Last weekend's Special Olympics' Eunice Kennedy Shriver Bocce Invitational among the projects receiving funds.

BETTENDORF, Iowa - The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend is pleased to announce that four nonprofit organizations received Impact Grants totaling nearly $10,000. These grants were awarded to nonprofit organizations who submitted grant applications during the August 2013 grant cycle. Impact Grants are distributed monthly, and are made possible by the Community Impact Endowment. This Endowment has over 100 donors and gives the Community Foundation the flexibility to meet a wide range of community needs as they arise.

August 2013 Impact Grant recipients:

The Center - Davenport, IA o Funding will support the Street Team: Homeless Outreach and their efforts to provide self care resources, employment services, and housing options to homeless families and individuals at Kings Harvest and to homeless students in Davenport Community Schools.

The Center for Youth and Family Solutions - Rock Island, IL o Funding will support advanced training in child-focused skills including: sexual abuse treatment, play therapy, divorce mediation, and other issues that impact a child's well-being.

Quad City Youth Conference - Bettendorf, IA o Funding will support the 2014 Quad City Youth Conference. This conference is a workshop based event for approximately 700-900 local 7th-12th grade students. The workshops will focus on providing students with tools for healthy decision-making, skills for networking, and information to encourage them to avoid high risk behaviors.

Special Olympics Iowa - Davenport, IA o Funding will support the purchase of adaptive athletic equipment for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Bocce Invitational, the East Area Bowling Tournament, and the East Area Spring Games. The new equipment will provide a safe and meaningful sports experience for nearly 2,200 local athletes.

To see the Impact Grants in action, we encourage you to attend the Special Olympics' Eunice Kennedy Shriver Bocce Invitational on Sept. 28th from 1-5pm at River's Edge Recreation Center in Davenport, IA. Since 2006, Special Olympics Iowa has received over $2,000 in grants from Donor-Advised Funds at the Community Foundation. The August 2013 Impact Grant is the first they have received from the Community Impact Endowment. For more information on Community Foundation grants, visit our website at www.cfgrb.org.

If you are interested in donating to the Community Impact Endowment to support causes like the Special Olympics, please call 563-326-2840 to speak with our Development Staff about a charitable gift.

The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend is a nonprofit organization that connects people who care with causes that matter. CFGRB meets the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations as established by the Council on Foundations.

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Proclamation applies for efficient transportation of soybeans, corn, hay, straw, silage and stover

(DES MOINES) -  Gov. Terry E. Branstad today signed a proclamation to allow the transportation of overweight loads of soybeans, corn, hay, straw, silage and stover.  The proclamation takes effect today, September, 27, 2013, and expires after 60 days.

"Our farmers provide food, fuel and fiber for their families and families around the world." said Branstad. "With the challenging weather conditions that our state has seen over the past several months, this proclamation will help transport our agriculture commodities safely and efficiently."

"We hope this proclamation will provide additional assistance to farmers during this demanding time of the year," said Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds.

"Harvest is an extremely busy time for farmers and this proclamation allows farmers to move crops as efficiently as possible while ensuring roadway safety," Northey said.  "I appreciate Gov. Branstad signing this proclamation in a timely manner so that it is in effect as harvest begins in earnest statewide."

This proclamation is intended to allow vehicles transporting soybeans, corn, hay, straw, silage and stover to be overweight, not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight, without a permit, but only for the duration of this proclamation.  This action is intended to allow loads transported on all highways within Iowa, excluding the interstate system, and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the nonprimary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code §321.463(5)(b), by more than twelve and one-half percent (12.5%), do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is directed to monitor the operation of this proclamation to assure the public's safety and facilitate the movement of the trucks involved.

For more information please visit www.governor.iowa.gov.

At this meeting, Davenport City Council will consider "fast track approval" giving a 65 year lease to a developer in order to build a 5 ½ story office plaza on the Mississippi River where the former Dock Restaurant was located.  This uniquely significant site, literally at the foot of the Lock & Dam 15, will be forever lost to the public if this "deal" goes forward.

The City's Levee Improvement Commission has recommended against the proposal and The Quad City Times has written an editorial favoring the Commission's position.

Last week, an international group of engineers, architects and designers - all experts in waterfront development - recommended that Davenport stop the development.

The planned development is fraught with problems, from safety concerns to environmental issues and not least of which is that legally the City already has an existing agreement with the Isle of Capri for portions of the land under consideration.

Members of Levee Improvement Commission have been hoping to reclaim the site when the gambling boat is gone for public access and development of a public restaurant and interpretative center and for the dam and river and the eagles that congregate at the dam, that would follow the city's comprehensive plan for the river.

If you care about our River and the public's access to our River, please attend this meeting and voice your opposition to this utterly misguided project.

City Circle Acting Company will present Monty Python's Spamalot , October 25 -November 3 at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts.

Performances are October 25, 26 and November 1,2 at 7:30 pm and October 26 and November 3 at 2:00 pm

Winner of the 2005 Tony for Best Musical, Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the classic film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Directed by Krista Neumann, the show tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, cows, killer rabbits, and French people. Spamalot raises silliness to an art form!

Music is by Eric Idle, John Du Prez, and Neil Inne with book and lyrics by Eric Idle. The University of Iowa Credit Union is the supporting sponsor.

Tickets are $12-$27 and can be purchased online at  http://www.coralvillearts.org/ or by calling 319.248.9370 or in person at the CCPA box office at 1301 5th Street and at the Coralville Recreation Center at 1506 8th Street.

ASL interpreters will be translating the performance on Sunday, October 27 at 2:00 pm.  Please call 319.248.9372 to request seating in the ASL section.

City Circle and the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts are sponsoring a food drive during Spamalot to benefit the Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry.  Anyone bringing a non-perishable food item or monetary donation will be entered into a raffle for two tickets to opening night of City Circle's A Christmas Carol.