DES MOINES, IA (08/06/2013)(readMedia)-- The 2013 Iowa State Fair is set to end on a high note on Extreme Sunday, August 18, with a boot tappin' Grandstand show and a full day of free entertainment. Fairgoers can receive discounted admission until 9 p.m. at $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 6-11. "Nothing Compares" to the Iowa State Fair, set August 8-18.

GRANDSTAND ENTERTAINMENT:

Country superstars Alan Jackson and Gary Allan will take the Grandstand stage at 8 p.m. Jackson's authentic lyrics and connection to traditional country roots helped him produce anthems like "Chattahoochie," "It's Five O'clock Somewhere" and "Small Town Southern Man." Allan's ten studio albums have produced hit song after hit song including "Nothing on but the Radio," "Watching Airplanes" and "Every Storm."

Tickets are $39, on sale now through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800/745-3000 and through the Iowa State Fair Ticket Office. Convenience charges apply to all tickets. Grandstand tickets do not include admission to the Fair. Gate admission must be purchased separately.

FREE STAGE ENTERTAINMENT:

In 2013, Sevendust's album Black Out the Sun went to number one on Billboard's Top Hard Music Albums chart in its first week of release. The band has toured with Iron Maiden, Slayer, Stone Sour, Korn and Disturbed. Rock out with Sevendust at 8 p.m. on the Fairview Stage.

Vintage Trouble formed in 2010 and knocked out an album's worth of rock music in three days. This first album, The Bomb Shelter Sessions, was released in the U.S. in 2012 and was named one of the top 25 guitar albums of the year by Total Guitar Magazine. The group has opened for music legends Lenny Kravitz, The Cranberries and The Who. Catch Vintage Trouble at 8 p.m. on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage.

The epitome of classic blues-rock slide guitar sounds, Foghat brings decades of experience to the stage. Their collection of 18 albums has received seven gold records, one platinum record and one double-platinum record. Favorite Foghat songs include "Slow Ride," "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "Fool for the City." Foghat will perform at 8 p.m. on the newly-relocated Budweiser Stage. The Budweiser Stage will be moving west of the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center to accommodate its large crowds.

The Henningsens, featuring Brian, Aaron and Clara, began writing music as a family in 2007. The group penned three singles for The Band Perry's second album including the chart-topping hits "You Lie" and "All Your Life." Their debut album featuring the top-twenty single, "American Beautiful," was released in early July. Listen to The Henningsens at 8 p.m. on the Susan Knapp Amphitheater.

During the day, grab a seat at the Anne and Bill Riley Stage for Bill Riley's Talent Search Championship beginning at 1:30 p.m. Over 350 talented acts from across the state qualified to compete in this year's competition. Six Sprout Champions will be showcased in the Championship Show. In the Senior division, nine finalists will compete for the championship title.

In addition to all the musical talent, Fairgoers can also enjoy one final day of grounds attractions like acrobatic circus duo Mango and Dango, extreme breaking experts Team Rock and the Timberworks Lumberjack Show to name a few.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2013 Iowa State Fair, August 8-18. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit www.iowastatefair.org.

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PORT BYRON, Ill. - State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, invites community members to share their concerns about state and local issues at his upcoming Colona Town Hall Meeting to be held on Wednesday, August 7 from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Colona Public Library located at 911 - 1^st Street in Colona.

"Knowing that there are many pressing issues that continue to weigh on our state and impact daily life in our district, it's crucial that I continue an ongoing discussion with local residents about their views and priorities," said Smiddy. "I encourage anyone who has questions or concerns or would simply like to listen to a legislative update to join me at this town hall meeting, because I need to hear from you to be a true voice for your needs."

Illinois' 71^st District includes all of Albany, Cleveland, Coal Valley, Colona, Como, Cordova, Deer Grove, Erie, Fulton, Hampton, Hillsdale, Lyndon, Morrison, Port Byron, Prophetstown, Rapids City, Rock Falls, Savanna, Sterling, Tampico, and Thomson and portions of Carbon Cliff, East Moline, Moline and Silvis.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to RSVP, contact Smiddy's full-time constituent service office at (309) 848-9098, RepSmiddy@gmail.com, or toll-free at (855) 243-4988.

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Dan Haughey (hoi), professional actor and playwright from the Quad Cities, will perform his one act one-person show on Ulysses S. Grant in the Public Mausoleum at Oakdale Memorial Gardens in Davenport on September 14. The show, entitled MR. U. S. GRANT: A MAN AND A PATRIOT, focuses on U. S. Grant as the Civil War General.  Showtime will be 4:00 p.m., as a part of  Forget-Me-Not:

Victorian Day at Oakdale Memorial Gardens, which runs from 12 noon until 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $5.00 per person, or admission is included for patrons of Forget-Me-Not: Victorian Day at Oakdale Memorial Gardens.  

