Day 2 With The Boys

We made it through Day 2 after a big thanks to another sister.

Amy is on business in Brasil. Here’s the background on her trip and look at Day 1.

The overnight was a little rough as I thought I could just let Levi cry out, but nope, just a long night of trying to get the boy to sleep.

We made it to church so Noah could sing and go to church school. Levi did not make it through all the service, so my apologies for the folks around us this morning. As we were leaving church, Noah asked why did so many people keep saying, where is your mother?

We got a trip to Target in before lunch and Levi slept through most of the store. So, we did one nap in.

Paige, Levi, Allie and Noah. BTW, his hair was combed this morning. It was the hat.

And how to pass the afternoon? Another day, another sister visit. This time cousins Paige and Allie were the entertainment at the State Historical Building.

For the record, Noah did comb his hair this morning, but apparently his hat made his hair a little out of control. Oh well, he had a good time.

There’s always fun to be had looking at deer, airplanes and cutouts of settlers.

Paige, Noah and Allie with their friends.

No more notes for me, time for bed.

Day 1 without Mom supervision

Levi, Amy and Noah. February 27, 2010. Levi is 5 months today.

Saturday was another stay at home day for Noah. That’s what we call days there’s no school or daycare. Today was also the day we took Amy to the airport for her week-long work trip to Brasil.

Last year, Amy went to Holland for a work trip and Noah and I got along fine. But that was only one child. Although, the morning she left for Holland, she told me we were pregnant.

Now, a work trip is twice the fun with Levi.

Levi at 5 months

Levi turned is now 5 months old today. Where did those 5 months go? When Noah was 5 months, we moved to Ankeny from Bettendorf. Levi has advanced a lot this month. He’s rolling over now, can hold his head up well and full of smiles. And, he’s been eating cereal which may be one reason he’s sleeping better at night.

Now back to the week at hand.

After we said goodbye to Amy to board her plane, it was time for the “Only The Yeager Boys” Week. That’s what Noah is calling it.

What would we do pass the time? Invade my sister’s house, of course.

Morgan and Noah play games to pass some time.

We went to see cousin Morgan and get a few pictures taken of the boys. Morgan and Noah play well together and that makes it exciting for Noah as he has some one to play with that’s not his Dad.

Then dinner with Xavier and we had the day wrapped.

Bring on tomorrow.

Amy thinks I’ll post more here and do more movies. We’ll see.

Consider this a warning.

The neighbors have been told to just ignore any fires they may see here at the house.

It is time to go to bed. Levi is sure to awaken 3 times overnight.

But I’m not complaining. This is what is so fun about being a Dad. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

How did Day 2 go?

Mental Health coverage

Mark Becker

The high-profile murder trial of Mark Becker, who stood trial for the murder of his former football coach Ed Thomas, is prompting many to look at mental health coverage in Iowa.

This is a topic we’ve looked at before, but things are always changing in the field of helping stabilize those need treatment. You can view the previous Iowa Journal here. That episode looked at the ‘F’ grade Iowa received in a national mental health care report card.

This time we take stock and look at future needs of mental health services in Iowa.
The feature to set up our discussion included a trip to Fort Dodge and a look at the innovative program called Assertive Community Treatment.

The show airs Thursday at 8p. Do you have questions you want answered about Iowa’s mental health system? Send them to IowaJournal@iptv.org

Here’s the official release from the IPTV press shop.

Mental Health Services in Iowa
On the Thursday, March 4 edition
of The Iowa Journal

(Johnston, Iowa) –Thursday’s episode of The Iowa Journal will look at the status and future needs of mental health services in Iowa. This program airs Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m. It will be rebroadcast Friday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. on statewide Iowa Public Television and Saturday, March 6 at 8:30 a.m. on IPTV WORLD. It will also be available online at iptv.org/iowajournal.
In recent weeks, attention to mental illness in Iowa has focused on a murder trial where the defendant plead not guilty by reason of insanity. But one high-profile criminal trial does not represent the scope of mental illness, the diverse diagnoses, or the various treatment programs available to all Iowans living with chronic mental illness.
Each Iowa county is responsible for the cost and treatment of the mentally ill who live in their communities. The Iowa Journal visited Fort Dodge to see how an innovative program called Assertive Community Treatment has helped keep people in their homes, and on their medications so they can continue to be active and contributing members in their communities.
In the studio to discuss how to best help those seeking treatment, particularly in a time when the state is making across-the-board budget cuts for many programs and services are three guests: Dr. Michael Flaum, director of the Iowa Consortium of Mental Health; Irene Blair, administrator for Webster County Community Services; and Ro Foege who chaired a recent legislative task force assigned to review Iowa’s four state-run mental health institutes. Foege is also a former legislator from Mount Vernon who worked on mental health legislation among other issues.
For more information about The Iowa Journal, visit http://www.iptv.org/iowajournal or call (515) 242-3146. For information on how to watch IPTV WORLD in your area, visit Iptv.org.

