Podcasts about dolly parton's imagination library

Education Headline RoundupAfter a break in formatting for our 100th episode, we're back and bringing you the education headlines that are grabbing our attention this week. Our stories:First, an update to our ongoing discussion of America's literacy crisis and the science of reading, from the AP: Georgia leaders propose $11.3M to improve reading as some lawmakers seek a more aggressive approach | AP NewsThe Georgia Department of Education has proposed a $11.3 million budget to fund literacy initiatives, including literacy coaches and a screening test to identify students with dyslexia. Some lawmakers say the department is not doing enough to comply with a literacy law passed in 2023 and would like to see a more aggressive approach, as Georgia has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the country. Georgia joins Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, and more than a dozen other states that included literacy initiatives in their 2024 legislative sessions. For more of our coverage on the science of reading and the three-cueing approach, see Episode 96 (Piaget) of our show, and check out APM's Sold a Story podcast for in-depth analysis.More book bannings in a story out of Maryland: New Carroll County school policy restricts 'sexually explicit' books - The Baltimore BannerA new policy at Carroll County Public Schools restricts “sexually explicit” library books and textbook materials. The policy was passed after months of campaigning by the conservative parent group Moms for Liberty, who challenged dozens of books they claim are inappropriate. The new policy defines “sexually explicit” content as “unambiguously describing, depicting, showing, or writing about sex or sex acts in a detailed or graphic manner.” The policy does not apply to materials used in the health curriculum.And finally, a listener brought to our attention a developing story in Ohio: Student Interactions with Peace Officers Model Curriculum | Ohio Department of Education and WorkforceSections of the Ohio Revised Code that went into effect this past October after the Ohio Department of Education was restructured require all public schools to teach students in grades 9-12 about their interactions with peace officers. The Ohio Department of Education & Workforce (formerly ODE) is developing a draft model curriculum in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Public Safety.From ODEW's website: “The model curriculum provides instruction on proper interactions with peace officers during traffic stops and other in-person encounters. Ohio law identifies four content requirements for this model curriculum: Information on which individuals are peace officers and their duties and responsibilities; Questioning and detention laws, including any that require proof of identity and consequences for failure to comply with the laws; A person's rights during an interaction with a peace officer; Proper interactions for interacting with peace officers.” Listen to the full episode for our discussion about this model curriculum under development (we have lots of questions). If you are a teacher who wants to get in touch with ODEW concerning this model curriculum, contact ODEW here: LearningandInstructionalStrategies@education.ohio.gov​Dolly Parton's Imagination LibraryOur episode topic this week: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a literacy program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five (regardless of family income). From humble Appalachian roots to global superstardom, Dolly Parton's journey sparkles with rags-to-riches grit and musical magic. But beyond the glitter of rhinestones and chart-topping hits lies a deeper passion - literacy. Inspired by what Parton considers to be her father's unfulfilled dreams due to his inability to read, Dolly created the Imagination Library, gifting millions of books to children worldwide. Learn about this program and its lasting impact on literacy around the world.Sources & Resources:Country Music Hall of Fame - Dolly PartonBusiness Insider - Dolly Parton explains why Elvis never recorded… by Yasmin GaraadImagination Library - Awards and MilestonesImagination Library - Find my ProgramWikipedia - Shari LewisImagination Library - Themes and ConceptsNational EclipseGeorgia leaders propose $11.3M to improve reading as some lawmakers seek a more aggressive approach | AP NewsKemp signs bills aiming to improve school safety, literacy | AP NewsLiteracy - GaDOEGeorgia Council on Literacy | The Governor's Office of Student AchievementNew York Joins the 'Science of Reading' Movement, Offering Guidance—Not MandatesMass Literacy - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationThe 'Science of Reading' in 2024: 5 State Initiatives to Watch.Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong | APM PodcastStates rethink reading | AxiosReading Recovery Sues Ohio Over Ban on 'Cueing' in Literacy InstructionStudent Interactions with Peace Officers Model Curriculum | Ohio Department of Education and WorkforcePodcast - Dolly Parton's America 

