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.

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PEORIA, Ill. (May 1, 2014) – With summer right around the corner, the American Red Cross asks eligible donors to make giving blood as much a part of their summer plans as barbecues, ball games and road trips. Donors of all blood types are needed.

"Blood donations often decline during the summer when schools are out of session and families are vacationing," said Shelly Heiden, community CEO of the Red Cross Heart of America Blood Services Region. "But the need for blood is constant. Eligible donors are encouraged to make an appointment now to roll up a sleeve and give patients a chance for hope this summer and throughout the year."

To help kick off summer, those who present to give blood between May 24 and 26 will receive a Red Cross cooling towel while supplies last.

The Red Cross provides blood to approximately 2,700 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. Each day, the Red Cross must collect about 15,000 blood donations to meet the needs of patients at these facilities.

Learn more and make an appointment to donate blood by visiting redcrossblood.org or calling

1-800-RED CROSS.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Clinton County

May 23 from 2-6 p.m. at Clinton Zion Lutheran Church, 439 3rd Ave. South in Clinton, Iowa Clinton

May 27 from 2-6 p.m. at Clinton Church of Christ, 210 N. 13th St. in Clinton, Iowa

Henry County

May 27 from 1-6 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 214 NW Second Ave. in Galva, Ill.

Lee County

May 20 from 12-4 p.m. at Borg Warner, 1350 Franklin Grove Road in Dixon, Ill.

May 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Culver's, 1317 N. Galena Ave. in Dixon, Ill.

Mercer County

May 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at VFW Hall, 106 SW 3rd Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

Whiteside County

May 21 from 2-6 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

May 22 from 12-6 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 200 W. Lincolnway in Morrison, Ill.

May 27 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Robert Fulton Community Center, 912 4th St. in Fulton, Ill.

May 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

May 31 from 7:30-10:30 a.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

How to donate blood

Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Red Cross is supported in part through generous financial donations from the United Way. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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WASHINGTON, May 1, 2014 - The next World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, which will be released at 12 noon ET on May 9, will present USDA's initial assessment of U.S. and world crop supply and demand prospects and U.S. prices for the 2014/15 marketing year. It will also present the first calendar-year 2015 projections of U.S. livestock, poultry, and dairy products.

The 2014 Farm Bill eliminated the Dairy Product Price Support Program and the Dairy Export Incentive Program and created a Dairy Product Donation Program requiring USDA to purchase dairy products for donation to food banks and other feeding programs during periods of low operating margins for dairy producers. The WASDE U.S. Milk Supply and Use table on page 33 has been reformatted because of these changes. The "CCC Net Removals" subcategories under Fat Basis Use and Skim-solid Basis Use have been changed to "CCC Donations." The category for "CCC product net removals" for butter, cheese, nonfat dry milk and whole milk powder has been eliminated.

An example of the change can be found in this announcement from the Office of the Chief Economist.

Background on USDA's WASDE report and past issues are available at: www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Committee of the Whole - 8:00 am
Board Room, 1st Floor, Administrative Center
1. Roll Call: Cusack, Earnhardt, Hancock, Minard, Sunderbruch
Presentation
2. Discussion about changes in the judicial branch- Judge Marlita Greve and Kathy Gaylord, District Court Administrator. 8:00 a.m.
Human Resources
3. Classification and staffing adjustments through restructuring of the Sheriff's Office.
4. Staff appointments.
Finance & Intergovernmental
5. Recorder's purchase of a ScanPro 3000 Microform Scanning System from MidAmerica Business Systems.
6. Discussion of budget amendment to the FY14 County Budget.
7. Purchase of ammunition from Ultramax in the amount of $15,941.00.
8. Cigarette/tobacco permit for Locust Mart.
Other Items of Interest
9. Consideration of appointment with upcoming term expiration for boards and commissions
     o Benefited Fire District #5, Joe Ragona 7/19/14
10. Board appointments.
11. Authorized Agency visit to Waste Commission - Scott Area Recycling Center, 5640 Carey Avenue, Dav.
12. Adjourned.
Moved by _____ Seconded by _____
Ayes
Nays
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Regular Board Meeting - 5:00 pm
Board Room, 1st Floor, Administrative Center
Public Hearing
1. Public hearing relative to an amendment to the County's current
FY14 budget....5:00 p.m.