Iowa Refugee Services Ending

Thursday’s Iowa Journal looked at 3 programs that have brought 30,000 people fleeing situations we can’t comprehend. Since 1975, Iowa has been a place that accepted refugees from southeast Asia, Bosnia and most recently African countries like Eritrea, Bhutan, Iraq and Somalia.

But recent news by two groups, Lutheran Services in Iowa and the Iowa Bureau of Refugee service to end settlement programs has the remaining group, Catholic Charities of Iowa, wondering what is next.

Iowa’s history of opening their state goes back to Governor Robert Ray.

Here’s some more background on the show, including press releases and show notes.

Peace Band - Image from IPTV's Iowa Journal

Click here to watch a feature on a group of Iraqis who came to Iowa and have now formed a musical group called the Peace Band. Their story was told by producer Judy Blank and Nancy Crowfoot with help from Rick Fuller’s videography. The story was done in Des Moines.

Studio Discussion during The Iowa Journal - Iowa Public Television

Or, you can watch the feature and the entire show here.

Our discussion included John Wilken of Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services, Jill Stuecker of Lutheran Services in Iowa and Sol Varisco-Santini of Catholic Charities.

Take a moment to hear the discussion and I want you to hear the last thing that Jill Stuecker has to say about why Iowans should care about this story. I think it will get your attention.

If you have comments you want to share, send an email to IowaJournal@iptv.org
We look forward to your comments.
Next week, we’ll be talking about mental health coverage in Iowa.

On IPTV this weekend Feb 27-28, 2010

Here’s a look at some of our local program highlights and other shows you may enjoy on your weekend. This list is put together by the fine folks here at Iowa Public Television.

Tonight at 6:30, The Iowa Journal looks at the end of refugee resettlement programs by the state’s major refugee services agencies. Guests on the program include: John Wilken, bureau chief of the Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services; Jill Stuecker, director of the refugee resettlement program at Lutheran Services in Iowa; and Sol Varisco-Santini, program director of outreach services with Catholic Charities in Des Moines. The program can also be seen at 8:30 a.m. Saturday on IPTV WORLD.

Next week the Journal will look at mental health services in Iowa.

State Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Des Moines) and State Rep. Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) are the guests on the tonight’s Iowa Press, at 7:30. The guests will discuss the business of the Iowa House of Representatives this session. The program can also be seen at 9 a.m. on IPTV WORLD, and at 11:30 a.m. Sunday on IPTV.

Volunteer firefighters are making a difference in rural America, some farmers are embracing biotechnology, and things are looking up for the nation’s livestock producers. Want to know more? Watch Market to Market tonight at 8 on IPTV, tomorrow at 8 a.m. on IPTV WORLD, and Sunday at noon on IPTV.

Saturday at 6 p.m., tune in to IPTV WORLD for IPTV’s own Intelligent Talk Television: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming, featuring environmentalist and conservative Bjorn Lomborg during a speech he gave in Iowa.

A mining engineer is caught in a conspiracy after the death of a British spy found in his apartment during Masterpiece Classic: The 39 Steps, airing Sunday at 8 p.m.

Start March with a First Lady! Monday at 8 p.m., catch an all-new Dolley Madison: American Experience, which tells the story of the first First Lady to create political and social style for the nation.

Astrophysicist Neal deGrasse Tyson focuses on Pluto’s discovery and the science that surrounds this former planet during NOVA: Pluto Files, Tuesday at 7 p.m.

On Wednesday at 8 p.m. on IPTV WORLD, Independent Lens presents Herb and Dorothy, the story of the Vogel family’s significant contemporary art collection. Works from the Vogel collection are currently on display at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.

Thursday at 9 p.m. don’t miss part one of an all-new Waking the Dead. When a nurse defends her daughter from a mugger, the Cold Case team discovers that her DNA matches that found at a crime scene in the 1990s.

