PEORIA, IL (11/19/2013)(readMedia)-- Five little girls and one boy were recently born while their dads were away serving their country. In December, those six babies will finally get their dads back from Afghanistan.

"We are all just ready for them to be home," said Sarah Willey of Decatur, Ill., the Family Readiness Group leader and wife of Illinois National Guardsman 1st Lt. Brian Willey. "A lot of kids are ready to have their dads back."

Sarah gave birth to a daughter, Ariea, while Brian has been deployed. Ariea is one of six babies born during the 2nd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation Battalion's deployment to Afghanistan.

Anticipating the Soldiers' return, spouses and family members of the Peoria-based Soldiers gathered for a family reunion event at the Hult Center in Peoria, Ill., Nov. 16.

"The event focused on working through any issues the family members might foresee when their Soldier returns," said Mari Richardson of Athens, Ill., the 65th Troop Command Brigade Family Readiness Support Assistant.

Spouses and family members had a question and answer session with the 238th Commander Maj. Clarence Pulcher of Morton, Ill., via the internet.

"He told them how excited they were to return home and how well they have done while deployed," said Richardson.

Approximately 60 Soldiers with the 238th mobilized in January 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and are expected to return in December when Brian will meet his daughter for the first time.

The 5th Annual Holiday Hat Bash presented by Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors will be held on Thursday, November 21, 2013 from 5:30-9 p.m. at CASI 1035 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport, IA

The 5th Annual Holiday Hat Bash presented by Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors will once again make holidays special for Quad Cities Seniors, by providing food baskets and gifts. The Holiday Hat Bash event is an evening of fun, music, delicious food, a hat contest, raffles, silent auction, Necker's Jewelry Give Away and much more. There will be 25 spectacular raffle & silent auction baskets. Decadent gourmet hors d'orvres and desserts will be featured by chefs from local senior living centers. Hats are always fun, but are optional.

Walk-in's are encouraged and welcome! A suggested $35 donation includes food and 3 drink tickets & a night of fun! All proceeds will provide holiday gifts and food baskets for Quad Cities Seniors.

Can't attend? Donations are gratefully accepted and may be sent to:
CASI 1035 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport, IA 52806 or at www.hatbash.com.

For information call: (563) 386-7477 or visit: www.hatbash.com.

-End-


The Career Fair will be Wednesday, November 20th in Rocky's Field House from 9-11 A.M.  There will be approximately 45 businesses and colleges set up to help advise students for the next chapter in their life.  According to the Lights ON For Learning Coordinator, Lanette Johnson, the students will have the opportunity to explore many careers in the area and learn about the educational requirements, salaries and skills required for their chosen profession.

"For me, the purpose of the career fair is to help students plan for their future. It will inform them about job opportunities and the requirements for different occupations. Numerous career fields will be represented such as: agriculture, army, construction, educational services, engineering, health services, real estate and more. Students will ask questions regarding required skills, typical day, and earning potential."

Students, business representatives, Johnson and others will be available for interviews at the fair.  The media is invited to attend at any time.


###

Scott County Auditor Roxanna Moritz announced today that a recount of the votes cast in November 5th race for Mayor of Blue Grass will occur on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. in the Board Room of the Scott County Administrative Center. Challenger Timothy Brandenburg requested the recount after losing to incumbent Mayor Brinson Kinzer by one vote. Kinzer received 169 votes, Brandenburg received 168 votes and there were 16 scattered write-in votes. Earlier today the Scott County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize a recount.

The recount will be conducted by a panel of three appointees, one member appointed by each candidate and a third member appointed by agreement of the candidate appointees. Greg Boll of Davenport will represent Brandenburg, Pat Zamora of Davenport will represent Kinzer, and Donald Frericks of Blue Grass will be the third member. Ballots will be both hand counted and counted by electronic ballot tabulators. The recount is open to the public.

Christian Care Generates Community Action Partnerships

Rock Island, IL November 19, 2013 - Together we can make a difference, and that is exactly what is happening at Christian Care Rescue Mission with the implementation of a new program?A Holistic Approach to Transformation Change. To meet the needs of the program and ensure post program success, community partnerships are being developed to create win-win outcomes for everyone involved. Christian Care and Papa's Helping Veterans, a nonprofit providing furniture for homeless veterans, are working together to bring hope to those who have lost just that.

