22 Aug 2014

Governor Quinn Announces $26 Million for Construction Projects in Northwest Illinois

By Dave Blanchette

Will Create Jobs and Economic Growth in Bureau, Fulton, Henderson, Henry, Knox, LaSalle, Lee, Rock Island, Stark, Warren and Whiteside Counties

OTTAWA - Governor Pat Quinn today announced capital investments of more than $26 million for construction projects in Bureau, Fulton, Henderson, Henry, Knox, LaSalle, Lee, Rock Island, Stark, Warren and Whiteside Counties. The investments will create jobs and improve transportation safety and efficiency throughout Northwest Illinois. Funded by his Illinois Jobs Now! construction program, the projects are part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"These investments across Northwest Illinois are putting people to work, creating jobs that will help drive the local economy," Governor Quinn said. "They are also helping to repair and maintain Illinois' infrastructure to improve safety and efficiency throughout the region."

Today's announcement follows last week's news that Illinois' unemployment rate declined in July to 6.8 percent from June's 7.1 percent. During July, 11,200 new private sector jobs were added, including 3,900 manufacturing jobs. The state's unemployment rate has fallen steadily since July 2013, when it stood at 9.2 percent, and has completed its steepest 12-month decline of 2.4 percentage points since August 1984. Since February 2010, Illinois has added 263,100 private sector jobs.

Construction payrolls are up by 8,500 jobs since the beginning of the year, nearly four times as strong as the gain posted for this same period in 2013. Specialty trade contractors' payrolls posted healthy gains for the third straight month, fueled in large part by Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program.

The projects below will be managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Bureau County

U.S. Route 34 will be resurfaced in Bureau County from 3200 E to 3320 E Road for $718,710 by Advanced Asphalt Company of Princeton.

A bridge carrying 470 Street over I-80 will be cleaned and painted for $274,832 by Thomas Industrial Coatings, Inc. of Pevely, Missouri, the lowest of five bidders.

11.85 miles of Illinois Route 40 will receive intermittent milling and resurfacing from north of I-80 to Illinois Route 92 for $280,076 by Advanced Asphalt Company of Princeton, the lower of two bidders.

U.S. 34 will receive 4.8 miles of resurfacing from 6th Street in Princeton to the eastern city limits of Dover for $1,287,701 by Advanced Asphalt Company of Princeton.

Bureau and LaSalle Counties

Various routes in Bureau and LaSalle Counties will receive intermittent milling, resurfacing and striping for $668,725 by Advanced Asphalt Company of Princeton.

Fulton, Henderson, Knox and Warren Counties

Bridge painting will be done on Illinois Route 17 over I-39 in Marshall County, on Illinois Route 116 over Spoon River on the west side of London Mills in Fulton County, on Illinois Route 94 over the Henderson Creek Overflow south of Bald Bluff in Henderson County, on Lincoln Park Drive over U.S. 35 in Knox County and on U.S. 67 over Middle Henderson Creek 10 miles north of Monmouth in Warren County for $823,882 by ERA Valdivia Contractors, Inc. of Chicago, the lowest of six bidders.

Knox and Warren Counties

U.S. 34/ Illinois Route 110 will receive 7 miles of patching from one mile west of Cameron Road to Main St. for $330,678 by Midwest Bridge and Crane, Inc. of Good Hope, the lower of two bidders.

Henry County

Grange Road will receive 1.97 miles of resurfacing from Illinois Route 92 to Sand Road for $328,657 by Valley Construction Company of Rock Island, the lowest of four bidders.

Knox County

Main Street in Galesburg will receive resurfacing and pavement marking from Soangetaha Road to State Street for $163,011 by Gunther Construction of Galesburg.

Improvements will be done at the intersection of Illinois Route 97 and 1st Street in Maquon for $173,176 by Gunther Construction of Galesburg, the lower of two bidders.

U.S. 150 will receive 1.6 miles of patching and resurfacing from Home Boulevard to north of North Lake Storey Road, interconnect installation, guardrail removal and replacement, and renovation on Lake Storey Bridge for $1,593,420 by Gunther Construction of Galesburg, the lowest of three bidders.

LaSalle County

A bridge carrying Interstate 39 over a service road and conveyor 0.43 miles south of U.S. 6 will be cleaned and painted for $80,766 by Thomas Industrial Coatings, Inc. of Pevely, Missouri, the lowest of five bidders.

Illinois Route 23 will receive intermittent resurfacing north and south of Streator for $265,841 by H.J. Eppel & Co., Inc of Pontiac, the lower of two bidders.

Illinois Route 71 will receive 3.76 miles of shoulder widening, rumble strips and signing from Illinois Route 89 to E. 275^th Road through Cedar Point for $785,985 by Advanced Asphalt Company of Princeton.

