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What does minority births surpassing whites mean for education?

Pauli Mayfield — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:57:25 +0000

The newest census reports that racial and ethnic minorities surpassed white births in the United States. When those babies become students, how will schools embrace the change?

English Language Learning Director, Stephanie Jordan sees nothing but positive things to come.

“This is not a problem, it’s an opportunity,” she says.

An opportunity the Moline School District’s English Language Learner’s Program has seen coming for years says teacher Lindsay Meeker.

“In this building, just 4 years ago there were probably just 8 ELL students total. Now we are looking at a total of 39.

ELL students made up a quarter of the kindergarten class in the Moline and East Moline District. There are 42 different languages spoken throughout the students’ homes.

Lindsay Meeker says every educator should be prepared to overcome those language barriers.

“I think if all the districts can think about building that in to the curriculum versus trying to ignore it, we will all be on the right track.

The census report says that though the makeup of births has changed, the overall number is down.

Cancer study shows coffee is good, not bad for you

Chris Minor — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:43:46 +0000

There’s new research suggesting that coffee can add years to your life, and it is news celebrated by those who love their cup of Joe in the morning.

”I’m drinking an extra cup today. I read it’s good for your health, not bad”, said Paul Cioe, sipping his coffee at CoolBeanz in Rock Island Thursday. ”I don’t know if it’s true, but I choose to believe it, so salute!”

The new study tracked 400,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 71 over a nearly 14-year period. It found those who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had about a ten percent lower risk of death than non-coffee drinkers. It also showed coffee fans are less likely to die from diabetes, heart disease and strokes.

The research refutes coffee’s bad rap as a liquid ”vice”, offering health benefits, not liabilities.

”Maybe it has. I just had my 86th birthday”, said Mary Jane Christian, a longtime two to three cup a day coffee drinker.

CoolBeanz owner Annette Zapolis says she’s long been a believer because of the antioxidants in coffee.

”That’s why I drink red wine and eat dark chocolate, too.”

Read more about the study at this link: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/2012/CoffeeProtectiveDCEG

Read the New England Journal of Medicine analysis of the study at this link: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112010?query=featured_home

Van Halen concert at iWireless cancelled

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:33:32 +0000

As quickly as it was announced, the Van Halen concert scheduled for September 21, 2012 at iWireless Center in Moline was cancelled.

Tickets for the concert, also featuring Ky-Mani Marley, were scheduled to go on sale Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 10 a.m. Tickets were priced from $46.50 to $96.50 apiece.

Presale on Facebook was set to begin at 10 a.m. May 17.

A statement on the iWireless Center website said the show is “temporarily postponed. Future dates to be announced.”

The iWireless performance was the only date for the Van Halen tour showing “cancelled” on the Ticketmaster website.

Contest is set to spark Iowa home sales

John David — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:19:56 +0000

Local home sales are doing better than last year. That’s the word from the Quad City Area Realtor Association.

Year to date, the number of residential sales is up 16% from 2011. That positive trend is sparking a call to keep the heat for summer sales.

With 2012 off to a good start, the birds seem to be singing about home sales in Iowa these days.

That’s as the dream of home ownership becomes more of a reality. The Hawkeye state is bucking national trends. That momentum reaches to the Quad Cities.

“The confidence of the consumers is totally coming back,” said Kris Ratigan, director of marketing for Mel Foster Real Estate. “It’s being reflected in what’s happening in the home sales.”

Reasons why the Iowa Finance Authority is teaming up with Davenport realtors and lenders. They’re launching a social media contest to promote home ownership.

“Get them excited about home ownership,” said David Jamison, executive director of the Iowa Finance Authority. “It really is such a fundamental element to building a family.”

Iowa participants should write a word or phrase on a memo board that describes home ownership and photograph it. To find out where to enter, check out www.foursquare.com/iowafinance.

Voting will take place in July. The winner will get a $1,500 gift card. The realtor and lender with the most votes will get a $2,500 community betterment grant.

The program comes as first quarter home sales in Iowa are the best in five years. That includes both an uptick in sales and prices from last year.

Nearly three-quarters of Iowa’s realtor boards showed a jump in median sale prices from last year. The Quad City Area Realtor Association reports its median price jumping 12% from April 2011.

