DES MOINES, IA (04/10/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald wants to encourage Iowans to make the most of their tax refunds this year by investing in College Savings Iowa. "Much like the April 17 deadline for taxes, the time to save for college is over before you know it," said Fitzgerald. "Put your refund to good use and start saving for a loved one's future educational needs today. By starting early, saving a little at a time and making smart investment choices, families can make their savings work for them."

College Savings Iowa is designed to provide families a tax-advantaged way to save money for their children's higher education. It only takes $25 to open an account, and anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest in College Savings Iowa on behalf of a child. Participants who are Iowa taxpayers can deduct contributions up to $2,975 per beneficiary from their 2012 adjusted gross income, and there are no income or residency restrictions.* Investors can withdraw their investment federally tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses including tuition, books, supplies and certain room and board costs at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad.**

Saving for a child's education is always a smart investment, and College Savings Iowa is there to help. To learn more about College Savings Iowa or to open an account, please visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com or call 1-888-672-9116.

*Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income.

**Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

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Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 888-672-9116 or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing.

MOLINE, IL - Beginning this fall, a new major in human resource management (HRM) will be available to students at Western Illinois University's Quad Cities campus.

WIU College of Business and Technology Dean Tom Erekson said the addition demonstrates WIU's commitment to the future.

"WIU is educating business leaders for the Quad Cities by expanding the business majors offered to include the HRM program," he said. "We have highly qualified faculty and a first-rate program that meet AACSB international accreditation standards."

According to Susan Stewart, associate professor of human resource management at the WIU-QC campus, WIU students who major in HRM gain a robust skill set that will help them to effectively manage human capital within organizations.

"We're excited to offer this major at the WIU-Quad Cities campus," said Gordon Rands, interim chair of marketing and management at WIU. "In today's global economy, the HRM field is ever evolving. This field is diverse and spans a broad variety of pivotal functions from equal employment opportunity law to staffing to training and development and more."

While completing the degree, students take courses in several functional areas including staffing, compensation, legal compliance, performance management and training and development. These are in addition to courses in broader areas such as organization behavior and general management.

The national SHRM organization also provides a Professional in Human Resource (PHR) Certification Exam and an Assurance of Learning Exam for students. Recently, five students at the Quad Cities completed and passed the rigorous PHR exam and have achieved the certification.

"I'm proud that our students are taking this step in their careers as human resource professionals," said Stewart. "By taking these exams they are demonstrating their knowledge of the most current principles and core practices of HRM, and they will better compete for the top HR positions across the nation and internationally."

Stewart has planned "HRM Day" Friday April 27 for students to network with HR professionals from the Quad Cities, learn more about career tracks in HRM and understand the HRM major and minor programs at WIU-QC.

"HRM is our newest educational opportunity, joining recent announcements of new English and communication majors, that once again is based on requests and documented need for local and regional employers," said Joe Rives, vice president for the Quad Cities, planning and technology. "We are proud to offer strong in-demand programs that help recruit and retain a highly talented workforce in the community and the region."

For more information or to RSVP for HRM Day, contact Stewart at SM-Stewart2@wiu.edu.

DES MOINES, IA - Today, actor and former White House Associate Director of Public Engagement Kal Penn and Obama for America Battleground States Director Mitch Stewart will host a student summit at the University of Iowa. This event is the latest Greater Together event designed to engage and mobilize young Americans in the 2012 campaign. Students from across the state will join via webcast from Luther College, St. Ambrose University, Drake University, Iowa State University and Loras College.

The Greater Together Student Summit Tour brings together senior campaign officials, community leaders, student representatives and celebrities to discuss key policy issues impacting young Americans like President Obama's plan to make college more affordable, expanding access to quality health care and creating new job opportunities for graduates. This tour is a chance for students to weigh in on the issues that matter to them, and to learn about how they can start organizing on their campuses to ensure a victory in November 2012. Learn more at www.barackobama.com/young-americans.

WHERE: Downtown Sheraton Hotel

Amos Dean Ballroom

210 S Dubuque St

Iowa City, IA 52240

 

WHEN: Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Doors open at 5:00 PM CT

Event begins at 5:30 PM CT

 

SATELLITE LOCATIONS:

 

Luther College
700 College Dr Rm 206
Decorah

 

St. Ambrose University

Corner Of Gaines & Lombard W Rm 102
Davenport

 

Loras Collge

1450 Alta Vista St

Dubuque

 

Iowa State University

Memorial Union Room 3505

2229 Lincoln Way

Ames

 

Drake University

Mars Cafe

2318 University Avenue

Des Moines



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14 Days until
Lights!  Camera!  Auction!

