• According to a report from the Task Force on Overrepresentation of African Americans in Prison, 24 percent of the state's prison population in 1999 was African-American even though blacks comprised just over 2 percent of Iowa's population. Another key finding was that in 1999, 3 percent of the state's African-American population was in prison and 7 percent was under some form of criminal-justice supervision (such as probation or parole). In contrast, 0.2 percent of the white population was serving a prison sentence in 1999. The solution, according to the task force, includes increasing support for early education; addressing the unemployment rate for African-American youth; and increasing access to substance-abuse and mental-health care.
• The transition from the 319 area code to 563 for eastern Iowa on December 1 went smoothly - for the most part. SBC Ameritech customers were charged toll rates for calls made from the Illinois side of the Mississippi to Iowa. When the area code changed, the company's billing system no longer recognized those calls as being local because of a software problem. Customers billed for those toll calls, will receive automatic adjustments on their next phone bill, or they can call (800)244-4444 to make other arrangements and not have to pay charges. People who haven't received their phone bills yet won't be billed for local calls made to the Iowa Quad Cities.
• The Plaza in the District of Rock Island could be closed from 3:15 a.m. until 5 a.m. every morning under an ordinance under consideration by the Rock Island city council. City leaders say the proposal is designed to help crews keep The District clean and for the police to keep the area safe. Some members of the council say there have been some complaints by residents that closing the plaza could be a violation of their rights. But Jennifer Fowler, The District's executive director, says no one will be denied access if they have a reason to be there.
• Iowa State Senator Maggie Tinsman has announced she will run for re-election in the new Senate District 41, which incorporates Bettendorf, central and eastern Davenport, and Riverdale. She says her campaign will be characterized by her interest in education, children and families, health care, and local control, along with a focus on the budget and the economy.
• The Scott County Sheriff's Office has recently remodeled part of the jail to allow for videotaping of persons arrested for Operating While under the Influence (OWI). The videotaping will be another piece of evidence to assist the Scott County Attorney's Office in the prosecution of persons arrested for OWI. All law-enforcement agencies in Scott County will have access to this taping equipment and will be encouraged to use it in situations when an arrestee refuses to take a breath test to determine blood-alcohol content.
• The Davenport Museum of Art (DMA) wants everyone to know that despite construction and street closings, the DMA is still open. The street that runs in front of the museum, 12th Street, is closed, but visitors can reach the DMA parking lot by entering from Wilkes Avenue (the street that runs between the museum and Fejevary Park). Currently on display is The Photography of Alfred Stieglitz: Georgia O'Keeffe's Enduring Legacy. The DMA will be hosting this show through January 27 and is the only Midwestern stop on the exhibition's tour. For more information call, the museum at (563)326-7804 or visit (http://www.art-dma.org).
• In addition to having a Libertarian candidate for governor, (see the December 5 issue of the Reader), Iowa also has a Libertarian running for the office of attorney general: Ed Noyes. Noyes has practiced law in Iowa since 1985, and his top priorities would be property-tax reform, the elimination of the state income tax, and energy independence for Iowa. You can find out more about the Libertarian Party of Iowa and its candidates at (http://www.lpia.org) or by calling (800)655-5742.
• The State of Iowa is re-vamping its anti-smoking campaign with a new series of ads for radio, TV, billboards, and malls. The new ads are meant to be understated; one says "Smoking, table for one" and shows a sheet-covered corpse. These are much less in-your-face compared to attention-grabbing ads from last summer that showed gruesome close-up photos of people with cancer. A more recent campaign highlighted the presence of chemicals such as formaldehyde and arsenic in cigarette smoke. These ad campaigns are financed by $3.3 million a year from Iowa's settlement with tobacco companies. You can see the ads and find out more about the campaigns at (http:// www.JELiowa.org). And if you want help to stop smoking, you can look on the Web site or call (866)822-6879.
• According to Iowa State University's annual survey, Iowa farmland values are up for the second straight year, rising 3.7 percent to an average value of $1,926 per acre. All 99 counties reflect the increase, with Scott County topping the list with an average value of roughly $3,200. The survey also shows values jumped by 7 percent in four counties: Fremont, Mills, Montgomery and Page. Values rose by just 1 percent in four other counties: Dickinson, Lyon, O'Brien, and Osceola. The increase is attributed to lower interest rates, crop yields, and the availability of land on the market. These numbers make you wonder why we, in Scott County particularly, are so eager to pave over and develop valuable farmland.
