Davenport- Automotive historian Bill Jepsen will be giving an illustrated presentation on the history of the Duesenberg brothers and the auto they developed right here in Iowa! 'It's a Doozy:The Life, Times & Automobiles of German Born & Iowa Raised Fred & August Duesenberg' will be presented on Saturday March 10th at 2pm at the German American Heritage Center, located at 712 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA. Presentation lasts approximately one hour and will be followed by a question and answer session. Jepsen is the author of "Made in Iowa: Iowa's Automobiles - An Entertaining and Enlightening History." Books will be available for $25 ( a $39.99 value!)

For more information, visit www.gahc.org or call 563-322-8844. Free with admission. $5
Adults, $4 Seniors and $3 Children ages 3-17.

Photo: Fred and August Duesenberg, courtesy of Bill Jepsen

'Building Blocks' Pilot Program Will Rehabilitate Vacant Properties,
Increasing Affordable Housing and Stabilizing Neighborhoods

BERWYN - February 3, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn was joined today by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and six Cook County mayors to announce a new initiative to return vacant, foreclosed properties to productive use. An initiative laid out in the Governor's State of the State address earlier this week, the Illinois Building Blocks Pilot Program will rehabilitate vacant properties and increase affordable housing in the communities of Berwyn, Chicago Heights, Maywood, Park Forest, Riverdale and South Holland.

In the pilot phase of the program announced today, a $55 million joint commitment from the state of Illinois and Cook County will help the six communities stabilize neighborhoods, protect property values, preserve the existing local tax base and increase affordable housing stock. The localities selected for the pilot have been among those hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis.

"The Illinois Building Blocks Pilot Program is a strategic effort to help stabilize communities struggling with the foreclosure crisis," Governor Quinn said. "By turning vacant properties into affordable housing, we're assisting existing homeowners, strengthening hard-hit neighborhoods and boosting affordable homeownership options for working families."

Abandoned properties burden communities by creating blight, attracting crime and reducing the local tax rolls. On average, homes located the same block as a foreclosed property can drop $8,000 to $10,000 in value.

Returning properties to productive use benefits communities by creating jobs and increasing local revenue from property taxes and real estate taxes. Communities also benefit from increased consumer spending by contractors, as well as residents furnishing their new homes. The increase in affordable housing stock helps families starting out or starting again, and promotes economic growth.

"I am excited to partner with Governor Quinn and the state of Illinois in this joint effort to stem the tide of the foreclosure crisis in our underserved communities, and revitalize Cook County's neighborhoods," Cook County President Preckwinkle said. "We must continue to focus on a regional economic development strategy that more effectively leverages our resources to spur economic growth, and the Building Blocks program is a step in the right direction."

The Illinois Building Blocks Program, administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), has three components:

  • Financing to rehabilitate vacant properties to prepare them for productive use and for sale;
  • Assistance to homeowners to purchase homes in pilot communities; and
  • Support for existing homeowners in the communities to prevent additional foreclosures.

The rehabilitation component includes $40 million from the Illinois Jobs Now! capital program and  $10 million from Cook County to facilitate the acquisition and rehabilitation of vacant properties within the targeted areas. As the rehabbed homes are sold, funds are replenished into the revolving fund to purchase and rehabilitate additional properties. The pilot program could rehabilitate at least 500 properties in the six communities.

The second component provides $5 million in assistance for homeowners to purchase vacant properties, including those rehabilitated in the pilot project. Grants of $10,000 for down payment and closing cost assistance are available for up to 500 homebuyers purchasing vacant properties. The program also includes affordable first position mortgages for qualified buyers in order to make the cost of purchasing vacant homes in the communities as affordable as possible. The pilot also permits a lower FICO score threshold, so that a greater number of potential homebuyers can qualify for loans.

The Illinois Building Blocks Program will also help current homeowners in the six communities by providing tools to prevent foreclosure. The efforts will build on the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network (KeepYourHomeIllinois.org), launched in the Governor's State of the State address. Programs in the six communities will include free one-on-one foreclosure counseling, loan modifications, and access to financial assistance to homeowners who have trouble paying their mortgage payments due to unemployment or under-employment

The Illinois Building Blocks Pilot Program builds upon existing efforts already under way in many of these communities, particularly federally-funded Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) development.  Under Governor Quinn, Illinois has committed $58 million in NSP funding and is already restoring nearly 450 foreclosed or vacant housing units in Illinois, creating an estimated 580 jobs.

