03
Mar
2004
• Quad-LINC, the Davenport Public Library's online catalog and a shared database with other Quad Cities libraries, will have a dramatically new look this month. New software will provide enriched information that library users are accustomed to seeing on commercial Web sites. For example, library customers will see images of book jackets and be able to read book reviews, view tables of contents and summaries, and develop a personalized "favorites" list of authors and subjects based on checkouts. Advanced searching capabilities will allow users to more easily find materials, and links will be provided to author biographies, reviews, and first chapters. The software will also serve as a launching pad to the Internet. Children will have their own catalog called Kids Library so they can look up titles by selecting a picture rather than typing out a word. If children click on a picture of a child laughing, for instance, they'll get a list of books about jokes and riddles. A picture of an owl will lead to a list of materials about owls. Browsers and book-club members might find links to the Today Show Book Club and various bestseller lists handy. Clicking on the New York Times Fiction link will connect to the paper's bestseller list and indicate which local library has a copy on the shelf. To see some examples of how the new catalog might look, visit (http://www.davenportlibrary.com/new/sirsi.htm).
• The State of Iowa has given Genesis Medical Center the go ahead to build two new cardiac catheterization labs (or cath labs) at the medical center's east campus. The approval came immediately after Genesis administrators and physicians from Cardiovascular Medicine, PC, presented the community's need to the State's Certificate of Need Board in Des Moines. With state approval, Genesis can now begin the $4.4-million project. The initiative will include the purchase of two new, state-of-the-art cath labs, and renovation to accommodate the equipment. The project is expected to be complete in September. In 2003, heart specialists at Genesis Medical Center performed 374 open-heart procedures, 4,148 heart catheterizations, and 1,278 procedures on patients with abnormal heart rhythms.
• A delegation of 10 Kosovo mayors, accompanied by four interpreters, is visiting the Quad Cities through March 14. In the Quad Cities, they will explore the day-to-day operations of local government with a focus on the formation of partnerships between jurisdictions. Kosovo, formerly a part of Yugoslavia, has been a conflict-ridden, politically unsettled area for some time. The region is trying to overcome bitter ethnic strife between Serbs and ethnic Albanians. Kosovo is currently administered by the United Nations as it struggles to create a democratic society. Scott County Board Chairperson Carol Schaefer has been asked to serve as the host for the Quad Cities portion of this project, which was organized by the Eastern Iowa Community College District.
• If you are ever tempted to declare yourself a sovereign citizen or take a "slavery reparations tax credit" or some such idea as proposed on the Internet by the tax-protester movement, it might be a good idea to first look at the Tax Protester Anti-Blog. This blog is a running tab of not-quite-clever-enough tax-protester legal theories that have been shot down in court. Spend some time here first to learn from the mistakes of others. Take a look at (http://tax-protestors.blogspot.com).
• The Iowa House Public Safety Committee has passed a bill that could suspend a person's driver's license upon conviction of gasoline theft, commonly known as "drive-offs." This bill would add Iowa to 24 states that have similar laws. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration and would also need to pass the Senate before going to the governor for his signature. House File 2342 specifically allows a court to order the Department of Transportation to suspend a driver's license, for up to 30 days, upon conviction for theft of motor fuel (not exceeding $200 in value) from a gas station. The person whose driver's license is suspended may petition the district court for a temporary restricted license to drive. The current penalty for theft of motor fuel not exceeding $200 in value is a simple misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $50 to $500, or by imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both. Some legislators argued against this bill because there is already a penalty for theft. Losing your driver's license has nothing to do with the theft, they argued, and it could cause more public-safety problems because some people will just continue to drive without their licenses.
• The Iowa Department of Transportation reports that there was a 188-percent increase in calls to 511 from December to January. In January, a total of 224,906 calls were made to 511 for road information. Any individual in Iowa can dial 511 from either a land-based phone or a cellular phone to have access to road information, roadwork, and vehicle-width and -height restrictions for commercial-vehicle operators. National Weather Service forecasts and alerts, major traffic incidents, and Amber Alerts are also available. This information can also be obtained by visiting (http://www.511ia.org) or (http://www.iowaroadconditions.org).
• The State of Iowa has given Genesis Medical Center the go ahead to build two new cardiac catheterization labs (or cath labs) at the medical center's east campus. The approval came immediately after Genesis administrators and physicians from Cardiovascular Medicine, PC, presented the community's need to the State's Certificate of Need Board in Des Moines. With state approval, Genesis can now begin the $4.4-million project. The initiative will include the purchase of two new, state-of-the-art cath labs, and renovation to accommodate the equipment. The project is expected to be complete in September. In 2003, heart specialists at Genesis Medical Center performed 374 open-heart procedures, 4,148 heart catheterizations, and 1,278 procedures on patients with abnormal heart rhythms.
• A delegation of 10 Kosovo mayors, accompanied by four interpreters, is visiting the Quad Cities through March 14. In the Quad Cities, they will explore the day-to-day operations of local government with a focus on the formation of partnerships between jurisdictions. Kosovo, formerly a part of Yugoslavia, has been a conflict-ridden, politically unsettled area for some time. The region is trying to overcome bitter ethnic strife between Serbs and ethnic Albanians. Kosovo is currently administered by the United Nations as it struggles to create a democratic society. Scott County Board Chairperson Carol Schaefer has been asked to serve as the host for the Quad Cities portion of this project, which was organized by the Eastern Iowa Community College District.
• If you are ever tempted to declare yourself a sovereign citizen or take a "slavery reparations tax credit" or some such idea as proposed on the Internet by the tax-protester movement, it might be a good idea to first look at the Tax Protester Anti-Blog. This blog is a running tab of not-quite-clever-enough tax-protester legal theories that have been shot down in court. Spend some time here first to learn from the mistakes of others. Take a look at (http://tax-protestors.blogspot.com).
• The Iowa House Public Safety Committee has passed a bill that could suspend a person's driver's license upon conviction of gasoline theft, commonly known as "drive-offs." This bill would add Iowa to 24 states that have similar laws. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration and would also need to pass the Senate before going to the governor for his signature. House File 2342 specifically allows a court to order the Department of Transportation to suspend a driver's license, for up to 30 days, upon conviction for theft of motor fuel (not exceeding $200 in value) from a gas station. The person whose driver's license is suspended may petition the district court for a temporary restricted license to drive. The current penalty for theft of motor fuel not exceeding $200 in value is a simple misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $50 to $500, or by imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both. Some legislators argued against this bill because there is already a penalty for theft. Losing your driver's license has nothing to do with the theft, they argued, and it could cause more public-safety problems because some people will just continue to drive without their licenses.
• The Iowa Department of Transportation reports that there was a 188-percent increase in calls to 511 from December to January. In January, a total of 224,906 calls were made to 511 for road information. Any individual in Iowa can dial 511 from either a land-based phone or a cellular phone to have access to road information, roadwork, and vehicle-width and -height restrictions for commercial-vehicle operators. National Weather Service forecasts and alerts, major traffic incidents, and Amber Alerts are also available. This information can also be obtained by visiting (http://www.511ia.org) or (http://www.iowaroadconditions.org).
