Back by popular demand, guitar virtuoso Dave Fields, with his "Pot Luck Supper" band, will appear at The Muddy Waters (1708 State St. Bettendorf IA) on Thursday, June 13th, in a show presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. Showtime will be 7:00; admission is $7.00, $5.00 for MVBS members.

If you missed his first Quad City appearance this past February, talk to anyone who was there and they'll convince you to come out and see this guy. A New York native, Dave Fields has played with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, Hubert Sumlin, Sean Lennon, The Drifters, Tommy James and many more.

He was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame just last year, and his most recent CD, Detonation, was chosen by A1artistspotlight.com as the Blues/Rock CD of the year. Guitar Player magazine also raves about his new CD and promises ..."an exhilarating concert experience if you ever get a chance to see Fields live."

So here's your chance.  Dave Fields, Thursday, June 13th, 7:00, at the Muddy Waters, Bettendorf.

Lindsay Anderson to Succeed Carrie Hightman

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that Lindsay Anderson, a senior advisor for his administration, will succeed Carrie Hightman as chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). Anderson brings extensive legal and governmental experience, including the coordination and oversight of legislative agendas for state agencies such as the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Today's announcement continues the governor's commitment to making Illinois government more accountable, transparent and effective.

"Carrie Hightman has contributed a significant amount to thousands of students and I thank her for her service to the state of Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "Lindsay Anderson is a talented public servant who will work hard to improve higher education in Illinois, and encourage our young residents to pursue post secondary schooling, which will strengthen Illinois' economy."

Anderson most recently served as a Senior Advisor to Governor Quinn and as Chair of the Illinois Campaign finance Reform Task Force. Prior to those roles, Anderson acted as legislative director and counsel to Governor Quinn, working directly with the members of the Illinois General Assembly on targeted issues facing state government, including education.

Prior to joining the Quinn Administration in February 2009, Anderson worked at McGuireWoods as an Attorney in the State Government Relations practice group where she provided clients with lobbying assistance and insight on the development and execution of strategic legislative plans. Prior to joining McGuireWoods, Lindsay worked as an Assistant Counsel to the Illinois Speaker of the House. In that capacity, she served as counsel and parliamentarian for committees on revenue and local government. Anderson also worked in the Mayor of Chicago's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Under Hightman's leadership as Chair of the IBHE, the state of Illinois adopted a 10-year master plan for higher education, the Public Agenda for College and Career Success, and made significant progress towards achieving its goals of affordability, accessibility and degree completion. The state is on track to meet its goal of 60 percent of the adult population having post secondary degrees by 2025. Hightman created a collaborative environment for all higher education stakeholders during her six years leading IBHE.

The IHBE oversees the programs, activities and policies related to higher education within the state and is responsible for planning and policy development; budgetary and fiscal affairs; academic program reviews and approval; and higher education grant administration and evaluation.  The four primary components of the Illinois' blueprint for higher education include :

• Increase educational attainment to match the best-performing states and world countries;
• Ensure college affordability for students, families, and taxpayers;
• Increase production of high-quality postsecondary credentials to meet the demands of the economy and an increasingly global society; and
• Better integrate Illinois' educational, research, and innovation assets to meet the economic needs of the state and its regions.

Anderson's new position as Chair of IBHE will be effective beginning on June 5, 2013.

• Library Treasure Hunt from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 13 at the Main Library, 401 19^th Street. Teens will follow a trail of clues to uncover treasure and win prizes.
• Teen Iron Chef contest from 6:00 to 7:30 pm on Tuesday, June 18 at the Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road, Rock Island. Working with a stack of ingredients, teens will whip up a culinary masterpiece to become the library's next prize-winning chef.
• Teen Gaming Night from 6:00 to 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 20 at the Main Library, 401 19^th Street. Teens can play Xbox 360 with Kinect, Wii and board games.
• Zombie Night, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursday, June 27, at the Main Library, 401 19^th St. Dig into your chance to survive the zombie invasion by learning how to create a Zombie Preparedness Plan, apply zombie make-up for either camouflage or fun and enjoy a classic zombie movie and snacks.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (06/04/2013)(readMedia)-- Governor Pat Quinn appointed Brig. Gen. Richard J. Hayes of Buffalo Grove as the Assistant Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard on June 3.

As assistant adjutant general, Hayes will serve as the principal assistant to The Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Daniel M. Krumrei in all mat¬ters pertaining to supervision and management of the Illinois Department of Military Affairs and the Illinois National Guard, which consists of 13,000 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen.

"Brig. Gen. Richard Hayes is a leader both in the Illinois National Guard and in the private sector," Governor Quinn said. "His experience and commitment to his state and nation will be invaluable as he embarks on this mission to help lead the Illinois National Guard and its 13,000 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen."

Hayes has been an Army officer for 26 years. He led the Illinois National Guard's assistance to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, deployed to Kosovo to assist with peacekeeping operations, and leads all of the Illinois National Guard's domestic operations. He has also been a successful business leader. He currently serves as a senior executive with a large engineering and construction concern based in Lisle, Ill.

"General Hayes' acumen as a businessman will be a great benefit to the Illinois National Guard as we continue to get stronger despite limited finances," said Brig. Gen. Krumrei. "He is a leader who listens to his subordinates and makes wise decisions based on all the available information. That's a vital skill both in the military and in the private sector."

Hayes was commissioned in 1987 from the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Kansas and joined the Illinois National Guard in 1989. Since 1989 he has served in various positions within the field artillery, infantry, and joint force headquarters. On Saturday, Hayes was awarded his second Legion of Merit for his service as Commander of the Illinois National Guard's 129th Regional Training Institute. The Legion of Merit is the U.S. military's sixth highest award.

"I take pride in leaving every organization that I've led better than it was when I arrived," Hayes said. "It is really the people in those organizations that make the positive changes. At the end of the day, leading is really about influencing, building consensus and empowering people."