"With the highest inventory of foreclosed homes in the nation, the Chicago region requires a focused foreclosure response like the Illinois Building Blocks Pilot Program," said Mary Kenney, IHDA Executive Director. "This program represents a multifaceted approach and is an important part of Governor Quinn's overall housing strategy to address the economic, public safety and quality of life issues caused by abandoned and foreclosed properties."

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (www.ihda.org) is an independent, self-supporting bonding authority that finances the creation and preservation of affordable housing throughout Illinois. Since 1967, IHDA has allocated more than $10.6 billion to finance more than 215,000 affordable housing units for the residents of Illinois.

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February 3, 2012

On Wednesday the Senate Education Committee passed a bill to approve a 4% allowable growth for schools.  This would be an increase of $146.2 million, pushing total state expenditures on K-12 education to $2.66 billion.  There is no doubt K-12 education needs more resources however, politicians are confused on the definition of "resource."  Where Iowa once set the national standard, student achievement scores have continually slipped over the past twenty years and now we are below the national average.  We continually hear the mantra that more money will solve the problem.  There are many more aspects than money at play.  Parts of the governor's education reform package have merit.  The question is if we can get any part of it to move through the Senate.

On Wednesday the Senate Natural Resources Committee passed a bill requiring all deer stands to be tagged with the owners name, address and hunter's license number.  Supporters argued it was done to curb poaching.  Logical thought would say, people who poach probably won't put their name on the equipment they use to poach.

The Iowa House issued their budget targets for the 2013 fiscal year.  Total expenditures are projected to be roughly $100 million more than last year and $190 million less than the governor's budget.  This budget suggests the Economic Emergency Fund ($350 million), Cash Reserve Levy ($600 million), and Taxpayer Relief Fund ($60 million) accounts will all be full.  Also, it projects an ending balance of $285 million.  The fiscal health of our state is very strong as many of our neighbors look at Iowa with envy.

On Tuesday Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn stepped down.  Chairman Strawn was successful in pushing the Iowa GOP to campaign and issue successes it hasn't seen in twenty years.  Though now may be the time for transition and new leadership, I wish the Republican Party the best of luck in trying to replace him.

I always welcome your opinions, thoughts and ideas. 

Thank you for letting me serve as your voice in the Capitol.

Thank you for letting me represent the 42nd District.
hamerlinck signaturesmall.jpg
Shawn Hamerlinck
State Senator

Bloomington, IL (February 3, 2012)--State Farm reports nearly 3,000 openings across the United States and Canada.
State Farm's commitment to creating innovative solutions to serve customers and policyholders is generating employment opportunities.
"As we continue to define our workforce to best meet our customers' evolving needs, we are seeking skills and talents from numerous diverse labor markets," said State Farm Vice President Human Resources, Mary Schmidt.
Named a top employer, State Farm is a family of insurance and financial services companies that together serve tens of millions of customers. Our business lines offer more than 100 products.
State Farm has offices in all 50 states and three Canadian provinces. Current openings exist in:
  • Claims
  • Customer Service
  • IT/Systems
  • Underwriting
Stop Focusing on Money, Warns Financial 'Whiz Kid'

He was the 31-year-old stockbroker dubbed "The Wall Street Whiz Kid" by Good Morning America's Steve Crowley for his uncanny knack of predicting market highs and lows.

Now, after 25 years and two debilitating bouts of clinical depression, Peter Grandich, author of  Confessions of a Wall Street Whiz Kid, (www.confessionsofawallstreetwhizkid.com), says Americans' market-driven fixation on amassing a fortune is driving us crazy.

"The fight to keep up with the Joneses is leading to more people with intolerable levels of anxiety and stress, which contribute to serious mental health problems," says Grandich, who runs Trinity Financial Sports & Entertainment Management Co., a firm that specializes in offering professional athletes, celebrities and the general public estate planning from a Christian perspective.

A January Gallup poll found Americans at their highest money stress levels in 10 years, with 51 percent worried about maintaining their standard of living.

