Sunday, September 11, 2011 3 pm
Augustana's Centennial Hall, Rock Island
(Free event, open to the public, refreshments served)

In 2001 Churches United brought the over 5,000 people from across the Quad Cities together in the aftermath of 9/11. Once again we will reach out tA the whole area for this 10th year remembrance. People from diverse faith groups and community leaders from the Quad City area will come together to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with reflections and prayers.

Keynore speaker is Ms. Najeeba Syeed-Miller, an attorney by training who has worked extensivvely in the area of conflict resolution between diverse groups and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Interreligious Studies at the CLaremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA.

A year-long series of interfaith events in the spirit of promoting bridge-building within our community will be announced, moving forward with greater strength and deeper understanding of each other.

Services for Jose M. "Joe" Pena Jr., 49,Davenport, are 11 a.m. on Tuesday at Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home @ 614 Main Street in Davenport Iowa.
Burial is at Holy Family Cemetery, Davenport. Visitation is 4-7 p.m. Monday at Halligan Funeral Home 614 Main Street Davenport Iowa.

Joe died Aug. 2, 2011, at home.

He was born Nov. 8, 1961.

Joe was a Singer / Songwriter / Musician and a collector (of Guitars, G.I. Joe's & other collectables), selling collectables online & at various venues.    He also played extensively with The Pena Blues Band (otherwise known as the Pena Brothers) in the Quad-Cities & atMidwest Venues.   Joe recorded several CDs with his brothers & had a CD produced by the legendary Blues Artist "Buddy Guy" at Catamont Studios.
Just was a Gentle Giant with a good heart who loved his family & friends.

Joe is survived by his wife, Tammy; children, Amelia, Rolando, Guadalupe and Julio, all of Davenport, and Cayetano, Rock Island; mother, Barbara, Davenport; siblings, John, Rolando, Lyle Peña, and Danny, all of Davenport, Christina Olsen, Rock Island, and Alicia, Des Moines.

Joe will be missed.
MONTICELLO, IOWA-Fresh pineapples will be in Iowa for the 34th Annual Pineapple Sale for Camp Courageous the weekend of August 12th-14th. The pineapples will be on sale at nearly 30 Hy-Vee Stores in Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, Clinton, Coralville, Davenport, Dubuque, Iowa City, Marion, and Waterloo.  Sales are Friday, August 12thSaturday, August 13th, and Sunday August 14th. Most locations will have the ability to core and place the pineapple in a container for the customer.

The 33rd Annual Pineapple Gala, will be Friday, August 19th at the Cedar Rapids Marriott beginning at 6:00 p.m. This is one of Iowa's largest charity silent and live auction with nearly 400 items ranging from $5 to condos. An exceptional Hawaiian dinner, entertainment, and door prizes, including a trip for two to Hawaii, are planned for this year's Gala.  Volunteer Emcee for the evening will be Gary Dolphin and the volunteer auctioneer will be Todd Smith.  Tickets are $50/each or a table of 10 for $500. Auction items can be donated, or tickets can be obtained through the camp by calling Charlie Becker at 319/465-5916, ext. 2100 or e-mailing at cbecker@campcourageous.org. Many auction items can be viewed at: www.campcourageous.org. Special Camp Courageous overnight rates are available by calling the Marriott.
This year Camp Courageous will be honoring the Lions Clubs of Iowa and their support of the camp since the camp's earliest days.

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Las Vegas, August 5, 2011/ GLOBENEWSWIRE -- Allegiant Travel Company (NASDAQ:ALGT) today reported preliminary passenger traffic results for July 2011.

Scheduled Service

                                            July 2011 July 2010 Change

Passengers                     639,789        601,401             5.2%

Revenue passenger miles (000)                    581,106        553,102             5.1%

Available seat miles (000)                          622,970        627,466          (0.7)%

Load factor                         93.3%           88.1%          5.2 pts

Departures                     4,657            4,704          (1.0)%

Average stage length (miles)                        886               890          (0.4)%

Total System*

                                                July 2011 July 2010 Change

Passengers                     672,727        629,689             6.8%

Revenue passenger miles (000)                    605,331        571,048             6.0%

Available seat miles (000)                          663,055        661,443             0.2%

Load factor                         91.3%           86.3%          5.0 pts

Departures                     5,206            5,149             1.1%

Average stage length (miles)                        847               861          (1.5)%                        

*Total system includes scheduled service, fixed fee contract and non-revenue flying.

