• MidAmerican Energy representatives presented a check in the amount of $296,000 to the Museum of Art Foundation Board of the Figge Art Museum on April 19. The monetary award is for energy-conservation efforts at the Figge Art Museum, located at 225 West Second Street in Davenport. Energy-conservation strategies incorporated were in the areas of lighting, windows, insulation, and mechanical systems. As a result, the Figge Art Museum anticipates annual savings of approximately 69,000 therms of natural gas and 1.4 million kilowatt hours.
• The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is seeking nominations for the annual Iowa History Teacher of the Year Award. The award honors one exceptional K-12 teacher of American history from each state and U.S. territory. The state winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and will be in the running for the National History Teacher of the Year award to be selected this fall. The deadline for nominations is May 1. For more information, contact Tom Connors at (319)273-2994 or (thomas.connors@uni.edu).
• Construction season is about to kick in to gear, and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) warns that new laws are on the books that target drivers who flout work-zone speed limits and endanger the lives of construction workers and other drivers. Under enhanced penalties passed by the Illinois legislature and signed into law by Governor Rod Blagojevich last year, first-time work-zone speeders, including those caught on camera, will be hit with a fine of $375, with $125 of that sum going to pay off-duty state troopers to provide added enforcement in construction or maintenance zones. Two-time offenders are subject to a $1,000 fine, including a $250 surcharge to hire troopers, and the loss of their license for 90 days. Starting in July, state troopers will deploy specially equipped vans that can take photographs of drivers speeding in IDOT and Illinois tollway construction and maintenance zones. Tickets will be issued by mail to vehicle owners. In addition, drivers who hit a worker could receive a fine up to $10,000 along with a maximum 14 years in prison. For more information, visit (http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r033005.html).
• Rick's House of Hope is accepting registrations for Camp Good Grief, which will be held July 24 through 28. Camp Good Grief is a week-long day camp for youth ages five and older who have experienced the death of a loved one. Campers will participate with trained mentors in a camp with an Olympic-games theme. Rick's House of Hope is a division of the Spiritual Care Department of Genesis Medical Center. To receive a registration packet, contact director Robyn Plocher at (563)324-9580. Camper registration is $20 for one child, or $30 for two children in the same family. Space is limited.
• The Reverend William Dawson, professor emeritus of philosophy at St. Ambrose University, is this year's recipient of the Social Justice Award from the university's School of Social Work. Father Dawson will be honored at the eighth annual Social Justice Conference on Wednesday, May 10, on campus. Inaugurated in 1999, the annual award honors those individuals and social-service agencies from the greater Quad Cities who have demonstrated a commitment to social and economic justice and the promotion and advancement of human rights. Father Dawson graduated from St. Ambrose in 1950 and was ordained in 1954 before returning to his alma mater as a faculty member in 1961. He holds a master of arts in history from St. Paul Seminary and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. Father Dawson retired from St. Ambrose University in June 2005 following a 40-year career as a professor of philosophy. In his retirement, Father Dawson has stayed active within the St. Ambrose community and has continued his ministry at St. Anthony's Church in Davenport, where he has served since 1981.
• In June, the Iowa Composers Forum will award a $500 college scholarship to help a talented young Iowa composer study music at an Iowa college or university. Interested applicants should be a resident of Iowa and currently be either a senior in high school or a freshman, sophomore, or junior in college. Applicants should submit one original score and a completed entry form that can be downloaded from the scholarship section of the Iowa Composers Forum Web site (http://www.iowacomposers.org). Questions regarding the competition can be e-mailed to Ralph Kendrick at (ohrals@aol.com).
• Thao Kieu, a senior at West High School in Davenport, has been named the winner of a Gates Millenium Scholarship. Sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the prestigious scholarship is renewable for eight years and is designed for students pursuing advanced degrees in technical/scientific areas. Kieu will be entering the University of Iowa this fall to study pre-med. The scholarship is expected to fully pay for her studies as she works toward her degree in medicine.
