Bettendorf – Come in costume and celebrate the fall season! On Sunday, October 27, from noon - 5:00 PM the Family Museum's annual event, Scarecrow Shenanigans, returns this year with even more kooky, spooky, and ooky activities. Almost every gallery and room in the Museum will be filled with art activities, games, and science projects.

In the Museum's Great Hall, visitors will construct haunted houses, get their faces painted, play Halloween games, and grab a quick snack. The Family Museum Gallery will get a spooky make-over that is not for the faint of heart - parents must give the OK for kids to enter. In our dance studios, guests can watch the Family Museum Dance Company perform, decorate a mini pumpkin, and take a turn on the "Skary-Oke" stage. Visitors are also invited upstairs to make slime out of common household items, make a skeleton craft, and dissect real eyeballs. And new this year: there will be a child-size train offering rides for children and adults in our parking lot.

Tickets are $3.00 for Family Museum members and $8.00 each for the general public.  Tickets are available now.  Everyone must have a ticket to enter - even Family Museum members. For more information please call (563) 344-4106, or visit www.familymuseum.org.  Scarecrow Shenanigans is sponsored by The Family Credit Union.

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SPRINGFIELD- Governor Pat Quinn today issued the below statement regarding the House's action to uphold the Governor's veto of House Bill 1200. The legislation would have decreased the number of days a museum or aquarium must be open free of cost to Illinois residents, which would have disproportionately limited access to lower income families.

"It's always important to ensure that our residents with modest incomes have equal access to our world-class museums and cultural institutions.

"I commend members of the House for their vote today. They did the right thing."

Coal Valley, IL - 21 October 2013 - Niabi Zoo officials announced today that the Zoo's two Asian elephants, Babe and Sophie, have arrived safely at their new home at the Little Rock Zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas. The elephants, which arrived in Arkansas this afternoon, are currently settling into their new habitat after the drive from Niabi Zoo.

After an extensive and thorough nationwide search, elephant care expert Alan Roocroft selected Little Rock Zoo as the best fit for Babe and Sophie based on a number of criteria that were mutually agreed upon between Mr. Roocroft and Niabi Zoo staff. "Our number one criteria when selecting a facility for Babe and Sophie was that it be located in a warmer climate," said Niabi Zoo Director Marc Heinzman, "and Little Rock Zoo only has a combined week or two each year when their elephants have to be kept inside. That's a major improvement  from the four to six months that we have at Niabi Zoo."

In addition to the warmer climate, Mr. Roocroft and Niabi Zoo staff also focused on the management program and staff experience at any potential facilities. "It was important to us that Babe and Sophie continue to be managed in such a way that would encourage them to stay active and healthy," said Heinzman. "Babe is overweight and Sophie has arthritis. In order to keep these conditions from worsening as they age, they need to be in a management program that has them exercise and stay mobile. Mr. Roocroft was impressed by the condition of Little Rock Zoo's elephant and the knowledge of the Zoo's elephant team."

Alan Roocroft visited Little Rock Zoo in September and prepared a report on his assessment of their management program and facilities, which was recently submitted to Niabi Zoo staff. Babe and Sophie will be joining Little Rock Zoo's one adult female Asian elephant, Zina. Babe and Sophie will be kept together while also adding to a third member to their herd, which were two other important factors to Mr. Roocroft and Niabi Zoo.

Niabi Zoo was assisted in the transport of the elephants by Feld Entertainment Inc., which operates Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Feld Entertainment Inc., the original owners of Babe and Sophie before they were donated to Niabi Zoo, donated their services and transportation expertise to Niabi Zoo. "We're extremely grateful to Feld Entertainment for helping us with what otherwise could have been a very costly procedure," said Heinzman. "Their vast experience with transporting elephants and their equipment was invaluable. Moving elephants is normally extremely costly and dangerous, and we couldn't have done it without Feld Entertainment."

Babe and Sophie, who have been at Niabi Zoo since 2000 and 2003 respectively, will be on loan to Little Rock Zoo. By loaning them, Niabi Zoo retains ownership and oversight of the elephants' future. "It was, and will continue to be, extremely important to us that Babe and Sophie stay together and leave Niabi Zoo for the best possible situation," said Heinzman, "and we're in agreement with Mr. Roocroft that Little Rock Zoo offers that."

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