ST. LOUIS (May 2, 2014) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a request for referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Program (soy checkoff) during a four-week period, from May 5 through May 30, 2014. This referendum is authorized under the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act.

The request for referendum will determine whether U.S. soybean producers want a referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act requires that the secretary of agriculture provide soybean producers the opportunity to petition for a referendum every five years.

To be eligible to participate, producers must certify they or the entity they are authorized to represent paid an assessment at some time between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2013. Documentation for that assessment, such as sales receipts showing that the checkoff was collected, will be required up front when submitting the request form.

Eligible individuals who do not want a referendum need not take any action.

The process requires eligible producers who want to indicate their support for a referendum to complete and sign form LS-51-1. Producers may obtain this form online, in person at their nearest Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, by mail or by facsimile from May 5 through May 30, 2014.

FSA is then responsible for determining a producer's eligibility. If FSA cannot determine the producer's eligibility or if the producer fails to submit documentation, then FSA will notify the ineligible person in writing. Producers who do not participate in FSA programs may obtain a Form LS-51-1 at the county FSA office where the producer owns or rents land. This form may also be obtained via the Internet at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/SoybeanInformationontheSoybeanRequestforReferendum.

FSA will have until June 11, 2014, to notify ineligible producers in writing.  If FSA determines in writing that producer ineligibility is due to lack of documentation submitted (sales receipts or other relevant documents), the producer can appeal and provide the required documentation to FSA.  The required documentation must be received by FSA by June 18, 2014, when FSA will make a final decision on eligibility.

If the USDA determines that at least 10 percent of the nation's 569,998 soybean producers have requested a referendum, a referendum will then be held within one year from that determination. No more than one-fifth of the producers who support having a referendum can be from any one state.

For more information on the request-for-referendum procedures, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/SoybeanInformationontheSoybeanRequestforReferendum or contact James Brow, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, Research and Promotion Division, Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, STOP 0251, Room 2610-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0251; tel. (202) 720-0633, e-mail James.Brow@ams.usda.gov; or fax (202) 720-1125.

The 70 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
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DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 2, 2014) - Playing their second doubleheader in as many days against the Clinton LumberKings, the Quad Cities River Bandits fell short in a late comeback to drop Game 1, 5-4, and lost a 1-0 lead within two outs of victory to drop Game 2, 3-1, at Modern Woodmen Park and suffer their first sweep loss in five doubleheaders this season.

In Game 1, Quad Cities right-hander Andrew Thurman (2-2) walked the first two batters of the game, allowed an RBI single to LumberKings catcher Marcus Littlewood, and issued a third walk before recording an out. Third baseman Joe DeCarlo drove an RBI double to right field to give Clinton (12-13) a 2-0 lead. In the second inning, Thurman gave up a single by shortstop Lonnie Kauppila, and after a fielder's choice and another walk, Littlewood added his second RBI single for a 3-0 lead. Thurman was done after two innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts.

River Bandits catcher Brian Holberton helped spur the comeback effort by leading off the second inning with a line-drive home run to right field off right-hander Carlos Misell (4-1). Holberton also led of the fourth inning with a double and the sixth with a single to collect his first career three-hit game and extend his team-season-high hitting streak to nine games.

Clinton added two more runs in the third inning against left-hander Chris Cotton. First baseman Jeff Zimmerman hit an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch. Cotton would complete three innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Trailing 5-1, Quad Cities (11-15) chased Misell after Holberton singled, right fielder James Ramsay hit an RBI double, and left fielder Tanner Mathis singled to start the sixth inning. Third baseman Alex Gonzalez rolled an RBI single into right field off right-hander Rafael Pineda to make it 5-3, with runners at first and second bases and no outs. But shortstop Thomas Lindauer bunted into a fielder's choice, and when center fielder Brett Phillips doubled home Gonzalez, Lindauer was thrown out at home trying to score the tying run. Pineda got a groundout to strand Phillips at third base with the tying run and worked around two walks for a scoreless seventh and his second save.

In Game 2, River Bandits left-hander Chris Lee kept the LumberKings hitless the first four innings, despite allowing six walks with three strikeouts. Phillips hit a third-inning leadoff double, moved to third base on a sacrifice and scored on third baseman Tyler White's sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Quad Cities lead against right-hander Jose Flores. River Bandits right-hander Andrew Walter allowed a fifth-inning, two-out single by center fielder Burt Reynolds for the first Clinton hit, but Walter and right-hander Tyler Brunnemann each tossed scoreless innings to carry the 1-0 lead through the sixth.

Out of pitchers at the end of a fourth game in two days, Quad Cities brought Gonzalez (0-1) to the mound in the seventh. He allowed one-out singles by first baseman Justin Seager and catcher Christian Carmichael, before Reynolds slammed his third home run of the season and second in the series off the center field batter's eye for a 3-1 lead. Left-hander Paul Fry (1-0) pitched the final three innings for the win.

Quad Cities begins a three-game series in Beloit, Wis., at 6:30 p.m. Friday. River Bandits left-hander Evan Grills (0-0) will face Snappers right-hander Lou Trivino (1-2) in the teams' first meeting since Quad Cities defeated Beloit in the 2013 Western Division final.