Dive into the delightful world of popped corn on National Popcorn Day with an array of flavors. From classic buttery goodness to inventive concoctions, the celebration of this beloved snack is a crunchy journey not to be missed. Then, let your mind soar into boundless landscapes of creativity on Imagination Day, inspired by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Discover how this program kindles imagination and literacy in communities worldwide. Immerse yourself in the crunch of popcorn and the boundless wonders of the mind, explored by hosts Marlo Anderson and Latoya Johnson and presented by Destination Celebration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friday News Flyover, December 8, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, December 8th, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:Texas abortion bans creating legal confusion | MO Pastor jailed facing sexual abuse charges | Sen Josh Hawley and Rep Cori Bush speak against defense bill without funds for St. Louis residents exposed to radiation | AL Senator Tommy Tuberville gives up his misguided military holds | Dolly Parton gives books to millions of kids, if you didn't knowWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado. With me as co-host today is Adam Sommer, how you doing Adam?We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media with @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at thehearltandcollective.com Alright! Let's get into the storieshttps://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/06/1217637325/texas-woman-asks-court-for-abortion-because-of-pregnancy-complicationsUpdated Thursday, Dec. 7 at 1:55 p.m."Kate Cox needs an abortion, and she needs it now." Thus began a petition filed in a Texas district court this week, asking a judge to allow the abortion to be performed in the state, where abortion is banned with very limited exceptions.On Thursday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of Travis County, Texas, ruled from the bench, granting permission for Cox to have the abortion she is seeking. Cox's fetus has a genetic condition with very low chances of survival and her own health and fertility are at risk if she carries the pregnancy to term.The petition was filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is the group behind a high profile case heard at the Texas Supreme Court last week.In that case the group's senior staff attorney Molly Duane argued on behalf of 20 patients and two OB-GYNs that the medical exception to the ban on abortion in the state's laws is too narrow and vague, and that it endangered patients during complicated pregnancies. An attorney for the state argued the exception is already clear and that the plaintiffs didn't have standing to sue.On the very day of those arguments, Nov. 28, Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two who lives in the Dallas area, got "devastating" news about her pregnancy, the filing says. At nearly 20-weeks gestation, she learned that her fetus has Trisomy 18 or Edwards Syndrome, a condition with extremely low chances of survival.So, as the Texas Supreme Court considered whether its abortion laws endangered patients with pregnancy complications in the past, Cox was trying to figure out what to do in her present situation.Cox had already been in the emergency room three times with cramping and other concerning symptoms, according to court documents. Her doctors told her she was at high risk of developing gestational hypertension and diabetes, and because she had had two prior cesarean sections, carrying the pregnancy to term could compromise her chances of having a third child in the future, the brief says.Last Thursday, she reached out for the Center for Reproductive Rights. Five days after that, the group filed this petition on her behalf.The filing asked a Travis County district court for a temporary restraining order against the state of Texas and the Texas Medical Board, blocking enforcement of Texas's abortion bans so that Cox can terminate her current pregnancy. It also would block enforcement of S.B. 8, which allows civil lawsuits to be filed against those who help patients receive abortions.That would protect the other plaintiffs in the case, Cox's husband, Justin, and Dr. Damla Karsan, who is prepared to provide the abortion if the court grants their request. Karsan is one of the OB-GYN plaintiffs in the Zurawski v. the State of Texas case.Thursday's ruling will allow Karsan to provide an abortion without threat of prosecution. It only applies to Cox, her husband and Karsan. Issuing the ruling, Judge Guerra Gamble said: "The idea that Ms. Cox wants so desperately to be a parent and this law may have her lose that ability is shocking and would be a genuine miscarriage of justice."There are currently three overlapping abortion bans in Texas. Abortion is illegal in the state from the moment pregnancy begins. Texas doctors can legally provide abortions only if a patient is "in danger of death or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function, " the law says."I don't know what that means," Duane says of the language of the medical exception. "But I think [Cox's] situation must fall within whatever it is that that means."The Texas Attorney General's office did not respond to a request for comment on Cox's case, but the office argued in the Zurawski case that the medical exception needs no clarification.Sponsor MessageTexas Alliance for Life, a group that lobbied in the state legislature for the current abortion laws, published a statement about Cox's case Wednesday. "We believe that the exception language in Texas laws is clear," wrote the group's communication director Amy O'Donnell, and accused the Center for Reproductive Rights of pretending to seek clarity while really attempting to "chisel away" at Texas's abortion laws.The timeline of this case was very quick. "I have to be honest, I've never done this before, and that's because no one's ever done this before," Duane says. "But usually when you ask for a temporary restraining order, the court will act very, very quickly in acknowledgement of the emergency circumstances."The hearing was held via Zoom on Thursday morning.The State of Texas cannot appeal the decision directly, says Duane. "They would have to file what's called a writ of mandamus, saying that the district court acted so far out of its jurisdiction and that there needs to be a reversal," Duane explains. "But filing a petition like that is not does not automatically stay the injunction the way that an appeal of a temporary injunction does."In the meantime, the justices of the Texas Supreme Court are considering the Zurawski case, with a decision expected in the next few months. "I want them to take their time to write an opinion that gets this right and will protect patients, doctors and their families going forward," Duane says."But the reality is that in the meantime, people are going to continue to be harmed," and Cox couldn't afford to wait for that decision, Duane says.Duane praises Cox for her bravery in publicly sharing her story while in the midst of a personal medical crisis. "She's exceptional – but I will also say that the pathway to this has been paved by all the other women in our lawsuit," she says. "There is strength in numbers."https://www.kmbc.com/article/court-documents-independence-missouri-pastor-charged-child-molestation/46058889Court documents state that multiple people under the age of 18 accused Virgil Marsh of sexually assaulting them between 2011 and 2018.Marsh, 71, is now in the Jackson County jail.He was charged with two counts of first-degree of child molestation and first-degree statutory sodomy.A probable cause statement indicates that Marsh told police he was a current pastor in Independence and admitted he had "inappropriately touched" one of the victims.He did tell police he 'potentially kissed' a second victim on the mouth but denied sexually touching them.He also told police he has asked for forgiveness with God and is no longer the man who "had previously done things to the victim," the probable cause reads.https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/07/compensation-for-st-louis-victims-of-nuclear-waste-stripped-from-federal-defense-bill/Compensation for St. Louis victims of nuclear waste stripped from federal defense billProvisions that would have compensated those exposed to radioactive waste left over from the Manhattan Project were removed on WednesdayBY: ALLISON KITE - DECEMBER 7, 2023 9:03 AM      A joint investigation by The Independent and MuckRock.U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said Thursday he would do everything he could to stop a federal defense spending bill after a provision offering compensation to Americans exposed to decades-old radioactive waste was removed. Speaking on the floor of the Senate, the Missouri Republican called the decision to remove compensation for Americans who have suffered rare cancers and autoimmune diseases a “scar on the conscience of this body.”“This is an injustice,” Hawley said. “This is this body turning its back on these good, proud Americans.”This summer, the Senate amended the National Defense Authorization Act to expand the existing Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include parts of the St. Louis region where individuals were exposed to leftover radioactive material from the development of the first atomic bomb. It would have also included parts of the Southwest where residents were exposed to bomb testing. But the provision was removed Wednesday by a conference committee of senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives working out differences between the two chambers' versions of the bill.Even before the text of the amended bill became available Wednesday night, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri was decrying the removal of the radiation compensation policy. “This is a major betrayal of thousands and thousands of Missourians who have been lied to and ignored for years,” Hawley said in a post on social media Wednesday. Dawn Chapman, a co-founder of Just Moms STL, fought back tears Wednesday night as she described hearing the “gut-wrenching” news from Hawley's staff. Chapman and fellow moms have been advocating for families exposed to or near radioactive waste for years. “I actually thought we had a chance,” Chapman said. But she said the group hopes to get the expansion passed another way. “Nobody has given up on it,” Chapman said.The St. Louis region has suffered from a radioactive waste problem for decades. The area was instrumental in the Manhattan Project, the name given to the effort to build an atomic bomb during World War II. Almost 80 years later, residents of St. Louis and St. Charles counties are still dealing with the fallout. After the war, radioactive waste produced from refining uranium was trucked from downtown St. Louis to several sites in St. Louis County where it contaminated property at the airport and seeped into Coldwater Creek. In the 1970s, remaining nuclear waste that couldn't be processed to extract valuable metals was trucked to the West Lake Landfill and illegally dumped. It remains there today.During the Cold War, uranium was processed in St. Charles County. A chemical plant and open ponds of radioactive waste remained at the site in Weldon Spring for years. The site was remediated in the early 2000s, but groundwater contamination at the site is not improving fast enough, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.For years, St. Louis-area residents have pointed to the radioactive waste to explain rare cancers, autoimmune diseases and young deaths. A study by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found people who lived along Coldwater Creek or played in its waters faced an increased risk of cancer.Chapman said she knew two individuals who made calls to members of Congress while receiving chemotherapy. It's hard to ask people to keep fighting for the legislation, she said. “They're not going to see another Christmas, and they're not going to see the compensation from this,” Chapman said. “This won't help them.” An investigation by The Missouri Independent, MuckRock and The Associated Press this summer found that the private companies and federal agencies handling and overseeing the waste repeatedly downplayed the danger despite knowledge that it posed a risk to human health.After the report was published, Hawley decried the federal government's failures and vowed to introduce legislation to help. So did U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis. In a statement Wednesday night, she said the federal government's failure to compensate those who have been harmed by radioactive waste is “straight up negligence.”“The people of St. Louis deserve better, and they deserve to be able to live without worry of radioactive contamination,” Bush said. Missouri's junior senator, Republican Eric Schmitt, grew up near the West Lake Landfill. He said in a statement that the “fight is far from over” and that he will look into other legislation to get victims compensation.“The careless dumping of this waste happened across Missouri, including in my own backyard of St. Louis, and has negatively impacted Missouri communities for decades,” Schmitt said. “I will not stop fighting until it is addressed.”Already, two state lawmakers have pre-filed legislation related to radioactive waste in advance of the Missouri General Assembly reconvening in January. One doubles the budget of a state radioactive waste investigation fund. The other requires further disclosure of radioactive contamination when one sells or rents a house.In July, the U.S. Senate voted 61-37  to adopt Hawley's amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include the St. Louis area. It would have also expanded the coverage area to compensate victims exposed to testing of the atomic bomb in New Mexico. The amendment included residents of New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Guam and expanded the coverage area in Nevada, Utah and Arizona, which are already partially covered.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that expanding the program could cost $147.1 billion over 10 years with St. Louis' portion taking up $3.7 billion of that. The amendment would have also renewed the program for existing coverage areas. Without renewal, it will expire in the coming months. Hawley said, however, the “fight is not over.” “I will come to this floor as long as it takes. I will introduce this bill as long as it takes,” he said. “I will force amendment votes as long as it takes until we compensate the people of this nation who have sacrificed for this nation.” https://www.azmirror.com/2023/12/06/in-bid-to-flip-the-legislature-blue-national-dems-announce-spending-on-az/With Republicans holding the barest of majorities in the Arizona Legislature, national Democrats are already making major investments in a bid to flip the state's legislature blue. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee on Wednesday announced it would spend $70,000 in Arizona to aid in candidate recruitment for key races, hiring staff, digital investments and more. The spending is the start of the DLCC's push in swing states where the committee hopes to either solidify Democratic majorities or pick up seats and win legislative control. The money is part of an initial $300,000 push in swing states by the DLCC, with Arizona and Michigan getting the lion's share of the money. The DLCC is also spending money in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. In Arizona, Republicans have one-seat majorities in both the 60-member state House of Representatives and the 30-member state Senate. DLCC interim President Heather Williams told the Arizona Mirror that the committee is hoping to flip the House and Senate in part by highlighting the extreme positions of Republican lawmakers. Many proposed law changes inspired by those extreme positions earned vetoes from Gov. Katie Hobbs earlier this year. “The Republican majority in both chambers is vulnerable,” Williams said, adding that this is only the committee's “initial investment,” as the group anticipates spending much more in 2024. Williams did not elaborate on which Arizona races the group plans to target, but mentioned that the group aims to do something similar to what happened in Virginia this year. Last month, Virginia Democrats gained control of the House and solidified their control of the Senate. The DLCC hopes to mirror that in Arizona. In that election, all 140 seats in the Virginia legislature were up for grabs, and Democrat wins will block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's ability to fully enact his conservative agenda. The DLCC ended up spending more than $2 million in Virginia. “Here is what we know about Republicans, they are legislating in a way across the country that is not where their constituents are,” Williams said, citing access to abortion and health care for women as key. Republicans and Democrats are eyeing a number of key state house races for 2024 but Williams is confident that her party will come out on top, adding that the DLCC intends to have a dialogue with voters and to help people get registered to vote. “I think we feel really strong with our position as an organization,” Williams said, adding that having Hobbs, a former state lawmaker as a Democratic ally in the governorship will offer advantages. https://alabamareflector.com/2023/12/05/tuberville-relents-on-months-long-blockade-of-most-military-nominees-blaming-democrats/WASHINGTON — After blocking hundreds of U.S. military promotions for most of 2023 in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said Tuesday he will lift his holds on all of them except for a handful of four-star general nominees.The senator, who sits on the Senate Committee on Armed Forces, said he told his fellow Senate Republicans “it's been a long fight” but ultimately he said Democrats were to blame for stalling hundreds of service members from moving up in the chain of command. Tuberville had said repeatedly that Democrats could bring each of the nominees to the floor for votes, which would take hours of debate.“We fought hard. We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military, fighting back against executive overreach, and an abortion policy that's not legal,” Tuberville said after announcing his about-face to his fellow Senate Republicans during their regularly scheduled weekly lunch.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said Tuesday that he would move the nominations to the floor “as soon as possible, possibly later this afternoon.”“I hope no one does this again, and I hope they learned the lesson of Sen. Tuberville. And that is he held out for many, many months, hurt our national security, caused discombobulation to so many military families who have been so dedicated to our country, and didn't get anything that he wanted,” Schumer said.Tuberville has blocked hundreds of nominees since the spring because he opposes a recent Pentagon policy that allows armed services members time off and travel reimbursement should they need to seek an abortion in a state where it remains legal.Roughly 80,000 active-duty female service members are stationed in states where legislatures enacted full or partial bans following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a RAND analysis.The Biden administration and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin maintain the policy is legal, as did a 2022 Department of Justice opinion.The list of nominees affected by Tuberville's months-long hold grew to 451 members of the military as of Nov. 27, according to a Department of Defense official. Majority staff for the Senate Armed Services Committee list 445 affected nominees.Tuberville's agreement to halt his protest means that all but 11 of those nominees are expected to clear final Senate approval, according to figures from committee's majority staff.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Tuesday that GOP senators are “pleased obviously that that situation seems to have been ameliorated by recent announcements by the senator from Alabama.”Sen. Jack Reed, chair of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, said in a statement Tuesday he's “glad that hundreds of our nation's finest military leaders will finally receive their hard-won, merit-based promotions.”“They, and their families, have shown us what grace and grit look like in the face of hardship. Senator Tuberville's actions have been an affront to the United States military and the Senate,” said Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island.“He has jeopardized our national security and abused the rights afforded to all Senators. No Senator should ever attempt to advance their own partisan agenda on the backs of our troops like this again.”Threat of Democratic-led procedure changeTuberville's change in course arrived as Schumer was poised to bring to the floor a Democratic-led rules resolution to bypass the Alabama senator's blockade.The proposed temporary change in floor process would have allowed senators to quickly approve large blocs of nominations simultaneously on the floor, saving hours and hours that would have been required to vote on each individually.Tuberville said Tuesday that he and fellow Republican senators decided they did not want to see any changes to Senate floor procedures and that is the reason he decided to lift his blockade.“All of us are against a rule change in the Senate, OK. We're all against it,” Tuberville said.The Alabama senator's own Republican colleagues have grown publicly frustrated with his stalling of military promotions.GOP senators, including Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Todd Young of Indiana, have on two occasions held the Senate floor into the wee hours bringing forward the names of nominees, only to meet Tuberville's objections.Some frustrated Republicans last week mulled whether to support the Democratic-led effort to override Tuberville's blockade. Democrats would have needed nine of them to pass the change in procedure.“I have said that right now I support Tommy Tuberville, but if he makes a statement that he's going to maintain this posture through this Congress I intend to vote for nominations under the rules suspension,” Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told States Newsroom Nov. 29.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/12/06/ohio-senate-wants-to-stop-you-from-growing-weed-house-fights-back/Ohio Senate wants to stop you from growing weed; House fights backBY: MORGAN TRAU - DECEMBER 6, 2023 4:55 AMWhile Ohio Senate Republicans move to dramatically change recreational marijuana policy, the House is fighting back in a bipartisan fashion — saying the will of the voters must be followed.On Thursday, adults 21 and older in Ohio will be able to smoke weed and grow up to six plants.When Issue 2 passed in November, state Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) knew he could be part of clarifying public policy. He invited WEWS/OCJ's Morgan Trau to his introduction of H.B. 354 in a “skeleton” session Tuesday morning. Skeleton sessions are when typically two lawmakers gather with the House clerk and take less than five minutes to introduce policy.“We preserve the things that the people voted on,” he told Trau after he banged the gavel and Finance Chair state Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) watched.Callender, who has been an outspoken supporter of marijuana, has been working on recreational implementation for years. Issue 2 came after all of his efforts were purposely stalled in the Statehouse.“The Marijuana Legalization Initiative” allows Ohioans to grow up to six plants, with 12 per household. In addition, the proposal would impose a 10% tax at the point of sale for each transaction. It also establishes the Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce.Ohioans voted in favor of the statute 57-43%.“I'm glad it passed and I'm excited that we're going to be able to take some of these measures that make it a more responsible act,” Callender said. “I want to make sure that here in this chamber, the People's House, that we carry out the will of the people — and the people have spoken.”His bill doesn't make major changes, but it does add safeguards — like guidelines on advertising, public smoking bans and provisions that give local governments more of a say in where tax revenue goes. It also explains that home grow must take place at residential addresses.“We've seen folks aggregate those six plants and, in essence, create a mega farm which is simply an aggregation or a co-op of a whole lot of home grows,” he said, saying that he is trying to prevent that.The bill, one that Callendar says has bipartisan support in the House, deeply contrasts the Senate's version.The proposal by state Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) also includes guard rails to prevent exposure to children, including advertising guidelines. It would require marijuana to be packaged in a child-resistant container and prevents “cartoon character” or other pop culture figures whose target audience is a child from being used in weed marketing.However, those safety guidelines are the end of the common ground.The Senate proposal would reduce how much weed you could possess from 2.5 ounces to 1 ounce and 15 grams of marijuana concentrates to 5 grams; It would make weed less strong by limiting THC levels for plants to 25%, when the minimum was 35%. In addition, it would limit extracts to 50%, when the minimum was 90%; and it would make marijuana more expensive by raising the tax from 10% to 15%.It also changes where the taxes go.As mentioned, it was a 10% tax at the point of sale. It was 36% revenue to the cannabis social equity and jobs fund; 36% to the host community cannabis fund to provide funds to jurisdictions with adult-use dispensaries; 25% to the substance abuse and addiction fund; and 3% to the division of cannabis control and tax commissioner fund. Issue 2 capped the number of dispensaries permitted at once to 350, but the bill cuts that down to 230.The Senate version ups to 15% tax at the point of sale. It is 30% to the law enforcement training fund, 15% to the marijuana substance abuse treatment and prevention fund, 10% to the safe driver training fund, and the remaining 45% goes to the grand revenue fund — aka, the state lawmakers.“The social equity program — when you really got down to the nuts and bolts of it — it was tax revenue being collected to be put right back into the hands of the industry,” McColley said. “It was a tax grab by the industry to prop up more dispensaries within the industry.”The “Social Equity and Jobs Program” was established by Issue 2. It is designed to fix “the harms resulting from the disproportionate enforcement of marijuana-related laws” and “reduce barriers to ownership and opportunity” to those “most directly and adversely impacted by the enforcement of marijuana-related laws,” according to the initiative.The most significant change is the proposal eliminates home grow.“The opposition has been all around the black market,” McColley said. “It's been around, ‘how do we keep these plants from then being transferred and sold illegally?'”After facing backlash, McColley assured he wasn't going against the will of the people, since he believes that the voters didn't really know everything that they were voting on.“I think what the voters really voted for would have been access to products,” the senator added.Clearly, the voters want home grow, Callender argued. Access to products means access to home grow, he said.It isn't just Callender who is frustrated with the legislation moving through the other chamber. Dozens of Republican and Democratic representatives are infuriated with the Senate.One with a unique perspective is state Rep. Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Twp.) The Senate took his legislation, H.B. 86, that revised the limit on the gallons of spirituous liquor that a micro-distillery may manufacture each year and added their marijuana proposal onto his bill.“Slap in the face of Ohio voters,” LaRe told WEWS/OCJ.The lawmaker doesn't support recreational marijuana, but he does respect the will of Ohioans, he added.“It's unfortunate they want to use a bill that is focused on helping certain small businesses recover from the pandemic to fast-track language that changes the intent of the ballot initiative,” he said. “I believe we should look into where the tax dollars are spent, but this goes way beyond those details.”Democrats agree. House Minority Whip State Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) says she can't and won't support the Senate version.“I'm not a fan of turning my back on the Ohio voters and the will of what they said when they overwhelmingly passed Issue 2,” Miranda said.When asked what happens if the two chambers don't reach a compromise, Callender said he will be in better standing — since the House can just block the Senate version.“I'm okay with just letting the initiated statute go into effect, which is a pretty strong bargaining position,” he said. “If we don't come up with an agreement, I'll trust the rule-making process, trust Commerce to make good rules to do this.”The Senate is expected to pass the marijuana bill out of committee Wednesday morning, putting it on the floor for a full vote later in the day. The House version is set to be heard Wednesday, as well.This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/dolly-parton-imagination-library-officially-launches-statewide-in-illinoisPritzker says goal is to send free books to all children, ages 0-5By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children's books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income.Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state's partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program founded by the country music legend in 1995 in her home county in east Tennessee. It now sends free books every month to nearly 3 million children in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland.“Today, I couldn't be prouder to announce that the Imagination Library is working with the state of Illinois to begin our journey to provide every child under the age of five an opportunity to receive a free book delivered to them every single month,” Pritzker said at an event at the Bloomington Public Library.Pritzker first announced in June that the state had formed a partnership with the Dollywood Foundation, Parton's philanthropic organization, after Illinois lawmakers included $1.6 million in this year's budget to fund the state's share of the program. Other funding comes from the Dollywood Foundation and local, county-based organizations.Since then, about 44 local programs have been operating in the state, serving roughly 4 percent of eligible children. But Dollywood Foundation executive director Nora Briggs said the goal is to reach all of the estimated 755,000 children under age 5 in Illinois.“We know that nothing is more basic, more essential, more foundational to a child's success in life than the ability to read,” Briggs said. “The research is clear. We cannot wait until kindergarten for children to have access or exposure to books. It must happen early. It must start in the home environment. And reading at home requires books.”People who are interested in enrolling their child in the program can find their local provider on the “check availability” tab located at imaginationlibrary.com. From there, applicants submit basic information including their address, their child's name and date of birth, and the parents' information.Once a child's eligibility is approved, they will start receiving one book each month, addressed to them. Each child within an age group receives the same monthly book. Books on the distribution list are chosen by a panel of early childhood literacy experts who review potential titles for inclusion in the distribution list. In addition to funding the Imagination Library program this year, lawmakers also approved Pritzker's “Smart Start Illinois” initiative that will provide $250 million this year for early childhood programs, including expanded access to preschool, wage support for child care workers, early intervention programs, and home visiting programs.“We're making our mark on every aspect of early childhood, and working with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library literacy efforts will begin now at the earliest ages,” Pritzker said. “Illinois is well on its way to solidifying our status as the number one state in the nation to raise young children.