Preliminary Financial Results

                                                                                          Change

June 2011 actual year-over-year

scheduled revenue per ASM (PRASM) change                                  24.7%

June 2011 actual year-over year

scheduled total revenue per ASM (TRASM) change                          18.9%

 

July 2011 estimated year-over-year PRASM change                     23.7 to 24.1%

July 2011 estimated year-over-year TRASM change                    19.8 to 20.2%

 

July 2011 estimated average fuel cost per gallon - system                       $3.17

July 2011 estimated average fuel cost per gallon - scheduled                 $3.34

Guidance

 

Capacity guidance, subject to revision

Year over Year Growth

 

Departures

ASMs

August 2011

 

 

Scheduled

(12)%

(9)%

 

 

 

3rd Quarter 2011

 

 

System

(5) to (1)%

(5) to (1)%

Scheduled

(8) to (4)%

(5) to (1)%

 

 

 

4th Quarter 2011

 

 

System

+4 to 8%

+5 to 9%

Scheduled

+1 to 5%

+4 to 8%

 

 

 

 

 

ASMs - Available seat miles

About the Company
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company (NASDAQ: ALGT) is focused on linking travelers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations such as Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix-Mesa, Orlando, Fla., and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.  Through its subsidiary, Allegiant Air, the company operates a low-cost, high-efficiency, all-jet passenger airline offering air travel both on a stand-alone basis and bundled with hotel rooms, rental cars and other travel-related services.  In 2010, Allegiant was ranked number one for low-cost carriers in Aviation Week's Top Performing Airline study and ranked 25 on FORTUNE magazine's Fastest-Growing Companies list.  ALGT/G

Note: This news release was accurate at the date of issuance. However, information contained in the release may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

For further information please visit the company's investor website: http://ir.allegiant.com

Reference to the Company's website above does not constitute incorporation of any of the information thereon into this news release.

Under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are only estimates or predictions based on our management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Forward-looking statements include our statements regarding future departure and capacity growth. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words "guidance", "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "project," "hope" or similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements generally may be found in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Any forward-looking statements are based on information available to us today and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise.

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Quad-Cities/ July 10th, 2011 - A massive volunteer effort to clean the mighty   Mississippi   is about to begin its third phase in the place where it all began.  The Great Mississippi River Clean-Up (GMRC) is a volunteer effort coordinated by Living Lands & Waters (LLW), an East Moline, IL-based non-profit environmental group.  Last year, LLW coordinated the first-ever simultaneous clean up of the  Mississippi River .   This year, the initiative has expanded from 22 to 30 cities and has grown into a summer-long campaign.    Living   Lands   & Waters (LL&W) will launch the third phase of the 2011 Great Mississippi River Clean Up on Saturday, August 13th. Volunteers from the Quad-Cities through Keokuk will help pull garbage out of the waters and onto the shores of Muscatine  Burlington  Ft.   Madison  and  Keokuk  Iowa  and Oquawka, New Boston and   Nauvoo  Illinois  .  This year's Great Mississippi River Clean-Up began on June 11th along the shores of  Wisconsin  Minnesota  and  Northern Iowa , where volunteers pulled truckloads of discarded materials from the waters so that it could be disposed of properly.   Clean-ups previously scheduled in   Saint Paul   and Red Wing, MN and Prairie duChien, WI had to be re-scheduled because high water and fast-moving debris made it too hazardous for volunteers.

The phenomenal growth of the Great Mississippi River Clean-up, with the addition of eight more cities this year, required organizers to broaden their efforts to monthly clean-ups across the summer.  In all, 1200-1500 volunteers are expected to take part in this year's clean-up of this iconic waterway.  The final phases of the GMRC will begin September 17th and involve volunteers from  Canton  MO  through   St. Louis  MO.   Please note the dates are subject to river flood conditions

LL&W Founder and President Chad Pregracke says flooding is something LLW adapts to almost every year.  "The river is constantly changing, and because of that, we must always be prepared and able to respond."  Pregracke, who was recently recognized as a 'Service Hero' at the Points of Light Foundation's tribute to former President George H.W. Bush, Sr.  Pregracke adds that doing the clean up in phases will help bring our important message to more people.  Said Pregracke, "That's part of what Living Lands and Waters is all about:  bringing the health of our rivers to the attention of everyone who depends upon them, and then working to improve it."

The Great Mississippi River Cleanup will remove debris such as tires, barrels, propane tanks, appliances, plastic bottles and more from the waterway. Volunteers will be needed to assist in debris collection on the day of the cleanup. If possible, LL&W is also looking for people who are willing to haul debris in their boats to the boat launch where roll-off dumpsters or other disposal facilities will be in place.

