Hundreds of quilts created at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 2363 W. 3rd St., Davenport, tenderly wrap babies, comfort the sick and provide warmth and a reminder of God's love to Quad-Citians from all walks of life.

Candy Bates, of Davenport, is a St. Mark member who established "Quilters 4 Christ" in 1998 as an outreach "to those in need of a warm hug." The congregation donates fabrics, threads and yarn to a dedicated group of artistic women who have made and donated hundreds of quilts.

"The group of sewers has changed over the years, but the warm smiles and thankful facial expressions the quilters receive when a quilt is wrapped around a recipient never has changed," Bates says. "In the beginning we focused on single-sized quilts for at-risk teenagers" who lived in Valley Shelter, a Quad-City facility that later closed.

Duretta Abbott, of Davenport, is a master at creating T-shirt quilts, says Bates, "so we soon established a 'Christ's love' bond with the kids using old T-shirts to make quilts to fit each recipient's personality. That was a reward for us and the teens, but funding forced the homes to close."

The group then began creating lap quilts for the former Meadowlawn senior center "Donations of wheelchair and lap quilts are a joy not only to make, but also to give," Bates says. "Our St. Mark visitors outreach group always can find a quilt in our closet to give a homebound person or a hospitalized member of our congregation."

When quilt expert Lois Daasch, of Davenport, began teaching nine-patch blocks, the group added baby quilts to its repertoire. The quilters always have three or four quilts ready to tie or use as a teaching aid at each meeting. "Using festive, soft flannel and cotton fabrics, we stitch together the quilts in laughter, fellowship and prayer," Bates says.

All babies baptized at St. Mark are given a quilt. Women who use Pregnancy Resources receive quilts, and so do children who have been placed in foster care in Jackson and surrounding counties. Every quilt is rolled around a beanbag animal because "little hands love to latch on to the adorable little stuffed animal as if it were their very best friend," Bates said. "We recently gave a local social worker 25 such quilts and they found homes very quickly."

Quilters 4 Christ meets the second Thursday of every month at St. Mark in the conference/library/quilters room. Quilters learn a new block pattern, discuss layout, search cupboards for the right fabrics "and the magic begins," Bates says. "Our 16-year members delight in teaching our many younger members."

Daasch's specialties are very small blocks and baby quilts, while other members are experts in "flying geese" boarders, "log cabin" blocks, patchwork tops, table runners, totes, and the organization and distribution of the handiwork (Bates specializes in Civil War blocks and "tree of life" patterns).

"Every quilter brings a unique talent to each work," says the Rev. Travis Fisher. "I enjoy seeing all the quilts this group puts together and the love they put into their creations." Each hand-crafted piece is part of a blessing held during worship services. "It's a ministry that truly brings joy into our community," Fisher said.

To contact Candy Bates, please call 563-326-2122

To contact the Rev. Travis Fisher, call 563-322-5318 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Duffy one timed the game winner from the left wing circle.  The Mallards entered sudden death up two men after the Rush's Bob Preece and Kyle Stroh were called for back-to-back penalties in the final seconds of regulation.

The Mallards had battled from behind to tie game earlier in the third with a shorthanded goal from Gergo Nagy.  Nagy finished off a two-on-one rush with Vladimir Nikiforov- who assisted on all three Mallard goals- to knot the score at two at the 1:13 mark.

The Mallards found themselves trailing at the start of the third after Scott Brannon's sharp angle backhander gave the Rush snapped a 1-1 deadlock at 2:41 of the second period.

It was the Mallards who had first moved in front while on the power play when Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel's drive from the right point opened the scoring at 14:32 of the first period.  The Rush's Jesse Schultz charged down the slot to tie the score at one with just 58 seconds left in the first.

The Mallards return home for game three next Wednesday 7:05 p.m., game four next Friday at 7:05 p.m and game five next Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.  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 at ticketmaster.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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After calling on Speaker Boehner to bring a vote on the minimum wage to the House floor, Congressman tours Des Moines small business RAYGUN

Des Moines - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today toured Des Moines small business RAYGUN with U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to continue his push to raise the federal minimum wage.