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Stories in today's show originally appeared in the Missouri Independent, Capitol News Illinois, Alabama Reflector, Michigan Advance, Arizona Mirror, KMBC9 Kansas City, Ohio Capital Journal, and NPR News @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Friday News Flyover, December 8, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, December 8th, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:Texas abortion bans creating legal confusion | MO Pastor jailed facing sexual abuse charges | Sen Josh Hawley and Rep Cori Bush speak against defense bill without funds for St. Louis residents exposed to radiation | AL Senator Tommy Tuberville gives up his misguided military holds | Dolly Parton gives books to millions of kids, if you didn't knowWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado. With me as co-host today is Adam Sommer, how you doing Adam?We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media with @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at thehearltandcollective.com Alright! Let's get into the storieshttps://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/06/1217637325/texas-woman-asks-court-for-abortion-because-of-pregnancy-complicationsUpdated Thursday, Dec. 7 at 1:55 p.m."Kate Cox needs an abortion, and she needs it now." Thus began a petition filed in a Texas district court this week, asking a judge to allow the abortion to be performed in the state, where abortion is banned with very limited exceptions.On Thursday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of Travis County, Texas, ruled from the bench, granting permission for Cox to have the abortion she is seeking. Cox's fetus has a genetic condition with very low chances of survival and her own health and fertility are at risk if she carries the pregnancy to term.The petition was filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is the group behind a high profile case heard at the Texas Supreme Court last week.In that case the group's senior staff attorney Molly Duane argued on behalf of 20 patients and two OB-GYNs that the medical exception to the ban on abortion in the state's laws is too narrow and vague, and that it endangered patients during complicated pregnancies. An attorney for the state argued the exception is already clear and that the plaintiffs didn't have standing to sue.On the very day of those arguments, Nov. 28, Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two who lives in the Dallas area, got "devastating" news about her pregnancy, the filing says. At nearly 20-weeks gestation, she learned that her fetus has Trisomy 18 or Edwards Syndrome, a condition with extremely low chances of survival.So, as the Texas Supreme Court considered whether its abortion laws endangered patients with pregnancy complications in the past, Cox was trying to figure out what to do in her present situation.Cox had already been in the emergency room three times with cramping and other concerning symptoms, according to court documents. Her doctors told her she was at high risk of developing gestational hypertension and diabetes, and because she had had two prior cesarean sections, carrying the pregnancy to term could compromise her chances of having a third child in the future, the brief says.Last Thursday, she reached out for the Center for Reproductive Rights. Five days after that, the group filed this petition on her behalf.The filing asked a Travis County district court for a temporary restraining order against the state of Texas and the Texas Medical Board, blocking enforcement of Texas's abortion bans so that Cox can terminate her current pregnancy. It also would block enforcement of S.B. 8, which allows civil lawsuits to be filed against those who help patients receive abortions.That would protect the other plaintiffs in the case, Cox's husband, Justin, and Dr. Damla Karsan, who is prepared to provide the abortion if the court grants their request. Karsan is one of the OB-GYN plaintiffs in the Zurawski v. the State of Texas case.Thursday's ruling will allow Karsan to provide an abortion without threat of prosecution. It only applies to Cox, her husband and Karsan. Issuing the ruling, Judge Guerra Gamble said: "The idea that Ms. Cox wants so desperately to be a parent and this law may have her lose that ability is shocking and would be a genuine miscarriage of justice."There are currently three overlapping abortion bans in Texas. Abortion is illegal in the state from the moment pregnancy begins. Texas doctors can legally provide abortions only if a patient is "in danger of death or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function, " the law says."I don't know what that means," Duane says of the language of the medical exception. "But I think [Cox's] situation must fall within whatever it is that that means."The Texas Attorney General's office did not respond to a request for comment on Cox's case, but the office argued in the Zurawski case that the medical exception needs no clarification.Sponsor MessageTexas Alliance for Life, a group that lobbied in the state legislature for the current abortion laws, published a statement about Cox's case Wednesday. "We believe that the exception language in Texas laws is clear," wrote the group's communication director Amy O'Donnell, and accused the Center for Reproductive Rights of pretending to seek clarity while really attempting to "chisel away" at Texas's abortion laws.The timeline of this case was very quick. "I have to be honest, I've never done this before, and that's because no one's ever done this before," Duane says. "But usually when you ask for a temporary restraining order, the court will act very, very quickly in acknowledgement of the emergency circumstances."The hearing was held via Zoom on Thursday morning.The State of Texas cannot appeal the decision directly, says Duane. "They would have to file what's called a writ of mandamus, saying that the district court acted so far out of its jurisdiction and that there needs to be a reversal," Duane explains. "But filing a petition like that is not does not automatically stay the injunction the way that an appeal of a temporary injunction does."In the meantime, the justices of the Texas Supreme Court are considering the Zurawski case, with a decision expected in the next few months. "I want them to take their time to write an opinion that gets this right and will protect patients, doctors and their families going forward," Duane says."But the reality is that in the meantime, people are going to continue to be harmed," and Cox couldn't afford to wait for that decision, Duane says.Duane praises Cox for her bravery in publicly sharing her story while in the midst of a personal medical crisis. "She's exceptional – but I will also say that the pathway to this has been paved by all the other women in our lawsuit," she says. "There is strength in numbers."https://www.kmbc.com/article/court-documents-independence-missouri-pastor-charged-child-molestation/46058889Court documents state that multiple people under the age of 18 accused Virgil Marsh of sexually assaulting them between 2011 and 2018.Marsh, 71, is now in the Jackson County jail.He was charged with two counts of first-degree of child molestation and first-degree statutory sodomy.A probable cause statement indicates that Marsh told police he was a current pastor in Independence and admitted he had "inappropriately touched" one of the victims.He did tell police he 'potentially kissed' a second victim on the mouth but denied sexually touching them.He also told police he has asked for forgiveness with God and is no longer the man who "had previously done things to the victim," the probable cause reads.https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/07/compensation-for-st-louis-victims-of-nuclear-waste-stripped-from-federal-defense-bill/Compensation for St. Louis victims of nuclear waste stripped from federal defense billProvisions that would have compensated those exposed to radioactive waste left over from the Manhattan Project were removed on WednesdayBY: ALLISON KITE - DECEMBER 7, 2023 9:03 AM      A joint investigation by The Independent and MuckRock.U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said Thursday he would do everything he could to stop a federal defense spending bill after a provision offering compensation to Americans exposed to decades-old radioactive waste was removed. Speaking on the floor of the Senate, the Missouri Republican called the decision to remove compensation for Americans who have suffered rare cancers and autoimmune diseases a “scar on the conscience of this body.”“This is an injustice,” Hawley said. “This is this body turning its back on these good, proud Americans.”This summer, the Senate amended the National Defense Authorization Act to expand the existing Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include parts of the St. Louis region where individuals were exposed to leftover radioactive material from the development of the first atomic bomb. It would have also included parts of the Southwest where residents were exposed to bomb testing. But the provision was removed Wednesday by a conference committee of senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives working out differences between the two chambers' versions of the bill.Even before the text of the amended bill became available Wednesday night, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri was decrying the removal of the radiation compensation policy. “This is a major betrayal of thousands and thousands of Missourians who have been lied to and ignored for years,” Hawley said in a post on social media Wednesday. Dawn Chapman, a co-founder of Just Moms STL, fought back tears Wednesday night as she described hearing the “gut-wrenching” news from Hawley's staff. Chapman and fellow moms have been advocating for families exposed to or near radioactive waste for years. “I actually thought we had a chance,” Chapman said. But she said the group hopes to get the expansion passed another way. “Nobody has given up on it,” Chapman said.The St. Louis region has suffered from a radioactive waste problem for decades. The area was instrumental in the Manhattan Project, the name given to the effort to build an atomic bomb during World War II. Almost 80 years later, residents of St. Louis and St. Charles counties are still dealing with the fallout. After the war, radioactive waste produced from refining uranium was trucked from downtown St. Louis to several sites in St. Louis County where it contaminated property at the airport and seeped into Coldwater Creek. In the 1970s, remaining nuclear waste that couldn't be processed to extract valuable metals was trucked to the West Lake Landfill and illegally dumped. It remains there today.During the Cold War, uranium was processed in St. Charles County. A chemical plant and open ponds of radioactive waste remained at the site in Weldon Spring for years. The site was remediated in the early 2000s, but groundwater contamination at the site is not improving fast enough, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.For years, St. Louis-area residents have pointed to the radioactive waste to explain rare cancers, autoimmune diseases and young deaths. A study by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found people who lived along Coldwater Creek or played in its waters faced an increased risk of cancer.Chapman said she knew two individuals who made calls to members of Congress while receiving chemotherapy. It's hard to ask people to keep fighting for the legislation, she said. “They're not going to see another Christmas, and they're not going to see the compensation from this,” Chapman said. “This won't help them.” An investigation by The Missouri Independent, MuckRock and The Associated Press this summer found that the private companies and federal agencies handling and overseeing the waste repeatedly downplayed the danger despite knowledge that it posed a risk to human health.After the report was published, Hawley decried the federal government's failures and vowed to introduce legislation to help. So did U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis. In a statement Wednesday night, she said the federal government's failure to compensate those who have been harmed by radioactive waste is “straight up negligence.”“The people of St. Louis deserve better, and they deserve to be able to live without worry of radioactive contamination,” Bush said. Missouri's junior senator, Republican Eric Schmitt, grew up near the West Lake Landfill. He said in a statement that the “fight is far from over” and that he will look into other legislation to get victims compensation.“The careless dumping of this waste happened across Missouri, including in my own backyard of St. Louis, and has negatively impacted Missouri communities for decades,” Schmitt said. “I will not stop fighting until it is addressed.”Already, two state lawmakers have pre-filed legislation related to radioactive waste in advance of the Missouri General Assembly reconvening in January. One doubles the budget of a state radioactive waste investigation fund. The other requires further disclosure of radioactive contamination when one sells or rents a house.In July, the U.S. Senate voted 61-37  to adopt Hawley's amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include the St. Louis area. It would have also expanded the coverage area to compensate victims exposed to testing of the atomic bomb in New Mexico. The amendment included residents of New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Guam and expanded the coverage area in Nevada, Utah and Arizona, which are already partially covered.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that expanding the program could cost $147.1 billion over 10 years with St. Louis' portion taking up $3.7 billion of that. The amendment would have also renewed the program for existing coverage areas. Without renewal, it will expire in the coming months. Hawley said, however, the “fight is not over.” “I will come to this floor as long as it takes. I will introduce this bill as long as it takes,” he said. “I will force amendment votes as long as it takes until we compensate the people of this nation who have sacrificed for this nation.” https://www.azmirror.com/2023/12/06/in-bid-to-flip-the-legislature-blue-national-dems-announce-spending-on-az/With Republicans holding the barest of majorities in the Arizona Legislature, national Democrats are already making major investments in a bid to flip the state's legislature blue. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee on Wednesday announced it would spend $70,000 in Arizona to aid in candidate recruitment for key races, hiring staff, digital investments and more. The spending is the start of the DLCC's push in swing states where the committee hopes to either solidify Democratic majorities or pick up seats and win legislative control. The money is part of an initial $300,000 push in swing states by the DLCC, with Arizona and Michigan getting the lion's share of the money. The DLCC is also spending money in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. In Arizona, Republicans have one-seat majorities in both the 60-member state House of Representatives and the 30-member state Senate. DLCC interim President Heather Williams told the Arizona Mirror that the committee is hoping to flip the House and Senate in part by highlighting the extreme positions of Republican lawmakers. Many proposed law changes inspired by those extreme positions earned vetoes from Gov. Katie Hobbs earlier this year. “The Republican majority in both chambers is vulnerable,” Williams said, adding that this is only the committee's “initial investment,” as the group anticipates spending much more in 2024. Williams did not elaborate on which Arizona races the group plans to target, but mentioned that the group aims to do something similar to what happened in Virginia this year. Last month, Virginia Democrats gained control of the House and solidified their control of the Senate. The DLCC hopes to mirror that in Arizona. In that election, all 140 seats in the Virginia legislature were up for grabs, and Democrat wins will block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's ability to fully enact his conservative agenda. The DLCC ended up spending more than $2 million in Virginia. “Here is what we know about Republicans, they are legislating in a way across the country that is not where their constituents are,” Williams said, citing access to abortion and health care for women as key. Republicans and Democrats are eyeing a number of key state house races for 2024 but Williams is confident that her party will come out on top, adding that the DLCC intends to have a dialogue with voters and to help people get registered to vote. “I think we feel really strong with our position as an organization,” Williams said, adding that having Hobbs, a former state lawmaker as a Democratic ally in the governorship will offer advantages. https://alabamareflector.com/2023/12/05/tuberville-relents-on-months-long-blockade-of-most-military-nominees-blaming-democrats/WASHINGTON — After blocking hundreds of U.S. military promotions for most of 2023 in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said Tuesday he will lift his holds on all of them except for a handful of four-star general nominees.The senator, who sits on the Senate Committee on Armed Forces, said he told his fellow Senate Republicans “it's been a long fight” but ultimately he said Democrats were to blame for stalling hundreds of service members from moving up in the chain of command. Tuberville had said repeatedly that Democrats could bring each of the nominees to the floor for votes, which would take hours of debate.“We fought hard. We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military, fighting back against executive overreach, and an abortion policy that's not legal,” Tuberville said after announcing his about-face to his fellow Senate Republicans during their regularly scheduled weekly lunch.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said Tuesday that he would move the nominations to the floor “as soon as possible, possibly later this afternoon.”“I hope no one does this again, and I hope they learned the lesson of Sen. Tuberville. And that is he held out for many, many months, hurt our national security, caused discombobulation to so many military families who have been so dedicated to our country, and didn't get anything that he wanted,” Schumer said.Tuberville has blocked hundreds of nominees since the spring because he opposes a recent Pentagon policy that allows armed services members time off and travel reimbursement should they need to seek an abortion in a state where it remains legal.Roughly 80,000 active-duty female service members are stationed in states where legislatures enacted full or partial bans following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a RAND analysis.The Biden administration and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin maintain the policy is legal, as did a 2022 Department of Justice opinion.The list of nominees affected by Tuberville's months-long hold grew to 451 members of the military as of Nov. 27, according to a Department of Defense official. Majority staff for the Senate Armed Services Committee list 445 affected nominees.Tuberville's agreement to halt his protest means that all but 11 of those nominees are expected to clear final Senate approval, according to figures from committee's majority staff.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Tuesday that GOP senators are “pleased obviously that that situation seems to have been ameliorated by recent announcements by the senator from Alabama.”Sen. Jack Reed, chair of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, said in a statement Tuesday he's “glad that hundreds of our nation's finest military leaders will finally receive their hard-won, merit-based promotions.”“They, and their families, have shown us what grace and grit look like in the face of hardship. Senator Tuberville's actions have been an affront to the United States military and the Senate,” said Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island.“He has jeopardized our national security and abused the rights afforded to all Senators. No Senator should ever attempt to advance their own partisan agenda on the backs of our troops like this again.”Threat of Democratic-led procedure changeTuberville's change in course arrived as Schumer was poised to bring to the floor a Democratic-led rules resolution to bypass the Alabama senator's blockade.The proposed temporary change in floor process would have allowed senators to quickly approve large blocs of nominations simultaneously on the floor, saving hours and hours that would have been required to vote on each individually.Tuberville said Tuesday that he and fellow Republican senators decided they did not want to see any changes to Senate floor procedures and that is the reason he decided to lift his blockade.“All of us are against a rule change in the Senate, OK. We're all against it,” Tuberville said.The Alabama senator's own Republican colleagues have grown publicly frustrated with his stalling of military promotions.GOP senators, including Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Todd Young of Indiana, have on two occasions held the Senate floor into the wee hours bringing forward the names of nominees, only to meet Tuberville's objections.Some frustrated Republicans last week mulled whether to support the Democratic-led effort to override Tuberville's blockade. Democrats would have needed nine of them to pass the change in procedure.“I have said that right now I support Tommy Tuberville, but if he makes a statement that he's going to maintain this posture through this Congress I intend to vote for nominations under the rules suspension,” Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told States Newsroom Nov. 29.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/12/06/ohio-senate-wants-to-stop-you-from-growing-weed-house-fights-back/Ohio Senate wants to stop you from growing weed; House fights backBY: MORGAN TRAU - DECEMBER 6, 2023 4:55 AMWhile Ohio Senate Republicans move to dramatically change recreational marijuana policy, the House is fighting back in a bipartisan fashion — saying the will of the voters must be followed.On Thursday, adults 21 and older in Ohio will be able to smoke weed and grow up to six plants.When Issue 2 passed in November, state Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) knew he could be part of clarifying public policy. He invited WEWS/OCJ's Morgan Trau to his introduction of H.B. 354 in a “skeleton” session Tuesday morning. Skeleton sessions are when typically two lawmakers gather with the House clerk and take less than five minutes to introduce policy.“We preserve the things that the people voted on,” he told Trau after he banged the gavel and Finance Chair state Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) watched.Callender, who has been an outspoken supporter of marijuana, has been working on recreational implementation for years. Issue 2 came after all of his efforts were purposely stalled in the Statehouse.“The Marijuana Legalization Initiative” allows Ohioans to grow up to six plants, with 12 per household. In addition, the proposal would impose a 10% tax at the point of sale for each transaction. It also establishes the Division of Cannabis Control within the Ohio Department of Commerce.Ohioans voted in favor of the statute 57-43%.“I'm glad it passed and I'm excited that we're going to be able to take some of these measures that make it a more responsible act,” Callender said. “I want to make sure that here in this chamber, the People's House, that we carry out the will of the people — and the people have spoken.”His bill doesn't make major changes, but it does add safeguards — like guidelines on advertising, public smoking bans and provisions that give local governments more of a say in where tax revenue goes. It also explains that home grow must take place at residential addresses.“We've seen folks aggregate those six plants and, in essence, create a mega farm which is simply an aggregation or a co-op of a whole lot of home grows,” he said, saying that he is trying to prevent that.The bill, one that Callendar says has bipartisan support in the House, deeply contrasts the Senate's version.The proposal by state Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) also includes guard rails to prevent exposure to children, including advertising guidelines. It would require marijuana to be packaged in a child-resistant container and prevents “cartoon character” or other pop culture figures whose target audience is a child from being used in weed marketing.However, those safety guidelines are the end of the common ground.The Senate proposal would reduce how much weed you could possess from 2.5 ounces to 1 ounce and 15 grams of marijuana concentrates to 5 grams; It would make weed less strong by limiting THC levels for plants to 25%, when the minimum was 35%. In addition, it would limit extracts to 50%, when the minimum was 90%; and it would make marijuana more expensive by raising the tax from 10% to 15%.It also changes where the taxes go.As mentioned, it was a 10% tax at the point of sale. It was 36% revenue to the cannabis social equity and jobs fund; 36% to the host community cannabis fund to provide funds to jurisdictions with adult-use dispensaries; 25% to the substance abuse and addiction fund; and 3% to the division of cannabis control and tax commissioner fund. Issue 2 capped the number of dispensaries permitted at once to 350, but the bill cuts that down to 230.The Senate version ups to 15% tax at the point of sale. It is 30% to the law enforcement training fund, 15% to the marijuana substance abuse treatment and prevention fund, 10% to the safe driver training fund, and the remaining 45% goes to the grand revenue fund — aka, the state lawmakers.“The social equity program — when you really got down to the nuts and bolts of it — it was tax revenue being collected to be put right back into the hands of the industry,” McColley said. “It was a tax grab by the industry to prop up more dispensaries within the industry.”The “Social Equity and Jobs Program” was established by Issue 2. It is designed to fix “the harms resulting from the disproportionate enforcement of marijuana-related laws” and “reduce barriers to ownership and opportunity” to those “most directly and adversely impacted by the enforcement of marijuana-related laws,” according to the initiative.The most significant change is the proposal eliminates home grow.“The opposition has been all around the black market,” McColley said. “It's been around, ‘how do we keep these plants from then being transferred and sold illegally?'”After facing backlash, McColley assured he wasn't going against the will of the people, since he believes that the voters didn't really know everything that they were voting on.“I think what the voters really voted for would have been access to products,” the senator added.Clearly, the voters want home grow, Callender argued. Access to products means access to home grow, he said.It isn't just Callender who is frustrated with the legislation moving through the other chamber. Dozens of Republican and Democratic representatives are infuriated with the Senate.One with a unique perspective is state Rep. Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Twp.) The Senate took his legislation, H.B. 86, that revised the limit on the gallons of spirituous liquor that a micro-distillery may manufacture each year and added their marijuana proposal onto his bill.“Slap in the face of Ohio voters,” LaRe told WEWS/OCJ.The lawmaker doesn't support recreational marijuana, but he does respect the will of Ohioans, he added.“It's unfortunate they want to use a bill that is focused on helping certain small businesses recover from the pandemic to fast-track language that changes the intent of the ballot initiative,” he said. “I believe we should look into where the tax dollars are spent, but this goes way beyond those details.”Democrats agree. House Minority Whip State Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) says she can't and won't support the Senate version.“I'm not a fan of turning my back on the Ohio voters and the will of what they said when they overwhelmingly passed Issue 2,” Miranda said.When asked what happens if the two chambers don't reach a compromise, Callender said he will be in better standing — since the House can just block the Senate version.“I'm okay with just letting the initiated statute go into effect, which is a pretty strong bargaining position,” he said. “If we don't come up with an agreement, I'll trust the rule-making process, trust Commerce to make good rules to do this.”The Senate is expected to pass the marijuana bill out of committee Wednesday morning, putting it on the floor for a full vote later in the day. The House version is set to be heard Wednesday, as well.This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/dolly-parton-imagination-library-officially-launches-statewide-in-illinoisPritzker says goal is to send free books to all children, ages 0-5By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children's books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income.Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state's partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program founded by the country music legend in 1995 in her home county in east Tennessee. It now sends free books every month to nearly 3 million children in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland.“Today, I couldn't be prouder to announce that the Imagination Library is working with the state of Illinois to begin our journey to provide every child under the age of five an opportunity to receive a free book delivered to them every single month,” Pritzker said at an event at the Bloomington Public Library.Pritzker first announced in June that the state had formed a partnership with the Dollywood Foundation, Parton's philanthropic organization, after Illinois lawmakers included $1.6 million in this year's budget to fund the state's share of the program. Other funding comes from the Dollywood Foundation and local, county-based organizations.Since then, about 44 local programs have been operating in the state, serving roughly 4 percent of eligible children. But Dollywood Foundation executive director Nora Briggs said the goal is to reach all of the estimated 755,000 children under age 5 in Illinois.“We know that nothing is more basic, more essential, more foundational to a child's success in life than the ability to read,” Briggs said. “The research is clear. We cannot wait until kindergarten for children to have access or exposure to books. It must happen early. It must start in the home environment. And reading at home requires books.”People who are interested in enrolling their child in the program can find their local provider on the “check availability” tab located at imaginationlibrary.com. From there, applicants submit basic information including their address, their child's name and date of birth, and the parents' information.Once a child's eligibility is approved, they will start receiving one book each month, addressed to them. Each child within an age group receives the same monthly book. Books on the distribution list are chosen by a panel of early childhood literacy experts who review potential titles for inclusion in the distribution list. In addition to funding the Imagination Library program this year, lawmakers also approved Pritzker's “Smart Start Illinois” initiative that will provide $250 million this year for early childhood programs, including expanded access to preschool, wage support for child care workers, early intervention programs, and home visiting programs.“We're making our mark on every aspect of early childhood, and working with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library literacy efforts will begin now at the earliest ages,” Pritzker said. “Illinois is well on its way to solidifying our status as the number one state in the nation to raise young children.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Stories in today's show originally appeared in the Missouri Independent, Capitol News Illinois, Alabama Reflector, Michigan Advance, Arizona Mirror, KMBC9 Kansas City, Ohio Capital Journal, and NPR News @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

