WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Hope Church - 709 Wisconsin Street, founded in LeClaire in 1931.  Pastor Matthew Darnell and Children's Pastor, Bridget Darnell, invite you to Wednesday Service 6pm and Sunday Service 10am. 563-289-4650 www.hope-church-le-claire.org

Everfield - Stephanie Hasakis.110 N. Cody Road, LeClaire. Everfield is a clean beauty and personal care boutique specializing in high quality cruelty free, organic, vegan, and natural products. View Our Product Lines at shopeverfield.com. Email info@shopeverfield.com - phone 563-289-2523. Be kind, be beautiful.

ANNUAL AWARDS BALLOT

All LeClaire Chamber of Commerce Members are invited to vote for the 2014 Annual Awards Recipients and for the 2015 Chamber Board of Directors. Please go to www.leclairechamber.com and click on 2014 Annual Awards Ballot. Only one vote allowed per membership, please. Deadline to vote, December 22, 2014, 11:59 p.m. Award Winners for 2014 will be announced and the 2015 Chamber Board will be introduced at the Annual Awards Dinner, Saturday, January 31, 2015, Steventon's, LeClaire. Thank you for your participation!

CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP

It is time to renew your membership for 2015! Membership forms have been mailed out, or you can renew your membership by going to www.leclairechamber.com and pay via Pay Pal. If you did not receive a letter and form by mail, please contact the Chamber at LeClaireChamber@gmail.com and they will be immediately sent to you!

CALENDAR

Now - January 4^th - Enright's Super Wash Annual Holiday Promotion Automatic carwash tokens are now on sale - 5 for $20!  Each token a $6.50 value. Cash, check or credit cards accepted.  Stop in and see Henry or Dennis 8:30-10:00 Mon-Fri and 8:30-3:00 weekends, subject to weather. Sign up to win carwashes and more! Weekly winners will be posted on our reader board.  Our carwash tokens make Great Holiday Gifts!

 

December 1st -20th LeClaire Community Library - Handmade Ornament Contest Bring your hand-made ornament to the library's circulation counter. All ornaments must be handmade (no store bought items, please!) and turned in before the end of the day, December 20th. Winner will be selected December 22nd. All participants are welcome to pick-up their ornament after the contest is over, or they may donate their item to the library so they can be displayed in the years to come.

 

As of December 13^th - Bierstube - Twelve Days of Christmas! Join us for 12 days of specials starting December 13th! New specialty items everyday leading up to Christmas!

 

December 21^st - Zion Lutheran Church Sunday School Christmas Program - Princeton 4:00 p.m.  All are invited to attend and hear the children present the story of Christ's birth in a way rarely seen.  Cookies and punch will be served afterwards.

 

December 21^st - First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire Children's Christmas Program and worship, 10 a.m.

December 21st -Faithful Pilot - Holiday Wine Tasting 3:00-5:00 15 wines for $15.00 only 40 glasses available, and of course Chef bites as well. 563-289-4156

 

December 24^th - First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire - Christmas Eve Worship 11a.m. with communion and potluck lunch afterward. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with communion at 7 p.m.

 

December 24^th - Zion Lutheran Church, Princeton - Christmas Eve Service 5:00 p.m.  All are invited to attend.

 

December 24th - Asbury Methodist Church - Christmas Eve and Candlelight Services - 5:00, 7:30 and 10:00 p.m. 1809 Mississippi Blvd, Bettendorf.

 

December 24^th-25^th - Faithful Pilot closed

 

December 26^th - Wide River Winery - Annual Customer Appreciation Party! We are grateful to you for your continued support of the winery. Thank you for visiting the tasting rooms in Clinton & Le Claire and the Wide River Inn in Le Claire and all of the stores that carry our wine throughout IA and IL.  You are invited to join the party on Friday, December 26! Bring family and friends to our annual customer appreciation party in Clinton and enjoy complimentary wine tastings, savory pairings with samples of appetizers and desserts and live music with The Old 57's from 2-5pm. Take advantage of the secret sales and special giveaways. Enjoy a safe and happy holiday season! For more details call 563-519-9463 www.WideRiverWinery.com

 

December 28^th - First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire We return to our study of The Story, chapter 13.

