09 Jul 2014

COUGARS POUNCE ON BANDITS, PITCH TO WIN

By Marco LaNave
Kane County strikes out 13 Quad Cities batters and leads from the first inning to a final in series opener

DAVENPORT, Iowa (July 8, 2014) - The Kane County Cougars scored in each of the first four innings Tuesday night, while right-hander Paul Blackburn pitched five innings to win his third straight start and combined with two relievers to strike out 13 Quad Cities River Bandits in the visitors' 7-3 win in front of 3,790 at Modern Woodmen Park.

Cougars catcher Kyle Schwarber had a game-high three hits and started a first-inning rally with a two-out, opposite-field double to the left-center field gap off right-hander Edison Frias (5-4). First baseman Jacob Rogers drove in Schwarber with double to the same gap, and he later scored for a 2-0 lead on a double down the third-base line by right fielder Kevin Brown, making his Midwest League debut for Kane County (13-4 second half, 58-29 overall). In the second inning, Frias allowed a leadoff single by third baseman Jeimer Candelario. Candelario went to second base when second baseman Ben Carhart walked with two outs, to third base when River Bandits catcher Jake Rodriguez's pickoff attempt went in to center field, and scored when a pitch got past Rodriguez for a passed ball.

Quad Cities (10-8, 45-42) came closest in the bottom of the second inning, when third baseman Tyler White drew a two-out walk, and second baseman Marc Wik drove his second home run in a week off the batter's eye in center field to cut the deficit to 3-2. Kane County answered in the next half inning with Brown's first Midwest League home run to right field, extending his team's lead to 4-2.

The Cougars chased Frias in the fourth inning. Candelario led off with his second single to right field, and left fielder Shawon Dunston Jr. hit a line drive to right field, where Brett Phillips misplayed the ball to allow each runner two extra bases and score another run. Frias worked ahead of the next batter, Carhart, to an 0-2 count before hitting him with the pitch, which would be his last in 3 1/3 innings. Left-hander Albert Minnis entered with a 5-2 deficit and yielded Schwarber's second double to score a run and make it 6-2. All six runs - five earned - were charged to Frias, who allowed seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts and had his four-start winning streak snapped.

In his first Midwest League outing since June 13, Minnis went on to pitch a season-high 3 2/3 innings, only allowing an unearned run in the sixth inning, when Dunston Jr. singled, went to second base on an error by White, stole third base and scored on Schwarber's groundout for his second RBI and a 7-2 Cougars lead.

After Blackburn struck out six batters and allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks, right-hander Zak Hermans began the sixth inning, and Phillips greeted him with his team's only hit after the third inning - his seventh home run of the season to right field - that made it 7-3. Quad Cities has homered in seven straight games - its longest streak in more than two years - and has a total of 12 in the streak.

After Phillips' home run, Herman allowed two walks but no other hits while striking out five batters in three innings, and right-hander Corbin Hoffner struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Quad Cities continues its series with Kane County at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Modern Woodmen Park. River Bandits left-hander Blaine Sims is scheduled to make his Midwest League debut against Cougars right-hander Daury Torrez (9-3).

UP NEXT: Rascal the River Bandit will celebrate his birthday with mascots from around the region before the 7 p.m. game Wednesday at Modern Woodmen Park. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Jimmy Buffett Night, and fans can bring copies of their unpaid bills to be entered into a drawing to be paid up to $100 on Pay Your Bill Wednesday, presented by U.S. Bank and Mix 96. Tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

09 Jul 2014

Make Tracks for Free Rock Island Library Events this July!

By Lisa Lockheart

Paws to Read Offers Reading Contests, Free Events & Education through Aug. 2

 

Rock Island, IL: The tail end of summer may be approaching, but Paws to Read education events continue at the Rock Island Public Library with something for animal lovers of all stripes.

