DAVENPORT, Iowa (July 11, 2014) - Kane County Cougars third baseman Jeimer Candelario hit a three-run double in the first inning to spur his team to an 8-0 lead by the sixth inning, and he added his first Midwest League home run for a 9-2 Cougars lead, and the Quad Cities River Bandits' late rally fell short in a 9-5 loss to the visitors in front of 5,525 at Modern Woodmen Park Thursday night.

Candelario came to bat with the bases loaded and one out in the first inning after singles by second baseman Ben Carhart and left fielder Kyle Schwarber and a walk by first baseman Jacob Rogers. On an 0-1 pitch from right-hander Kevin Comer (1-2), Candelario hit a line drive down the left-field line, clearing the bases for a 3-0 Kane County lead.

The Cougars (14-5 second half, 59-30 overall) kept the same lead until the top of the fourth inning, when right fielder Kevin Brown led off hit his second home run in his first three Midwest League games to right field. With two outs, shortstop Carlos Penalver hit an infield single, went to third base on center fielder Jake Hannemann's single, and scored on Carhart's RBI single. Comer lasted four innings and was charged with five runs - five earned - on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts for Quad Cities (11-9, 46-43).

Cougars starter Juan Paniagua (6-3) allowed a first-inning double by second baseman Dayne Parker, who was picked off second base. River Bandits first baseman Tyler White and designated hitter Ronnie Mitchell each singled to begin the second inning before a strikeout and double play ended without a run scoring. White totaled three hits thursday, while Mitchell had a career-high four. Quad Cities outhit Quad Cities, 15-12, and had at least one hit in every inning but went 4-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base.

River Bandits right-hander Adrian Houser began the top of the fifth inning with a 5-0 deficit. He pitched one scoreless inning before Kane County extended its lead in the top of the sixth inning. Houser hit catcher Cael Brockmeyer to open the inning and walked Penalver with one out. Hannemann then doubled down the left-field line to score Brockmeyer, and Carhart's two-runs single extended the lead to 8-0.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, River Bandits center fielder James Ramsay hit a leadoff triple, and White drew a two-out walk to chase Paniagua, who went 5 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and three walks while striking out five batters. Paniagua was charged with two earned runs when Mitchell hit a two-run double to left-center field on the first pitch from right-hander Michael Wagner to cut the deficit to 8-2.

Trailing, 9-2, after Candelario's home run in the seventh inning off Houser, the River Bandits made noise against Wagner in the eighth inning. White and Mitchell hit consecutive singles to end Wagner's night after 1 1/3 innings, and left fielder Jose Fernandez singled off right-hander Corbin Hoffner. Catcher Brian Holberton grounded into a fielder's choice, and consecutive walks by third baseman Marc Wik and shortstop Thomas Lindauer made it 9-4. But Hoffner got Ramsay to pop out to third base and Parker to fly to left field to keep it 9-4.

In the ninth inning, Hoffner allowed White's one-out double, Mitchell's single, and Fernandez's RBI single to cut the gap to 9-5. Right-hander Jose Arias entered to walk Holberton and bring the tying run to the plate. But Wik struck out after an eight-pitch battle, and pinch hitter Jon Kemmer grounded out to second base to end the game and leave the bases loaded with River Bandits for a second straight inning.

Quad Cities opens its last scheduled four-game road series of the season at Wisconsin at 7:05 p.m. Friday.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits open a six-game homestand with Eastern Division opponents at 7 p.m. Wednesday on Quad Cities Builders & Remodelers Association and Epic Stone Night and a Pay Your Bill Wednesday presented by U.S. Bank, CBS WHBF 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.

CHICAGO - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will support a global approach to protecting the rights of seniors in an address Friday to human rights lawyers in Chicago.

"Elder rights are human rights," Simon said. "I support a cooperative, international approach to protecting our aging populations from abuse, neglect and indignity. I commend the hosts of this conference for leading the way."

Simon will be among the advocates and experts from around the world to speak about the challenges faced by the world's elderly population during the 2014 International Elder Law and Policy Conference at John Marshall Law School. Two billion people will be over age 60 by 2050, nearly 22 percent of the world's population, according to the World Health Organization.

John Marshall and conference co-hosts Roosevelt University, and East China University of Political Science and Law are using the conference to unveil a Chicago Declaration on the Rights of Older Persons. The model declaration promotes equal participation in civil, political, economic, social and cultural life in developing and developed countries.

Simon, a former Jackson County prosecutor and founder of a domestic violence legal clinic at Southern Illinois University, is scheduled to speak on a panel regarding advocacy and access to justice alongside legal professionals from Cook County and China.

She said technology is one key to legal access. The Virtual Legal Clinic, established by her office for rural domestic violence shelters, can connect disadvantaged populations with legal experts online for free.

