MOLINE, Ill. (March 31, 2014) - The Quad City Mallards have set their roster for the Central Hockey League President's Cup playoffs, the Mallards announced today.

In addition to the nineteen players on the roster proper, the Mallards have added rookie forward Joe Perry to fill one of two slots available for amateur players joining CHL clubs for the playoffs.  Goaltender Ty Rimmer and forwards Jim McKenzie and Mike Hellyer have returned to the roster for the playoffs while forward Gabriel Levesque has been placed on 14-day injured reserve and forward Jordan Lane and goaltender Eric Levine have been left off the postseason roster.

Rimmer returned to the Mallards today after being recalled by the American Hockey League's Oklahoma City Barons last Monday.  McKenzie has scored three goals and added five assists in 26 games since joining the AHL's Iowa Wild in January after starting the season with the Mallards.  Hellyer missed the Mallards' final 22 regular season games after being placed on injured reserve February 16 due to an upper body injury.

Levesque suffered a lower body injury yesterday during the Mallards' regular season-ending 5-3 win over the Missouri Mavericks.  Levine was signed last week when Rimmer was called up by Oklahoma City, and served as the Mallards' backup netminder in four games.  Lane picked up one assist and collected 88 penalty minutes in 56 regular season games.

Perry, 24, joins the Mallards after earlier this month leading Division III powerhouse St. Norbert College to its third national title in his four years as a Green Knight.  The 6' 2", 215-pound Nanaimo, British Columbia, native was named to the America Hockey Coaches Association Division III All-American first team after finishing the season tied for first in the nation with 24 goals and totaling 37 points in 32 games.  Perry earned NCAA tournament Most Valuable Player honors after scoring five goals and adding two assists in three tournament games.  He scored 50 times and recorded 106 points in 115 career collegiate games.   

In full, the active playoff roster is comprised of forwards Hellyer, McKenzie, Matt Boyd, Justin Fox, Thomas Frazee, Jeff Lee, Jordan Mayer, Gergo Nagy, Vladimir Nikiforov and Mike Stinziani; defensemen Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel, Matt Duffy, Darren McMillan, Mike Monfredo, Nicholas Rioux and Tyler Yaworski; forward/defenseman Nick Grasso; goaltenders Rimmer and Thomas Heemskerk; and amateur forward Perry.  

The Mallards head to Rapid City Friday and Saturday for games one and two of their best-of-seven opening round series against the Rush.  The Mallards return home for game three on Wednesday, April 9 at 7:05 p.m. and game four on Friday, April 11 at 7:05 p.m.  If a fifth game is necessary, it will be played on Saturday night April 12 at 7:05 p.m. at the iWireless Center.  Should a sixth game be required, the series will shift back to Rapid City on Tuesday, April 15.  If the series goes to a seventh game, the Rush would host the deciding contest on Wednesday, April 16.

Tickets for Mallards home playoff games can be purchased in person at the iWireless Center box office, online atticketmaster.com, at Ticketmaster outlets or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period. 

About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are in the midst of their seventeenth season their fourth in the Central Hockey League.  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The iWireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.net.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards.

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On Sunday, 03/30/14 the Sheriff's Office took several reports of vehicle burglaries that had occurred late Saturday evening (29th) into early Sunday morning (30th) within the city limits of Dixon. The vehicles were unlocked at the time and smaller items were removed from the vehicles.

A reward is being offered to anyone who has information leading to the arrest of the subject(s) involved.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Scott County Sheriff's Office Investigation's Division at 563-326-8625.

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today appointed Hannah Rens, a sophomore student at Sioux City East High School, to the Iowa State Board of Education. Rens will serve as the non-voting student member on the board for a two-year term.

"I'm pleased today to announce Hannah's appointment to the Board of Education," said Branstad. "Hannah's community involvement, including civic and extra-curricular activities, demonstrates that she possesses the leadership needed to excel on the board."

The Iowa State Board of Education works with the Iowa Department of Education to provide oversight, supervision, and support for the state education system that includes all public elementary and secondary schools, nonpublic schools that receive state accreditation, area education agencies, community colleges, and teacher preparation programs. 