This week on The Alive & Kicking Podcast:Clare speaks to Grace Walsh, Senior Oral Language Development Officer with 'Let's Grow Together' about tackling illiteracy and bringing Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to Cork; Lorraine Toner, Head of National Community Fundraising with Focus Ireland joins Clare to chat about the power of community and giving back; and Career Psychologist, Sinéad Brady on how to reset our relationship with work.

November 2, 2023 -Debbie Bogle of the United Way joined Byers & Co to talk about holiday events, United Way campaigns, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, and more. Listen to the podcast now! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our conversation today with Andy Gail, Executive Director for Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area gave us an update on several of their adult learning programs as well as details about the wide variety of topics they cover through classes and tutoring. Andy also gave a few statistics about how many books they're sending to children in the city of Winchester, Frederick & Clarke Counties through their partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. The program was developed in 1995 by Dolly for her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee. She wanted every preschool child to have their own library of books. Learn more about it here: https://imaginationlibrary.com/  As part of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, sponsorships finance the cost of books and mailing. From the day they are born, children who are registered for the program receive a book every month until their fifth birthday. Preschoolers currently living in the City of Winchester, the County of Frederick, or the County of Clarke may enter the program at any time and begin receiving an age-appropriate book every month until their fifth birthday. Families with preschool children who move into the city are eligible to register and become part of the program. If a family has more than one preschool-age child, each child may participate and receive his/her own library. Learn more about how to register your child or become a sponsor of the program by clicking here. Andy gave us details for several events that are happening in the coming week including Alamo Winchester Film Club's Lost Weekend XVI Film Festival happening at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema from Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1, 2023. During the event, Film Club will host a silent auction whose proceeds will benefit the Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area. Learn more about the event by clicking here. Oktoberfest kicks off in Old Town Winchester on September 29, 2023, from 5pm - 10pm. It's the biggest fundraiser of the year for LVWA that features local & regional breweries and live entertainment. Ticket prices will be $30 until the day of the event, and $40 at the gate. Learn more about the event by clicking here. Stay in the know about programs & events for Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area by visiting their website: https://lvwa.org/ and following them on Facebook.

Dolly Parton wants to send books to your kids! Thanks to the Friends of the Wilson County Public Libraries, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program is now available to families in Wilson County. The program is free and available for children under the age of 5. With the program, a new, carefully selected book will be mailed in your child's name to your address. The first book is the children's classic, The Little Engine That Could! There is no cost to your family; it's completely free. To participate, you must: •Be a resident of Wilson County •Submit an official registration form,...Article Link

In a quest to get to know Pittsburgh better, coffee enthusiast Zach Lucas visited a local coffee shop for every letter of the alphabet. He joins us to share his picks for everything from coziest vibes to the most unusual to the all-around best coffee (and tea!). See where Zach has been on his map of the ABCs of Pittsburgh Coffee. Sign up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library here. Want some more Pittsburgh news?  Make sure to sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We're also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Not a fan of social? Then leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Stinnett from the Lane Report joins Jack to talk about a new Monopoly game based on the city of Lexington and a new partnership for Fayette Co. with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonus episode this week as we prepare for Season 8 - Hear from Dylan Kimlin on his report from the QPC! Also-  The Pickleball Librarian enjoyed the National Pickleball League event at the Chicken N Pickle in Overland Park (Kansas City area). He chats with David Alexander, Michael Cheung, Martin Clark, and Saed Ibsais about pickleball, travel, Jack Stack Barbeque, and paddles! David uses the Electrum Pro https://tinyurl.com/ElectrumPro Michael and Martin use the Engage EX Ultra 6.0 https://tinyurl.com/EXUltra Saed uses the Onix Premier https://tinyurl.com/OnixPremier Then the Librarian interviews Autumn Price about the history of Branson pickleball and why Branson, Missouri is a nice place to visit. Autumn is a Paddletek brand ambassador. She plays with the Bantam TS-5 https://tinyurl.com/BantamTS5 They also talk about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which gives young children their own library! It's available in many countries including Australia, U.S., U.K., and Canada. https://imaginationlibrary.com Next week, the Librarian will interview pro player Michael Silvio about his new book “My Journey (Close) To The Top.” https://amzn.to/3PDlJOR

June 20, 2023 - Natalie Beck of the Community Foundation joined Byers & Co. to talk about the Mobile Museum of Tolerance's visit to Decatur, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and plans for a new mural. Listen to the podcast now!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is going statewide in the largest state in the US. That's good news!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

After the pandemic made a virtual business meeting possible, one utility transformed its annual member meeting into the Bright Futures Fund Run, a way for community members to support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library childhood literacy campaign.

Tia McGraff BiographyTia McGraff is a multi-talented, award-winning singer, songwriter, performer, author and podcast host from Southern Ontario, Canada. Along with her husband and co-writer Tommy Parham, the skilled songstress has been making impactful and thought-provoking art for well over a decade. Bringing together a burning passion for the art of music and an honesty that is long lost on today's modern charts, Tia McGraff is a trailblazer in her genre, one's whose efforts have made her a beloved figure on the international music scene.Her accomplishments speak for themselves, having won the emPower Posi Music Award in 2021 for her latest single “Go Your Own Way,” a huge achievement for the talented artist. As if that weren't enough, she's also won awards for Americana CD of the Year, earned first-round nomination for the 2016 and 2018 Grammy Awards, was a 2019 multi- nominee for Kingdom Image Awards, and has even won the 2019 ISSA award for single of the year.Tia's 2018 album release of “Stubborn In My Blood” and the first single “Let ‘Em See You're Strong” received rave reviews. It would lead to placement on numerous “Best of 2018” lists. It was so powerful that it was even adopted by woman's empowerment groups, being embraced by communities all around the world.With nine international CD releases and multiple film and TV placements over the years, her recorded catalog is certainly a proud accomplishment, but where Tia truly shines is in her live performances. Her love for performing has taken her all over North America and the United Kingdom, be it in huge concerts or personal, intimate venues.Tia is also an accomplished children's author, notably with her book, “Jake The Road Dawg.” Based on the life and adventures of her beloved pet, the book has inspired classrooms around the world, while supporting Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Tia's local Humane Society. The success of the book has led Tia to venture into the podcast realm with her popular show, “Jake's Place Songs ‘n' Tails.” Here, she discusses music, up and coming artists and her own personal opinions on every day topics. It's a great change of pace, and a fantastic way to connect with the artist on a more personal level. Currently, Tia is preparing to release her latest single, “Go Your Own Way,” (June 24th, MTS Records) the first cut off of her upcoming EP, “With Love.” The single and EP will both be released on major streaming platforms. Tia McGraff's Website https://tiamcgraff.com/homeTia McGraff on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Jn59Lpf62CKNDS1c6w51STia McGraff on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTiaMcGraff

Laughers, learn about the Great Community Give sunrise to sunset event and ongoing work of The Community Foundation. Discover how your tax deductible donation directly benefits the causes you care about with a minimal $10 donation! Find out how you can watch all the excitement on the new LIVE stream, GCG-THON as you help them raise $2 MILLION dollars for area nonprofits. Join us to hear from JMU Alum Amanda Bomfim, Director of Marketing and Program Initiatives that includes the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.  Get the details on how you can easily “Point. Click. Give.” by giving early; day of event and beyond! Learn about the prizes nonprofits can win and all the fun things planned for the 4-hour Live Stream event featuring community stories, exciting giving updates, interviews, a performance by this podcast's host and much more! Plus, don't miss this learning about the Peer to Peer Fundraisers that help the nonprofits you love. As Amanda says, “imagine what we can do together”.  Cheers! Great Community Give Website: https://www.greatcommunitygive.org/ Facebook: Great Community Give Instagram:  @greatcommunitygive The Community Foundation Website: https://www.tcfhr.org/ Facebook: The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County Instagram: @tcf_hr Laughers, enjoy delicious PrePOPsterous Gourmet Popcorn! Located in Bridgewater, VA ~ Use code LAUGH15 To purchase to visit:  https://www.prepopsterous.com/ To learn more about X2 Comedy & Buy Tickets to a show: Visit: https://www.x2comedy.com/ Facebook & Instagram: @x2comedy

Teaching multilingual students is full of joy and challenges. We invited three educators to explore how teachers can use ChatGPT to support students who speak English as a second or third language. Follow on Twitter: @cahnmann @michelleshory @irina_mcgrath @bamradionetwork, @Jonharper70bd Irina McGrath is an ESL expert and English Language Learner herself. She serves Jefferson County Public Schools as an Education Recovery Specialist. She is a co-director of the Louisville Writing Project (LWP) and a University of Louisville & Indiana University Southeast adjunct who teaches ESL/ENL Instruction as well as Assessment, Literature, and Cultural and Linguistic Diversity courses. Irina was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. Michelle Shory is a veteran language educator with 24 years of experience in five states. She is currently a district ESL instructional coach in Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY. She is passionate about literacy and high quality (and engaging) professional learning. Michelle helped establish Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Louisville. Michelle Shory is a veteran language educator with 24 years of experience in five states. She is currently a district ESL instructional coach in Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY. She is passionate about literacy and high-quality (and engaging) professional learning. Michelle helped establish Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Louisville. Melisa “Misha” Cahnmann-Taylor, Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia, is the author of five books in education, poetry, and the arts. Her most recent book is Enlivening Instruction with Drama & Improv: A guide for Second Language and World Language Teachers (2021). She is the author of a book of poems, Imperfect Tense (2016) and three other books on the arts of language and education: Teachers Act Up: Creating Multicultural Community Through Theatre (2010) & Arts-Based Research in Education: Foundations for Practice, first and second editions (2008; 2018).