"RAYGUN shows you that restoring the minimum wage to a living wage is a boon to businesses, their employees, and the local economy," Braley said. "An extra dollar or two an hour is a life-changing amount to the 300,000 Iowans who would see a raise if this law passed ? it's time we did the right thing."

Braley, Harkin, and Perez met with workers at RAYGUN ? a screen-printing company in Des Moines that is vocal about the benefits of higher wages, arguing that higher wages help build a strong workforce and profitability in the long run, while putting more money into the hands of workers who spend it in the local economy.

Earlier this week Braley wrote House Speaker John Boehner, urging him to bring legislation to the floor for a vote ? predicting that there is enough support in the House to restore the minimum wage to $10.10.

Braley recently signed a 'discharge petition' designed to force a vote on the minimum wage in the U.S. House.

Braley also recently released a report on the minimum wage showing that since 1968, Iowans making the minimum wage have seen their real incomes fall by more than 30 percent. This means a parent with one child working 40 hours a week at a minimum wage job is living in poverty. Today, roughly 46,000 Iowans work jobs that pay at or below the minimum wage. Braley's report indicated that over 300,000 Iowans would receive a raise if the minimum wage was raised to $10.10.

His report examines how the purchasing power of minimum wage earners has decreased dramatically over time, resulting in many minimum wage earners living in poverty despite working 40 hours a week. The report also illustrates that over time the gap has steadily grown between minimum wage earnings and earnings of the average worker.

New legislation aims to create equitable school funding, encourage higher learning

CARTERVILLE - April 4, 2014. Local school districts would receive new funding to encourage students to earn college credit while still in high school under legislation being pushed by Lt. Governor Sheila. Simon visited John A. Logan College on Friday to talk to students and promote the need to incentivize dual credit programs in Illinois.

"Dual credit programs help students get an important head start on college," said Simon, the state's point person on education reform. "This landmark measure can prepare students for college and set them on the path to good-paying jobs in growing fields. I am hopeful that the General Assembly will pass this important legislation quickly so it can begin helping Illinois schools and students."

Earlier this year, a bipartisan State Senate committee, created by State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) and State Sen. David Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), issued a report acknowledging Illinois' outdated school funding system and recommending changes be made to the system to better reflect student needs. On Wednesday, Manar, along with other Illinois Senate Democrats, introduced the School Funding Reform Act of 2014, a proposal to streamline the complicated funding system into one formula that would account for school districts' funding needs while also encouraging the development of dual credit programs throughout the state.

A dual credit course is a college course taken by a high school student that earns both college and high school credits. This allows a student to get a jumpstart on a college credential or degree for free. Dual credit courses are vital for students in small, rural or low-income districts that do not have the resources to provide Advanced Placement or other specialized college-prep courses, Simon said.

"Dual credit programs help transition kids to college, reduce debt and shorten the amount of time to get a degree," said Director of Dual Credit and Partnerships at John A. Logan College Vicky Turl.

In Illinois, data from the Illinois Community College Board shows that student participation in dual credit has increased from 11,809 students in 2001 to 87,571 in 2012. Locally, almost 35 percent of juniors and seniors are taking some type of dual credit class affiliated with John A. Logan College.

Still, not all high schools offer dual credit. Cost is a primary barrier. To offer a dual credit course on site, a high school must hire a teacher that has the equivalent accreditation as a college professor and provide the appropriate books and technology. Alternately, the high school can cover a student's costs at a college campus.

Previously, Simon urged state leaders to overhaul the way schools are funded in Illinois during the final hearing of Manar's education committee in January. Simon testified that the current formula was hurting rural and high-poverty districts and should be changed. Simon serves as the state's point person on education reform. In this capacity, Simon is working to increase the proportion of working-age adults with college degrees or certificates to 60 percent by 2025. As chair of the 25-member Governor's Rural Affairs Council, Simon is also working to improve the delivery of state services and education opportunities to rural Illinois.