SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, is joining thousands of area residents in the fight against breast cancer by participating in the Susan G. Komen Quad Cities Race for the Cure this Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 a.m. in Moline benefitting breast cancer screenings, education, and research.
"As a husband to a breast cancer survivor, I know how important proper screening and treatment can be and Susan G. Komen Quad Cities is an unbelievable organization that helps provide critical support to thousands of local families," Smiddy said. "I urge area residents to join me in supporting the brave patients that battle this disease. Everyone should stand with this wonderful organization by participating in the run/walk or making a donation to help families receive the care they need."
The Susan G. Komen Quad Cities Race for the Cure was first held in 1990 and was among the first races of its kind in the nation. The Quad Cities organization serves over 500,000 residents in the bi-state area and has funded over 13,000 mammograms since 1990. Access to breast health is a major priority for Smiddy in Springfield, where he has introduced legislation requiring all insurance plans to cover preventative breast cancer screening.
"Seventy-five percent of the funds raised through the Race go toward supporting local breast health services, so participation or donations will help our neighbors who are faced with breast cancer," said Christina McNamara-Schmidt, Marketing and Sponsorship Chair for the Komen Quad Cities Race for the Cure. "I'd like to thank Representative Smiddy for urging everyone to get involved in the fight against breast cancer and for the steps he's taking in Illinois to improve women's health."
To make a donation or to register for the race, visit http://komenquadcities.org/ or call 563-742-7465.
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WHEN: Jun. 17, 2015 Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Mandala Integrative Medicine, 2206 E. 52nd St. Suite A, Davenport, IA 52807
COST: Free
ABOUT: Join Dr. Sayed Shah of Mandala Integrative Medicine as we take a functional tour of the digestive system and highlight why healing digestion can heal so many other common, chronic conditions. Dr. Shah is the Medical Director and CEO of Mandala Integrative Medicine, where he works as a partner in wellness for his clients by tailoring appropriate treatment plans and effective support utilizing conventional healthcare practices alongside more holistic traditions. Stephanie Burrough, Colon Hydrotherapist and owner of QC Colon Hydrotherapy, will also be presenting on the benefits of internal cleansing.
CONTACT: For more information for this event or to RSVP, please call 563-355-7411. Seating is limited! Bring a friend to the GI Foundations talk receive 20% off all supplements.

Germans of Historic Downtown Davenport Walking Tour

Join us for this informative and fun walking tour every Saturday this summer! German American Heritage Center will be welcoming visitors to walk the bluff with us as we discuss the presence and influence of Germans in the Gold Coast/Hamburg District and Downtown! $5 gets you into the one hour tour that is approximately 1.3 miles and includes uphill and downhill stairs. 10:30 am start time at the German American Heritage Center. Please dress prepared for weather and walking; bring your own water if needed. No tour on the 4th of July and last tour of the season is on August 15th. This walking tour is sponsored by the City of Davenport.

Patriotic Pooch Parade! Sunday, June 14th 2pm

The German American Heritage Center is happy to announce a fun and free event for Flag Day on Sun. June 14th! At 2pm we will be holding a Patriotic Pooch Parade! Bring your four legged friends down in their best red, white, and blue attire as we gather for a trot around the neighborhood! Prizes Awarded for Best Costume! Our friends from the Scott Co Humane Society will be bringing a few pals along to talk to us about how you can become a furever home to one of the many animals in need at their shelter.

All pets must be leashed & youth under 14 must have adult supervision.

This event is part of Quad City Museum Week and our exhibition From Wolf to Woof: Dogs of Deutschland on display now through July 26th!

In case of rain or heat index over 80 degrees- Outdoor parade will be cancelled- A representative from the Humane Society will present on Furever Homes without any animals- indoors.

German American Heritage Center | 563.322.8844 | kelly.lao@gahc.org| gahc.org

ROMEOVILLE, IL (06/10/2015)(readMedia)-- Camille Kelso of Rock Island (61201), IL, graduated from Lewis University with a master's degree in graduate organizational leader.

Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,700 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.

Iowa House Hunt Initiative Showcases Homeownership Bonuses and Chance to win $5,000

DAVENPORT - The Iowa Finance Authority, the Iowa Association of Realtors and local lenders and Realtors announced a new initiative today, spurred by strong home sales. The program, IowaHouseHunt.com aims to educate Iowans about all of the bonuses available to them when purchasing a home. One grand prize winner will win a $5,000 gift card.

"Homeownership is alive and well here in Iowa, where our housing market is solid. From January to June 2 this year, 14,620 homes have already been sold across the state," said Iowa Association of Realtors CEO Dave Bert.  "In May the number of sales climbed 5 percent and days on the market dropped 15 days from last year at this time."

The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Association of Realtors have partnered to create the Iowa House Hunt campaign to educate buyers about affordable mortgages, down payment assistance, including a special program for military service members, federal tax credits of up to $2,000 each year, Iowa Title Guaranty and much more.

"Iowa's housing market is strong and we want to ensure all buyers are armed with the knowledge of all of the resources available to them," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "I encourage all Iowans to visit IowaHouseHunt.com to review the programs available and enter for a chance to win the grand prize."

The Iowa House Hunt campaign asks any Iowan to visit IowaHouseHunt.com to learn more about these bonuses by watching a series of seven short videos. Each video watched on the IowaHouseHunt.com web site provides a chance to win the grand prize of a $5,000 gift card. Each entrant can win up to seven chances to win! The grand prize winner will be drawn randomly on September 4.

"U.S. Bank Home Mortgage assisted 92 home buyers through Iowa Finance Authority programs last year and our staff looks forward to helping many more Iowans discover the many bonuses available to them this summer," said Rick DeLeon of U.S. Bank Home Mortgage. 

