27 Oct 2015

Front Steps at Main Library to Be Closed for Railing Installation

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL: The front steps at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street, will be closed on Thursday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 30, for the installation of hand-railings. While the steps are closed for work, access the library via the South (Ground Floor) entrance.

The railing installation is one of the last remaining tasks in the library's stone restoration project.

For more free events for all ages, pick up a fall events brochure at library locations, call 309-732-READ or visit the library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org.

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27 Oct 2015

SPELLBOUND SET TO BRING HALLOWEEN FUN TO ALL AT FRIGHT NIGHT IN THE DISTRICT

By Ken Jacoby
This year's Fright Night in The District promises to be extra special, with the addition of Spellbound, a shop with a Halloween vibe year-round, in the midst of the festivities.  Spellbound, which opened August 11, is located in the Shoppes on 2nd Avenue, part of the two-block stretch of The District, between 17th and 19th streets, where Fright Night, a great time for kids to have Halloween fun, takes place this Thursday, October 29, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Spellbound will offer lots of fun for the kids, with story-telling, arts and crafts, trick-or-treating, and a special appearance by the kid-friendly fortune teller, Madam Casey, in Suite 3 of the Shoppes on 2nd.  In addition, the Spellbound shop itself carries a variety of unique items to help celebrate Fall, Halloween, and the Day of the Dead.  Spellbound is normally open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but on the 29th will be open throughout Fright Night in The District.

Since opening in August, Spellbound has garnered rave reviews on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/spellboundqc) for its friendly atmosphere and distinctive selection of gifts and New Age items, including jewelry, incense, herbs, essential oils, dragons, candles, fairies, figurines, crystals, wind chimes, books and magazines, and much more.  Spellbound also offers personal dream analysis, with both appointments and walk-ins welcome.

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27 Oct 2015

Governor Branstad announces creation of the Wrongful Conviction Division

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

Division will be housed at the State Public Defender's office and will focus on reviewing and identifying potential cases involving wrongful convictions

 

(DES MOINES)  - Today, during the Administration's weekly press conference, Gov. Terry Branstad and State Public Defender Adam Gregg announced the creation of the Wrongful Conviction Division at the Office of the State Public Defender.  The Wrongful Conviction Division will systematically review and identify potential cases involving wrongful convictions and pursue available legal remedies.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently admitted to serious errors in its testimony in cases involving hair comparison analysis.  The Wrongful Conviction Division is partnering with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Innocence Project of Iowa, and the Midwest Innocence Project to determine whether similar errors have occurred in Iowa cases.  If such errors are identified, the Wrongful Conviction Division will pursue existing legal remedies, such as post-conviction relief.

"In Iowa, we have great confidence in our criminal justice system," said Branstad.  "However, even in a well-regarded system, we know issues can arise.  The creation of the Wrongful Conviction Division within the State Public Defender's Office, and its collaboration with the Division of Criminal Investigation and existing innocence organizations, will help us ensure that our criminal justice system gets it right."

The Wrongful Conviction Division will be led by Audrey McGinn, formerly of the California Innocence Project.  During her time at the California Innocence Project, McGinn had a hand in seven exonerations, and helped found ten innocence projects throughout Latin America.  Her position was created by repurposing a vacant full time employee position, using existing appropriated funding.

More information can be found at the website of the State Public Defender, www.spd.iowa.gov, or by emailing exonerate@spd.state.ia.us.

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27 Oct 2015

Moline High School Fall Play will go on despite director's passing

By Mary McNeil


Despite the passing of MHS English teacher and director, K.C. Griesenbeck, the school's fall play will go on as scheduled.  Griesenbeck suffered a brain aneurysm October 11th and was airlifted to Iowa City for treatment. She was taken off life support the following Tuesday morning.  Practice for the play had already been underway so the assistant Director, Calvin Vo, took over the job.  "It's a big project for us but it will get done.  We will honor her vision for the show."

The play, Almost, Maine, runs next Thursday, October 29th, Friday the 30th and Saturday the 31st at 7pm each night in the school's auditorium.  The play consists of 9 separate vignettes that deal with the different stages of love and laughter.  In keeping with the love theme students, friends and alumni who were knew Griesenbeck are being asked to bring any pictures they of her to put on the auditorium wall--a so called wall of love.

The media is invited to a preview night of Almost, Maine on Tuesday, October 27th at 4:30 pm.   Available for interviews are the students, the director and the assistant director.  Student Director, Quinn Daley, said her sudden death at the age of 44 shocked the community but the students came together and are more serious about the production.  "They want the stow to be a good one--it is being dedicated to  her".