 

December 31st - New Year's Eve at Faithful Pilot Seating at 6:00 & 8:30 $75.00 per person to include 4 courses.  Option for $25.00 Wine Pairing or $25.00 Beer Pairing. *Please note a credit card is required to make reservation and will be charged $25.00 for a no show.  *Not valid with any other promotion, coupon, or discount. 563-289-4156

 

December 31^st - New Year's Eve at Steventon's in LeClaire. It's never too early to start planning your New Year's Eve! Join us at Steventon's for our Annual New Year's Eve Event. Enjoy live music provided by Hap Hazard, drinks appetizers, and our Champagne toast at Midnight! Tickets are limited for this exclusive event. Order yours before they're all gone! 563-289-3600

 

December 31^st - First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire - New Year's Eve Party! For all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Bring snack and game to share. 8p.m.-12:15a.m.

 

SAVE THE DATE

January 1^st - Faithful Pilot closed

 

January 7^th - First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire - Halftime! Our Wednesday night program for children from Kindergarten thru 5th grade begins again at 5:30 pm. All are welcome to our time of dinner, games, lesson, song and snack. This program will meet nearly every Wednesday from 5:30-7pm. Children are invited to come occasionally or every week.

January 16^th-19^th - Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard!

January 17^th - Trivia Night at the LeClaire Civic Center. Doors open at 6:30pm; Trivia starts at 7pm. 8-person teams; $10 per person. Everyone will be entered into a drawing for door prizes. Mulligans are 10 for $10. Each team may bring its own snacks, beer, wine, and soft drinks. Call Debbie at 563-349-4403 or email Smith73075@aol.com to reserve a table.

January 31^st, 2015 - LeClaire Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner - Steventon's. Information available soon.

 

FYI

First Central State Bank is pleased to announce they will be part of Ohnward Bancshares' college leadership internship program for the summer of 2015.  There will be a total of five positions available for college students entering their sophomore, junior or senior years.   Actual positions will be available in each of Ohnwards' member organizations including First Central State Bank with offices in DeWitt, Long Grove, LeClaire and Eldridge. These unique opportunities will combine having hands on experience with assignments in our banks as well as 1.5 days a week focused on leadership development.  Positions will be available for application beginning January 1 at www.ohnward.com, under employment opportunities.  If you have any questions, please contact First Central State Bank, or or call Ohnward Bancshares Human Resource department at 563-652-7822.

It is time again for the River Valley Optimist Club to offer their FREE basketball clinic to children grades 3-6 in the LeClaire/Bettendorf area. The clinic will be held Saturdays beginning January 31, 2015 and ending on March 7, 2015. The sessions are one hour in length and will teach basketball fundamentals while having FUN! Registration is limited so sign-up soon! Please contact Josselyn Smith at josselyn.e.smith@gmail.com or call 563-723-1877, or check out the RVOC Facebook page under River Valley Optimist Club for more information. We hope to see you there!

Ascentra Honored as 500th Branch in Regional Network of Branches. With access to over 5,000 locations, Ascentra Credit Union has joined forces with other credit unions in several states offering members more convenience by sharing locations. Shared branching is a national network of credit unions that have opened their branches to members of other credit unions.  Members can walk in and do their banking just like they would at their own credit union.  "To be the 500th shared branch of CUSN is an important milestone for Ascentra which speaks to the cooperative spirit of the credit union movement," President and CEO Dale Owen said.  "Together all shared branching credit unions now have a footprint as prominent as the largest banks in the country."

In honor of the holidays, Riverbend Signworks "updater" is a little different this time!http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Merry-Christmas----and-a-look-back-in-time-.html?soid=1111968629442&aid=1_k3cR3TZYw

Tired of dealing with messy entryways? Perhaps NOW is the time to put in a tiled floor that is both beautiful and easier to take care of. Call LeClaire Home Improvement and Construction at 563-381-7778 today to schedule a meeting to discuss ideas and solutions. We have an artisan tile layer on staff who will transform your entryway or any other room into a thing of beauty.