“I think we have more stable employment, strong work ethic and an ethic to make a payment,” said Deb Sullivan, Valley Bank.

A more robust local economy helps to keep these homes moving. Sales that rub off on the entire economy by creating jobs and enhancing neighborhoods. The goal now is to keep that sizzle through the summer.

“It’s a perfect time to get out and actually look for the opportunities because of how things are going for our economy and for the housing market,” Ratigan concluded.

It’s a hot seller for homes in 2012.

What’s the Deal – NorthPark Quick Change

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:06:59 +0000

What’s the Deal, Cassie? features NorthPark Quick Change.

Chamber selects small businesses and leader of the year

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:32:47 +0000

The Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce announced selections for the 2012 Small Businesses and Leader of the Year.

The announcement was made at the chamber’s Morning Network meeting Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

Nominees are selected for community involvement, innovation and leadership.

The Small Businesses of the Year for 2012 are Group Services, ComedySportz Quad Cities, DHCU Community Credit Union and Isabel Bloom LLC.

The Leader of the Year is Cynthia Tidwell, President/CEO of Royal Neighbors of America.

Disco diva Donna Summer dies

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:21:36 +0000

Known as the “Queen of Disco”, legendary singer Donna Summer died after battling cancer.

TMZ reports Summer tried to keep her illness private. She was in Florida at the time of her death, and reportedly died Thursday, May 17, 2012.

Summer was reportedly working on an album at the time of her death.

Donna Summer is perhaps best known for disco hits such as “She Works Hard for the Money”, “Love to Love You, Baby” and “Last Dance”.

Donna Summer was 63 years old.

Recipe for Swordfish “Pork Chops”

Jim Mertens — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:15:53 +0000

BETTENDORF, Iowa – Scott Community College’s director of Culinary Arts says fish is a healthy alternative for your family’s meal. And one of the easiest dishes to make includes swordfish.

“You know, this recipe is so simple, so easy, and so good for you.”

1. Mix baste of 2 tbsp of Worchester sauce, 1 tsp of Garlic powder, and 4 tbsp of butter
2. Baste both sides of the swordfish
3. Add salt and pepper
4. Add a little lemon seasoning
5. Put on a hot grill, 3 minutes each side
6. Cook until it’s medium done

“The key is the cut,” says Chef Scott. “See how it looks like a pork chop bone? Firm, delicious, and so good for you.”

“Swordfish that rivals the pork chop in the Quad Cities. Can you believe it? Enjoy!”

Group argues weed is safer than booze

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:35:05 +0000

By Tricia Escobedo and Jim Spellman

CNN

DENVER (CNN) — A Colorado advocacy group is spending thousands of dollars to convince people that smoking pot is safer than drinking alcohol.

It’s an attempt by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol to rally support for a vote in November that would legalize the drug for recreational use. Colorado legalized marijuana for medical use in 2000.

Last Friday, the group aired an advertisement on a local Denver channel during daytime programming encouraging people to “start your conversation about marijuana.” The 30-second spot features a young woman typing a message to her mother on her laptop, explaining that after spending her college years drinking heavily, she now prefers marijuana because “it’s less harmful … I don’t get hung-over and honestly I feel safer around marijuana users.”

The marketing campaign aims to “break down the stereotype about who the typical marijuana user is,” explained the campaign’s co-director, Mason Tvert.

“Most of them are professional, hard-working people,” he said.

The TV ad, which aired only on Friday, cost about $2,000, according to Tvert. It may run again, depending on fund-raising efforts, he said. Last month, the campaign spent about $4,500 on a billboard near Denver’s (Sports Authority Field at) Mile High stadium — purposely adjacent to the Mile High Liquors store — to deliver a similar message, Tvert said.

The billboard also features a woman, this one in her 50s, standing with her arms crossed next to the message: “For many reasons, I prefer … marijuana over alcohol. Does that make me a bad person?”

By attempting to change “stereotypes” about marijuana users, the campaign hopes to make Colorado the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use.

“The goal is the choice — to make sure adults have the choice to use a less harmful substance than alcohol,” Tvert said.

Dr. Otis Brawley with the American Cancer Society questioned that conclusion.