The partnership that Christian Care and Papa's have formed is beneficial for both non-profits. Papa's has furnished the program meeting room at Christian Care and, in turn, Christian Care is providing him with unemployed Resident volunteer movers to help his non-profit, generating a robust community action partnership. As fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, they have come together to help each other out, while benefitting from each other's services. The need for community engagement and contributions is imperative for both organizations to move to the next level of service. In order to continue offering the services that they do; food, shelter, clothing and furniture for the homeless, financial support must be procured for both non-profits.

In keeping with Christian Care's holistic approach to change, this four month program focuses on building and internalizing new habits for the body, mind, and spirit of each Participant. They engage in daily prayer, exercise, book and film studies, individual life coaching sessions, an arts experience, such as the Quad City Symphony, and in return volunteer their time to meet community needs. High expectations have been set for major life change. While the program began six weeks ago and runs through February 1 the need for athletic gear, program materials, and technology is fact emerging.

Papa's Helping Veterans is a local non-profit providing furniture to Veterans in need. As formerly homeless Veterans transition into permanent housing, Papa's furnishes their new living quarters. Thanks to community donations, they are able to offer services to the hundreds of homeless Veterans in the Quad Cities. As their business continues to grow so do the needs to fund it; they are in need of warehouse space, volunteer movers and financial help to cover gas and overhead expenses.

###

Will apply Iowa values, common sense business principles, and real world experience of solving complex problems to dysfunction in Washington

DES MOINES, IOWA - Proven business leader Mark Jacobs today announced that he will seek the Republican nomination for Iowa's United States Senate seat in 2014. Jacobs will focus on creating jobs and opportunities for all Iowans, the key to solving our nation's problems.

He explained his decision during an event at Infomax Office Systems, Inc., a Des Moines-based company founded in 1958 and still owned today by members of the Jacobs family:

"What I have taken away from Iowans is this: like me, you are concerned the American Dream is slipping away, and our leaders in Washington are incapable of solving problems," said Mark Jacobs. "The problem with Washington is not a lack of ideas, but a lack of results. To actually address the dysfunction and serious challenges facing this great nation, Washington needs a leader with serious solutions and a fresh perspective."

Jacobs cited five priorities for aiding job growth: emphasizing community colleges and vocational schools to close the skills gap, expanding domestic energy production, tackling job killing regulations, implementing a competitive tax policy, and reforming healthcare.

"Iowans deserve someone with conservative principles representing them - someone who understands firsthand what is needed to promote job growth, tackle our nation's fiscal challenges, and get America moving again in the right direction," Jacobs said.

With a proven history of consensus and coalition building to achieve successful business outcomes, Jacobs will meld his Iowa values and business acumen to turn around the political dysfunction in Washington.

"I've spent the majority of my life in the business world and Iowa values have been at the core of everything I've done. They've guided me through some tough situations, like helping to bring a company back from the brink of bankruptcy. It is these skills and lessons that will enable me to best represent Iowa and make a positive change in Washington," he said.

Jacobs' announcement includes a 26-city tour across Iowa, spanning six days in length. The tour concludes Tuesday, November 26th.

###

To learn more about Mark Jacobs, please visit: www.jacobsforiowa.com
Follow Mark on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarkJocobsIowa

Volunteer Efforts Underway to Assist Victims of Recent Tornadoes; Department of Insurance Offering Free Counseling in Washington

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today declared Douglas, Jasper, Pope, Wabash, Wayne and Will counties state disaster areas following violent storms and tornadoes on Sunday that affected several regions of the state. The declaration increases the number of declared counties to 13. On Monday, Governor Quinn declared Champaign, Grundy, LaSalle, Massac, Tazewell, Washington and Woodford counties state disaster areas after a severe storm system ripped across Illinois, spawning at least two EF4 tornadoes.

"Yesterday I saw firsthand the devastation caused by these deadly storms," Governor Quinn said. "While the recovery will be long and hard, we will work in the coming days, weeks and months to assist these communities and help the people who live there rebuild their lives."

On Monday, Governor Quinn personally inspected the damage in some of Illinois' hardest hit communities: Washington, Diamond, Gifford, Brookport and New Minden.

The state disaster declaration makes available a wide variety of state resources that can help affected communities respond and recover from the storms. The state of Illinois has personnel and assets that can be mobilized to help local government officials with disaster recovery, including such things as trucks, heavy equipment to remove debris, communications equipment and provide assistance with security and other public safety issues.

Governor Quinn also announced that volunteer efforts are well underway to assist the victims of the November 17 tornadoes that devastated several communities in Illinois. Financial donations to volunteer disaster response agencies are the best way to help. Cash donations allow these agencies to purchase exactly what is needed, when it is needed. If materials are donated, they should only be those items specifically requested by officials, and these should be brought to officially designated collection centers.

