As severe winter weather spreads across the country, heavy snow can put a strain your roof, leaving your property at risk of costly damage.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a blizzard warning as far west as Colorado and as far northeast as Wisconsin. As a result, residents throughout the Rockies and Midwest could see significant amounts of snow on Wednesday through Friday.

If heavy snow is left on your roof, it can result in costly water damage, or even cause your roof to collapse. Safely remove snow from your roof by using the following guidance from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

Find additional resources to prevent roof damage during severe winter weather at http://disastersafety.org/freezing_weather/prevent-roof-collapse/.

SAFELY REMOVE SNOW ON YOUR ROOF

• Snow removal equipment meant for pavement should never be used on the roof since they can damage the roof cover system.
• Stay grounded. Use a snow rake with a long extension arm that will allow you to remove the snow while standing on the ground.
• You are likely not a tightrope walker, so don't use a roof rake while on a ladder.
• Hire a snow removal contractor if you feel uncomfortable removing snow from your roof. Look for an established, licensed and bonded professional. Be sure to check references, and ask to see the contractor's certificates of insurance.

for more information about how to make your buildings more resistant to a variety of disasters, large and small. Follow IBHS on Twitter at @DisasterSafety and on

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Federal Railroad Administration Issues Decision to Allow Full Build-out of Chicago-St. Louis High Speed Rail; Includes 10th Street Corridor in Springfield

CHICAGO - December 18, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today praised action by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) that clears the way for the full build-out of the Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail corridor, including a consolidated route along 10th Street in Springfield. The FRA today issued a Record of Decision that provides final environmental approval and positions the project for future federal funding that will create thousands of jobs and lead to improved passenger rail speeds, frequencies and reliability.

"Today's historic decision means Illinois will continue to lead the Midwest in the implementation of high-speed rail and 21st century transportation infrastructure," Governor Quinn said. "The decision shows that Illinois is a national model for how states and local municipalities can collaborate with the federal government and private rail partners to upgrade our transportation network, protect our environment and lay the groundwork for long-term job creation and economic prosperity. This achievement would not have been possible without the close cooperation and leadership of Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood."

"Three years ago, we arranged a meeting with federal, state and local officials in Springfield to identify a path forward on rail consolidation. Today's decision is the culmination of that effort," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).  "Tenth Street is the right decision for Springfield residents and Illinois travelers.  I will continue working with Mayor Houston, Chairman Van Meter, Governor Quinn and the Department of Transportation to make certain our effort progresses."

In addition to selecting the consolidated route along 10th Street in Springfield, the FRA selected the Rock Island Corridor as the most efficient route between Joliet and Chicago. The decision will lead to new trains and improved frequencies, which will help improve on-time performance and will ultimately reduce travel time between Chicago and St. Louis to less than four hours. The decision concurs with the recommendations included in the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that was submitted to FRA in November.

Through the leadership of Senator Durbin and Governor Quinn, Illinois has received more than $1.4 billion in federal funding to develop high-speed service between Chicago and St. Louis, which is expected to reduce travel times between the two cities and create about 6,200 direct and indirect jobs. The governor's Illinois Jobs Now! capital program has contributed $42 million toward construction. The first trains traveling at 110 mph made their successful debut on a stretch between Dwight and Pontiac during a demonstration run in October and began service for daily passengers Thanksgiving week. The project will deliver 110 mile per hour rail service between Dwight and Alton by 2015 and between Dwight and Joliet by 2017.

The FRA's Record of Decision is the final step that permits future high-speed rail design and construction work to begin once funding is available. The full build-out is estimated to carry a price tag of approximately $5 billion.

"IDOT is thrilled with this decision which marks a major milestone in our efforts to create a more modern and efficient transportation system for Illinois," Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider said. "This achievement would not have been possible without close cooperation involving state and local governments, along with our federal and private rail partners."

"We have persevered though many long meetings, discussions and studies and have successfully convinced the federal government that the 10th street approach is clearly the best approach with the least detrimental impact on the city. It is the best solution we could have hoped for with the new high-speed rail system," Springfield Mayor Mike Houston said. "I am proud to have championed this effort which saves the city from a Third Street solution that will have torn the city apart. Springfield is now positioned to lobby for hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure money from the federal government, and Springfield's residents, local businesses and workforce will be major beneficiaries of those funds."

