17 Dec 2012

Resolve to Be Financially Secure in 2013

By Steve Burke

By Jason Alderman

When it comes to making New Year's resolutions, getting into good shape financially ranks right up there with losing weight and eating healthier. All three goals require discipline and planning; and, as you've no doubt experienced, it's not unusual to encounter setbacks along the way.

Don't let losing a minor battle here or there convince you to surrender on the bigger war. You'll probably have more success if you start out taking small steps, learning from your mistakes and gaining momentum as you go.

Here are a few suggestions for better managing your personal finances in the New Year:

The first step on the road to financial health is to create a budget you can live with. If you're new to budgeting or haven't been successful in the past, start slowly. For a few months write down every cent you spend: mortgage/rent, utilities, food, gas, medical copayments, credit card interest - the works. You'll be surprised where you money goes.

At the same time, compare money coming in (income) to money going out (expenses). If you're just breaking even or losing money each month, you need to boost your income and/or aggressively trim spending. Try these strategies:

  • Pay bills on time and send at least the minimum amount due. You'll avoid late fees and related interest rate increases; plus, you'll improve your credit score.
  • Balance your checking account regularly and use in-network ATMs to avoid overdrafts and fees.
  • If your employer offers flexible spending accounts, use them to pay health and dependent care expenses with pretax dollars.
  • Raise insurance deductibles and shop around for better rates.

Once you start reducing expenses, use the savings to pay down debts more quickly. Try making a table of all outstanding credit card and loan balances and their corresponding interest rates. Then, each month pay the minimum amount due on each - except pay as much as possible on the account with the highest interest rate. Once that one's paid off, move to the next-highest rate account and so on.

Another smart move is to have an emergency fund in case of financial upheaval (layoff, medical emergency, unexpected car repairs, etc.) Ideally you should save enough to cover six months' of expenses, but don't be discouraged if that sounds insurmountable: Start slowly by saving a few dollars each week. You won't miss it and your little nest egg might just save you from needing an expensive short-term loan to cover an unplanned bill.

If something terrible happened to you, would your family be protected financially? Make sure you have a valid will, durable power of attorney, health care proxy and living will. Numerous books, online articles and sample forms are available if you want to draft them yourself, but you should probably review your documents with a financial advisor or attorney to avoid potential legal problems. Also, make sure you have adequate life and disability insurance.

It's debatable how much Social Security will be able to contribute toward your retirement income in coming decades, so if you're not already participating in your employer's 401(k) plan or an IRA, make that one of your top financial resolutions.

Sticking to resolutions is never easy - if it were, we'd already be doing them. But striving to improve your financial situation now will pay off big-time down the road.

17 Dec 2012

Holiday Help is Here direct from DeWitt, Iowa

By Laura Pritchard

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=01ef5e3edf333dcd062f17429&id=daadced6fc&e=5d10eb88e0

17 Dec 2012

You Have to Hear this Soldier's Amazing Voice

By Lisa Baron
Soldier with Amazing Voice Sings "I'll Be Home for Christmas" from Afghanistan


Around Christmas time, our troops miss their families more than ever. They sacrifice that time with their families in order to protect us, but sometimes they still get homesick.

Your heart will break when you hear this Army soldier in Afghanistan who recorded a video of herself singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" for her family back home! CLICK HERE FOR THE SONG!

There are only 10 days left until Christmas, and we're quickly running out of time to send support to those 68,000 troops in Afghanistan who need it!

We know times are tough and many families are tightening their belts around the holidays, but think about how much joy you can bring to the hearts of our soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors this Christmas. Care packages start at just $24.99, enabling you to send a care packages full of goodies to someone overseas, just to remind them that we care. 

Think about how lonely it can get for our troops in Afghanistan, many are on isolated bases where they cannot easily keep in contact with their families back home. Some troops hardly ever receive mail from home, some troops sadly never get anything.

But we can change that! Please dig deep and send some support this Christmas. It can make all the difference to a lonely troop who is missing his or her family and just want's to know that someone remembers them. It could be the only mail they receive all year, and give them a huge morale boost!

Please support our troops and sponsor a holiday
care package now for our troops this Christmas.