Wow, it's that time of the year again. The flowers are blooming, the trees are greening and the Farmers Outdoor Market is opening! You are invited to join us for the Quad Cities freshest and finest products available. Come with the whole family and enjoy fresh products, fresh air, food and fun. We have entertainment, a children's jungle gym and bounce house and over 250 stands to help you build a healthy happy family.

Here is an easy meal with all those great Farmers Market Vegetables. Toss your favorite variety (i.e.:  asparagus, baby carrots, Brussels sprouts and white potatoes) in a roaster pan,sprinkle with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place in center of oven at 425 for 30-40 minutes and enjoy.  You can add a bratwurst, chicken or beef and have a whole meal.  Leftovers make a great soup just dice up smaller and add stock.

From 2-8 p.m. enjoy events at LeClaire businesses on Friday, May 2nd.  5:30-8pm: First Friday including Mississippi River Distilling Co.'s tour, food and drink sampling and live music in the courtyard at Wide River Winery, and much more! Then on Saturday, May 3rd there are Mother's Day Shopping Specials and 10am-4pm: French Flea Market on the Levee. Parking spaces full of treasures will be sold on the spot from the participants just like they do in Europe. Go to www.visitleclaire.com for a full schedule of events.

Gallery Hop

Start your month off right at the free Gallery Hop! on Friday, May 2nd from 6-10 p.m. in The Downtown Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District in Rock Island, Illinois.  Visit the more than 25 downtown art galleries, shops, venues, and restaurants with artists demonstrating on-site.  With great food and beverages to keep you motivated, where else can you party while you shop local? www.ridistrict.com

City Circle Acting Company of Coralville will hold auditions for the concert version of  the rock musical HAIR on Saturday, May 10 from 10am -3pm at the Coralville Public Library, 1401 5th Street in Coralville in the Schwab Auditorium.. The show will be directed by John Cameron from the University of Iowa's Theatre Department.

Please prepare 16 to 32 bars of a song similar in style to that of the show. Bring your own sheet music and an accompanist will be provided.

Callbacks will be Sunday, May 11, from 6 pm to 9 pm. Location TBA.

Rehearsals will begin June 18 and typically run 7 to 10pm Sunday through Thursday evenings.

To schedule an audition, complete and submit the audition form at www.citycircle.org. Walk ups are always welcome but we honor scheduled times first. For more information call Liz Tracey at 712-249-6214.

HAIR will be performed at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts August 1 at 7:30, August 2 at 2:00 and 7:30 pm, and August 3 at 2:00 pm.

'Mechanical Rule of Distance' Lets You See Big Picture
& Test Ideas, Says Business Development Strategist

It's a common occurrence among the most talented people in the corporate world - highly skilled and qualified workers make the leap from valued employee to uncertain business owner.

Unfortunately, rather than becoming a master of their own business, many of these entrepreneurs work twice as much as they did in their safe corporate job, unwittingly committing themselves to becoming the lowest rung on the ladder, says Zenovia Andrews, founder and CEO of The MaxOut Group, a company devoted to empowering and teaching entrepreneurs development strategies to increase profits.

"People believe that starting a new business is supposed to mean they'll have to work much longer hours, and that's why most new businesses fail early," says Andrews, author of the new book "All Systems Go - A Solid Blueprint to Build Business and Maximize Cash Flow," (www.zenoviaandrews.com).

"Entrepreneurs need to be the brains and oversight of the operation. It's not wise to work for your own business. Sixteen-hour days get entrepreneurs lost in the minutiae. The lose perspective and burn out."

Business owners need distance for perspective, and the best way to create that is by knowing how to delegate duties to employees, she says.

"Owners need to be the strategic visionary who hires, trains and develops the best talent available, and then delegates work," says Andrews, who discusses the five keys of delegation.

•  Understand that your team is made up of human beings. No one can work nonstop, so get your timing right. Know what each employee can handle, and never overwork them. Most people perform at their best when they are consistently busy but not rushed or pressured.

•  Focus on the strengths of your team. Delegation is not a dump-and-run tactic. Know your employees and how they fit into your business puzzle. Allow them to do what they do well, and give them responsibilities and authority. They'll be happier and so will you.

•  Focus on your own strengths, then plug the holes. Few of us are great at everything! If bookkeeping's not your thing, hire an accountant. If you don't have marketing experience, find someone with proven skills. Trying to perform jobs that you don't do well will require twice as much effort with less-than-satisfactory results.

