DAVENPORT, Iowa. (July 18, 2014) - The first-ever Batting for Scholars Home Run Derby to benefit the Bandit Scholars Program has been rescheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21. The event will give fans and people across the Quad Cities region the chance to swing for the fences at Modern Woodmen Park.

Presented by Modern Woodmen of America and Triumph Community Bank, the Batting for Scholars Home Run Derby will include a Minors Division, with participants from Tee Ball through age 17, and a Majors Division, including all ages at a competitive level. Registration will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 21. The Minors Division event will take place at 11 a.m., and the Majors Division event will be at 2 p.m. that day. Participants receive a free River Bandits T-shirt and a ticket to a 2015 River Bandits game. Non-participants are welcome to catch balls in the outfield of Modern Woodmen Park during the derby.

"The Batting for Scholars Home Run Derby offers a great opportunity for people in the Quad Cities to show off their skills and enjoy a unique and memorable experience on the field of Modern Woodmen Park," said River Bandits owner Dave Heller. "The best part is all of the money raised at this unique event will help pay the college tuition for Quad Cities area students - perhaps in the future including one of the young participants in this first-ever Batting for Scholars Home Run Derby!"

The Minors Division will have three competitions - Single A (players in Tee Ball through levels under age 10), Double A (ages 10 to 12), and Triple A (ages 13 to 17). The top three winners in each division will receive prizes. Registration is $20 per participant, and each hitter can choose to hit baseballs or softballs. The registration deadline is Monday, Sept. 15

Majors Division will include all ages at a competitive level, hitting softball pitches. The winner will receive $200 cash and a 2015 suite rental as prizes. Registration is $30 per participant and limited to the first 50 who register. The deadline is Monday, Sept. 15.

All fans are welcome to catch balls in the outfield during the derby. Non-participants for the home run derby are asked to make a $5 donation to the Bandit Scholars Program.

The Batting for Scholars Home Run Derby registration form is available at Modern Woodmen Park and at www.riverbandits.com. More information is available by contacting Brittany Carter at 563-333-2736 or emailing Brittany@riverbandits.com.

The Bandit Scholars Program was founded in 2009 by the Quad Cities River Bandits' team owners Dave Heller and Bob Herrfeldt; the program pays the entire first year of college tuition for Quad Cities area students through the Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship and the Bandit Scholarship. The Keith Lucier Memorial Scholarship is named in honor of the late Keith Lucier, who passed away in 2009. The Bandit Scholars Program and, in particular, the Lucier Scholarship, honors Keith's strong belief in higher education and celebrates his love for sports, learning, charitable endeavors and the greater Quad Cities community. Lucier graduated from Bettendorf High School and the University of Iowa. He was the River Bandits' Assistant General Manager in 2008.

The scholarships are administered by the non-profit Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, and recipients are selected by a committee made up of Lucier's family, friends, River Bandits' staff, CFGRB volunteers and area community leaders. Awarded annually to Quad Cities area high school seniors, each scholarship includes a summer internship with the River Bandits following the winner's first year of college. Tax-free donations to the scholarship fund can be made through the CFGRB web site.

The scholarships are funded by fan donations and fund-raising efforts by the River Bandits and the team's ownership. Fundraising events include the annual Frost Fest, Bandits Race to Home 5K and Bandit Scholars Home Run Derby, set for July 26-27 this season. Through the partnership with the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, donors can make online, tax-deductible donations to the Bandit Scholars Program by going to www.cfgrb.org. Fans can also visit the Bandit Scholars Program page on the team's website, www.riverbandits.com, and follow a link to the Bandit Scholars page on the Foundation's website. Beginning with the next scholarship application cycle in 2015, students from eight Quad Cities-area counties - Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside Counties of Illinois, and Cedar, Louisa, Muscatine and Scott Counties of Iowa - will be eligible for the scholarships.

DES MOINES, IA (07/17/2014)(readMedia)-- The 2014 Iowa State Fair will feature expanded agricultural education including new activities focused on corn, soybeans, hydroponics and dairy cattle. This year's "Amazingly Amusing" celebration runs August 7-17.

This year, Fairgoers of all ages can learn about corn and soybeans at the John Deere Agriculture Building thanks to a new hands-on experience called Farm with Us. The interactive learning destination allows visitors to touch bushels of corn and soybeans and learn how crops grow. A green screen will transport families to Iowa farms for the perfect photo op. A complimentary photo will be emailed to visitors as well as printed.

