01 Aug 2011

Media Link, Inc. Brings New Account Manager on Board

By Jake Glimco

Rock Island  , IL / July 25, 2011 - Media Link, Inc. (MLI) is proud to announce and welcome back Jessica Fink, a former MLI intern, as the company's newest Media Link Software and Government Account Manager. In this role, she will oversee the exciting launch of our new media-buying software and be responsible for maintaining our current and perspective Government Contracts, as well as forging better relationships with existing accounts.

Ms. Fink brings to the table an extensive background in the news industry, formerly serving as a Government and Politics reporter for The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus newspapers. Her breaking news coverage and emphasis on the K-12 education beat provided a credible information source   Quad   City   readers could easily turn to for relevant, critical and current local news.

Ms. Fink began her journalism career as a student at   Black   Hawk   College   while serving as a general reporter for The Chieftain newspaper and BHC's Broadcast Club. Her time spent as a city reporter for Northern Illinois University's daily student newspaper, The Northern Star, helped further hone her writing, editing and communication skills. She graduated from NIU with a B.A. in Journalism and Communication Studies, with an emphasis in Organizational/Corporate Communications.

Following her news reporting stint, Ms. Fink joined Fanfare Sports Marketing, a national leader in the promotional products industry for high schools and middle schools nationwide. There, she gained valuable hands-on experience through helping advertisers effectively target the high school student market segment and satellite audience of parents, faculty and alumni.

"I am thrilled to be joining the Media Link team again," said Ms. Fink. "The growth this company has seen over the years is outstanding, and I look forward to contributing to their mission of helping clients achieve continuous success in their marketing efforts."

"I am thrilled to have someone of Jessica's caliber join our team and stay in our area.  As we add more positions to our agency, I'm happy to keep some of our local talent in this area", said Natalie Linville-Mass, President of Media Link, Inc.

Media Link, Inc. is a full-service advertising agency dedicated to helping clients develop strategic marketing plans tailored specifically to their company's unique and individual needs. For more information, contact Natalie Linville-Mass at (309) 786-5142.

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28 Jul 2011

Secretary Vilsack Announces Telecommunications Projects To Deliver Broadband and Job Opportunities to Rural Communities

By USDA Office of Communications

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., July 27, 2011 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that rural telecommunications companies have been selected to receive nearly $192 million in loans for projects that will deliver broadband services to rural customers across eight states. These funds represent the latest investment from The Department of Agriculture's Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program and will add thousands of miles of cable to the telecommunications grid in rural America. The announcement was made by Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jonathan Adelstein on Vilsack's behalf at the summer meeting of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunication Companies in Minneapolis.

"A significant portion of America still does not have adequate broadband for job and economic development activities," Vilsack said. "Working with our partners, including cooperatives and the telecommunications industry, USDA delivers broadband to rural areas, creating jobs and providing critical financial, educational and health care services. We've made a good start, but it is clear that the work of the Obama Administration and USDA is far from done."

Administered by USDA Rural Development's Rural Utilities Service (RUS), this financing is part of the $690 million investment during fiscal year 2011 and is in addition to the $3.5 billion in broadband funding RUS awarded for projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The telecommunications infrastructure program funds facilities and equipment to upgrade, expand, maintain and replace rural telecommunications networks.

Projects announced today include a $70 million loan to 3 Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (3 Rivers) in Fairfield, Montana to install almost 1,700 miles of buried cable, construct buildings, and install electronic equipment to upgrade 10 exchanges. The deployment of this equipment will make upgraded broadband services available to approximately 4,700 households, 500 businesses, and 82 critical community organizations, such as public safety departments. 3 Rivers provides telecommunications services to subscribers over nearly 17,000 square miles of Montana.

In Oregon, Molalla Telephone Company has been selected to receive a $22.5 million loan to expand a Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband system to approximately 85 percent of their subscribers.

Funding of each recipient is contingent upon their meeting the conditions of the loan agreement. A complete list of the rural utilities approved for funding is listed below:

Iowa

  • Farmers Mutual Telephone Company: $18,205,000

Iowa and Missouri

  • IAMO Telephone Company: $14,972,000

Kansas

  • Wilson Telephone Company, Inc.: $14,312,000

Montana

  • 3 Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc.: $70,000,000

Oregon

  • Molalla Telephone Company: $22,500,000

Texas

  • Coleman County Telephone Cooperative, Inc.: $22,540,000

Washington

  • Western Wahkiakum County Telephone Company: $12,708,000

Wisconsin

  • Baldwin Telecom, Inc.: $16,716,000

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of state and local offices. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Rural Development has an existing portfolio of more than $150 billion in loans and loan guarantees. Visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov for additional information about the agency's programs or to locate the USDA Rural Development office nearest you.