"Our whole culture now is built on the premise that we have to have more money and more stuff to feel happy and secure," he says. "Public storage is the poster child for what's wrong with America. We have too much stuff because we've bought into the myth fabricated by Wall Street and Madison Avenue, which rely on millions of people driven to make more money so they can profit from this insane quest."

Grandich was one of those people, he says. He loved making money, making more, and spending it. By his mid-30s, he was a multi-millionaire suffering his first disabling panic attacks. Looking back, he says, part of the problem was a life out of balance.

"My priorities were, No. 1, me, my reputation and my ego, and then my wife and our daughter," he says. "There was not much else."

Everything rode on how he did in the market, and when that wavered, Grandich grew increasingly anxious. Within a year of his first panic attack, bouts of crippling anxiety and hopelessness rooted as a deep and pervasive depression. Twice, he came to the point of attempting suicide.

In 1995, Grandich left the professional money management and brokerage business, but it took him several more years to find his way back to enjoying his life. He wants to warn others caught up in the money chase, and to offer hope to the one in 10 Americans who suffer depression.

He offers this guidance from his own experience:

• Anybody who has suffered depression more than once is at risk to go through it again. Grandich says he learned he is genetically predisposed to clinical depression because of his family history. "Be prepared to understand that it will always be with you," he says. "It's medically driven due to chemical imbalances in the brain."

• Get professional help. Without medical help you have no chance. "For me, it was talk therapy and pharmaceutical intervention to flip that chemical switch in my brain," Grandich says. "You can't just 'snap out of it' because you don't think rationally."

• It's not a sign of weakness and nothing to be ashamed about. With men especially, the "macho thing" gets in the way of seeking help, Grandich notes. It's not something that can be fixed with will power or that you can just snap out of; the brain is injured.

• Get seriously reacquainted with your Creator. Grandich grew up without religion and became a Catholic simply to marry his wife. He had no spiritual anchor and his relationship to God was "the occasional 9-1-1call." He has found comfort in recognizing that there is "someone bigger than me" in control and in having rules that make sense for governing his life. When friends ask, "What if it turns out there really is no God and no afterlife?" he says, "It's still a better way to live."

Grandich says he's grateful for the revelations he experienced, and that he found a way out of the painful darkness.

"I'm satisfied it happened for a reason, and not to use my experience to help others would be unfair," he says. "The blessing for me is, I've been shown the mess I was. There are still a lot of people out there who don't yet realize that, if money is their god, they're headed for a lot of suffering."

About Peter Grandich

Peter Grandich became renowned in the financial industry when he predicted market crashes and rebounds in The Grandich Letter, a newsletter he created in 1984. It's currently a blog featuring his commentary on the world's economies and financial markets as well as social and political topics. Grandich is co-founder, with former New York Giants player Lee Rouson, of Trinity Financial Sports & Entertainment Management Co., a firm that specializes in offering guidance from a Christian perspective to professional athletes and celebrities.

WHAT: Quad City Arts Art @ the Airport

WHEN:          March 1-April 29, 2012

WHERE:       Quad City International Airport Gallery, 2200 - 69th Ave., Moline, IL 

WHO:             Paintings by Diane Naylor, aluminum vessels by Louise Rauh, and sculptural ceramics by Elizabeth Shriver

In March and April, Art @ the Airport presents "The Labyrinth Exhibition" consisting of mixed media paintings on canvas by

Diane Naylor, from Fairfield, IA has created large, mixed media paintings which will reveal a microscopic view of the world within nature.  The ceramic sculptures of Shriver, of Iowa City, represent pods, seedlings and other organic forms that are depicted larger than life to focus attention on the beauty of each form.  The aluminum vessels of Rauh, also from Iowa City, evoke transformation, growth, deterioration and regeneration of natural life.

These three friends are well established artists who have shown together in the past at other venues. This exhibit is the artists' homage to earth's beauty through the creation of a peaceful and tranquil exhibit which aims to help the viewer transcend the chaos of the outside world.

Don't miss this is exhibit just because you don't have a plane to catch-the lights in the gallery are always on and the airport offers free parking for the first hour. Meet a friend for lunch and enjoy the art! Quad City International airport gallery is easy to access with one hour of free parking to allow plenty of time to browse the exhibit.

