$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.

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To meet the public request for U. S. passports, Scott County will provide extended hours (ONLY Passport Services) once a week for the month of February. In addition to regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Scott County Recorder, Rita Vargas, will offer extended passport acceptance hours to accommodate applicants whose work and school schedules conflict with the general office hours.  These hours will be Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., only on these dates: February 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2010.

"I am very pleased with the significant increase in the number of request for passports we are seeing in the Recorder's Office. We have received numerous inquiries regarding after hour service for passport services and wanted to accommodate those request with no overtime cost to the county.  We have been encouraging anyone planning to travel outside the U.S.to apply for their passport early and my guess is people are taking that advice" says Vargas.    Applications will be provided on site.  Each minor child applying for a passport must appear in person.

Requirements for Passport Application can be found at www.qcpassport.com or www.scottcountyiowa.com at the Recorder's link.

Please bring the following items with you when applying for your passport:

1. Evidence of Citizenship: One of the following 3 documents must be submitted with your Application and will be returned with your new passport.
   0. Birth Certificate: A certified copy of Birth Certificate issued by the county or state. A notarized copy or a hospital birth certificate is not acceptable.
   1. Naturalization Certificate: A person who claims US citizenship by naturalization must submit the original Certificate of Naturalization with the application.
   2. Expired Passport: This is acceptable. However, if the child was under 16 when the passport was issued, you must submit a certified copy of the birth certificate along with the expired passport.
2. Two (2) Identical Passport Photos: (2"x 2" color) Front view of applicant, taken within the last six months.   The Recorder's does offer photo services for $8 per person fee.
3. Personal Identification: A valid driver's license (not driver's permit).  Expired ID is not accepted. Anyone under 18 must have a parent along with the parent's ID for parental consent and signature. Both parents' signatures are required for children under 16.
4. Payment: Each passport should be paid by two (2) checks or money orders as indicated below (debit or credit cards are not accepted):
   • $25 payable to "Scott County Recorder" and • $75 payable to "U.S. Department of State" - Valid 10 Years 
   (if under 16 years of age - $60 - Valid 5 years)

Two families are departing from the Quad Cities; they are among the more than 1,300 Snowball Family Members traveling tto North Texas via American Airlines

FORT WORTH, Texas - More than 1,300 spouses and children of fallen military personnel will receive a Texas-sized welcome when they arrive in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex on Dec. 9, as part of the annual Snowball Express event. This is the first time Snowball Express has traveled to North Texas.

Each year, Snowball Express, a volunteer, not-for-profit organization, arranges an all-expenses-paid trip to provide hope and new memories for the children and spouses of military men and women who lost their lives while defending our nation. Mayors and governors across the U.S. have proclaimed Wednesday, Dec. 9, as "Snowball Express and American Airlines Day."

"For the families of these fallen heroes, it is a remarkable experience that can greatly help in their grieving process after sustaining such a profound loss," said Micki Sander, Snowball Express Chairperson. "It is extremely moving to hear participants talk about their experience with Snowball Express and what it has meant to them and their families."

American Airlines returns as the official airline of Snowball Express and is providing eight chartered aircraft for the Snowball families, who will be traveling from around the United States. BP is generously donating fuel for the Snowball Express aircraft.

"All of us at American Airlines are truly grateful to our military servicemen and women and their families for the sacrifices they have made to protect the freedom our country enjoys," said Roger Frizzell, Vice President Corporate Communications and Advertising at American Arilines. "This year, we are particularly excited to fly the Snowball Express families to Dallas/Fort Worth - our hometown - where they will be able to enjoy all of our area's top attractions and, of course, get the biggest and best welcome in true Texas style."

This year's Snowball Express trip runs Dec. 9-13.  The families will enjoy numerous activities, including:

· Ranch & Rodeo Day - Visits to the world-famous "Dallas" South Fork Ranch, as well as the Mesquite Championship Rodeo.

· "Day in the Life of Texas" event at the Dallas Convention Center.

· Day with the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks, which includes meeting with the Dallas Cowboys football players and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders for football and cheerleading clinics. Entertainment will be provided by award-winning actor Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band.

· The Dallas Mavericks have also generously donated American Airlines Center seats for Snowball families to attend the Mavericks' Dec. 12 game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

· Several restaurants including Eddie Dean's, Mi Cocina, Humperdink's, and Chili's-as well as Ben E. Keith Company-are donating meals to feed Snowball families

Including volunteers and donors, this year's Snowball Express event in North Texas will bring together nearly 2,000 people to pay tribute to these fallen American heroes and to create new memories for their families.  To find out more about becoming a sponsor, or to view the list of all Snowball Express corporate and non-profit sponsors, please visit http://www.snowballexpress.org/partners/partners.html

About Snowball Express

The mission of Snowball Express, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is to provide hope and new memories for the children of fallen military heroes who have died in active duty since 9/11.  Since 2006, Snowball Express has hosted an annual event that brings children of fallen military heroes together for a few days of fun.  In 2007, nearly 800 children and more than 300 surviving spouses attended the annual Snowball Express event.  Snowball Express has no paid staff.  It has approximately 25 volunteers who work year round on the "main event."  Ninety-seven percent of all collected cash donations go directly to the event.  When in-kind donations of more than $3 million are included, the total percentage of funds expended for fundraising and general administrative costs is less than one percent. www.snowballexpress.org