MOLINE, Ill. (October 1, 2014) - The Quad City Mallards have signed forward Kevin Baker, the Mallards announced today.

Baker, 35, scored 34 goals- tied for third most in the Central Hockey League- and totaled 64 points in 65 games with the Arizona Sundogs last season.  The Kingston, Ontario native also finished fifth in the CHL in power play goals (11) last year.  He went on to score five more goals and tack on nine points in 11 playoff games while pushing the Sundogs to an opening round upset of top-seeded Missouri and a berth in the semi-finals.

"When Arizona and Denver players became available, Kevin was one guy I really wanted to get," said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski.  "He's not just a good player, he's also a good person, someone who can provide leadership for our younger guys.  He's someone we can count on to come through when the chips are down."

The 6' 1, 192-pound Baker joins the Mallards for his eleventh professional season having produced 276 goals and 327 assists for 603 points in 686 career games.  Along the way, Baker was named 2008-09 ECHL Most Valuable Player and 2005-06 Canadian Interuniversity Sport Player of the Year and twice (in 2006-07 and 2008-09) made the All-ECHL First Team.

Baker has scored 30 or more goals in back-to-back seasons and rung up 27 or more each of the last three years.  In all, he has found the net 30 or more times in a campaign on five occasions and scored at least 27 goals in six of his last seven seasons in North America.

Baker, who was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round of the 1999 National Hockey League Entry Draft with the one hundred ninety-third overall choice, has played 83 American Hockey League games over the course of his career.  He has scored 21 goals and posted 37 points while wearing the colors of the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters, Saint John Flames, Milwaukee Admirals, Toronto Marlies, Rochester Americans and Albany River Rats.

Baker reached the 30-goal plateau in 2012-13 while suiting up for three teams in two leagues.  He played a total of 50 games in the ECHL for the Orlando Solar Bears and Evansville Icemen, registering 22 goals and 39 points before piling up eight goals and 14 points in just 10 games with the Sundogs down the home stretch of the campaign.

In 2011-12, Baker scored 27 goals and produced 56 points in 68 games for the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL.  He headed back across the Atlantic to join the Thunder after an Italian excursion that saw him score 15 goals and put up 36 points in 39 games with Ritten Renon in 2010-11.

Baker's ECHL MVP season was his most prolific- he led the league in goals (57) and points (102) while helping the Florida Everblades to first place overall in the first of his two campaigns with the club.  That first overall regular season finish was the second in as many seasons for Baker.  In 2007-08, he helped propel the Texas Wildcatters to a tie for the ECHL's top spot by scoring 29 goals and recording 56 points in only 44 games following his return from Germany, where he had started the campaign with Schwenningen ERC.  It was with the Wildcatters that Baker had made an explosive return to the pro ranks in 2006-07 after a three year hiatus spent at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.  Baker finished 2006-07 tied for fifth in the ECHL in goals (36) and points (81).

Baker was just as successful in the university ranks, scoring 58 goals and notching 103 points in 77 career games for Acadia and winning the Sullivan Trophy as national player of the year in his final season as an Axeman.  He led the nation in goals (24) and finished tied for fifth in points (40) in 2004-05 and finished tied for first nationally in points (47) and second in goals (24) the following season.  Baker helped power Acadia to back-to-back Atlantic University Sport regular season titles in 2005 and 2006 and the conference playoff crown in 2005.  He was named to the 2005-06 All-Canadian first team after earning second team honors in 2004-05 and was also selected to the AUS first all-star team each of those two seasons.

Baker already had two seasons of pro hockey under his belt when he arrived at Acadia.  He broke in with the AHL's Lock Monsters in 2000-01, scoring six goals and totaling 11 points in 26 games.  He spent the bulk of the following year with the American League's Flames, scoring 13 times and racking up 20 points in 46 games with time out to score six goals and accumulate 16 points in 18 ECHL games with the Johnstown Chiefs.

Baker turned pro after three junior seasons with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League.  He scored 93 goals and picked up 182 points in 191 career OHL games.  In 1998-99 he finished tied for eighth in the OHL with 44 goals and pocketed a total of 81 points in 68 games.