Quad City Arts is a nonprofit local arts agency dedicated to the growth and vitality of the Quad City region through the presentation, development, and celebration of the arts and humanities. All Quad City Arts programs are funded in part by Festival of Trees, Quad City Arts Partners and operating grants from the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency) and the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. This gallery and exhibit is generously sponsored by the Quad City International Airport.

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Soy Biodiesel Helps America's Advanced Biofuel Top 1 Billion Gallons  

ST. LOUIS (February 3, 2012) - Biodiesel became a one-billion gallon industry, setting an all-time production record last year. That's thanks in part to its predominant fuel source: soy biodiesel. U.S. biodiesel production far exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's 2011 production requirement of 800 million gallons. In fact, production reached nearly 1.1 billion gallons, which surpassed the previous record of 690 million gallons set in 2008.

U.S. soybean farmers and their checkoff helped establish soy's role in the biodiesel marketplace, originally looking for a new use of surplus soybean oil more than 20 years ago. Today, the soybean checkoff continues to support biodiesel through research and education efforts.

"As Americans, we have a need for an American fuel and the checkoff is seeing their investment start to come to fruition," says Robert Stobaugh, soybean farmer from Atkins, Ark., and United Soybean Board farmer-director. "The checkoff marketing efforts at the state and national level helped soy become the primary source and we still have room for growth."

The industry expects biodiesel production to grow even larger in 2012. And the Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuel Standard requires it to meet 1 billion gallons again next year. As production continues to increase, diesel users will be able to find biodiesel more readily than ever before.

"Biodiesel is now more available and as it expands into metropolitan areas it will be easier for the rural areas to get a hold of it," adds Stobaugh. "As our urban neighbors pick up the torch and carry it, we won't have to ask for it - fuel suppliers will already have it."

USB is made up of 69 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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Contemporary Works by Lori Miller, Connie Peterson, Mary Phelan & Angela Dieffenbach

WHERE: Quad City Arts Center Gallery, Rock Island

EXHIBITION DATES: February 17-April 6, 2012

 

RECEPTION: Friday, February 17, 7-9 pm

FREE

From February 17-April 6 at Quad City Arts Rock Island gallery, Contemporary Works by an eclectic group of women will be displayed. Lori Miller from Eldridge, IA, uses vividly colored fabrics mounted to a black background to create mosaic images. Her work is primarily inspired by nature.

Also showing is Connie Peterson, from Iowa City. Connie searched for graphic patterns in the landscape around Sutliff, Iowa, photographed them in black and white, made the images grainy and then printed them on canvas. She then painted on top of the photographs with black and white acrylic paint to emphasize select parts and push them toward abstraction.

Chicago painter Mary Phelan enjoys exploring the everyday images found in her urban neighborhood, but with an eye to the universal forces alive within them. This perspective is driven by a long-held interest in Asian design-especially the Landform School of Feng Shui, which holds, for example, that every

Electric-line or roof edge has the power to retard or accelerate Qi or life force.

Ceramic sculptor, Angela Dieffenbach, approaches clay sculpture like a chemist. Her sculptures not only resemble molecular forms, but she creates unique surface glazes by combining medications with specific atmospheric conditions within the kiln.

The public is invited to attend the opening reception on February 17th from 7-9 pm, in the gallery. Refreshments will be served and artists will be on hand to answer questions about their work.

The Quad City Arts Center Gallery is located at 1715 Second Avenue in the Arts and Entertainment District of Rock Island.  Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. All Quad City Arts programs are funded in part by Festival of Trees; Quad City Arts Partners; and operating grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; and the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. Quad City Arts is a nonprofit local arts agency dedicated to the growth and vitality of the Quad City region through the presentation, development and celebration of the arts and humanities. For more information, contact Dawn Wohlford-Metallo 309-793-1213 X108.

During his weekly video address, Senator Chuck Grassley celebrates the 25th anniversary of a major update to the False Claims Act he authored to empower whistleblowers to file suit on behalf of the federal government against contractors who fraudulently claim taxpayer dollars. The law is the most successful tool of the federal government in rooting out fraud against the federal treasury, and has helped recover more than $30 billion in taxpayer funds that otherwise would be lost, and is said to have deterred billions more.

