The Loop riverfront circulator will operate special hours on Monday, December 31 to accommodate New Year's Eve festivities.  The service will run its regular route beginning at 6PM and will end with the last stop in Bettendorf  at 2:45AM.  Four buses will be in operation that evening -- two traveling in a clockwise direction and two running the route in a counter-clockwise direction each hour -- giving riders more frequent service and increased capacity for the busy night.

The Loop riverfront circulator gives riders easy access to downtown attractions in Bettendorf, the Village of East Davenport, Davenport, The District in Rock Island, and Moline.  It is a safe and enjoyable way to travel among popular venues and enjoy local festivities.  The brightly colored orange retro-style buses - with stadium seating, huge windows, full glass ceilings, and friendly drivers -  are easy to spot and comfortable to ride.  Buses may be boarded either at a designated "Loop Stop" or by flagging the bus down in "The Loop Zone", which is anywhere along the route in the downtown areas.  Please note that all downtown hotels are on The Loop route, making it extra easy to bring in the New Year safely.

Cost: $1 per trip or $3 for a day-pass, 50 cents for those over 60, the disabled and those with a Medicare card.  Additional information about The Loop bus service, including downloadable .pdf's of the New Year's Eve schedule and The 2012-2013 Loop Rider's Guide, may be found at www.qctransit.com.

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"At MOPS International, our hearts are broken for the families in Newtown, Connecticut. We're lifting them in prayer, asking for God's divine comfort to surround them. While our heads cannot make sense of this horrific tragedy, our hearts are overwhelmed with love and concern for these moms and dads, friends and community members in Newtown, Connecticut," says Sherry Surratt, CEO and President of MOPS International {Mothers of Preschoolers}

Dear moms,

My heart hurts as I grieve today with the families in Newtown, Connecticut. The questions of, "why?" and, "how could this happen?" swirl in my head as I try to make sense of such a horrific tragedy. My head and heart are overwhelmed when I think of the loss and pain these families are facing and I desperately want to help. I know you do as well. While we can't undo what has occurred, we can join together and do what moms do best: offer unconditional love and support, and an unshakeable foundation of strength and courage in the face of pain and loss.

I'd like to invite you to join MOPS International in a National Call to Prayer for moms, by moms. Please join us this Wednesday, December 19, at 9:45 a.m. Central Time, to observe a moment of prayer as we lift up the families who were devastated by this shooting. Specifically, we'd like to pray for the moms whose hearts are broken, that they will feel God's arms surrounding them during the difficult days ahead.

I'm also praying for families across our world, whose hearts are filled with fear as they consider these events. None of this makes sense, and fear feels close and crippling. On behalf of moms everywhere, I'm calling out to the God who holds each of us in his big comforting hands. I'm crying out for the moms, who even this day, dealt with fear and anxiety. I'm praying this verse on their behalf.

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you. I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Psalm 16:11

God truly is our rock of comfort and strength, even when nothing around us makes sense. At our Denver MOPS office, we'll be gathering this Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. Central Time (8:45 a.m. Mountain Time) to join hands and pray. We'll be crying out to the rock that is higher than us on behalf of the dear families in Newtown, and for moms everywhere. Will you join us?

We will also be inviting moms to share their prayers at www.facebook.com/MOPS.Int

About MOPS INTERNATIONAL
Denver-based MOPS International is a non-profit ministry that creates communities to help "Better Moms Make A Better World." Since 1973, MOPS International has served millions of mothers and families in thousands of local MOPS groups across the U.S. and in 38 countries internationally.  MOPS ministries include Classic MOPS, Teen MOPS, Military MOPS, International MOPS and MOMSnext.  MOPS is the best in the world at creating authentic communities of growth that invite women into a spiritual relationship.
www.MOPS.org www.MOPS.org/groups www.facebook.com/MOPS.Int www.youtube.com/MOPSint

Des Moines, December 17, 2012–The Iowa Supreme Court Lawyer Trust Account Commission is accepting applications for grants under the Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) program for the grant period that begins July 1, 2013. IOLTA program grants are awarded to public purpose projects that provide legal services to low-income persons in civil cases, law-related education, and other programs that improve the administration of justice in Iowa.