Teaching multilingual students is full of joy and challenges. We invited three educators to explore how teachers can use ChatGPT to support students who speak English as a second or third language. Follow on Twitter: @cahnmann @michelleshory @irina_mcgrath @bamradionetwork, @Jonharper70bd Irina McGrath is an ESL expert and English Language Learner herself. She serves Jefferson County Public Schools as an Education Recovery Specialist. She is a co-director of the Louisville Writing Project (LWP) and a University of Louisville & Indiana University Southeast adjunct who teaches ESL/ENL Instruction as well as Assessment, Literature, and Cultural and Linguistic Diversity courses. Irina was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. Michelle Shory is a veteran language educator with 24 years of experience in five states. She is currently a district ESL instructional coach in Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY. She is passionate about literacy and high quality (and engaging) professional learning. Michelle helped establish Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Louisville. Michelle Shory is a veteran language educator with 24 years of experience in five states. She is currently a district ESL instructional coach in Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY. She is passionate about literacy and high-quality (and engaging) professional learning. Michelle helped establish Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Louisville. Melisa “Misha” Cahnmann-Taylor, Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia, is the author of five books in education, poetry, and the arts. Her most recent book is Enlivening Instruction with Drama & Improv: A guide for Second Language and World Language Teachers (2021). She is the author of a book of poems, Imperfect Tense (2016) and three other books on the arts of language and education: Teachers Act Up: Creating Multicultural Community Through Theatre (2010) & Arts-Based Research in Education: Foundations for Practice, first and second editions (2008; 2018).

Hi Everyone today, my guest is Benson Shum, Animator, Children's Book Author and Illustrator. Benson talks about his start in animation and how he went on to work on writing and illustrating his first picture book. He offers advice to young students wanting to start a career in animation. Here is more about Benson: Benson Shum is a children's book author and illustrator. The idea that an image or painting can evoke emotions and movement is what brought him to the world of picture books and animation. Benson uses watercolor, ink and digital tools to create his illustrations. His newest book, Anzu the Great Kaiju received a starred review from School Library Journal and was selected for the Kid's Indie Next List for Jan/Feb 2022 by American Booksellers Association. Alex's Good Fortune was also selected for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library 2022. Benson is also an Animator at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he was a part of such films as Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Frozen 2, Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto. Originally from Vancouver, BC, Benson now lives in sunny southern California. To see his work visit: https://bensonshum.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bshum79/ https://twitter.com/bshum79 Thank you for listening! Please subscribe for future notifications!

In this episode, a broad ranging discussion takes place between our two hosts - two friends, two colleagues and two impactful leaders on literacy - Nancy Sasaki, the CEO of the United Way of San Diego County, and Jose Cruz, the CEO of the San Diego Council On Literacy. Nancy and Jose, who are so very instrumental in helping lead the charge for a more literate San Diego, speak about everything from literacy strategies and data informed decision making to community engagement and collaborative partnerships. The two gap minders, with their passion obvious to listeners, also spend time discussing various ongoing initiatives as well as a few potential new ones for San Diego. Whether it is more Free Little Libraries or perhaps Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (coming to California in mid-2023), Nancy and Jose are excited about what is to come for students in San Diego. And, as they point out, we need more resources than ever before to overcome the learning and literacy challenges brought on by the pandemic. Thank you, Nancy and Jose, for your leadership, your love of literacy, your passion for service, and for bringing The Gap Minders to life! Enjoy this episode and be sure to subscribe to the show. If you have any questions or want to contact Nancy or Jose, please send an email to podcast@uwsd.org. Thank you for listening.To learn more about the two social impact organizations making The Gap Minders possible, please visit www.TheGapMinders.org.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with James Pond, President of the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation, who highlights the organization's mission and efforts to strengthen early literacy in Tennessee. The foundation acts as a thought leader, advisor, and catalyst to sustain early literacy programs for children statewide. During the interview, James shares some of the history for the organization and talks about their five key programs, including Birth-5 Book Delivery through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Storybook Trails, Book Buses, Caregiver Engagement and K-3 Home Library. He discusses the importance of having books in the home, lessons learned during the pandemic, the impact of their programs, how the community can support their efforts, and more.Website:                https://governorsfoundation.org/Facebook:              https://www.facebook.com/GovEarlyLiteracyTN/Twitter:                   https://twitter.com/GovLiteracyTN

Big show today, hitting a lot of topics with Friday co-host Devon O'Reilly. 01:16 - We discuss what we're drinking, including an easy fall cocktail that's a turn on an old fashioned 02:08 - Where we've been and Devon does a mini M Cantina review  04:29 - Speaking of tacos, word is the popular Taqueria El Rey is reopening but in Lincoln Park (More: https://detroit.eater.com/2022/9/13/23350747/taqueria-el-rey-food-truck-new-location-downriver) 05:48 - While they've been partially gone (they're doing popups at Batch), finding some temporary alternatives and a listener turned us onto The Taco Stand 07:04 - Rose's Fine Wine (and food) is for sale on Detroit's east side 09:18 - Huntington Tower is open - https://detroit.urbanize.city/post/huntington-tower-opens-downtown-detroit 11:47 - The Brooke on Bagley in Southwest Detroit broke ground - https://detroit.urbanize.city/post/brooke-bagley-breaks-ground-southwest-detroit 13:45 - All of the city of Dearborn joins Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, giving free books to children monthly https://imaginationlibrary.com/ 15:43 - Things to do this weekend including DIY Fest in Ferndale Thanks to today's episode sponsor, your Southeast Michigan Edward Jones financial advisors. More: https://www.edwardjones.com/us-en/financial-advisor/jerry-mangona (They have no input or control on editorial content of the show.)  Feedback: https://forms.gle/MnwUf8uJEtpyG9m2A or dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com

In this episode we talk with Industry Icon Winn Claybaugh about inclusivity, how to attract the team and clients that you WANT. And how to use three of the top human needs to ensure you have a healthy culture in your salon. Winn Claybaugh is the author of Be Nice (Or Else!) and “one of the best motivational speakers in the country,” according to CNN's Larry King, who wrote the foreword for the book. A business owner for over 38 years with over 16,000 people in his organization, Winn is the founder and co-owner of hair care giant Paul Mitchell's school division, with more than 100 locations throughout the United States. The young company was ranked three years in a row (2006–2008) in the top 10 of Franchise Times magazine's Fast 55, a ranking of the fastest growing young franchises, and has repeatedly ranked in the Top 50 and earned Best in Category in the Franchise Business Review's Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. From 2004 to 2020, Winn and the Paul Mitchell Schools raised over $22 million for multiple charitable organizations, including Leeza's Care Connection, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Larry King Cardiac Foundation, Fran Drescher's Cancer Schmancer Movement, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Gary Sinise Foundation, Magic Johnson Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Food 4 Africa, Boys & Girls Clubs, hurricane and wildfire relief, AIDS causes, breast cancer causes, City of Hope, American Cancer RELATED LINKS www.winnclaybaugh.com www.masterspodcastclub.com Winn Claybaugh intro video: https://vimeo.com/140170785 YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/winnclaybaugh www.paulmitchell.edu www.paulmitchellschoolsfunraising.org Facebook: @WinnClaybaughpage Instagram and Twitter: @WinnClaybaugh On social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ https://www.instagram.com/noindoorvoice/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/124GO/ If you're a hairdresser, salon owner, salon manager or hair beauty professional, please subscribe and give us a Wicked Good Review!! Music information: Never Wanna Grow up, by the incredible Katrina Stone. https://artlist.io/song/6748/never-wa… Thank you for stopping by!

Andy Gail to the rescue! Today's conversation happened because Andy Gail is an amazing human being and not was available himself to talk about Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area and their upcoming event, Oktoberfest but he also brought a guest! Joining us for the conversation was Brian Pellatt, chef and owner at Bonnie Blue Southern Market & Bakery. Brian explained his history as a chef and how that journey brought him to Winchester to open the restaurant with three friends. We talked about his menu items and the high priority he places on being involved in the community and giving back. Get more information on his website: https://winchestersbestbbq.com/ and follow him on Facebook. Andy gave us an update on new classes starting at LVWA, told us about the expansion of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, and gave details for Oktoberfest happening on Friday, September 23, 2022 in Old Town Winchester. For more information about Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area, visit their website: https://lvwa.org/ and follow them on Facebook.

What a great Episode #25! In this wonderful episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in studio by one of California's and San Diego's leaders, Toni Atkins, the President pro tempore of the California State Senate. We learn so much about Toni in this episode, including her humble beginnings in southwestern Virginia, the daughter of a miner and a seamstress, living in a home without running water but overflowing with love and a passion for reading. To hear her share that one of her most prized possessions is her Mom's library card tells us all we need to know about her deeply rooted connection to books, reading, libraries and the value of a public education. Quite an incredible story from Toni. We also learn that her leadership on issues is very much about her lived experiences and why she fights so hard on poverty, health care, childcare, affordable housing and libraries, to name a few of her purposeful legislative initiatives. Listeners also hear about an amazing new program from California - the catalyst being the one and only Dolly Parton - called Imagination Library! This $68 million program will send a book monthly to 2.3 million students from ages 0-5! Talk about a smart investment into our collective futures! Here are some other amazing takeaways from the interview with Toni: - Affordable housing was 30 years in the making and it is going to take time to dig out- Affordable housing isn't just a humanitarian issue, it is an economic issue for every business- Libraries are not just about books, but essential access points for broadband, computers, and community centers - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program has distributed over 183 million books! - The answers to the Rapid Fire questions! A truly great conversation from a wonderful gap minder. Thank you, Toni Atkins, for being passionate about literacy, gaps, your willingness to serve, and for joining us for the 25th episode of The Gap Minders!Enjoy this episode and be sure to subscribe to the show. If you have any questions or want to contact Nancy or Jose, please send an email to podcast@uwsd.org. Thank you for listening.To learn more about the two social impact organizations making The Gap Minders possible, please visit www.TheGapMinders.org.

In today's episode we talk about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. It's a wonderful service that will send your young one a free book every month for the first five years of their life. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - https://imaginationlibrary.com/ Touring The World Resource Guides Check out our country resource guides to help you with your around the world journey: https://gumroad.com/homeschooltogether Show Notes Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - https://imaginationlibrary.com/ Connect with us Website: http://www.homeschool-together.com/ Store: https://gumroad.com/homeschooltogether Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/homeschooltogether Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/homeschooltogetherpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/homeschooltogetherpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/hs_together The Gameschool Co-Op: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gameschoolcoop/ Email: homeschooltogetherpodcast@gmail.com

Hannah Holt is a children's author with a civil engineering degree. Her picture books weave together her love of literature and lifelong learning. They include The Diamond and the Boy (HarperCollins) and A Father's Love (Penguin). In our interview we talk about her brand new pun-derful book, A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken (Roaring Brook, 2022). Her writings have been selected for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, won the Flame Challenge from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, and received starred reviews from publications like Booklist and School Library Journal. Mel Rosenberg is a professor of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is also the founder of Ourboox, a web platform that allows anyone to create and share awesome flipbooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hannah Holt is a children's author with a civil engineering degree. Her picture books weave together her love of literature and lifelong learning. They include The Diamond and the Boy (HarperCollins) and A Father's Love (Penguin). In our interview we talk about her brand new pun-derful book, A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken (Roaring Brook, 2022). Her writings have been selected for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, won the Flame Challenge from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, and received starred reviews from publications like Booklist and School Library Journal. Mel Rosenberg is a professor of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is also the founder of Ourboox, a web platform that allows anyone to create and share awesome flipbooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

On today's episode, Governor Beshear says double-digit death toll expected after severe flooding in eastern Kentucky; Ludlow schools join Dolly Parton's Imagination Library; District approves $1,400 stipend in response to bus drivers' strike threat; and Inside LINK: We're adding to the team, an update from our CEO.Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Did you know that Dolly Parton's father was illiterate and that was the motivation for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library? Today, in addition to sharing about Dollywood educational attractions, we're highlighting the subject of literacy with Dollywood Public Relations Director Wes Ramey and Elkmont Elementary School's Heather Haden along with Imagination Library parent Laura Cornelison! After those conversations, we'll be giving you an example of one of the great books from the Imagination Library program as Cora reads, “Squeak!” on Cora's Corner! You can also subscribe to TMWS via TuneIn Radio, Apple iTunes, SoundCloud, Audioboom, Spotify, Stitcher, Blubrry, Google Podcasts, & iHeart Radio. All shows are archived at TheMarkWhiteShow.com.