Refugees in Iowa – show notes

The Haiti earthquake got the Iowa Journal staff thinking of angles of that story important to Iowans. We talked about foreign adoptions after learning about the link between Haiti and Pella. We looked at people coming and going to Haiti to help in the recovery. We wondered if adoptions would pick up, or if the United States and Iowa would look at welcoming Haitians to the States. But what we started to settle on was the refugee history the state of Iowa has.

When the Des Moines Register published this story on January 27, 2010, we knew were on the right track.

The Register story told of two agencies, Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services and Lutheran Services in Iowa, and how they would cease resettlements of refugees in Iowa.

In the past 35 years, some 30,000 refugees have resettled in Iowa. The two agencies ending their efforts were responsible for 86% of the refugees who came to Iowa in the last fiscal year.

That left Catholic Charities, who was already having financial difficulties of their own, as the only resettlement agency left in Iowa.

We are featuring a group of refugees from Iraq who are here in Iowa now. They have formed a band and try to play when they are not working. There story is similar to many, trying to work and provide for their families. That story will air prior to our discussion on Thursday.

Here are some of my notes for Thursday’s show on Refugees in Iowa. The link is to the last post about the show including the official release from Iowa Public Television.

The source of the first part is the Iowa Department of Human Services and the Bureau of Refugee Services.

Iowa’s history of Bureau of Refugee Services started after the fall of Saigon in April, 1975. Arthur Crisfield, a former US government employee in Laos wrote 30 US governors looking for help in finding a safe place for the 1.228 Tai Dam people who came in to Laos. Governor Ray responded and by October, 1975, the first group of 300 Tai Dam arrived in California. On November, 3 plane loads arrived in Des Moines.

In 1979, this time Iowa committed to receive more than 1,500 refugees from Cambodia. But the public opinion wasn’t all in favor, about 51% were against the move in a Des Moines Register poll.

1979 saw the Iowa Joint Voluntary Agencies created. The IJVA still exists today. Iowa SHARES (Iowa Sends Help To Aid Refugees and End Starvation) was established. In May 1983, the Iowa Refugee Service Center expanded to Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Grinnell, Marshalltown, Mason City, Ames, Clinton, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Ottumwa and Waterloo.

The Bureau of Refugee Programs resettled refugees from Eastern Europe countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

In mid-1995, Sudanese refugees migrated to Iowa. In the late 90s, Iowa had one of the largest populations of Sudanese refugees in the US.

From 10.10.08 to 9.30.09, refugee arrivals in Polk County totaled 909. Burma, Bhutan, Iraq, Somalia, Eritria were the top countries of origin. That year, there were refugees from 12 different countries that came and settled in Iowa.

Now to some information from Lutheran Services in Iowa.

There are more than 10 million refugees in the world today. The US welcomes only a tiny fraction, less than 1%, with annual admission levels set at 80,000. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is one of 10 national organizations that resettles refugees on behalf of the US government.

In 2009, LSI’s Refugee program settled 450 refugees in Des Moines with a goal of transition into new lives of self-sufficiency. Some of the services they provide refugees: Locating an apartment, enrolling children in school, finding employment for adults, assisting with emergency situations and referrals for community resources. In 2008, LSI started Muscatine Community Refugee Services to help 80 refugees from Liberia, Sudan and Mauritania.

January 27, 2010 brought the news that LSI will discontinue refugee resettlement services. LSI still will offer services and support for the next six months. But limited funding was cited as one reason for the closure.

What questions should we talk about with John Wilken, bureau chief, Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services; Jill Stuecker, director for the refugee resettlement program, Lutheran Services in Iowa; and Sol Varisco-Santini, program director of outreach services, Catholic Charities, part of the Diocese of Des Moines?

How about:

What is a refugee? What is the difference between refugee and immigrant?

What will closing your (Lutheran Services in Iowa and IA Bureau of Refugee Services) doors mean for Iowa?

How do Iowans respond when you say refugees?

What happens to those that already here and were counting on services to help in the transition to life in Iowa?

Should we be helping refugees come here who are going after the same jobs many out of work Iowans are competing for?

I’m interested in the rest of your questions for our panel. Drop them in the comments or send them to IowaJournal@iptv.org

Quick Hits of the week Feb 22, 2010

I’m about to head out the door to Van Meter Community schools to see what they have going on there. Superintendent John Carver and I have talked a few times and he’s extremely excited about what’s happening in his hallways. Part of the fun is 1:1 ratio of computers to students. Only 12 or 13 schools are like that in the state of Iowa. And only 3 schools are virtual reality schools. Van Meter is one of them.