27 Oct 2015

Bettendorf Man Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax Return

By Shelly Robertson
DAVENPORT, IA - On October 5, 2015, Monte A. Cox, age 55, appeared before the Honorable Stephen B. Jackson, Jr., and pled guilty to filing a false tax return for the year 2009, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.
According to the plea agreement, Cox underreported income on his personal tax returns for the years 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. During this period Cox resided in Bettendorf, Iowa, and earned income as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promoter and fighter manager. He operated his business under the name Ultimate Productions, Inc. For each of these years, Cox knew that he had received income from his MMA-related activities and ownership of Ultimate Productions, Inc. that exceeded the income he reported on his tax return. Cox underreported his income by an estimated $255,036 for 2007, $295,854 for 2008, $405,778 for 2009, and $152,509 for 2010.
Cox is scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey on February 24, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., in Davenport, Iowa. Filing a false tax return is a felony that carries a maximum term of three years imprisonment, up to $100,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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27 Oct 2015

Webinar to Discuss Suicide Prevention

By TRICARE Communications
TRICARE is hosting a webinar to continue the conversation about suicide prevention on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at noon EST. No prior registration is required. Participants are invited to join us using the following access link: https://conference.apps.mil/webconf/SuicidePrevention.

Read the full article here.

Sign up for TRICARE e-mail updates at www.tricare.mil/subscriptions.

Connect with TRICARE on Facebook,Twitter and Google Plus at www.facebook.com/tricare, www.twitter.com/tricare and www.plus.google.com/+TRICARE.

27 Oct 2015

The River Bandits are hiring -- full-time, part-time, and internships

By River Bandits
Visit the River Bandits employment page for up-to-date job opportunities. More »
27 Oct 2015

Club Calendar: FFQC presents Foreign Affair with Flare

By Linda Shearer
Friendship Force Quad Cities (FFQC) presents A Foreign Affair with Flare: Traveling with the Friendship Force. Wednesday November 4, 2015, 6:00 PM-7:30 PM.  Davenport Eastern Branch Library, 6000 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, IA.  Explore our fun, economical and safe way to travel the US and abroad.  Learn how we welcome guests from around the world. Door prizes! Food samples from foreign lands!  Free.  Please RSVP: Kathy 309-738-2590 or Ginny 563-355-8120
27 Oct 2015

Senate Continues to Make Good Progress on Judicial Nominations

By Grassley Press

Prepared Floor Statement Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa

Statement for the Record

President Obama's Judicial Nominations and Lawrence Vilardo of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of New York

Monday, October 26, 2015

 

Today, the Senate confirmed the 316th judicial nominee during President Obama's presidency, so I wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update on judicial nominations progress. These 316 confirmations are in contrast to the only 292 judicial nominees the Senate had confirmed by this point in 2007 during George W. Bush's presidency. So, at this point in their respective seventh year of Presidency, President Obama has 24 more judicial nominees confirmed than President Bush did.

Furthermore, contrary to what one might hear, there is no judicial vacancy crisis. This year has the lowest average vacancy rate during Obama's Presidency, and is among the lowest in the last 25 years. Both the district and circuit courts are over 92 percent filled.

As I have said before, the Senate Judiciary Committee is moving at the same pace this year that it did under Democrat control in 2007 during the last two years of President Bush's presidency. By this point in 2007, the committee had held 10 hearings for a total of 29 nominees (26 judicial nominees and 3 executive nominees). We have held 9 hearings for a total of 29 nominees (24 judicial nominees and 5 executive nominees) including hearings for both the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General.

I just wanted to set the record straight and remind all my colleagues that the Senate continues to make good progress on judicial nominations.

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27 Oct 2015

The popular annual Bike for Brains Campaign is getting underway today with announcement of its 2015 fundraising goal.

By Mary McNeil
(Rock Island County)  It's that time of the year again....

Each year a coalition of caring community leaders comes together for a cause as worthy as they come:  handing out bikes to the youngest and the neediest among us.  Teaming up this year is the Rock Island County Regional Office of Education, Bike N'Hike and Queen's Parlour.

This initiative, called "Bikes for Brains," seeks to give out 150 bikes (with helmets and training wheels) to qualified QC-area children deemed eligible by Rock Island Head Start,  Children's Therapy Center, The Project and Youth Hope.  The average cost of a bike with training wheels is about $50. The Pilot Club of Moline has pledged to donate helmets for all of the new young bikers and will fit the children with the helmets properly at the giveaway day.
The goal is to raise a total of $6,000 between now and December 14th which is the happy day we give away the bikes.  On that day, from 11 am-5 pm at the Martin Luther King Center in Rock Island, we help the young children pick out their new bikes.

Organizer Sandy Seeley loves to help with this program.  "This initiative provides bicycles, helmets, and books to young children who would not be provided the opportunity to own and ride a bicycle, if it were not for the generous donations provided for by our community. Children who are recipients of this initiative will use their gross motor skills every time they ride their bike which, in turn, promotes brain development."

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