 Living   Lands  and Waters is a 501(c) (3) environmental organization established in 1998 and headquartered in   East Moline  Illinois  .  LL&W has removed more than six million pounds of trash through cleanup efforts along the  Mississippi  Missouri  Ohio  Illinois  and  Potomac  rivers since its launch over 12 years ago. LL&W also coordinated flood relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina and the historic floods in  Cedar Rapids  Iowa  and   Lake Delton  Wisconsin   in 2008. 

For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, please visit www.livinglandsandwaters.org.

#

Army Veteran and Former Senior Staff Member for Gen. David H. Petraeus Erica Borggren Appointed Director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs

CHICAGO - August 5, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today appointed Erica Borggren as director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs. An Illinois native and Army Veteran, Borggren previously served as a senior staff member for Army Gen. David H. Petraeus. She replaces fellow Iraq war Veteran Dan Grant, who is leaving to pursue a post-graduate degree. Today's action is the latest in a series of appointments the Governor is making as he continues to fulfill his commitment to serving Illinois' Veterans.

"Time and again, Erica Borggren has shined in the armed forces," Governor Quinn said. "Her outstanding service makes her an excellent choice to lead the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs as it fulfills its mission to serve the brave men and women who have sacrificed for this country. I thank Dan Grant for his hard work and am confident this department will continue to excel in its achievements. "

Borggren served as a senior staffer and speechwriter for Gen. Petraeus during his time as Commanding General of multi-national forces in Iraq and as head of United States Central Command throughout the Middle East. For her service in these missions, Borggren was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Bronze Star as well as the Joint Service Achievement and Iraq Campaign Medals. She returned home to Illinois from the Middle East in 2009.

"I am deeply grateful to Governor Quinn for this opportunity to serve those who have served our country in uniform," Borggren said. "As a daughter of Illinois and a veteran who is committed to a life of public service, I am thrilled to have the chance to work with and for Illinois' Veteran community."

Prior to her time in the Middle East, Borggren served in the United States Army Medical Service Corps in Yongsan, South Korea, rising as an officer in the 18th Medical Command to a Company Commander at the 121 Combat Support Hospital, for which she was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

Following her graduation as valedictorian from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, she was designated as a Rhodes Scholar and the recipient of a Truman Scholarship. She later earned a master's degree in comparative social policy from Oxford University. Borggren currently resides with her husband Erik, a West Point graduate and chaplain candidate in the Illinois National Guard, and their son Ethan in Chicago. 

Under Dan Grant's leadership, the Department of Veterans' Affairs spearheaded legislation to improve benefits for Veterans, including the Illinois Higher Education Veterans Act and the Illinois Educational Opportunity for Military Children Act. Grant was successful in significantly increasing census counts at the LaSalle and Manteno Veterans' Homes, and he helped clear the way for the Chicago Veterans' Home. Grant also administered more than $4 million in grants from Veterans Cash lottery ticket and was key to the establishment of Veterans courts across Illinois.

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The Chick-fil-A® restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, will partner with The Quad City River Bandits to sponsor Christian Family Night at Modern Woodmen Ballpark. Christian Family Night will feature a message from River Bandits Manager, Johnny Rodriguez in the suite level at 5:45pm and a pre-game worship on the field by the Austin Tullos Band at 6:15 p.m.

Support your local church with advance tickets. $3 from each package will go to support your church! There are two ticket packages to Choose from Package #1-One Bleacher Seat for $7 or Package #2- One Bleacher Seat and one Hot Dog and Soda voucher for $11.

Those interested in participating are asked to contact Jamie Jarret at (563) 333-2746 or by email at Jamie@riverbandits.com

WHEN: Christian Family Night at the Ballpark
Friday, Aug. 12
5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Modern Woodmen Park
209 S. Gaines St
Davenport, IA 52802

Website

SPONSOR: Chick-fil-A at Davenport
2945 E. 53rd St.
Davenport, IA 52807
(563) 355-1742

Website
Facebook
Twitter

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(Friday, August 5, 2011) Lujack Chevy is proud to announce that they will be the first Quad City Chevy dealer to install an Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station. The installation will take place in the Lujack Chevy service department on Thursday, August 11, at 11:00 a.m. by a NECA member qualified local installer. A light lunch will be served

The SPX EL-50580 Voltec charging station, a Level 2 charging station, is an element in an infrastructure that supplies electric energy for the recharging of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid (electric-gasoline vehicles) or semi-static and mobile electrical units such as exhibition stands. An average charge takes 4 hours with a Level 2 EV charger. The user finds charging an electric vehicle as simple as connecting a normal electrical appliance.