A short walk from the Agriculture Building, the Animal Learning Center features two new educational experiences. The new hydroponics display teaches young and old alike about the soil-less growing of plants while the Thank a Farmer Wall invites anyone to leave a message for the hard-working farmers of Iowa.

The newly expanded Boulevard of Dairy Breeds, located in the Putney Family Cattle Barn, will focus on the six main breeds of dairy cattle in Iowa with new hands-on activities, cattle, baby calves and the I Milked a Cow display.

New to the Fair is the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Commodity Carnival located in the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building. Aimed at third through eighth graders, this activity teaches kids what it takes to raise a beef animal and how to discover profit or loss. The Carnival will be operating August 8-16 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Just north of the Animal Learning Center is Kids' Zone featuring the Blue Ribbon Kids' Club Tent and the new location of Seed Survivor. Seed Survivor teaches kids about how seeds interact with the environment. Each participant can plant their own sunflower seed to take home and grow. Blue Ribbon Kids' events begins at 10 a.m. every weekday and features make and take crafts for kids based around day-specific themes like plants, dairy cows and baby animals.

Returning to the 2014 Fair are kid-friendly favorites Ag-Venture Discovery Trail and Grape Getaway. Located next to the Animal Learning Center, Little Hands on the Farm is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Through this interactive adventure, kids can learn what it is like to do chores on a farm and earn play money to spend at the General Store.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2014 Iowa State Fair, August 7-17. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines. Discounted gate admission tickets are on sale now through our convenient print at home ticket option at iowastatefair.org. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

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LISLE, IL (07/16/2014)(readMedia)-- One hundred ninety-four students were honored for their outstanding academic achievements at the Honors Convocation and Hooding Ceremony held recently at Benedictine University.

Joann Weeks of Pleasant Valley, Iowa was presented the/recognized as a member of the Psi Chi national honors society in Psychology.

Benedictine University is an independent Roman Catholic institution located in Lisle, Illinois just 25 miles west of Chicago. Founded in 1887, Benedictine provides 55 undergraduate majors, 16 graduate and four doctoral programs.

Benedictine University is ranked No. 1 among the country's fastest-growing campuses between 2001-2011 in The Chronicle of Higher Education's list of private nonprofit research institutions, and Forbes magazine named Benedictine among "America's Top Colleges" for the third consecutive year in 2013. Benedictine University's Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program is listed by Crain's Chicago Business as the fifth largest in the Chicago area in 2013.

DES MOINES, IA (07/16/2014)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald met with the family of a Sioux City child yesterday to present a $5,290 College Savings Iowa account. Mia Cramer, age 5 months, was randomly chosen to receive the award after her grandmother, Barb, entered her for the giveaway as part of College Savings Iowa's Spring Giveaway. "This is the first grandparent to win one of our seasonal giveaways," Fitzgerald stated. "It demonstrates how families can work together to help a child accomplish their educational dreams."

"With college tuition rising faster than inflation, saving for college is not an easy task these days," added Fitzgerald. "Saving ahead of time is one of the most significant things a family can do to help make college a reality for their child. It can reduce a need to borrow to cover educational expenses, which can help families get through college with less debt."

College Savings Iowa offers a convenient, affordable, tax-advantaged way for families to start saving for their children's education. It takes just $25 to open a College Savings Iowa account, and anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest on behalf of a child. Participants who are Iowa taxpayers can deduct contributions up to $3,098 per beneficiary account from their adjusted gross income in 2014 and there are no income or residency restrictions.*

. You can also like the plan on Facebook and follow it on Twitter (@Iowa529Plan) to keep up to date on other giveaway opportunities.

*Adjusted annually for inflation if withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income. The earnings portion of nonqualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

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Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as the responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 1-888-332-7545, or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

College Savings Iowa is an Iowa trust sponsored by the Iowa State Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer of the State of Iowa sponsors and is responsible for overseeing the administration of the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan. The Vanguard Group, Inc., serves as Investment Manager and Vanguard Marketing Corporation, an affiliate of The Vanguard Group, Inc., assists the Treasurer with marketing and distributing the Plan. Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC, provides records administration services. The Plan's portfolios, although they invest in Vanguard mutual funds, are not mutual funds.