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28 Jul 2011

2011 4-H Film Festival Entries Are In

By Joy Venhorst

AMES, Iowa -Thirteen films by Iowa teens and preteens will compete at the 2011 4-H Film Festival during the Iowa State Fair

The participants had the choice of working on a film individually or as a team. At least one team member must be in 4-H. Film submissions were due July 1 and the review and judging process is under way.

"It's exciting to see the youth of Iowa grabbing their cameras, gathering friends and making such creative and fun films for all to enjoy," said Jed Findlay, a communications specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and one of the judges for the film festival. "I'm looking forward to the day of the festival to see which films get picked."

The top films will be shown at the 2011 4-H Film Festival in the 4-H Exhibits Building on Aug. 12. Teams are competing for a spot in the line-up and for the grand prize of an Apple iPad.

"These films are a great example of the kind of talent and creativity that youth are capable of and it is outstanding," says Film Festival coordinator Karen Frank.

KCWI, Blank Park Zoo, Traviss Audio Video and Taco Johns are sponsoring the event.

4-H Film Festival Entries

Iowa youth who completed any of grades 5 through 12 were eligible to submit a film in one of three categories:

Educate - Videos intended to provide information or training on a specific topic

Inspire - Videos intended to raise awareness about an important issue or call viewers to action

Just 4 Fun - Videos intended to entertain

Films from the following teams are being reviewed and judged for the 4-H Film Festival.

Educate

A Rocket, a Crew and a Trip to the Moon by The Tech Rollers - Spencer Campbell, Story County

Origami Ocean: Paper Creations That Won't Wash Up In Water by Fold-It-Up Productions - Hunter Brehm, Dubuque County

The Dangers of Texting While Driving by IDHT Productions - Sarah Braun, Warren County

Inspire

Running the Race by 4 Kids and a Camera - Joel Stephenson, Emma Stephenson, Victoria Litwiller and Matthew J. Litwiller, Hardin County

2011 South Africa Mission Trip by Films 4 Christ - Colton Bishop, Polk County

Just 4 Fun

Super Spy Granny by Barr and Padlock Productions - Alan Barr, Alicia Barr, Paul Swanson, Zack Paddok, Emilie Paddok and Bethany Paddok, Decatur County

Trisha's Lullaby by Jaden Ramsey - Tonya Ramsey, Sac County

Blue and Green by Arthur - Arthur Behnke, Scott County

Starry Eyed Surprise by Andrew Smith - Andrew Smith, Story County

Kidnapped by Kids on Scene - Callie Forgy, Madison County

The Journey to the Clover Queen by Eyes on the Child Baby Sitting Club - Mikayla VanderHeiden, Bekah Nau, Megan Garrison, Alaina O'Connor, Paige O'Connor, Amanda Ryner, Tyanna Forgy and Kendra Kirkland, Madison County

10 Weirdest things to Trip Over by ZUM Movies - Alex Zumwalt, Linn County

Hairball Revenge by French Fries - Rayna P. Buxton, Henry County

For more information, contact Karen Frank at kmnaig@gmail.comor Holly Bignall at hbignall@iastate.edu.

26 Jul 2011

Iowa author offers candid approach to handling problems, decisions

By Nicholas Depew

DAVENPORT, Iowa - In his new book, "Life Is Too Short: Life Is What We Make It," Iowa author David W. Dorris shows readers how to approach life's problems, and that making the right choices is easier than they may think.

Dorris compares life to a baseball game, constantly throwing curveballs. He challenges readers to stop watching from the sidelines and to get in the game and face life head-on, even though it isn't always an easy game to play.

No one has a choice as to how they come into the world, but Dorris points out that everyone has a choice as to the kind of life they live. In this insightful book, readers discover for themselves how they too can knock life's curveballs out of the park.

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visiting barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com.

Dorris coached Dad's Club Softball for thirty years. He always taught the kids that played for him that life is like a sport, which encouraged him to write his other books, "Life Is Too Short" and "Life Is Too Short: Choices In Life, Second Edition." He has two children, Wendy and Douglas, and currently resides in Davenport, Iowa, with his wife, Sally.

07 Jul 2011

Justice Tom Waterman appears on The Cities with Jim Mertens

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - Inspired by his attorney father and following in the footsteps of his great grandfather, Justice Charles M. Waterman, who served on the Iowa Supreme Court from 1898 to 1902, newly elected Justice Tom Waterman sits down to talk with Jim Mertens on "The Cities." The program will air on Thursday, July 7th at 6:30 pm and Sunday, July 10 at 5:30 pm.

Speaking about his appointment, Justice Waterman said "I was thrilled to land the position for the Quad Cities. We haven't had a resident justice here since Linda Neumann retired in 2003..." he went on to say "...It's important both for the court and for the Quad Cities to have a resident justice here again. It improves communications, and a lot of what our Supreme Court does is to administer the rules and the personnel in the judicial branch..." Justice Waterman said he was honored to have been appointed to the court and "After 9-11, like many American's, I felt an impulse to give back to the community." He feels strongly that this job fulfills that goal.

