"Today is a sad day in the state of Illinois. I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of my friend, Judy Baar Topinka.

?            "As the first female Treasurer of Illinois and a longtime public servant, Judy was a trailblazer in every sense of the word.

?            "Never without her signature sense of humor, Judy was a force of nature. She left her mark on the state she has called home her entire life. Her leadership improved Illinois and paved the way for countless women in politics.

"My deepest sympathies go out to Judy's son, Joe, daughter-in-law Christina, granddaughter Alexandra, her family, friends and devoted staff.

?            "Today the entire state mourns the loss of one of the greats. Judy Baar Topinka will be incredibly missed."

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Invites the Public to Drop Off Winter Clothing, Canned Food and Personal Items at State Facilities in Five Cities from Dec. 1-19

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today launched the Warm Our Heroes holiday collection drive for Illinois veterans and their families and invited people across the state to support this important cause. In five cities across Illinois, state facilities will accept public donations of winter clothing, non-perishable food and personal items until Dec. 19. The Warm Our Heroes drive is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to honor and support the men and women who have served our country and maintain Illinois' status as the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.

"We need to always take care of those who have borne the battle, especially during the holiday season," Governor Quinn said. "Warm Our Heroes supports our veterans and their families and I encourage everyone to take a minute to give back to those who have sacrificed so much."

Warm Our Heroes was launched by the Governor in 2012 as a state employee initiative to provide much-needed items to Illinois veterans in need. In its first year, state employees collected more than 3,500 donations which were distributed to veterans' organizations across the state. This year the Governor expanded the program to allow the public to participate.

Warm Our Heroes will collect warm winter clothing, dry and canned food and personal items such as toothpaste and soap to give to community veterans organizations and VA hospitals. The donation drop-off sites include :

·         The E.J. Giorgi Center - 200 S. Wyman, Rockford, 61101

·         Illinois State Capital - 401 S. 2nd Street or 207 State House, Springfield, 62706

·         James R. Thompson Center - 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, 60601

·         Kenneth Hall State Regional Office Building - 10 Collinsville Ave., East St. Louis, 62201

·         Marion Regional Office Building - 2309 W. Main St., Marion, 62959

In addition, Illinois Department of Transportation district headquarters offices are accepting Warm Our Heroes donations.  These include :

·         201 W. Center Court, Schaumburg, 60196

·         819 Depot Avenue, Dixon, 61021

·         700 E. Norris Dr., Ottawa, 61305

·         401 Main St., Peoria, 61602

·         13473 Illinois Highway 133, Paris, 61944

·         2300 S. Dirksen Pkwy, Springfield, 62703

·         400 W. Wabash, Effingham, 62401

·         1102 Eastport Plaza Dr., Collinsville, 62234

·         2801 W. Murphysboro Rd.,Carbondale, 62901

For more information visit Illinois.gov/WarmOurHeroes.

Throughout his career in public service, Governor Quinn has been committed to Illinois veterans, servicemembers and their families. In 2009, Governor Quinn became the first Governor in Illinois history to dedicate state capital dollars to supportive housing for veterans. In 2011, when soldiers began returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Governor Quinn launched Welcome Home Heroes to help these brave men and women resettle and become homeowners, helping more than 1,600 veterans and active military men and women to date.

As Lieutenant Governor, Governor Quinn championed the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund Act, which established a voluntary fund to provide grants to families of Illinois National Guard members and Illinois residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve called to active duty. These grants help with the costs of food, housing, utilities, medical services and other expenses they struggle to afford because of the disparity between military and civilian pay. The fund has distributed more than $15.1 million to 29,625 Illinois military families.

Other programs championed by Governor Quinn include the Illinois Warrior Assistance Program that helps veterans transition back to their daily lives and the Veterans Cash instant lottery program with all proceeds going to benefit Illinois veterans' organizations.

For more information about these and other programs for our veterans, visit OperationHomefront.org/ or call the IDVA at (217) 782-6641 or (312) 814-2460.

