· Stirred by reports of Iraqi children without basic school supplies, a group of St. Ambrose University students has created "Operation Pencil Box," a special five-day event to collect donations from area residents to provide overseas assistance to the children of this war-torn country. The school supplies ? pencils, pens, glue, glue sticks, crayons, markers, colored pencils, notebooks, pencil sharpeners, writing and construction paper, and chalk ? can be dropped off from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 to 6 p.m. through February 6 at the lower level of Cosgrove Hall on Locust Street on the SAU campus. The items will be sent to Iraq via the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne. For more information about the event, call (563) 333-6395.
· The Iowa Attorney General's office has been awarded $447,000 to launch the Elderly Fraud Prevention Project by the U.S. Department of Justice. Under the plan, the Iowa Attorney General's office will receive the funding to work with local law-enforcement agencies and care-givers to strengthen networks among agencies and senior communities to identify, prosecute, and prevent fraud against seniors.
· The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports that volunteers who had consumed cannabis performed better than non-users on a driving simulator test, according to findings of a study published by Britain's Evening News. A group of 20 volunteers participated in the study, which tested respondents' performances on a video game that simulated driving. Half of the drivers played the game after smoking the equivalent of half a marijuana cigarette. In head-to-head matchups versus non-users, cannabis users performed better in eight out of ten competitions. However, when the dosage was increased to the equivalent of two marijuana cigarettes, non-users won the majority of one-on-one contests. For more information on marijuana's impact upon driving, look at NORML's online library at: (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5448).
· A new TDD or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf and hearing-impaired has been set up at the Davenport Public Library's Reference Desk. It is for use by staff and the public to make and receive calls from other people who have a TDD. With a TDD, hearing-impaired citizens can call the library to ask reference questions, request services, check on a fine, or otherwise access the library's services. The TDD phone number is (563)326-7843. Also, anyone can also e-mail the library's Reference Desk with questions and information requests at (infordpl@rbls.lib.us).
· Iowa Senator Maggie Tinsman (R-Davenport) has filed legislation that she hopes will show Iowa employers that paying for insurance coverage for employees suffering from mental illness can be done cost-effectively. Tinsman's plan would provide a mental-health-parity pilot project for all state employees. Under the bill, the state would expand its medical benefits to include coverage for certain biologically based mental illnesses. The benefits would be based on terms that are no more restrictive than the terms for other medical conditions under the state health group insurance plan. Psychiatric illnesses that would be covered under Tinsman's plan include schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, major depressive disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, and autistic disorders.
· Applications are now being accepted for visual-arts grants from the Isabel Bloom Art Education Fund, established by Isabel Bloom LLC through the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend to honor the memory of the sculptor and company founder. The fund provides extra financial support to the visual-arts programs within the primary and secondary schools of Scott and Rock Island counties, and is intended to further the education of local children and art instructors, foster greater appreciation of the visual arts, and help enhance the quality of life in the Quad Cities. The minimum grant is $1,000 and the maximum $2,000, with two or more grants provided for the 2004-5 school term. For more information, contact the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend at (563)326-2840. Information about the Isabel Bloom Art Education Fund also is available at the foundation Web site: (http://www.cfgrb.org).
· The Rock Island Preservation Society (RIPS) is seeking nominations for its annual preservation awards. There are no pre-determined categories for the awards, and either structures or people may be nominated. The awards recognize significant contributions to historic preservation in Rock Island. Nominated buildings or structures may be of any type ? residential, business, religious, or public. They must be located within the city of Rock Island and be at least 50 years old to be eligible. Renovation or restoration that has been done to increase the usefulness or lifetime of structures should respect historic detail. Exterior work must be complete, although work-in-progress may be noted. Individuals or organizations who have contributed significantly to the historic preservation in Rock Island may also be nominated for activities such as saving a historic building or accomplishing major renovation or restoration. Nominations must be received by February 28. Please provide names and contact information for yourself and the property owner as well as a brief description of the project being nominated. A nomination form can be found at (http://www.iltrails.org/rockisland/ripscards/ripsnominationform.html). For additional information, contact Diana Alm at (dalm@qconline.com) or (309) 788-3383.
· The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust in Muscatine has approved a $60,000 grant to the LeClaire Community Library. The grant will fund all of the furnishings in the children's room, as well as all of the picture books, fiction, a year of magazine subscriptions, and non-print materials for children from birth through grade six. A computer with educational games and a collection of non-circulating storytime books will also be part of the grant. LeClaire is in the process of remodeling a building at Third and Wisconsin streets to serve as the city's first community library. The current fundraising campaign seeks to bring in an additional $440,000 (beyond monies previously raised) to meet the matching requirements of the Barkhuff Trust. The current campaign will complete the building remodeling and provide books, furnishing, and computers, as well as support future operations and programs.
