New Report says 91 Illinois Communities Have Achieved 100 Percent Renewable Electricity

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that a new report has found Illinois leads the nation in the number of communities using renewable electricity. The report shows 91 Illinois communities have achieved 100 percent renewable electricity, far more than any other state. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to protect our natural resources and ensure a clean and healthy environment for future generations.

"Renewable energy benefits everyone, from energy customers to Illinois farmers to anyone who breathes our air," Governor Quinn said. "This new study confirms that people around the world can look to Illinois as an example of what can be done with renewable energy."

The report was released today by the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, LEAN Energy US, the Illinois Solar Energy Association and George Washington University Solar Institute.

"This report shows the strong public demand for renewable energy across Illinois, and the potential for solar energy and wind power to drive sustainable development in communities from Carbondale to Evanston," Howard A. Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center said.

The 91 communities that have transitioned to 100 percent renewable electricity represent more than 1.7 million individuals. According to the report, demand for renewable energy from the state is more than six terawatt hours, a reduction in greenhouse gas comparable to taking more than one million cars off the road.

A 2009 Illinois law allows communities to buy their own electricity and more than 600 have done so, including the 91 who buy renewable energy directly or buy credits to help fund renewable energy development. Renewable energy includes such sources as solar, wind and biofuels.

The 91 Illinois communities that use 100 percent renewable electricity are Alton, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Bartonville, Beecher, Bethalto, Bolingbrook, Braidwood, Brimfield, Buffalo Grove, Carbondale, Cary, Champaign County, Channahon, Charleston, Coal City, Columbia, Crete, Creve Coeur, Decatur, Deer Creek, Dunlap, East Peoria, Easton, Edwardsville, Elwood, Evanston, Forest City, Frankfort, Glen Carbon, Glendale Heights, Godfrey, Granite City, Hanna City, Hartford, Havana, Henry, Homer Glen, Hopewell, Jacksonville, Kenilworth, Kilbourne, Lake Forest, Lemont, Lisle, Mackinaw, Manito, Marion, Marquette Heights, Marshall County, Mason County, McLean, Monticello, Morton, Normal, Norridge, North Pekin, Oak Park, Paris, Park Forest, Pekin, Peoria, Peoria County, Peoria Heights, Peotone, Plainfield, Riverside, Roanoke, Rockdale, Rolling Meadows, Romeoville, Roxana, San Jose, Shorewood, South Barrington, South Pekin, South Roxana, Sparland, Stanford, Stark County, Tazewell County, Toluca, Topeka, Urbana, Warrenville, Washburn, Washington, West Frankfort, West Peoria, Westmont and Woodridge.

To view the full report, visit gocleangolocal.org/illinoisreport/.

According to the Energy Information Administration, Illinois is fifth in the nation for the generation of electricity from wind power with more than seven million megawatt-hours in 2012. According to a study by the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University, the state's 23 largest wind farms created approximately 19,047 full-time equivalent jobs and supported approximately 814 permanent jobs in rural Illinois.

The Quinn administration has taken the lead in the use of renewable fuels, converting much of the state's vehicle fleet to Flex Fuel Vehicles and providing incentives for retailers to dispense biofuels. The state also offers an Alternative Fuel Vehicle rebate program, providing rebates for nearly 12,500 vehicle purchases since the program began in 1999.

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Original works by local high school students due April 11th

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that high school students in the Second Congressional District may now submit their original artwork to be considered for the 2014 Congressional Art Competition. The annual competition is hosted by the United States House of Representatives to recognize talented young artists from across the nation. The winning student from each district is invited to Washington, D.C. to attend a reception held in their honor and will have his or her artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. The deadline for artwork to be received is April 11th.

"Each year I am amazed by the talent of Iowa's students. The creativity of our talented young artists demonstrates that the arts are thriving in Iowa," said Loebsack. "For a young artist, having your artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol is quite a remarkable accomplishment. I look forward to seeing this year's entries and meeting with the winning student."

This year, to make submission of art work easier and to open the contest to as many students as possible, the winner of the contest will be chosen by the public through online voting. The submission process has also been streamlined. Details on how to submit art work are available by clicking here to visit Loebsack's website. All entries must be submitted no later than Friday, April, 11th at 11:59pm. For additional details about the competition, students should contact Dave Leshtz at 319-351-0789 or by email at david.leshtz@mail.house.gov.

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Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today led the bi-state, bipartisan, bicameral delegation representing the Quad Cities in calling for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to designate the region as an Advanced Manufacturing Community. The Quad Cities region of Iowa and Illinois has long been a hub of manufacturing innovation and this designation would reinforce the regions efforts to be recognized as a world class manufacturer. Loebsack was joined by Senators Grassley and Harkin and Representative Braley from Iowa and Senators Durbin and Kirk and Representative Bustos from Illinois in sending a letter to Matt Erskine, EDA Deputy Assistant Administrator.

