Feb. 4 Ceremony Planned at Camp Lincoln in Springfield for Unit Recently Returned from Afghanistan

SPRINGFIELD, IL (02/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Approximately 20 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers will be recognized Feb. 4 by the National Guard Bureau Freedom Salute Campaign for their sacrifice and service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The ceremony will be at the Illinois Military Academy at Camp Lincoln in Springfield at 10 a.m.

Soldiers of BEST (Bilateral Embedded Staff Team) A7 returned in October after being mobilized in January 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They joined the Polish Land Forces before arriving in Afghanistan and worked as a joint unit during the course of the mobilization. The Soldiers are from various parts of Illinois and were selected for the mission based on their training and skills.

The team provided operational, intelligence, logistical, communications, engineering and planning support to the ninth rotation of Polish Forces to Afghanistan. The task force it supported was composed of almost 4,000 Polish and U.S. forces assisting more than 9,000 Afghan security forces in one of the largest provinces in eastern Afghanistan.

The team completed several ongoing construction projects designed to improve the safety and expand the reach of all security forces in the Ghazni Province.

The Soldiers also established development and transition programs for several of the less violent districts.

Most of the team participated in convoy and combat operations supporting Polish and Afghan Forces.

The Freedom Salute Campaign program is a small way to show these patriotic citizen-Soldiers, their families and employers how much their sacrifice is appreciated. On behalf of the National Guard Bureau, the Illinois Army National Guard will present each eligible Soldier with an encased American Flag, as well as a sequentially-numbered

commemorative coin, certificate of appreciation and lapel pin. Families will also receive items recognizing their support and sacrifice. The Freedom Salute Campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history. It is designed to publicly acknowledge Army National Guard Soldiers and those who supported them while deployed.

News media attending the event should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the ceremony and are required to notify the Public Affairs Office by 3 p.m. Feb. 3 or they will not be granted access onto Camp Lincoln. For more information call the Public Affairs Office at 217-761-3569.

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WHEN: 2-11-12

TIME: 1 - 4 p.m.

WHERE: Knoxville Public Library, 200 East Main St., Knoxville, IL 61448

WHAT: Edwards, a resident of Yates City, IL, will be available to sign copies of her Fiction novel, The Legend of White Sky.

White Sky's brave, independent nature have helped her accomplish many goals, but will her greatest wish, to make her father proud, ever be fulfilled? Sioux twins White Sky and Little Wolf are convinced their roles were switched at birth. While Little Wolf is timid and ponderous like a maiden, White Sky is brave and adventurous like the warriors. When the time comes for Little Wolf to accomplish a great feat to establish his place in the village, he begs White Sky to find a way out of it. Her solution is to switch places, since their parents can only tell them apart by their differing personalities. So Little Wolf must become outgoing like his sister, and White Sky has to learn to tame her tongue. While this ultimate deception is difficult at first, the twins eventually grow into their new identities. Little Wolf studies the ways of Wovoka, the village medicine man, and becomes a successful healer. White Sky proves her fearless nature by taming a rattlesnake and a baby eagle. Due to inevitable changes, the truth of the twins' identities comes out in the thirteenth year of their birth. Their father, Great Hunter, is outraged, but only with White Sky since the role reversal was her idea. He breaks White Sky's beloved bow and arrow and gives away her horse. So that she will always remember her rightful place in the village, he then places a large amulet around her neck, which she must wear until she marries. Determined that she will never marry and that she will prove her worth to her father, White Sky vows to kill the grizzly bear Evil Claw and tame the elusive wild white stallion. What she doesn't plan on is falling in love with a warrior from an enemy tribe. Will White Sky fulfill her promises to herself? Will The Legend of White Sky be forever etched upon the hearts of her people?

For more information, contact Chris Coffey at 888-361-9473 or ccoffey@tatepublishing.com

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CHICAGO, IL (01/31/2012)(readMedia)-- The following local residents made the Dean's List at DePaul University for the fall quarter of 2011:

Alyssa Phelan of Bettendorf

Mark Lazio of Davenport

Alex Wolking of Rock Island

Cody Williams of Orion

Elizabeth Knowlton of Port Byron

In order to qualify for the Dean's List at DePaul, students must earn above a 3.0 grade point average on a four point scale.

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, nonprofit university in the Midwest. The university offers 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study in ten colleges and schools on three Chicago campuses and three suburban campuses.

While GOP candidates and party faithful focus on who can best beat President Obama in November, Craig Copland is rallying conservatives to take over the country - one dog catcher at a time.

"In November 2012 we can take back the White House, majority control of the Senate, more governors' offices, scores of state legislative seats, and countless local level offices," says Copland, author of the just released 2012 Conservative Election Handbook (www.conservawiki.com), a guide to winning campaigns at any level.

"It doesn't start with the office of president," he says. "That's where it ends."

Citizens who want to see conservative governance and policies throughout the fabric of the United States can make it happen by running for local office or volunteering campaign help for conservative candidates, Copland says.

"There are 600,000-plus elected offices in this country," he says. "If America is to remain a beacon of freedom and prosperity, then conservatives need to be elected as county clerks, judges, water commissioners, mayors, school board trustees, state legislators, and every other rank of public office in the country."

His new guide, researched and written with insights gleaned from his years of managing political and non-profit campaigns, lays out clear instructions for both political veterans and newbies, stepping up to do their part for the conservative cause.

Among them: Some foolish ways to lose an election.

• Sex: Voters will forgive divorce; they won't forgive active adultery. Don't get carried away by the headiness and pressures of the campaign trail and screw up.

• Lies: Do not lie. Not about anything. You will always be found out. Your credibility will be attacked. You will lose.

• Videotape: Once you become a public figure, everything you say will be on the public record - somewhere. If not on videotape, then audiotape, in print, or in a notebook. Emails, Facebook posts and tweets live forever. So be consistent, think before you speak, and don't let your guard down. It will reappear at the worst possible time.

• Do NOT Break the rules: Every election, every state, every district and every campaign will be faced with a staggering list of rules. Learn them. Follow them. Bring accountants and lawyers on board who are experienced with the rules. If you are caught breaking even one, it could derail your campaign.

• Avoid conflicts of interest: Never let yourself be caught supporting a political action in which you have an obvious interest. Voters will respect a candidate who believes in something because it's the right thing. But if you appear to be lining your pockets, it's game over.

• Do NOT fight losing battles: Don't waste a nickel or a minute trying to appeal to the group trying to repeal marijuana laws - they'll never vote for you. And you're not going to win a precinct that voted 90 percent liberal in the last election. Focus your time and money where you can make a difference in the vote.

Raising money, of course, is a big part of winning a campaign, but it doesn't take a lot to win a less dazzling local office. It's a good place to learn the ropes of fundraising and get some practice running a campaign without a lot of pressure, he says. And there's value in winning even the most down-ballot office.

"If conservatives set out to win every elected post in the country, all 600,000-plus of them, then America will be a truly conservative country," he says, "from dogcatcher to president."

About Craig Copland

Craig Copland is a retired entrepreneur with a long history as a volunteer and professional consultant with expertise in fundraising and managing political campaigns. He spent many years as an executive and CEO of international humanitarian aid agencies, helping establish and run disaster response programs for children in Africa, Bosnia, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, among other locations. As founder and president of Conservative Growth Inc., he helps elect conservatives to all levels of public office.