"I had the opportunity to meet Hannah, a member of the Mayor's Youth Commission, at the Siouxland Chamber's Day on the Hill, where we discussed her work on computer coding. Her dedication and drive is impressive, especially given her age," said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. "I'm confident Hanna will be a valuable member on the State Board of Education."

The governor's appointment is not subject to Senate confirmation. Rens' term will run from May 1, 2014 - April 30, 2016. She replaces Edgar Thornton of Iowa City, Iowa, who is graduating from Iowa City High School.

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3 Steps for Turning a Real Estate or Business Sale
into the Ideal Retirement
Financial Experts Share Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Throughout life, we encounter a number of "financial impact points" -- pivotal events with the potential to make our dreams come true, say financial advisors Chris Snyder and Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo, co-authors of "Exiting Strategies: The CEO's Seven Critical Steps To Cashing-Out of a Business, Managing and Preserving Wealth."

"The sale of a business or real estate is one of those," says Chris Snyder, co-founder with Ashoo of Pillar Wealth Management, (www.pillarwm.com). "With the right planning, it can become your ideal retirement."

Unfortunately, sellers often make fundamental mistakes: They underestimate how much money they'll need for their retirement; they overvalue their business or property; and they often fail to properly invest the proceeds in a diversified portfolio of equities, bonds and money markets for income.

How can you turn your business or property sale into your ideal retirement? Snyder and Ashoo offer these tips:

1.  Determine the retirement lifestyle you desire, and how much money it will cost.

If you don't know how much money you'll need, you can't identify how much you need to net from the sale, Ashoo says.
"How many homes will you have? Do you see yourself traveling? Creating a charitable organization?"

Create a detailed list. How much money will it cost you each year? If you retire at 55 or 65, odds are good you'll enjoy a 30- to 40-year retirement.How much will you need for that length of time?

"When you meet with your wealth manager, insist on running that number through 1,000 different 'launch' scenarios - what we call a 'space shuttle' analysis - to test whether it will meet your expenses under a wide variety of market and world conditions," Ashoo says.

"You can't rely on an Excel sheet analysis based on fixed rates of return and fixed expenses for the rest of your life. It's a sure way to financial disaster because there's no such thing as zero risk."

2.  Get an objective valuation of your business or real estate.

Very often, Snyder says, he and Ashoo work with clients who have a vastly inflated idea of how much their business or property is worth. When they decide to sell, they either can't because no one will pay what they're asking, or they get far less than they expected.

"People often attach an emotional value to the asset, particularly a business or legacy real estate," Snyder says. "Hire a merger and acquisition professional to provide you with a real market valuation for your business, or a real estate appraiser to do the same for property."

If the value isn't where it needs to be, you may need to make some lifestyle changes or hold onto the asset longer.

Another caution: "If you performed step 1 thoroughly and you are confident you need $15 million for your retirement and someone offers you $20 million, take it," Ashoo advises. "Don't hold out for $23 million just because you think that's what it's worth."

3.  Invest the proceeds prudently and in a way that will generate income.

Once your real estate or business is sold, you need to build a diversified portfolio of equity, bonds and money markets that will balance your risk and generate an income, Snyder says.

"Modern portfolio theory holds that 93 percent of the return on your investment is based on your mix of these asset classes," he says
Adds Ashoo: "But prudent investing entails not accepting more risk than is required to achieve your retirement lifestyle." Don't rely on a simple risk questionnaire to make that determination for you, the two say.

Again, have your wealth manager run your portfolio through a "space shuttle'' analysis to test how it will perform under many different conditions.

About Chris Snyder and Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo

Chris Snyder and Haitham "Hutch" Ashoo are co-founders of Pillar Wealth Management, (www.pillarwm.com), of Walnut Creek, Calif., and co-authors of numerous published works including  "Exiting Strategies: The CEO's Seven Critical Steps To Cashing-Out of a Business, Managing and Preserving Wealth," available as a free download at their website. The two specialize in customized wealth management advice to affluent families. Their unique five-step consultative process for new clients ensures they have a deep understanding of clients' goals. The two have a combined 51 years of experience.