Early Introduction of Nissan LEAF Driven by State's Targeted Green Investments

CHICAGO - August 25, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today joined representatives from Nissan to announce that its zero-emissions, all-electric LEAF will arrive early in Illinois, thanks to the Quinn administration's targeted green state investments in car-charging technology and strong interest among Illinois consumers. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's ongoing commitment to ensuring that Illinois continues its leadership in sustainability and the green economy while protecting consumers.

"Illinois is laying the groundwork for electric vehicles and a more green economy, and our efforts are paying off," Governor Quinn said. "By investing in electric vehicle technology, both the state of Illinois and Nissan are making transportation in our state more efficient, sustainable and affordable."

The Nissan LEAF is the first and only 100-percent electric, zero-emission vehicle available on the mass market. Early rollout of the vehicle in Illinois was driven in part by availability of electric vehicle charging stations in the Chicagoland area. Throughout this year, 280 car-charging stations are being installed throughout the metropolitan area thanks to a $1 million investment from Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital program and an additional $1 million grant secured by the city of Chicago through the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program.

"Governor Quinn, Mayor Emanuel and other visionary Chicago-area leaders have paved the way for mass market adoption of electric cars in their community," Scott Becker, senior vice president, Administration and Finance, Nissan Americas said. "Chicagoland consumers want a transportation solution that uses no gas and produces no emissions, and the introduction of the Nissan LEAF to Illinois makes that a reality."

Nissan has accelerated the timeline for the LEAF rollout in Illinois due to strong consumer demand spurred by rising gas prices, the spread of charging infrastructure and the availability of state incentives to encourage the adoption of electric and other alternative technology vehicles. In addition to a $7,500 federal tax credit for alternative fuel vehicles, Illinois also offers up to $4,000 in state rebates, making the LEAF an affordable option for consumers.

The LEAF is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the most efficient car it has ever certified, regardless of fuel, rating a gasoline-equivalent of 99 miles a gallon, with a range of over 100 miles per charge. It was named as the 2011 Eco-Friendly Car of the Year by Cars.com, ranked as the top green car of 2011 by the Kelley Blue Book and was chosen by international journalists as the 2011 World Car of the Year.

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WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a major disaster declaration for several Iowa counties including Benton, Clay, Dickinson, Marshall, Story and Tama counties.  This declaration triggers the release of federal funds to help communities in this area recover from the severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding which occurred July 9 - 14, 2011.  According to FEMA, additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and it is warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FEMA will now provide public assistance to Benton, Clay, Dickinson, Marshall, Story and Tama counties through the Public Assistance Program.  The Public Assistance Program assists state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

All Iowa counties are also eligible to apply for assistance through the Hazard Mitigation Grant program.  The Hazard Mitigation Grant program assists state and local governments and certain private non-profit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural hazards.

Grassley sent a letter to President Obama asking him to grant Governor Terry Branstad's request to declare Iowa a major disaster area as a result of the severe storms, flooding and tornadoes that began on July 9, 2011.

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Iowa City, IA - Riverside Theatre, Iowa City's only professional theatre company opens its 31^st Gilbert Street season with the rolling world premiere of the free-wheeling one-woman show, Feet First In The Water With A Baby In My Teeth by Iowa City playwright and actor Megan Gogerty.

The show runs Sept. 9-Oct. 2, at Riverside Theatre, 213 N Gilbert St, Iowa City. The show is directed by Los Angeles guest artist Alexis Chamow and performed by Gogerty.

Feet First In The Water With A Baby In My Teeth is a mostly-true story about a woman who gives birth and then a few years later becomes a mother.

"Feet First is about Megan's attempts to be a working artist, ardent feminist and a mom.  And Alexis came to Iowa City to direct the play with her baby girl in tow. Talk about art imitating life and vice versa," said Riverside Theatre Resident Artist and Production Manager Ron Clark.

Sharing stories of a harrowing trip to New York City with a baby, being trapped in a house with a moody toddler, and Dolly Parton as a feminist icon Gogerty uses her quick wit and sharp-eye to take on politics, pop culture and parenting.

"Everything in this story is true. And some of it actually happened," Gogerty said.

Feet First In The Water With A Baby In My Teeth is a rolling world premiere with Atlanta's Synchronicity Theatre. After its initial premiere in Iowa City, the show will have a second premiere at Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta in December as part of their Bold Voices Series where the show will run from Dec. 2-19.

"Rolling world premiere is an initiative of the National New Play Network - of which Riverside Theatre is a proud new member.  Theatres are encouraged to mount the same new play within a twelve-month period. The result is a 'rolling world premiere' through which a playwright develops a new work with different creative teams, for different communities of patrons - and hopefully attains the polish and momentum needed to attract the attention of other producers," said Riverside Theatre Artistic Director Jody Hovland.

"When Megan premiered her last solo show at Riverside Theatre in 2008, Megan Gogerty Loves You Very Much, she continued to develop the script throughout the run and afterwards, so that by the time she toured it to Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta later that season, it had morphed into Hillary Clinton Got Me Pregnant.  So this time around it seemed like a no-brainer to include Synchronicity in our conversation about this new premiere - and they were as excited as we were." 

Feet First In The Water With A Baby In My Teeth features scenic design by Scott Olinger, lighting design by Drew Bielinski, sound design by Gogerty, and original music by Christopher J. Clark.

Feet First In The Water With A Baby In My Teeth runs September 9 - October 2 at Riverside Theatre. Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for over 60/under 30, and $15 for youth (18 and under). $15 college student rush tickets are available 20 minutes prior to the show with valid ID.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.riversidetheatre.org, by phone at (319) 338-7672 or at the Riverside Theatre Box Office, which is located at 213 N. Gilbert St, Iowa City. Box office hours are: 12 - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Riverside Theatre will celebrate its 31^st season opening with a reception at Chait Galleries, 218 E Washington St, Iowa City, on Sept. 1 from 5:30-7 p.m. This will be a chance to meet and mingle with the playwright and the director a week before the show opens. Suggested donation for this event is $10. 

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MOLINE, IL-- As part of Western Illinois University-Quad Cities' 100th anniversary celebration, set to begin in 2012, WIU-QC staff are calling on Quad Cities-area references to search their photo albums and memory banks.

The WIU-QC Anniversity Committee is seeking photographs and/or media and information related to WIU's presence in the Quad Cities (students and instructor photos; building shots; etc). The anniversary committee is also looking for individuals to interview who may have attended classes at Villa de Chantal and other original WIU sites; who had a relative attended WIU classes in the Quad Cities many years ago; and former professors and students who taught or attended classes in the Quad Cities; etc.

Photos/information and interviews will be used to create a documentary of WIU's history throughout the years in the Quad Cities to air on WQPT. WIU University Television and University historians/archivists will produce the documentary.

To contribute photos and other information by Dec. 30 , contact Tami Seitz at

(309) 762-9481 or TS-Seitz@wiu.edu. Photos, at least 300 dpi JPEG format, should be emailed to Seitz.

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