Dubuque-It all started when Tanner Meier took the seat on Joey Kaesbauer’s left on the first day of their 1^st grade year. Meier recalls the experience, “When I just saw Joey, I knew like bam! He’s going to be an awesome friend.” He was right. Three years later they find themselves on the same football team, the same neighbor, and most recently the same track team.

These two kids, this is what you call best friends and like all best friends they are simply inseparable. They do however have their points of disagreements.  Kaesbauer tells a little about their falling outs, “He likes the Cubs and I like the Giants. He likes the Bears and I like the Steelers.” But this is only when their teams are playing each other. Meier says, “If the Steelers are playing someone else, I’ll root for the Steelers to win.” Loyalty prevails.

Putting their favorite pro-teams on the sidelines, Meier and Kaesbauer teamed up to solve a bigger challenge. Teachers at George Washington Carver Elementary School encouraged the entire school to submit an application for the Invent Iowa State Competition. The Invent Iowa information page states the, “program encourages students to creatively think and solve problems through the invention process.”

“We wanted to make something that would improve our life,” Kaesbaur explains. Then Meier laid down the situation, “Since we are both involved in a lot of sports we get a lot of balls stuck in the gutter a lot so I thought what if something had that could get balls out of the gutter.”

Diligently they worked together through many blueprints and designs and after a strenuous three hours of constructing, they made the first ever Gutter Grabber. With the base made of PVC piping and a lawnmower handle this contraption is not difficult to use. Kaesbaur gives a step by step process, “We look up at the mirror to see where it[a ball] is and you can look right at it and see if it’s under it. Then you pull, squeeze, drop and you can catch it.”

These “Gutter Brothers” send a message to those looking to steal their idea, beware. Together they said, “We looking for to get a patent.” The money is already rolling in after the duo landed a win at the Invention Convention. Together they are taking home one of the winning 500 dollar scholarships.

 

But at wouldn’t it be a better deal if you didn’t have to share the prize? Meier’s immediately replied, “It wouldn’t be too much fun if one of us saw one win and one of us saw the other lose.”  To answer that question, not a chance. These two? They stick together.

 

DUBUQUE-Washington Park is Dubuque’s public forum, a place where anyone can freely go to protest the government or social issues. Area citizens frequently take advantage of their rights and one group meets every Monday evening to share their views on global peace. Longtime protester, Richard Fischer of Bernard, Iowa, says he is confident war is never the answer and knew this since the Vietnam way. Fischer says, “Somehow I survived the Vietnam era. My brother right now has about three months to live from Agent Orange poisoning from Vietnam.”

Fischer’s stance against war has lasted for over fifty years and with the country’s decision to send the U.S. into Libya, he stands as strong as ever. According to Fischer the country made a wrong move, “Well spring came and we invaded Libya and we knew ahead of time that it was not going to go well. It’s just another bad thing America’s done.”

International concern is what led the U.S. to send troops into Libya in the first place. Their fear rooted from the country’s leader Moammar Gadhafi’s and his brutal and violent military force against protesters.

Today, the U.S. has passed the control of the situation over to NATO but their lack of manpower and supply is making it difficult to take further military action. CNN reporter Chris Lawrence reports that both the U.S. and NATO agree that the situation may end up becoming a stalemate. William Cohen former Secretaries of Defense reported to CNN that this may not be a bad thing, “A stalemate would be a defeat I think, for the president, in terms of his stated goal of seeing Gadhafi leave.”

Fischer believes the answer can be found in peaceful negotiation, which is why he continues to hold his signs. “A small group of people taking action is the only way to get things done,” says Fischer.

At the 2011 Northwest Broadcast News Association, Loras’ Felicia Carner was presented with the Jack Shelley Broadcasting Award. This is a true testament to Carner’s dedication to the media in all that she does. All of us at MyDuhawk & LCTV are extremely proud of Carner and are excited to see where she goes in her time here at Loras and beyond.