Raffle Tickets are on sale!
3-D Plasma TV drawing
50/50 raffle

RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE
Annual Auction & Dinner
April 21, 2012
Hotel Blackhawk

Thank you to our sponsors!
Sears Manufacturing Company
Dr. & Mrs. Michal Porubcin
Drs. Rajesh & Bindu Alla
Eye Surgeons Associates, Dr. Tina Eckhardt
Select Benefit Solutions, Michael White, CLU, RHU
Lilac Hill Photography
Bullseye Direct Mail
Davenport Printing Company
American Safety Training, Inc.

All proceeds from this event are used to support the programs of
RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE.

Kadyn Halverson, age 7, saw her school bus slow to a stop in front of her family's home near Northwood, Iowa, one morning last May.  She crossed the street to climb aboard.  Like my own three kids and many other Iowa children, she took the flashing red lights of the bus as an article of faith that it was safe to cross.

 

But that morning, it wasn't. A pickup truck driver traveling at 60 miles per hour ignored the warning signs and passed the stopped school bus, striking and killing Kadyn. The driver fled and later was convicted of vehicular homicide.

 

Since the tragedy, Kadyn's family has worked tirelessly to honor her legacy by pushing the Iowa Legislature to strengthen penalties for drivers who ignore warning lights and illegally pass school buses.

 

Last month, Gov. Terry Branstad signed "Kadyn's Law," which mandates fines of at least $250 and up to $675, plus the possibility of jail time, for first-time offenders of school bus traffic safety laws. For a second conviction within five years, repeat offenders face up to a year in jail and fines up to $1,875. These strong penalties tell drivers to take school bus warning lights seriously.

 

The obvious next step is to make Kadyn's Law the new national standard. Under a federal version of Kadyn's Law I've introduced in Congress, if a state doesn't pass a law that matches the standards set forth in Iowa this year, that state will face a 10 percent cut in federal highway funding.

 

Without this sort of motivation, the status quo is never going to change. Consider this: In North Dakota, the fine for passing a stopped school bus is $50 – less than some parking tickets!

 

Across the nation, drivers illegally pass stopped school buses 13 million times each year; in Iowa, 138,600 times every year.  If we cut that number, we'll reduce the number of children killed and injured by reckless drivers. The best way to do that is to eliminate a weak, ineffective patchwork of state laws and replace it with a strong national standard that provides a real incentive for drivers to follow the law.

 

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:Kenosha, Wis. - Carthage College has named outstanding scholars to its Dean's List for academic excellence during the fall semester of 2011.

Dean's List honors are accorded Carthage students who achieve a 3.5 grade point average while carrying at least 14 credit hours during a semester.

Students from the local area receiving Dean's List honors include :

Anne Marie Boyler and Erin Holst, both of Bettendorf

Jennifer Lynn Fyfe of Davenport

Pace Raymond Bennett and Nathan Andrew Moore, both of Moline.

ABOUT CARTHAGE COLLEGE

Established in 1847, Carthage is a college of the liberal arts and sciences affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The College enrolls 2,500 students and is situated on the Lake Michigan shore in Kenosha, Wis., midway between Chicago and Milwaukee. The Collegiate Learning Assessment has ranked Carthage among the top eight percent of colleges and universities nationwide for the academic gains of its students.

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Des Moines, April 4, 2012 – On Wednesday, April 11, the Iowa Supreme Court will visit eight high schools in the Quad-Cities area to talk with students about the role of the courts. The justices will visit with students at West, Central, and Assumption High Schools in Davenport; Bettendorf, and Pleasant Valley High Schools, and Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf; North Scott High School in Eldridge; and Clinton High School in Clinton.

 

High school visit schedule for April 11:

7:45 a.m.–Justice Daryl Hecht will visit Davenport Central High School

8:40 a.m.–Justice Edward Mansfield will visit North Scott Senior High School

9:00 a.m.–Justice David Wiggins will visit Davenport West High School

9:00 a.m.–Justice Thomas Waterman will visit Pleasant Valley High School

9:00 a.m.–Justice Bruce Zager will visit Clinton High School

9:20 a.m.–Justice Brent Appel will visit Davenport Assumption High School

10:00 a.m.–Chief Justice Mark Cady will visit Bettendorf High School

11:00 a.m.–Justice Thomas Waterman will visit Rivermont Collegiate

 

News media wishing to cover a justice visit to either Davenport West or Davenport Central High Schools must first contact Davenport Community School District Communication Specialist Dawn Saul at saulda@davenportschools.org or 563-336-5088.

 

The school visits are in conjunction with a special session of the supreme court in the Quad Cities on the evening of April 10. The court will hear oral arguments in two cases in the Pleasant Valley High School auditorium. This session begins at 7 p.m. As always, oral arguments are open to the public.