I-80 will receive 3.95 miles of milling and resurfacing from Fox River Bridge in Ottawa to just west of CH 15/Marseilles interchange for $8,495,025 by D Construction, Inc. of Coal City, the lower of two bidders.

I-39 will receive pavement patching from the Marshall County line to the Lee County line for $408,408 by G. M. Sipes Construction, Inc. of Rushville.

1.29 miles of work on base course widening, leveling, pipe culverts, shoulders and pavement markings will be done from 100 feet south of North 4425th Road to 75 feet north of 4550th Road for $539,625 by D Construction of Coal City, the lower of two bidders.

Lee County

Illinois Route 2 will receive 0.73 miles of resurfacing from east of River St. to Ottawa Avenue in Dixon for $420,542 by Martin & Company Excavating of Oregon, the lowest of three bidders.

Four bridges carrying I-39 over Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company Railroad and over Steward Creek will be partially cleaned and painted for $356,847 by Eagle Painting & Maintenance Co., Inc. of Lansing, the lowest of five bidders.

Two bridges carrying I-39 over U.S. 30 will be cleaned and painted for $731,637 by Three Star Painting, Inc. of Merrillville, Indiana, the lowest of four bidders.

Rock Island County

3rd Avenue will receive reconstruction from 19th St. to 23rd St. in Moline for $6,902,871 by McCarthy Improvement Company of Davenport, Iowa, the lower of two bidders.

Stark County

Removal of wingwalls and pipe, and removal and replacement of culvert will be done 1.5 miles west of Speer over the tributary to Mud Run Creek for $370,126 by Stark Excavating, Inc. of Bloomington, the lowest of three bidders.

Whiteside County

Two bridges carrying Avenue G over the Rock River in Sterling will have substructure repairs made and joint replacement done for $427,205 by Kovilic Construction Company, Inc. of Franklin Park, the lowest of four bidders.

The projects are part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.

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22 Aug 2014

SCOTT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TENTATIVE AGENDA.

By Chris Berge

August 25 - 29, 2014

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Committee of the Whole - 8:00 am

Board Room, 1st Floor, Administrative Center

1. Roll Call: Hancock, Minard, Sunderbruch, Cusack, Earnhardt

Facilities & Economic Development

2. Support of RAGBRAI route coming through Scott County in 2015. (Item 2)

3. Discussion of City of LeClaire's proposed amendment to TIF District #1. (Item 3)

4. Public Hearing on transfer of Tax Deed properties to the Cities of Davenport,

Bettendorf, and McCausland in accordance with County policy. (Item 4)

5. Bids for program and design renovations to the first floor Courthouse, Phase 1 & 2.

(Item 5)

6. Vehicle replacements for the Facility and Support Services Department. (Item 6)

7. Vehicle replacement for the Sheriff's Office. (Item 7)

Human Resources

8. Organizational Change Recommendations - Administration and Facility & Support

Services. (Item 8)

9. Staff appointments. (Item 9)

Finance & Intergovernmental

10. 2014 Homestead and Military Tax Credit Applications as recommended for allowance

and disallowance by the Davenport City Assessor and the Scott County Assessor

Offices. (Item 10)

11. 2014 City of Bettendorf Special Election Assessments. (Item 11)

Page 1 of 2

Other Items of Interest

12. Adjourned.

Moved by _____ Seconded by _____

Ayes

Nays

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Regular Board Meeting - 5:00 pm

Board Room, 1st Floor, Administrative Center

Public Hearing - 5:00 pm

Board Room, 1st Floor, Administrative Center

Public Hearing

1. Public Hearing on Transfer of Tax Deed Properties

22 Aug 2014

THE WALMART FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANT TO CHURCHES UNITED

By Rhonda Johnson

Churches United of the Quad City Area has received a $2,500.00 grant from The Walmart Foundation, in support of the new Sam's Club location in Moline.

This award supports Winnie's Place, a shelter serving women (and their children) who are homeless and/or victims of domestic violence.

Churches United has a 53-year history of reaching out to our community. Its 134 member churches represent 50,000 people from the Quad City Area. As well as Winnie's Place, Churches United operates 25 food pantries and 3 hot meal sites in the Quad City Area. For information about services offered, or ways to support Churches United, call 563-332-5002, or visit our website at www.CUQCA.org.

