20 Feb 2014

RIVER BANDITS NATIONAL ANTHEM TRYOUTS, TALENT SEARCH WILL BE FEB. 22

By Marco LaNave
Team looking for National Anthem singers, pregame performers for 2014 season
DAVENPORT, Iowa (FEB. 19, 2014) - As the Quad Cities River Bandits prepare for a season packed with family entertainment, the team is again seeking to bring talent from all across the Quad Cities to Modern Woodmen Park. The team will hold tryouts on Saturday, Feb. 22, for individuals and groups, including National Anthem singers, to perform and entertain fans prior to home games during the 2014 season.
National Anthem and other pre-game performance tryouts will take place on the Sky Deck at Modern Woodmen Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22. Registration is first come, first served. Talents can range anywhere from singing, dancing, and comedy to miming, juggling or magic.
"The Quad Cities area has a wealth of talented people, and we want them to share their talent with people throughout the region at the Best Minor League Ballpark this season," said River Bandits owner Dave Heller. "At Modern Woodmen Park, we put on a unique and fun show every night and entertain our guests from the moment they enter our gates until they walk out the door. Incorporating the talent of the Quad Cities area is a tremendous part of creating that experience."
Everyone participating in the tryouts will perform their talent for a panel of River Bandits staff and local judges. Those talented enough to entertain crowds at River Bandits games this summer will be included in the show during the 2014 season.
"The River Bandits look forward to building a lineup of outstanding local talent to highlight the family entertainment for this season," said General Manager Andrew Chesser. "Modern Woodmen Park is a special gathering place for people across this region, and we are excited to welcome talented local performers and entertainers to be part of the show."
Modern Woodmen Park will also be open for fans to purchase select merchandise, learn about ticket plans and group outings, and purchase or renew ticket packages for the 2014 season. For children ages 14 and under, the River Bandits will offer another one-day special on 2014 Kids Club memberships. Normally $30 per child 14 and under, a membership will be $25 at Modern Woodmen Park on Saturday, Feb. 22. A Kids Club Membership includes a free bleacher ticket good for all River Bandits 2014 regular season home games, a membership card, a T-shirt, a 10 percent discount off purchases in the team store, an email newsletter with exclusive special offers and much more.
UP NEXT: Opening Day is April 3, so lock in your seats now to see the defending Midwest League Champions in 2014! To order any of the ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000 or visit www.riverbandits.com to download the season ticket order form. 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 this spring, along with a carousel, a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded 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.
*****
20 Feb 2014

Musical production benefits Hardacre Theater efforts

By Hardacre Film Festival
'The Last Five Years' to be performed Feb. 22-23

TIPTON, Iowa?The Cedar County Stoplight Players' production of the two-person musical "The Last 5 Years" will perform Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22 and 23,  at the Tipton High School auditorium. All proceeds from the production  to go to Hardacre Theater Preservation Association and its efforts to  renovate Tipton's historic Hardacre Theater.

The Saturday, February 22 performance is at 7:30 p.m., while the Sunday, February 23 performance is at 2:30 p.m.  Both performances will be held at the Tipton High School auditorium.  The play features adult themes and language. All tickets are $10.
The  play features Tipton-area native Tracy Pelzer-Timm and Des Moines  native Adam Nardini as a couple who fall into and out of love, with a  stage design that acts as a split screen separating their romantic  trajectories. The  story explores the five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein  (Nardini), a rising novelist, and Cathy Hyatt (Pelzer-Timm), a  struggling actress. The show uses a form of storytelling in which  Cathy's story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show  at the end of the marriage), and Jamie's is told in chronological order  (starting just after the couple have first met). The characters do not  directly interact except for a wedding song in the middle as their  timelines intersect.

The  musical, written by Jason Robert Brown, was directed by Janet Whaley,  with musical direction by Julie Thomas and technical direction by Brad  Goetz.

For more information about the Hardacre Theater Preservation Association, go to http://thehardacre.org

--END--
20 Feb 2014

Medicaid high-expenditure beneficiaries, GAO report

By Grassley Press

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa requested a report from the Government Accountability Office, released today, called: "Medicaid/Demographics and Service Usage of Certain High-Expenditure Beneficiaries."  Grassley made the following comment on the report.  The report is available here.

