Bill Would Ban Sale of High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today released the following statement regarding the passage of Senate Bill 1002 out of the Illinois Senate Executive Committee. Governor Quinn has been working to enact this common sense public safety policy since July 2012:

"Today, we took the first step towards banning the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines in Illinois, which will make our communities safer. By adopting Senate Bill 1002, Illinois would join 10 other states across the country that put reasonable restrictions on the size of these weapons.

"Over the past two days we have heard first-hand about the horrifying damage that high-capacity ammunition magazines can inflict. I am incredibly grateful to the Sandy Hook Elementary parents who have traveled to Illinois to share their stories and lend their voices to this important mission. We must work together on responsible gun laws to help ensure that what happened in Tucson, Ariz., Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn. does not ever happen here.

"I thank the members of the Senate Executive Committee for advancing this measure today. I urge members of both houses to take up this common sense public safety policy in the days to come."

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A special celebration was held in their honor on Sunday, May 19, at the Deere-Wiman House in Moline, IL. Our 16 winners from Kindergarten through 3rd grade won some cool prizes for their outstanding stories, and the first place winners from each grade will go on to compete in the PBS national contest. All 405 children who entered the local contest received certificates for their efforts.

Their stories can be viewed at Butterworth Center in Moline, IL until May 30, at the Family Museum in Bettendorf, IA from June 3 to 16, and at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA from June 18 to 30.

(The kids are in order in the photos...first place on left, then second place etc. The names are listed below.)

Kindergarten

First Place                 Rylan Edwards, Ekstrand Elementary, DeWitt, IA

Second Place            Ellie Curnyn, Jane Addams Elementary, Moline, IL

Third Place                Sophia Foad, Cody Elementary, LeClaire, IA

Hon. Mention             Oliver Borders, Longfellow Liberal Arts, Rock Island, IL

 

First Grade

First Place                 Georgia Brunkan, Ed White Elementary, Eldridge, IA

Second Place            Xion Owens-Holst, McKinley Elementary, Davenport, IA

Third Place                Gianna Schwartz, Paul Norton School, Bettendorf, IA

Hon. Mention             Nate Stanger, Garfield School, Davenport, IA

 

Second Grade

First Place                 Paul Schwartz, Paul Norton School, Bettendorf, IA

Second Place            Isabella Jones, Rivermont Collegiate, Bettendorf, IA

Third Place                Nikhil Ramaraju, Riverdale Heights, Bettendorf, IA

Hon. Mention             Jena Edwards, Ekstrand Elementary, DeWitt, IA

 

Third Grade

First Place                 Dalton Morrow, Harrison Elementary, Davenport, IA

Second Place            Alana Kruse, Morning Star Academy, Davenport, IA

Third Place                Eden Swails, Riverdale Elementary, Port Byron, IL

Hon. Mention             Calla Brunkan, Ed White Elementary, Eldridge, IA

DAVENPORT, IA - On May 17, 2013, Regina Jimenez, age 60, of Clinton, Iowa, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment on two counts of filing false tax returns, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt.  United States District Judge Stephanie M. Rose also sentenced Jimenez to one year of supervised release and ordered her to pay $332,465.00 in restitution.

Jimenez operated AA Accounting & Tax Services, Inc. in Clinton, Iowa from approximately 2007 through 2011.  Jimenez used the business to facilitate the theft of over $300,000 from a client who believed that Jimenez would use the money to pay the client's taxes.  

Jimenez instead used the money for gambling expenditures, and did not report the stolen funds on her tax returns.

This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.


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The public is invited to join the Muscatine Art Center in welcoming Carol Ehlers, art history speaker, as she presents a 45 minute lecture on the art of French artist Raoul Dufy. The lecture will take place Thursday May 23 at 5:30 pm in the Muscatine Art Center's Music Room. Admission is free.

Raoul Dufy was a French painter who made his mark on the 20th Century as he helped to create a modern visual sensibility and perception. His cheerful oils and watercolors depict events of the time period, including yachting scenes, sparkling views of the French Riviera, chic parties, and musical events.

Born in Le Havre near Normandy, France in June 1877, Dufy soon showed some rare talent for drawing. To make money for his family, he left school at the age of fourteen to work in a coffee-importing company, but took art classes in the evening. At the age of 18, he started taking evening classes in art at Le Havre's municipal art school. During this period, Dufy painted mostly Norman landscapes in watercolors after being influenced by the Impressionists such as Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro.

From 1904-1905, fascinated by a painting by Henri Matisse, Dufy turned to Fauvism. The Fauves emphasized bright color and bold contours in their work. He then discovered the work of Paul Cézanne which led him to adopt a somewhat subtler technique. Still he only adhered to the Fauve movement during three years until 1909 after finding that he needed to instill more austerity and soberness in his works, thus his movement into Cubism. His true personality started to blossom though the public was not immediately receptive to his works.