Host Jim Mertens asked if it bothered him how the court was politicized the way it was prior to the 2010 elections. Waterman responded "Well, it was a shock to the judicial system, and one thing I've seen now that I'm serving on the court is the backlog the new justices have inherited because the court was at barely over half strength for a number of months and very distracted before it.  It had never happened before, and normally the Supreme Court changes one justice at a time, normally through retirement. It never lost three and never had three new members join all at once. At the same time, that made the need all the greater and the opportunity to serve all the more important..." he went on to say "I think it's very important to our system of checks and balances that our court not get politicized, and two of the downsides to what happened are the risks that justices and judges will get intimidated and base a decision on what they think is popular rather than what the law requires."

Among his plans on the court, he wants more of Iowa's citizens to see how the court works." I hope to bring the court to Davenport within the next year or so. It provides the public with an opportunity to come to a local auditorium, see the court in action and one of my favorite parts of the job is the oral arguments," Waterman said.

Other innovations on the court, is the videotaping of arguments before the court. By archiving the cases, people can go to the Iowa Supreme Court website and be better informed about the cases before the court and their outcomes. Justice Waterman feels that it is the job of the justices to "protect the integrity of the system" and said that upcoming cases include civil, criminal and constitutional issues. To find out more about Justice Tom Waterman, tune in to WQPT Thursday at 6:30 pm.

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University located in Moline, Illinois.

30 Jun 2011

Illinois 2.0: Governor Quinn Launches New Social Media Websites

By Andrew Mason

Governor Adds Twitter and Flickr to State Communications Toolbox  

CHICAGO - June 29, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today launched official Twitter and Flickr pages to provide Illinois residents with yet another way to access and communicate with state government. Governor Quinn's new social media sites will be regularly updated with the latest state news and videos, as well as the Governor's own tweets (marked as "-GOV"). The Governor will also use Twitter to seek feedback and ideas from people throughout Illinois.  

"Social media including Twitter and Flickr are the latest tools we have added to share news and information with the people of Illinois." Governor Quinn said. "We are continuing our work to make state government as open and accessible as possible, sharing updates and photos to further engage Illinois residents on the issues that impact them."  

This new use of social media is part of Governor Quinn's efforts to utilize technology as a way of making Illinois government more transparent and accountable. In 2009, Sunshine.Illinois.gov was launched to allow the public to see employee salaries, state contracts, inspection results, campaign finance disclosures and other important information.   

Earlier this month, Data.Illinois.gov was established as a searchable clearinghouse for state agencies to inform residents about the operation of state government and encourage the creative use of state information, including the development of applications for mobile devices that can be built around the data.

Last week Governor Quinn launched Apps for Metro Chicago Illinois, an application development competition. The competition, which will take place over the next six months, will allow developers to create applications using nearly 200 data sets that have been made available by the state of Illinois, Cook County and the city of Chicago. The competition features more than $50,000 in prizes and encourages developers to create innovative solutions to public policy issues and applications that can improve the lives of people everywhere. Data and information for the competition can be found at AppsforMetroChicago.com.

The public can follow Governor Quinn on Twitter at Twitter.com/GovernorQuinn and access photos from his time in public service at flickr.com/photos/GovernorPatQuinn.

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20 Jun 2011

WQPT INTRODUCES THE 2011 CLASS OF WQPT/ PBS AMBASSADORS

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS is pleased to introduce their 2011 WQPT/PBS Ambassadors, an elite volunteer corps made up of college students.

The WQPT/PBS Ambassador program, in its seventh year, provides an opportunity for college students to represent their local public television station at a variety of events throughout eastern Iowa and western Illinois. "Ambassadors are an elite volunteer team that serves as an extension of the WQPT staff," said WQPT Special Projects Coordinator, Bea Brasel. This year the WQPT/PBS Ambassadors are:

Front Row: Michele Moreno-Black Hawk College
2nd Row: Karri Folks-Western Illinois University, Melissa Gravert-Western Illinois University
3rd Row: John Bosco Munyengabe-Black Hawk College, Kristi Phillipson-Black Hawk College, Irene Cruz-Northern Illinois University, Kelly Libberton-Western Illinois University, Onder Badur-Northern Illinois University
Not in Photo: Daniel Brasel-Illinois College & Shanen Norlin-Western Illinois University

"Our Ambassadors are an important part of our volunteer corps and many of them return to volunteer long after their college years end because they believe in the work that WQPT does in the community," said Ms. Brasel. WQPT is the public media service of Western Illinois University - Quad Cities located in Moline, Illinois

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16 Jun 2011

WQPT BRINGS THE CAT IN THE HAT TO THE QUAD CITIES

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - Looking for something to do with the kids that doesn't cost anything? WQPT, the local PBS station will be bringing the much beloved Dr. Seuss character The Cat in the Hat to the Quad Cities. The Cat in the Hat will be greeting children at the Bettendorf Public Library on June 21

st from 1:30 to 3:00 pm and the Moline Public Library on June 23rd from 10 to 11:30 am.  The Cat will also appear at Blossoms at Butterworth on June 26th at the Butterworth Center in Moline, Illinois between 12 and 5:00 pm.