The battle wages on in Afghanistan as our US-led coalition trains the Afghan security forces. They are in harm's way so that we enjoy our Independence and Liberty. That is why we are celebrating every one of our heroes during the Christmas season.
17 Dec 2012

Governor Quinn Hails Action by Corps of Engineers on Mississippi River Flow

By Leslie Wertheimer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Plans to Start Blasting Rock Pinnacles at Thebes; Coast Guard is Preparing Navigation Plan

CHICAGO - December 16, 2012 - Governor Pat Quinn today hailed the quick action by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin the removal of rock pinnacles near Thebes, south of Cape Girardeau, that pose a threat to barge traffic on the Mississippi River. The move comes following Governor Quinn's request last month as concerns mounted about the low levels of water on the Mississippi due to the 2012 drought. The governor also praised the leadership of Senator Dick Durbin who helped marshal federal resources to keep the waterway open.

"Keeping the Mississippi River open to commercial traffic is critically important for the economy of the state of Illinois and the entire upper Midwest," Governor Quinn said. "On behalf of the many Illinois businesses and residents who rely on the Mississippi, I want to thank the Army Corps of Engineers and Senator Durbin for their strong partnership throughout this process. We will continue taking every step necessary to help people and businesses across the state through this unprecedented drought."

The Corps has indicated that two contractors are scheduled to begin removal of the rock pinnacles at Thebes as soon as this week. The contractors started moving equipment to the area last week. On Friday, the Corps held a pre-construction meeting with the contractors to finalize plans for rock blasting and removal, as well as development of a navigation impact schedule.

In response to a November 14 letter from Governor Quinn that raised related concerns about river navigation, the U.S. Coast Guard is developing plans to manage the flow of barge traffic during the rock removal period. The Coast Guard is establishing a mobile command post to provide on-site monitoring and assistance of barge traffic control issues.

The Corps and the Coast Guard estimated that the lowest river levels should occur near December 26th, when the river is expected to hit a record low level in the mid-Mississippi River region. After the Corps removes the rock pinnacles at Thebes and the Grand Tower area, they will continue with dredging activities intended to support safe and navigable channels as much as possible.

As the Mississippi River levels have been dropping, Governor Quinn has taken quick action to bring together stakeholders and ensure that necessary steps are taken to preserve its economic vitality. The Quinn administration has been meeting regularly with representatives from the agricultural, transportation and energy industries, as well as working with the federal government to take every step necessary to maintain navigation on the Mississippi River. Governor Quinn has also ordered a number of Illinois state agencies - including the departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Natural Resources and Transportation - to stand ready to assist the effort in any way possible.

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17 Dec 2012

Governor Quinn Proclaims "Game of Change Day" in Illinois

By Rick Martin

CHICAGO - December 15, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today proclaimed "Game of Change Day" in Illinois in honor of the historic 1963 basketball game between Loyola University of Chicago and Mississippi State University that broke racial boundaries.

 

WHEREAS, on March 15, 1963, basketball teams from Mississippi State University and Loyola University of Chicago met in what became known as the "Game of Change"; and,

WHEREAS, Mississippi State basketball teams had won Southeastern Conference titles in 1959, 1961 and 1962, but were barred from the NCAA tournament due to an unwritten law preventing Mississippi schools from competing against teams with black players; and,

WHEREAS, following a 21-5 season in 1962-63, the dream of Mississippi State players to compete in the NCAA tournament was quietly supported by University President Dean Colvard and basketball Coach James "Babe" McCarthy; and,

WHEREAS, despite threats of school funding cuts, Klan violence and a court injunction to prevent them from leaving the state, twelve daring Mississippi State players and their coaches fled under dark of night in order to play Loyola; and,

WHEREAS, Loyola University Coach George Ireland - whose 100th birthday we'll observe next year - built a team comprised of four black starting players which led the nation in scoring with 91.8 points per game en route to a 24-2 record; and,

WHEREAS, on game day, as the Mississippi State players took the floor - with none of their fans in attendance - they heard their fight song being performed by the Loyola band in a gesture of sportsmanship; and,

WHEREAS, the pre-game handshake between Loyola captain Jerry Harkness and Mississippi State captain Joe Dan Gold became a poignant symbol of the end of segregation in college sports; and,

WHEREAS, the civil rights movement grew because brave individuals put themselves at risk for the greater good, such as those who participated in the Montgomery bus boycott, the Freedom Rides, Selma's "Bloody Sunday", the integration of Little Rock High School and the 1963 "Game of Change"; and,

WHEREAS, the "Game of Change" showed how sports is a positive force for social change and how one person - or two basketball teams - can truly make a difference; and,

THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim December 15, 2012 as GAME OF CHANGE DAY in Illinois in recognition of the courage of participants in what was much more than a game 50 years ago.