“The problems of excessive alcohol use and the problems caused by any even minor smoking of marijuana are so different, I have difficulty comparing,” said Brawley, CNNhealth.com contributor and the American Cancer Society’s chief medical and scientific officer.

“There are short-term and long-term primarily pulmonary problems associated with marijuana (and) excessive alcohol use is long-term correlated with GI (gastrointestinal) and neurologic problems.”

Also debatable is whether the money generated by legalizing and regulating marijuana through taxes will outweigh the costs of creating government-run marijuana distribution centers.

Tvert says the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol estimates that legalizing and regulating marijuana could generate $50 million a year in saved expenses and revenue.

“We’ve been pushing very hard in Colorado and people agree, it’s not worth the law enforcement resources being used (to crack down on marijuana users) and it’s not worth losing out on the tax dollars,” he said.

Tvert said he was not aware of any criticism for the advertisement, noting that legalizing marijuana is “one of the biggest issues in our state legislature in the last few years.”

“We live in a state that has made a lot of progress on the issue,” he said. “It’s not as controversial as many other issues.”

That’s partly because of the prevalence of medical marijuana dispensaries across the state. State-sanctioned marijuana dispensaries now outnumber Starbucks in Colorado and there are well over 100,000 people on the medical marijuana registry.

Six years ago, an attempt to legalize marijuana in Colorado failed. This year’s initiative goes much further than the 2006 ballot, because it establishes a system that regulates and taxes the drug, Tvert said. He believes the infrastructure created by Colorado’s medical marijuana industry will help boost the chances that voters will approve legal recreational use of the drug.

Residents are also more accustomed to the idea of a legalized form of the drug, now that medical marijuana dispensaries are a common sight across the state, Tvert said.

“We’re not asking people to imagine, as we would just two years ago,” he explained. “People have seen that just because there’s a marijuana center in Colorado … just because there might be a storefront in your town or city, it hasn’t caused any problems.”

He noted that the initiative would allow cities and municipalities to “opt out” of allowing marijuana sales, similar to “dry counties” which ban the sale of alcohol.

Colorado isn’t the only state where voters will consider legalizing marijuana in the fall: there’s a similar ballot initiative in Washington and there could be one in Oregon, as well, if enough signatures are collected.

“There are actually… close to 17 or 18 initiatives working their way to the ballots,” according to Sue Rusche, president and CEO of the non-profit anti-drug organization, National Families in Action.

Rusche said her group’s main focus is to “force the (marijuana) industry” to ensure that it doesn’t market the drug to children.

“We ask a question: if a state actually does legalize marijuana for recreational use… what kind of things can we learn form the alcohol and tobacco industries in the way they’ve marketed to kids?” she said. “What can we do to prevent that (marijuana) industry from marketing to kids?”

She said setting a legal age limit of 21 is not enough.

“We do not trust the advocates who are trying to legalize marijuana because we don’t believe they are willing to look at these other two industries (alcohol and tobacco),” Rusche said. “Everything we read in their initiative has to do with making money and not protecting kids.”

If any marijuana initiative passes, Rusche said her group is interested in working with the state agencies that write the regulations in order “to force the industry to self-police rather than (have) the taxpayers pay for the cost” of any negative consequences, including addiction treatment and accidents caused by driving under the influence.

“We want people to take marijuana legalization seriously and think seriously about the consequences to kids,” she said.

When asked about Rusche’s concerns, Tvert said he was confident the marijuana industry would not target its product to minors.

“There’s a great deal of self-regulating already taking place — business owners not choosing marijuana leaves or cartoon characters,” he said, referring to the medical marijuana industry. “It’s an evolving industry (and) in theory, these are standards that are already being created.”

That doesn’t mean the marijuana industry won’t advertise its product in places where children might be present, though.

“It’s worth noting, every young person that walks into a professional baseball game in Colorado (at Coors Field) is walking into a beer commercial,” he said. “So the notion that we somehow cannot possibly have marijuana legal because young people will somehow know about it and see it, is unrealistic.”

CNN’s Tricia Escobedo reported on this story from Atlanta and CNN’s Jim Spellman reported from Denver.

Lawsuit against John Travolta dropped

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:00:10 +0000

By Alan Duke

CNN

LOS ANGELES (CNN) — The remaining plaintiff in the sexual battery lawsuit against John Travolta fired his lawyer, bringing an end to the case, the lawyer told CNN on Thursday.

