The 30th anniversary Mississippi Valley Blues Festival is on for July 3-5 in downtown Davenport!  Despite the massive flooding, the Festival is happening, and the weather prediction for the festival weekend is for dry and pleasant temperatures.

Here is a list of important information about the blues Festival:

• The location is on 2nd Street in Davenport, between Brady and Ripley Streets.
• The main gate with will call and media check-in is at Harrison Street on the north side of 2ndStreet.  A second gate is at the east end of 2nd, at Brady Street.
• Because River Drive will be closed, there is no access to the parking garage closest to the River Music Experience (at River Drive and Main Street).
• Red White and Boom has cancelled the fireworks for Thursday July 3rd.
• The Bandshell (Big Stage) will be at Ripley & 2nd, and the "Tent" stage will be in the courtyard just east of the River Music Experience at 2nd and Main.
• Admission is $10 for Thursday July 3, $25 for Friday July 4, and $25 for Saturday July 5.
• Correction: The free workshops will be held in the performance hall on the second floor of the River Music Experience, and the free retrospective Photo Exhibit will be housed in the same room.  Hours are 2:30-8:00 p.m. on July 4 and 5.
• Correction: BlueSKool will be held on the community stage at Falbo's Pizza on the first floor in the River Music Experience.  Hours are 3:30-7:00 p.m. on July 4 and 5.
• Gates open at 4:30 on Thursday July 3, and at 2:30 on July 4 and 5.

BELOIT, Wis. (July 1, 2014) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Michael Feliz struck out seven batters and allowed a lone unearned run in a season-high seven innings, while catcher Brian Holberton and right fielder Brett Phillips hit solo home runs to lift the visitors to a 3-1 victory over the Beloit Snappers at Pohlman Field Tuesday night.

In his longest outing since a seven-inning start last Sept. 6 in the New York-Penn League playoffs, Feliz (4-2) out-dueled Snappers right-hander Junior Mendez (2-4), who also went seven innings, allowing two runs - one earned. Each pitcher walked only one batter, and Feliz struck out seven, while Mendez fanned six. Feliz has allowed one unearned run while striking out 17 in 14 innings against Beloit.

Through four scoreless innings, each team had one hit. With two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Mendez had set down 12 straight batters before Holberton launched a 1-0 fastball over the fence in right-center field for his sixth home run. In the bottom of the inning, Feliz had retired 11 batters in a row before a one-out double by Snappers right fielder Tyler Marincov. A wild pitch and walk put runners at first and third bases, but Feliz got catcher Jose Chavez to fly out to right field to keep the 1-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth inning, River Bandits center fielder James Ramsay hit a leadoff single, went to third base after two groundouts and scored on a passed ball by Chavez to extend the lead to 2-0. In the bottom of the sixth, a one-out throwing error by second baseman Jose Fernandez allowed center fielder B.J. Boyd to reach first base. Third baseman Matt Chapman then swatted his second double of the game to left-center field, scoring Boyd to make it 2-1. During the next at-bat, however, River Bandits catcher Jake Rodriguez threw to shortstop Thomas Lindauer to pick off Chapman, eliminating what would be the Snappers' last opportunity with the tying run in scoring position.

Rain interrupted play for seven minutes in the top of the seventh inning, but Mendez completed a season-high seven-inning start. Feliz worked around a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, before Quad Cities (6-6 second half, 41-40 overall) turned to right-hander Frederick Tiburcio to start the bottom of the eighth inning with a 2-1 lead. Tiburcio fanned the last two batters in a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

In the top of the ninth, Phillips blasted the first pitch from right-hander Bobby Wahl over the right-field fence for his fifth home run, widening the lead to 3-1. Wahl worked two innings out of the bullpen for Beloit (2-9, 32-49).

Tiburcio also worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to convert his fifth straight save opportunity. Quad Cities won its seventh straight game over Beloit, which has also lost seven straight overall

Winners of four straight series openers and now 5-4 on their 11-game road trip, the River Bandits continue their series in Beloit at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Quad Cities left-hander Evan Grills (2-3) is scheduled to face Beloit right-hander Hunter Adkins (0-1).

UP NEXT: The River Bandits return home for the Fourth of July weekend, beginning with a 7 p.m. game Friday, July 4, to be followed by Fourth of July Fireworks presented by Smart Toyota of the Quad Cities, WLLR and WQAD. Game 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.

Streamlines Voting Process to Help Give More Illinois Citizens a Voice

OAK PARK - Governor Pat Quinn today signed landmark legislation to expand voting opportunities in Illinois. The new law is designed to encourage participation in elections and streamlines the registration and early voting processes. Today's action is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to increase participation in our democracy and ensure that every voice is heard in Illinois.

"Democracy works best when everyone participates," Governor Quinn said. "By removing unnecessary roadblocks to the ballot box, more residents will be able to exercise their constitutional right and have their voices heard. This new law will help more people across Illinois have a say in how their community, state and nation are run."

"Illinois has made great strides for voting rights in the last few years with the passage of online voter registration and 17-year-olds voting in primaries," Cook County Clerk David Orr said. "Now thanks to this additional expansion of voting opportunities, voters will have more ways to register and cast their ballot before and on Election Day."

House Bill 105, sponsored by State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) and State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), streamlines the registration and early voting process and addresses a number of issues that have made casting a ballot difficult in the past.

The new law will allow same day voter registration. It also extends in-person early voting hours and removes identification requirements for in-person voting by registered voters. The law also allows some public universities to serve as election-day in-person absentee voting centers, increases the window for vote-by-mail applications and expands early and grace period voting throughout the state.

The changes are in effect for the upcoming November general election.

The new law corrects several past voter participation problems in Illinois. Many people's work hours or other commitments do not permit them to take advantage of existing early or regular voting opportunities. Nearly 13 percent of Americans move in an average year, and unless these people remember to update their voter registrations, they may not be able to vote.

"As we approach Independence Day, this legislation reminds us of one of our most precious freedoms - the right to vote," Representative Currie said. "This sweeping new law encourages participation in the democratic process like never before. I was proud to sponsor the measure in the House, and applaud Governor Quinn for signing it into law."

"Voting is a right and a vital part of our country's social and political fabric," Senator Harmon said. "To encourage people to participate, we should be doing everything we can to make it easier to vote without weakening the integrity of the voting system."

Governor Quinn has long been a champion of expanding voting rights and opportunities. Last year, Governor Quinn increased access to democracy across Illinois by giving 17-year-olds the ability to vote in primary elections if they are 18 years old by the general election date. In 2011, Governor Quinn signed the state's first voting rights act. The Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 protects the voting rights of racial and language minority communities throughout Illinois and encourages public participation in the redistricting process.

FORT RILEY, KANSAS (07/01/2014)(readMedia)-- Lt. Col. Neil Putnam, a native of New Haven, Connecticut, assumed command of the Illinois Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment from Lt. Col. Clayton E. Kuetemeyer of Chatham, Illinois in Fort Riley, Kansas, on June 26.

Putnam, upon leaving active duty, joined the Illinois National Guard in 1999. His previous assignment was with the Special Operations Command Pacific at Camp Smith, Hawaii serving as the Commands' National Guard Advisor.

Kuetemeyer will be advancing his career at the U.S. Army War College.