UP NEXT: Cinco de Mayo and Markdown Monday presented by 97X kick off a six-game River Bandits homestand May 5. Bleacher tickets for the 7 p.m. game are just $2 each, with $2 specials for hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, nachos, beer and soda as well. Tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com. To order any of the 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.

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today issued the following statement to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust during today's "Yom HaShoah" - Holocaust Remembrance Day - in the Old State Capitol in Springfield. The Governor proclaimed April 27 - May 4 as Days of Remembrance throughout Illinois.

"Today we light six candles, each to remember one million lives lost during the Holocaust. Six million Jewish lives lost only begins to tell the story of one of the darkest times on the face of the earth.

"We gather in the Hall of Representatives, where Abraham Lincoln worked. Lincoln knew the dangers of cruelty, hate and bigotry. It is fitting to meet here, a place that remembers the lessons of the past so as to shape the present and guide the future.

New $7.2 Million Program Helps Local Governments Across Illinois Secure Abandoned Properties and Strengthen Communities

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced a $7.2 million investment that will allow communities across Illinois to clear blight and stabilize neighborhoods. The investment includes $84,000 for Rock Island and Whiteside County communities. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's commitment to stabilize neighborhoods and return vacant properties to productive use to advance the economy.

"We are starting programs to reinvigorate our economy and strengthen communities in the wake of the national foreclosure crisis," Governor Quinn said. "This support will give local governments the tools they need to stabilize communities throughout Illinois."

The investments for today's announcement come from the new Abandoned Property Program, which is administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and funded through filing fees paid by financial institutions. The program was created by legislation Governor Quinn signed into law last year. This builds on the Governor's March 27 announcement that the U.S. Department of the Treasury will support IHDA efforts to leverage up to $30 million of its federal Hardest Hit Fund resources to eliminate blight in communities around the state.

A total of 53 municipalities, counties and land banks have been approved for the first round of funding based on need, capacity, impact, budget, cost reasonableness and readiness to proceed. Eligible uses for the grants include maintaining weeds and grass, trimming trees and bushes, installing fences to protect the public, and repairing or demolishing abandoned property.

The Quad Cities area communities receiving Abandoned Property Program funds include :

·         Moline, $58,909

·         Rock Falls, $26,774

Effective in June 2013, banks and other lending institutions began funding the new program by paying fees on a sliding scale based on how many foreclosures they file each year. For example, an institution that files more than 175 foreclosures must pay $500 per foreclosure, while one with between 50 and 175 must pay $250 per foreclosure, and those with less than 50 foreclosures a year must pay $50 per filing.

"Under Governor Quinn, the state has leveraged every available resource to enable more than one million families to access assistance to stay in their homes and help hard-hit communities thrive again," IHDA Executive Director Mary R. Kenney said.

"I'm focused on promoting strong development in the Quad Cities region to make sure we are bringing businesses and jobs to the region, and these grants will help in that regard," State Representative Pat Verschoore (D-Milan) said. "By revitalizing neighborhoods and removing abandoned and vacant homes, we can re-energize neighborhoods and encourage new growth."

"These projects will bring much needed investment to areas that have experienced too little of Illinois' economic recovery," State Representative Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) said. "This investment will improve our community's ability to reclaim areas of blight and underutilization following the wave of foreclosures in recent years."

Since he took office in 2009, Governor Quinn has:

·         Successfully implemented the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) program in Illinois - creating four programs with $445 million in federal foreclosure prevention resources. The latest - the Blight Reduction Program - will help communities eliminate blight starting this summer.

·         Launched the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network (IFPN), a one-stop comprehensive, free resource to connect struggling homeowners with a safe and trusted source for assistance to keep them in their homes and help them from being victims of mortgage fraud. More than 1 million families have accessed this free assistance through the IFPN. Homeowners seeking assistance should visit the IFPN website at www.keepyourhomeillinois.org or call the hotline at 855-KEEP-411.

·         Created Illinois Building Blocks program - Available in 15 Illinois communities, buyers of vacant homes can access $10,000 in cash assistance to purchase a home. The program also provides funds for the re-development of vacant homes. To date, approximately 800 vacant homes have been purchased through this program.

·         Launched the Illinois Homebuyer Rehabilitation Assistance Program - $6.6 million to 16 public and not-for-profit organizations to allow 240 low- to moderate-income homebuyers of vacant homes to apply for rehabilitation grants in seven targeted communities.

·         Administered the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) to purchase and rehabilitate 240 rental units and 106 foreclosed and abandoned homes that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight. An additional 29 blighted properties have been demolished.

·         Launched Welcome Home Illinois, a loan program for first-time homebuyers that provides $7,500 in down-payment assistance with an interest rate as low as 3.75 percent for a secure, 30-year fixed rate mortgage. As the spring buying cycle hits its stride, Welcome Home Illinois is generating interest rapidly because the program is tailored to working families with borrower income limits up to 140 percent of the area median income (AMI). For example, a family of three in Marion or Collinsville could qualify earning up to $82,915 in annual household income.

For more information on the programs above, visit www.ihda.org.

IHDA (www.ihda.org) is a self-supporting state agency that finances the creation and the preservation of affordable housing across Illinois. Since its creation in 1967, IHDA has allocated $12.4 billion and financed approximately 240,000 affordable units across the state.