TIME: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

DATE: Friday, July 11

LOCATION: John Marshall Law School, 315 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago

Visits Chloe Stirling at Culinary Camp to Highlight Illinois' Status as a Premiere Food Destination

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that Illinois had its third consecutive record-breaking year for tourism by welcoming nearly 105.7 million visitors in 2013. The Governor made the announcement during a visit with Chloe Stirling at the Kendall College Culinary Camp in Chicago where the 12-year-old entrepreneur is perfecting her baking skills along with other young culinary students. Today's event is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to increase tourism, create jobs and drive economic development throughout Illinois.

"It is inspiring to see so many culinary students like Chloe sharpening their talents in the kitchen," Governor Quinn said. "Many of our state's young students are taking their energy and creativity to grow vibrant culinary businesses, which has helped established Illinois as a food destination. We continue to see record numbers of visitors in the state thanks in large part to our excellent restaurant industry. From our state's natural treasures to our museums and one-of-a-kind dining experiences, tourism is thriving in the Land of Lincoln."

In addition to the record setting number of U.S. visitors to Illinois, the state welcomed nearly 2.2 million international visitors in 2013, up 3 percent from the previous year. One of the strongest growth sectors in 2013 was leisure travel, up 5.7 percent from 2012. Visitors spent $34.5 billion in Illinois in 2013, generating nearly $2.6 billion in state and local tax revenues.

In addition, the Illinois tourism industry workforce also grew to 301,100 in 2013, adding 2,400 new jobs to the state. These impressive numbers, provided by D.K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd., highlight the tourism industry's vital contributions to Illinois' economic growth, job creation and tax revenue.

"The positive growth numbers showcase the key role the tourism industry plays in Illinois' economy," Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Adam Pollet said. "Attracting more visitors to Illinois has resulted in an increase in tax revenue coming into the state and added new high-quality jobs for Illinoisans."

The Governor today also announced that Kendall College will, for the first time ever, partner with the Illinois Office of Tourism, a division of DCEO, to help plan the Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism. Planning and promotion for the conference, which will run from Feb. 2-4, 2015, will be built into the curriculum for Kendall hospitality management students who will work alongside state tourism industry leaders to gain hands-on experience.

"The continued increase in U.S. and international visitors to Illinois year-over-year proves that both leisure and business travelers are increasingly considering Illinois as a premier travel destination," Illinois Office of Tourism Deputy Director Jen Hoelzle said. "Our strong international marketing partnership with Brand USA and new initiatives to reach domestic travelers, like the MiniAbe campaign, are inspiring travelers from around the world to discover all that Illinois has to offer."

Many travelers come to Illinois or extend their stays because of the state's thriving restaurant and culinary scene. The Chicago area, for example, hosts 25 Michelin-starred restaurants and 10 that have won a James Beard Award, the industry's highest accolade.

Overall, restaurants account for 515,600 jobs in Illinois, about 9 percent of the state's employment.

The Governor visited Chloe and her parents at their Troy home last month to sign legislation, known as the "Cupcake Bill," to support home kitchen businesses in Illinois. The new law will help young entrepreneurs looking to get into the culinary field by making business opportunities more available and help drive the state's economy forward. Chloe, her mother, Heather, her sister, Sophie and her grandparents all visited the Kendall College camp today.

Kendall College in Chicago hosts a series of hands-on summer culinary camps designed for young students and taught by qualified Kendall instructors at the school's state-of-the-art campus. For more information, visit: kendall.edu.

Congressman: 'Our commitment to America's veterans needs to match the commitment they've made to us'

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today joined a bipartisan group in introducing comprehensive legislation designed to address the escalating rate of suicide among America's veterans?the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act.

"The suicide rate among America's veterans represents a national crisis," Braley said. "This legislation won't solve the problem overnight?but it will get more resources where they're desperately needed. Our commitment to America's veterans needs to match the commitment they've made to us, especially when it comes to this issue."

The bill is named after Clay Hunt, a decorated Marine combat veteran, who took his own life in 2011 after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The act contains a host of provisions which include sections that would:

• Require an independent third party to annually evaluate the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs mental health care and suicide prevention programs.

·         Require that a board of review, when looking at an appeal of a veteran who was discharged, must consider in their final decision if a veteran had Post Traumatic Stress or a Traumatic Brain Injury related to combat or military sexual trauma with evidence provided by the VA or civilian providers.

·         Require the VA to publish an interactive website designed to serve as a centralized source of information regarding all mental health services.

·         Require the VA and the National Guard to enter into partnerships in order to improve mental health treatment for servicemembers.

·         Require a review of staffing requirements for states with respect to Directors of Psychological Health.

·         Create a VA pilot program to assist veterans who are reintegrating back into the community, to assist with the difficult and unique challenges they face.

In April, Braley hosted a series of roundtables around the state listening to experts and veterans service organizations to discuss the high level of post-traumatic stress and high suicide rates that have been reported for servicemembers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Braley has championed the Veterans Access to Care Act, legislation that seeks to expand veterans' access to quality healthcare by helping the Veterans Administration and state veterans' homes recruit more highly-qualified doctors, nurses, and mental health providers to provide services to America's veterans.

A link to Braley's legislation can be found online HERE.