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17 Dec 2012

LeClaire Chamber of Commerce ANNOUNCEMENTS - Friday 12/14/2012

By LeClaire Chamber of Commerce
Now through December 21st - Online Voting for the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Annual Awards. Each Chamber Member is invited to vote. Winners and Nominees of the Annual Awards will be announced at the Chamber Annual Dinner that will be Saturday, January 26, 2013 at Steventon's Go to http://www.leclairechamber.com/design/chamber-vote.html to vote. Thank you in advance for your participation!
WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS!
Asbury United Methodist Church - 1809 Mississippi Blvd. , Bettendorf , IA. Rev. Dr. Kerrin Kirkpatrick.  563-355-5218. Asbury is a place of vital worship and exciting ministry. Our Sunday traditional service at 8:30 am and contemporary service at 11:00 am are filled with wonderful music that lifts praise and centers us in prayer. Sunday school for all ages is at 9:45 am.
Nate Bird has also joined the Chamber.  Welcome Nate!
CALENDAR
Now through December 22 - The Sweet Life will be open on Fridays & Saturdays from 11-4 until Christmas offering all kinds of treats such as cupcakes, cake pops, brownies and cookies as well as sweet gifts for the holidays!
Now through January 6th - Enright's LeClaire Super Car Wash - "Holiday Token Sale "7 tokens for $20 - each token has a value of $6.00. Tokens Make Great Gifts! Stock up for Winter!
Now through the Holidays - Faithful Pilot - Let Chef Robert and his culinary team take care of your next get together. No party is too large or too small. Holiday gathering, retirement, birthday, or just inviting friends over, we want to take care of it for you. Contact Emily 563-289-4156.
Now through the Holidays - Crane and Pelican Whole pies for the Holidays: Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple, Chocolate Cream pies, and Pineapple Rum Upside down cake. Order at (563)289-8774 or at the restaurant. Must be picked up on Saturday 12/22.

December 15th: Family Night at the Rec Center The LeClaire RecCenter, 429 N. 3rd Street (Corner of 3rd Street and Ferry) 5:30-8:00 p.m. $2.00 per person. 3 years old and under free. Games and Crafts at 5:30, Open Gym starts at 6:30. Soup, Pizza $2 per slice, other concessions available.  Come have Holiday Fun at the Rec Center !
December 18th - Who says you can't have a free lunch? The First Presbyterian Church in LeClaire offers free lunch to anyone in LeClaire once a month. Anyone, any age, regardless of need is invited. 11:30-12:30 at the LeClaire Civic Center
December 18th - Crane & Pelican Café - Dinner Featuring the Music of "Quartrio" Beginning at 5:00 p.m. Quartrio is a String Quartet will perform background music throughout dinner plus a formal concert after the 4 course meal. Details and reservations: www.craneandpelican.com
December 31st - Faithful Pilot - New Years Eve 2012 - Seating available 5, 7, and 9pm - 563.289.4156. And, from 11pm-1am, Chef Robert and his culinary team are preparing some bites for you to ring in the New Year. $15 per guest with champagne toast.
December 31st - Crane and Pelican Café - 3 Seatings for New Year's Eve 4pm, 6pm and 8pm. $49.95 for 3 courses including a glass of ChampagneDetails and Menu at http://www.craneandpelican.com/
SAVE THE DATE
January 8th - Chamber Networking Luncheon - Crane and Pelican - noon
January 26th - Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner - Steventon's
FYI
The River Cities' Reader Annual Best of the QC Survey Vote online at http://www.rcreader.com/best-of-qc/survey.php?sid=72 now to February 1, 2013. There are fifty questions, but you only have to answer 15 or more to make your ballot count.  Results will be published in the Spring of 2013. Pass this link along and vote for your favorite area eating and drinking establishments!
SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND
Meals for Seniors at the First Presbyterian Church, LeClaire every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12 noon. Good food and a time to visit with others. Please call 563-289-3646 and make a reservation 2 days in advance.
Trivia Nights in LeClaire at the LeClaire Civic Center
2013 Trivia Nights:
January 12th - LeClaire Community Library
February 9th Coe Noack Memorial Scholarship
April 6th - LeClaire Little League
April 27th - Civic Club
May - LeClaire Lions TBD
June 8th - Buffalo Bill Museum
LeClaire Trivia Nights have raised over $95,000 for local non-profit organizations! Thank you for your continued support!
LeClaire Park Board Special Events Calendar (clip and save)
Spring 2013 - Spring Fling Easter Egg Hunt ( Hollyhock Park )
Spring 2013 - Cinco de Mayo
French Market Days 2013 -May 18th, plant exchange, sale benefiting Parks Dept.
Summer 2013 - City-Wide Water Explosion ( Hollyhock Park )
Summer 2013 - Bike Parade & Decorating
Summer 2013 - Tug Fest
www.LeClaireChamber.com and visit the Chamber on FaceBook!