"This is an incredibly significant day, as we move closer to the long held community goal of rail consolidation," Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter said. "I want to thank our state and federal officials, including Senator Dick Durbin, Governor Pat Quinn and IDOT Secretary Ann Schneider, for making this study a top priority, and for diligently working in the best interests of the public safety and economic development of our community. With the recommendation of the 10th Street corridor now official, I look forward to continuing to work with state and federal officials so that we can secure the funding to make this recommendation a reality."

The issuance of environmental approval through a Record of Decision is required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for federal projects that might significantly affect the environment. The EIS is required to complete the full build-out of the project, including double-tracking and route improvements between Joliet and Chicago, through the city of Springfield and from Alton to St. Louis.

The Record of Decision focuses on double-tracking the entire line, as well as 10th Street as the choice for carrying high-speed trains through Springfield. The decision also confirms that the preferred corridor for the Chicago-Joliet route is the Rock Island Corridor (RIC) instead of the existing Heritage Corridor. The estimated $1 billion cost for upgrading the RIC is $500 million less than for the Heritage, mainly because fewer grade separations would be needed.

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Red Cedar Chamber Music presents Seven Score and Ten on Saturday, February 23 at 8:00 p.m. at Brucemore. The intimate wintertime concert marks the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, featuring American music that inspired the troops, supported the war effort, and entertained those at home. Red Cedar Chamber Music's flutist Jan Boland and guitarist John Dowdall will be joined by soprano Karla Goettel. A champagne and dessert reception will be held during intermission. Tickets are $35 per person or $30 per Brucemore member. Space is limited; purchase tickets online at www.brucemore.org, by telephone at (319) 362-7375, or by visiting the Brucemore Store.

The concert presents poignant ballads like Aura Lee and Stephen Foster's Gentle Annie, lively dance tunes like Governor's Grays Schottisch and The Cruel War Quickstep, battle-inspired melodies like Ellsworth's Funeral March and Sherman's March to the Sea, and nostalgic tunes sung by soldiers both North and South like Auld Lang Syne. The artists bring an Iowa perspective to the Civil War era, interspersing the music with conversation about the impact of the war, readings from Iowa diaries and letters, and some of the earliest tunes published in Iowa.

Karla Goettel's soprano voice serves her in a career of extraordinary range. She has toured the United States, singing opera, musical theater, concerts with orchestras, and solo recitals. Karla has been a frequent soloist with Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale and Orchestra Iowa, including the 2008 Brucemorechestra concert on Brucemore's lawn. She held a 12-week contract with Old Creamery Theatre and has sung two principal roles with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. She has also performed with the Omaha, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Clinton, Dubuque, Wartburg, and Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestras. Karla was a National Opera Association finalist and was named an Outstanding Young Woman of America twice. She was selected to sing for the National Governor's convention in July 2005. Her CD, "Just Great Songs," was released in December 2007 to glowing reviews.

The Seven Score and Ten concert provides a natural partnership between two local cultural organizations?nineteenth-century chamber music in a nineteenth-century parlor. As artists in residence at Brucemore in 1983, Jan Boland and John Dowdall began performing nineteenth-century music on period instruments?an 1830 wooden flute and an 1830 gut-strung guitar. Currently celebrating its sixteenth season, Red Cedar Chamber Music continually strives to reach, challenge, and expand audiences that rarely have the opportunity to attend chamber music performances. Red Cedar Chamber musicians inform and entertain audiences, engaging them with lively commentary about the music, composers, and instruments. Their first recording, Czech Chamber Music, received a Critics' Choice award from the American Record Guide, which stated, "Chamber music should be just like this?intimate, bonding, and conversational." Red Cedar Chamber Music returned home to Brucemore in 2009, 2011, and 2012. For more information about Red Cedar Chamber Music or other Seven Score and Ten performances, visit www.redcedar.org or call (319) 377-8028.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.