"'The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about That' is one of our newest programs and focuses on math and science. We know kids will enjoy spending some time with this very well known character," said Ana Kehoe, WQPT Educational Outreach Director.  At each of the appearance by The Cat in the Hat, children will be able to take part in games and activities. Admission to the venues is free.

For more information call 309-764-2400 or log on to wqpt.org. WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University located in Moline, Illinois.

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10 Jun 2011

WQPT RECEIVES PROJECT GRANTS

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT is happy to announce recent grants awarded to the station to help support equipment upgrades, membership acquisition and retention, and the station's literacy initiatives.

The Scott Regional Authority granted WQPT $20,000 for broadcast equipment. "With existing equipment being beyond its life expectancy, and with new technology moving towards an all IT-based environment, the timing of this grant couldn't be better," according to WQPT's General Manager, Rick Best.

The Riverboat Development Authority presented a challenge grant to the station in the amount of $15,000 to bring new members to the station and to encourage existing members to increase their contribution. WQPT is currently in their June membership drive and any new member's donation will be matched using this grant. "We're pleased that the RDA recognizes the importance of developing our member base," said Jamie Lange, WQPT's Chief Development Officer. "This grant will help us bring in new members that will support the station for years to come."

WQPT's First Book Club, which supplies books to low-literate and low-income families in the Quad Cities has received several grants. Among the grantors are: 3M Foundation - $500, Rock Island Arsenal Welcome Club - $100, Rock Island Rotary Club Literacy Fund - $500, Junior Board of Rock Island - $400  and  Modern Woodmen of America - $1,500.  "The First Book Club has been in existence for 15 years and we currently distribute about 5,000 books per year through selected schools," said Ana Kehoe, Educational Outreach Director.  "These grants will allow us to maintain our current level of service to the schools." The station also provides hands-on workshops for students, teachers and parents to encourage students and families to be more involved in reading.

"All of these grants come at a crucial time for WQPT," according to Best. "Until space becomes available to move into a WIU facility, the station is incurring considerable additional costs for leased space and utilities. These grants help us maintain our programs during this time of transition."

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University in Moline, Illinois.

 

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01 Apr 2011

Rock Island Graduate Publishes Unique Relationship Book

By Jodie Kavensky

Marla Press, a 1979 graduate of Rock Island High School currently living in Houston, Texas, has recently published a book entitled "I'm a Dog, You're a Cat (Love Lessons From our Furry Friends)". She will be visiting the Quad Cities on April 5 to promote the book, which has been hailed as "a communications discovery that utilizes cat and dog analogies to shed light on -- and help improve -- personal relationships."

In a recent interview, Ms. Press explained the idea behind the book. "About 18 months ago, I stumbled upon the cosmic notion that people are inherently different at their very core; humans are hard-wired to be more like a feline or more like a canine," she said. "I wanted to share this idea with everyone I talked to and realized that the illustrations would be key to the book's success. I have long admired artist Jim Tweedy's work. In fact, I have three of his prints in my home. I approached Jim through his Houston gallery and he readily agreed to put his talent to work in my book. I was thrilled, to say the least!"


"Once people discover and define their inner dog or cat tendencies, they can learn many love lessons from their furry companions as they explore the intrinsic personality traits of cats and dogs," Ms. Press added. "I want to reach out to readers and have them share stories of the dogs and cats in their lives. Most people are in relationships or have dogs or cats. There are lessons to be learned by sharing our experiences with others." Although this is her first book, she hopes a series of others will follow based on reader-submitted stories.


According to Ms. Press, the book has taken on a life of its own. It has been featured in Houston Pet Talk Magazine, and Neiman Marcus department stores have been instrumental in promoting it in local markets throughout Texas. Ms. Press' "real job" is as a Regional Sales Director for Forward Management, LLC working with financial advisors throughout the mid-southern states.


The Quad City book signings will take place on Tuesday, April 5 from noon to 2 p.m. at Quad City Arts, 1715 - 2nd Avenue in Rock Island, and from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Rock Island County Animal Care & Contol Shelter, 4001 78th Avenue in Moline, where a portion of the proceeds will go to QC PAWS (in support of the shelter). The book retails for $24.99 and is available only through her book signings or at www.imadogyoureacat.com.

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