Churches United of the Quad City Area is very proud and excited to announce the first annual Big Bacon Bonanza, a fun, bacon-themed festival to raise funds and awareness of Churches United of the Quad City Area and our Hunger and Shelter ministries.

The event will take place at The RiverCenter in Davenport on June 7, from 3 - 10 p.m. Tickets are $30.00 for individuals, $45.00 for a family, and are available online at www.BigBaconBonanza.com, and by phone at Churches United, 563*332*5002.

Sponsored by: Ascentra Credit Unions, Fareway Economical Food Stores, the River Cities' Reader, and Tyson Fresh Meats.

Partial list of participating festival vendors: Antonella's Pizzeria, Aunt Hattie's, Bier Stube - LeClaire, Chocolate Manor, Creekside Winery, DeBord's Catering, Mississippi River Distillery Company, RiverCenter, Scott County Community College Culinary Arts Dept., The Davenport Bakery, Video Games Etc., and Whisk Away Café.

Please join us for a great time, and for a great cause!

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Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that his office is now accepting applications for nomination to the U.S. Service Academies for the 2015 freshman class. Each year, Congressman Loebsack may nominate up to ten Iowans for each Academy, with the final selection for admission made by the individual Academy.

"As a military parent with children who attended the Naval Academy, this process is very personal to me," said Loebsack. "I look forward to nominating our future leaders and encourage all interested students to apply."

Our nation's Service Academies offer educational opportunities for young people interested in military service. Students can specialize in a variety of fields at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, or the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.

Additional information on the selection process can be found on Loebsack's website: www.Loebsack.house.gov. Please contact Jared Mullendore, Loebsack's Academy Coordinator, in his Davenport office at 563-323-5988 with any questions. Jared can also be emailed at Jared.Mullendore@mail.house.gov.

Advisory Referendum Asks Voters if They Support Raising Illinois' Minimum Wage

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today released the following statement regarding Illinois House passage of House Bill 3814 - an advisory referendum to ask voters if they support increasing the state's minimum wage to $10 an hour. The bill is sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan and now goes to the Illinois Senate. Governor Quinn is committed to raising the minimum wage in 2014.

"Democracy is about having a voice. I'm glad that voters will have a chance to make their voices heard on this important issue that will benefit hundreds of thousands of working people across Illinois.

"We must build an economy that works for everyone. Raising the minimum wage will support hardworking men and women across our state and boost Illinois' economy by increasing spending at local businesses.

"I applaud Speaker Madigan and the members of the Illinois House who voted today to move this referendum forward.

"As we work to build a majority to raise the minimum wage in Illinois, this referendum will help us get the job done."

Senators' Legislation Will Help Ensure that Rural Residents Have Equal Access to Quality Care

WASHINGTON, D.C.?Today, U.S. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Al Franken (D-MN), Pat Roberts (R-KS), and John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced a bipartisan bill to help rural communities address the challenges they face when it comes to providing quality health care.

The Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act (R-HoPE) would support the efforts of rural health care systems to provide innovative, sustainable health care solutions for patients in rural America. Specifically, the legislation would extend several programs that provide access to hospitals, doctors, and ambulance services in rural areas.

"This bill would be a critical first step toward equalizing Medicare reimbursement between rural and urban areas," said Sen. Harkin, who is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. "Giving Iowa's hospitals, physicians, ambulance companies, and home health agencies the resources they need to serve the many rural communities around our  state is essential to fulfilling the promise of quality healthcare for every American. States with large rural populations face a significant disadvantage in access to healthcare compared to other parts of the country and this bill will help to ensure that Medicare patients in rural states, like Iowa, will have access to the best service regardless of where they live."

"Providing quality health care to Minnesota's rural communities requires innovative solutions," said Sen. Franken, who was recently named co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, as long-serving co-chair Sen. Tom Harkin retires this year. "We can't afford to ignore the complexities of health care delivery in our rural communities. Our bipartisan bill will help health providers expand access to quality care, and help ensure that rural residents are afforded the best possible health care regardless of their location."

"The R-HoPE Act recognizes that rural health care providers have very different needs than their urban counterparts and that health care is not one size fits all," said Roberts, co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus. "I am glad we were able to include provisions to get rid of the 'condition of payment' known as the burdensome 96-hour rule, which is particularly troubling for critical access hospitals and in turn, their patients."

"In Wyoming, we understand the unique challenges our rural and frontier communities must overcome when people need medical care. Washington's one-size-fits-all approach to health care simply doesn't serve Wyoming patients well," said Sen. Barrasso. "Our bill will help create an effective and accessible rural health care system by putting our rural providers on a level playing field with other doctors and hospitals across the country.  Most importantly, this bill ensures that folks in rural states like Wyoming have access to medical care as close to home as possible."

You can read a summary of the bill here and download a copy of the bill here. The bill number is S. 2359.