 

Faithful Pilot is open Sundays 12-5 - Wednesdays Half Priced Wine Night!

Stop by Steventon's every Sunday to experience our breathtaking view of the Mississippi River while enjoying our brunch menu. Our brunch menu offers a variety of options to satisfy the whole family. Only $12.95 adults / $6.00 children 10 & under.

The Crane & Pelican will be featuring a special Sliders & Suds menu on Thursday nights from 5pm-9pm. Every Thursday night you can come get 3 gourmet sliders and hand-cut chips for $10 and 3 8oz sample pours of our delicious beers for $5.The menu will change monthly and will be posted at www.craneandpelican.com

 

Starting December 1^st, Bierstube will only be open for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, 7am-11am (we will reopen daily for breakfast in the Spring)

Big Dave and Holly's hours and specials: Open 11am-8pm Monday-Saturday; closed on Sunday for the Winter. Weekday specials are: Monday - Meatloaf, Tuesday - Tacos, Wednesday - Sweet Apple Pork, Thursday - Jambalaya, and Friday - Open Faced Hot Roast Beef Sandwich. They also have fresh "Holly-Made" pies and soup daily and are available to cater your party. Holiday Hours: will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve and will be closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Blue Iguana's Winter hours: closed on Mondays; open Tuesday - Thursday 11am-8pm; Friday and Saturday 11am-9pm and Sunday 11am-8pm. They will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The Buffalo Bill Museum will be open winter hours, every day from 9am-4pm and Sunday from noon-4pm. Closed on Christmas Day. Visit their gift shop for great gift ideas!

Visit the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce website www.leclairechamber.com and see us on Facebook!

 

If you would like to attend a Chamber Board Meeting in order to present a topic, please contact the Board in advance at LeClaireChamber@gmail.com in order to be included an upcoming agenda. Board Meetings are held the 4^th Tuesday of each month, 8a.m. at LeClaire City Hall.

 

There will be no Economic Development meeting in December.

 

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

From the First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire to you and your family: May you and your family receive God's deep blessing, Love, this year and throughout 2015! Please join us at the First Presbyterian Church in LeClaire, 200 S. 12th Street; across from Bridgeview Elementary School. We dress casually and welcome children of all ages. Noisy babies and children are welcome in worship (we consider their noise to be a joyful song to the Lord) or, if parents prefer, in our nursery, which is staffed by 2 loving adults.

First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire - Halftime! Our Wednesday night program for children from Kindergarten thru 5th grade begins again at 5:30 pm. All are welcome to our time of dinner, games, lesson, song and snack. This program will meet nearly every Wednesday from 5:30-7pm. Children are invited to come occasionally or every week.

First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire Men's group Saturday at 7:30 am at church; there are donuts, coffee, discussion and Bible Study, plus really great guys! What more could you ask?

 

LeClaire Information Center Volunteers Needed! Contact Cindy Bruhn at info@visitleclaire.com or 563-650-7963 to volunteer.

 

PROPERTY LISTINGS

Commercial Property for Sale 510 N. Cody Road. Contact William Robertson (563) 940-1517 billrobertson@ruhl-ruhl.com

For Rent 118 N. Cody Road, includes employee parking and trash service.  Contact Terri Applegate at 563 271-6800 or 563-289-2525.

Commercial Property for Sale 613-617 N Cody Road, LeClaire IA 52753. Contact Jeff R. Heuer, NAI Ruhl Commercial Company, jheuer@ruhlcommercial.com, Office: 563-355-4000, Direct: 563-823-5107.

Commercial Property for Sale Cody Road, LeClaire IA 52753. Description: contact John G. Ruhl, NAI Ruhl Commercial Company, jruhl@ruhlcommercial.com, Office: 563-355-4000, Direct: 563-823-5126.

