‘Uncategorized’ Archives
Author: deanfiihr Published: October 30th, 2010
Forbes.com named Dubuque the top small city to raise a family in a recent article that was released on Monday.
Our top-ranked city, Dubuque, Iowa, is much smaller than a place like New York, with a population of 92,139, but still one of the larger cities on our list (we only ranked cities with a population under 100,000). Dubuque’s size puts it in a kind of sweet spot: large enough to be a center of industry, small enough to not be overcrowded. An economy that successfully diversified after the collapse of the local manufacturing industry contributes to an unemployment rate that’s nearly half the national average, at 6.5%, and a median household income of $48,779. That means most families have the jobs they need. They also don’t have to spend a lot of time getting there: Only 2.6% of the population spends an hour or more getting to work.
Forbes looked at quality-of-life measures that could make living easier for families. They started with the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau on all Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas with a population under 100,000. That left them with 126 cities, they then ranked with measures including, commute, education, mean income, and jobs.
The full article may be viewed here: http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/25/small-cities-family-lifestyle-real-estate-quality-of-life.html
Tags: best place to raise a family, Dubuque, Iowa Economy
Category Featured, Jobs & Economy, Recent News, Uncategorized |
Author: rachellethomas Published: October 12th, 2010
Ruth Ann Gaines
House District 65
Des Moines
Contact: 515-280-9034
Ruth Ann Gaines was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1947. She was educated in the parochial school system. She received a BA degree in Drama/Speech in 1969 from Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa and a M.A. in Dramatic Art from the University of California in Santa Barbara in 1970. She has been teaching drama at East High School and Speech and Drama at Des Moines Area Community College since 1971. Ruth Ann has served on numerous boards and commissions throughout the years. She was appointed to the State Foster Care Review Board by Governor Tom Vilsack in 2000 and is currently serving on the Iowa Arts Council where she was appointed by Governor Chet Culver in 2008. She is also currently a Des Moines Human Rights Commissioner. She has been a Commissioner since 2004.
Ruth Ann has created many initiatives in the educational arena. She has taught diversity courses to teachers since 1979 at the Heartland Area Education Agency in Des Moines and most recently at Viterbo University Iowa Center in West Des Moines. She has also been recognized as a national diversity trainer for colleges and universities, businesses, corporations and churches.
Among the many initiatives she has created for the Des Moines Public Schools is Sisters for Success, a mentorship program for African American middle and high school girls. This program has been used as a model for other like programs in schools throughout the state.
She is also well known throughout the state for her acting and directing endeavors. Last fall she directed a 32 episode radio drama that was a part of the Iowa Initiative to prevent unwanted pregnancies, chaired by Christie Vilsack and Sally Pederson. This program aired in various communities throughout the state and will also be made available to schools. She has hosted her own radio and television shows, and is an accomplished public speaker.
Ruth Ann was a 1987 YWCA Woman of Achievement and the 1993 Rotary High School Teacher of the Year. She was the 1998 Iowa Teacher of the Year and one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. During the last few years, she has also been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, the Iowa African American Hall of Fame and the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2002 she was selected as a Central Iowa Woman of Influence. She was given the key to the city by Mayor Preston Daniels in 2003 and received an Iowa Character Counts Award in 2005. She served on the Loras College Board of Regents from 2001-2004 and was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Ruth Ann is also a graduate of Leadership Iowa in 1996 and a 2002 graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.
Ruth Ann is a single adoptive parent of a child with multiple disabilities. In 1984, she was one of 15 single persons to adopt in Iowa. She has worked for and served on numerous committees and boards to help the disabled. She served on Very Special Arts Iowa Board and has sponsored many special needs artists in the Des Moines community.
Ruth Ann has sought political office in the past. She ran for the Iowa Senate in 1994 and the Des Moines City Council in 2004. She is a lifelong Democrat.
Tags: des moines, HD 65, Iowa House District 65, Ruth Ann Gaines
Category Candidates 2011, Recent News, Uncategorized |
Author: rachellethomas Published: October 5th, 2010
In a new report by 24/7 Wall St, Iowa was ranked third best run state because of its low unemployment rate, growing economy after the national recession, and it’s access to affordable health care.
