Photos

	On April 25, the Senate passed a resolution honoring Code Talkers from all tribes, including Iowa’s Meskwaki tribe. Code Talkers were valiant soldiers during both World Wars I and II. Among those on hand for the tribute was Rob Roberts of Montour.
	Senator Rich Olive congratulates Cheryl West and her award-winning Roland-Story High School Chamber Choir, which received top honors at a major competition in St. Louis, Missouri.
	Sen. Rich Olive and Sen. Bill Heckroth talk with Sigourney students about their business initiatives. Aaron Meiners is planning for Aaron's Shave Ice business, and Austin Hammes wants to open Austin's Bike Shop. The students developed their business plans as part of the eSigourney Entrepreneurial Academy for Leadership program. eSEAL offers Sigourney’s junior and senior high school students the chance to learn entrepreneurial skills, write a business plan and ultimately open their own business. eSEAL students and educators were at the Statehouse April 17 to talk with legislators about how they’re learning to succeed in business and helping spur economic growth in their local community. Pictured, from left: Meiners, Olive, Heckroth and Hammes.
	It's always great to see constituents at the Statehouse. On April 15, I enjoyed a visit with Christina Anderson of Nevada and her daughter, Lori.
	On April 14, the Iowa Senate honored the talented young men and women who make up the 2007-2008 Drake University men's and women's basketball teams. Congratulations to the athletes and coaches, Keno Davis and Amy Stephens, on an incredible season. Their efforts have elevated the Bulldogs to rank among the best teams in the nation. During the event in the Senate Chamber, I had the chance to talk with Drake President, Dr. David Maxwell.
	On April 13, I awarded a Senate certificate of recognition to Emily Mortvedt of Story City, in a special ceremony at the Swinging Bridge Art Studio. In March, Emily won the Poetry Out-loud Competition and will travel to Washington DC the end of the month to compete at the national level.
	Sen. Rich Olive and his clerk, Dave Morris, met with Susan and David Amensen of Story City during their visit to the Statehouse on April 1. From left: Olive, the Amensens and Morris.
	Terry Boettcher of Indianola and his wife, Connie, visited the Iowa Senate on March 26 to witness the approval of legislation that expands Iowa's Gold Star license plate bill to include veterans who “died as a result of injuries sustained,” as well as those killed in action. Boettcher’s father died as the result of injuries he suffered during World War II. While at the Statehouse, Boettcher talked with State Senators who supported the legislation. From left: Sen. Bill Heckroth, Sen. Becky Schmitz, Sen. Tom Rielly, Connie Boettcher, Terry Boettcher, Sen. Rich Olive, Sen. Staci Appel, Sen. Frank Wood, Sen. Brian Schoenjahn, Sen. Tom Hancock, Sen. Daryl Beall, and Bob Holliday from the Gold Star Museum.
	On March 26, Governor Chet Culver signed what will be the biggest tax break of the 2008 session. House File 2417, which passed the Legislature earlier this session, will save Iowa taxpayers $67.5 million dollars by exempting state taxes on the federal tax rebates that are part of the economic stimulus plan approved by Congress.
	Sen. Rich Olive met with the Boone Boosters from Webster City in the Senate Chamber on March 26. The group was at the Statehouse for 4-H Day at the Capitol. From left: Amy Monroe, Nicole Heimrichs, Olive, Racheal Steig, Jan Wyherd and 4-H adviser Donna Wyherd.
	Barb Schultz of North Central Library Service Area talks with Sen. Rich Olive during public libraries legislative day at the Statehouse Law Library on March 11.
	Congratulations to Rachel Rivenbark, a senior at Roland-Story High School and Senate Page at the Statehouse. Rachel was awarded a scholarship to William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri, that will cover 75 percent of her tuition. Rachel plans to study equine law and political science. Great job, Rachel!
	Members of AARP were at the Statehouse on March 11 to talk with legislators about the concerns of Iowa seniors and retirees, including financial literacy and the Consumer Fraud Protection bill currently making its way through the Legislature.
	With representatives from the Division of Latino Affairs on March 11.
	At Barb and Lynn Flowerday's home-based daycare in Webster City on March 7.
	Sen. Rich Olive of Story City met with South Hamilton High School students at the Statehouse on Feb. 28. They were on hand for Capitol Youth Day. For more, go to www.sos.state.ia.us and click on "Youth/Civic Events."
	Senator Rich Olive makes a point during debate on the Senate floor Feb. 27 when a statewide ban on smoking in public places passed on a bipartisan 29-21 vote.