17 Dec 2012

Holiday closings for Waste Commission of Scott County

By Brandy Welvaert
DAVENPORT, IA–Waste Commission of Scott County facilities will close at noon Monday, Dec. 24 and will remain closed Tuesday, Dec. 25. Facilities will reopen Wednesday, Dec. 26. Facilities also will close at noon Monday, Dec. 31 and will remain closed Tuesday, Jan. 1. Facilities will reopen Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Facilities include the following:

  • Scott Area Recycling Center, 5640 Carey Avenue, Davenport
  • Scott Area Landfill, 11555 110th Avenue, Davenport
  • Scott Area Household Hazardous Material Facilities, Davenport and Buffalo
  • Electronic Demanufacturing Facility, 1048 East 59th Street, Davenport

Waste Commission of Scott County is an inter-governmental agency whose mission is to provide environmentally sound and economically feasible solid waste management for Scott County. For more information about the Commission, please call (563) 381-1300 or visit www.wastecom.com.

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17 Dec 2012

2013 Brings New Sights, Sounds and Events to St. Louis

By Donna Andrews

ST. LOUIS -- December 14, 2012 -- Here's a New Year's resolution that's fun to keep: resolve to visit St. Louis to enjoy what's new in 2013.

Each year brings big surprises to the St. Louis scene. During Lucky '13, visitors can experience new sights, sounds and events at some of the Gateway City's famed attractions.

Greet 2013 by saying buh-bye to 2012 at the artsy, family fun celebration called "First Night® Saint Louis." This year's theme, "A Traveling Circus," brings acrobats, clowns and jugglers to entertain revelers in St. Louis' Grand Center arts and entertainment district. The creative fete rings in the New Year on Monday, December 31 from 6 pm to midnight. Revelers of all ages can take in 60 performances at more than 12 venues, two free fantastic firework displays and free outdoor shows throughout the evening. Admission on site is $12 for adults and $6 for kids. Discount admission is available in advance for $10 and $5 at www.grandcenter.org.

The Gateway City's nightspots and hotels host spectacular New Year's Eve parties to greet 2K13. They're going to party like it's 1929 at the Fountain on Locust. The Art Deco-style dining and luxe dessert establishment presents a Speakeasy Spectacular and Prohibition Bootleggers' Ball. An over-the-top soiree, complete with an extravagant laser light show, lights up Three Sixty. Located atop the St. Louis Hilton at the Ballpark, the sky-high venue features spectacular 360-degree views of Downtown St. Louis and was named one of the Top Ten Rooftop Bars in the World. You'll be "Puttin' on the Ritz" by dancing in the New Year at the Lobby Lounge party at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. For information about these events and special New Year's hotel packages throughout St. Louis, click on the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission's website at www.explorestlouis.com.

St. Louis' Forest Park is always a "go to" location for visitors and will have even more to offer in 2013. The New Year brings an expansion to the Saint Louis Art Museum, new habitats at the Saint Louis Zoo, and popular outdoor theatre offerings.

See more of the world-class collection at the Saint Louis Art Museum when its highly anticipated expansion opens with a two-day-long festival on June 29 and 30, 2013. New galleries, an underground parking facility, a café and restaurant are just the beginning of the 200,000 square foot addition. The $162 million project means visitors will now be able to view more works from the museum's collection that places it among the top 10 comprehensive art museums in the nation. Founded in 1879, the museum's existing building was designed by architect Cass Gilbert and used as the Fine Arts Palace for the 1904 World's Fair. Admission to the Saint Louis Art Museum is always free.