"We must continue to focus on growing the economy and putting folks back to work, especially in the manufacturing field," said Congressman Dave Loebsack. "This designation will help the Quad Cities region grow their efforts to attract and maintain manufacturing companies of all sizes. Along with the recently announced Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute, being designated a Advanced Manufacturing Community will greatly benefit the Quad Cities region."

"Growing our economy, creating jobs and bolstering manufacturing has been my focus since taking office, and that is why I'm pleased to join with Congressman Loebsack in calling for our bi-state region to receive an Advanced Manufacturing Community designation," said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. "Our region's workforce is the best in the world and with this designation would be even better positioned to be home to more of the good-paying manufacturing jobs of the future."

A copy of the letter can be found here.

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Adventure Camp at Roosevelt Community Center (1220 Minnie Ave, Davenport,52802) for all school out days! Get ready for games, fun and trips as we use this Spring Break to "Explore. Learn. Create!" Care is provided from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm for children K - 5th grade. Each child will need to bring a sack lunch and water bottle. Closed toed shoes must be worn by each child. It is recommended that the child wear old clothes or clothes that are able to get dirty as we will be outside, weather permitting.

School Out Days

Grades K - 5 / Monday - Friday / March 13 - 21 / 7:30am - 5:30pm

Per Day Cost = $28.80 Res / $36.00 Non Res / SDORCC15 - 22

* Days out Starts Thursday, March 13

Spring Break Camp : 5-Day Deal

Grades K-5 / Monday-Friday / March 17-21 / 7:30am - 5:30pm

$150 Non Res / $120 Res / SDORCC23

Valid all five days of camp week, Monday thru Friday

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) recently met with representatives from the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. Capitol. Harkin and local leaders discussed a wide variety of issues, including the Rock Island Arsenal and efforts to expand the local manufacturing industry. The group also discussed progress for several infrastructure projects in the community, as well as the growing popularity of the Quad City health centers.

Each year, Harkin meets with leaders from throughout Iowa to discuss topics ranging from health care to transportation to appropriations funding. This actuality is available on the web at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sdmc-media.senate.gov/Harkin/030714_HARKIN_1_RADIO.mp3

A fact sheet highlighting Senator Harkin's work with community leaders from the Quad Cities can be found here.

A photo from the meeting can be found here.

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ROCHESTER, NY (03/07/2014)(readMedia)-- Emma Nelson of Moline, Ill., is studying abroad in Limerick, Ireland, during Spring Semester 2014. Nelson is a fifth-year-year software engineering major in Rochester Institute of Technology's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

Founded in 2008, the Study Abroad & Fellowships Office works with students, faculty members, affiliate universities and international institutions to provide RIT students with the opportunity to participate in over 250 programs in 50+ countries. Students have the option of studying abroad any time of the year whether it is through a program at one of RIT's global campuses, an affiliate semester program through one of our unique faculty led programs, or one of the short term summer programs.

These study abroad programs give students the opportunity to pursue their social, academic and professional interests in a global environment. By studying abroad, students have the chance to travel, experience new adventures, learn a foreign language, gain a different perspective on their major, immerse themselves in a different culture and develop lifelong friends, among many other things.

Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. In addition, the university offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. RIT enrolls 18,000 full- and part-time students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

For three decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT among the nation's leading comprehensive universities. RIT is featured in The Princeton Review's 2014 edition of The Best 378 Colleges, its Guide to 322 Green Colleges and The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014.

To see more of RIT's rankings and recognition, go to www.rit.edu/overview/rankings-and-recognition.

WASHINGTON, DC - In response to a new study from the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA), which found that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's (FINRA) BrokerCheck background check system routinely omits "red flag" background information such as tax liens and sales practice abuse investigations, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today issued the following joint statement:

"While FINRA has been responsive to our concerns regarding expungement of broker records, we remain concerned that crucial red flags and potential warning signs are not readily available to investors.  FINRA made a commitment to us to improve its expungement system and to provide greater transparency.  Clearly, there is some more work that FINRA needs to do.  We expect FINRA to honor this commitment and ensure that the plain and simple facts are available to investors."

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Eastside Bakery, for years a well-regarded provider of baked goods, has just opened on the corner of 15th and Harrison Street, in the heart of the Hilltop Campus Village.