	Sen. Rich Olive of Story City and Rep. McKinley Bailey of Webster City sat down with Jordan Fuller, Jim Seibert, and Ray Kellogg in the Statehouse Law Library on Feb. 20 to discuss property taxes and how they affect the Eagle Grove community. From left: Bailey, Fuller, Seibert, Kellogg and Olive.
	I spoke with Eagle Grove members of Family Career & Community Leaders of America on Feb. 20 at the Statehouse. FCCLA is a program through family and consumer science classes that promotes career preparedness, encourages community service and provides leadership training to young adults.
	I met with Joseph M. Folsom, district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, when he was at the Capitol on Feb, 20. Folsom works with the Iowa Small Business Development Center, an organization that brings high-quality assistance to current and future businesses. Partnership programs and activities serving small business have significantly contributed to economic growth.
	Kyle Frette is a 23-year-old Iowan who is unable to purchase comprehensive health insurance due a pre-existing medical condition. Frette, who grew up in Story City, was at the Statehouse on Feb. 20 to take part in a news conference with Governor Chet Culver. Frette recently switched from a group insurance plan to an individual plan. Because he has a minor heart problem, Frette had difficulty finding health insurance at any cost. In the end, he accepted a plan that does not cover any medical problems related to his heart. I support reforms that would stop health insurers from refusing coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
	On Feb. 14, Early Childhood advocates talked with legislators about their efforts to improve the quality of childcare centers, preschools and in-home providers for the children in our communities. Sen. Rich Olive of Story City is met with members of Building Families Empowerment in Webster City. Pictured from left: Rhonda Stewart, Amy Shannon, Barbara Flowerday, Olive, Marjorie Wonderlich, Rachel Ronan, and Amy Muller.
	Brad and Miriam Leckrone and their children were at the Capitol on Feb. 13 with NICHE, the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators. The Leckrone family and others discussed their passion for home schooling and thanked legislators for preserving the parents' right to educate their own children here in Iowa. From left: Sen. Rich Olive of Story City with constituents Josiah, Luke, Elizabeth, Levi, Miriam and Brad Leckrone.
	Katie Flickinger and Sydney Nicholls, both Iowa State University students, visited the Statehouse on Feb. 7 to advocate for the Healthy Kids Act. They discussed the details of the bill with Sen. Rich Olive of Story City. The Healthy Kids Act aims to increase nutrition in schools, require 30 minutes of physical activity for all physically capable students, and provide CPR certification as part of the physical education curriculum in Iowa. From left: Flickinger, Nicholls, and Olive
	A bipartisan effort to clean up Iowa’s rivers and lakes was launched Feb. 4 at the Iowa Statehouse. The Surface Water Protection Act is the product of a two-year planning effort by many groups that care about our environment and quality of life here in Iowa. Cleaning up our waterways will greatly expand recreational opportunities, including boating, fishing, swimming and canoeing. From left: Representative Steve Olson (R-DeWitt), Senator Bill Heckroth (D-Waverly), and Senator Rich Olive (D-Story City).
	State Senator Rich Olive visits with Jeff Ishmael at the Capitol on Jan. 31. Ishmael is the Administrator of Municipal Utilities in Olive's hometown of Story City, and his visit comes just one day after a bipartisan group of legislators called for a ten-year focus on improving energy efficiency, saying it would boost Iowa's economy and save money for the state.
	Des Moines Area Community College students traveled to the Statehouse on Jan. 31 to meet with legislators. Iowa’s community colleges provide the training Iowans need to move up in life and the skilled workers the state’s economy needs to grow. Sen. Rich Olive of Story City told the students that he will support increased funding for community colleges in order to keep tuition affordable. From left: Jeremy Harmsen, Umida Irmatova, Nicole Horton, Prof. Bradley Dyke, Olive, Angela Horton, Tranquility Makedonski, Kristin Vankerckvoorde, Jack Roach, and Neal Jarnagin.
	Local members of the Iowa Rural Water Association visited the Capitol on January 30 as part of Water Utility Day. Senator Rich Olive of Story City talked with them about the good work the waste water industry is doing in Iowa to provide safe drinking water. Pictured from left: Story City Administrator Mark Jackson, Olive, and Story City Water and Waste Water Superintendent Kevin Jacobson.
	Members of the United Way of Iowa were at the Statehouse January 30 to thank the Legislature and Governor Culver for supporting last year’s “2-1-1” initiative. 2-1-1 is a free 24-hour referral helpline that allows callers to speak with trained professionals about a variety of health and human services. The 2-1-1 service is available in all of Iowa’s 99 counties and receives more than 20,000 calls a month. Iowans can also access information by going to www.211iowa.org. The support that 2-1-1 received from the Legislature last year is enabling the United Way to better serve Iowans by developing a single database of organizations and services. The program is nationally recognized for its effectiveness during disasters and crisis recovery efforts. Senator Rich Olive of Story City talked with the Executive Director of the United Way of Story County Frankee Oleson and board member Jan Putnam.