In 1913, his painting Le Jardin abandonné (The abandoned garden) contained the early signs of what made Dufy's work so original: the dissociation of color and drawing. Dufy felt that colors had their own lives, going beyond the object, giving structure to his paintings. By 1950, his hands were struck with rheumatoid arthritis and his ability to paint diminished. Dufy died in France, in March 1953, and was buried near Matisse in Cimiez, France.

In 1992 the Muscatine Art Center's collections were significantly enriched by a gift of twenty-seven works of art by Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Degas, Boudin, Chagall, Renoir, and other European artists. The collection was a gift from the estate of Mary Musser Gilmore in honor of her parents, Richard Drew Musser and Sarah Walker Musser. The paintings are on permanent display in the Laura Musser Mansion.
SPRINGFIELD - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will receive the 2013 Moxie Award at the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault's (ICASA) Annual Statewide Sexual Assault Conference tomorrow in Springfield. Simon was selected as a result of her lifetime of advocating for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
The Moxie Award recognizes individuals who have worked with rape crisis centers in an effort to improve services to victims of sexual assault, pass legislation to end sexual violence, and improve funding for rape crisis centers.
"The recovery process for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence is a long one, and I am committed to making sure they have the tools they need to rebuild their lives," said Simon. "I appreciate ICASA's advocacy as we work to increase awareness, and prevent sexual assault and domestic violence."
Lt. Governor Simon is a former prosecutor who represented victims of domestic violence. Simon worked with Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) on a new law that requires certain adult entertainment establishments that permit alcohol to collect a surcharge that supports programs that help sexual abuse victims.
As a law professor, she helped launch the Southern Illinois School of Law's domestic violence clinic to serve clients and train law students. Since becoming Lt. Governor, Simon has founded two virtual legal clinics that connect survivors with attorneys through webcam technology. Simon has also partnered with Verizon and advocates to raise revenue and collect used cell phones for survivors.
Simon will be joined by the members of her band, Loose Gravel, for a performance following the award presentation.
For more information, please visit www.ltgov.il.gov.
DATE: Tuesday, May 21
TIME: 5:15 p.m.
LOCATION: President Abraham Lincoln Hotel & Conference Center, Salons A and B, 701 E. Adams St., Springfield, IL, 62701
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The Figge Art Museum is one of more than 1,800 museums across America to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense

Davenport, Iowa (May 21, 2013) - Today the Figge Art Museum announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2013. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Active duty military personnel and their families will be able to experience a number of traveling exhibitions at the Figge including the American Pop! Selections from the CU Art Museum Collection (through September 8), Questionable Architecture: Terry Rathje in Collaboration with Steve Banks and Monica Correia (June 1- August 25) and No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service (June 29-October 6).

"Blue Star Museums is a collaboration between the arts and military communities," said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. "Our work with Blue Star Families and with more than 1,800 museums ensures that we can reach out to military families and thank them for their service and sacrifice."

"Blue Star Museums is something that service members and their families look forward to every year and we are thrilled with the continued growth of the program," said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. "Through this distinctive collaboration between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than 1,800 museums across the United States, service members and their families can connect with our national treasures with this unparalleled opportunity to visit some of the country's finest museums for free."

This year, more than 1,800 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 450 new museums this year. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer. The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the American Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children's Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. This year's Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers, and 75 children's museums. Among this year's new participants are the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum in Northport, Michigan, the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan, Alaska, and the World Museum of Mining in Butte, Montana.

About Blue Star Museums

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 27, 2013 through Labor Day, September 2, 2013. The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps - and up to five family members. Please see the chart of the acceptable IDs (PDF). Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find out which museums are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site includes a list of participating museums and a map to help with visit planning. Museums that wish to participate in Blue Star Museums may contact bluestarmuseums@arts.gov, or Wendy Clark at 202-682-5451. This is the latest NEA program to bring quality arts programs to the military, veterans, and their families. Other NEA programs for the military have included the NEA/Walter Reed Healing Arts Partnership; Great American Voices Military Base Tour; and Shakespeare in American Communities Military Base Tour.

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 Figgemembers and institutional members and free on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families. With our partners, Blue Star Families hosts a robust array of morale and empowerment programs, including Books on Bases, Blue Star Museums, Operation Honor Corp, Blue Star Careers and Operation Appreciation. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, State and Federal government to bring the most important military family issues to light. Working in concert with fellow nonprofits, community advocates, and public officials, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Our worldwide membership includes military spouses, children, parents, and friends, as well as service members, veterans and civilians. To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit http://www.bluestarfam.org.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.