Commercial Property Available Eagle Ridge Road, LeClaire, Iowa. Please call: Mike Burke - Mel Foster Co. mburke@melforsterco.com, Mobile: 563-349-2705, Direct: 563-823-5272

Park Run Apartments/Newbury Living complex - 1, 2, & 3 Bedrooms Available - 1701 Iowa Drive, LeClaire, Iowa 52753. 1 BR, 2 BR or 3 BR unit. Call (563) 289-5159 more information today!

LeClaire Events Coming Up!

January 31 - LeClaire Chamber Annual Awards Dinner - Steventon's

 

Chamber Networking Events - Everyone Welcome!

Dates and Places to be Announced for 2015

Early registration for the 2015 Bandits Race to Home 5K and Fun Run presented by Palmer Chiropractic Clinics is available through Dec. 31. For just $20, each participant who registers early will receive a T-shirt, a ticket to a 2015 River Bandits game, and be entered into a drawing for a free suite rental for 16 people at an April or May 2015 Monday through Thursday home game. Race proceeds benefit the Bandit Scholars Program, which annually awards two Bandit Scholarships to cover the entire first year of college tuition for Quad Cities-area students. More »

Illinois' Economic Comeback Continues; Unemployment Rate Falls to Lowest Level in More than Six Years

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that Illinois' unemployment rate fell to its lowest point in more than six years. Last month the state's jobless rate fell to 6.4 percent, its lowest point since June 2008 and lower than when the Governor took office. In addition, the state added 2,300 jobs in November, for a total gain to approximately 300,000 jobs since the economic recovery started in February 2010.

"Our economy is continuing to grow and create more jobs, and that's good news this holiday season," Governor Quinn said. "Illinois' improving economy is a reflection of the tough decisions we've made over the last six years."

Since taking office in 2009 and inheriting a massive financial crisis due decades of mismanagement and the worst recession since the Great Depression, Governor Quinn has made Illinois a better place to do business by enacting major reforms to lower the cost of worker's compensation and unemployment insurance. He also has achieved unprecedented reforms in pensions and Medicaid while slashing state spending to historic lows. The Governor's tough actions have helped stabilize the state's finances and paved the way for more economic growth.

The Governor has led progress in Illinois' manufacturing sector, a core part of the economy that supports service jobs and goods that are shipped worldwide. The Governor invested $16 million to launch the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute on Chicago's Goose Island. The institute is a venture of UI Labs that will connect manufacturers to the latest tools and knowledge.

Other major Illinois businesses have thrived under the Governor's leadership such as Chrysler's Belvidere plant, where the job total has gone from 200 to 4,500 since the Governor took office. Over the same period at Ford's plant on the South Side of Chicago, operations have grown from one shift and 1,600 workers to three shifts and 5,100 workers.

The Governor has also continued his support for small businesses by investing in Illinois' entrepreneurship community. He has invested a total of $8.8 million to assist the 1871 technology incubator and the MATTER medical technology hub, both in Chicago's Merchandise Mart. In its first two years, 1871 and its spinoff companies have accounted for more than 1,000 new jobs.

Governor Quinn's administration has aggressively recruited businesses to Illinois and negotiated agreements involving hundreds of new jobs with such companies as eBay, the Federal Savings Bank, MillerCoors and Nippon Sharyo USA. In October, Governor Quinn announced that Amazon.com was shipping to Illinois and creating 1,000 new jobs and a $75 million investment in the state.

The state's comeback has been highlighted from numerous publications and research organizations such as Site Selection magazine, which in 2013 named Illinois third among the states in its number of corporate relocations and expansions. Illinois has also continued to lead the Midwest in net business growth. In addition, the University of Illinois Flash Index rose again in November to 106.6, up for the fourth straight month. The index is a weighted average of Illinois growth across corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income.

Illinois worker's wages are currently the ninth-highest in the country, outranking all neighboring states. Wage growth is one of the key indicators in judging economic growth according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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ROCK ISLAND, IL (12/18/2014)(readMedia)-- Augustana College announced 888 students were named to the Dean's List for the 2014 fall term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term.

Students from your area include :

Travon Aldridge of Rock Island (61201), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Jessica Allen of East Moline (61244), a first-year majoring in undecided.

