February 9, 2012

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Responsible Gaming Education Week wraps up

August 9, 2008 By

Today marks the end of "Responsible Gaming Education Week" in Iowa. Wes Ehrecke is the president of the Iowa Gaming Association (IGA). Ehrecke says it’s been an effort with all the commercial casinos and their employees to talk about responsible gaming, to focus ways to keep it fun and entertaining, while also helping those who need help.

Ehrecke says there are a lot of resources available to help problem gamblers, or for those who may question if they are going too far. He says there’s the 1-800-BETTS-OFF phone line, and on the I-G-A’s website under the responsible gaming section, there’s an area where you can take some personal and confidential quizzes if you question whether you might have a problem.

Some might think it’s contradictory for casino operators to try and keep problem gamblers out of their facilities, but Ehrecke says that’s part of their goal. Ehrecke says they’re in the entertainment business and want people to spend their discretionary entertainment dollars at their facilities with a budgeted amount. He says they want those who have a problem to get help. Ehrecke says research shows well over 98-percent of gamblers are responsible.

Ehrecke says a lot of progress has been made in studying and helping problem gamblers. He says the National Center for Responsible Gaming and the Harvard Center for Responsible gaming has done extensive research on gambling and other compulsive behaviors.

Ehrecke says it’s encouraging to be able to better understand problem gambling through research and to be able to find treatments to help. Ehrecke says over 23-million people visit the casinos in the state every year.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:

Quilts being auctioned off today

August 9, 2008 By

Quilt Making a quilt takes time, talent and patience — and dozens of the hand-sewn works of art that took thousands of hours to craft are going on the auction block today in central Iowa.

Jan McDermott coordinates the annual fundraiser for the Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp near Story City.

McDermott says there will be nearly 200 handmade, donated quilts that will be auctioned. Potential buyers can preview the quilts in the morning with a turkey luncheon starting at 11:30 A.M. and the auction beginning at 1 P.M. She says the quilt auction has a history dating back many years, while last year’s event drew a respectable amount of money.

It brought in more than $50,000, which she calls "amazing" and "generous." McDermott says the money goes directly to the operation of the camp, which hosts more than 1,700 campers over nine weeks of summer every year.

She says most of the money goes to pay for part of all of camp admission for children whose families can’t afford it. McDermott says, "We have made a promise to everyone that no child will ever be turned away because of finances." For more information on the Riverside Quilt Auction, log on to www.riversidelbc.org . 

Filed Under: Human Interest

Foreigner set to appear at Iowa State Fair Sunday

August 9, 2008 By

One of the top selling rock bands of all-time will make a stop at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines Sunday night. Since 1976, Foreigner has sold more than 70 million albums. Today, the only original member still in the band is guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones. Kelly Hansen became the band’s lead singer in late 2005.

"They basically sent me a karaoke CD, which was a bunch of Foreigner hits, and said put your voice on it," Hansen said. A short time later, Hansen was hired. Now, he’s singing all the hits sung by Lou Graham, Foreigner’s original lead singer. Hansen says he never intentionally tries to sound like Graham.

"I guess if I’m singing the same material, some people are going to relate that to sounding like Lou," Hansen said. "I think that we have similar timbre in our voices and I think that’s one reason I might be a good match for the band, but I’m definitely not trying to be someone else. I’m just being me." Since Hansen joined the band, Foreigner’s been on a nearly nonstop tour.

In the last three years, the band has played in 35 countries on five continents. Hansen says Foreigner’s set at the Iowa State Fair will definitely include hits like Head Games, Cold As Ice and Juke Box Hero – but will also inclued a newly release single, titled "Too Late."

The song is part of a two C-D Foreigner retrospective released in July. The album is called "No End in Sight." The opening act for Sunday’s 8 p.m. show is Night Ranger.

AUDIO: Radio Iowa’s Pat Curtis report on Foreigner. :64 MP3

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment