MONTICELLO, IOWA   Camp Courageous, a year-round camp for individuals with special needs, recently received a donation of a 1966 VW Cabriolet by Michael Verst of Union, Kentucky, in honor of his late wife, Karen Verst.

Michael modified the vehicle for Karen and installed an automatic transmission, after she lost a leg to a rare form of bone cancer.  The project took eight-years to complete, and was a "real labor of love," according to Michael Verst.

Camp Courageous plans to raffle the car. For more information, story and pictures, go to camp's webpage at:  www.campcourageous.org or call 319-465-5916 ext.#2100 or Facebook Page.

WHAT: The Geneseo Park District is celebrating the construction of a New Aquatic Facility with a public groundbreaking ceremony.

WHY: The current pool is over 35 years old and at the end of life expectancy for a traditional pool of this type and era. The bathhouse is the original bathhouse that was built in 1953. The Pool has been well maintained, however, the time has come for a new facility. The new aquatic facility will include zero depth entry, diving boards, drop slide, lap swimming, splash pad, and a modern bathhouse with family changing rooms. Through participation and support from residents and businesses, the Park District's mission of providing a Positive Recreational Experience can be realized with an improved aquatic facility.

WHEN: Thursday August 20, 2015, 5:00 pm at the , Geneseo Community Center West Parking Lot, 541 E. North Street, Geneseo IL

HOW: For more information call (309) 944?5695 or visit www.GeneseoParkDistrict.org

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Quad Cities loses first shutout in two months and has second three-game losing streak of the season

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (August 12, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-handers Dean Deetz and Brandon McNitt held the Fort Wayne TinCaps to one hit through the first seven innings and only allowed three hits the entire game to the home team, but four TinCaps combined on a four-hit shutout - the first against Quad Cities in two months - in a 2-0 final at Parkview Field Wednesday night.

The TinCaps (28-17 second half, 60-53 overall) won their ninth straight home game and handed the River Bandits (29-16, 74-39) their second three-game losing streak of the season and first since May 26. Quad Cities lost a shutout for the first time since Game 2 of a June 12 doubleheader at home against Lansing.

Making his first Midwest League appearance since April 30, 2014, TinCaps right-hander Pete Kelich (1-0) retired the first two batters, and after All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu reached on an infield single to third base, catcher Jose Ruiz threw him out at second base when he tried to advance on a pitch in the dirt.

In the bottom of the first inning, Deetz (1-1) walked TinCaps second baseman Josh VanMeter on four pitches with one out. Designated hitter Ruddy Giron then hit one-hop ground ball to Deetz, whose high throw to second base went off second baseman Jose Fernandez's glove into center field, allowing VanMeter to reach third base on the first Quad Cities error in six games. Deetz then walked right fielder Franmil Reyes to load the bases, before a four-pitch walk to left fielder Franchy Cordero forced in a run for a 1-0 Fort Wayne lead.

With the bases still loaded and one out, Deetz got center fielder Michael Gettys to ground to Fernandez to begin an inning-ending double play. For the rest of his five-inning start, Deetz only allowed two baserunners, as Gettys reached on a fourth-inning, two-out throwing error by Fernandez, and TinCaps third baseman Luis Tejada had his team's first hit on a fifth-inning, leadoff infield single behind second base. Deetz walked three batters and struck out four and was charged with an unearned run.

Kelich scattered three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in a season-long, five-inning start, and only one River Bandit reached second base against him, as designated hitter Luis Reynoso and left fielder Jason Martin each singled in the third inning before Kelich escaped.

The River Bandits had their best scoring chance in the seventh inning against TinCaps left-hander Taylor Cox, who pitched a perfect sixth inning but began the seventh with a four-pitch walk to right fielder Drew Ferguson. First baseman Ryan Bottger then singled to right field to put runners at first and third bases. With no outs, Fernandez put a squeeze bunt toward first baseman Trae Santos, who flipped to Ruiz to tag out Ferguson at home plate. After catcher Garrett Stubbs flied out, Cox departed after 1 2/3 innings of work. Right-hander T.J. Weir entered with runners at first and second bases to face Reynoso with two outs, but during the at-bat, Ruiz and Santos combined to pick off Fernandez at first base to end the inning. Weir pitched a perfect eighth inning to contribute 1 1/3 total innings.

