IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Iowa City-based film production company Backrow Studios' latest feature, "The Formula,' will be released in Redbox this Tuesday, April 29th. The romantic comedy, starring Brandon Baker, Reginald VelJohnson and Sasha Jackson, screened in several college campuses across the Midwest, and also garnered numerous awards in various film festivals across the state.

Released through Level 33 Entertainment, Backrow Studios' production team Ravi Patel, Tim Nash, and Joe Clarke bring the story of two engineers who invent a mathematical formula for wooing women with "The Formula." The film stars Brandon Baker, best known for his work in Disney movies such as "Johnny Tsunami," "The Jungle Book," "Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board," as well as the NBC sitcom "One World." Also starring in the film is Reginald VelJohnson, a veteran actor best known for his roles in the classic action picture, "Die Hard," and as Carl Winslow in the long running family sitcom, "Family Matters." Rounding out the cast is Sasha Jackson, who played the lead role of "Dana" in 2011's "Blue Crush: Wild Coast." She also plays the recurring character of "Kylie" on the popular TV series, "One Tree Hill."

"The Formula" is the story of Quinn (Baker) and Graham (Second City's Mike Schminke), two engineering students who discover a mathematical formula to pick up women with ease. Quinn is a hopeless romantic who falls head over heels for a young student teacher. Graham is a chauvinistic womanizer who thinks the key to finding the woman of his dreams is by wooing as many as possible. As "The Formula" follows Quinn and Graham from one date to the next, they discover that there is no shortcut to finding true love.

With many of the cast and crew reigning from Iowa, "The Formula" is the third film produced by Backrow Studios, LLC. Its first feature length film "Kung Fu Graffiti" signed a contract for sales and distribution with Los Angeles -based production house Entertainment 7. The company's second feature "The Wedge" is hitting the film festival circuit, and landed three awards including Best Professional Feature at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Makers Festival on April '12. Go to www.backrowstudios.com to see the trailer for "The Formula" and other films and digital shorts by Joe Clarke.

Every Bandit records at least one hit and run scored in victory

PEORIA, Ill. (April 27, 2014) - The Quad Cities River Bandits sent 10 men to the plate in a four-run fifth and then 10 more in a five-run sixth while getting a dominant outing from Gonzalo Sanudo Sunday to crush the Peoria Chiefs 15-3 at Dozer Park. Every single Bandit in the lineup scored a run and recording a hit, with six registered multi-hit games.

Brett Phillips set the tone with an opposite-field home run to leadoff off the game. The shot was Phillips' second of the season and the first leadoff home run by a River Bandit since Teoscar Hernandez's on July 28, 2013 at Beloit. Quad Cities would add one more in the first after Chan-Jong Moon singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a groundout to short and scored on Conrad Gregor's bouncer to first.

Quad Cities would add two more runs in the second, courtesy of an RBI singles by Jon Kemmer and Brett Phillips to go up 4-1.

With the score that way in the fifth inning, Peoria starter Chase Brookshire struck out Moon to begin the frame. However, Brookshire yielded back-to-back singles to White and Gregor before walking McDonald to load the bases. The Chiefs then called on Chris Thomas, who hit James Ramsay with a pitch to bring in a run. Jobduan Morales then laced a single to right to score two more runs. After Kemmer struck out, Thomas Lindauer singled to center for Quad Cities' fourth run of the inning to make the score 8-1. All told, the River Bandits would send 10 men to the plate with four hits in a four-run frame.

With the big lead, Sanudo (3-0) worked his way through a scoreless fifth, finishing with a run allowed on just three hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Brookshire (0-3) surrendered seven runs on eight hits with three walks and two punchouts in 4.1 frames.

Quad Cities continued to pound Peoria pitching in the sixth. The Chiefs turned to Blake McKnight, who retired two of the first three batters of the frame. However, he allowed back-to-back singles to Ramsay and Morales, the latter scoring a run, before walking Kemmer. Lindauer ripped his second RBI single, this one plating two runs, in as many innings to make it a 11-3 game. An error on Peoria rightfielder Ronald Castillo allowed two more runs to come home, giving the River Bandits a 10-run lead. Quad Cities sent 10 men to the plate for the second consecutive inning, scoring five runs on five hits.

The score would remain 13-3 until the eighth when Kemmer homered to left for his second bomb of the year. On the very next pitch, Morales clubbed a home run to almost the same spot to make it 15-3. Morales finished a triple short of the cycle in his 4-for-6 day, matching career-highs with four hits and three runs scored. Kemmer went 2-for-5 with a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored.

Adrian Houser worked three innings of relief, allowed two unearned runs on a hit in the sixth while fanning four. Andrew Walter got two outs in the ninth before the game entered a lightning delay with the bases loaded. After 31 minutes, the game was called and the Bandits completed a 3-3 roadtrip.