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22 Aug 2014

ISU Scott County Extension Calendar Sept-Oct 2014

By Iowa State Univ Extension Office

Sept. 4, 2014 Replacing Ash Trees: Good Alternatives for Iowa, Scott County Extension Office, 6:30 pm-8:30pm

Sept. 5, 2014 Pesticide Applicator Testing, Scott County Extension Office, 10:00 am-2:00 pm

Oct. 15, 2014 Roadside, Forest, and Aquatic Pest Management, Scott County Extension Office, 9:00 am-11:30 am

Oct. 23, 2014 Mosquito and Public Health Pest Management, Scott County Extension Office, 9:00 am-11:30 am

Oct. 28, 2014 Scott County Extension Council Meeting, Scott County Extension Office, 7:00 pm

22 Aug 2014

How to Avoid Fumbling the Football in the Red Zone of Retirement

By Ginny Grimsley

The 6 Documents You Need for Your Estate Plan Playbook

The start of football season may be months away, but the game's on the minds of many after the NFL draft. Minicamps are gearing up and team personnel are organizing in preparation for the 2014-15 season.

Football is a big deal in the United States - and so is the surge of retirees - 10,000 baby boomers every day for the next 18 years, says multi-certified planner Larry Roby. The last thing pre-retirees want to do at this stage of their lives is to fumble while in the red zone of their retirement date, he says.

"Only 23 percent of pre-retirees have calculated how much they'll need to save for retirement, according to New Retirement Landscape; while three-quarters say they're confident in the red zone of retirement, an equal amount of people haven't even done the math yet!" says Roby, founder and president of Senior Financial Advisors, (www.sfabridge.com), a wealth-management firm that holds ethics and education as top priorities.

"Confidence in your retirement portfolio is good - if it's justified. Otherwise, it can lull people into a false sense of security and lack of preparedness."

Having a diverse portfolio and understanding your options for life insurance, Social Security and 401(k) or other retirement accounts are staples for retirement planning. But there are also six crucial documents that are often either not in an individual's playbook or are overlooked.

Here are the six documents you need for a solid red zone estate plan:

• Joint Ownership -- Enables you to own property jointly with another person and upon the death of the joint tenant, the surviving joint tenant automatically becomes the owner of the property.

• Last Will and Testament - A legal document which expresses the wishes of a person concerning the disposition of their property after death and names the person who will manage the estate.

• Durable Power of Attorney - Grants authority to another individual to act on behalf of the person who executes the instrument and are commonly used for legal and financial purposes.

• Durable Health Care Power of Attorney- Grants authority to another individual to make health care decisions on your behalf should you be unable to make such decisions.

• Advance Care Directive - A set of written instructions in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health, if they are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or incapacity.

• Living Trust - Created during your lifetime. Assets are transferred to the trust while you are alive. Provides written instructions for the disbursement of the trust assets upon your death.

"These documents can play a vital role in the major plays during the fourth quarter of your life," Roby says. "Understanding how they work now can make the difference between a last-minute victory or loss."

About Larry Roby

Larry Roby is the founder and president of Senior Financial Advisors, (www.sfabridge.com). He is a four-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table and has achieved "Court of the Table" status for the past three years. Roby attained his Series 65 license, which allows him to serve as an Investment Advisor Representative. He is also a Registered Financial Consultant, IARFC.org; RICP, Retirement Income Certified Professional; Licensed Insurance Agent and MCEP, Master Certified Estate Planner - NICEP.com.

22 Aug 2014

RAMSAY, SCRIBNER HELP BANDITS POP KERNELS 5-2

By Scott Kornberg

Quad Cities wins on road against Western Division opponent for first time since July 11

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (August 20, 2014) - James Ramsay had two hits and two runs scored while Troy Scribner tossed four scoreless innings to close things out after a three-run sixth inning vaulted the Quad Cities River Bandits by the Cedar Rapids Kernels 5-2 at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

After Cedar Rapids (67-61, 35-22) tied the game at two in the bottom of the fifth, Quad Cities (62-65, 27-31) responded immediately off of Kernels reliever Hudson Boyd (4-3). The right-hander issued a leadoff walk to Ryan Bottger, who advanced to second on a 3U fielder's choice off the bat of Brian Holberton. Dayne Parker followed with a double down the left field line to bring in Bottger and put Quad Cities up 3-2. James Ramsay then blooped a ball into the outfield that Kernels left fielder J.D. Williams overran for an error, putting runners on second and third. Boyd walked Bobby Boyd before serving up a two-run single to Jose Fernandez, who was 2-for-5, to give the River Bandits a 5-2 advantage.

Scribner came into the game in the bottom of the sixth for Quad Cities starter Chris Lee (7-6), who earned the win by allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits in five innings. He walked two and fanned one. Scribner struck out at least one batter in every inning, including three in the seventh, and retired the last eight Kernels to come to the plate to earn his first career save. In total, the right-hander punched out eight against two walks with a hit in four innings.

Quad Cities got on the board first for the second straight night when Bottger, who was 2-for-4 with a walk, led off the second with a single to center. He moved to second base on an errant pickoff throw by Cedar Rapids starter Stephen Gonsalves, who gave up two runs, one earned, on six hits with seven punchouts and two walks in five innings for a no-decision. Gonsalves got Holberton to pop out to short and Parker to strike out, but then Ramsay singled home Bottger to make it 1-0. The Bandits right fielder then stole second and scored when Bobby Boyd looped a single to center to make things 2-0.

Ramsay finished 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI. He also registered two outfield assists, becoming the first River Bandit to accomplish the feat since Brett Phillips did so against Burlington on May 21st in a 12-4 loss that was actually completed on May 25 due to a suspended game.

The River Bandits beat a Western Division opponent on the road for the first time since a 10-5 victory July 11th at Wisconsin, snapping Cedar Rapids' season-best eight-game winning streak.

Quad Cities begins a three-game set a Beloit tomorrow at 7 p.m. with Michael Feliz (8-4, 3.80 ERA) set to start against the Snappers' Hunter Adkins (1-4, 4.32).

22 Aug 2014

RIVER CITY RADIO HOUR Upcoming show: FRIDAY, August 22nd. 2014

By Heidi M. Sallows

The music of

Jason Parchert

The Moline Commercial Club

1530 Fifth Avenue, Moline, IL

Social Hour @ 5:30p.m.

Dinner @ 6:30p.m. • Show @ 7:30p.m.

The Moline Commercial Clubs' Chef will be serving a magnificent dinner

prior to the show, by reservation only.

Please call 309-762-8547 to make reservation for the dinner.

Elevator is at the16th Street entrance.

Tickets for Dinner & Show: $25.00/person

*This event is open to the public and the audience can attend the show without dinner.

Ticket for the show: $5.00

Priority seating is given to guests who make dinner reservations.

22 Aug 2014

Skokie school districts enact Lt. Governor's education reforms

By Rick Martin

"Classrooms First" agreement emphasizes efficiency and effectiveness

SKOKIE – Aug. 20, 2014. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon celebrated an education reform milestone between Niles Township High School District 219 and Skokie/Morton Grove School District 69 on Wednesday. Superintendents signed a "Classrooms First" agreement today that aims to align instruction, reduce high school remediation needs and maximize financial resources at both districts.

"This agreement puts students first by focusing on educational effectiveness and efficiency simultaneously," Simon said. "I hope this inspires the other elementary school districts that feed into District 219 to take similar steps, and that other districts throughout the state take notice."

The intergovernmental agreement creates shared faculty and instructional tools between Niles West High School and District 69, the largest of the five elementary school districts from which it draws new students each year.

The reforms are largely based on the findings of the Classrooms First Commission, which Simon chaired and which issued a report detailing recommendations for voluntary and virtual school district consolidation in 2012. The report urged school districts to share services and cut administrative costs in order to redirect savings into classrooms.

The Niles agreement creates shared faculty between the districts and personalized learning plans for students, among other changes. Two shared positions will oversee science, technology, engineering and mathematics curricula, and instruction between the two school districts. The new alignment should reduce the need for costly remediation - or re-teaching - of math and sciences in high school and college.

Starting in 2016, new kindergarteners will also be issued the same "individualized learning plans" District 219 uses to personalize the instruction of its high school students. That plan will follow students throughout their entire K-12 career, said District 219 spokesman Jim Szczepaniak.

"Our Classrooms First Consolidation agreement with District 69 will guarantee students and their families that their elementary education will properly prepare them for high school and that their high school experience will make them ready for college and ready to succeed in life," said Nanciann Gatta, superintendent of Niles Township High School District 219. "We're honored that Lt. Governor Simon is able to join us for this signing event to validate what we are doing in Niles Township to show that public education works."

Simon joined District 219 and District 69 officials at the signing ceremony, which featured a series of talks by district instructors, and a tour of the high school following the presentation and signing.

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22 Aug 2014

Dunlap Farm Sweeps Iowa State Fair Shorthorn Show

By Lori Chappell

DES MOINES, IA (08/20/2014)(readMedia)-- Sullivan Farms took top honors in the Shorthorn Cattle show judged Saturday at the 2014 Iowa State Fair. The Dunlap farm exhibited the Grand Champion Bull, Iowa Champion Bull, Grand Champion Female and Iowa Champion Female.

The Reserve Grand Champion Bull banner was awarded to DJS Shorthorns of Knoxville, Ill. Cyclone Trace Cattle Company of Clarion was awarded the Reserve Grand Champion Female banner.

Complete results below (names, hometowns, animal identification):