If your pup needs to learn a few new tricks, make plans to attend "Tails Up, Paws Down," a free dog obedience event at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, July 16, at the Rock Island Southwest Branch Library, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Members of the Quad City Dog Obedience Club will demonstrate some of the tricks and simple exercises owners and their dogs can learn together. The event is free and open to all ages.

To learn about the wild animals all around us, make tracks for "Native Mammals" at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, July 29 at the Main Library. The Native Mammals program features speaker Brian Ritter, director of Nahant Marsh and the Program Director for Conservation Technology through the Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) and the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC). He teaches EICC courses on site and uses Nahant preserve as an outdoor classroom. Brian has began and sustained many environmental education programs, biological research projects, and natural resource management practices. The event is free and is open to all ages.

The library also continues its popular summer series of "Read with a Dog" events. Members of QC Canine Assistance Network (QC CAN) bring certified therapy dogs into Rock Island Library locations so children can read to the dogs, providing reading practice and encouragement. Upcoming Read with a Dog events are at 10:30 am on Friday, July 18 at the Main Library, 401 19th Street, on Tuesday, July 22 at the 30/31 Branch, 3059 30th Street, and on Wednesday, July 30, at the Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road. The events are free and open to children of all ages.

Additional summer events for children include Lego Block times on Wednesday July 16 and 23, weekly storytimes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Fridays, and a free family movie event at 1:00 pm on Friday, July 25 at the Main Library. Check the library's online calendar for full details.

In July events for teens ages 12 to 18, the library will offer a Teen Crafting event at 5:00 pm on Monday, July 14, a teen scavenger hunt at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, July 22, and a Teen Iron Chef program at 6:00 pm on Thursday, July 24. All of the above events are at the Main Library, 401 19th Street.

And if you're still working on those Paws to Read reading logs and contest entries, don't pause too long. The tail end of summer reading is approaching. Remember to return them to any Rock Island Library by Saturday, Aug. 2. Prizes will be drawn after Aug. 4, with rewards including t-shirts, bags, water bottles, stuffed dog toys, lanyards, and games for children, a NOOK tablet and gift cards for teens, and an Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablet and more than $500 in gift cards for adults.

For more information about Rock Island Summer Reading, visit any Rock Island Main, 30/31 or Southwest Branches, go to www.rockislandlibrary.org call 309-732-READ (7323.) A downloadable events calendar is available on the library website at the newsletters and calendars link.

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Founded in 1872, the Rock Island Public Library serves the area through three locations, which include the Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branches, community outreach efforts, and online opportunities that provide resources to enhance personal achievement and stimulate the imagination.
09 Jul 2014

Braley-Introduced Resolution on Congolese Adoptions Overwhelmingly Passes House

By Kirsten Hartman

Passage of Congressman's bipartisan resolution latest step to reuniting families

Washington, D.C. - The United States House of Representatives today passed H.Res 588?a resolution that Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) introduced with Rep. Collin Peterson (MN-07) and a bipartisan coalition?in an overwhelming and bipartisan fashion. The resolution officially requests that the Congolese government resume processing adoption cases and issuing exit permits which have been stalled, keeping parents like Michael and Erin Peat of Dubuque from bringing home their two children.

"It's clear that the issue of uniting these families has bipartisan support?and that's in line with the overwhelming support I've seen from Iowans who want to see this issue resolved," Braley said. "We need to keep up the pressure on the Congolese government until all of the American families currently living in limbo are able to bring their children home."

 

Less than a week ago, Braley wrote to Speaker Boehner urging him to quickly bring up the legislation for a vote in the House.

 

Hundreds of families have had their adoptions suspended, but the Peats are one of only about 50 families that have had it occur at such a late stage in the process. They were granted their adoption visa by the United States. However, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) suddenly refused to issue exit letters, which is the final step allowing families to bring their children to the United States.

In June, Braley met with Erin Peat and other families from Clear Lake, Bettendorf, and West Des Moines who are facing delays in their adoptions from the DRC.

Braley has written the Congolese Prime Minister, the Congolese Ambassador to the United States, and Secretary of State John Kerry calling for a resolution to this issue.