• The transition from the 319 area code to 563 for eastern Iowa on December 1 went smoothly - for the most part. SBC Ameritech customers were charged toll rates for calls made from the Illinois side of the Mississippi to Iowa. When the area code changed, the company's billing system no longer recognized those calls as being local because of a software problem. Customers billed for those toll calls, will receive automatic adjustments on their next phone bill, or they can call (800)244-4444 to make other arrangements and not have to pay charges. People who haven't received their phone bills yet won't be billed for local calls made to the Iowa Quad Cities.
• The Plaza in the District of Rock Island could be closed from 3:15 a.m. until 5 a.m. every morning under an ordinance under consideration by the Rock Island city council. City leaders say the proposal is designed to help crews keep The District clean and for the police to keep the area safe. Some members of the council say there have been some complaints by residents that closing the plaza could be a violation of their rights. But Jennifer Fowler, The District's executive director, says no one will be denied access if they have a reason to be there.
• Iowa State Senator Maggie Tinsman has announced she will run for re-election in the new Senate District 41, which incorporates Bettendorf, central and eastern Davenport, and Riverdale. She says her campaign will be characterized by her interest in education, children and families, health care, and local control, along with a focus on the budget and the economy.
• The Scott County Sheriff's Office has recently remodeled part of the jail to allow for videotaping of persons arrested for Operating While under the Influence (OWI). The videotaping will be another piece of evidence to assist the Scott County Attorney's Office in the prosecution of persons arrested for OWI. All law-enforcement agencies in Scott County will have access to this taping equipment and will be encouraged to use it in situations when an arrestee refuses to take a breath test to determine blood-alcohol content.
• The Davenport Museum of Art (DMA) wants everyone to know that despite construction and street closings, the DMA is still open. The street that runs in front of the museum, 12th Street, is closed, but visitors can reach the DMA parking lot by entering from Wilkes Avenue (the street that runs between the museum and Fejevary Park). Currently on display is The Photography of Alfred Stieglitz: Georgia O'Keeffe's Enduring Legacy. The DMA will be hosting this show through January 27 and is the only Midwestern stop on the exhibition's tour. For more information call, the museum at (563)326-7804 or visit (http://www.art-dma.org).
• In addition to having a Libertarian candidate for governor, (see the December 5 issue of the Reader), Iowa also has a Libertarian running for the office of attorney general: Ed Noyes. Noyes has practiced law in Iowa since 1985, and his top priorities would be property-tax reform, the elimination of the state income tax, and energy independence for Iowa. You can find out more about the Libertarian Party of Iowa and its candidates at (http://www.lpia.org) or by calling (800)655-5742.
• The State of Iowa is re-vamping its anti-smoking campaign with a new series of ads for radio, TV, billboards, and malls. The new ads are meant to be understated; one says "Smoking, table for one" and shows a sheet-covered corpse. These are much less in-your-face compared to attention-grabbing ads from last summer that showed gruesome close-up photos of people with cancer. A more recent campaign highlighted the presence of chemicals such as formaldehyde and arsenic in cigarette smoke. These ad campaigns are financed by $3.3 million a year from Iowa's settlement with tobacco companies. You can see the ads and find out more about the campaigns at (http:// www.JELiowa.org). And if you want help to stop smoking, you can look on the Web site or call (866)822-6879.
• According to Iowa State University's annual survey, Iowa farmland values are up for the second straight year, rising 3.7 percent to an average value of $1,926 per acre. All 99 counties reflect the increase, with Scott County topping the list with an average value of roughly $3,200. The survey also shows values jumped by 7 percent in four counties: Fremont, Mills, Montgomery and Page. Values rose by just 1 percent in four other counties: Dickinson, Lyon, O'Brien, and Osceola. The increase is attributed to lower interest rates, crop yields, and the availability of land on the market. These numbers make you wonder why we, in Scott County particularly, are so eager to pave over and develop valuable farmland.