The suit filed in federal court last week accused the actor of groping two male massage therapists at hotels in Los Angeles and Atlanta in January.

Attorney Okorie Okorocha, who initially represented the men identified only as John Doe #1 and John Doe #2, said he did not know why his Atlanta client decided to withdraw from the lawsuit.

John Doe #1, who said that Travolta sexually harassed him at the Beverly Hills Hotel, hired Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred on Tuesday, just hours after he withdrew from Okorocha’s lawsuit.

Allred said in a statement Tuesday that she and her new client would discuss if a new lawsuit would be filed against Travolta.

“We are in the process of conferring with him regarding the next steps, which he may wish to take,” Allred said.

That dismissal was “without prejudice, which means that he is still legally entitled to file a lawsuit against John Travolta if he chooses,” Allred said Wednesday.

Travolta’s lawyer, Martin Singer, called the allegations by both men “ridicilous.”

There was no immediate reaction from Singer or Allred to the withdrawal of the final plaintiff.

John Doe #1 withdrew from the lawsuit after it was learned Travolta was in New York, not Los Angeles, on January 16, 2012, the day of the alleged massage indicident.

Okorocha told CNN the date should have been January 15, 2012, but the mistake would have hampered the chances of John Doe #2 in court. He also said “personality conflicts” with John Doe #1 contributed to the decision.

The lawyer insisted in a CNN interview Tuesday that he would “mop up” in the courtroom with the allegations made by John Doe #2. He said he received the call from his client firing him soon after that interview aired On HLN’s “Showbiz Tonight” on Wednesday.

Colchester man killed in McDonough County crash

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:29:55 +0000

An allegedly intoxicated driver ran a stop sign and crashed into another car, killing the front-seat passenger in Scotland Township.

Police said Jeremy Barclay, 22, of Colchester, Illinois was westbound on 1050N when he failed to obey a stop sign. When he ran the sign, Barclay’s F150 truck struck the passenger side of a car traveling northbound on 1300N.

The car was driven by 30-year-old Jeffrey Tones. He and his passenger, 34-year-old Gregory Bunnell, are also from Colchester.

Bunnell “was killed as a result of the crash” according to the Illinois State Police crash report.

Tones and Barclay were both taken by ambulance to an area hospital.

Barclay was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, disobeying a stop sign and no insurance.

Police: Woman killed in crash wasn’t wearing seat belt

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:14:43 +0000

UPDATED: Police say a woman killed in a crash on 220th Street near 215th Avenue was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

The crash was reported at about 8 a.m. on 220^th Street between 215th and 230th avenues, near Hidden Hills Golf Course in Scott County, Iowa. Eldridge Police blocked the road to all traffic.

Police said the crash involved a Plymouth Voyager minivan traveling westbound on 220th street when the driver apparently lost control on the gravel road and the van overturned. The van came to rest on the driver’s side.

The driver, 40-year-old Kristine Witcraft, was thrown from the van and landed in a ditch.

Ms. Witcraft was pronounced dead at the scene. No other juries were reported.

Video: Build a sun viewer to watch the solar eclipse

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:38:51 +0000

Never look directly at the sun!

Senior Exploratorium Scientist, Paul Doherty demonstrates how you can make your own sun viewer. You can safely view sunspots, eclipses and transits with this equipment that you may have laying around the house!

To learn more about the upcoming Transit of Venus visit: http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus/question3.html

On May 20, 2012 the moon will pass in front of the sun, creating an annular solar eclipse.

Observers in western states will get the best view of the full eclipse, called a “ring of fire” view. A partial eclipse will be visible in the rest of North America.

In our area, the eclipse will begin just before 4 p.m. Sunday and end just before 10 p.m. It is expected to peak at approximately 7:22 p.m.

The next ring eclipse won’t be visible in the U.S. until October 2023.

Skechers fined for misleading customers

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:15:31 +0000

Washington (CNN) — For overweight Americans, and those looking for a healthier lifestyle, the claim was almost too good to be true — wear Skechers Shape-ups footwear and watch the pounds melt away. At a news conference Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission said the shoemaker’s claims weren’t true and alleged Skechers violated federal law by misleading consumers.