Explanation of the Jack Shelley Award:

The Jack Shelley Scholarship is presented by the Northwest Broadcast News Association to recognize outstanding promise in the field of broadcasting. The NBNA awards one $1,250 scholarship each year to be used for broadcast education.
Applicants must be full-time college or university students with an anticipated graduation date of August ’11 or later. The scholarship is awarded based on the following three criteria: dedication to broadcast journalism as a career; academic achievement; and experience in the field of broadcast journalism, which includes internships, part-time or full-time jobs and volunteer work. The award is named for Jack Shelley, long-time anchor and News Director at WHO/Des Moines and Professor Emeritus at Iowa State University.

Felicia Carner
Published: September 9, 2009

The twenty-eight confirmed cases of the H1N1 influenza at Luther College is an apparent example of the contagiousness of this virus.

It’s only natural for the medical world to find a way to, “to reduce and control the spread of the H1N1 illness within the community,” and that’s exactly how Dubuque Health Specialist, Mary Rose Corrigan explained the objective of a new vaccine the world is turning to.

The H1N1 vaccine started clinical testing on healthy adults and has just recently, on August 31^st, begun testing on healthy children. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has predicted that a small amount of the vaccine will be available to the public.

Dr. Patricia Winokur with the vaccine research at the U of I says, “I think that mid-October there will be some vaccine available. I don’t think it will be enough to cover as many people as we want this vaccine to, and as many people as we think probably should get vaccinated in those high-risk groups.”

Dr. Winokur did reveal the priority list the Center of Disease Control constructed included; health care workers, pregnant women, and children.

With children being top on the list, parents have to make a decision whether or not they will get their child vaccinated.

Father of a Kennedy Elementary School student said, “If my pediatrician would recommend the H1N1 vaccine for my child, I would probably take him to get it.”  While one parent would have no objection against his pediatrician or doctor, others raised a serious question.

“I don’t understand how the vaccine can be ready by mid-October if they just started testing on children?” asked another parent.

However, most health officials believe that the testing of the H1N1 novel vaccine on children will be sufficient enough.

Dr. Patricia Winokur explains, “The nice thing about this particular vaccine is that this vaccine is made in the exact same way that our flu vaccines have been made for decades. The manufacturing process is identical. So we expect that the vast majority of side effects that we see will be the exact same side effects that we see with the flu vaccine every year.”

Not all medical experts agree. Practitioner Dr. Charles Majors feels that the lack of research is alone a risk in taking the vaccine.  He questions, “Where is the long-term research that will show that #1 it works, #2 that it’s safe? Where’s the long-term research?”

Inclusive interviews with Dr. Patricia Winokur and Dr. Charles Majors can be found on our blog.

Felicia Carner can be contacted at Felicia.Carner@loras.edu

DUBUQUE, IA -  to appreciate and spend time with your mom and it’s around the corner. Along with many other mothers and daughters; Bobbi Earles and her family has found a unique way of bonding by breaking boards.
“Any time you can spend with your children is a bonus,” says Earles and they find their extra time in the studio at Springer’s Martial Arts Academy.

Master Ben Springer sees many families who join their school create a closer unity amongst their home, “Karate is something that any mother or daughter, dad or son, can develop a close bond during their training. We offer classes where parents can train with their children.”

These class times has made the school family oriented making the classes a large influence on these growing relationships.
For Emma Earles that’s her favorite part about karate she says, “I like how I can be with my mom and my dad and my sister and we can all do a sport as a family.”

The Earles family is only one amongst many mother daughter teams that attend Springer’s academy. Anita Arensdorf and her daughter Angelina have seen the impact this time has left on their relationship. Angelina claimed, “It seems we’ve been making cookies more than we usually do.”

Bobbi Earles mentions that even during those mother-daughter fights, this sport can help take out their frustrations. She says, “During those teenage years where mothers and daughters do a lot of fighting, you can actual do it in the martial arts studio and have a lot of fun with it.”

For these karate moms, the enrollment of their daughters in martial arts brings a comfort to their hearts. “As young females it will be a wonderful thing for them to have in their arsenals as they grow older, so it really brings comfort to me, in a mother’s point of view,” explained Earles.

Arensdorf feels the same, “Although I know she’ll never be completely invulnerable karate has given her the opportunity to not be completely defenseless and as a mom, that feeling is great.”
“I think it’s important in this day and age for women to learn how to defend themselves and not be an object,” states Master Springer as he explains the importance of developing skills that can protect oneself.
It was at age seven when Arensdorf’s daughter, Angelina proved to her that even though a person may be stronger than her daughter, she is far from powerless.

