SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today released the following statement regarding Illinois Senate passage of a bill that will require automated external defibrillator (AED) training for students in all Illinois high schools. The measure, House Bill 3724, has already passed the Illinois House and now heads to the Governor's desk.

"Illinois' students should be prepared to act if a health emergency happens in any of our high schools.

"This is common-sense legislation will make sure all Illinois high school students are properly trained to use defibrillators in life-and-death situations.

"I commend Representative Daniel Burke and Senator John Mulroe for sponsoring this bill and all legislators who voted for it. I look forward to signing it into law to make sure our young people are prepared to help their classmates or teachers in case of an emergency."

OMAHA, NE (05/20/2014)(readMedia)-- Alexandria Clark of Rock Island, was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the College of Arts and Sciences during Creighton University's commencement ceremony on May 17, 2014, at the CenturyLink Center Omaha. University President Timothy R. Lannon, S.J., presided. Lannon, a 1973 graduate of the University, is the first alum to serve as president of Creighton. About 1,600 degrees were conferred during Creighton University's spring commencement.

Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., enrolls 4,000 undergraduates and 4,000 graduate and professional students among nine schools and colleges. No other university its size offers students such a comprehensive academic environment with personal attention from faculty-mentors. Jesuit and Catholic, it affords incomparable interprofessional education, bridging health professions programs with law, business and arts and sciences- all on one walkable campus. Creighton has been top-ranked by U.S. News & World Report for 20 years.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 20, 2014) - Right-hander Adrian Houser held the Burlington Bees to one run in six innings to win his third straight start, and the Quad Cities River Bandits tallied 13 hits in a 7-1 victory Tuesday in front of 5,176 at Modern Woodmen Park.

Throwing the game's first pitch less than 12 hours after Monday night's 12-inning game ended, Houser (3-1) worked around a one-out single for a scoreless first inning, and his teammates reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Center fielder James Ramsay reached on an error by Bees first baseman Eric Aguilera, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored after singles by shortstop Jack Mayfield and catcher Brett Booth for a 1-0 lead against right-hander Harrison Cooney (2-3).

Houser allowed consecutive one-out singles in the second inning but escaped with two groundouts to end the inning. Burlington (20-23) finally reached him in the third inning, as second baseman Kody Eaves hit a leadoff double to left-center field, and designated hitter Mike Fish hit a one-out, game-tying single to center field. It ended Houser's scoreless streak of 13 1/3 innings, but he got Aguilera to ground into an inning-ending double play, beginning a stretch of 10 batters he retired consecutively to finish his six innings, matching his season high.

In the bottom of the third inning, Quad Cities (21-23) retook the lead within three batters against Cooney. Second baseman Chan-Jong Moon reached on an infield single to first base, shortstop Jack Mayfield singled to center field to put runners at first and third bases, and first baseman Conrad Gregor grounded a go-ahead single to right field. When right fielder Exicardo Cayones overthrew third base, Mayfield tried to score but was thrown out. Cooney got the next two batters to keep the game at 2-1, but he allowed another run in the fourth inning, left fielder Tanner Mathis and center fielder James Ramsay hit consecutive two-out doubles.

The River Bandits put the game out of reach in the fifth inning. Gregor reached second base on a throwing error by second baseman Kody Eaves, and Booth hit his second RBI single of the day to left field. That ended Cooney's outing, but right-hander Michael Smith allowed an RBI double by third baseman Tyler White and an RBI fielder's choice by Mathis to make it 6-1. Quad Cities added its final run against right-hander Victor Alcantara, who began the sixth inning and worked two scoreless innings before giving up consecutive one-out doubles by right fielder Brett Phillips and Ramsay in the eighth inning, extending the Quad Cities lead to 7-1. Ramsay and Booth each had two hits and two RBIs. Moon and Mayfield also each had two hits, and a total of nine River Bandits contributed at least one of the team's 13 hits.

After Houser went six innings, allowing five hits and one earned run with four strikeouts, right-hander Tyler Brunnemann began the seventh inning. He worked around a one-out walk in the seventh and kept Burlington hitless until the ninth inning, when Aguilera doubled to right field, snapping the Bees' combined 0-for-17 stretch since Fish's third-inning hit. Brunnemann then got a strikeouts and groundout to complete a career-high three innings and earn his first Midwest League save.

Quad Cities and Burlington will meet for the series rubber match at 7 p.m. Wednesday, when River Bandits right-hander Kevin Comer (0-0) is scheduled to make his first Midwest League start against Bees right-hander Ryan Etsell (3-1).

UP NEXT: A limited number of tickets are still available for the Inaugural Ferris Wheel Ride event and fundraiser to benefit the Genesis Health Services Foundation May 24. Only the first 300 will be sold for the noon to 3 p.m. event at Modern Woodmen Park. Call 563-421-6865 or visit Modern Woodmen park to order tickets. 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.

Legislation contains Loebsack's measure to protect Cedar Rapids from future floods

Washington D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today praised the overwhelming House passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). This bipartisan legislation authorizes Corps of Engineers funding for improvements to ports, waterways and projects tied to flood protection, drinking water, dams and levees and environmental restoration. The legislation contains flood protection measures for downtown Cedar Rapids that Loebsack fought to expand after the Floods of 2008. He also pushed to move WRRDA forward in order to address critical flood protection and transportation concerns on the Mississippi River. Loebsack is a cosponsor of legislation that was incorporated into WRRDA that will explore the creation of public-private partnerships between the Army Corps of Engineers and private entities as financing alternatives for lock and dam capital projects.

"I am pleased that there is light at the end of the tunnel and this important legislation is finally on track to be signed into law, though it is way past due. Our outdated, crumbling infrastructure is an area I believe continued investment is highly critical. These projects will create jobs, have a direct impact on our economy, and provide safety and protection for Iowans. Iowa farmers, manufacturers, businesses and local economies rely on the Mississippi River infrastructure. It is clear that the locks and dams along the Mississippi River are deteriorating and significantly harming the economic development in the region. This bill is very important to Iowa, not just for the locks and dams, but also for much of our flood protection and Army Corps projects that are needed to keep our communities safe."

This conference report will now go to the Senate, where it is expected to pass and head to the President's desk for his signature.