Emergency Disaster Service (EDS) VolunteersDeploy Throughout Illinois & Iowa

QUAD CITIES, USA: Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) volunteers are being deployed to serve meals and provide emotional and spiritual support to those affected by the floods in Ottawa, IL and Canton, IL.

The spring flooding of 2013 has caused great water damage to property and left people homeless throughout the Quad Cities and surrounding areas.

The Salvation Army served 100+ cups of hot coffee and 200+ snacks to the city-employed sandbaggers on the Mississippi River on a very cold April evening. Steve Garrington, Quad Cities EDS Director, states that "The Salvation Army's mission is to provide a compassionate response to the Quad Cities and the surrounding areas, as well as Boston, west Texas, everywhere there is human need."

After the Barstow Levy breach, The Salvation Army supplied the Carbon Cliff/Barstow Fire Department 200 flood clean up kits. The department's staff walked door to door with the kits to be sure every home had adequate access to assistance.
Another 50 clean up kits were forwarded to East Moline Fire Stations by the Rock Island County Health Department. The Scott County Health Department is waiting for the waters to recede before they make the Salvation Army-provided clean up kits available.

Monetary donations may be sent to your local Salvation Army, online at www.salvationarmyusa.org, byphone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY.

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Center fielder, right-hander win first of Astros' monthly awards for affiliate's top player and pitcher

DAVENPORT, Iowa (MAY 2, 2013) - Quad Cities River Bandits center fielder Teoscar Hernandez is the team's Player of the Month for April, and right-hander Vincent Velasquez is the team's Pitcher of the Month, the Houston Astros announced on Thursday.

The Houston Astros Player Development Department named a Pitcher and Player of the Month at each of their four in-season minor league affiliates. These awards are chosen every month by the field staff of each team.

A 20-year-old native of Bonao, Dominican Republic, who signed with the Astros as a non-drafted free agent in February 2011, Hernandez started as the center fielder and leadoff batter in 21 of the River Bandits' 23 games in April. He hit .297 in April and led the team with 27 hits, 91 at-bats, 18 runs, seven doubles, three triples, 10 extra-base hits, 40 total bases and eight stolen bases. He is currently 10th among all Astros minor leaguers in batting average.

Velasquez, a 20-year-old native of Pomona, Calif., and a second-round draft pick by Houston in 2010, tied for the organizational leads with three wins and 31 strikeouts in April. He was undefeated in six appearances, including three starts, with two saves and a 2.45 ERA. Velasquez is holding opponents to a .156 average - second-lowest in the Midwest League. He had a 16 2/3 inning scoreless streak from April 14 to April 30, and the River Bandits are 6-0 in games he has pitched.

In April, the Astros' minor league affiliates went a combined 58-39 (.598) for the third-highest winning percentage of any minor league system, trailing only Minnesota and San Francisco. Three of the four full-season affiliates are in first place in their respective divisions, and Class-A Quad Cities (15-8 in April) is in second place in the Midwest League Western Division.

UP NEXT: Time is running out to reserve tickets for the Mother's Day Brunch on the Sky Deck of Modern Woodmen Park. Reservations must be made in advance by Monday, May 6, for the brunch preceding the River Bandits game Sunday, May 12. 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.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/02/2013)(readMedia)-- Forty-three juniors were initiated into Augustana's Aglaia Chapter of the Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society on April 14.

Mortar Board members are selected annually by their peers in recognition of their devotion to scholarship, leadership and service. Students are eligible for membership in their junior year. Each member must have at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) GPA or be in the top 35 percent of his orher class, whichever is higher. Approximately 9% of the Class of 2014 was selected to join this prestigious society.

Selected to join this group include :

Breann Nelson, a junior from Moline, Ill., majoring in psychology and sociology.

Hiba Ansari, a junior from Clinton, Iowa, majoring in business administration-management.

Sheila Ahuja, a junior from Rock Island, Ill., majoring in language arts and English education.

Taelar Hillyer, a junior from Bettendorf, Iowa, majoring in language arts and English education.

Kelsey Winter, a junior from East Moline, Ill., majoring in biology.

Eryn Maccabee, a junior from East Moline, Ill., majoring in English and Scandinavian.

The Aglaia chapter at Augustana was chartered in 1965. It succeeded an Augustana Honors Society founded in 1940 for senior women. The name comes from one of the three Greek Graces, along with Euphrosyne and Thalia. Aglaia signifies "brilliance." In 2009, the chapter received a Silver Torch award from the national organization.

Students will be recognized at the Senior Honors Convocation on Saturday, May 18th, at 12 noon at Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave. Rock Island, Ill.).

About Augustana: Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. Augustana is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Alumni include 140 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 14 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.