The Chevy Volt offers an initial electric range of 35 miles. Along with its onboard gas generator, the Volt will average a range of 375 miles. For an average of $1.50 a day most drivers can have a gas-free and tailpipe and emissions-free commute. The Chevy Volt was named Motor Trend Magazine's 2011 Car of the Year.

Lujack Chevy, the Iowa Quad Cities' only Chevy dealer, is currently taking orders for the new Chevy Volt. Early purchasers will be able to take advantage of the Federal Government's $7500 rebate.

For more information call Gwen Tombergs, Lujack's Marketing Director, at 563-343-2058.

"After all, we haven't inherited this planet from our parents?we're borrowing it from our children." Chevrolet

Annual Observance Will Honor and Remember Illinois Servicemembers Wounded or Killed in Action

CHICAGO - August 5, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation establishing Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day in Illinois. House Bill 1537 designates Aug. 7 as an annual day to honor and remember those in the military who have been wounded or killed in battle and honored with a Purple Heart. Since the legislation will not take effect until 2012, Governor Quinn also issued a proclamation to ensure that observance of Purple Heart Day will begin in 2011.

"Men and women of the U.S. military, especially those that sacrificed life or limb, deserve the honor and respect of all Americans," Governor Quinn said. "I am proud to remember our Veterans by adding this ceremonial day for those who bravely served and protected the United States."

"The Purple Heart is an honor available to all, but desired by none," Daniel Finn said, State Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration still awarded to members of the United States military. It was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782. Initially called the Badge of Military Merit, the Purple Heart is a decoration awarded to any member of the Armed Services who has been wounded or killed in action. Since World War I, nearly two million Purple Hearts have been awarded to combat veterans, including at least 42,000 from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

House Bill 1537 was sponsored by Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) and Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora). It takes effect Jan 1.

A copy of the proclamation is attached.

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WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley today urged a key federal agency not to dilute a long-awaited transparency rule that would help disclose financial ties between medical researchers who receive billions of dollars in federal funding and the pharmaceutical industry.

"The public's business ought to be public," Grassley said.  "Transparency is a backstop against research that's compromised by doctors' self-interest, to the detriment of consumers.  Backsliding on transparency would undermine the good work done in recent years to shine a light on these financial relationships."

Grassley wrote to the Office of Management and Budget in response to a media report that the agency is proposing to weaken transparency rules proposed in May 2010 by the Department of Health and Human Services.  According to the article, the Office of Management and Budget is removing the requirement in the proposed rule for a publicly available website that would publish the outside financial interests of researchers funded by taxpayers. 

The Department of Health and Human Services includes the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is the primary means of federal funding of medical research at universities and large medical centers.  The President's proposed budget for the National Institutes of Health for 2012 is $32 billion, with about 83 percent dedicated for research around the country.

In 2007, Grassley began looking into whether universities have disclosed their professors' outside financial interests and found several cases indicating that more transparency might be helpful, including:

--The chair of the Psychiatry Department at Emory University failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from a pharmaceutical company while researching that same company's drugs with an NIH grant.  The Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is now investigating the matter.

--The chair of the Psychiatry Department at Stanford University received an NIH grant to study a drug while partially owning a company that was seeking Food and Drug Administration approval of said drug.  He was later removed from the grant.

--Three psychiatrists at Harvard University failed to report almost a million dollars each in outside income while heading up several NIH grants.  Harvard released a report on the matter, and a briefing has been scheduled with Grassley's office.

Also, the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that the NIH doesn't adequately monitor its outside grants for conflicts of interest.

A law enacted last year through Grassley and Sen. Herb Kohl will require public disclosure of drug company and medical device manufacturer payments to doctors, starting in March 2013. 

The rule proposed for NIH grants would require the research institutions to determine potential conflicts of interest grant by grant, such as whether the doctor owns shares in a company that could cause bias in his or her federally funded research.  The details would have to be posted online for public access. The Office of Management and Budget is proposing to eliminate the online requirement, according to a media article. 

"If the online requirement is gone, it will be much harder for the public to see and use this information," Grassley said. "Without public scrutiny, we'd lose a valuable layer of oversight."

The text of Grassley's letter is available here.

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