“As her mom I didn’t think she would. I was a lot bigger than her but she grabbed my arm hand and put me to the floor and my hand hurt for three weeks,” said Anita Arensdorf as she told her favorite memory with her daughter.
Both Earles and Arensdorf agree that this experience has been completely worth all the hard work. They’ve seen their family and themselves grow more confident in who they are as individuals and as a family.

Felicia can be contacted at Felicia.Carner@loras.edu

DUBUQUE-Twenty-nine young children have gone through the home of licensed foster parent, Kim Small; nearly all have suffered from abuse, and the affects to their lives are apparent.

Small says that physical abuse is by far not the only mistreatment that wounds these children. Neglect, mental, and drug abuse all restrains a child from living a normal childhood.

“Her mother never physically hurt her, but she didn’t take care of her needs,” said Small.

Through the seven years of foster care the Small’s family of seven grew to a family of thirteen with the adoption of six of their previous foster children. Five of the six suffer from prior abuse.

“She was like a tin soldier,” this is the description Small gives to her first adoptive child seven days after she was born. This was the result of drug usage during pregnancy.

Small explains that the caressing given to a child at birth “helps them know that they are safe and okay.” She continues to comment that when the children are neglected of this care they take the guilt. Small says, “instead of feeling the care giver is bad they believe they are bad.”

One of Small’s biological daughters, Keturah Small, expresses that, “there are parts of them that will probably always be hurt.”

Although pain may never leave these innocent children, the Smalls believe their lives can be reshaped. Small comments that it’s no easy task, physically or emotionally. “Sometimes it’s a long time coming and you start to despair on whether they’ll ever make a connection with you.”

Kim Small draws attention to a task that is harder to overcome and it’s the emotional relationship between most parents and their children in situations of abuse, “Even though their parents have not kept them safe or been appropriate with them there is still something that makes them want to be with their parents.” And despite the harm these parents Small says, “They still worry about their children.”

Small says that for their family, “being able to give them opportunity to live in a different environment is the motive that makes their long run worth it.

Felicia Carner can be reached at felicia.carner@loras.edu

Molly Menster and Tina Sio are looking to get legally married in Iowa.

DUBUQUE -The unanimous Iowa Supreme Court decision on overturning the same sex marriage ban is being questioned by some Iowa citizens.

Lou Oswald, 2008 Republican candidate for Dubuque’s 27th District for the House of Representatives, says “It’s not about my opinion; we all know what that is, marriage is between a man and a woman. The issue here is hearing the voices of the citizens.”

Oswald says that he is working with other citizens that share the same view to get the vote back to the people. They have until May 1st to appeal this lawsuit.

Oswald and others who oppose the new law are taking advantage of their democratic rights.

Although lesbian couple, Molly Menster and Tina Sio, feel the Iowa Supreme Court made a wise decision they feel it is the Iowa citizens right to push for the vote.

“It is their right to work to get this put on the ballot and have a vote by the people, if that is their prerogative that is their right,” commented Menster.

For those who do oppose the legalization of same sex marriage and want a vote, Menster suggests for them to read the decision.

“It is so well written and so thought out they made a decision that is firmly rooted in our Iowa constitution,” said Menster.

You can find the Iowa Supreme Court’s Decision here: Full Decision

The couples believe the court made their decision based on the roots of the Iowa constitution and the separation between church and state.

Sio comments, “The judges have done their research on it and know the constitution and know whether or not this denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.”

Menster says the court set aside their personal beliefs and values and strictly looked at the constitution. “It has nothing to do with religion it’s about a set of rights that has been denied to a class of people, gay and lesbian people, without any good reason. There is no good legal reason to deny us these rights.”

Menster and Sio feel this is victory is not just about having a wedding reception but about the emotional and physical protection the law gives them. The couple has already committed a ceremony to dedicate their lives to each other but is looking to become legally married in the near future.

A complete interview with Ingrid Evans-Olson, one of the women named in the lawsuit regarding same sex marriage that reached the Iowa Supreme Court can be read on our blog: Full Interview

Felicia Carner can be reached at Felicia.Carner@loras.edu