ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - More than 100 at-risk girls had Christmas brought to them early this year.

Ganson's Neighborhood Bakery & Café and members from the Junior League of the Quad Cities have partnered with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois to bring a holiday celebration to girls who otherwise may not have the opportunity.

The annual Christmas program was held on Saturday, December 6, 2014, from 3:30 - 9:00 p.m. at the Girl Scouts' Program Center, located at 2011 Second Ave., in Rock Island.

"Every child deserves to have Christmas," said Senior Membership Outreach Manager at Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois Missy Sweeney.

Sweeney has spent the past few weeks organizing the free event.

Girls decorated hundreds of sugar cookies, visited with Santa from 6 - 8 p.m., and unwrapped a gift donated by generous people in the community.

"It makes me teary-eyed just thinking about all the smiles on the girls' faces. It's amazing to see the community come together and bring Christmas to these girls," said Sweeney.

###

QCAJobs.com is the newest way to find your next job or employee in the Quad Cities Area. In an effort to provide an affordable service for businesses in the area to post jobs, manage applications and search for qualified applicants, with the combination of a strong social media presence, QCAJobs.com is redefining the way job seekers and employers find their dream job or candidate. QCAJobs.com just launched on Monday, and job openings have begun to fill up the site. With the largest social media presence for employment services in the area numbering over 1100 followers, and great engagement between job seekers and employers on the website, QCAJobs.com is helping to connect Quad City Area residents to great jobs. "Like" them on Facebook at Facebook.com/qcajobs or "follow" on Twitter/qcajobs.com QCAJobs.com -- Search for your next job here.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after provisions he authored were passed by the House. Loebsack, the only member of the Iowa delegation who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, offered these provisions to be included in the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation also includes new language, which Loebsack supported and worked to include, addressing the ongoing sexual assault crisis in the military. Additionally, it prohibits any new BRAC rounds, which Loebsack also fought to include in the bill.

"Our men and women in uniform, along with their families, proudly and honorably serve our country. As a military parent, I am proud to have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver the level of support and access to resources our troops need and deserve. While it does not include everything I would have hoped, it takes important steps to drive more workload to the Rock Island Arsenal and help both the Arsenal and Quad Cities' economy remain strong.

"This legislation also takes multiple important steps to continue to address the horrific sexual assault crisis that has engulfed the military, though a lot of work remains to be done to address the issue. We must ensure victims have the support they need and prosecute perpetrators to the fullest extent. I will continue to work to address this issue with the urgency it deserves."

Provisions Congressman Loebsack fought to include in the FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act specifically for the Rock Island Arsenal are:

·         Greater utilization of the organic industrial base - The NDAA will broaden existing efforts from the Army to the entire DOD directing greater utilization of the organic industrial base, which includes the Arsenal. This provision will ensure contracting officers have to give justification for skipping over the organic industrial base for the commercial base.

·         Eliminates authority of the secretary of the Army to abolish arsenals - Since the creation of the Arsenal Act, the secretary has had unilateral authority to keep open or close an Arsenal under the purview of the Department. This provision eliminates that authority with the goal of the Arsenal falling under the same BRAC-like process that all other installations adhere to.

In addition, Loebsack pushed to include many provisions important to our troops and their families, including:

·         A pay raise for our troops;

·         Rejects Department of Defense proposals to fundamentally change the TRICARE military healthcare system;

·         Included efficiencies to military commissaries, making them more efficient without increasing prices to military personnel and their families;

·         Includes $45.3 million for behavioral and psychological health programs to help combat suicide;

·         A number of important sexual assault prevention and prosecution provisions, which Loebsack has championed, including:

o   Elimination of the "good soldier defense" - a consideration of general military character toward the probability of innocence in sexual assault prosecutions;

o   A review of the terms of discharge for those who are victims of sexual offenses, to ensure that they have not been persecuted for reporting crimes.

###

Nova Singers, under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane, presents two performances of A Nova Christmas on Friday, December 19, 7:30pm at St. Paul Lutheran in Davenport, and on Saturday, December 20, 7:30pm at First Lutheran Church in Galesburg.

Celebrate the holiday season with Nova Singers and join the many families who have made this their annual tradition!  We'll sing standard old favorites such as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and The Holly and the Ivy, new versions of some of your favorite Christmas carols like Lo, How a Rose and O Come, O Come Emmanuel, an African carol with drums, and Kevin Memley's incomparable O Magnum Mysterium. Join us for a beautiful night of laughter, hope, peace and joy.

 

Dr. Lane talks about the program: "What people love most about the Nova Christmas program is still the same:  beautiful new arrangements of familiar carols, hauntingly sweet melodies in a variety of tempos and styles.  What I'm really excited about, though, is what's new this year:  Betelehemu, an African carol with drumming, clapping and movement, and a Pentatonics arrangement of Carol of the Bells with vocal percussion! Plus, people have loved our vocal jazz renditions for years, and this year we have jazz arrangements of In dulci jubilo, I Wonder as I Wander, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Deck the Hall.  But now, with the Pentatonics tune, we're expanding into the world of a cappella!"

For our Galesburg concert, students from the Galesburg High School Chamber Singers will join Nova Singers. For the Davenport concert, the Sudlow Select Choir will be guests of the Nova Singers.

Nova Singers, a professional vocal ensemble under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane, hopes to share our musical soul with you.  Nova Singers is known for the beauty, charm, sincerity and emotional power the singers impart to their music.

Tickets will be available at the door. Admission is $18 for adults and $15 for seniors. Students are admitted free of charge.  Season tickets are still available for purchase at the door: $60 for adults and $50 for seniors.  For information about tickets, recordings, or other Nova Singers' events visit our website at www.novasingers.com!

 

Nova Singers' 2014-2015 season is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council and with Quad City Arts Dollar$ funds, provided by Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, the Doris and Victor Day Foundation, and Deere & Company.