The following local students have been named to the President's List at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. This academic honor is achieved by earning a straight-A grade point average of 4.0 during the Fall 2009 semester at Drake.

Kelsey Berneking of Bettendorf, IA

Lauren Brandt of Bettendorf, IA

Stephanie Gibb-Clark of Moline, IL

Drew Luder of Moline, IL

Steven Merrick of Eldridge, IA

Erika Milas of Bettendorf, IA

Taylor Odegard of Le Claire, IA

Marshall Phares of Princeton, IA

Caitlin Pryor of Bettendorf, IA

 

Abby Sheehan of Bettendorf, IA

Rachel Vogel of Moline, IL

Kelsey Wells of Bettendorf, IA

The following local students have been named to the Dean's List at Drake University. This academic honor is achieved by earning a grade point average of 3.5 or higher during the Fall 2009 semester at Drake.

Jonathon Allred of Davenport, IA

Christopher Beck of Bettendorf, IA

Kristin Blough of Davenport, IA

Leah Christensen of Bettendorf, IA

Emily Cleek of Moline, IL

Scott Copeland of Davenport, IA

Ryan Curtis of Donahue, IA

Aaron Dammann of Bettendorf, IA

Jared Dammann of Bettendorf, IA

Alise Farrell of Davenport, IA

Katherine Foley of Davenport, IA

Eder Fonseca of Moline, IL

Andrea Glasgow of Walcott, IA

Kathryn Hamilton of Blue Grass, IA

Ryan Hendricks of Rock Island, IL

Evan Lawrence of Moline, IL

Jami McCubbin of Long Grove, IA

Stephanie Merrick of Eldridge, IA

Anthony Milas of Bettendorf, IA

Mary Miller of Milan, IL

Jordan Porter of Eldridge, IA

Chelsea Rink of Davenport, IA

Charles Schwartz of Bettendorf, IA

Erika Sevigny of Davenport, IA

Elizabeth Thoms of Rock Island, IL

James VanEchaute of Moline, IL

Phillip VerBeke of Port Byron, IL

Leah Wrath of Moline, IL

Drake is a private, independent university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an enrollment of approximately 3,200 full-time undergraduate students from 45 states and 62 countries. Drake University's mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation.

$1.2 Billion Award will Fund Chicago to St. Louis Corridor; Create 6,000 Jobs

CHICAGO - January 29, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin kicked off a series of announcements in Chicago today to discuss details about Illinois' $1.2 billion federal award to bring high-speed passenger rail service to Illinois by 2014. Illinois is among only three states to receive at least $1 billion for high-speed passenger rail, which will make the trip between Chicago and St. Louis faster than driving and will provide new train equipment.

"Illinois was one of only three states in the country to receive over $1 billion for high speed rail. We appreciate the confidence of President Obama to bring high-speed rail to Illinois," said Governor Quinn. "Thanks to hard work and perseverance, our vision to have Illinois serve as the nation's high speed rail hub is becoming a reality, bringing jobs and economic growth to our communities."

The Obama Administration announced the competitive awards Thursday as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program. The investment from the federal government is expected to create approximately 6,000 jobs in Illinois. Illinois received the third largest award among 31 states chosen to share in the $8 billion made available nationwide for high-speed passenger rail. Thirty-seven states applied for funding.

"Investing $1.2 billion into improving our rail system is going to mean more jobs - jobs for today and jobs for the future," said Senator Durbin. "Today's announcement assures that Chicago, already a major rail hub of the nation, will soon become the major high-speed rail hub of the Midwest and nation.

"Today, President Obama's vision is bringing high-speed rail to Illinois and the rest of the United States," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.  "This groundbreaking program will put many people back to work in Chicago and across the country, and it will also help transform transportation for the entire Midwest region."

Illinois' high-speed rail signature route, Chicago to St. Louis, will receive $1.1 billion for corridor improvements. Improvements to this 284 mile route will allow passenger rail service to operate at speeds up to 110 mph, reducing the total trip time from Chicago to St. Louis by over an hour. The improvements include an overhaul of track, signal systems and existing stations as well as the implementation of state-of-the-art train control technology that will improve train safety. In addition, Illinois will receive $1.25 million to complete an environmental impact study for a second track along the same route.