From the 24-7 Wall St Report:
Iowa ranks 7th in education, with more than 90.5% of 25-year-olds having completed high school or the state equivalent. It is also sixth in lowest debt per capita and has the third-lowest rate of citizens without
health insurance, with only 8.6% without coverage. While the Hawkeye State may be known for its corn fields, its economy is meaningfully supported by The University of Iowa, which accounts for one in every 30 jobs in the state. Iowa’s governors have been smart to invest heavily in the institution, and have reaped the benefits: the state ranks eighth lowest in the U.S. for unemployment, which stands at 6.8%.
The 24/7 Wall St State of the States report is an analysis that focuses on state management and financial operations.
Tags: 24/7 Wall St, Best Run State, Economy
Category Featured, Jobs & Economy, Recent News, Uncategorized |
Author: deanfiihr Published: October 4th, 2010
A report prepared by the Upper Midwest Transmission Development Initiative (UMTDI) that identified six renewable energy transmission corridors connecting more than 15,000 megawatts of wind development in the region. If fully developed, the lines within these corridors will help realize the full economic potential of the region’s wind and other clean energy resources.
Of the six corridors, two are located in Iowa. One parallels the northern border of the state and one is in mid-state. The economic impact from the build-out of the transmission lines is substantial. It is estimated nearly 600 jobs will be created. These jobs include electricians, linemen, technicians, equipment operators, mechanics, steel workers, engineers and concrete workers. The executive summary of the report and full report are attached.
UMTDI’s Report Findings
1. In 2009, UMTDI developed a set of cost allocation principles that can serve as a foundation for ongoing cost allocation discussions in the region and the country.
2. It also chose 20 renewable energy zones within the five-state region to serve as proxies for the likely regional growth in renewable energy. These zones were reasonably balanced between those close to customers (and thus requiring less transmission investment) and those with a stronger wind resource (which are generally farther from customers and thus require more transmission capacity). The 15,000 megawatts of potential wind is the amount required to serve the existing clean energy obligations of the five states and the zones provide a basis upon which additional wind can be developed for export to other regions.
3. The six renewable energy transmission corridors span the five-state region, connect the 20 renewable energy zones, and if built upon, provide for reliability and transmission congestion relief in addition to renewable energy benefits. The corridors were chosen after extensive work by UMTDI with assistance from the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (Midwest ISO) and transmission owners in the region.
Category Environment, Featured, Jobs & Economy, Recent News, Uncategorized |
Author: deanfiihr Published: July 27th, 2010
According to a new Kids Count survey, Iowa is the 6th best place to raise kids in America. Here’s the story:
Iowa Ranks 6th in Latest National Kids Count Child Well-Being Report
Iowa ranks 6th nationally in the 2010 national Kids Count report on child well-being. The 21st annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, compares and ranks the fifty states on ten health, education, welfare and economic indicators of child well-being.
Iowa ranks first in the nation on two indicators, the high school dropout rate (3%) and the percent of teens not attending school and not working (4%). Iowa also showed improvement since 2000 on four other indicators. The teen death rate, infant mortality rate and child death rate all have experienced significant improvement since 2000 decreasing 27 percent, 15 percent and 14 percent, respectively. Iowa also showed slight improvement in the teen birth rate.
Iowa did experience a significant deterioration in the low birthweight rate, which has increased 12 percent since 2000, in addition to moderate deteriorations in the single parent family and child poverty rates.
“Iowa’s overall ranking is indicative of the emphasis the state puts on providing for its children and families, and Iowans should be proud of that,” said Michael Crawford, Iowa Kids Count Director with the Child and Family Policy Center in Des Moines, Iowa. “However, there are a few areas such as babies born at low birthweight, single parent families and child poverty that have worsened the past few years, and do need further emphasis.”
The 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book annually is produced and disseminated by the Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore, Maryland. Iowa Kids Count also produces a Kids Count Data Book annually providing county, substate, state and national data.
Category Education, Featured, Health Care, Jobs & Economy, Recent News, Uncategorized |