"If Congress is going to look at changing Medicaid to make it sustainable for the people the program serves and for federal and state taxpayers, knowing where Medicaid spends money should be a high priority.  This work by the GAO should inform the conversation." 

20 Feb 2014

Middle School "Bling Sorority"

By Mary McNeil
Some Rock Island middle school girls have joined a sorority--a so-called "BLING "SORORITY designed to learn the value of community service and being good role models.

Each week a couple of dozen 6th through 8th girls at Edison Junior High in Rock Island meet in a "Lights ON" afterschool program being run by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois and the Rock Island County Regional Office of Education.  The high school girl led program consists of activities and discussions about friendships, stereotypes and bullying.  The students will also learn about giving back to the community by exploring service opportunities such as helping in a soup kitchen and visiting nursing homes.
20 Feb 2014

USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta to Host Google+ Hangout on the Changing Face of Agriculture

By USDA Office of Communications

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2014?On Monday, February 24th at 3 PM ET, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Harden will host a Google+ Hangout to highlight USDA's commitment to new farmers to build the new generation of agriculture. There are great challenges and opportunities for new and beginning farmers and ranchers as the average age of farm operators continues to rise and more diverse farmers are entering the industry. During the Hangout you will learn from Deputy Secretary Harden and two farmers who will share their experiences in agriculture.

 

Monday's Hangout will launch a series of outreach and education efforts led by Deputy Harden focusing new and beginning farmers. After the Hangout, we'll ask you to tell us which topics we should cover in future outreach events.

 

Participate in the Hangout on Monday by watching it live on the USDA Google+ page or on usda.gov/live. Submit discussion questions in advance via the G+ Event page, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook using #NewFarmers.

 

WHAT: USDA Google+ Hangout on the Changing Face of Agriculture

WHEN: Monday, February 24, 3 PM ET

WHERE: Watch live on USDA Google+ page or via www.usda.gov/live

WHO: USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden

Kate Danner, corn and soybean farmer, Aledo, Ill.

Alejandro Tecum, Adelante Mujeres, Forest Grove, OR

#

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).

20 Feb 2014

Elton John: The Million Dollar Piano

By Fathom Events
Experience Elton John on the big screen as Fathom Events, CinemaLive, and Rocket Music Entertainment Group bring "Elton John: The Million Dollar Piano" to nearly 700 select movie theaters for a spectacular two-night event on Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 26 at 7:00 p.m. (local time). Captured live from Elton's residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the epic concert experience features all of Elton's greatest hits throughout his legendary career including "Rocket Man," "Tiny Dancer," "Your Song" and more. In addition to the concert performance, cinema audiences will be treated to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Elton's celebrated 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
"Elton John: The Million Dollar Piano" will be presented at the following cinemas in your area on March 18 and March 26:
Cinemark Davenport 18 with IMAX 3601 E 53Rd St Davenport IA 52807
Click here for a full list of participating theaters (subject to change).
Tickets are available now at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.
20 Feb 2014

Support the Quad City Symphony Orchestra

By Paul Plagenz
Dear friends of the QCSO,

Thank you to everyone for coming to our Valentine's Day concerts! I am confident to say they were an absolute success! We all owe a special thanks to the many volunteers who assisted with logistics, as well as the concert sponsor John Deere.

Underwriting is an important way to cover the costs associated with all our QCSO concerts, Youth Ensembles, and education programs. One easy way to publicly show support for these programs is to place an advertisement in the concert program books. There is one final opportunity left this year (Deadline: February 21!) and the rates are:

Full Page - $700 (full year $2100)
Half Page - $350 (full year $1100)
Quarter page - $200 (full year $600)
Click here for full rate card including ad specs

 

As an added incentive, if you advertise this year you can lock-in the same rates for our exciting 100th Season next year.

 

If you have someone you would recommend we contact, please forward this email to them or let me know at pplagenz@qcsymphony.com or (563) 424-7735 direct. All suggestions are welcome.

Thank you and I look forward to visiting with you at the next concert!