Monday, videographer John Torpy and I went to Ames High School to talk to standout player Harrison Barnes. Barnes has already committed to playing for coach Roy Williams at the University of North Carolina. Barnes leads the state in scoring average at 27.1 points per game. According to KASI sports director Dave Sprau, who we interviewed for our piece, Barnes has stepped up his game even more this year. That is hard to believe. We also talked to head coach Vance Downs. If Ames can win out, they’d be the first 4A team in Iowa to repeat as state champions and going undefeated. I think they’ve won 48 or 49 straight games. The story on Barnes will air March 4.

Market to Market producer Andrew Batt is headed to Decorah Tuesday to talk with author and college professor Michael Pollan. He’s an interesting guy who gets under the skin of traditional agriculture. Pollan was a main source for the guys of King Corn and several books including In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: the Secrets Behind What You Eat, Food Rules, Second Nature, The Botany of Desire, and A Place of My Own. Pollan appears in Food, Inc. a documentary on the food industry.

The link to this week’s Iowa Journal is here. We are talking about refugees in Iowa.

Copyright: Around the America's by David Thoreson

And I forgot to add we were talking with David Thoreson today. David is with Blue Water Studios. He’s West Lake Okoboji. You’ve seen him on IPTV before with his documentary “Arctic Journey in a Changing World.” That was about his travels through the Northwest Passage. He did that first trip in 2007 and now this time going a different direction with the crew of Ocean Watch. He started in Seattle in early summer 2009. Today he was in Chile. We talked to him for a web extra that you’ll be able to see on http://www.iptv.org soon. His journey is incredible.

His new site Around The America’s is impressive. There are learning opportunities for all ages, even free classroom materials available on the. The science of this trip is amazing. Also the pictures. Take a look at his Flickr stream and you can follow him in Twitter as well.

Refugee Services in Iowa

The Iowa Journal continues the tour of interesting topics around the state. This week we’ll be looking at two programs that are ending that have helped bring Iowa new residents the last 35 years.

Iowa has a long history of bringing refugees to this state, but this goes beyond immigration.

What will happen to services that help Iowans here now as part of immigration and refugee programs? Will they have the support they thought they would get to help adjust to life here in Iowa? What will their future be like in the state? Will those who’ve settled in Sioux City or Mason City still get support?

There’s part of this argument that says we shouldn’t be bringing anyone to the state if those Iowans here are already having trouble finding work. So, unemployment in Iowa plays a little role in this discussion as well.

Here’s our release for the show this week. This show airs Thursday at 8p on Iowa Public Television.

Refugee Services in Iowa
On the Thursday, February 25 edition
of The Iowa Journal

(Johnston, Iowa) –Thursday’s episode of The Iowa Journal will look at the end of critical programs that brought some 30,000 refugees to Iowa over the past 35 years. This program airs Thursday, February 25 at 8 p.m. It will be rebroadcast Friday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m. on statewide Iowa Public Television and Saturday, February 27 at 8:30 a.m. on IPTV WORLD. It will also be available online at iptv.org/iowajournal.

The state’s long-standing commitment to providing sanctuary for refugees gave the Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services a unique status of being the only federally funded, state-run refugee resettlement program in the country. The Bureau, and Lutheran Services in Iowa, two agencies responsible for settling the majority of international refugees in the state, will end their resettlement programs. The remaining refugee resettlement program, operated by Catholic Charities, is also re-assessing its program.

The next episode of The Iowa Journal will examine changes to refugee services. Guests on the program include: John Wilken, bureau chief, Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services; Jill Stuecker, director for the refugee resettlement program, Lutheran Services in Iowa; and Sol Varisco-Santini, program director of outreach services, Catholic Charities, part of the Diocese of Des Moines.

The program will also include interviews with members of The Peace Band, a group comprised of Iraqi refugees. The band members hope their music can help bridge cultural gaps.

For more information about The Iowa Journal, visit http://www.iptv.org/iowajournal or call (515) 242-3146. For information on how to watch IPTV WORLD in your area, visit Iptv.org.

For more notes on the show, click here to read more background on refugees coming to Iowa.

Levi and Noah – Feb. 21, 2010

Noah (3) and Levi (4 months) photo taken Friday, February 19, 2010

It was another big week for Levi and Noah.
Really it is Levi who is having the big week. But that’s to be expected because he’s developing at a faster pace as every day is a new experience.

Our biggest breakthrough this week was on sleeping.
For now 3 out of 4 nights, Levi has basically slept through the night. We’ve had to go in a couple of times to put a pacifier back, but then Levi goes back to sleep. Friday night he did regress, but we’ll take any progress on that front. So will Amy, who actually slept more than 3 hours in a row the other night. She’s always hearing Levi well before I do.