The Mallards will open their eighteenth season on home ice Friday, October 24 at 7:05 p.m. against the Rapid City Rush.  2014-15 Mallards season tickets are now on sale.  Ticket packages are available to meet almost any budget.  A limited edition season ticket holder Mallard jersey, 12 additional ticket vouchers per seat and free parking are among a host of exclusive benefits available to season ticket holders.  For more season ticket information fans can call the Mallards' business office at 309-277-1364.

About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are approaching their eighteenth season and their fifth in the Central Hockey League.  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The iWireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards.

One year after the inception of the infamous Obamacare website, middle class families are still struggling with skyrocketing health care costs.

Schilling: "Obamacare has failed. Now we need to try something else."

EAST MOLINE, Ill. -- Today Bobby Schilling (R-Colona) said that the debate on health care reform isn't over and shouldn't be over until the issue of skyrocketing health care costs is resolved.

"Obamacare has failed," Schilling said. "Health care costs keep going up. Millions of people have lost their health insurance. Middle class families continue to feel the squeeze. Look, this obviously isn't working. We need to try something else.

"On the campaign trial, I've proposed five key solutions that will help lower health care costs and increase access to care in this country," Schilling continued. "This summer, one of those solutions passed into law. I want to go back to Congress to get the other four solutions passed and once again advocate for middle class families by working to fix our broken health care system."

Bobby Schilling's Five Health Care Solutions to Lower Costs and Increase Access to Care:

1.) Allow veterans the ability to use their own doctors in their own hometowns.

• Bobby introduced the Enhanced Veterans Health Care Experience Act in 2011, which would give veterans the right to be treated at non-VA facilities when VA wait lists proved too long and the distance to the VA facility proved too far.
• This summer, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Florida) borrowed language from Bobby's bill and included it in the Veterans Access to Care Act, which passed the House unanimously 426-0 in June and was eventually signed into law by President Obama.

• Liability insurance is out of control for doctors, and it's driving health care prices up and doctors and specialists out of their fields. We need to put a reasonable cap on non-economic damages so we can help doctors continue to save lives and practice medicine.

• Health Savings Accounts do a great job at giving consumers more options and preparing them for emergency health care costs. We need to expand the contribution limits and provide more incentives for people to use HSAs.

• Health insurance premiums are through the roof. Competition brings down prices. Consumers should have the ability to shop for insurance anywhere in the country and not just be limited to one or two choices. If we give consumers more choices, premiums will go down, and consumers will win.

• Currently, doctors and dentists at private practices are not allowed to write charitable care off their taxes. This is a logical solution that will help those in need and help our physicians save lives.

Salt is Good for You, Calcium Supplements are Bad,
and the Lab Test Everyone Should Get
4 Tips for Getting Seriously Healthy from One of the
'Best Doctors in America'*

There's a reason - well, several - why so many diseases are increasing in frequency in the United States, making some that were almost unheard of 100 years ago commonplace today, says Robert Thompson, M.D., an OB/GYN and integrative medicine specialist deemed by his peers to be in the top 5 percent of U.S. physicians.

"The United States is now 46th in men's mortality and the absolute worst country in the industrialized world for first-day infant mortality," says Thompson, author of "The Calcium Lie II: What Your Doctor Still Doesn't Know," (calciumliebook.com), a new book that details the roles minerals play in overall health and how to identify and correct deficiencies and imbalances.

"Based on the current rate of autism diagnoses, there will be no 'normal' male babies born in the U.S. by 2030," he says. "The current rate of diabetes suggests 95 percent of our adult population will be diabetic by 2030. The number of children with life-threatening allergies has increased more than 1,000 percent since 1995."

A perfect storm of corporate power, profits and public misinformation has succeeded in overwhelming the basic biochemical and physiological tenets of good health, says Thompson, who published his first book, "The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know Could Kill You," in 2008.

"Mineral deficiencies are responsible for a host of health problems, which are incorrectly treated by drugs," Thompson says. "We're told by the government and the medical community that we should be ingesting certain amounts of vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent disease, like osteoporosis, when in reality, the recommendations lead to other very serious health problems."

Thompson offers these suggestions for Americans to take charge of their health:

•  Get a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) to determine your mineral status.
This may be the most important health test that exists, Thompson says. Only when you and your doctor know for sure your mineral status and important ratios can you adapt your diet, minerals and supplements to work toward proper balance.

