GALENA, Ill. - The Galena Area Chamber of Commerce once again plans a special weekend for "girlfriends" of all ages from Friday, Sept. 10, through Sunday, Sept. 12. This annual Galena Girlfriends' Getaway will feature sales, contests, spa specials, Quartermania and more - just for the ladies - in beautiful, historic Galena in scenic northwest Illinois.

A pre-registration fee of $15 includes a martini glass, soy wickless candle, and a chance to win a fabulous shopping spree. Girlfriends may pre-register for all activities, $70 per person, which includes the martini glass, candle, shopping spree drawing, admission to the scavenger hunt, belly dancing class, yoga class, Quartermania auction, slipper party, and Sunday brunch. Participants may also register for as few or as many activities as they choose.

The Galena Girlfriends' Weekend gets underway with the scavenger hunt from 4-7 p.m. It will be a challenging test to see just how well you know Galena. Each participant will receive a clue bag that includes hints, tips & tidbits that will aid in completing all of the questions.

The ever-popular Quartermania auction will happen once again, this time Saturday night at DeSoto House Hotel starting at 6 p.m. Ladies can buy a roll of quarters, bid on a variety of interesting items, and see who gets the fun and great bargains. A Saturday night "Slipper Party" at the Wal-Mart Supercenter beginning at 9:30 p.m. will feature games, refreshments, coupons and a gift card.

Saturday's events will also include the second half of the scavenger contest from 12-4 p.m., a belly dancing class at A Wild Clover on Main beginning at 3 p.m. (limit 25 people); and a yoga class beginning at 4:30 p.m. (limit 25 people).

Sunday's finale at the DeSoto is a brunch with your "girlfriends" as the weekend will wrap up by announcing the winners of the scavenger hunt, shopping spree and gift baskets.

Throughout the entire weekend, there are more than 55 businesses throughout Galena and Jo Daviess County that are offering specials, drawings, and events to participants of the Galena Girlfriends' Getaway.

For more event info, including venues and fees, call the Galena Area Chamber of Commerce at 815-777-9050 or visit galenachamber.com. Pre-registration is also available online at galenachamber.com. Additional area offerings and visitor information may be found at the Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau by calling 877-Go Galena or at www.galena.org. While in town, visit the CVB's Old Train Depot Visitor Information Center at 101 Bouthillier St. (corner of Park Avenue) for on-site assistance and countywide information.

WASHINGTON - Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin today announced that the United States Senate Youth Program has begun its statewide selection process.  The two selected Iowa students will join 102 other delegates March 5 - 12, 2011, for the program's 49th Annual Washington Week, an intensive week-long program educational program.

The United States Senate Youth Program brings two students from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Schools overseas to Washington, D.C.  Student delegates will visit Capitol Hill, the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, the Supreme Court and meet with Senators, cabinet officers, government leaders and policy-makers.

"The program gives students a first-hand look at all three branches of the federal government," Grassley said.  "It's a great learning opportunity for the students."

"The Washington trip gives students a birds-eye view of American government, and I encourage all eligible students to apply," Harkin said. "When smart, talented students take an interest in government it benefits all of us."

Student delegates will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship.  The leadership program is fully funded by the Hearst Foundations.

Delegate selection is coordinated by each state's chief school officer in cooperation with high school principals.  Delegates must be junior and senior elected student officers for the 2010-2011 academic year and reside in the state where they attend school.

The selection deadline is October 4, 2010.  Interested students should visit www.ussenateyouth.org and contact:

Ms. Cheryl Mullenbach

Social Studies Consultant

Grimes State Office Building

400 SE 14th Street

Des Moines, IA 50319

515/494-5610

cheryl.mullenbach@iowa.gov

Since its establishment in 1962, nearly 5,000 students have participated in the United States Senate Youth Program

Illinois Safe Children Act Helps Law Enforcement Stop Sex Traffickers; Ends Criminal Prosecution of Innocent Child Victims

CHICAGO - August 20, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today signed the Illinois Safe Children Act into law. The new law protects children in Illinois from being forced into the sex trade and gives law enforcement additional tools to fight the human-trafficking groups that exploit them. It also stops the criminal prosecution of victimized children and ensures they receive the necessary protective services.

"For too long, exploited children have been treated as criminals, while the adults who stole their innocence go free," said Governor Quinn. "Illinois does not tolerate exploitation of our children. Today, we give important new tools to aid law enforcement in this fight and help our victimized children to heal."

The Illinois Safe Children Act makes Illinois one of the first states to pass comprehensive legislation to address the human trafficking of children under the age of 18. The new law ensures that innocent children who are lured or coerced into prostitution will now be immune from criminal prosecution and will be placed in the child protection system instead of the criminal justice system.

Victims under the age of 18 will now be presumed abused or neglected and can be placed in a secure setting until a proper placement is found. Law enforcement must now report an allegation of human trafficking of a child to the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS), which must conduct an investigation within 24 hours.

Illinois' laws regarding the sexual exploitation of children will now recognize that anyone under the age of 18 is a child victim, conforming to federal law and state's human-trafficking laws. The act removes references to "juvenile prostitutes" in Illinois' criminal code, recognizing that children have no capacity to consent to their own commercial sexual exploitation and are victims of a serious sexual offense.

The new law allows the same legal tools used to fight groups selling drugs to be used against groups who traffic children. It supports investigations of these organized crime rings by adding the offenses of human trafficking and juvenile pimping to the list of offenses subject to court-ordered interceptions (wire taps). Additionally, it allows officer-safety recordings to protect undercover officers during dangerous sex-trafficking investigations.

The act allows law enforcement to impound any vehicle used for a variety of human-trafficking and prostitution-related crimes, creating a funding mechanism to support victim services and police operations. The act also limits the defense argument of pimps or traffickers who say that they "believed" that a prostituted child was at least 18 years old.

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez was instrumental to passage of the legislation and her office has led the charge in efforts to proactively address the issue by forming a specialized Human Trafficking Initiative and creating partnerships with social service providers to offer services for children who fall prey to sex trafficking.

"Many people consider the sex trafficking of children to be an international issue and not a problem that impacts us here right in our own communities, but that is not the case at all," Alvarez said. "The Illinois Safe Children Act is landmark legislation that will provide police and prosecutors with the tools that we need to aggressively tackle this crime. This new law will also put Illinois at the forefront of states who have enacted new laws to protect children from the horrors of sex trafficking."

In addition to the new law, DCFS is currently establishing an allegation of Human Trafficking of a Child in child protection investigations. Law enforcement officers and mandated reporters of abuse and neglect will be required to report to the DCFS Child Abuse Hotline whenever they have reason to suspect that a minor has been exploited by traffickers, and DCFS will investigate the allegation and provide protective, supportive and therapeutic services to these child victims.

House Bill 6462 was sponsored by Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) and Rep. Will Burns (D-Chicago) and takes effect immediately.

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