Those who wish to volunteer in person should not go to the disaster scene, since there are far more volunteer offers than there are volunteer needs, and the arrival of unexpected volunteers will interfere with recovery efforts. Volunteers should first go to a reputable volunteer agency that is responding to the disaster, and they will be assigned when and where their services can best be used. Volunteers should be patient and wait until they can be adequately trained by relief agencies. The most crucial need will be for volunteers during the long-term recovery phase, which could last for several months.

Volunteer information for specific areas is listed below. For more information visit Ready.illinois.gov for information on specific sites that can utilize volunteers.

·         Gifford (Champaign County). American Red Cross-Central Illinois chapter, (217) 351-5861.

·         Coal City (Grundy County). Coal City High School, Mr. Rich Kapinus, (815) 207-0926.

·         Washington County. No need for volunteers or donations at this time.

·         City of Washington (Tazewell County). Call (309) 573-4035.

In addition, the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) will offer free one-on-one insurance counseling services to assist Washington residents recovering from the November 17 tornado. DOI staff will help individuals with the insurance claims process by providing information on how to properly document storm damage, whether to make temporary repairs, what a consumer's homeowner policy covers and what to expect during the claims process.

The first day of counseling will take place on Tuesday, November 19 in the Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lot at 1980 Freedom Parkway in Washington. Those seeking assistance should arrive by 10 a.m. DOI staff will offer free counseling daily thereafter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If available, consumers should bring an inventory of contents, policy information and all documentation they have received from company adjusters or public adjusters.

Other state assistance to impacted communities to date includes:

·         Four Technical Rescue Teams were sent to Washington.

·         One Technical Rescue Team was sent to Gifford.

·         Two three-man engine companies will work 12-hour shifts through Wednesday in Gifford to provide much-needed relief to the town's firefighters.

·         More than 40 light towers have been delivered to assist with nighttime operations in Washington (26), Pekin (6), Gifford (10) and Brookport (2).

·         Command vehicles have been deployed to Washington and Pekin to support response operations.

·         Law enforcement support has come from the Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and Illinois Commerce Commission officers.

·         One five-person Emergency Management Assistance Team support trailer and 10 Starcom radios have been provided to Brookport.

·         40 Starcom 21 radios have been provided to assist Washington responders with emergency communications.

 

###

Famous Speech Read at Midnight from an Original Copy at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn tonight joined the nation's first reading of the Gettysburg Address on the 150th anniversary of the famous Abraham Lincoln speech. At a special display of an original copy of the document in Lincoln's own handwriting, Governor Quinn and visitors at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield listened as a Lincoln re-enactor read the Gettysburg Address at midnight to kick off the commemoration of the November 19, 1863 oratory that is one of the world's best-known and most-often-quoted speeches. Tonight's commemoration is part of Governor Quinn's commitment to promoting Illinois' Lincoln heritage.

"Every American should know and appreciate this speech that summed up where our nation has been and how we should move forward with a 'new birth of freedom,'" Governor Quinn said. "I am proud that Illinois has one of the few handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address, and that we are able to use it for the country's first commemorative event on its 150th anniversary."

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) presented its original copy of the address accompanied by an honor guard at the center of the museum, along with a special exhibit of Gettysburg artifacts and dramatic readings from the acclaimed book Team of Rivals.

"There's something special about seeing the actual words that Lincoln wrote down 150 years ago. They connect us to this man who was using all his skills as a communicator, leader and politician to save the nation and eliminate slavery. We hope every Illinoisan and every American takes the time to reflect on this historic speech," Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Director Amy Martin said. The agency administers the ALPLM.

The anniversary events continue through the rest of November 19 with Lincoln re-enactor Fritz Klein delivering the address again at 1 p.m., approximately the same time Lincoln delivered the speech in 1863. Historian James Cornelius will also host two screenings of a short film about the address and then take questions from the audience.

Historians will gather on November 20 for a roundtable to discuss the speech's significance, followed by a dramatic presentation about other important speeches that have built on the legacy of the Gettysburg Address. Workshops explaining the impact of the Gettysburg Address on people from different walks of life will be offered and a live webcast about the address will be available to schools nationwide.

The ALPLM's Papers of Abraham Lincoln project has produced a booklet exploring the issues Lincoln wrestled with between the Battle of Gettysburg and his speech. On Lincoln's Mind reproduces documents to and from Lincoln, with commentary on their significance. The booklet will be given away throughout November 24.