"We are just so excited to be here; it just feels right." said owner and baker Nikki La Tray. "We remain close to our valued customers, and now have the visibility to attract more business. This gets us close to lots of churches, schools and residential neighborhoods, all of whom we look forward to serving."

The new space is across the street from the new Harrison Lofts residential/commercial complex, and just north of the Hilltop Plaza.

"This project involved many people, each putting the extra effort in to make it work.", said Hilltop Campus Village director Scott Tunnicliff. "Nicky came looking for space at the behest of one of the churches in our area. We ran a few location options by her, and she fell in love with this older, really cool building. From there it was a matter of her dealing directly with the owner and the city to make it happen."

The Hilltop Campus Village has conducted multiple surveys of students, residents and employees in the area asking what type of service business were most desired. According to Tunnicliff, a bakery and a place to serve fresh pizza were at or near the top of the list.

Ms. LaTray has been in business for several years and has a loyal following. "People love our bakery items, as well as our pizza. They didn't want to see us move, but I they understood our situation. I opened this morning, and was nearly sold out by 11:00am. That's a good sign."

ROCK ISLAND - Governor Pat Quinn today announced capital investments of more than $487,000 for road projects in Rock Island and Whiteside Counties, part of his Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program. The projects are part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"Our investments will make it safer and more convenient for motorists traveling through the Quad Cities area," Governor Quinn said. "The projects will also employ a number of construction workers, which will drive the local economy forward."

The projects will be managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The bridge carrying Albany Road over Interstate 88 in Whiteside County will be cleaned and painted for $297,000 by Venus Painting Co. of Valparaiso, Indiana, the lowest of six bidders.

The bridge that carries County Highway 4 and 265th Street North over Interstate 88 in Rock Island County will have substructure repairs and expansion joint replacement done by Civil Constructors, Inc. of Freeport, the lowest of five bidders at $138,526.

A side road entrance culvert will be replaced on Illinois Route 92 at 115 Avenue West in Rock Island County for $52,188 by Phoenix Corporation of the Quad Cities, Port Byron, the lowest of three bidders.

"These just-announced projects further our efforts to build and maintain state-of-the-art infrastructure to ensure the Quad Cities' role as an economic hub of the Midwest," State Representative Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) said.

The projects are part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest capital construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest capital construction programs in the nation.

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If you work hard and play by the rules, you deserve the opportunity to enjoy your golden years with dignity and financial independence. That is the American Dream.  But after countless conversations with Iowans worried about their future, I can tell you the dream of a secure retirement is slipping out of reach.

Half of Americans have less than $10,000 in savings. The retirement savings deficit - that is, the difference between what people have saved for retirement and what they should have saved at this point - has grown to a staggering $6.6 trillion. In Iowa, this trend is especially alarming. Only 32 percent of Iowans estimate that they will have enough money to live on when they stop working.

There is strong public support for retirement system reform and numerous studies and polls demonstrate that Americans are concerned about retirement security and want access to better options. A recent poll found that 85 percent of Americans are worried about their retirement prospects, and 84 percent say that all Americans should have access to a pension to be self-sufficient in retirement.

That is why I recently introduced the USA Retirement Funds Act, a bill to give millions of Americans without a workplace retirement plan the opportunity to earn a safe, secure pension benefit. The concept is simple. Employers who do not offer a pension or a well-designed 401(k) would automatically enroll their employees in a USA Retirement Fund.  Participation would be voluntary and workers who want to opt out would be free to do so. USA Retirement Funds would give middle class families the opportunity to earn a secure retirement benefit that they take with them as they change jobs and that they cannot outlive.

USA Retirement Funds would be good for business, especially small businesses. Small business owners think of their employees like family, and they want their employees to be able to retire.  But for most, setting up a pension is just too complicated and time-consuming. With USA Retirement Funds, employers would simply help their employees enroll in a fund and send along the contributions. They could also contribute to their employees' retirement savings if they want.

USA Retirement Funds would not be a new government program.  It would be a new type of 21st-century retirement plan that would be run entirely by the private sector, just like pensions and 401(k)s. USA Retirements Funds are not intended to replace 401(k)s or existing employer-provided plans. Rather, they are aimed at helping the 70 million Americans who lack access to a retirement plan at the workplace.

We are facing a retirement crisis, and we cannot continue to ignore it. My USA Retirement Funds Act would help millions of people earn a safe and secure pension and would restore the dream of a secure retirement for middle class families in Iowa and around the country.

A bill snapshot, two-page summary and a list of frequently asked questions are available online. Visit Senator Harkin's website at www.harkin.senate.gov, or follow him on Facebook www.facebook.com/tomharkin and Twitter www.twitter.com/SenatorHarkin.

A PDF version of this article can be found here.

 

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