•  Be the resource king or queen. Your employees are only as good as the resources they have. Make sure that they are equipped to always do the best work for you on a daily basis. Running out of stock, not having new software and not shelling out for that desperately need printer is NOT good delegation.

•  Become the fire, ice and motivation behind your team. When they need guidance, give it to them; when they need appreciation, offer it to them. Inspire, motivate and lead by supporting your delegated decisions and following up on them often.

"Business owners need to be the big thinkers: to identify patterns both good and bad; to become an idea machine and testing fanatic; to fill out details from outlined strategy; to be aware of market trends; to always have one eye on the competition; and to develop an instinct for the people with whom you like to work," Andrews says.

About Zenovia Andrews

Zenovia Andrews, www.zenoviaandrews.com, is a business development strategist with extensive experience in corporate training, performance management, leadership development and sales consulting with international clients, including Pfizer, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. A sought-after speaker and radio/TV personality, she is the author of "All Systems Go" and "MAXOut: I Want It All."

Matt Russell has seen strange weather before.  As a fifth-generation Iowa farmer, he's used to being at the whims of the skies.  But ominous changes are underway at his Coyote Run Farm, and lately, he's been trying to cope with "the wrong weather at the wrong time."

Like Matt, I grew up as the fifth generation on my family's farm.  In fact, my 83-year-old grandfather, Art, is out planting corn with my dad this week. In Art's eight decades in the field, he's seen his share of tough times.  When he was just a little boy, he saw his family's crops wither up, die, and blow away into the Dust Bowl.  Like many American families, the Great Depression tested our family's commitment to farming.

But we persevered, and out of the devastation of the Dust Bowl, a new era of hope and progress for American farmers was born.  Under the leadership of the US Department of Agriculture, farmers began viewing soil conservation as a key risk management tool.  On our farm and many others, we learned that protecting the soil was paramount to surviving future dry years.  And although dry times like the 1950s and 1980s were challenging, the conservation lessons learned from the Dust Bowl era lessened their impact on my family's operations.

Now, we are at another critical moment for agriculture.  Climate change is bringing more frequent and severe weather challenges, unlike any that farmers have seen before, and already farmers are feeling the effects.  Countless scientists agree that climate change will affect every part of our food system?from crop yields to food processing and distribution.  More dry days and hot nights will stress already limited water resources.  Ironically, when it does rain, it will pour, exacerbating soil erosion.  Farmers will need to confront new challenges from weeds, diseases and pests. But farmers don't need a scientist to tell them times are tough.  They can just look out their windows.  Listen to what Arlyn Schipper, a Conrad, Iowa farmer, has to say:

So how will we confront the climate challenge facing American farmers?  Will we ignore the ominous reality of climate change?  Or will we take steps to improve farms' resiliency to extreme weather and prevent the worst impacts of climate change?

We know what needs to be done. We learned after the Dust Bowl that farmers have one of the best "insurance policies" right beneath their boots?their very own soil.  Healthy soil is more resilient to extreme weather events like droughts and floods because it can filter and hold more water.   The new "normal" of climate change calls for us to redouble our efforts to build healthy soil.  NRDC's "Soil Matters" report describes how we can build farms that are more resilient to climate change by encouraging low risk, water-smart practices that regenerate soil.  Under NRDC's proposal, farmers who adopt proven techniques, like cover cropping, to reduce their risk of crop loss would receive a discount on their crop insurance policies.  This could be done under existing law, and could have widespread benefits for farmers, taxpayers, and the environment.

But the longer we wait, the harder the job will be. Scientists agree that the increased concentration of heat-trapping carbon pollution in our atmosphere is the key reason that our climate is changing, and power plants are responsible for nearly half of that pollution.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the first carbon pollution limits for future power plants, and is on track to propose limits for existing power plants by early June.  These new protections will help reduce the carbon pollution that is threatening American agriculture and our food security.

After the Dust Bowl, American farmers didn't throw up their hands in despair.  They got to work, planting windbreaks, building terraces and making conservation a way of life.  Now it's our turn.  Climate change is a tough challenge, but we know what we need to do.  We need to regenerate our landscapes to build resilient farms, and we need protections from the power plant carbon pollution that's threating our food supply.  It's time to act.  The next five generations of farmers depend on it.

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