Click here for audio.

Here is the text of the address:

This week marked the 25th anniversary of a major update of the False Claims Act.

In 1986, with Representative Howard Berman of California, I authored legislation to empower private-sector whistleblowers to come forward with valuable information about fraud by government contractors.  At that time, the focus was on defense contract fraud.  Today, these qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act have become the government's most effective tool against health care fraud, especially in Medicare.

In 25 years, the whistleblower provisions have recovered more than $30 billion for taxpayers that otherwise would have been lost to fraud.  Experts say the deterrent effect of the law to be billions more.

I'm committed - and new threats are constant - to safeguarding and strengthening this law with legislation whenever it's needed and with oversight all the time.  The broad scope of government programs where whistleblowers have helped to recover taxpayer dollars with the False Claims Act is a testament to the 1986 law's flexibility and value.

American workers also need new export markets for the goods and services they manufacture.  They need an energetic and enthusiastic effort to establish new international trade relationships for the United States.

The economy benefits from affordable energy, so domestic production has got to be a priority and a reality.  Even so, President Obama is denying the Keystone XL pipeline project.  This infrastructure project would create as many as 20,000 jobs.  The President's position works against creating jobs and getting people back to work.

Since 2009, President Obama's big spending stimulus and government intervention has failed in terms of job creation, economic growth and fiscal responsibility. We need a new direction.

On top of that, President Obama seems determined to test and even exceed the powers of his office.  America has a system of checks and balances that's generally worked for more than two centuries.  The President's interest in putting the executive branch above the other branches of government is unconstitutional and counter-productive.  It's something Americans rejected 235 years ago.

Today, finding common ground with the elected representatives of Congress would be more productive than trying to govern by edict from the Oval Office.

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Sandra Speer Wins Top Prize of $50,000 Playing "Super Crossword" Scratch Game

 

DES MOINES, Iowa - A Davenport woman said she and her husband were expecting to get a $5,000 check right up until they claimed their prize at an Iowa Lottery regional office.

Sandra Speer, 58, said she and her husband, Bob, were sure she'd won a $5,000 prize on her "Super Crossword" scratch ticket, but soon learned she'd actually won a top prize of $50,000.

"Until we got up here we thought we won $5,000, so I'm still in shock," Speer said.

Speer said even when she thought it was a $5,000 prize, Bob didn't believe her. She even took the ticket to a local retailer to have it scanned, but still was unable to clearly understand what she'd won.

"Well, she printed up a receipt, but there's no commas, so we thought it was five thousand," Speer said.

Speer said when she claimed her prize Wednesday at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids, she could've fallen over when she heard what she'd actually won. She hadn't yet told anyone the news about her big win.

"I don't know who I want to share it with first," she said.

Speer said she plans to use some of her winnings to take a vacation. She purchased her winning ticket at Casey's, 3700 W. Locust St. in Davenport.

Super Crossword is a $5 scratch game. Players win a prize by scratching the "your letters" then scratching the corresponding letters found in Puzzles 1 and 2 and the "bonus word." If players have scratched at least three complete words in Puzzle 1 or 2, they win the corresponding prize shown in the prize legend for that puzzle. If players uncover all six letters in the "bonus word" by scratching the letters that match the "your letters" they win the prize shown in the prize box.

Ten top prizes of $50,000 are still up for grabs in Super Crossword, as well as eight prizes of $5,000, 120 prizes of $500 and more than 865 prizes of $100.

Players can enter eligible non-winning scratch tickets online to earn "Points For Prizes™" points. The point value will be revealed to the player on the website upon successful submission of each eligible valid ticket. There is a limit of 30 ticket entries per day. To participate in Points For Prizes™, a player must register for a free account at ialottery.com. Registration is a one-time process. Merchandise that can be ordered by using points will be listed on the website in the Points For Prizes™ online store. Players can choose from items in categories such as apparel, automotive, jewelry, sporting, tools and more.

Since the lottery's start in 1985, its players have won more than $2.8 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $1.3 billion for the state programs that benefit all Iowans.

Today, lottery proceeds in Iowa have three main purposes: They provide support for veterans, help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund, and backing for the Vision Iowa program, which was implemented to create tourism destinations and community attractions in the state and build and repair schools.

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