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08 Jul 2014

323 Wartburg College students receive diplomas

By Emily Christensen

WAVERLY, IA (07/08/2014)(readMedia)-- Wartburg College awarded diplomas to 323 students during Spring Commencement May 25th.

Brett Ahlgren of LeClaire graduated with a degree in Physical Education.

Cody Luebken of Davenport graduated with a degree in Political Science.

Jenna McGinnis of Bettendorf graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in psychology and Spanish.

Makenzie Meyer of New Liberty graduated with a degree in Communication Arts.

Dana Moe of Davenport graduated with a degree in Social Work.

Katelynn Schultz of Bettendorf graduated with a degree in music applied (BA) and accounting.

Jordan Spires of Bettendorf graduated with a degree in Accounting.

Wartburg, a four-year liberal arts college internationally recognized for community engagement, enrolls 1,714 students. Wartburg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and named after the castle in Germany where Martin Luther took refuge disguised as a knight during the stormy days of the Reformation, while translating the Bible from Greek into German.

08 Jul 2014

SOME UNITED TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE LEARNING ABOUT ENGINEERING AS THEY PROGRAM ROBOTS THIS WEEK

By Mary McNeil
(East Moline, IL)  All this week a handful of United Township High schoolers are spending time in the classroom with robotic arms trying to program them and get ready for the fall robotics season.  It's part of a national engineering program that provides competition among the kids and their robots as a way to teach kids about engineering.  UT Teacher, Mike Ricke, says the Lights ON afterschool students will be competing against each other all week and then on Friday they will visit the new STEM exhibit at the Putnam Museum.

***The media is invited to see the robotics competition first hand this Thursday, July 10th at 10:00 am to 10:45 am.  The event is the school's "cafeteria 2"room located next to the main café in the school.  Students and Ricke (pronounced ricky) will be available for interviews and pictures***

Rickey says the FTC program (First Technology Challenge) team will begin its second year of competition this September, but this summer camp is an attempt to get a head start on the season as well as interest other "campers" to join the UT team this fall.

WHO:  UT STUDENTS
WHERE:  UT Cafeteria 2 (1275 Avenue of the Cities, East Moline)
WHEN:  Thursday, July 10th at 10:00 am-10:45 am
WHY:  Learn about engineering through robots
08 Jul 2014

Iowa WorkForce Strong and Improving

By Ernie Goss, Ph.D.
OMAHA, NEBRASKA - AIM's May Work Force Index (WFI) soared to 84.6 from April's very healthy 69.1. The WFI is a statistically based measurement tool produced by AIM, a nonprofit organization based in Omaha, Nebraska. The Index is a ratio of unique online job postings and the number of unemployed in Iowa (not seasonally adjusted). The Index ranges between 0 and 100. A WFI below 50.0 indicates short-term economic contraction while an Index above 50.0 indicates economic expansion. At 84.6, Iowa's WFI is in a range indicating healthy and improving job openings.

In June online job postings listed the largest number of open positions in absolute numbers in 1) Sales, followed by 2) Management, and 3) Skilled craftsman. As a share of employment, the largest number of job openings in descending order were: 1) Finance, 2) Engineering and 3) Customer Service positions.

In terms of indices among the states, North Dakota ranked number one with the highest WorkForce Index. North Dakota was followed by Vermont, at number two, Florida at three, Kansas at four, and Iowa at five. The state with the lowest index was Maine, followed by California and then Mississippi. New York ranked at 47th and Rhode Island at 46th rounded out the bottom five states. Iowa ranked as the 5th best in the nation for June 2014, which was an improvement over the state's May ranking of 8th.