• The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is offering a new service to anglers of Iowa as part of a continuing effort to increase fishing participation. The Iowa Fishing Report, issued each Tuesday through July, is based on information from bait shops and creel surveys from across Iowa. The fishing report is broken down by region of the state and includes the phone number of the regional office for more information. To join the Fish Iowa list, send a blank e-mail message to (join-FishIowa@lists.ia.gov).
• The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is seeking nominations for the annual Iowa History Teacher of the Year Award. The award honors one exceptional K-12 teacher of American history from each state and U.S. territory. The state winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and will be in the running for the National History Teacher of the Year award to be selected this fall. The deadline for nominations is May 1. For more information, contact Tom Connors at (319)273-2994 or (thomas.connors@uni.edu).
• Construction season is about to kick in to gear, and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) warns that new laws are on the books that target drivers who flout work-zone speed limits and endanger the lives of construction workers and other drivers. Under enhanced penalties passed by the Illinois legislature and signed into law by Governor Rod Blagojevich last year, first-time work-zone speeders, including those caught on camera, will be hit with a fine of $375, with $125 of that sum going to pay off-duty state troopers to provide added enforcement in construction or maintenance zones. Two-time offenders are subject to a $1,000 fine, including a $250 surcharge to hire troopers, and the loss of their license for 90 days. Starting in July, state troopers will deploy specially equipped vans that can take photographs of drivers speeding in IDOT and Illinois tollway construction and maintenance zones. Tickets will be issued by mail to vehicle owners. In addition, drivers who hit a worker could receive a fine up to $10,000 along with a maximum 14 years in prison. For more information, visit (http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r033005.html).
• Rick's House of Hope is accepting registrations for Camp Good Grief, which will be held July 24 through 28. Camp Good Grief is a week-long day camp for youth ages five and older who have experienced the death of a loved one. Campers will participate with trained mentors in a camp with an Olympic-games theme. Rick's House of Hope is a division of the Spiritual Care Department of Genesis Medical Center. To receive a registration packet, contact director Robyn Plocher at (563)324-9580. Camper registration is $20 for one child, or $30 for two children in the same family. Space is limited.
• The Reverend William Dawson, professor emeritus of philosophy at St. Ambrose University, is this year's recipient of the Social Justice Award from the university's School of Social Work. Father Dawson will be honored at the eighth annual Social Justice Conference on Wednesday, May 10, on campus. Inaugurated in 1999, the annual award honors those individuals and social-service agencies from the greater Quad Cities who have demonstrated a commitment to social and economic justice and the promotion and advancement of human rights. Father Dawson graduated from St. Ambrose in 1950 and was ordained in 1954 before returning to his alma mater as a faculty member in 1961. He holds a master of arts in history from St. Paul Seminary and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. Father Dawson retired from St. Ambrose University in June 2005 following a 40-year career as a professor of philosophy. In his retirement, Father Dawson has stayed active within the St. Ambrose community and has continued his ministry at St. Anthony's Church in Davenport, where he has served since 1981.
• In June, the Iowa Composers Forum will award a $500 college scholarship to help a talented young Iowa composer study music at an Iowa college or university. Interested applicants should be a resident of Iowa and currently be either a senior in high school or a freshman, sophomore, or junior in college. Applicants should submit one original score and a completed entry form that can be downloaded from the scholarship section of the Iowa Composers Forum Web site (http://www.iowacomposers.org). Questions regarding the competition can be e-mailed to Ralph Kendrick at (ohrals@aol.com).
• Thao Kieu, a senior at West High School in Davenport, has been named the winner of a Gates Millenium Scholarship. Sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the prestigious scholarship is renewable for eight years and is designed for students pursuing advanced degrees in technical/scientific areas. Kieu will be entering the University of Iowa this fall to study pre-med. The scholarship is expected to fully pay for her studies as she works toward her degree in medicine.
• The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is offering a new service to anglers of Iowa as part of a continuing effort to increase fishing participation. The Iowa Fishing Report, issued each Tuesday through July, is based on information from bait shops and creel surveys from across Iowa. The fishing report is broken down by region of the state and includes the phone number of the regional office for more information. To join the Fish Iowa list, send a blank e-mail message to (join-FishIowa@lists.ia.gov).