The ALPLM's copy of the Gettysburg Address is known as the Edward Everett copy. Everett was the main featured speaker at the November 19, 1863 Gettysburg Cemetery Dedication and spoke for two hours, as keynote speakers were expected to do at the time. Then President Lincoln delivered his two-minute, 272-word speech. The day after the Address, Everett wrote to the President: "Permit me...to express my great admiration of the thoughts expressed by you, with such eloquent simplicity and appropriateness, at the consecration of the cemetery. I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central ideas of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

Lincoln's reply the same day was characteristic: "Your kind note of today is received. In our respective parts yesterday, you could not have been excused to make a short address, nor I a long one. I am pleased to know that in your judgment, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."

Everett requested a copy of Lincoln's speech to be included in a book along with Everett's remarks and auctioned in New York for the benefit of wounded soldiers. Upon his return to Washington, Lincoln wrote out his speech and sent the document known as the Everett copy to the Massachusetts governor. This is the Address now owned by the ALPLM. The original copy of Everett's oration was purchased at the same time as the Address and is held in the ALPLM's  collections.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is home to a collection of more than 52,000 items related to the 16th President, from a handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address to family heirlooms to popular art. The collection is available to researchers, and select items are displayed in the museum's Treasures Gallery.

For more information about Gettysburg Address 150th anniversary events, visit GettysburgAddress150.com.

###

Protagonist Tony Rawlins find difficult circumstances during his search for romance

LANSDALE, Pa. - In M. Paul Chinitz's new novel, "Fatal Females: A Tony Rawlins Mystery Trilogy" (published by Trafford Publishing), a gullible man seeking romance learns, at a terrible cost, that he needs to be more careful in how he makes his choices.

Tony Rawlins answers a provocative ad in the personals section of a paper and finds himself convicted of a murder he did not commit. Evidence later gets him released pending a retrial when his accuser can be found. Meanwhile, his boss asks him to examine a murdered man's business accounts, which leads him into uncovering other murders, including his accuser.

An excerpt from "Fatal Females":

"'Dunkins said I'd find you here.' I looked up from my plate of goulash, the Wednesday alternative to fish at Rose's Diner. I knew that voice only too well to be surprised at seeing Reva Morgan's somewhat plump figure wedge into my narrow booth.

'The broiled salmon would have been a better choice,' she continued in her also somewhat confrontational style."

The three stories that make up "Fatal Females" move rapidly. "There are murders," Chinitz explains, "but not 'gore.' Tony's relations with manipulative women, some good, some bad, all leave him alone at the end."

 

"Fatal Females"

By M. Paul Chinitz

Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 236 pages | ISBN 9781426995309

Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 236 pages | ISBN 9781426995316

E-Book | 236 pages | ISBN 9781426995293

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

 

About the Author

M. Paul Chinitz is a retired computer engineering manager and adjunct university professor who published a technical book on computer design and numerous training manuals on computers for Univac (now Unisys). He is also the author of "Keonah Days." Chinitz lives in Pennsylvania. "Fatal Females" is his second novel.

Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC, author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an "on-demand publishing service," and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Trafford's experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 1-888-232-4444 or visit trafford.com.

###

New book takes readers on an adventure to find themselves through love, laughs and friendship

LANSDALE, Penn. - In "Keonah Days" (published by Trafford Publishing), author M. Paul Chinitz's new romantic novel, readers listen to Emmett Borden as he regales them with his tale of finding love in an unusual place.

After the death of his wife, Emmett Borden finds himself emotionally drained. Instead of continuing this way, he makes a vow to change his life for the better and once again enjoy life. He finds this new life in the sleepy town of Keonah, Iowa, where he stumbles upon a nuts and bolts store that is not all that it seems.

Here, he will begin a spontaneous adventure that will help him rediscover love, friendship and his life's purpose.

An excerpt from "Keonah Days":

"'Yes, I think so. Mina's overly protective. Too much so for a young boy; they grow too timid'. Looking straight at me, she handed me her plate and, getting up, added 'I don't think a man should be too timid either. What do you think Mr. Borden?' Without waiting for a reply she turned around and walked into the house. I decided it would be prudent to thank my host and escape."

 

"Keonah Days"

By M. Paul Chinitz

Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 304 pages | ISBN 9781426940309

E-Book | 304 pages | ISBN 9781426940965

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

 

About the Author

M. Paul Chinitz has published a book on computer design, was a contributing author on other technical books and numerous computer training manuals at Univac (now Unisys) and has been an adjunct professor at Drexel and Penn State Universities. Now retired, he enjoys writing and traveling.

Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC, author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an "on-demand publishing service," and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Trafford's experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 1-888-232-4444 or visit trafford.com.

###

Pages