"Now is a great time to buy," said Deanna Seibel with Mel Foster Co. "I'm excited to promote this fun opportunity to my buyers for a chance to win $5,000, which will be useful in any new home."

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Comptroller urges General Assembly to deliver balanced budget

CHICAGO - Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger on Wednesday announced that the Illinois General Assembly's failure to reach a budget agreement with Governor Rauner by July 1 will reap severe consequences for residents and organizations throughout the state.

"I am here as the state's Chief Fiscal Officer to urge the General Assembly to avoid causing this unnecessary hardship and work with the Governor to pass a balanced budget," Munger said at a Chicago news conference. "I am here to remind all involved that this isn't a game to be won or lost - their rhetoric, posturing and decisions have grave implications on people and communities across the state."

Regardless of budget negotiations, the Comptroller will be able to continue making payments authorized under the current fiscal year, FY15, budget - including the state's existing $5 billion backlog.

However, when the FY15 bills are paid, she will not have appropriation authority to make new payments that fall under the new fiscal year, FY16, which begins July 1. Ramifications include :

  • New Medicaid provider payments will stop
  • Nonprofits and small employers will be unable to receive expedited payments
  • State employees will start missing paychecks July 15
  • General State Aid payments to schools will not be delivered as scheduled on August 10
  • New payments to state vendors will stop

Munger noted that continuing appropriations and other legal provisions will allow her to meet some FY16 obligations, including the following payments: debt, pension, retiree benefits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Assistance for the Aged, Blind and Disabled, and most local government payments.

On the budget impasse, the Comptroller urged the General Assembly to reach an agreement with the Governor that includes reforms to make Illinois more competitive and grow its tax base. She noted that the budget passed by legislators last month has a $4 billion shortfall, which is "what put us in this mess in the first place."

"I come from the private sector, and I have been extremely disappointed by the inactivity and needless theater in Springfield," Munger said. "So far, lawmakers have failed to do their jobs. And their failure prevents me from doing mine. It's time for all parties to find common ground before the situation grows dire."

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Grants for renewable energy and conservation will cut energy costs, create jobs, promote energy independence

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing more than $6.7 million in 544 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects nationwide.

Secretary Vilsack made the announcement during a visit to the Snake River Brewing Company, in Jackson, Wyo. The company received a $13,810 USDA Rural Development Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant to install a solar panel to generate energy for the business.

"These grants will help farmers, ranchers and small business owners use more renewable energy, which cuts carbon pollution, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, saves businesses money on their energy bills and creates American jobs," Vilsack said. "All of these are crucial components to developing healthier, more economically vibrant rural communities."

REAP was created by the 2002 Farm Bill and was reauthorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. REAP funding has helped farmers expand renewable energy use in recent years. The new Census of Agriculture shows the number of farms utilizing renewable energy production has doubled in the last five years.

Since 2009, USDA has awarded $545 million to support more than 8,800 REAP projects nationwide. This includes $361 million in grants and loans for almost 2,900 renewable energy systems. For the remaining 5,900 projects, USDA provided $184 million to help rural small businesses and agricultural producers make energy efficiency improvements such as lighting; heating, ventilation and cooling; irrigation; insulation and motor replacements. When fully operational, these projects are estimated to generate and save 7.3 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually - enough to power more than 660,000 homes for a year.

Eligible agricultural producers and rural small businesses may use REAP funds to make energy efficiency improvements or install renewable energy systems, including solar, wind, renewable biomass (including anaerobic digesters), small hydroelectric, ocean energy, hydrogen and geothermal.

The awards list announced today is contingent upon the recipients meeting the terms of the grant agreement.

President Obama's historic investments in rural America have made our rural communities stronger. Under his leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities.

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ROMEOVILLE, IL (06/10/2015)(readMedia)-- Lewis University announces Dean's List honorees. The following students were among those honored on the Lewis University Dean's List for spring semester 2015.

Sean Lillis of Geneseo (61254) was studying Physics at Lewis University.

Julia Dawson of Moline (61265) was studying Radiation Therapy at Lewis University.

Aaron Wilson of Rock Island (61201) was studying Sport Management at Lewis University.

Paige Gatter of Geneseo (61254) was studying Early Childhood Education/Special Education at Lewis University.

Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,700 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.

Quad Cities - Beyond all the fun exhibits and events happening during the first annual Quad Cities Museum Week, June 13-21, there will also be a new Geocache for everyone to enjoy.

What is geocaching?  Geocaching is a treasure hunt that can be as fun for the hider as it is for the seeker.  Any given treasure, known as a geocache, has specific coordinates of longitude and latitude to which seekers must travel in order to locate the treasure.  Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or GPS-enabled smartphone and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world.

"By finding some or all of the Quad Cities Museum caches you will learn about the many great museums in the community," says Gretchen Small of the Butterworth Center and Deere-Wiman House.  "A total of 11 museums are participating in the Geocache."

Ms. Small organized the geocache and the project was funded by the William Butterworth Foundation. According to Ms. Small, all the museum caches are located outdoors.

To get started on your treasure hunt during Quad Cities Museum Week, simply go to www.geocaching.com and see if you can collect a wooden nickel from all of the participating museum geocaches.

Participating museums in the Geocache include the Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead, Buffalo Bill Museum, Butterworth Center, Dan Nagle Walnut Grove Pioneer Village, Deere-Wiman House, Family Museum, Figge Art Museum, German American Heritage Center, Iowa 80 Trucking Museum, Putnam Museum and Science Center, and Rock Island County Historical Society.

For more information on the geocache and Quad Cities Museum Week, go to www.qcmuseumweek.com.  More than 20 museums throughout the Quad Cities region are part of this year's celebration.  The website includes geocache information, museum events and listings, and a downloadable brochure.  The brochure is printable and lists all the events, museum locations, and a map. 

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