Senator Chuck Grassley released the following comment after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formally exempted milk and milk product containers from the Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Rule that is intended to prevent oil from discharging into U.S. waterways.  Grassley was a cosponsor of legislation to expedite a decision by the EPA to exempt milk containers from regulations initially intended for oil spills.

Grassley is also leading an effort to keep the EPA from placing further economic pressure on rural America if the agency chooses to impose more stringent regulations on dust. Here is Grassley's comment on the milk exemption.

"Dairy producers across the country are breathing a sigh of relief.  In an already difficult economic environment, this attempt by the EPA to apply burdensome and unnecessary regulations would have put many of these hard working dairy farmers in an extremely precarious position, and could easily have increased prices for consumers at the grocery store.  To think that milk would be treated the same as oil defies common sense.  The agency seems oblivious to the tremendous impact its rules and regulations have on the general public and agriculture in particular.  I appreciate EPA finally getting the job done and doing the right thing in this instance.  I hope this is a sign that common sense won't take a back seat to ideology in the future."

The concert includes works that are from the Renaissance through the 20^th century. Composers included on the concert are Palestrina, Byrd, Victoria, Mahler, Paulus, Gawthrop, Bertaux, Lightfoot, Naplan, Lekberg, Barnum, Mulholland, and Thompson.

The Augustana Youth Choir, under the direction of Mary Tallitsch, will also make a special guest appearance on the concert. They will be performing the works that they will be singing at Carnegie Hall at the end of May. This will be one of the few opportunities for the community to hear this fine choir of young local singers before their Carnegie Hall debut performance.

The Augustana Youth Choir will be presenting three solo works that feature the beautiful and refined sound of this treble voice ensemble. They will also be combining with the Choral Arts Ensemble for one piece - Wake Up in the Morning by Stephen Paulus. This work includes parts for youth choir, adult choir and Orff instruments.

A highlight of the concert will be a performance of Gustav Mahler's Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, sung by Quad City Choral Arts. This work is a transcription of the original work for orchestra and soprano voice and is transcribed for 16-part choir. The work is sung in remembrance of the 100^th anniversary of Mahler's death. Mahler died in May of 1911 in Vienna, Austria.

LAS VEGAS, April 11, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allegiant Travel Company (Nasdaq: ALGT) has scheduled its first quarter 2011 financial results conference call on April 28, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern). A live broadcast of the conference call will be available through the company's Investor Relations website homepage at http://ir.allegiant.com. The webcast will be also be archived on the "Events & Presentations" section of the site.

When:     Thursday, April 28, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. EST

Who:       Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Andrew C. Levy, President 

Scott Sheldon, Chief Financial Officer

How:       Web Address: http://ir.allegiant.com

Students from 28 Schools Present Final Projects to Peers, Industry

CHICAGO - April 11, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today recognized students from 28 Illinois high schools for their participation in the Illinois Innovation Talent Program. Through the program, students team up with private sector companies or public agencies to compete and collaborate on real world, problem-based learning challenges. The program is designed to improve student achievement and increase college and career readiness.

"Innovation is key to ensuring our state's long-term economic growth. This program is challenging Illinois businesses to be more innovative, while getting our future workforce ready for college and careers," said Governor Quinn. "Through the Innovation Talent Program, we're helping to enhance the learning environment in Illinois and preparing Illinois students to compete in today's global economy."

The state developed the Illinois Innovation Talent Program to help students be able to compete in the global marketplace. The initiative promotes innovation-centered education and increased student achievement in math, science and engineering. Under this unique program, Illinois high schools are paired with industry, government and community organizations to critically examine and solve complex problems. Students participate as members of diverse, interdisciplinary teams utilizing cutting-edge information technology tools.

Students compete and collaborate in a diverse set of fields, including: agriculture, healthcare, energy efficiency, renewable energy, finance and transportation. Illinois Innovation Talent also demonstrates one of the critical work-based learning functions of the proposed Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Learning Exchanges described in the State of Illinois' Race to the Top proposal.

Students from the 28 schools worked on 10 challenges through the duration of the program. Participating schools received $5,000 stipends to cover project related costs. Students met at the District 214 Forest View Education Center in Arlington Heights today to present their final projects in front of their peers and challenge sponsors. A list of participating schools is attached.

The Innovation Talent Program is administered jointly by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), with support from the state Department of Transportation and the Illinois Math and Science Academy. DCEO and ISBE contributed a combined $165,000 in federal Workforce Investment Act funds in support of the program.

Governor Quinn remains committed to fostering an environment of innovation in the state. As part of his fiscal year 2012 budget, Governor Quinn called for creation of the Illinois Innovation Council. The Council will help ensure Illinois remains on the cutting-edge in the global economy and is creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Illinois that promotes innovation and intelligent risk-taking.  The state is also helping promising entrepreneurs turn their innovative concepts and ideas into market successes while creating jobs through a wide range of programs and services supported by the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network.