According to the FTC, Skechers agreed to pay a hefty $40 million fine to settle charges the California-based company deceived consumers by making “unfounded claims that Shape-ups would help people lose weight, and strengthen and tone their buttocks, legs and abdominal muscles.”

The company enlisted high-profile celebrities Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke to sell the shoes.

Besides Shape-ups, Skechers also made deceptive claims about other products including Resistance Runner, Toners and Tone-up shoes, the FTC alleges.

“Skechers’ unfounded claims went beyond stronger and more toned muscles. The company even made claims about weight loss and cardiovascular health,” said David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

As part of the settlement, customers who bought Skechers “toning” shoes will be eligible for refunds either directly from the FTC or through a court-approved class-action lawsuit, officials said.

Wednesday’s announcement was the culmination of a months-long investigation involving the FTC and attorneys general from 44 states and the District of Columbia.

FTC officials highlighted a Skechers television ad featuring the endorsement of chiropractor Dr. Steven Gautreau. In the ad, Gautreau cited an “independent” clinical study he conducted testing the shoes’ benefits.

The FTC said the study results Gautreau promoted weren’t factual, and alleged the company hid the fact that Gautreau is married to a Skechers marketing executive. The FTC also said Gautreau was compensated for his endorsement, which wasn’t made clear in the commercial.

Skechers introduced Shape-ups in 2009, and sales peaked a year later. The FTC called Skechers an industry leader in the booming business of toning footwear. Estimated sales were close to $1 billion industrywide in 2010, the FTC said. The toning shoes Skechers sold cost between $60 and $100 a pair.

As part of an expensive campaign to promote the fitness benefits of Shape-ups, the company unveiled a scantly dressed Kim Kardashian peddling the shoes during the Super Bowl in 2011.

Brooke Burke’s ads claimed the shoes would help improve her cousin’s posture, mother’s legs and give her brother a tighter core. Additionally, Burke’s ad told consumers “the newest way to burn calories and tone and strengthen muscles was to tie their Shape-up shoe laces,” the FTC said.

“The FTC’s message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims,” Vladeck said.

Under the FTC’s settlement, the company is barred from any advertising making similar claims unless it’s backed up by scientific evidence.

What Skechers plans to do with the Shape-ups brand remains to be seen. An ad featuring Burke touting “the next generation of Shape-ups” remained on the company’s website Wednesday morning.

According to the FTC, the commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated. The FTC says despite Skechers agreement to pay a fine, the complaint is not a court ruling or an admission that the company violated any law.

Check out the official Skechers refund website at this link: http://www.skecherssettlement.com/

Ag in the AM: Insurance Payouts Hit Record for Farmers

Jim Mertens — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:54:08 +0000

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – Insurance payments for damage done last year to America’s farms could top out at more than 11-billion dollars.

Western Iowa flooding last year was just one of the struggles farmers faced last year.

A National Crop Insurance Services report shows weather-related crop loss insurance payments are already just shy of 11-billion dollars and growing. It’s a 25-percent increase from the record set during the 2008 flood year.

Agriculture.com reports corn farmers suffered the biggest losses.

Crop Insurance Services says for every dollar purchased in coverage, 90 cents was paid out in indemnities.

The Lowdown – Cruise like you never seen him before

Raymond Arriaga — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:47:42 +0000

Tom Cruise sit down with Playboy to talk about hitting 50 and his new role in “Rock of Ages”.

Links seen on WQAD Thursday, May 17

Shellie Nelson — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:22:43 +0000

Click here for info on the Live! with Kelly Top Teacher Search

Click here to chat live and watch the live stream of our newscasts!

Click here for details of children’s programming change on MyTV 8.3

Orion Shutsout Galva-Williamsfield

Kory Kuffler — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:51:45 +0000

Orion gets a big win in the 1A Baseball Regional.

Alleman Softball Advances to Regional Championship

Kory Kuffler — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:50:04 +0000

Alleman moves on to the 2A Regional Championship after beating Rockridge.

Paul Rhoads Excited About New Facility

Kory Kuffler — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:47:59 +0000

Pauls Rhoads talks about Iowa State new $20-million football facility.