused oatmeal stout over any of their other beers. This is why it was the one chosen to be submitted into the competition.

The brewery found out about the opportunity through an advertisement on the Brewer's Association website - a page for those in the trade - and submitted the brew that has made Bent River a household name in the Quad Cities Area. Bent River is always looking for ways it could spread its name and great beers nationwide, welcoming creative avenues as well as the unexpected. Last year, for example, they sent out 45 pallets of product to a beer of the month club that then shipped its wares all over the country to participating members.

The International Craft Awards Competition, based out of Los Angeles, California, claims the upmost respect and standards for their judging process. In the email Bent River received, they were informed of their award and how it was decided:

"Our credible process is executed by two dozen respected and influential judges, ensuring competitive integrity in selecting beer to be awarded. Beers are scored on a 100 point scale, evaluated on dozens of characteristics (i.e., appearance, taste, aromatics, flavor, mouthfeel and finish) over a multilevel blind tasting procedure."

The beloved, local brew that has taken on the Quad Cities by storm is already nearing regional status, if Bent River Brewing Co. keeps up the good work, the sky just may truly be the limit.

FREE PUBLIC SKATE ADMISSION!
Beginning this weekend and continuing for every weekend in February, you'll get free admission for public skate for every can of food donated to the Quad Cities Student Hunger Drive.
Just bring down one can of food to the River's Edge during Public Skate, and earn one admission.  You can enter in a raffle for some great prizes as well!
Our Public Skate Hours this weekend are:
Saturday, February 8
2:45pm - 4:45pm
6:45pm - 8:45pm
Sunday, February 9
4:00pm - 6:00pm
Skate Rental - $3
Admission - $5
Admission with food donation: No Charge!

Tomorrow (Saturday) night the Bier Stube will bring the "flavors of Germany" to the I-Grill during the Mallards' game against the St. Charles Chill at the iWireless Center.

Fans can enjoy a selection of handmade sausages- potato, bratwurst, knockwurst and Polish- along with their favorite toppings.  Tomorrow night the iWireless Center and the Bier Stube are also baking up a Victory Knot, a huge two-pound Bavarian pretzel with vanilla icing, grain mustard sauce and warm cheese sauce for dipping.  Fans can also wash it all down with one of two specialty "biers": Hacker Pschorr Wiesse or Erdinger Weib Bier.

The I-Grill is located on the main iWireless Center concourse near the top of the escalator.  Tomorrow evening's game faces off at 7:05 p.m.

The Bier Stube is a German-American bar and grill "where everyone can get a little German in them" located in Moline at 415 15th Street and in LeClaire at 1001 Canal Drive.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack will have a member of his staff in Clinton County for open office hours. Henry Marquard, Loebsack's District Representative, will be at the following locations. Marquard will be on hand to work with individuals who are having difficulty with a government agency, have suggestions for Dave, or would just like to share their concerns. Members of the public are invited to attend. Marquard holds regular office hours throughout Eastern Iowa.

If residents are unable to attend but have a concern to share with the Congressman, please call our district office toll-free at 1-866-914-IOWA (4692)

Marquard's schedule is as follows.

 

Tuesday, Feb. 11

Camanche City Hall

917 Third Street

9:00 - 10:00 AM

 

Clinton City Hall

611 South Third Street, 1st Floor

11:00 AM - NOON

 

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Nearly one in four of Iowa's public third-grade students (8, 706) are not proficient in reading. National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reading results for Iowa students has been virtually stagnant since 1992* among both 4th and 8th grade students tested. Reading is a gateway skill to learning, and we are committed as a state to preparing all students for success in college and career training.

A survey commissioned by the IowaReadingResearchCenter (IRRC) and conducted by Iowa's regent universities shows inconsistencies in literacy instructional practices in Iowa schools, which may be contributing to stagnant reading trends reported among Iowa's students for the past several years.

The survey revealed inconsistencies in the following areas among Iowa's schools:

Classroom Literacy Instruction

There is a wide array of teaching approaches, uneven interventions for students who are struggling and disparate time allotments for literacy instruction.

Professional Development

A majority of educators reported professional development participation related to the Iowa Core English Language Arts, but with a varying range of time allotted for implementation, and a low percentage of professional development focus in reading interventions for targeted students.

Resources

The survey results indicate an uneven perception of the availability of resources, including technology resources and materials covering the Iowa Core standards, but results also showed some agreement among administrators and teachers that the time available to dedicate toward Iowa Core standards is insufficient.