	The proven benefits of doing more with less energy was a hot topic this week at the Iowa Statehouse. Senator Rich Olive of Story City talked with Simon Lindner, a 2007 graduate of the Industrial Technology program at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. He was in Des Moines to testify before a Senate committee about how modern building techniques result in new homes that use 65% less energy than older homes. He discussed how saving energy is creating jobs and improving the budgets of businesses and families across Iowa. To learn more, contact Bill at McAnally@iowacentral.edu.
	Amy Campbell of Des Moines was at the Statehouse this week on behalf of the Iowa Psychological Association. She talked with Senator Rich Olive of Story City about the need for "mental health parity," which would require insurers to cover mental illness the same way that other illnesses are covered.
	Members of the Roland-Story and Webster City chapters of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) visited with State Senator Rich Olive of Story City at the Statehouse on January 28. Olive gave the students a tour of the Senate Chambers and talked with them about the leading role Iowa agriculture is playing in the world-wide renewable fuels boom. Roland-Story FFA, from left: Abbey Sindt, Brad Taylor, Miliana Carlson, Tiffany Heifner, Sarah Youngman, Olive, Allison Mortvedt, Jessica Holm, Caitlin McNamana, and Rachel Rivenbark.
	Webster City FFA, from Left: Travis Westrum of Stratford; Hilary Williams of Webster City; Olive; Breanna Gourley of Webster City; Nick Brim of Webster City; and Kurt Veldhuizer, FFA adviser for Webster City.
	A wide variety of groups dedicated to protecting and improving Iowa’s soil, air, and water braved the bitter cold to visit the Statehouse on January 24. Jessica A. Reinert of Story City, who serves as deputy director for the Iowa chapter of the American Institute of Architects, discussed the "green building" efforts with her state senator, Rich Olive of Story City. Left to right: Senate Clerk Dave Morris, Reinert and Olive.
	Local education leaders traveled to the Iowa Statehouse Jan. 22 in support of increased educational opportunity for Iowa students. While there, they met with State Senator Rich Olive of Story City. Olive told them he would make sure the state kept its promises to increase teacher quality and expand access to preschools. From left: Olive, Superintendent of South Hamilton Lyle Schwartz, Superintendent of Webster City Mike Sherwood, Superintendent of Northeast Hamilton Andy Woilwood, Superintendent of Eagle Grove Dennis Bahr, and Superintendent of Clarion, Goldfield, and Dows Bob Olson.
	I spoke with Police Chief Terry Dehmlow of Denver, Iowa from the Iowa Association of Chiefs of Police and Peace Officers on January 23rd at the Iowa Statehouse. We talked about the unique challenges law enforcement officers face and how the legislature can help them keep the rest of us safe. (Credit: Hans Erikson, 01/23/08)
	State Senator Daryl Beall of Fort Dodge and I met with employees of Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association on Jan. 23. They were at the Capitol to push for continued legislative support for telecommunications. From left: I, WCCTA General Manager Daryl Carlson, WCCTA Office Manager Marcie Boerner, Beall, and Webster-Calhoun Board Member Larry Winklebauer.
	Senators Rich Olive of Story City and Herman Quirmbach of Ames met with Story County Youth and Shelter Services staff at the Statehouse on January 15. They discussed their efforts to help struggling Iowans become financially self-sufficient. In 2007, Youth and Shelter Services served 227 families. Pictured from left: Sheila Paul, Quirmbach, April Chavira, Deborah Arringdale, and Olive.
	Senator Rich Olive of Story City opened the 2008 legislative session January 14 at the Iowa Statehouse with his clerk. Olive said his primary goal this year is to keep making progress on commitments made last session to improve teacher pay, expand access to quality child care, limit increases on college tuition, make health care more affordable, and boost the state's economy through the Iowa Power Fund initiative.
	On Dec. 18, Senator Rich Olive of Story City participated in Iowa's first Governor's Workforce Summit in Des Moines. The conference brought together experts from around the state to discuss the best ways of growing Iowa's skilled workforce. Estimates suggest that Iowa will have a shortage of 100,000 or more workers by 2012, but the Governor and the Legislature are committed to working with business & industry, educators and state agencies to find solutions. Pictured, from left: Douglas Williams, vice president at Des Moines Area Community College, and Sen. Olive.
	On Dec. 16, Senator Rich Olive of Story attended an Eagle Scout ceremony honoring Joe Wheelock and Justin Upah of Boy Scouts of America Troop 140. The Eagle Court of Honor was held at the Story County Conservation Center near Ames.