 

Special Session

Tuesday, April 10, at 7 p.m.

Pleasant Valley High School auditorium

604 Belmont Road

Bettendorf, Iowa

 

The court will hear attorneys argue in two cases.

 

11-0834 Lewis vs. The City of Dubuque

Plaintiff appeals the decision of the Iowa District Court for Dubuque County dismissing her claim that she was illegally evicted from her apartment. Plaintiff often used her gas oven, with door open, to heat her apartment and left water running for extended periods. Acting under a Dubuque City Ordinance, the landlord changed the locks to the apartment and moved plaintiff's possessions to the front step. Plaintiff contends the city ordinance violates her due process rights and is preempted by Iowa's Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act (URLTA). Defendant argues that Iowa's URLTA was not meant to prohibit cities from addressing such emergency situations.

 

The attorney representing the appellant is Raymond Johnson, West Des Moines, and the attorneys representing the appellee are Cory Thein, Dubuque, and Leslie Reddick, Dubuque.

 

11-1581 Dier vs. Peters

Should Iowa recognize a cause of action for paternity fraud? Plaintiff seeks reimbursement from the mother of a child plaintiff financially and emotionally supported, claiming the mother knew plaintiff was not the father of the child. The parties were never married. Plaintiff claims the mother led him to believe he was the child's biological father, and that only after a custody evaluation was favorable to him did the mother announce that he was not the father. The mother argues the court should reject such claims when the plaintiff declined paternity confirmation and voluntarily supported the child. Plaintiff appeals the Iowa District Court for Grundy County decision dismissing plaintiff's claim.

 

The attorney representing the appellant is Barry Kaplan, Marshalltown, and the attorney representing the appellee is Lynn Wiese, Iowa Falls.

 

Public Reception

There will be a public reception sponsored by the Scott County Bar Association in the Pleasant Valley High School cafeteria immediately following the court proceedings.

 

More Information

Attorneys' briefs for the two cases and a "Guide to Oral Arguments" are posted on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/Supreme_Court/Offsite_Oral_Arguments/.

 

Note to Editors: News media are invited to attend the oral arguments. Court rules regarding expanded media coverage apply.

 

 

 

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DES MOINES, IA (04/03/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald reminds students the deadline to apply for a Robert D. Blue Scholarship is drawing near. Applications must be submitted online at www.rdblue.org by May 10 in order to be eligible for this year's award.

"Over the years we've helped thousands of Iowa students meet their college costs with this scholarship," Fitzgerald stated. "Awards are based on financial need, academic achievements, written recommendations and an original essay." In 2011, seven Iowa students received a $1,000 Robert D. Blue Scholarship.

The Robert D. Blue Scholarship is awarded by the Iowa Centennial Memorial Foundation to honor Iowa students attending college in Iowa. The Foundation was created in 1949 to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of Iowa's acceptance into the union. Governor Blue wished to encourage the youth of the state to continue their education at one of Iowa's fine institutions of higher learning. In 1990, the Foundation officially named the scholarship to honor the late Governor Blue.

Robert D. Blue Scholarship applications are only accepted online at www.rdblue.org, and the winners will be announced during the summer. Those who would like more information on the Robert D. Blue Scholarship should visit the website, or call the treasurer's office at (515) 242-5270.

Moline, Illinois - Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) today announced that his offices will soon be accepting entries for the 30th Annual Congressional Art Competition.  Each high school in the 17th Congressional District has been invited to nominate up to five students to participate in the competition, an opportunity to acknowledge and promote artistic ability in each Congressional District and ultimately throughout the country.

"This is a great opportunity to show our area's young people that their hard work and creativity are valued," Schilling said.  "The talent and imagination among our district's young people blew me away last year, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this year's entries."

 

For this year's judging, a total of three votes will determine the winners.  Two local art experts will be the core judges, with the third vote cast by a compilation of spectator votes at the Art Competition reception to take place on Saturday May 5 from 1-3pm at Augustana College's Art Museum in Rock Island.  Sponsored by the Congressional Institute, the first place finisher and one guest will receive a free flight to Washington, DC to attend the 2012 Congressional Art Competition Reception on Capitol Hill, where their artwork will be displayed for the next year in a corridor of the United States Capitol Building dedicated to the talent of today's youth.  It will represent the 17th Congressional District of Illinois among hundreds of pieces from other congressional districts all over the country.  The remaining four artists are invited to have their pieces featured in the Schilling's district offices for the remainder of the year.

 

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 as a way to recognize and encourage the artistic talent of our country's youth.  Since it was launched, more than 650,000 students have participated nationwide.  Interested students or parents can contact Claudia Ridenour with questions at (309) 757-7630.