I have a few pictures, but this first one is from Friday. I take Noah and Levi to daycare most days, so occasionally I will try to take a few pictures if time allows. Usually, Levi is at his best in the morning so we try a few shots then. This was one of the first times that Levi could sit by himself in a chair. He’s being able to sit up for a few moments, but I have to help him get there and it usually helps if there’s something to lean on.

Levi gives out a big smile on February 20, 2010

Amy took Noah grocery shopping on Saturday, so I took the chance to get a few pics with Levi as Noah can be a distraction. However, Levi does give big smiles when Noah talks to him.

This picture of Levi makes me think of the smiles that Noah used to give at an early age. Noah was such a ham, still is, when it came to making him smile. Levi is just a little slower to develop on the smiles, but he’s closing fast. Levi will usually smile big when in church when he can look around at people. Just like he did at his baptism when people still go, hey, he’s the smiling baby. I wrote about that day in this post.

Noah tries out his pirate face

Noah is still trying to be like a pirate.

Noah was busy making a pirate outfit for “dress like a pirate day.” That will be later in the week at his day care. It is not “International Talk Like a Pirate Day, or as we like to call it, Michael Van Gorkom Day, but it works the same. That’s how I remember VG’s birthday. Levi was almost born on that day.

This video is a little fuzzy as the free iPhone camcorder app just doesn’t always catch fast motion so well. But the audio is good.

Earlier in the week, we started feeding Levi cereal. Or at least trying to. After a couple bites the other night, I just left Levi in his high chair and Levi decided to eat his fingers.

Here again another video clip, but listen for the audio of Levi talking. He is a Yeager.

Noah, Brian, Levi and Maddox

Also on Saturday we did have a few visitors. My younger sister Kris brought her son, Maddox and husband Brian to the house. Brian tried to hold all three boys. Maddox turned one in November. Those are the youngest 3 grandchildren on the Yeager side and the three boys. The three girls are older, then the wild boys. I think we have no idea what we’re in for very soon.

Later in the evening Michael and Jen stopped by. Noah, as usual was the entertainment.

I know very few people care about my boys, but this is my chance to write down what they’re doing, when they are doing it.

If we are Facebook friends, you can view a couple of new albums I posted with the boys. I wanted Levi to sleep longer than his normal 25 minute nap, so while holding a sleeping baby, I was able to post a few pictures.

Social Media in 2010

My friend Michael Libbie likes to say, soon, we’ll no longer use the word ‘social’ in front of the term social media. He wonders when Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and whatever else will just become media.

Michael Libbie, Mike Templeton, Paul Yeager on the set of The Iowa Journal, May, 2009.

In May of 2009, Michael Libbie and Mike Templeton came into the Iowa Public Television studios to discuss social media. Libbie is the principal owner of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. Templeton at the time was with the Iowa Hospital Association as their director of social media. Templeton is now with Catchfire Media.

Our feature looked at the company Lava Row based in Des Moines. We talked with Nathan Wright in April of 2009. We visited a Tweet Up at the Highlife Lounge in Des Moines to show the uses of Twitter in a couple of real-life contexts.

That was fine in May of 2009. But this is 2010. We’re supposed to be gliding around on jetpacks from place to place.

What’s changed in the last year? New Twitter users have possibly leveled off, Facebook is still climbing but can’t go much higher as it seems now that everyone has a page.

What groups are seeing the most benefit from social media?
Is it educators who are connecting kids in the classroom with the world on a faster than ever pace?
Is it farmers who can now share information or gain better understanding of their vocation?
Is it still the self-important who are blasting their every move to anyone who will read or listen?

Or is it churches like the ones profiled in this Fox25 piece out of Oklahoma City as done by my former fellow assignment editor Phil Cross. How many of your churches have pages or twitter feeds? Any texting of questions to the pastor during sermons? Live tweeting or comments on what the pastor just said during the service?

We’re looking for a good set up piece for our discussion sometime in May on the Iowa Journal. Any ideas on who is benefiting from social media in their work, life or hobby?

We want to talk about this in a feature:
Where is the value?
Has anyone made money on sending a tweet?
How about that Facebook fan page? Done you any good other than wasting time?

We’ll likely cover the same things in our discussion as well.

If you have any ideas, drop a comment here or send me an email to paul.yeager@iptv.org

I appreciate feedback and sharing of the ideas.