A.J. Reed and Ryan Bottger each homer to help Quad Cities win 4-0 game following 7-3 loss

DAVENPORT, Iowa (August 5, 2014) - For the second time in three weeks, right-hander Michael Feliz pulled the Quad Cities River Bandits out of a six-game losing streak with a brilliant starting effort, pitching a career-high eight shutout innings and striking out a season-high nine batters in a 4-0 win over the Burlington Bees in front of 3,358 at Modern Woodmen Park Tuesday night.

Following a 7-3 loss in the completion of Monday's suspended game, Quad Cities (22-21 second half, 57-56 overall) got its longest starting pitching performance in more than two years. After pitching seven shutout innings July 19 to beat Lake County and snap his team's six-game losing streak, Feliz (7-4) pitched eight innings for the first time since he did so July 6, 2012, for the Gulf Coast League Astros. Feliz's start Tuesday was the longest by a River Bandit since Kyle Hald pitched a nine-inning game in a 6-2 win over Burlington June 4, 2012.

Feliz out-dueled fellow 2014 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game pitcher Victor Alcantara (6-6), who struck out a career-high 11 batters in six innings, allowing three runs - one earned - on five hits. Bees left-hander Cole Swanson struck out five batters in two innings, and River Bandits right-hander Keegan Yuhl struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning. Quad Cities batters struck out a season-high 16 times, and the two teams combined for 27 strikeouts among 51 total defensive outs. There were no walks in the game - a first for Quad Cities and an opponent since April 18, 2010, when the River Bandits won 4-3, over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Modern Woodmen Park.

Feliz worked three times through the Bees batting order, allowing one hit each time. In the first inning, he allowed a two-out double by shortstop Zach Houchins before recording his first strikeout of Bees first baseman Eric Aguilera. Second baseman Kody Eaves hit a two-out triple in the third inning, but Feliz got left fielder Bo Way on a groundout to first base. Feliz retired nine in a row before Way hit a two-out single in the sixth inning, but Feliz struck out Houchins to end the inning. He set down the final seven batters he faced, including his ninth strikeout - matching the most by a River Bandit this season - to end the eighth inning.

Alcantara retired the first seven batters of the game to extend a string of 20 River Bandits retired in order by Burlington (20-24, 58-55), which also did not allow hit for 10 2/3 innings until River Bandits second baseman Marc Wik lined a third-inning, one-out single to center field. Wik reached second base when center fielder Mike Fish bobbled the ball and scored on a two-out single by center fielder James Ramsay. Designated hitter A.J. Reed hit his fourth home run in nine Midwest League games in the fourth inning for a 2-0 lead. In the fifth inning, catcher Brett Booth and Wik hit consecutive singles, and two Bees throwing errors scored Booth. Wik was thrown out trying to score on a pitch that escaped Bees catcher Stephen McGee with rehabbing Astros outfielder George Springer at the plate to end the inning. Springer grounded out to third base twice and made one catch in five innings in right field in his second game with Quad Cities. Left fielder Ryan Bottger added his first Midwest League home run in the seventh inning off Swanson for a 4-0 River Bandits lead.

The teams resumed Monday's game with a 3-3 tie in the top of the sixth inning, and River Bandits left-hander Blaine Sims (2-4) allowed four earned runs on two hits, three walks and a hit batter in the seventh inning. Bees right-hander Alex Blackford (1-3) was perfect in four innings, and Bees right fielder Ranyelmy Mendoza finished 4-for-5 in the game. Houchins had three RBIs for the Bees, who had 15 hits, including 14 singles, to snap their eight-game losing streak and briefly extend the River Bandits' streak to match a season-high six games.

Quad Cities hosts Burlington for the rubber match of the three-game series at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Modern Woodmen Park. River Bandits right-hander Edison Frias (7-5) is scheduled to face Bees right-hander Harrison Cooney (8-5), who leads the league with a 2.19 ERA.

Please come join us for a benefit for Ruben Rangel

In October 2013, Ruben was diagnosed with End Stage Renal failure. Since his diagnosis Ruben has been on dialysis, which he started in Nov. 2013. Since his diagnosis Ruben has been working with Iowa City Hospitals & Clinics to be placed on the kidney transplant list and will undergo kidney transplant surgery.