Following Deetz, McNitt set down the first seven batters he faced until a one-out walk to Ruiz in the bottom of the eighth inning. Two batters later, VanMeter grounded a two-out single to right field, and Giron hit a line-drive RBI single to right field for a 2-0 Fort Wayne lead. It was enough for right-hander Yimmi Brasoban, who pitched a perfect ninth inning for his eighth save. The TinCaps' win secured the River Bandits' second road series loss of the season and first since losing two of three games July 21-23 at Kane County.

The River Bandits conclude their series in Fort Wayne at 6:05 p.m. Central Thursday, when River Bandits right-hander Agapito Barrios (1-0) is scheduled to face TinCaps right-hander Dinelson Lamet (3-6).

UP NEXT: The River Bandits have two specialty jerseys among the top 10 in MiLB.com's Jersey Joust contest to decide the best specialty jersey in Minor League Baseball. Visit riverbandits.com for a link to vote until Aug. 25 for the 2014 Autism Awareness Jersey and 2015 Boy Scouts Jersey. Ticket plans of 12 to 70 games - which include free parking, reserved seats, merchandise discounts, and guaranteed giveaways - are available by calling 563-324-3000.

Wed., Aug. 12, 2015

WASHINGTON - Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Bob Corker of Tennessee, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlights the lack of rigorous oversight of the EB-5 regional center program, specifically how the agency fails to analyze risks, continuously assess fraud and accurately measure economic benefits.

The report, entitled, "Immigrant Investor Program, Additional Actions Needed to Better Assess Fraud Risks and Report Economic Benefits," examined efforts by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to detect and mitigate fraud and other related risks, including in conjunction with other agencies. The report also validates that the program is inherently susceptible to fraud schemes, and that the agency lacks the ability to determine if investor funds are lawfully obtained.

The Immigrant Investor Program, or EB-5, provides visas for foreign nationals who invest a certain amount of capital in the U.S. economy and create jobs.  The EB-5 Regional Center program allows for a certain number of those visas for foreign investors who pool their capital in centers that fund U.S. projects and commercial enterprises.

"The GAO report confirms that Citizenship and Immigration Services has a lot of work to do to ensure that the EB-5 regional center program is used for legitimate job creation and economic benefit.  The country can't afford to put national security at risk and let job creation take a back seat.  The status quo is unacceptable, and we need to pass legislation to reform the program," Grassley said.  "Without adequate systems in place we can't verify the source of funds from petitioners or ensure that investors aren't being defrauded.  One of the simplest ways to keep fraud at bay is to conduct site visits and use the in-person interview to a greater extent with people in the country on the EB-5 visa who are trying to gain lawful permanent residency.  These straightforward tools are being used at a minimum or not at all.  That needs to change."

"It is critical that Congress work to strengthen oversight of this program to ensure it actually creates American jobs that otherwise would not be created and does not jeopardize our national security," said Corker. "It is also important that the Department of Homeland Security develop more effective ways to detect and eliminate cases of fraud and to make sure the source of funds being used for these applications is not coming from criminal activity."

The GAO found that:

·         Unique fraud risks in the EB-5 program include uncertain source of EB-5 investor funds, uncertain legitimacy of EB-5 investment entities, and susceptibility to influence by outside groups.

·         Fraud-mitigating activities in the EB-5 program are hindered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' heavy reliance on paper-based documentation and the agency's failure to collect information that could be useful to detect fraud by EB-5 investors, regional centers, the businesses supported by regional centers, and other entities receiving fees from EB-5 investors.

·         U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' EB-5 program office has never conducted interviews with EB-5 investors before removing the conditions on their permanent residency.

·         U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' methodology for job creation and investments through the EB-5 program may overstate the economic benefits derived from the EB-5 program.

·         U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services does not adequately track or analyze economic outcome information from the EB-5 program.

·         Confirms that an upcoming Department of Commerce study of the economic impact of the program, which has been commissioned by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will consider only the benefits of economic activity and fail to discuss the program costs.

The Judiciary Committee has conducted extensive oversight of the program over the last several years and was instrumental in bringing to light allegations brought forward by whistleblowers.  The whistleblowers alleged that other federal agencies, including the FBI, had raised concerns with the approval of several EB-5 regional centers and visas for foreign investors, and that requests from politically influential people were being expedited.

The EB-5 Regional Center Program is due for reauthorization this year.  Grassley, as chairman of the committee of jurisdiction, along with Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, have sponsored legislation to reauthorize and reform the program.

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