April Anderson of Davenport (52803), a senior majoring in Asian Studies.

Leo Anderson of Rock Island (61201), a senior majoring in undecided.

Taylor Anderson of East Moline (61244), a junior majoring in Graphic Design.

Christopher Atha of Rock Island (61201), a senior majoring in Business Administration-Management and Accounting.

Mourin Azar of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Jessica Bacon of Rock Island (61201), a senior majoring in undecided.

Alimou Bah of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Liam Baldwin of Davenport (52807), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Jacob Barr of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Adam Bengfort of Davenport (52807), a senior majoring in Engineering Physics and Applied Mathematics.

Emma Bowman of Moline (61265), a junior majoring in Business Administration-Marketing.

Conner Brown of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Alexsis Brummet of Geneseo (61254), a senior majoring in Teaching Math.

Courtney Camlin of Rock Island (61201), a senior majoring in Neuroscience.

Beth Cole of Muscatine (52761), a senior majoring in Chemistry.

Brandee Cole of Bettendorf (52722), a senior majoring in Pre-Medicine and Biology.

Olivia Covert-Proctor of Bettendorf (52722), a sophomore majoring in Teaching German.

Rowan Crow of Coal Valley (61240), a senior majoring in Teaching History.

Chelsea Crumbleholme of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Maryedith Curtis of Moline (61265), a junior majoring in Political Science and History.

Michael Daniels of Geneseo (61254), a sophomore majoring in Business Administration and Economics.

Ashley DeVolder of Moline (61265), a senior majoring in Accounting.

Sarah English of Hillsdale (61257), a senior majoring in Philosophy and Neuroscience.

Roberto Espinosa of Rock Island (61201), a senior majoring in Anthropology and Biology.

Mahvish Fatima of Moline (61265), a sophomore majoring in undecided.

Omar Garcia-Martinez of Moline (61265), a junior majoring in Pre-Medicine.

Brenna German of Bettendorf (52722), a sophomore majoring in Communication Studies and Multimedia Journal & Mass Communication.

Analysia Gomez of East Moline (61244), a junior majoring in Biology.

Lizandra Gomez-Ramirez of Rock Island (61201), a sophomore majoring in Sociology and Political Science.

Zachary Gray of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Ryan Greene of Hampton (61256), a junior majoring in Political Science.

Hannah Griggs of Bettendorf (52722), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Emily Grooms of Coal Valley (61240), a sophomore majoring in Psychology and Art.

Michael Hickey of Muscatine (52761), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Carli Hogan of Rock Island (61201), a sophomore majoring in Biology.

Michael Hoover of Bettendorf (52722), a junior majoring in Political Science.

Andrea Hult of Moline (61265), a senior majoring in Accounting and Business Administration-Management.

Kristina Humphreys of Geneseo (61254), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Kayla Jackson of Rock Island (61201), a sophomore majoring in Psychology.

Tyler James of Davenport (52806), a junior majoring in Graphic Design and English.

Jillian Jespersen of Rock Island (61201), a junior majoring in Biology and Pre-Medicine.

Ruth Jessee of Moline (61265), a junior majoring in Sociology-Social Welfare and Women & Gender Studies.

Emily Johnson of East Moline (61244), a junior majoring in Elementary Education.

Emily Johnson of Moline (61265), a sophomore majoring in Graphic Design.

Tayvian Johnson of East Moline (61244), a junior majoring in Pre-Medicine and Biology.

Katherine Karstens of Moline (61265), a senior majoring in Business Administration-Finance and Accounting.

Alyssa Kendell of Davenport (52806), a junior majoring in Biology and Pre-Medicine.

Benjamin Knapper of Davenport (52806), a senior majoring in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science.

Rebecca Knapper of Davenport (52806), a sophomore majoring in Creative Writing, English and Scandinavian Studies.

Nicholas Krantz of Moline (61265), a senior majoring in Graphic Design.

Elizabeth Kuster of Bettendorf (52722), a senior majoring in Creative Writing.

Elizabeth LaBotte of Moline (61265), a senior majoring in Political Science.