On this episode of Cora's Corner, Cora is sharing an example of a book from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library called, "Squeak." I encourage you to check out Imagination Library at ImaginationLibrary.com. If the program is not available in your area, find out how to make that happen for children in your area! Sponsor: Brad Wallace with Edward Jones in Madison, AL

Andy Gail was back today! Our monthly conversation with United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley with Jennifer Hall, Director of Community Investment featured Andy Gail (for his 8th visit to the show and finally a "repeat" topic) from Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area. Andy gave us an update on all the programs they have happening throughout the summer and explained how they've changed things up by offering events out of the classroom and in the community. He gave us details too, for the Collab on Cameron happening on July 30. In the second segment we talked with Jennifer and Andy about the impact grant they were awarded to help fund their Campaign for Grade Level Reading and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Jennifer gave us a recap of the Project Connect events and talked about the need for volunteers at Valley Assistance Network (VAN.) We wrapped up with a reminder and invitation to the Rubbermaid Sale happening on Saturday, June 25, 2022 from 9am - 12pm in the Belk parking lot at Apple Blossom Mall.

Imagination Letter (06/08/2022) - Kelley & Ray can not say enough good things about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library... now Dolly gets the last word.

Kathleen opens the show drinking a Good Bug Golden Ale from Lazy Magnolia Brewing in Kiln Mississippi. She reviews her weekend in Huntsville Alabama, golfing at The Ledges (her favorite course there) and meeting fun Termites at the shows as she ran her set to prepare for her upcoming Amazon Special taping in Denver at The Paramount on June 4th. “GOOD BAD FOOD”: In her quest for new and delicious not-so-nutritious junk food AND in continuing her search for the best Ranch, Kathleen tastes Baumhower's Alabama White BBQ Sauce, which she likes but thinks is a little too sweet for her liking. She moves on to sample Cheetos Flamin' Hot Sweet Carolina Reaper cheese puffs, which she spits out and compares to “FIAAAAHHHH!” She finishes her tasting with Nabisco Better Cheddars Snack Crackers, which she likes but prefers regular Cheez-Its 1000% more. QUEEN'S COURT: Kathleen gives an update that Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has expanded to Oklahoma. UPDATES: Kathleen gives updates on the sale of Warhol's “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn”, Mattress Mack makes a huge Astros bet, Boris Becker's prison situation, JetBlue's hostile takeover of Spirit Airlines, “HOLY SHIT THEY FOUND IT”: Kathleen is amazed to read about the discovery of an undersea road to the lost city of Atlantis, a 6-year-old finds a Megalodon tooth in the UK, and a giant sinkhole with a forest inside is found in China. 2022 BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN AMERICA: Kathleen reads the new list of the best places to live in the US for 2022-23, with Huntsville AL dethroning Boulder CO at the top spot. 2022 FATTEST STATES IN AMERICA: Kathleen laughs out loud reading the 2022 list of “The Fattest States in America,” with Mississippi taking the top spot and Colorado being the Fittest. She agrees that she would also join the ranks of the “hearty Termites” in Mississippi if she lived in Biloxi since she absolutely loves the seafood and anything Cajun from Mary Mahoney's restaurant. MONKEYPOX RESURFACES IN AMERICA: As a follow up to Episode 50, Kathleen reads a headline advising that multiple cases of Monkeypox have recently been identified in the US and Canada. She goes on to read about a mysterious “hybrid” monkey that was spotted in Malaysia and appears to be a combination of two different species. FREE DUKE'S MAYONNAISE TATTOOS: Kathleen is a massive fan of Duke's Mayonnaise, and is thrilled to read an article announcing a 1-day promotion where Duke's sponsored 70 free Duke's-themed tattoos at Yellow Bird Tattoo near its headquarters in Richmond, VA. SHERPA SCALES MT EVEREST FOR THE 26TH TIME: Kathleen loves reading about the Nepalese sherpas that work on Everest, and is blown away to read an article advising that Kami Rita Sherpa just beat his own world record for climbs of Everest after his 26th ascension at the age of 52. MAN OPENS PLANE EXIT DOOR WHEN REFUSED ALCOHOL: Kathleen is amused to read an article outlining the antics of a retired California roofer who fled a moving United Airlines plane through the emergency exit after the flight crew refused to serve him alcohol before takeoff. MYSTERIOUS “HOBBIT” SPECIES MAY NOT BE EXTINCT: Kathleen reads an article from Indonesia claiming that sightings of a small “ape-man” could be proof that the Homo floresiensis species (or hobbits,) may not be extinct and is still alive today in report parts of the area. WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK: Kathleen recommends watching David Bowie in the 1996 movie “Basquait” on YouTube. SEE KATHLEEN LIVE: See Kathleen live on her “Do You Have Any Ranch?” Tour. Tickets available at kathleenmadigan.com/tour See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kane Brown has his own cereal now and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is coming to Oklahoma!

We discuss the Warren County Foundation's partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and the positive impact it has had in our community. This reading initiative aims to increase literacy of children by delivering new books to them every month for free. More information and enrollment can be found at www.warrencountyfoundation.org/imagination-library.html

Jill is an underwater explorer, writer, photographer, speaker, and filmmaker.    A pioneer of technical rebreather diving, she has led expeditions into icebergs in Antarctica, volcanic lava tubes, and submerged caves worldwide.    Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.    Her memoir, INTO THE PLANET, has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times.    Her children's book THE AQUANAUT is a Blue Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.    Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Divers Hall of Fame and the Explorers Club, which awarded her with the William Beebe Award for ocean exploration.   New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Hit the subscribe button so you don't miss out.    Support the mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast and subscribe - super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.   Show notes Who is Jill Loving water since she's a baby How she got into diving Becoming a lifeguard at 16 Taking a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual communications design Talking about her expeditions Icebergs and cave diving Exploring the B-15 iceberg for 60 days Leading the dive team Writing and producing the documentary film for National Geographic Qualities a good cave diver should have How dangerous cave diving is Having a scary experience while underwater with a scientist Her best piece of advice to deal with fear How she dealt with and processed trauma Processing and overcoming challenges with her husband Having supportive mentors and colleagues Being a woman in the diving industry Becoming the Explorer in Residence at The Royal Canadian Geographical Society Not having female mentors as a kid Wanting to go to schools across the country and give talks about diving and exploration Having a growth mindset Writing her book Into The Planet Jill and her husband's podcast Into The Planet Podcast Impact of technology and natural world changes on the environment Her passion to increase awareness about the big issues we face Top tips and advice "Be willing to step into the darkness to do something that you've never done before. Trust me, your eyes will adjust to the light, and that's when you stand on that threshold of true opportunity to become an explorer." Social Media   Website: www.IntoThePlanet.com    Instagram: @jillheinerth    Facebook: @jillheinerth    Twitter: @jillheinerth   

JILL HEINERTH is an underwater explorer, writer, photographer, speaker, and filmmaker. A pioneer of technical rebreather diving, she has led expeditions into icebergs in Antarctica, volcanic lava tubes, and submerged caves worldwide. Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Her memoir, INTO THE PLANET, has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times. Her children's book THE AQUANAUT is a Blue Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Divers Hall of Fame and the Explorers Club, which awarded her with the William Beebe Award for ocean exploration.

This week I'm speaking with Chuong Nguyen, host of the Vietnam-based podcast Musically Speaking. Chuong invited me on his podcast to talk about the music of Seinfeld and Twin Peaks, as well as what inspired me to create the Seinpeaks accounts and The Other Side of Darkness. Chuong's a big Seinfeld/Lynch buff, and we get into some fun, nerdy details. I had a great time. Listen to the end for a little detail about this podcast that I haven't shared before.   This week's musical guest is Glüme. Stay tuned after the interview for her track "Nervous Breakdown".   Subscribe to this podcast so you won't miss the next part of the story. If you enjoy it, leave us a positive rating and review. Become a Patreon patron and receive early episodes and exclusive merch.   For episode transcripts, please email seinpeaks@gmail.com.    BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Twede's Cafe! @twedescafe on Instagram - @twedescafe on Twitter - Twede's Cafe on Facebook UnwholesomePeaks! @unwholesomepeaks on Instagram   LINKS Follow Seinpeaks: Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - TikTok - FB Group - Patreon Visit our Store | 50% of proceeds for the month of April will be donated to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (https://imaginationlibrary.com/)   Listen to Chuong Nguyen's podcast Musically Speaking: https://musicallyspeaking.substack.com/  Or listen on Castbox or Apple Podcasts   Follow our musical guest Glüme: @babyglume on Instagram - Links (https://lnk.bio/babyglume/) Stream album "The Internet": https://idib.ffm.to/the-internet  Watch video for "Nervous Breakdown": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezonBsarKiY    CREDITS Music by Patrick Edwards, Ivar Bowitz and Robert McDonald "Nervous Breakdown" recorded by Glüme Podcast written, recorded and edited by Jesse Brooks   FRIENDS OF THE SHOW Listen to the Watching Owen Wilson podcast (https://www.audible.com/pd/Watching-Owen-Wilson-WOW-Podcast/B08K56LQ54) Listen to Welcome To Twin Speaks (https://redcircle.com/shows/welcome-to-twin-speaks)

We recorded today's conversation at Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area with their Executive Director Andy Gail and Matt Peterson, Director at the John & Janice Wyatt Foundation. Matt told us a bit about the Wyatt Foundation and their long-term goals to support children and their families in our communities. The John & Janice Wyatt Foundation is a 501c(3) non-profit, grantmaking family foundation established in July 2018 is focused on creating equity and leveling the playing field for socially and economically disadvantaged children and youth in our geographic service area. With an emphasis on early childhood education through middle school, their goal is to help these children stay engaged and become successful, active citizens in today's rapidly evolving world. Matt explained the Campaign for Grade Level Reading that they recently kicked off in Winchester through a grant partnership with Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area. Andy gave us some staggering statistics for the number of adults in our community who struggle with reading and talked about the impact starting with younger children will have on those adult numbers. The Campaign for Grade Level Reading is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. It focuses on an important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade. Goals of the Campaign: Winchester's overarching vision is to increase the percentage of 3rd graders reading at or above the proficient level from 52% to at least 75% in the next 10 years based on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) ELA assessment. The team will work in three workgroups to improve: School Readiness By 2025, increase the number of children ready for kindergarten by at least twenty percentage points. We envision moving from 67% (2019 -2020) to at least 80% of children being ready based on their performance on the PALS-K. School Attendance Reduce chronic absenteeism and achieve rates at or below 10% among K-3rd graders at all four elementary schools by 2025. Summer and Afterschool Learning Increase by 100% the number of K-3rd grade students who have access to summer and afterschool opportunities that focus on literacy-related learning and enrichment. For more information about how you can help them achieve these goals, visit their website: https://lvwa.org/campaign-for-grade-level-reading/ Andy also told us about their partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library that will provide monthly books to all children living in zip code 22601 under the age of 5. Get details for that here: https://lvwa.org/literacy-volunteers-winchester-area-imagination-library/ We also talked about the local StoryWalks and Winchester Little Libraries that will be placed at over 13 pocket parks throughout the city. Learn more about the Wyatt Foundation here: https://j2wfoundation.org/ and find details about Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area on their website: https://lvwa.org/ and follow them on Facebook.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a gem of a program, fight me if you think differently. In fact, fight Moo on just about everything this week. Fair warning: if you don't want to listen to us talk about abortion, skip this episode. Find us on Twitter @N3rdGa5mInc You can find Merlin on Twitter @MerlinSensei or on Twitch at Twitch.tv/merlin_sensei and Moo on Twitter and TikTok @Moopacabra and on Twitch at Twitch.tv/moopacabra. Switch can be found at https://switchriggs.live. 12SidedGuy can be found at https://12sidedguy.online. Opening theme: Vintage Education by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4589-vintage-education Closing theme: Easy Lemon (30 second) by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3695-easy-lemon-30-second- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This is your WORT Local News for Tuesday, January 25, 2022. On todays show, a country star partners with a local nonprofit, it's been a busy day for state legislators, efforts are building to replace more lead pipes in Milwaukee, and in the second half, we examine the U-W's latest pandemic policies, diagnose reptile diseases and gaze upon cows in space.

We are excited to announce that Kevin and Lisa Carter have partnered with the Friends of the Delta County Public Library to offer Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! This program is offered for children 0-5 years. Lisa is very passionate about being able to offer the youngest children of Delta County the opportunity to have their own books at home, so that they can learn to love books before they even enter Kindergarten! Many years of my teaching experience were spent teaching Cooper ISD elementary students with dyslexia how to read, so early literacy is close to my heart as well.   https://imaginationlibrary.com/

This week we talk to Jim Whitton, about literacy among our youngest neighbors.  His passion to see kids read was sparked by a conference regarding the first 5 years of children's lives.  His passion has turned into action by working with StoryBridge and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to put books in the hands of birth through 5 year-olds in Potter and Randall Counties.  If you would like to donate to StoryBridge's campaign, you can do that here: GIVE HERE

Haverhill children, from infants through age five, could soon be recipients of free books from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.The program will be conducted through Haverhill Promise, the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. Director Jenny Arndt was a recent guest on WHAV's morning program and said the Haverhill Education Foundation has agreed to underwrite the program the first year. Arndt said the country singer and songwriter has been a champion for reading for many years and established an international program to encourage young readers.“So, Dolly knows, the same that we know at Haverhill Promise, that just simply having more books in the home has been proven to improve reading outcomes for kids because they're excited about books. We parents want to sit down and read the books or an older sibling wants to read with you,” she explained.Parton's program delivers one, age appropriate, book per month to each child enrolled.“So, every month your child will get a book in the mail specifically for them, that is age and developmentally appropriate, just to help build up their home libraries,” Arndt said.She added the foundation does a good job of selecting titles.“The Dolly Parton Foundation has this wonderful team of educators and parents and all kinds of people that select the books every year. I was able to go and look at all the books that they gave away this past year and the year before, and they are really wonderful. There's a great variety. I believe about one quarter of them are bilingual, English and Spanish, which we are very excited about for our city.”Arndt said the project launches soon by enrolling babies served by the local Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Those looking to help contribute to the project may visit HaverhillPromise.com for details. Information about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is also available at ImaginationLibrary.com.Support the show (https://whav.net/become-a-whav-member/)

In today's episode, I'm speaking with James Pond, President of the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation (GELF), as he discusses the operation behind Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and how GELF aids in the success of the Imagination Library in Tennessee. GELF equips Tennessee's children with books and literacy tools to encourage lifelong learning. GELF has grown from a book-gifting program to an early literacy organization, offering multiple programs where all Tennessee children have access to the resources, guidance, and support they need to become lifelong learners. These programs include Birth-5 Book Delivery through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, K-3 Book Delivery, Caregiver Engagement, Book Buses, and Storybook Trails. For more information about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/. For more information about GELF, visit www.GovernorsFoundation.org. Contact Information for GELF General Email:info@governorsfoundation.org Toll-free number: (877) 99-BOOKS Paige Atchley Shapiro, Senior Program Manager, Email:atchley@tn.gov Paige Atchley Shapiro, Senior Program Manager, Phone: 423-802-4282 Facebook: @GovEarlyLiteracyTN Instagram: @GovEarlyLiteracyTN Twitter: @GovLiteracyTN

A conversation with Jim Whitton, who is officially retired but has made enormous contributions helping connect Storybridge to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Jim has had an incredibly diverse career, from international banking to talent representation in New York City to marketing at Hastings in the 1990s, followed by a lengthy tenure with The Hunger Project. He tells host Jason Boyett about the various stages of his career, how they led him to Amarillo, and why he decided to stay. This episode is sponsored by Pesttex and SKP Creative.