Under recently adopted changes in chapter 44 of the Iowa Court Rules, applicants now must file one copy of their application in paper form and one copy in electronic form. Organizations may obtain a copy of the revised rules and grant application forms (paper and electronic) by contacting the Lawyer Trust Account Commission, Judicial Branch Building, 1111 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50319; by calling (515) 725-8029; or by electronic mail to iolta@iowacourts.gov. Application forms also may be downloaded from the Commission's web page on the Iowa Judicial Branch web site at:

http://www.iowacourts.gov/Professional_Regulation/Attorney_RegulationCommissions/IOLTA

The Commission must receive completed grant applications no later than 4:30 p.m., Friday, March 8, 2013. The Commission will then review the applications and seek approval from the Iowa Supreme Court for awarding the grants. Grant recipients will be announced in late May or early June of 2013.

The Iowa Supreme Court created the Commission to provide legal services to low-income persons in civil cases using the interest from lawyers' pooled trust accounts. The lawyers' pooled trust accounts hold clients' funds that are so small in amount or held for such a brief period that it is not possible for interest on the funds to financially benefit the individual clients. Previously, attorneys' trust accounts earned no interest. The first grants awarded under the IOLTA program were made in June, 1986. To date, the Commission has awarded more than $23,203,000 in grants.

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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin work on blasting rock pinnacles threatening barge traffic 

EAST ALTON, Ill. - December 17, 2012. As work begins to blast away rock pinnacles posing a hazard to barge traffic on the Mississippi River, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon participated in a meeting today convened by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, members of Illinois' Congressional Delegation and industry stakeholders to discuss the Corps' response to the Mississippi's near-record low water level. During the meeting, the Corps provided a briefing on their efforts - including removing the rock pinnacles between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill., and increasing dredging - to maintain water flow on the Mississippi.

"The Mississippi River is a vital economic tool that enables our farmers and companies to efficiently ship goods around the world. Transporting those goods on our roads or by rail will cost many times more than shipping them along the river, and many of our Illinois companies - who employ thousands of hard-working men and women - cannot afford those costs. I would like to thank Sen. Durbin for convening this panel of experts, and I look forward to working together to preserve this important economic engine," Simon said.

In addition to Simon, Durbin and the Army Corps of Engineers, the meeting was attended by U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL-12) and representatives from stakeholder industries such as agriculture, shipping, coal and petroleum.  A complete list of meeting attendees is attached.

"We came together as users and stakeholders, industry and government interests, concerned about low water levels on the Mississippi and the effects it could have on the economy locally, regionally, and nationally," Durbin said. "I look forward to continuing to work together in a productive way to build on the successes we've had in the last few weeks to maintain navigation on the river."

Today, Army Corps contractors will begin demolishing rock pinnacles posing a hazard to barges along a fifteen-mile stretch of river near Thebes. Both contractors will use specialized "drill rig barges" to drill large holes into bedrock, insert blast material and remove the rock. Assistant Secretary Darcy agreed to expedite the blasting process, which is expected to last 30-45 days, following a meeting with Sen. Durbin and several other senators.                               

On Dec. 7, Lt. Governor Simon, chair of the Mississippi River Coordinating Council convened a meeting with officials from the Corps to discuss the impact the 2012 drought has had on water levels of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The Lt. Governor also wrote to U.S. Army Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy, urging federal officials to intervene to help preserve the river.

Water levels are already approaching 1989's record drought levels, and barges are currently required to carry lighter loads. Mississippi River commerce is estimated to be a $180 billion a year industry. If water levels drop below nine feet, barge traffic from St. Louis to Cairo, Ill. could be shut down. Trucks utilize more fuel than barges, and barges are able to carry a larger volume of goods than trains or trucks. According to the federal Government Accounting Office, the cost of trucking goods is nine times higher than the cost of transporting products by water.

In addition to blasting, the Corps is also planning to increase dredging along the river. Besides the dredging machine already in use, the Corps mobilized a second dredging machine last week and has identified other dredging ships which can be used, if necessary, to keep the river open to traffic.

The Mississippi River is a critical transportation artery for essential commodities like corn, grain and oilseeds, coal, petroleum and other products. The financial impact of a river shutdown could be far reaching. This summer's historic drought has caused the Mississippi's water level to fall to historic lows, threatening navigation of the river. Recent rainfall and weather forecasts have improved the Mississippi's outlook, though the water level could still fall to a record low as soon as Dec. 26.

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