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CHARLESTON, SC (05/20/2013)(readMedia)-- Michael Joseph Millea of Davenport, IA, graduated May 4, 2013, from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.

Millea, a member of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets, earned a BA in History .

Gen. Robert Cone, commander of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis, Va., delivered the commencement address. Cone congratulated the cadets for choosing to take the road less traveled when enrolling at The Citadel four years ago.

"The world is as exciting and as unpredictable as it's ever been and as you go forth realize that there is a fine line between success and failure," he said. "In that spirit, while you will succeed, you will also fail. A true test of character is how well you handle adversity."

Cone encouraged the 468 cadets, veteran students and active duty military personnel that graduated to remember "you start building your professional reputation on the first day of your job, and you build the right character with consistency. A strong record of character is like a suit of armor - a false accusation will not hurt you."

The Citadel, founded in 1842, is a public, coeducational military college in Charleston, S.C., that offers a classic military education for men and women seeking a college experience that is meaningful, academically strong and is focused on educating and developing principled leaders for a strong military and a global workforce.

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad today announced that retired Col. Robert King will serve as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Branstad-Reynolds administration. Col. King replaces Gen. Jodi Tymeson, who was recently named the new Chief Operating Officer at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.

Col. King, 64, served in the Iowa National Guard for nearly 36 years prior to his Sept. 2004 retirement. During his last fifteen years of service he handled media relations, command information and community relations for the Iowa National Guard.

"I want to thank Gen. Tymeson for her outstanding work in this position and I wish her well at the Iowa Veterans Home," said Branstad. "We are excited to welcome Col. Robert King as the new head of this important department. I have known Col. King for a number of years, and appreciate and understand how much passion and enthusiasm he will bring to this job. Veterans will have no bigger advocate than Col. Robert King."

Col. King's military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (4th Award), Army Commendation Medal (4th Award), Army Achievement Medal, Outstanding Volunteer Service Award, Humanitarian Service Medal, and brevet promotion to brigadier general. For a number of years, Col. King has played a major role in coordinating the Veteran's Day Parade at the Iowa State Fair. Colonel King was inducted into the Iowa Broadcaster's Association Hall of Fame in 2004.

"I'd like to thank Governor Branstad for this opportunity to serve veterans and their families, and I'd like to thank Jodi Tymeson for her dedicated service to Iowa's veterans," said King. "There are a number of state, county and local veterans organizations throughout the state, and I look forward to working with all of them to support Iowa's veterans and their families. Throughout my many years working on behalf of veterans, I know first-hand how Iowans appreciate the service and sacrifice of veterans and their families, and we will do our best to serve them."

"Our administration will work closely with Col. King to ensure we understand and are able to address the needs of those who served our state," said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. "We respect our veterans and their families, and it was important for us to have someone who will be available and responsive to their needs. Col. King will be a hard worker on behalf of Iowa's veterans."

King currently resides in Urbandale with his wife, Joy. He has two sons and four grandsons.

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HUNTINGTON, IN (05/20/2013)(readMedia)-- Valerie Van Ee participated in the 115th Commencement exercises at Huntington University.

Van Ee is a 2013 May graduate, from Park View, IA. Van Ee earned a Bachelor of Science in Animation and Computer Science. Commencement was held on May 18.

Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America's Best Colleges. Additionally, Princeton Review has named the institution to its "Best in the Midwest" list. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

For all Huntington University news releases, visit www.huntington.edu/news.

JACKSONVILLE, ILLINOIS (05/20/2013)(readMedia)-- The following students were awarded degrees from Illinois College 179th commencement exercise on the Historic Upper Quadrangle of the liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Ill. The ceremony was held May 12.

Kirk Atwater of Davenport, Iowa graduated from Illinois College with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Kelsey McFarren of Fulton, Ill. graduated from Illinois College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Illinois College has awarded diplomas annually since 1835 when it was the site of the first college commencement ceremony in the state. The newest class of graduates totaled 205.

In his 10th and final commencement at Illinois College, retiring President Axel Steuer on Sunday offered four guideposts to help this year's 205 graduating seniors lead fulfilling lives.

"Think of me today as a scout who has traveled quite a few years in front of you," he said. "I have been over the road that lies ahead to wherever your careers may take you. And here, in short, are the guideposts I offer:

"1. Never compromise integrity and you will have a life worth living; 2. Persist in following your dreams and your dreams have a good chance of being fulfilled; 3. Commit yourself firmly to justice and the world will be better because of you; and 4. Serve the needs of others, and your life as well as theirs will be enriched."

Founded in 1829, Illinois College is a residential liberal arts college fostering academic excellence rooted in opportunities for experiential learning while preparing students for lifelong success.

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