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WHAT: The Davenport Chick-fil-A^® Restaurant is hosting a "Buy a Meal, Donate a Meal" fundraiser throughout the month of December. For every meal purchased for $6.13, a second meal will be donated to a local shelter, up to 2,000 meals.

"With the help of our community, we can provide meals for 2,000 of our neighbors in need this holiday season," said Jeremy Tatman, Chick-fil-A franchise Operator of the Chick-fil-A at Davenport. "We hope our customers will join us to help make this fundraiser a success."

WHEN: Throughout the month of December

WHERE: Chick-fil-A at Davenport, 2945 East 53^rd St., Davenport, Iowa 52807.  (563) 355-1742

Website

Facebook

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Gold has made headlines in recent years, but it remains arguably the most misunderstood investment resource, says gold financial strategist William A. Storum.

"The conventional narrative is that people ran to gold in the panic of the 2008-09 economic crash, and that the price eventually plummeted by 28 percent from the 2012 close - from $1,675 an ounce to about $1,200 in 2013 - but there was no context or national discussion as to what that really meant," says Storum, author of "Going for the Gold," (www.goldandtax.com).

"What most in the media failed to emphasize was the fact that this drop was the first since the year 2000. Such a long-lasting bull run should not have been overlooked, and despite the 2013 setback, gold remains a valuable investment."

The reasons to own gold have not changed, he says. Many, however, simply don't know that there are many ways in which to invest in gold - not just owning the metal. Storum reviews those options.

•  Along with coins and bars, a well-established way to invest in gold is to invest in the shares of a company that mines gold. As long as the price of gold increases, gold-mining firms are likely to show higher profits, which will increase their share prices. Gold producers are also valued on their production volume. Higher profits can generate ample dividends to investors, but lower gold prices or other circumstances, such as unrest in a host country, for example, can result in losses. So, investing in mining stocks and funds is, in many respects, like any other stock market investment. Many gold mining stocks are publicly traded, and several mutual funds hold a diverse collection of these stocks. Stocks and funds rate high for convenience and profit potential, but investors are exposed to market swings.

•  Of course, don't forget about actual gold ... which comes in the form of coins and bars. This is the most direct investment, readily at hand and free from fraud, which many folks prefer due to market volatility. However, you'll need to minimize dealer markups and find a practical mode of storage. Bullion is a good form to start with; it's a term referring to a gold item that's valued solely by its weight and purity. Generally, you'll pay a premium of nearly 2 to 3 percent when you buy and take a discount of the same magnitude when you sell. If premiums and discounts are much higher when buying and selling, you're probably being ripped off. As gold has been shown to be a good long-term investment, these premiums and discounts will likely be marginal costs.

•  Among the new forms of gold exchange-traded funds, bullion ETFs (exchange-traded funds) have become the most popular. They offer a direct pay on the price of gold, but they don't provide direct access to gold you can touch and trade. Funds holding a variety of mining stocks are known as open-ended mutual funds, whereby investors buy shares from a fund company and sell shares back to the same company. ETFs have emerged in recent years to rival mutual funds. Bullion ETFs are among those with the highest visibility and, for investors, bullion ETFs provide a practical way to profit from gold price increases without worrying about dealer markups, storage, insurance and other concerns. The advent of bullion ETFs permits institutional investors to buy gold and include it in their asset allocation.

"These are just some of the ways you can invest in gold," Storum says. "It's important to note that there are different types of tax implications for these investments. For example, whereas gold stocks are taxed like regular stocks, bullion ETFs are taxed as collectibles with different rates and rules."

About William A. Storum

William A. Storum, JD, is a member of the California Bar Association (inactive) and a licensee (inactive) of the California Board of Accountancy. He has extensive experience in individual, corporate, real estate and partnership taxation and has represented clients in tax audits and other tax matters with the IRS. As an investor, Storum came to understand the need to own gold in order to preserve wealth from our government's reach. He wrote "Going for the Gold," (www.goldandtax.com), in an effort to clarify widespread confusion about investment in and taxation on gold. Storum graduated cum laude from the University of Santa Clara with a bachelor's degree in accounting with a minor in economics, and from the University of Santa Clara School of Law, cum laude.