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ROCK ISLAND, IL (03/30/2012)(readMedia)-- 821 students have been named to the Dean's List at Augustana College for the 2011-12 winter term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term.

From your area, students who have earned this honor include :

Sheila Ahuja from Rock Island, Ill., a sophomore majoring in English/language arts education.

Leo Anderson from Rock Island, Ill., a sophomore majoring in business administration-advising.

Anthony Ash from Davenport, Iowa, a senior majoring in accounting and business administration-finance.

Erica Aten from Coal Valley, Ill., a senior majoring in psychology.

Jessica Bacon from Rock Island, Ill., a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Samantha Bazely from Coal Valley, Ill., a junior majoring in communication studies.

Adam Bengfort from Davenport, Iowa, a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Brandy Blakeney from East Moline, Ill., a junior majoring in mathematics and scandinavian studies.

Allison Brown from Milan, Ill., a sophomore majoring in elementary education.

Courtney Brown from Port Byron, Ill., a senior majoring in biology.

Ryan Brummet from Port Byron, Ill., a junior majoring in mathematics, applied mathematics, and computer science.

Tyler Cowherd from Bettendorf, Iowa, a sophomore majoring in business administration and advising.

Grace Drenth from Davenport, Iowa, a junior majoring in psychology.

Owen Engstrom from Davenport, Iowa, a senior majoring in political science and multimedia journalism and mass communication.

Tonnie Farwell from Rock Island, Ill., a junior majoring in accounting.

Kayla Ferguson from Orion, Ill., a junior majoring in English creative writing.

Abby Fiedler from Orion, Ill., a senior majoring in mathematics.

Fenner Hengst from Bettendorf, Iowa, a sophomore majoring in graphic design.

Darshan Hullon from Moline, Ill., a junior majoring in pre-medicine and biology.

Alexandra Jones from Sherrard, Ill., a sophomore majoring in biology.

Samantha Kammerman from Milan, Ill., a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Michael Kautz from East Moline, Ill., a junior majoring in accounting and business administration-finance.

Benjamin Knapper from Davenport, Iowa, a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Kylie Koger from Davenport, Iowa, a sophomore majoring in classics.

Ryan Kopatich from Davenport, Iowa, a senior majoring in psychology.

Manisha Kumar from Davenport, Iowa, a junior majoring in pre-medicine and biology.

Adam Lang from Rock Island, Ill., a senior majoring in business administration-management.

Anna Letendre from Rock Island, Ill., a junior majoring in business administration-marketing and psychology.

Kelsey Lovaas from Davenport, Iowa, a junior majoring in business administration-management and accounting.

Hannah Maloney from Davenport, Iowa, a junior majoring in psychology and communication studies.

Samantha McGreer from Illinois City, Ill., a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Timothy Murga from Rock Island, Ill., a senior majoring in biology.

Leart Neziroski from East Moline, Ill., a senior majoring in pre-medicine and biology.

Jacob O'Rourke from Davenport, Iowa, a senior majoring in accounting, economics, and business administration-finance.

Douglas Peters from Port Byron, Ill., a senior majoring in neuroscience and biology.

Richard Rector from Davenport, Iowa, a junior majoring in communication sciences and disorders.

Sarah Riedel from Long Grove, Iowa, a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Anna Rusch from Davenport, Iowa, a sophomore majoring in business administration-advising.

Ingrid Schneider from Davenport, Iowa, a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Andrew Shearouse from Coal Valley, Ill., a junior majoring in liberal studies.

Moselle Singh from Le Claire, Iowa, a junior majoring in anthropology.

Amber Soike from East Moline, Ill., a senior majoring in elementary education psychology.

Rosalie Starenko from Rock Island, Ill., a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Emma Thompson from Port Byron, Ill., a sophomore majoring in spanish.

Anthony TouVelle from Bettendorf, Iowa, a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Anna Tunnicliff from Bettendorf, Iowa, a senior majoring in history.

Chelsea Vickerman from Silvis, Ill., a junior majoring in business administration-finance.

Kaleigh Wall from Eldridge, Iowa, a senior majoring in art.

Alexander Wenskunas from Davenport, Iowa, a senior majoring in political science.

Peter Wessels from Bettendorf, Iowa, a senior majoring in business administration-finance and accounting.

James Wiebler from Davenport, Iowa, a junior majoring in biology.

Kelsey Winter from East Moline, Ill., a sophomore majoring in biology.

Nathan Woeber from Taylor Ridge, Ill., a first year majoring in liberal studies.

Shelby Womack from Davenport, Iowa, a sophomore majoring in biology.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers nearly 90 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 287 faculty members and has a student-faculty ratio of approximately 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and services in our complex, ever-changing world.

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