Best regards,

Paul Plagenz
Director of Development
Quad City Symphony Orchestra
20 Feb 2014

Davenport pub marks 10 years with Iowa's Largest St. Patrick's Day Celebration

By Dan Kelly

Kelly's Irish Pub sets 10th annual Largest St. Pat's party in Iowa; expects 20,000+ to celebrate over 4 days in 13,000sf heated tent space.

DAVENPORT, IOWA ? Kelly's Irish Pub and Eatery, located at 2222 E. 53rd St., Davenport, IA, since 2004, will host its tenth annual St. Patrick's Day Festival over four days, Friday March 14 through St. Patrick's Day, Monday, March 17, 2014.

As always there is no charge for admittance to the event.

The weekend's festivities kick off Friday at noon, with Irish dancers, and live music in the expanded west tent.

Saturday, doors open at 6:00 a.m. and continue through the day. To accommodate the Skydiving Leprechauns, the Irish Dancers, an ice drink luge, a magician, a spinning shot chair, a juggler, family-friendly games, and 12 hours of live music [lineup below], Kelly's has increased the size of the West Tent for a total of 13,000 square feet of heated tent space. The festivities will also include a Foto Favors photo booth. Over the weekend, Kelly's expects to serve more than 100 kegs of green beer and more than a ton of corned beef. Mississippi River Distilling Company - made locally in LeClaire, Iowa, will be pouring a Kelly's Irish Pub & Eatery Signature Drink, the "Skydiving Leprechaun." Kelly's will also be featuring the Jameson Irish Car Bomb express and a Jameson bar in the west tent, featuring specialty drinks.

Sunday will feature a breakfast/brunch in the side tent, Celtic music with Greenmore, Irish Dancers and acoustic music.

Monday: Preparations and final planning are still ongoing forMonday. Look for more information soon.

In the spirit of community, and to continue a nine year tradition of safe, fun St. Patrick's Day celebrations, Kelly's will be offering a free shuttle service Saturday to make sure people get home safely.

Great food has always been a great tradition at Kelly's and over this year's three-day celebration, the Kelly's team will serve up over two thousand pounds of slow-cooked corned beef, either as a sandwich or as a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, complete with roasted red potatoes. New for this year's St. Pat's event, will be corned beef nachos in a commemorative helmet.

The event has consistently been growing since its inception in 2005 and Kelly's owner Dan Kelly says he is expecting up to 20,000 attendees this year. "There is no fee for admission, and plenty of nearby parking." Says Kelly, "In addition to an enthusiastic local following, we are seeing folks coming in from the entire region, from as far away as Milwaukee and St. Louis. It's become a regional draw to the Quad Cities."

Event Schedule - Live Entertainment:

FRIDAY
Noon Doors Open
5:00 Mayer School of Irish Dance
6:00 Fickle Filly and the Haymakers
8:45 Superfly Samurai
10:00 Buzzkill 2.0

SATURDAY (Main Tent)
6:00am Doors Open
7:00 Lucy Charms Breakfast Bar
9:00 Irish Spring Soap Giveaway
10:30 Mayer School of Irish Dance
11:45 Acoustic Music - Jim Ryan
1:00 Acoustic Music - Chuck Murphy
1:00 Dean Franzen -Juggler
2:00 Magician Mark Yeager
2:15 QC Rock Academy Student Bands
3:45 Skydiving Leprechauns
4:00 Mayer School of Irish  Dance
5:00 Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls
6:15 North of 40
7:30 Cosmic
9:00 Third Rail
10:45 Dirt Road Rockers
SATURDAY (Side Tent)
4:00 Doug Brundies
More TBA

SUNDAY (Side Tent)
9:30 Doors open
10:00-2:00 Breakfast/Brunch in the Tent
11:00 Greenmore Celtic Band
1:30 Mayer School of Irish Dance
2:30 Greg and Rich - Acoustic Duo

MONDAY (Side Tent)
TBA

Note: Live entertainment start times are an estimate only and subject to change. The Skydiving Leprechauns will not jump if weather conditions are not optimal.