Ruben has worked for Jacobson Companies for the past 20 years. He was also a basketball official for 11 years in the Quad City area, but due to health, is no longer able to do what he loved most. Ruben will have a long recovery ahead of him. The benefit will be to help with medical expenses.

There will be tacos, tostadas and pulled pork dinners, as well as music, 50/50 raffles and baskets to win. Donations can also be made to IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union in care of: Ruben Rangel Benefit. If you would like to volunteer, please contact:

Eva Lyon @ 309-721-5717

Kathy Solis @ 309-721-6603

Bertha Tapia @ 309-496-9520

or Norma Montez @ 309-235-1198

Event will be held @ Quad City Downs - 5005 Morton Dr., East Moline, IL 61244 on Saturday, August 9th, 2014 from 3-10pm

Dinners: $8.00

22 Iowa counties receive Presidential designation 

(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad received word today that President Obama approved his request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 22 counties impacted by severe weather in June and July.

The counties included in the declaration are: Audubon, Black Hawk, Butler, Cedar, Des Moines, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Mahaska, Muscatine, Poweshiek, Tama, and Washington.

The governor sent the request for a declaration on July 29, 2014, in response to significant damage that was caused by severe weather that produced damaging winds, tornadoes, heavy rains, hail, and thunderstorms beginning June 26 through July 7. This is Iowa's third Presidential Disaster Declaration in 2014.

The declaration by the President will provide federal funding to the declared counties under the Public Assistance Program. A Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance puts into motion long-term federal recovery programs, some of which are matched by state programs, and designed to help public entities and select non-profits. Public Assistance funds may be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and may include debris removal, emergency protective measures, repair of damaged public property, loans needed by communities for essential government functions and grants for public schools.

The Governor also received notification that the Presidential Disaster Declaration includes funding to conduct hazard mitigation activities for the entire state. With this funding, Iowa will be able to minimize the impact of future disasters by taking steps now to strengthen existing infrastructure.

This Presidential Disaster Declaration is the 21st Major Presidential Disaster Declaration Iowa has received since March 2007.

New Law Strengthens Task Force Devoted to Fighting Heroin

ROMEOVILLE - Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation to fight heroin use in communities across Illinois. The new law will expand the scope of a special task force created last year to study heroin use in Illinois and make recommendations to increase awareness and prevention. Today's action is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to strengthen drug prevention efforts and save lives.

"Heroin is a deadly substance that destroys lives," Governor Quinn said. "The health and safety of all residents across the state must be a priority. This legislation will help ensure we have the tools to fight heroin use across Illinois."

House Bill 4542, sponsored by State Representative Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) and State Senator Thomas Cullerton (D-Villa Park), expands the age range to be studied by the Young Adult Heroin Use Task Force to students in grades six through 12. Governor Quinn signed legislation in August 2013 to create the Young Adult Heroin Use Task Force to address the growing problem of heroin use in Illinois high schools. The new law expands the study to younger students.

Ongoing research has found that heroin use not only affects high school students in Illinois, but also children as young as 11 years old. The task force is to investigate the youth heroin use epidemic and recommend further state action. The new law is effective immediately.

"This devastating drug is hurting younger and younger students," Senator Cullerton said. "We need to accurately understand the scope of the heroin problem as we work to fix it."

Since taking office, Governor Quinn has worked toward a drug free Illinois. He signed the Emergency Medical Services Access law in 2012, which provides immunity to a person who, in good faith, seeks or obtains emergency medical assistance for someone experiencing an overdose. As part of the Drug Overdose Prevention Program, a life saving law took effect in 2010 to allow non-medical persons to dispense a drug overdose antidote in an emergency to prevent a drug overdose from becoming fatal.

Additionally, the Governor implemented improvements in the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) with the primary goals of improving clinical care and reducing the unnecessary use of controlled substances prescribed by physicians. This past year the PMP's effectiveness was enhanced by joining the national network of PMPs that allows clinicians in Illinois to check their potential patients' use of controlled substances within Illinois and 15 other states. Since the inception of the PMP in 2008, there has been a 66 percent reduction in the number of individuals who "doctor shop" in order to obtain controlled prescription medicines.