· The Iowa Attorney General's office has been awarded $447,000 to launch the Elderly Fraud Prevention Project by the U.S. Department of Justice. Under the plan, the Iowa Attorney General's office will receive the funding to work with local law-enforcement agencies and care-givers to strengthen networks among agencies and senior communities to identify, prosecute, and prevent fraud against seniors.
· The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports that volunteers who had consumed cannabis performed better than non-users on a driving simulator test, according to findings of a study published by Britain's Evening News. A group of 20 volunteers participated in the study, which tested respondents' performances on a video game that simulated driving. Half of the drivers played the game after smoking the equivalent of half a marijuana cigarette. In head-to-head matchups versus non-users, cannabis users performed better in eight out of ten competitions. However, when the dosage was increased to the equivalent of two marijuana cigarettes, non-users won the majority of one-on-one contests. For more information on marijuana's impact upon driving, look at NORML's online library at: (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5448).
· A new TDD or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf and hearing-impaired has been set up at the Davenport Public Library's Reference Desk. It is for use by staff and the public to make and receive calls from other people who have a TDD. With a TDD, hearing-impaired citizens can call the library to ask reference questions, request services, check on a fine, or otherwise access the library's services. The TDD phone number is (563)326-7843. Also, anyone can also e-mail the library's Reference Desk with questions and information requests at (infordpl@rbls.lib.us).
· Iowa Senator Maggie Tinsman (R-Davenport) has filed legislation that she hopes will show Iowa employers that paying for insurance coverage for employees suffering from mental illness can be done cost-effectively. Tinsman's plan would provide a mental-health-parity pilot project for all state employees. Under the bill, the state would expand its medical benefits to include coverage for certain biologically based mental illnesses. The benefits would be based on terms that are no more restrictive than the terms for other medical conditions under the state health group insurance plan. Psychiatric illnesses that would be covered under Tinsman's plan include schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, major depressive disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, and autistic disorders.
· Applications are now being accepted for visual-arts grants from the Isabel Bloom Art Education Fund, established by Isabel Bloom LLC through the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend to honor the memory of the sculptor and company founder. The fund provides extra financial support to the visual-arts programs within the primary and secondary schools of Scott and Rock Island counties, and is intended to further the education of local children and art instructors, foster greater appreciation of the visual arts, and help enhance the quality of life in the Quad Cities. The minimum grant is $1,000 and the maximum $2,000, with two or more grants provided for the 2004-5 school term. For more information, contact the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend at (563)326-2840. Information about the Isabel Bloom Art Education Fund also is available at the foundation Web site: (http://www.cfgrb.org).
· The Rock Island Preservation Society (RIPS) is seeking nominations for its annual preservation awards. There are no pre-determined categories for the awards, and either structures or people may be nominated. The awards recognize significant contributions to historic preservation in Rock Island. Nominated buildings or structures may be of any type ? residential, business, religious, or public. They must be located within the city of Rock Island and be at least 50 years old to be eligible. Renovation or restoration that has been done to increase the usefulness or lifetime of structures should respect historic detail. Exterior work must be complete, although work-in-progress may be noted. Individuals or organizations who have contributed significantly to the historic preservation in Rock Island may also be nominated for activities such as saving a historic building or accomplishing major renovation or restoration. Nominations must be received by February 28. Please provide names and contact information for yourself and the property owner as well as a brief description of the project being nominated. A nomination form can be found at (http://www.iltrails.org/rockisland/ripscards/ripsnominationform.html). For additional information, contact Diana Alm at (dalm@qconline.com) or (309) 788-3383.
· The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust in Muscatine has approved a $60,000 grant to the LeClaire Community Library. The grant will fund all of the furnishings in the children's room, as well as all of the picture books, fiction, a year of magazine subscriptions, and non-print materials for children from birth through grade six. A computer with educational games and a collection of non-circulating storytime books will also be part of the grant. LeClaire is in the process of remodeling a building at Third and Wisconsin streets to serve as the city's first community library. The current fundraising campaign seeks to bring in an additional $440,000 (beyond monies previously raised) to meet the matching requirements of the Barkhuff Trust. The current campaign will complete the building remodeling and provide books, furnishing, and computers, as well as support future operations and programs.