The award for Illinois includes $133 million to build the Englewood Flyover on Chicago's South Side, a Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) project which will clear one of the largest rail bottlenecks in the nation. The improvement will eliminate significant delays for commuter trains, Amtrak trains and freight trains.

"This is great news for Illinois and the Midwest," said Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "I commend President Obama, Governor Quinn, Senator Durbin and the entire Midwest region for their leadership and commitment through a long and competitive process. I also want to express my gratitude to the staff at the Illinois Department of Transportation who have remained focused and dedicated on efforts to make high-speed passenger rail a reality in Illinois."

Thanks to multi-state steering group formed by Governor Quinn, Illinois will benefit from awards to several other neighboring states that make up the Chicago Hub Network. The region received a total of $2.6 billion - more than any other regional network. The network is designed to connect cities throughout the region to Chicago with reliable high-speed and conventional intercity rail service.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) received 259 grant applications from 37 states and the District of Columbia requesting nearly $57 billion in funding - far exceeding the initial $8 billion available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In total, 79 applications from 31 States were selected for funding.

For more information on the awards to Illinois and the other Midwestern states for high-speed rail, go to MidwestRail.org.

###

WASHINGTON. D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that $871,300 in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) from the Department of Energy (DOE) are coming to Davenport.  These funds were awarded to help the city improve its energy efficiency, reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions and create green jobs locally.  Harkin is a senior member of the panel that funds energy initiatives.

"Iowa is already a leader in clean energy production and energy conservation. This funding will further our efforts to reduce energy costs in Davenport," said Harkin. "Additionally, these projects will create good 'green collar' jobs in Iowa and support our local economy."

Nationally, this block grant program provides funds for energy audits and building retrofits in the residential and commercial sector, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is awarding $900,000 to the Wallace Center at Winrock International, Little Rock, Ark., to run the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development (HUFED) Center. This center will work to increase access to healthy, affordable foods, including locally produced agricultural products to underserved communities.

"This ambitious effort will create a national center to help establish local and regional food systems and get healthy food into low-income communities, which are important components of USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Congress created the HUFED Center in the 2008 Farm Bill. The center is designed to respond to the need to redevelop a food enterprise structure in the United States to make more healthy, affordable food available in low-income areas; to improve access for small and mid-sized agricultural producers; and to promote positive economic activities generated from attracting healthy food enterprises into underserved communities. The HUFED Center will provide training and technical assistance for food enterprises and award sub-grants to eligible entities for healthy food enterprise development.

The Wallace Center supports entrepreneurs and communities as they build a new, 21st century food system that is healthier for people, the environment and the economy. HUFED will build on Wallace's expertise in economic development through local food enterprises and will work with the National Good Food Network, a partnership of nonprofits, for-profits, researchers, government, funders and practitioners dedicated to "scaling-up" the aggregation and distribution of local food.

"The Wallace Center is a natural choice to house the Healthy Urban Food Development Enterprise Center. With years of experience in building local economies, creating new jobs, and health promotion, I have no doubt that the Wallace Center will be a tremendous asset in supporting greater access to health food, both in Arkansas and around the country," Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln said.

More information on the HUFED Center can be found online at http://www.wallacecenter.org/our-work/current-initiatives/healthy-urban-food-enterprise-development-center/healthy-urban-food-enterprise-development-center .

USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative emphasizes the need for a fundamental and critical reconnection between producers and consumers. The effort builds on the 2008 Farm Bill, which provides for increases and flexibility for USDA programs in an effort to promote local foods. Aimed at strengthening the connection between farmers and consumers, the initiative also aims to support local and regional food systems for Americans, increase economic opportunities for local farmers, and expand access to healthy food.

The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food website, at www.usda.gov/knowyourfarmer , features social media tools to help focus the public conversation about farming and food, while engaging American agriculture and linking producers to customers.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov .