Governor Participates in Memorial Dedication Service, Announces Additional State Relief Toward Recovery Process

WASHINGTON - One year after deadly tornadoes devastated several areas of Illinois, Governor Pat Quinn today visited two of Illinois' hardest-hit communities, Washington and Brookport, to visit with families and participate in the dedication of a new memorial to mark the tragedy. The Governor also announced additional state recovery assistance to aid the two communities who are still in the process of rebuilding and recovery one year later.

"One year ago we saw unimaginable destruction in central Illinois, and today we gather together to reflect on the healing process," Governor Quinn said. "Tragedy struck Illinois last November, but we refused to give up on these towns no matter how long it took for them to get back on their feet. Rebuilding Washington and Brookport has been an amazing demonstration of what can be done when communities come together in the face of hard times. It's important that we continue to support the local governments, businesses and families affected by this disaster until the recovery process is completed."

The Governor's additional investments announced today are from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and total $1.3 million between Illinois' two hardest hit communities. The $398,283 for Washington and the $938,100 for Brookport will help local governments rebuild tornado-damaged infrastructure.

Including today's announced funding, Washington has received $13.4 million and Brookport $2.9 million in state assistance to recover from the November 17, 2013 tornadoes. The investment is the latest in more than $19.5 million in state assistance provided to date for tornado damaged communities from the November disaster.

"Our community thanks Governor Quinn for his commitment to Washington's recovery," Washington Mayor Gary Manier said. "He was here immediately following the storms and has been back frequently to see how we are doing and to provide the assistance we need. We can't say enough about what the Governor has done for our community, and we welcome him here today to help us remember what happened one year ago and to honor those we lost."

"Governor Quinn literally saved our community from bankruptcy, because without this state assistance to help with tornado-related expenses we wouldn't have been able to survive," Brookport Mayor John Klaffer said. "The state relief package has made all the difference in the world. The Governor kept his word, and we welcome him back with open arms today to join us in our day of remembrance."

The state's multi-agency relief package for local governments included assistance from DCEO, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Finance Authority, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The local government entities that have received state assistance to recover from the storms a year ago include :

·         Braceville Township, $219,744

·         City of Brookport, $2,971,202

·         Champaign County, $44,528

·         Champaign County Highway Department, $1,753

·         Claypool Drainage & Levee District, $14,625

·         Village of Coal City, $446,096

·         Compromise Township, $394,546

·         Compromise Township Road District, $17,416

·         City of Danville, $43,258

·         Douglas County, $1,086

·         City of East Peoria, $522,179

·         Village of Diamond, $433,590

·         City of Fairfield, $3,281

·         Village of Garrett, $750

·         Village of Gifford, $750,996

·         Grundy County Sheriff, $7,944

·         Massac County, $23,549

·         Metamora Township, $5,581

·         City of Minonk, $12,339

·         Murdock Township, $425

·         Newman Township Road District, $757

·         City of Pekin, $100,688

·         Tazewell County, $33,511

·         Village of Tilton, $1,202

·         Tuscola Township, $1,348

·         Tuscola Township Highway Department, $780

·         Vermilion County, $2,085

·         City of Washington: $13,440,177

·         Washington Community High School, $5,077

·         Washington Park District, $15,658

·         Washington Township Road District, $8,676

·         Woodford County, $26,757

TOTAL:  $19,504,334

Shortly after the deadly storms on November 17, 2013, Governor Quinn surveyed the damaged areas and activated the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the deployment of state resources and personnel in support of local response and recovery efforts. He ordered state agencies to step in when federal disaster assistance for local governments was denied. However, the Governor was successful in getting federal disaster assistance for families and businesses in 15 Illinois counties which has topped $23.5 million.

Saturday, February 14 - 7:30 pm

On Sale Friday, November 21 at 10 am

Florida Georgia Line with special guests Thomas Rhett and Frankie Ballard will bring their Anything Goes Tour to the iWireless Center on Saturday, February 14 at 7:30 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 21 at 10 am.

Ticket prices are $37.75 and $57.75 and are available at the iWireless Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 800-745-3000, and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Kicking off on January 15 in Toledo, OH, the first leg of the ANYTHING GOES TOUR will cover 24-plus cities exclusively promoted by Live Nation and feature openers CMA New Artist of the Year Nominee Thomas Rhett as well as Warner Bros. rising newcomer Frankie Ballard. FGL is taking anything goes to the next level for their fans with a special VIP package which includes a premium ticket, exclusive access to a pre-show acoustic performance, limited edition autographed merchandise and more.

"Anything Goes is a mindset for us, setting the tone for everything we do, and we believe in making memories at all cost. We can't wait to bring the party to our fans at our live shows," shares FGL's Brian Kelley.

FGL's Tyler Hubbard adds, "being out on the road with Jake Owen, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, we've learned from the best. We took note of the things we loved and then put the FGL stamp all over. Our fans are the best and we can't wait to show them what we have in store!"

Piling on the accolades, FGL's Top 5-and-climbing hit "Dirt" has been certified PLATINUM by the RIAA for selling over 1 million copies and is the lead single from their highly anticipated sophomore album ANYTHING GOES, to be released October 14 (Republic Nashville).

FGL has skyrocketed to stardom becoming the only artist in history to join Brooks & Dunn in achieving four back-to-back, multi-week #1 singles; breaking the record for longest #1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and selling over 18.2 million tracks worldwide of their 2X PLATINUM debut HERE'S TO THE GOOD TIMES. In addition to collaborating across genres with sensations like Nelly and Jason Derulo, FGL has won numerous industry awards.

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Positions are available for adults and students in college & high school. Applications for volunteering will continue to be accepted until we fill all of the posted positions.

Volunteers will be provided food, beverages, and a great experience supporting our local youth!

If you have any questions regarding volunteering at Quad City area FIRST events, send an e-mail to qcesc.org@gmail.com

Register Today at:

http://qcesc.org/qc-first-volunteers.htm

There's a reasonable tendency among Americans to view the education of their kids as an exclusively local issue and distinct to their communities. After all, school buildings are constant fixtures in neighborhoods, sports teams play crosstown rivals and the vast majority of public students still attend schools based solely on zip code.

However, the innovations and flurry of activity that takes place in classrooms and communities are guided by the state level policies that govern them, which is why the 2014 gubernatorial election results matter, and could potentially mean substantial improvements to student learning.

A national analysis found that more than half of governors hold encouraging views or have proven track records on promoting the types of choice and accountability measures that will lift student outcomes and give more power to parents in the educational process.

Post-election media reports signaled an overall victory for candidates with fresh ideas on how to make education the great equalizer.

This means that if there are meaningful shifts in policy that facilitate excellent schools, they're likely to originate from the statehouses and governor's mansion.

These governors and governors-elect understand that schools cannot be properly held accountable for results if parents don't have the choice to look around them and find the best educational fit for their child. And the teachers that work hard day in and day out should be rewarded for performing well and going the extra mile for kids.

They appreciate that some students need an alternate environment to master course content, and want to expand charter schools to operate alongside traditional schools, with the necessary autonomy for teachers to cater to particular learning needs.