Summer Reading Programs

Just more than half of Iowa's schools responding to the survey indicate they currently offer a summer reading program. Among those school programs, both the duration and the daily time allotment for literacy instruction vary widely.

The IRRC is tasked with the identification of teaching strategies and interventions; student assessments; professional development for educators; a statewide student data reporting system; and to develop the criteria and guidelines for a summer literacy program with the goal of literacy proficiency for all of Iowa's students.

The IRRC is in a unique position to advocate and coordinate best practices because the center is not committed to any one entity. The mission is to mine the existing research and disseminate proven interventions and strategies. Our goal is to be the cohesive, comprehensive resource for vetted, evidence-based practices so that teachers and parents do not have to spend their valuable time trying to identify best practices. We can instead do that for them.

The IRRC website is a growing content source of highly vetted, evidence-based resources for teachers, parents and all stakeholders interested in advancing students' literacy and reading proficiency.

Michelle Hosp, the director of the Iowa Reading Research Center, may be reached at  MHosp@IowaReadingResearch.org.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2014 -- The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release new 10-year agricultural projections on Feb. 13, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. EST. USDA's Agricultural Projections to 2023 will be posted to the Office of the Chief Economist's (OCE) website at www.usda.gov/oce and available in MS Word and PDF formats. Projections data will be available as Excel spreadsheets here.

USDA publishes the projections each year in February. The projections are developed by interagency committees in USDA, with the Economic Research Service (ERS) having the lead role in the preparation of the report. The new projections cover crop and livestock commodities, agricultural trade and aggregate indicators, such as farm income, through 2023. The projections do not represent a USDA forecast, but a conditional, long-run scenario based on specific assumptions about farm policy, weather, the economy and international developments. Normal weather is assumed throughout the projection period. The projections were prepared during October through December 2013, with the 2008 Farm Act assumed to be extended and remain in effect through the projection period. Therefore, the projections do not reflect the Agricultural Act of 2014.

Background on USDA's long-term projections and past issues of the report are available on the ERS website at www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/agricultural-baseline-projections.aspx.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).


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Today, the President directed his Administration, working through the White House Rural Council, to lead a new 'Made in Rural America' export and investment initiative. This initiative is charged with bringing together federal resources to help rural businesses and leaders take advantage of new investment opportunities and access new customers and markets abroad.

Specifically, the President has instructed his Rural Council - in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the Export-Import Bank, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and other agencies - to commit to connecting more rural businesses of all types to export information and assistance through a comprehensive strategy including the following specific commitments, to be provided over the next nine months:

  • Host five "Made in Rural America" regional forums dedicated to promoting rural exports by providing rural leaders and businesses with information about federal and other resources available to help expand exports. Working with local partners including the National Association of Counties (NACo), the Delta Regional Authority, and the Appalachian Regional Commission, these export-focused regional forums will help rural businesses take advantage of new market opportunities by providing training from experienced exporters and federal officials on the basics of exporting, accessing federal support, and participating in major trade events and trade shows across the country, as well as overseas trade missions.
  • Convene an "Investing in Rural America" conference later this year to connect major investors with rural business leaders, high-level government officials, economic development experts, and other partners. This conference, hosted by the White House Rural Council in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and other partners, will promote opportunities to invest in Rural America by highlighting successful projects in energy; biofuels and bioproducts; infrastructure, from transportation to water systems to telecommunications; healthcare; manufacturing; and local and regional food systems.
  • Host training sessions to equip local USDA Rural Development staff in all 50 states plus territories with the tools they need to counsel businesses on export opportunities and resources. The Department of Commerce, through the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, will cross-train USDA Rural Development staff so they can better deliver support or refer rural businesses to federal services.
  • Provide enhanced export counseling for rural businesses to connect with foreign buyers through the Department of Commerce's U.S. Export Assistance Center trade specialists in over 100 domestic locations and in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's field staff.
  • Coordinate across the Administration to promote rural-produced goods and services at trade events including trade missions, buyer programs, trade shows, and other promotion programs.
  • Educate local leaders across the country on the importance of rural exports in partnership with NACo and through the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee in order to connect these leaders with federal resources and information to better support rural businesses to develop their potential for exporting.
  • Use the BusinessUSA online platform to better connect rural businesses with export and investment resources and coordinate support from across the federal government. BusinessUSA was launched by the President last year to serve as a "one-stop-shop" that matches businesses and entrepreneurs to the full range of services and resources available to them at every stage of development.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).


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