Thompson recommends using Trace Elements, Inc. clinical lab in Addison, Texas, because it adheres to the highest standards. The lab accepts only samples submitted by health-care providers, including physicians, nutritionists, and others, so you need to find one who does HTMA and uses that lab. (Individuals who can't find a provider can call the lab for help in locating one; HTMA is prohibited in New York state.)

•  Do not take calcium supplements unless tests indicate a deficiency. We've all been told that we must ingest lots of calcium to ensure strong bones. In fact, calcium is just one of at least 12 minerals in our bones, all of which must be present in the right balance for good bone health. Calcium has been added to so much of our food, it's unlikely most of us are deficient. And yet, people are told to take calcium supplements. Excess calcium can cause kidney and gallstones, arterial plaque, bone spurs, calcium deposits in tissues other than bone, and brain cell dysfunction, brain shrinkage and dementia. Instead of calcium, Thompson instructs all his patients and readers to take a minimum of 3 grams of trace minerals derived from sea salt every day.

•  Salt - sodium - is necessary for digestion, nutrient absorption, cell function and metabolism.
Limiting salt intake is not only the wrong advice for 90 percent of the people at risk for high blood pressure, it also contributes to the lack of minerals in our bodies. Many of us are actually deficient in sodium.

Salt is a mineral, and unrefined sea salt and rock salt is the best source of sodium and ionic minerals. If you are sodium deficient, add harvested pure sea salt liberally to your foods. It is important to use pure sea salt, and not the common table salt, as processing has stripped common table salt of its mineral value.

•  Use only vitamin supplements made from 100 percent organic whole foods that have been vine-ripened.
Almost all of us need supplements because contemporary food supplies lack adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, thanks to soil depletion. Most store-bought vitamins include just one component of the many complex molecular elements contained in the naturally occurring vitamin source. You need all of the nutrient components to get the full benefits.

The best natural sources of readily available vitamins include raw seeds, stabilized rice bran powder, vine-ripened fresh fruit and berries (vitamin C).

*Robert Thompson, M.D., was added to the peer-reviewed directory, "Best Doctors in America," in 1996.

About Robert Thompson, M.D.

Dr. Robert Thompson is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, and a nutrition specialist who helps patients get long-term relief from chronic disease, including obesity, diabetes, hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue. His newest book, "The Calcium Lie II," is available for free at calciumliebook.com. Dr. Thompson received his medical training at the University of Kentucky and has been a leader in medical advances for more than 30 years.

One Year Later: A Vote for Steve King or Joni Ernst is a Vote for Another Government Shutdown

Des Moines, Iowa - One year ago, Congressman Steve King and members of the Republican Party shut down the federal government at an enormous cost. Their actions roiled the country as federal workers were furloughed, national parks were closed, and Social Security checks were delayed. Now, with Joni Ernst is running for Senate, and Steve King is running for re-election.

Ken Sagar, President of the Iowa Federation of Labor issued the following statement:

"It's despicable that Steve King is running for re-election to the House after he voted to shut down the government and supported the government shutdown last year.

Does he think that's a qualification for public office? Will he assume that an election victory is a vote for another government shutdown?" Rather than demonstrate responsible leadership, Steve King supported Republicans when they inflicted a serious wounds on our economy and punished federal workers and American taxpayers.

"This November, voters in Iowa have a clear opportunity to reject Steve King's style of hostage taking and elect Jim Mowrer, a responsible veteran leader and a champion of working people. This November, it's time to hold the Republican Party accountable."

If Joni Ernst is elected to the Senate, she will join King in attacking workers and our economy.

Ernst Said "We Must Stand Firm In The Fight Against" The Affordable Care Act On The First Day Of The Government Shutdown. According to a Facebook post by state Sen. Joni Ernst, Ernst said, "LIKE if you believe that on this first day of Obamacare exchange signups, we must stand firm in the fight against this damaging, job-killing legislation. #standfirm." [Sen. Joni Ernst - Facebook, 10/1/13]

The government shutdown cost our economy $24 billion. Our economy created 120,000 fewer private sector jobs. Federal workers lost 6.6 million work days while food safety inspections, small business loans, life-saving medical research, and investigations into wage violations all ceased to take place.

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