Mr. Haughey holds the M. F. A. degree in theatre arts from Southern Illinois University.   He has studied acting at the Florida State University-Asolo Conservatory for Professional Actor Training and is a 2013-14 Illinois Humanities Council "Road Scholar".   Among his film and stage credits, he has toured MR. U. S. GRANT to schools, museums, and Civil War venues throughout the United States to include the National Park Service, The Lincoln Home auditorium, The War Memorial Museum of Virginia, the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, and the Market House in Galena, Illinois.  Grant's Civil War era home is in Galena. This one-act play on March 23 features Grant's rise to Civil War fame with reference to the famed soldiers of Union Army's 2nd Iowa.  Charles Bracelen Flood, author of the book  Grant and Sherman and the award-winning Lee: The Last Years, says of Mr. Haughey's performance "...I felt that it was an original and exceedingly worthwhile portrayal of a much misunderstood, underestimated man.  This is fine theatre: this is Grant as he really was."

For more information, contact Oakdale Memorial Gardens at 563-324-5121, located at 2501 Eastern Avenue, Davenport, IA 52803.  For more on MR. U. S. GRANT, go to www.oakdalememorialgardens.org or www.danact3.com.

From September 6 to 22, 2013, the Quad Cities hosts East West Riverfest, a community-wide, two week celebration of the arts, culture and heritage thriving on this bend of the Mississippi River. Over 300 events will take place at almost 100 various theaters, music venues, galleries, historic sites, museums, parks, and attractions on both sides of the river in the Quad Cities. For more information, visit www.eastwestriverfest.com or the official Facebook page.

This event is endorsed by the  State Historical Society of Iowa's Iowa Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. For more information on Iowa's commemoration of the Sesquicentennial, visit www.iowahistory.org/museum/civil-war-150/index.html

Left-hander delivers first six-inning start and victory since June 14 in Midwest League debut

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AUG. 5, 2013) - In his first outing with the Houston Astros organization, Quad Cities River Bandits left-hander Josh Hader twirled six shutout innings, limiting the Cedar Rapids Kernels to one hit and two baserunners in his Midwest League debut, and a 5-0 lead through three innings held up for a 6-2 victory at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

 

River Bandits shorstop Carlos Correa had his third straight three-hit game and scored twice, third baseman Rio Ruiz had a two-run, first-inning single among two hits, and new second baseman Tony Kemp added two hits to lead Quad Cities (26-16 second half, 64-47 overall) within one-half game of the first-place Kernels (27-16, 67-44).

 

Quad Cities gave Hader (1-0) all he would need before he took the mound. Center fielder Teoscar Hernandez hit a leadoff single, Kemp walked and Correa hit an infield single to load the bases in the first inning against right-hander Christian Powell (2-5), who retired the next two batters. But Ruiz grounded a base hit through the right side of the infield for a 2-0 lead, and catcher Jobduan Morales reached when first baseman Max Kepler missed a catch at first base, allowing a third run to score.

Hader, acquired by the Astros organization from the Baltimore Orioles as part of a July 31 trade for major league pitcher Bud Norris, posted his only two strikeouts on the first two batters of the game. An error by Ruiz on a first-inning, two-out ground ball was all that kept Hader from perfection through the first 3 2/3 innings.

 

The River Bandits added to the lead with Correa's RBI single to drive in Hernandez in the second inning, as well as a double steal in the third inning that ended with Morales scoring for a 5-0 lead. Powell allowed five runs - four earned - on eight hits and two walks while striking out four batters in five innings.

 

Hader gave up his only hit with two outs in the fourth, when right fielder Adam Brett Walker doubled to right-center field. But Hader retired the next seven batters to complete six innings for the first time since June 14 - the date of his last victory with Class-A Delmarva.

 

Right-hander Jamaine Cotton started the seventh inning for Quad Cities and allowed two eighth-inning singles but no runs in his first two innings. Quad Cities added a run in the ninth following singles by Correa (his 10^th of the series) and left fielder Danry Vasquez, who extended a seven-game hitting streak, before a fielder's choice groundout by first baseman Bobby Borchering. Walker hit a two-run home run in the ninth against Cotton, who earned the three-inning save. The Kernels never brought the tying run to the plate the entire game.

 

Monday's victory also means The Captain's Table at 4801 River Drive in Moline will offer The Captain's Table Victory Discount on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Anyone who mentions the River Bandits victory can receive a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two lunches or dinners with beverages on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The River Bandits conclude the four-game series in Cedar Rapids at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, when right-hander Mark Appel (0-0) will face Kernels left-hander Josue Montanez (4-4).

 

UP NEXT: Modern Woodmen Park is a nominee for the "Best Minor League Ballpark" in the 2013 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, and fans can vote once per day at 10Best.com until the winner is announced Aug. 14. The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park Wednesday, Aug. 7. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at  563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.