View the Video

About the AIM WorkForce Index

AIM and the Creighton University College of Business produce the AIM WorkForce Index each month to track the relationship between the WFI and the changes in the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. This comparative analysis measures the relative strength of the Iowa labor market. It can also be compared to Creighton University's monthly survey of bank CEOs in 10 states including Iowa. Creighton's survey has also been pointing to an expansion in the Iowa Rural Mainstreet economy. See Rural Mainstream Index

This type of information is of value to both the employer and the job applicant as they develop plans and strategies for participation in the local and regional labor market. For more information on the WFI, please visit http://aiminstitute.org/aim-workforce-index/ or http://business.creighton.edu/economicoutlook.

08 Jul 2014

Chancellor's List announced for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville

By UW Platteville Public Relations

PLATTEVILLE, WI (07/08/2014)(readMedia)-- University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced its 2014 spring semester Chancellor's List. Students receive this academic status by earning a 4.0 grade point average during the semester. Attainment of the Chancellor's List represents the high academic achievement at UW-Platteville.

Among those who made the Chancellor's List were,

Melissa Dunlavy, a Elementary Education major from Bettendorf, IA

Chelsea Levesque, a Elementary Education major from Moline, IL

Karen Newlon, a Elementary Education major from Hampton, IL

UW-Platteville, founded in 1846, is located in the southwestern corner of Wisconsin, near the Iowa and Illinois borders. The University, the fastest-growing four-year school in the 13-college University of Wisconsin System, enrolls approximately 7,500 undergraduate students.

08 Jul 2014

Last Symphony Event- Dennis Loftin & the history of the QCSO!

By G A H C

One Hundred Years of Musical Memories - A Centennial Celebration presented by Dennis Loftin

Sunday, July 13th 2pm

Please join us on Sunday, July 13th at 2:00 p.m. at the German American Heritage Center for "One Hundred Years of Musical Memories --- A Centennial Celebration" presented by Dennis Loftin, QCSO program annotator, former Operations Personnel Manager, Librarian, and percussionist (and much more)!

Dennis will guide us through each decade of the Symphony Orchestra's rich history with interesting trends, historic photos, and funny backstage stories. This is the final program which accompanies the 100 Years - 100 Stories exhibit. The exhibit will be closing on Sunday, July 20th.

Quad City Symphony Orchestra will not be publishing a book for the 100th season as originally planned. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

712 W Second Street
Davenport, Iowa 52802
563-322-8844
08 Jul 2014

Gov. Branstad issues disaster proclamations for three more counties

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

(DES MOINES) - Today, Gov. Terry E. Branstad issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for Polk County in addition to a proclamation of disaster emergency issued yesterday for Scott and Shelby counties.  This is in response to the ongoing flooding and severe weather beginning June 26, 2014.

The governor's proclamations allow State resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of these storms.

In addition, yesterday's proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Program for Scott and Shelby counties.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $39,580, for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

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08 Jul 2014

Brucemore Outdoor Children's Theater Presents: The Land of Lost Toys

By Rick Martin

Brucemore Outdoor Children's Theater continues a tradition of placing imagination center stage with a Joe Link original, The Land of Lost Toys, July 23 - 26 at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. When Aunt Peggy is babysitting, her bedtime stories are usually beyond compare. Children and parents alike will be transported into a magical and mysterious world to help Jack and Jill find their way home to Aunt Peggy before it is too late. The Land of Lost Toys is Joe Link's eighth original production on the Brucemore stage; previous plays include The Incredible Adventures of Captain Spoon, The Forgetful Pirate; The Princess Who Wouldn't Wear Pink; Tyrannosaurus Fetch; and The Amazing Story Machine. Each year, the Brucemore Outdoor Children's Theater promises an engaging performance sure to keep the young audience captivated and the adult audience entertained.

Brucemore's natural amphitheater provides an enchanting backdrop for this 50-minute performance. Children and their adult chaperones are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs; no picnics please. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children under 10. Gates open at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Brucemore Outdoor Children's Theater is sponsored by US Bank and media sponsored by ImOn Communications. Purchase tickets online at www.brucemore.org, by calling (319) 362-7375, by visiting the Brucemore Store located in the Visitor's Center, or at the box office the night of the performance.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

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