Shannon Larson of Bettendorf (52722), a sophomore majoring in undecided.

Katie Laschanzky of Muscatine (52761), a sophomore majoring in undecided.

Jenna Lawrence of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Makenzie Logan of Moline (61265), a junior majoring in Psychology and Communication Sciences & Disorders.

Mariah Logan of Moline (61265), a junior majoring in Music Education-Instrumental.

Benjamin McKay of Rock Island (61201), a sophomore majoring in General Music.

Christopher McLaughlin of Bettendorf (52722), a sophomore majoring in Business Administration.

Brock McNinch of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Irene Mekus of East Moline (61244), a sophomore majoring in Business Administration.

Chelsea Mentado of Moline (61265), a sophomore majoring in Graphic Design.

Ryan Mueller of Taylor Ridge (61284), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Long Nguyen of Rock Island (61201), a junior majoring in Applied Mathematics and Economics.

Ted Mathew Nuguid of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Lubna Omar of Bettendorf (52722), a junior majoring in Communication Sciences & Disorders.

Benjamin Payne of Rock Island (61201), a junior majoring in Multimedia Journal & Mass Communication.

Layne Porembski of Moline (61265), a junior majoring in Accounting and French.

Elyzia Powers of Silvis (61282), a senior majoring in Psychology.

Anish Reddy of Rock Island (61201), a junior majoring in Pre-Medicine.

Sarah Riedel of Long Grove (52756), a senior majoring in Creative Writing.

Omar Rizvi of Bettendorf (52722), a junior majoring in Pre-Medicine, Biology and Religion.

Meagan Rotramel of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Cammie Ruhl of Moline (61265), a senior majoring in Biology and Neuroscience.

Abigail Ryser of Moline (61265), a sophomore majoring in Biology.

Keith Sands of Silvis (61282), a junior majoring in Mathematics and Teaching Math.

Austin Schoeck of Rock Island (61201), a junior majoring in Political Science.

Christian Schroeder of Coal Valley (61240), a senior majoring in Computer Science and Business Administration-MIS.

Allison Scudder of Rock Island (61201), a sophomore majoring in Communication Sciences & Disorders.

Quintin Sebben of Rock Island (61201), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Andrew Shearouse of Coal Valley (61240), a senior majoring in Business Administration-MIS and Computer Science.

Roman Shepard of Rock Island (61201), a senior majoring in Anthropology.

Tori Shock of Moline (61265), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Andrew Skalak of Davenport (52807), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Helena Smiley of Rock Island (61201), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Rosalie Starenko of Rock Island (61201), a senior majoring in Geography and Spanish.

Andrew Statz of Davenport (52804), a junior majoring in Pre-Medicine and Biology.

Danya Tazyeen of Bettendorf (52722), a junior majoring in Computer Science.

Sergio Tekeli of Bettendorf (52722), a junior majoring in Pre-Medicine and Neuroscience.

Micaela Terronez of East Moline (61244), a senior majoring in History and Anthropology.

Caitlin Thom of Bettendorf (52722), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Anthony TouVelle of Bettendorf (52722), a senior majoring in German Studies and International Business.

Samantha Turner of Rock Island (61201), a senior majoring in History and Anthropology.

Matthew Tuttle-Timm of Moline (61265), a sophomore majoring in Physics and Mathematics.

Mercedes Vanopdorp of Silvis (61282), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Michael Warhank of Davenport (52807), a sophomore majoring in Pre-Medicine and Business Administration.

Haley West of Rapids City (61278), a junior majoring in Neuroscience and Spanish.

Erik Whitcomb of Rock Island (61201), a sophomore majoring in Psychology.

Erin White of Geneseo (61254), a senior majoring in Biology.

Grant Whitlow of Eldridge (52748), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Abigail Wieland of Rock Island (61201), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Elizabeth Wieland of Rock Island (61201), a first-year majoring in undecided.

Rong Zheng of Silvis (61282), a junior majoring in Biochemistry.

Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. The college is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Current students and alumni include 155 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 13 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.