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Candidates Howard and Youngblut October 19th
 
Ryan Howard - running for Iowa House and Harold Youngblut - running for Iowa Senate
 
Both candidates will join us October 19th to field questions and detail their campaigns.
 
Ryan Howard was born and raised in Waterloo and lives in Cedar Falls with his wife, Bruna.
 
Ryan has worked at John Deere for 12 years. During his career in supply management and operations, he has visited more than 20 countries and over 120 manufacturing facilities. He has also negotiated global purchasing contracts of over $50 million. In his current role, Ryan evaluates new suppliers and helps them improve their manufacturing and business operations.
 
Ryan holds an MBA from Iowa State University, where he also completed a BS in Industrial Engineering. Ryan also holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies, which he completed in 2019 through Louisiana Baptist University.
 
Ryan and his wife own a state-registered in-home Child Care and are registered foster parents. He currently serves the community through youth mentoring, supporting the local child care and mental health coalitions, and serving on the Cedar Valley United Way Board of Directors. Ryan is also on his church’s Business Advisory Team.
 
 
Harold Youngblut is the Republican nominee for the Iowa State Senate in District 30 which includes Cedar Falls, Hudson, and Waterloo. Youngblut is a Black Hawk County farmer and local businessman.
 
He’s a graduate of Dysart-Geneso High School and briefly attended Iowa State University before returning home to work on the family farm. Youngblut has been farming for more than 40 years and currently operates the family farm with his second oldest son. In 2005, he founded Deercreek Development LLC which is redeveloping the area in Waterloo between Highways 63 and 20.
 
He played a major role in the negotiations that led to the demolition of the old Greyhound Racing facility that sat on that location. To date, several new businesses have moved into the surrounding area including the UnityPoint Sleep Clinic, Mauer Iowa Center, and Loves Travel Stops. He is passionate about giving back to his community.
 
He's coached girls basketball for more than 20 years and also led a local boy scout troop. He works hard each day to ensure that young Iowans succeed in school and beyond. Youngblut resides in Hudson with his wife, Amy. They have five adult children and nine grandchildren.  
 
Meeting ID: 985 7618 4918
Password: 061645
 
 
 
 
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Link to join Rotary on Mondays
Like so many other things this year, our normal club operations have been adjusted in response to Covid-19. Thankfully, we have technology that allows us to see and hear each other while we stay physically separated. By early summer, Art Cox stepped up to host our Rotary meetings on Zoom and we were able to break into "rooms" of 4-5 members and catch up with each other before the program - just like sitting at tables pre-pandemic.
 
The link to join our meeting is the same every week, so you can add it as a bookmark in your browser or create a recurring appointment in your calendar.  We encourage you to share the link with people you think would like to attend and one day join our club. We have more than 110 active members in our club, but only about 30 join us for meetings each week. If you haven't joined us for a virtual meeting yet, there's PLENTY of room on the screen for you (even if you don't want to turn on your camera!).
 
Just click the logo below to join every Monday at noon!
Meeting ID: 985 7618 4918
Password: 061645
 
 
 
League of Women Voter's Forums
The Black Hawk/Bremer League of Women Voters will host a virtual forum for Bremer County candidates Thursday, Oct 22nd at 7pm
 
Click the image below to visit their YouTube channel:
 
 
 
The public is invited and may access the forums on
https://www.facebook.com/BlackHawkBremerLeague
Facebook Events will be created for each forum, and available as Facebook Live.
The public will have an opportunity to submit questions on-line.
For more information, please contact Jean Seeland, 319-493-2015.
 
Established in 1920, the League of Women Voters is a national, grassroots, non-partisan political organization. Its members--men and women--work to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influence public policy through education and advocacy. They register people to vote but don't tell you who to vote for. 
 
 
 
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From Peace Fellow to International Advocate
ElsaMarie D’Silva of Mumbai began her career as a flight attendant, eventually rising to become vice president of network planning for one of India’s largest airlines. Learning about the fatal 2012 gang rape of a young woman in Delhi, an unusually heinous crime that led to public outrage, led D’Silva to make a dramatic career switch. 
 
 
 
D’Silva is the founder and CEO of the Red Dot Foundation, which works with nongovernmental organizations in India, Nepal, and Kenya to address street harassment and violence against women. In addition to community workshops, the foundation empowers women to document catcalling, groping, and other incidents through an online crowdmapping platform called Safecity. D’Silva was also a Rotary Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
 

Q: Why did you choose to work in this area?

A: Sexual violence is a global pandemic. One in three women experiences it at least once, yet 80 percent of us choose not to make an official complaint. In India, there’s a rape every 20 minutes. We have very strong legislation, but what is legislation if you’re not going to use it? There’s still fear of the police, of bringing shame to oneself and one’s family.

Q: What did you learn from your time as a Rotary Peace Fellow?

A: I learned that the work we are doing that we used to call “pre-emptive” is actually peacebuilding. We’re trying to help people understand gender stereotypes that reinforce toxic masculinity on a daily basis, give them a safe space to discuss this and understand each other’s point of view, and help them navigate these complex issues and be agents of change.

 
https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-peace-fellow-fights-street-harassment-and-violence
 
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COVID Iowa Update
 
Find the latest COVID-19 resources and counseling services below...
 
 
 
 
Russell Hampton
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