In this episode we talk with Industry Icon Winn Claybaugh about inclusivity, how to attract the team and clients that you WANT. And how to use three of the top human needs to ensure you have a healthy culture in your salon. RELATED LINKS www.winnclaybaugh.com www.masterspodcastclub.com Winn Claybaugh intro video: https://vimeo.com/140170785 YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/winnclaybaugh www.paulmitchell.edu www.paulmitchellschoolsfunraising.org Facebook:  @WinnClaybaughpage Instagram and Twitter:  @WinnClaybaugh Winn Claybaugh is the author of Be Nice (Or Else!) and “one of the best motivational speakers in the country,” according to CNN's Larry King, who wrote the foreword for the book. A business owner for over 38 years with over 16,000 people in his organization, Winn is the founder and co-owner of hair care giant Paul Mitchell's school division, with more than 100 locations throughout the United States. The young company was ranked three years in a row (2006–2008) in the top 10 of Franchise Times magazine's Fast 55, a ranking of the fastest growing young franchises, and has repeatedly ranked in the Top 50 and earned Best in Category in the Franchise Business Review's Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. From 2004 to 2020, Winn and the Paul Mitchell Schools raised over $22 million for multiple charitable organizations, including Leeza's Care Connection, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Larry King Cardiac Foundation, Fran Drescher's Cancer Schmancer Movement, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Gary Sinise Foundation, Magic Johnson Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Food 4 Africa, Boys & Girls Clubs, hurricane and wildfire relief, AIDS causes, breast cancer causes, City of Hope, American Cancer More on Keune Education: https://keuneeducation.com Looking to private label? Try Genesis Private Label  - www.bit.ly/GenesisShopTalk Say hi to Chris and John on social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ https://www.instagram.com/chrissulimayhair/ https://www.instagram.com/noindoorvoice/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/124GO/ If you're a hairdresser, salon owner, salon manager or hair beauty professional, please subscribe and give us a Wicked Good Review!! Follow us on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ / Music information: Never Wanna Grow up, by the incredible Katrina Stone.  https://artlist.io/song/6748/never-wa… Thank you for stopping by! Chris and John

In this episode we talk with Industry Icon Winn Claybaugh about inclusivity, how to attract the team and clients that you WANT. And how to use three of the top human needs to ensure you have a healthy culture in your salon. RELATED LINKS www.winnclaybaugh.com www.masterspodcastclub.com Winn Claybaugh intro video: https://vimeo.com/140170785 YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/winnclaybaugh www.paulmitchell.edu www.paulmitchellschoolsfunraising.org Facebook:  @WinnClaybaughpage Instagram and Twitter:  @WinnClaybaugh Winn Claybaugh is the author of Be Nice (Or Else!) and “one of the best motivational speakers in the country,” according to CNN's Larry King, who wrote the foreword for the book. A business owner for over 38 years with over 16,000 people in his organization, Winn is the founder and co-owner of hair care giant Paul Mitchell's school division, with more than 100 locations throughout the United States. The young company was ranked three years in a row (2006–2008) in the top 10 of Franchise Times magazine's Fast 55, a ranking of the fastest growing young franchises, and has repeatedly ranked in the Top 50 and earned Best in Category in the Franchise Business Review's Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. From 2004 to 2020, Winn and the Paul Mitchell Schools raised over $22 million for multiple charitable organizations, including Leeza's Care Connection, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Larry King Cardiac Foundation, Fran Drescher's Cancer Schmancer Movement, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Gary Sinise Foundation, Magic Johnson Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Food 4 Africa, Boys & Girls Clubs, hurricane and wildfire relief, AIDS causes, breast cancer causes, City of Hope, American Cancer More on Keune Education: https://keuneeducation.com Looking to private label? Try Genesis Private Label  - www.bit.ly/GenesisShopTalk Say hi to Chris and John on social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ https://www.instagram.com/chrissulimayhair/ https://www.instagram.com/noindoorvoice/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/124GO/ If you're a hairdresser, salon owner, salon manager or hair beauty professional, please subscribe and give us a Wicked Good Review!! Follow us on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ / Music information: Never Wanna Grow up, by the incredible Katrina Stone.  https://artlist.io/song/6748/never-wa… Thank you for stopping by! Chris and John

Welcome to the Balanced FI Podcast, episode 22! Thank you so much for listening in! This week we're focused on my top tips for frugal activities.  You should be able to have fun even while paying off debt, saving for emergencies, or living financially responsibly… but you still need to be able to afford it. Suggestions include:Lower expectationsEnroll young kids in Dolly Parton's Imagination LibraryPlan aheadLook for museum membership discountsTravel more frugallyReduce fees with early bird discounts, volunteering or choosing cheaper programsUse the library RESOURCES:Read: Top Tips for Frugal ActivitiesRead: 4 Ways to be Intentional with Your MoneyEnroll: FREE Frugal Year Challenge SOURCES:Dolly Parton's Imagination LibraryASTC Travel Passport ProgramLibby appKindle Oasis

Prescott Frontier Rotary is delighted to announce this year's Grapes 4 Good garden party blew the corks off all previous events! On September 19, Watters Garden Center hosted the Rotary event, "A Garden Party," featuring 14 unique wines and artisan beers available for tasting, music with The Bob Shimizu Trio, hors d'oeuvre pairing by El Gato Azul, live auction, and the cash drawing. A record 307 attendees were on hand to support the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Rotary Math and Reading Clinic, Prescott High Path to Graduation, Bradshaw Mountain Interact Club, and more. Thanks to the hardworking hosts and a... For the written story, read here >> https://www.signalsaz.com/articles/prescott-frontier-rotary-breaks-all-time-donation-record-at-watters-garden-center/

JILL HEINERTH is an underwater explorer, writer, photographer, speaker, and filmmaker. A pioneer of technical rebreather diving, she has led expeditions into icebergs in Antarctica, volcanic lava tubes, and submerged caves worldwide. Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Her memoir, INTO THE PLANET, has been lauded by the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and the New York Times. Her children's book THE AQUANAUT is a Blue Ribbon Selection for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Jill is a Fellow of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, Women Divers Hall of Fame and the Explorers Club, which awarded her with the William Beebe Award for ocean exploration.   Contact: www.IntoThePlanet.com   Into the Planet, My Life as a Cave Diver is available through booksellers and Amazon, worldwide.   ********************* I want to get to know you better. Please fill out a 5-question survey at lizsumner.com/survey.  Let me know when you're done and I'll send you a coupon code for my online course, 8 Steps to Launch Your Dream Life. (launchyourdreamlife.com) ********************* Opening Remarks  Hi everyone, and welcome. One of the things I find fascinating as I interview people is the variety of things that attract us, how different are the subjects we want to learn, and the environments we want to explore. And how what scares one person makes another one come alive. Jill Heinerth and I both love the water. We'd both jump on a flight to outer space if the opportunity presented itself. But Jill has trained to be a world class underwater explorer and boldly goes where no human has ever ventured. She faces her fear regularly and has taken away a lesson that I wholeheartedly agree with-- that stepping into the darkness might feel scary but it's also exciting. If you focus on that and take small manageable steps you can come up with some amazing results. One of my favorite parts of my conversation with Jill is how she learned to say no. Once in awhile she finds herself in a situation where her professional judgment tells her this is unsafe. Even though she's close to the prize or others want her to go on, she knows it's too dangerous and draws the line.  For most of us our decisions aren't quite as much a matter of life and death. But from time to time we all need to resist social pressure and respect our our personal boundaries. Sometimes saying no is as courageous as diving into the unknown I encourage you to visit the links in the show notes and see some of Jill's videos. Her descriptions are excellent but the images take you to a whole new world. Here's the interview. (Full transcript at https://ialwayswantedto.net)

Tracy has over 20 years' experience in marketing and branding in nonprofit, hospitality and consumer goods industries. Today she is part of a small team of 15 that have the privilege of working for the Dollywood Foundation, in particular Dolly's flagship program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. This early childhood literacy program began in 1995 and helps to inspire the love of reading in over 1.8 million children each month in the U.S, Canada, the U.K, the Republic of Ireland, and Australia. Tracy passionately leads the foundation's continuing mission to bring awareness and globally grow the program, while helping to support the over 2000 committed volunteers and partners who help gift the free books each month in local communities all over the world. Prior to the Dollywood Foundation, she worked for Radio Systems Corporation for six years, one of the largest pet products manufacturers in the world, selling products in over 52 countries. During her tenure in this role, she led marketing efforts across multiple brands including Invisible Fence® Brand, PetSafe®, and most recently Premier Pet™, where as a one-woman marketing team, she built and designed the new brand and led all marketing efforts and strategies. While there she also served on RSC's philanthropy committee with a mission of giving back to pet welfare groups and youth education programs in East Tennessee. The seven years previous to Radio Systems, Tracy was the Director of Marketing for Rita Restaurant Corp. (previously Avado Brands) located in Atlanta, GA. Reporting directly to the CEO, she directed all marketing strategy and efforts for two restaurant brands, Don Pablo's Tex Mex and Hops Microbrewery. She joined as a member of a small turn-around executive team and six years later saw the successful acquisition and sale of the company. Before Rita Restaurant Corp. she was the Director of Marketing with Ruby Tuesday Inc., a public company operating 800+ domestic and international restaurants. During her eight-year tenure with Ruby Tuesday she rapidly advanced to positions of increased responsibility. Tracy's early service-related roles at the restaurant level provided her with a unique understanding of customer dynamics and the efficacy of various marketing strategies and their impact on operations. In all roles, she has focused on strategic planning, brand management, marketing tactics, project management, national philanthropic efforts, agency relationship management and local marketing. Tracy holds a Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude degree from the University of Tennessee and currently serves on the Engagement Committee and the Board of Directors for The Historic Tennessee Theatre, the official state theatre of Tennessee. She resides in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee with her dog, Joey and cat, Doc. ABOUT THE SHOW: Books, Kids & Creations is a videocast hosted by author, Tracy Blom, that features people who inspire and uplift children through their work. Tracy Blom is the author of over twenty published books, with her most recent publication, The Happy Machine. @Copyright by Authors On The Air

Tracy has over 20 years' experience in marketing and branding in nonprofit, hospitality and consumer goods industries. Today she is part of a small team of 15 that have the privilege of working for the Dollywood Foundation, in particular Dolly's flagship program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. This early childhood literacy program began in 1995 and helps to inspire the love of reading in over 1.8 million children each month in the U.S, Canada, the U.K, the Republic of Ireland, and Australia. Tracy passionately leads the foundation's continuing mission to bring awareness and globally grow the program, while helping to support the over 2000 committed volunteers and partners who help gift the free books each month in local communities all over the world. Prior to the Dollywood Foundation, she worked for Radio Systems Corporation for six years, one of the largest pet products manufacturers in the world, selling products in over 52 countries. During her tenure in this role, she led marketing efforts across multiple brands including Invisible Fence® Brand, PetSafe®, and most recently Premier Pet™, where as a one-woman marketing team, she built and designed the new brand and led all marketing efforts and strategies. While there she also served on RSC's philanthropy committee with a mission of giving back to pet welfare groups and youth education programs in East Tennessee. The seven years previous to Radio Systems, Tracy was the Director of Marketing for Rita Restaurant Corp. (previously Avado Brands) located in Atlanta, GA. Reporting directly to the CEO, she directed all marketing strategy and efforts for two restaurant brands, Don Pablo's Tex Mex and Hops Microbrewery. She joined as a member of a small turn-around executive team and six years later saw the successful acquisition and sale of the company. Before Rita Restaurant Corp. she was the Director of Marketing with Ruby Tuesday Inc., a public company operating 800+ domestic and international restaurants. During her eight-year tenure with Ruby Tuesday she rapidly advanced to positions of increased responsibility. Tracy's early service-related roles at the restaurant level provided her with a unique understanding of customer dynamics and the efficacy of various marketing strategies and their impact on operations. In all roles, she has focused on strategic planning, brand management, marketing tactics, project management, national philanthropic efforts, agency relationship management and local marketing. Tracy holds a Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude degree from the University of Tennessee and currently serves on the Engagement Committee and the Board of Directors for The Historic Tennessee Theatre, the official state theatre of Tennessee. She resides in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee with her dog, Joey and cat, Doc. ABOUT THE SHOW: Books, Kids & Creations is a videocast hosted by author, Tracy Blom, that features people who inspire and uplift children through their work. Tracy Blom is the author of over twenty published books, with her most recent publication, The Happy Machine. @Copyright by Authors On The Air

July 8, 2021 - Debbie Bogle of the United Way joined Byers & Co to talk about the impact Dolly Parton's Imagination Library will have on local children. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for our “Christmas in July” episode! Dolly Parton stars in Unlikely Angel, which aired on CBS on December 17, 1996. Dolly stars as a down-on-her luck nightclub singer who dies in a car accident. To get her wings and go to Heaven, where she can sing in the choir, she must bring a fractured family together before the end of Christmas Eve. Spoiler Alert: We loved this movie, because we love Dolly!!!! Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: https://imaginationlibrary.com/ IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118048/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000573/?ref_=tt_cl_t1 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0450116/?ref_=tt_cl_t3 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532928/?ref_=tt_cl_t4 Allison Mack: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allison_Mack --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Dolly Parton is known for giving back to her local community, as well as the global community. She has launched several different kinds of charities, but one that is probably the dearest to her heart is the Imagination Library. This was one of the first charities Dolly started, and it has grown exponentially over the […] The post Learn All About Dolly Parton's Imagination Library appeared first on Visit My Smokies.

