With 569,998 U.S. soybean farmers growing crops to serve both new and long-standing industries, the future of this crop is essential. The United Soybean Board (USB) is bringing together numerous industry stakeholders to strategize about its future at CONNECTIONS 2014: Ahead of the Curve, Accelerating U.S. Soy's Future.

The event is designed to answer the question, "How can the U.S. soybean industry position itself for the 21st century and beyond?" Representatives from every aspect of the soy value chain, including farmers, processors, input providers, customers, researchers and more, will attend and contribute to that answer. 

Following the event, USB will hold its annual meeting at the same location. During this meeting, the 70 USB directors will begin using the information learned from CONNECTIONS to shape the board's strategy with the goal of boosting the profit potential of all U.S. soybean farmers.

In addition, activities at USB's annual meeting will include :
• Swearing in 19 directors, including 14 returning farmer-leaders and five new representatives.
• Electing new USB executive committee members.
• Evaluating progress on marketing, promotion and research projects.

Media are invited to cover these events in person or via a teleconference with the new executive committee on Friday, Dec. 12.

I have big news to report from the front lines of our current campaign to protect wind in 2015.

And though there's bad news and good news ? it all points to how critical your voice is going to continue to be in our fight for clean, homegrown energy.

Here's what's happening now:

As you know, a few weeks ago, when Congress began negotiating the terms of a bill that could make a huge difference in bringing affordable wind power to American families in 2015, we launched a nationwide campaign to support it.

However, we weren't the only ones reaching out to Congress. Anti-wind organizations have been fired up beyond any opposition we've seen before.  They 've been spending millions of dollars and writing messages to legislators urging them to leave wind policy out of this bill.

Late last week ? we started to see the impact of our opponents' attacks, and our own efforts to defend wind. By a vote of 378 to 46, the House voted to pass H.R. 5771, a bill that proposed to extend multiple tax incentives through the end of this year, including two common-sense energy policies - the production tax credit and investment tax credit.

The bad news is, this extension falls short of what we were pushing for. We wanted to see a two-year extension, which would make a huge difference in providing more clean and affordable energy to Americans than ever before.

The good news is ? your voice preserved common-sense wind policies through this year. At a time when our opponents were fighting to eliminate wind policy, we powered through and gained an extension of the wind policies vital for clean energy growth.

The fight is not yet done, and we've proven that we can counter the well funded voices of the anti-wind movement. As the bill is expected to move on to the Senate for consideration this week, our campaign will carry on to ensure that American families can benefit from some pretty exciting wind power trends:

• Wind power prices are coming down fast - In the past five years, the cost of wind power has dropped by over 50%?and is still decreasing!
• Wind is reaching more and more families - Wind power has delivered a third of all new generating capacity over the past five years, and a record amount of new projects are under construction.

You and thousands of others are the reason common-sense wind policy can carry on.  In these past three weeks, you've helped us exceed our goal - placing over 52,000 calls and emails in that short time!

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Area Girl Scouts plan to spend this Saturday, December 13, 2014, handing out donated food and clothes to people who are less fortunate.

As part of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois' Year of Service challenge, the 12 year-old girls have recognized a need to help people in their community.

Since September, the Bettendorf troop has been collecting money, food and clothes to donate to area families. The girls have spent weeks making fleece pajamas for boys and girls.

This Saturday from 8:00 - 11:00 a.m., the troop will hand out items as part of a Christmas Giveaway at King's Harvest Church located at 824 W. 3^rd Street in Davenport, Iowa.

"We are thrilled to showcase the troop and the love and kindness they show to those who come to our giveaway," said Assistant Director of King's Harvest Ministries Margot Hary.

The hours the girls spend with this community service project will be reported online at GirlScoutsToday.org and count toward the council's 100,000-hour Year of Service challenge.

"We believe each hour spent helping others makes our world a better place," said Diane Nelson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.

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About Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois: Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development program for girls where girls can have fun, make new friends and learn new things in a safe all-girl setting. Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serves over 17,000 girls in 38 counties. For more information, visit GirlScoutsToday.com or call your local Girl Scout Leadership Center at 800-798-0833.

Names Expert Robert Bloom as Advisor to Committee

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today directed the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to take further action in light of recent reports of disturbing issues within residential care centers for troubled youth. The Governor today directed the Children and Family Services Advisory Council to convene immediately to assess the situation and develop necessary steps to resolve these issues. In addition, the Governor named a top expert as an advisor to the committee, which will meet Thursday. The Governor issued the below statement:

"The recent revelations regarding some residential youth centers in Illinois are alarming and unacceptable. They must be addressed immediately.

"Today I am directing the Children and Family Services Advisory Council to meet promptly to respond to the issues at these residential youth centers and develop a comprehensive action plan to address them.

"Every necessary corrective action will be implemented and monitored by the Department and its advisory committee. Our most vulnerable are of highest priority and must get the care and protection they deserve.

"The Department must take every step necessary to prevent these harmful incidents to youth from ever happening again."

The Governor directed the Children and Family Services Advisory Council to meet this Thursday, Dec. 11 to immediately address the issues at some of the state's residential care centers. In addition, the Governor today also named Dr. Robert R. Bloom as advisor to the Children and Family Services Advisory Council. Dr. Bloom, former longtime Executive Director of the Jewish Children's Bureau, previously served on the Child Welfare Advisory Board and is a widely respected expert on the topics of residential treatment and institutional child abuse.

Additionally, as announced previously, the DCFS is bringing in an independent expert to conduct a full investigation of the residential treatment centers with which the Department works. The results and recommendations from that review will be made public.

The DCFS is also conducting a comprehensive review of data from residential facilities to determine whether performance has improved since the timeframe examined by the Chicago Tribune and whether further sanctions or consequences are warranted.

Lawrence Hall Youth Services and ERIC Family Services have both been placed on intake hold effective Dec. 4, 2014.

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