About Kelly's: Opened in 2004, Kelly's has always been proud of its tradition of great food and great service by a friendly staff in a comfortable atmosphere. With a diverse menu ranging from burgers and pub food to salmon and salads, fried items are hand battered and breaded to order, queso dip and soups are made from scratch, in-house. With 12 flat-screen TV's and a 106-inch big screen, this Irish pub is perfect for watching all the sports action in a family-friendly atmosphere.

Like everyone says: "Kelly's IS Patrick's Day!"

###

20 Feb 2014

Mallards Go Greene

By Brian Lavelle

MOLINE, Ill. (February 19, 2014) - The Quad City Mallards have signed forward Chris Greene, the Mallards announced today.

Greene, 28, joins the Mallards from the Southern Professional Hockey League's Peoria Rivermen, to whom he was traded yesterday by the Fayetteville FireAntz of the SPHL.  Greene scored seven goals and totaled 20 points in 35 games with the FireAntz this season.  The 6' 2", 190-pound Massena, New York native has also played three ECHL games- during which he picked up one assist- with the Evansville Icemen this year. 

Now in his eighth professional season, Greene has spent the bulk of his career in the Central Hockey League, having scored 34 goals and registered exactly 100 assists for 134 points in 345 CHL games with the Arizona Sundogs, Wichita Thunder, Corpus Christi IceRays and Denver Cutthroats.  Last season he scored six times and notched 11 points in 49 games with the Cutthroats after scoring a dozen goals and piling up 26 points in 16 games with the Federal Hockey League's 1,000 Islands Privateers at the start of the campaign.

Greene will return to one of his old stomping grounds when the Mallards this weekend embark upon a three game road trip that will include a visit to Wichita to take on the Thunder Saturday night.  Greene spent all or part of four seasons with the Thunder between 2007 and 2012 and reached the President's Cup finals with Wichita in the spring of 2012.  

  

In all, Greene has skated in 464 games for ten clubs in four leagues and produced 69 goals and 216 points since turning pro with the ECHL's Reading Royals in the spring of 2006.  Greene played two seasons in the major junior Ontario Hockey League with the Erie Otters before stepping into the pro ranks.


The Mallards return to action on home ice tonight at 7:05 p.m. against the Missouri Mavericks.  Tonight's game is a Winning Wednesday presented by T.G.I. Friday's.  If the Mallards win this evening, each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the Mallards' next Wednesday home game courtesy of T.G.I. Friday's.  After the game fans can join the Mallards at T.G.I. Friday's in Moline for a postgame party. 

Tickets for tonight's game and all Mallards regular season home games can be purchased at the iWireless Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets, through ticketmaster.com or through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone toll free at 1-800-745-3000.  The ticket office is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on game days from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the second period.

About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are in the midst of their seventeenth season their fourth in the Central Hockey League.  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The iWireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards.

-### Quad City Mallards ### -

20 Feb 2014

Free Family Day Saturday

By Natalie Dunlop

Davenport, Iowa (February 19, 2014) - Kids and adults alike can explore the world of art through video and glass during the Figge Art Museum's Free Family Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by U.S. Bank, the museum's studios, lobby, galleries and auditorium will be open for exploration.

Families will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on fun that directly relates to Kids Design Glass, Katja Loher: Videoplanet-Orchestra, Roman Glass Works and Landscape: Ingalena Klenell and Beth Lipman all currently on display.

The day's activities will include an interactive installation explaining the history of glass, a special Kids Design Glass contest where children under the age of 12 are invited to draw a picture that could be selected to be turned into a glass sculpture, an opportunity to design a glass magnet, create a sun catcher and take part in a special project inspired by artist Katja Loher where families can produce the word Figge using their bodies to form letters. 

   

The auditorium will feature short films about creating glass art that will be looped throughout the day. Stained glass artist and owner of The Glass Advocate, Eric Van Hese, will demonstrate the art of stained glass making in the lobby and Gallery Quest guides with extra family-friendly facts about each exhibition will be available to all.

In addition, the Quad City Audubon Society will have spotting scopes set up to enjoy eagle watching along the Mississippi River in the Wintergarden. Families may also enjoy $5 burger baskets in the Dining Room until 1:30 p.m.

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays 12-5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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