Welcome to Season 7 of What's Literacy Got To Do With It? by Literacy Quebec! We start the season off with a bang having conversations with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library & DESTA Black Youth Network! These two organizations are committed to creating opportunity, equality and inclusion through the gift of literacy! We discuss the importance of creating opportunities to learn from the earliest age possible leads to building confidence, opportunities throughout life and we continue the focus on Black literacy leaders in Canada. Our first guest on today's episode is Kassandra Kernisan, Executive Director of DESTA Black Youth Network Learn more about DESTA: https://destabyn.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/destabyn In our second interview, we learn about The Dollywood Foundation & Dolly Parton's Imagination Library from Jeanne Smitiuch the Regional Director of Canada & Nora Briggs the Executive Director of North America. The Library sends about 1.8 million books to children across the world per month! Learn more here: https://imaginationlibrary.com/ca/ or https://www.facebook.com/dollysimaginationlibrary We hope you are called to action after listening to these impactful conversations! We also discuss some links and special news items: Learn more about Literacy Quebec's Literacy Helpline or call 1-888-521-8181, Donate or run for the Scotia Bank Run happening now, LQ Staff will continue to run until June 14th so feel free to join us! Check out our website and our social media for more events! What's Literacy Got To Do With It? is a community-based podcast for English-speaking, lifelong literacy learners in Quebec. Our hosts Chris Shee and Jaimie Cudmore from Literacy Quebec, explore topics around community building, lifelong curiosity, and the multiple types of literacy. It's incredible what we can learn from each other. You may have noticed that we changed our name to What's Literacy Got to Do With It? Let us know what you think! Subscribe, share our podcast, and write to us at admin@literacyquebec.org, send us a voicemail at 514-508-6805, Facebook, Instagram @LiteracyQuebec

This week, our guest is Butch Mcdade, he is a retired Ranger with the National Park Service who now lives in East Tennessee. He has worked all over the nation at some of the most beautiful National Parks in America but finished up his career working in the GSMNP where his Field School Programs have been extremely popular. He still conducts them as a part-time employee in retirement. He is an avid hiker and knows the park like the back of his hand and is an accomplished guide. Butch is also a fine writer, having written multiple feature articles for well-known magazines.The Smoky Mountain Field School enhances appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the natural world while promoting the idea of learning as a joyful and enriching part of life. From indoor workshops to outdoor field adventures, there are over 80 workshops and programs covering topics such as wildlife, wildflowers, forests, history, and hiking to name just a few!‍Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.Show NotesSegment 1Joseph starts the episode off by discussing children's literacy. He discusses two programs, one of which is the storybook trail of the Smokies, which allows visitors to experience a Smokies themed book while on trails. It allows young readers to bring the book to life by experiencing the book in the mountains. The other program is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. She started the program after being inspired by her childhood. Joseph introduces today's guest, Butch Mcdade, a retired park ranger. Butch talks about the parks in which he worked throughout his over 30 year long career. Living in Chattanooga Butch applied for his first full time job in a park at the Chattanooga Military Park. Butch continues on, walking the audience through more opf his career and more parks he has worked in both in and outside the Smokies. He always saw the Smokies as his mountains though, so they were where he ended up. The two discuss the trails in the Smokies, expounding on the wide varieties of trails in the park, with something for everyone. Butch worked in a visitor center just outside of Gatlinburg for his whole time working in the Smokies.Segment 2Coming back from the break, Butch talks about the reason why he ended up back in the Smokies. Besides having been where he grew up, he likes that there is always something new to learn and see in the Smokies. Joseph asks Butch to discuss some of his favorite trails and hikes in the mountains. After discussing his favorite trails, Butch gives his best recommendations for tourists for if they only have one day in the park. The two dive further into these locations, discussing the differences between some of the spots on weekdays versus weekends. Butch discusses his involvement with the Smoky Mountains Field School. The goal of the school is to bring people into the park and teach them the history of the park, science, and more. Butch discusses hikes he has and will lead with the school.Segment 3Butch discusses some of the areas and mountains surrounding the Smokies. The pair move on to discuss preparation for the park. Joseph talks about one of his favorite places in the park, slide rock. Joseph asks Butch to talk about some of his favorite things to do in the park outside of hiking as well as some of his favorite towns. Butch enjoys biking but warns to stay off main roads as this can be dangerous. Butch has written many books and articles, many of which are about the Smokies. He discusses the content of these books, one of which is about artists in the mountains. He dives deeper into these artists and recommends some of their work. Not only are his books about the Smokies, but he contributed to one about the Appalachians.Segment 4Moving into the last section of today's episode, Joseph asks Butch about an article he was a part of. Butch describes this artcile which discusses a missing child and the rangers who helped her sister find his grave. Butch discusses some of his other experiences, both hikes and other articles he has written. He is a contributing writer to many different magazines and publishers. Butch shares resources he has and places where people can find his books. Joseph ends the episode by thanking Butch for coming on today and sharing his own resources and sponsors.

April 22, 2021 - Debbie Bogle of the United Way joined Byers & Co to talk about the success of their Food Truck Frenzy and their support of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we talk with Industry Icon Winn Claybaugh about inclusivity, how to attract the team and clients that you WANT. And how to use three of the top human needs to ensure you have a healthy culture in your salon. RELATED LINKS www.winnclaybaugh.com www.masterspodcastclub.com Winn Claybaugh intro video: https://vimeo.com/140170785 YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/winnclaybaugh www.paulmitchell.edu www.paulmitchellschoolsfunraising.org Facebook: @WinnClaybaughpage Instagram and Twitter: @WinnClaybaugh Winn Claybaugh is the author of Be Nice (Or Else!) and “one of the best motivational speakers in the country,” according to CNN's Larry King, who wrote the foreword for the book. A business owner for over 38 years with over 16,000 people in his organization, Winn is the founder and co-owner of hair care giant Paul Mitchell's school division, with more than 100 locations throughout the United States. The young company was ranked three years in a row (2006–2008) in the top 10 of Franchise Times magazine's Fast 55, a ranking of the fastest growing young franchises, and has repeatedly ranked in the Top 50 and earned Best in Category in the Franchise Business Review's Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. From 2004 to 2020, Winn and the Paul Mitchell Schools raised over $22 million for multiple charitable organizations, including Leeza's Care Connection, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Larry King Cardiac Foundation, Fran Drescher's Cancer Schmancer Movement, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Gary Sinise Foundation, Magic Johnson Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Food 4 Africa, Boys & Girls Clubs, hurricane and wildfire relief, AIDS causes, breast cancer causes, City of Hope, American Cancer More on Keune Education: https://keuneeducation.com Looking to private label? Try Genesis Private Label - www.bit.ly/GenesisShopTalk Say hi to Chris and John on social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ https://www.instagram.com/chrissulimayhair/ https://www.instagram.com/noindoorvoice/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/124GO/ If you're a hairdresser, salon owner, salon manager or hair beauty professional, please subscribe and give us a Wicked Good Review!! Follow us on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ / Music information: Never Wanna Grow up, by the incredible Katrina Stone. https://artlist.io/song/6748/never-wa… Thank you for stopping by! Chris and John

In today's episode, we will be talking about the science of reading and how that has impacted our experiences as both students and teachers. Resources Mentioned Louisiana Vaccine Info Learn More About Mississippi's Reading Growth Hard Words: Why aren't kids being taught to read? Changes in NYC Leadership (Learn more about the NYC school system from the Nice White Parents podcast) Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

If you are listening to this podcast, you probably appreciate a good book. You can pick up a paperback or read a digital copy on your e-reader whenever you have spare time. But imagine if you didn't have the ability to see the words on the page? Blindness doesn't make a person any less of a book lover but it sure does make reading them more complicated. We assumed that technology would make things easier for people with visual impairment, and while it can help, it can also complicate things. Even recording our podcast took on unique challenges when we realized that one of our guests wouldn't be able to read the questions we sent in the same ways that our former sighted guests did. When there was a snafu with recording and we thought to text our guests, we had to remember that the text might have to then go to audio format. How long would that take? Was that immediate or was there a delay? Would the remote recording technology pick up not only our guest's voice but also the voice dictation from the computer at the same time? Though sighted, Carrie and I were definitely blind to some of the complications that life with visual impairment can mean when it comes to the world of reading. Our guests this week, Gary Mudd and Jayma Hawkins, from the American Printing House for the Blind, generously recorded with us twice to work through complications. Gary, who became blind at the age of 12, has recently retired from his role as VP of Government and Community Affairs and Jayma is the National Prison Braille Director. Gary and Jayma talk to us about how braille books are produced as well as many other products that help visually impaired students be successful, how braille production programs in prisons produce braille books for students but also create newfound skills and confidence in inmates, and how one blind mother's desire to read books to her sighted children helped create the Braille Tales program in coordination with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- Katie the Catsitter by Colleen A. F. Venable 2- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 3- Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani 4- Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Rana Liu is the Community Development Officer at Explorations. Her work seeks to actively engage Explorations within the community, setting goals for improvement and responding to problems and needs through empowerment and active participation. As the communications link, she leads the development campaigns, the diversity and inclusion objectives, and the partnerships, including establishing the first public Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Montreal. https://explorationslearning.com https://www.facebook.com/explorationslearning/ https://preventioncdnndg.org/podcast/

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a book gifting program that gifts free books to children from birth to age five in participating communities within the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Republic of Ireland. Imagination Library is an amazing program and is available in Taos, NM. See links below. Listen and Sign up! https://www.imaginationlibrary.com http://www.PasoTaos.org (see activities) http://www.Anchor.fm/paso-a-paso < SUBSCRIBE! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/paso-a-paso/message

I'm thrilled to release this episode on Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, "a free book gifting program devoted to inspiring a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere. Each month, enrolled children receive a high quality, age appropriate book in the mail, free of charge. Children receive books from birth to age five." Join me as I interview three guests on the topic: Jeanne Smitiuch, Regional Director for the Dollywood Foundation of Canada; Chaya Kulkarni, BAA, M.Ed. Ed D, Director of Infant Mental Health Promotion (IMHP) at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and Angela M. Neglia, Speech-Language pathologist for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and in private practice.

A simple yet classic food is the thing that brings Dana and Jessica together in agreement, as to what constitutes delicious food. Pick your poison for quarantine TV watching with Dana and Jess - Sex, Drugs and Teen Angst or Viral Vampires, they've got you covered.  Do you have the level of courage Dana has to nicely try to bring people back around to the subject at hand when someone goes rogue on a Zoom meeting or class? Or do you huff and puff until you blow the place down like Jessica does when someone plays dumb about signs that are more than clearly posted in a public place? Kids are Amazing Corner features a young boy who raised money at his lemonade stand to help single mothers.  What the What Corner is a Cowboy Dinosaur Influencer who thinks he is invincible and missed the memo about trespassing in a museum.  Rave #1 is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a book gifting program that gives free books to children in 5 countries, inspired by the fact that her father never learned to read or write.  Rave #2 is the Black is Beautiful Collaboration amongst Craft Breweries, started by Weathered Souls Brewery, to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily and raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.   Imagination Library - https://imaginationlibrary.com/ Black is Beautiful Beer - https://blackisbeautiful.beer/

- #TupacShakur died in 1996 after being gunned down on the #LasVegas strip. One filmmaker disagrees. And is said to have proof that the rapper knew about the hit on his life and staged it all. Red Pill Jenn joins us once again to fill us in and explain if #Tupac Lives in today's #ConspiracyTheory Thursday Is 2pac still alive? - The illiteracy rate for #Tennessee is estimated at 13%. Sounds low right? Wrong. With the booming population of the #VolunteerState, it comes to about 910,000 people here that can't read. Well, the Imagination Library of Montgomery County is doing it's part and recently sent out it's millionth book. Stacey Streetman and Karen Morrow join us to go over it all. Plus what famous Country Music Artist started it all? Donate to the Clarksville Montgomery County Imagination Library. https://www.governorsfoundation.org/give #ImaginationLibrary - In 2007, #Facebook introduced the #FacebookMarketplace, allowing users to post classified ads within sale, housing, and jobs categories. Well, along the way some people have made some unwise things to sell. Let's check out some of today's #FacebookMarketplaceFails Do you use Facebook Marketplace? What have you bought and sold? - Clarksville Is Crazy. I have three stories coming out of the #QueenCity and you have to pick which one is the craziest. One involves a protest rally against a #PresidentialCandidate. One involves the #CoronVirus at #AustinPeay State University. One involves a man taking an electric scooter from Walmart and driving it to his hotel room. #ClarksvilleIsCrazy Which one do you think is the craziest? - #MeetingTheMusician: AJ Jansen: She's Country Music's Rebel Rose who started in #Connecticut and now is winning awards in the #MusicCity, like iHeart Radio's Best Country Artist. Plus what is the theatre show entitled #OutlawWomen? Let's hear her story and then her sound. #AJjansen https://www.ajjansenmusic.com/ #TalkRadio #Politics #JoePadula #Veterans #FortCampbell #Comedy #LocalNews #Nashville --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joe-padula/support

Governor's Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF)promotes early childhood literacy in Tennessee's birth to age five population. In partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, GBBF gives all preschoolers in Tennessee the opportunity to receive books in the mail at no cost to families. Our vision is a Tennessee where all preschool children have books in their homes, develop a love of reading and learning, and begin school prepared to succeed, from kindergarten throughout their educational journeys.Organization HistoryWhat do we do? Programs/InitiativesDolly Parton's Imagination Library ProgramStorybook Trail ProgramSummer Mobile “Book Bus” ProgramFuture Initiatives/ProgramsWhy do we do it? Community Impacts & ResearchCurrent CampaignsSeptember: Tennessee's Early Literacy MonthOctober: GBBF's 15th AnniversaryCall-to-Action: What can you/the community do to help?Learn more: http://www.governorsfoundation.org

Keith talks about a fundraiser for Books, Bands and Bourbon, a fundraiser for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

At least 250 million of the world's 650 million primary school age children are unable to read, write or do basic mathematics, according to a report commissioned by the U.N. education agency in 2014. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has been working hard to change that. Dolly created this amazing organization in 1995, initially for her native Sevier County, Tennessee and then expanded the reach of the organization to help children domestically and internationally! In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to David Dotson, President of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. To learn how you can get your community involved, stay tuned! About David Dotson: David is the President of The Dollywood Foundation of USA, Canada and UK. He oversees the international replication of Dolly's Imagination Library.  His responsibilities include planning, administration, public relations, and providing general support to Dolly Parton Productions. Projects include editorial assistance for her cookbook, Dolly Parton's Dixie Fixins and her 2012 book, Dream More.  Today's show is sponsored by The City of Sevierville, the east coast's hottest most affordable eco-travel destination for families, couples and holiday weekends. If you want to relax, reconnect with nature and have the time of your life, please check out VisitSevierville.com! Tune in to The Organic View Radio Show, Monday through Friday at 6pm Eastern and visit our contest section at www.theorganicview.com/contests to win one of our monthly prizes!

On this episode of How Was Your Week?, IRA GLASS (This American Life) and his wife ANAHEED ALANI (Rookie; The Talent Show) play a rousing installation of The Newlywed Game with Julie! Then: more about Christie Brinkley at the Tonys and how exactly she was heroic that night, whether one can trust penguins, and which emotion is most like Chet from Weird Science. Plus: What Ira would do if he didn't do radio, what Anaheed and her mother have in common, Ira's "dad shoes," Anaheed's impression of Norm MacDonald doing an impression of Adam Carolla, and how Diane Keaton could be helpful in Syria. Also! Julie foolishly battles inbox trolls! Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! Reverse Planking! How Woodstock is like your cool friend's wife! And much more. An epic and intimate show! Host: Julie Klausner Guests: Ira Glass, Anaheed Alani Produced by Chris Spooner Artwork by Marcia Neumeier Theme Song and Incidental Music by Ted Leo