Also in Forest Park, you can now come face-to-face with some of the Saint Louis Zoo's most popular animal residents. Visitors can't get enough of the newest wet and wild exhibit, Sea Lion Sound. Rising over the central hub of the zoo in Forest Park, the 1.5-acre, $18 million habitat includes a 35-foot-long underwater viewing tunnel -- the first in North America -- where visitors will see the animals swimming around them. Marine mammal residents include 11 California sea lions and four harbor seals. An 811-seat arena offers shows where the marine mammals will display their natural swimming, diving, balancing and sliding behaviors daily during the summer and in weekend shows in the spring and fall. Daily sea lion feedings and keeper chats also get visitors close to the sleek and powerful animals. Admission to the Saint Louis Zoo is always free.

Spotlights shine in Forest Park when The Muny, the nation's largest outdoor theatre, kicks off its 95th summer season in 2013. The seven musicals, four of which are Muny premiere, included Les Misérables, Mary Poppins, Nunsense, Shrek?The Musical, South Pacific, Monty Python's Spamalot and West Side Story. The massive park also is home to the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis which brings the comedy Twelfth Night to life this May 24 through June 16.  Free performances are held nightly, except Tuesdays, in Shakespeare Glen near the Saint Louis Art Museum.

During 2013, thrill seekers will pilgrimage to Six Flags St. Louis, a Mecca for Midwest rollercoasters, for the inaugural season of Boomerang.  The new, 125-feet-tall steel coaster will have brave riders twist, turn and shout during a 50 miles-per-hour, heart-pounding ride along 1,650 feet of twisting, corkscrew, looping track.  Boomerang is the ninth coaster at Six Flags St. Louis which is home to more roller coasters than any other theme park in Missouri.

The Magic School Bus® rolls into The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum and parks its Kicks Up A Storm exhibit there from February 9 through May 27, 2013. This electrifying exhibit features three interactive and hands-on Magic School Bus environments, in which parents and children will have a great time learning about different types of weather and weather prediction. Visitors will get an in-depth and behind the scenes look at scientific weather measurements, weather tools, maps, graphs and the various natural indicators we can use to understand and predict weather patterns.

For details on these events and everything that's happening in St. Louis during 2013, check out the detailed Calendar of Events at the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission's user-friendly website at www.explorestlouis.com.

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Follow St. Louis on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest information on what's happening in the Gateway City. www.facebook.com/ExploreStLouis; http://twitter.com/explorestlouis

 

17 Dec 2012

Lt. Gov. Simon, Sen. Durbin to meet with U.S. Army Corps, business leaders for Mississippi River update

By Annie Thompson
EAST ALTON - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will join Senator Dick Durbin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, business officials and local stakeholders to discuss the Corps' response to low water levels in the Mississippi River. The Army Corps will brief attendees on the Corps' efforts to keep commerce flowing on the river.
"The Mississippi River is a vital economic resource, allowing goods to be transported around the country. I look forward to hearing from federal officials and stakeholders on efforts to keep barge traffic moving and sustain the economy dependent on river commerce," Simon said.
Simon, chair of the state's Mississippi River Coordinating Council, has urged the Army Corps to take necessary steps to prevent the RIVER'S shutdown. According to the American Waterways Operators, a national trade association representing tugboat, towboat and barge owners and operators, a potential closure preventing barges from transporting goods would jeopardize $7 billion in products during December and January alone.
DATE: Monday, Dec. 17
TIME:   8:30-9:30 a.m. meeting (closed to press; b-roll opportunity during final five minutes);
9:45 a.m. press conference
PLACE: Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station at the National Great Rivers Research & Education Center, 1 Confluence Way, East Alton
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17 Dec 2012

Statement from Governor Pat Quinn on Tragic Connecticut Elementary School Shooting

By Nafia Khan

CHICAGO - December 14, 2012. Governor Quinn issued the following statement regarding today's tragic massacre in Connecticut:

"I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the horrific massacre that occurred today at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

"All of Illinois prays for the victims of this senseless violence and their families. May God bless the immortal souls of all those who lost their lives. In their remembrance, I have ordered all flags across Illinois to be flown at half-staff beginning today.

"We know firsthand from the tragedy that took place on February 14, 2008 in a classroom at Northern Illinois University that guns have no place in any school, at anytime, anywhere in Illinois or America.

"It is the foremost duty of government to protect public safety, especially the safety of children and students.

"As governor and as a parent, I intend to spearhead passage of strict laws that will protect our children and the people of Illinois from gun violence."

 

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