29
Mar
2005
• The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB) is starting the second season of bike rentals at its downtown Davenport, 102 South Harrison, and downtown Moline, 2021 River Drive, offices/visitor centers. New this year is the addition of tandems, kiddie trailers, and trail-behind bikes for younger riders. Bikes can be rented by the hour or by the day. Different sizes and kids' bides are available, and each rental comes with a helmet and lock. The hours for rentals from both offices are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Then, from the first Saturday in June to the end of September, the offices will be open for rentals on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Rentals will be available from now until November 1. The rental bikes are part of the Trek Navigator Comfort series, a 24-speed bike that has a cushioned seat, hand brakes, shock absorbers, and bell. The QCCVB is partnering with On Two Wheels in Davenport for the bike-rental program. For information on bicycle rentals, trails, and the Quad Cities area, contact QCCVB at (563)322-3911 or visit its Web site at (http://visitquadcities.com).
• Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman has announced the award of $5 million to Iowa to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families. It is estimated that weatherization can reduce an average home's energy costs by $237 a year. The program gives a priority to low-income households with elderly members, people with disabilities, and children. The program is delivered through the states and 970 local agencies. The awards announced recently are for the 31 states and the Navajo Nation that begin their weatherization year on April 1. More information on the Department of Energy's programs to improve the energy efficiency of buildings is available on its Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Network Web site at (http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings) or by calling (877)337-3463.
• Iowans might soon have more money in their pockets, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue. Beginning April 1, employers will be reducing the amount of Iowa taxes deducted from employees' paychecks. The state is changing its withholding tax rates because there has been a significant imbalance between the amount of tax withheld from Iowans' paychecks and the amount of tax actually owed. This is the first change in state withholding tax rates since 1998. Department officials say most taxpayers will see an increase in their take-home pay throughout the year; however, the size of the refund they receive after filing their 2005 tax returns will decrease. Officials say the change will mean that some Iowans who now receive refunds might end up paying additional tax when they file their 2005 tax returns. Employers and taxpayers who have questions should call Taxpayer Services at (800)367-3388 to talk to a tax specialist.
• Starting April 4, patrons will discover a few changes at the Bettendorf Public Library. Instead of one place to return materials, there will be five. Patrons will be asked to put fiction in one, nonfiction in another, children's materials in a third, media in the fourth, and material from other libraries in the fifth. When a customer comes in to pick up a book on hold, he or she will retrieve it and have the option to check it out on one of the two new self-check machines. Staff will be available to help everyone learn the new options. The library will also stop stamping the due date on materials. The library is trying to reduce repetitive tasks and have more time to give customers better services. To that end, the library is asking patrons to pre-sort their returns, retrieve their holds, and check out their own books.
• Because of recent stormwater discussions in the Quad Cities, Community Access Television Incorporated is presenting a pair of programs that include information on stormwater runoff and the effect on the Mississippi River. Big Rivers Rising is a program produced by the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and features many environmental projects already in progress in the State of Illinois. After the Storm is a program co-produced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and The Weather Channel. The program will inform viewers of the importance of protecting watersheds and the potential risks involving stormwater runoff. Both programs will be shown Saturday mornings at 9 a.m., Mondays at 8 p.m., and Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Mediacom Channel 19 in the Quad Cities. The programs will be played until April 9.
• The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports that the White House will sponsor regional summits this spring to encourage middle- and high-school officials to enact random student drug testing in public schools. The taxpayer-funded summits will take place in Dallas, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Portland. The announcement of the summits comes just weeks after the White House's 2005 "National Drug Control Strategy" proposed increasing federal funding for student drug testing by more than 150 percent to a record $25.4 million annually. For more information, look at (http://www.norml.org). Summit registration and sign-up information is available online at (http://www.cmpinc.net/dts/).
• The Mississippi Bend Model Boaters operate their electric- and wind-powered radio-controlled boats at Middle Park Lagoon in Bettendorf every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. The public is invited. Call Matt at (563)386-0134 or Richard at (309)788-3881 for more information or with any questions.
• Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman has announced the award of $5 million to Iowa to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families. It is estimated that weatherization can reduce an average home's energy costs by $237 a year. The program gives a priority to low-income households with elderly members, people with disabilities, and children. The program is delivered through the states and 970 local agencies. The awards announced recently are for the 31 states and the Navajo Nation that begin their weatherization year on April 1. More information on the Department of Energy's programs to improve the energy efficiency of buildings is available on its Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Network Web site at (http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings) or by calling (877)337-3463.
• Iowans might soon have more money in their pockets, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue. Beginning April 1, employers will be reducing the amount of Iowa taxes deducted from employees' paychecks. The state is changing its withholding tax rates because there has been a significant imbalance between the amount of tax withheld from Iowans' paychecks and the amount of tax actually owed. This is the first change in state withholding tax rates since 1998. Department officials say most taxpayers will see an increase in their take-home pay throughout the year; however, the size of the refund they receive after filing their 2005 tax returns will decrease. Officials say the change will mean that some Iowans who now receive refunds might end up paying additional tax when they file their 2005 tax returns. Employers and taxpayers who have questions should call Taxpayer Services at (800)367-3388 to talk to a tax specialist.
• Starting April 4, patrons will discover a few changes at the Bettendorf Public Library. Instead of one place to return materials, there will be five. Patrons will be asked to put fiction in one, nonfiction in another, children's materials in a third, media in the fourth, and material from other libraries in the fifth. When a customer comes in to pick up a book on hold, he or she will retrieve it and have the option to check it out on one of the two new self-check machines. Staff will be available to help everyone learn the new options. The library will also stop stamping the due date on materials. The library is trying to reduce repetitive tasks and have more time to give customers better services. To that end, the library is asking patrons to pre-sort their returns, retrieve their holds, and check out their own books.
• Because of recent stormwater discussions in the Quad Cities, Community Access Television Incorporated is presenting a pair of programs that include information on stormwater runoff and the effect on the Mississippi River. Big Rivers Rising is a program produced by the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and features many environmental projects already in progress in the State of Illinois. After the Storm is a program co-produced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and The Weather Channel. The program will inform viewers of the importance of protecting watersheds and the potential risks involving stormwater runoff. Both programs will be shown Saturday mornings at 9 a.m., Mondays at 8 p.m., and Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Mediacom Channel 19 in the Quad Cities. The programs will be played until April 9.
• The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports that the White House will sponsor regional summits this spring to encourage middle- and high-school officials to enact random student drug testing in public schools. The taxpayer-funded summits will take place in Dallas, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Portland. The announcement of the summits comes just weeks after the White House's 2005 "National Drug Control Strategy" proposed increasing federal funding for student drug testing by more than 150 percent to a record $25.4 million annually. For more information, look at (http://www.norml.org). Summit registration and sign-up information is available online at (http://www.cmpinc.net/dts/).
• The Mississippi Bend Model Boaters operate their electric- and wind-powered radio-controlled boats at Middle Park Lagoon in Bettendorf every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. The public is invited. Call Matt at (563)386-0134 or Richard at (309)788-3881 for more information or with any questions.