Quad Cities returns home for a doubleheader tomorrow to kickoff a five-game series with the Clinton LumberKings. The Bandits will send Andrew Thurman (2-1) to the mound against Clinton's Eddie Campbell (1-1). First pitch will be at 6:00 p.m. CT.

UP NEXT: A doubleheader on Markdown Monday opens the next River Bandits homestand on April 28. Bleacher and berm tickets, as well as hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn and nachos are $2 each. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. for the 6 p.m. Game 1 start against the Clinton LumberKings.  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.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 110 feet over the playing field, is opening in May, along with a carousel, a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded 300-foot long zip line, and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. The team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, just saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

PEORIA, Ill. (April 26, 2014) - The Quad Cities' bullpen fired five shutout innings but the River Bandits managed just six hits in a 3-2 loss Saturday to the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Field.

Quad Cities held a 2-1 advantage in the third inning, but Peoria shortstop Juan Herrera led off the frame with a single against River Bandits starter Michael Feliz before promptly stealing second. Herrera was able to tag up and reach third on a fly ball off the bat of Carson Kelly to Quad Cities' rightfielder Brett Phillips. Feliz walked Ronald Castillo and then struck out Kenny Peoples-Walls before Castillo stole second, setting up a second-and-third, two-out situation. The Quad Cities right-hander got Steve Bean to rollover on a groundball behind the first base bag, but it was out of reach of a diving Conrad Gregor, scoring two runs and giving Peoria a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.

Feliz (1-1) allowed three runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts in three innings to suffer the loss.

The River Bandits would muster just one hit offensively throughout the rest of the game, not having anyone get past second base. Quad Cities left 10 runners on base.

Joe Scanio came on in relief of Silfredo Garcia, who surrendered two runs on five hits with three walks and two punchouts in 4.1 frames. Scanio (2-1) worked 2.2 scoreless innings, yielding a lone hit and two walks with a strikeout, to earn the win. Kyle Barraclough was perfect in the eighth and ninth innings, fanning two, to earn his first save of the season.

Brett Phillips led off the game with a triple down the rightfield line and scored when Chan-Jong Moon looped a single to center a batter later.

However, Peoria answered immediately in the home half of the first. Feliz walked C.J. McElroy, who immediately swiped second and scored on Juan Herrera's single to tie the game at one. Herrera went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Tyler White led off the top of the second with a groundball single to left before Garcia struck out James Ramsay. Jon Kemmer then roped a double off the left-centerfield wall to put runners on second and third with one out. Peoria brought the infield in, which paid off when Thomas Lindauer grounded out to third, keeping the runners put with two outs. However, Garcia then fired a wild pitch, which brought White to the plate and gave Quad Cities a 2-1 advantage.

Zach Morton and Evan Grills each worked two shutout innings of relief. Morton gave up just one hit with a walk and strikeout. Grills was able to scatter two hits and a walk before yielding to Patrick Christensen, who worked a perfect eighth.

Quad Cities hopes to salvage the three-game series by sending Gonzalo Sanudo (2-0) to the mound against Peoria's Chase Brookshire (0-2). First pitch will be at 2:30 p.m. CT.

UP NEXT: Markdown Monday opens the next River Bandits homestand on April 28. Bleacher and berm tickets, as well as hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn and nachos are $2 each. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. game against the Clinton LumberKings. 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.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 110 feet over the playing field, is opening in May, along with a carousel, a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded 300-foot long zip line, and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. The team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, just saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

Two-Day Summit to Focus on Great Lakes Protection, Regional Economic Growth

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today welcomed Governors and representatives from the eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces to Chicago for the Council of Great Lakes Governors 2014 executive meeting. The two-day summit is focused on protection of the Great Lakes and finding innovative ways to grow the economy throughout the Great Lakes region.

"We all share the Great Lakes and the responsibility to protect them," Governor Quinn said. "I look forward to working with this group of regional leaders and taking action on important economic and environmental issues facing the Great Lakes. Together we will find ways to grow the regional economy and ensure safe and clean Great Lakes for generations to come."

The Council of Great Lakes Governors, which was formed in 1983, is a non-partisan partnership of the Governors of the eight Great Lakes states to tackle the severe environmental and economic challenges then facing the Great Lakes region. In more recent years, the Premiers of Ontario and Québec have joined with the Governors in advancing the high performance economy of the Great Lakes region.

The Great Lakes Governors share a dual stewardship for both the world's single largest source of fresh water and the economic heartland of North America. The Great Lakes contain one-fifth of the world's fresh water. The region generates nearly 30 percent of the nation's gross domestic product and about 60 percent of all U.S. manufacturing. Today, the Council's Governors lead strategic alliances to protect our region's natural resources and sustain the region's economy.

Governor Quinn and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, Co-Chairs of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, are hosting the event and are being joined by representatives of Québec Premier Philippe Couillard and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne; Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker; and Senior representatives of Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Ohio Governor John Kasich and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett.