45th Annual Celebration of Pioneer Bridge Builders

On October 11-12, 2014 the 45th Anniversary of the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival will be celebrated in Winterset, Iowa, with the theme "Timeless Treasures".  The six remaining covered bridges, some over 140 years old, are center-stage during this much-loved community festival and celebration.

The Festival runs from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm daily on the courthouse lawn in downtown Winterset, Iowa.  Entry to the festival grounds is $2 each day which children ages 11 & under being free.  Parking is free with shuttle services to outlying lots and various other Festival venues.

Guests to the Covered Bridge Festival will enjoy old-fashioned demonstrations including sheep shearing, woodcarving, jewelry, and pottery making.  A quilt show, car show, Spelling Bee, festival food, plus two live entertainment stages offer something for everyone to enjoy.  Horse and carriage rides through the Winterset City Park are available as well as scavenger hunts, a re-enacted civil war battle, and courthouse tours.

A collectable coin is struck each year commemorating local historic structure.  This year the North River School is featured which many Madison County residents remember fondly and housed lessons from 1874-1945.  Local artist Kristy Hoefing provided original artwork for the coin.

For more information or to schedule an interview, call the Madison County Chamber of commerce at 515-462-1185 or visit the website:  www.MadisonCounty.com.  Images are available upon request.

As a courtesy to our customers, the Scott County Recorder's Office will have extended passport hours and a discount on passport photos.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 4:30-7 pm.

Saturday, September 27, 2014 9 am-1 pm.

*Photo Discount $5 each (Reg. $8)

www.scottcountyiowa.com/recorder

MADISON, Wis. (Sept. 5, 2014) - The Mississippi River Parkway Commission is inviting motorists to travel the Great River Road during the second annual celebration of Drive the Great River Road Month in September.

Drive the Great River Road Month is an open invitation to plan a fun and memorable road trip along the nearly 3,000-mile National Scenic Byway that runs through 10 states, from Minnesota to Louisiana. It is one of the oldest, longest and most unique scenic byways in North America, offering a gateway to the Mississippi River Valley's great history, the blending of cultures and a host of recreational options to all visitors.

The long list of must-see attractions and exciting family-friendly events is certainly a big draw for visitors along the Great River Road. There are magnificent natural wonders, captivating historical sites and unique cultures to experience. Many travelers also take interest in the Great River Road's agriculture, exploring the area's delightful orchards, cheese factories, nurseries, tree farms, wineries and farmers markets.

To help celebrate Drive the Great River Road Month, the Drive the Great River Road Month Sweepstakes will be held from Sept. 1-30, offering travelers a chance to win $500 to use on their own trip along the Great River Road. More information can be found on www.experiencemississippiriver.com and www.facebook.com/GreatRiverRoad.

Plan a day's drive or a month-long excursion along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway with the help of www.experiencemississippiriver.com. Here you'll find information on all the Great River Road states, interpretive centers (museums and historic sites showcasing the stories of the Mississippi), upcoming events and must-see attractions, along with suggested itineraries and maps to help plan a trip that's just right for you.

You can also find the Great River Road on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/GreatRiverRd or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/TheGreatRiverRoad.

Funding Will Improve Capacity, Safety on Joliet-Dwight Segment

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced a $102 million investment from the Illinois Jobs Now! capital program to improve system performance and reliability on a key segment of the Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail line. The investment will allow the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Union Pacific Railroad to move forward with construction of a new bridge over the Kankakee River near Wilmington, as well as other safety and capacity enhancements along the busy corridor between Joliet and Dwight. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and build a 21st century infrastructure that will drive Illinois' economy forward.

"This investment is going to put people to work and take us one step closer to completing the high-speed rail connection between Chicago and St. Louis," Governor Quinn said. "None of this work on the Chicago-St. Louis high-speed line would be possible without the outstanding cooperation of the Union-Pacific Railroad. Investing in our Chicago-St.Louis line today will pay dividends to Illinois residents for years to come."

The $102 million investment will build a second set of tracks between Mazonia and Elwood, including the new Kankakee River bridge to accommodate the increased capacity. The work, which will be performed by the Union Pacific Railroad and overseen by IDOT, will take place in 2016 and 2017. The $102 million investment, part of the $550 million the governor identified in Illinois Jobs Now! to improve passenger rail service across the state, will create or support 918 construction jobs.

Once completed, the improvements will eliminate about five minutes in travel time immediately and put the final upgrades in place between Joliet and Dwight in anticipation of the eventual double-tracking of the remainder of the Chicago-St. Louis corridor. This double-tracking will then allow more daily round-trips at increased 110-mph speeds.

"We value the public-private partnership between IDOT's Bureau of Railroads, the Federal Railroad Administration and Union Pacific Railroad in making the rail corridor between Chicago and St. Louis the premier high-speed passenger corridor in the county,"  Union Pacific Railroad's Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs Wes Lujan said.

Today's announcement pushes the state's total commitment to the Chicago-St. Louis route to $358.8 million, with the remainder of the $1.7 billion project federally funded. Trains currently travel at 110 mph between Dwight and Pontiac. By the end of 2015, the trip between Chicago and St. Louis will be reduced to 5 hours from the current 5½ hours. When all of the improvements are finished in 2017, the trip will have been reduced even further to 4½ hours.

For more information on the high-speed rail project, visit www.idothsr.org.