The Scott County Board of Supervisors has received a request from the applicant to postpone the date of its Public Hearing originally scheduled on August 28, 2012, 5:30 p.m. at North High School Auditorium at 626 West 53rd Street in Davenport. The Public Hearing concerns the application to rezone 318 acres in rural Scott County on property located on the south side of 200th Street between Walcott and Davenport.

The Applicant has asked that the Public Hearing be postponed but no reason was given for the postponement. No new date for the required public hearing has been identified, as of yet. When that date is established public notice in accordance with Iowa and Scott County Codes will be given. Notice is given that the public hearing set for August 28, 2012 is cancelled.

Please feel free to contact Scott County Planning Director Timothy Huey at 326-8643 if you have any questions.

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Law to Increase Access to Vaccines as Kids Head Back to School

CHICAGO - August 21, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today continued his commitment to improving the health and wellness of Illinois children by signing a new law that will make it easier for them to receive flu shots and other preventative vaccines. With the start of the new school year quickly approaching and cases of whooping coughing increasing across Illinois, the governor visited pharmacies in Chicago, Rockford, Milan and Peoria to let parents know about their new options.

"We are blessed with modern medicines that can prevent illnesses, but we must make sure children have access to them," Governor Quinn said. "This new law means more children will be getting vaccinated, which means healthier children, healthier families and fewer days away from school."

Senate Bill 3513, sponsored by Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) and Rep. Dan Burke (D-Chicago), allows pharmacists to administer influenza and TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccines to children ages 10 to 13, with a valid prescription from a licensed physician. Previous law had allowed children only as young as 14 to receive these shots from pharmacists. With nearly 630,000 more children getting vaccinated, outbreaks of influenza and other diseases will be less widespread. The law takes effect immediately.

"Thanks to this legislation, families with younger children will no longer have to seek out and travel to medical facilities that may be far away. Now, they'll have the convenient option of going to any of their local pharmacies that offer these shots," said Sen. Martinez.

Governor Quinn was joined in encouraging parents across Illinois to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible by local leaders, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and pharmacists at Walgreens, CVS, Target and Kroger, which are among the many Illinois retail stores that offer vaccinations for children and adults.

"We're proud to join Governor Quinn in helping to provide greater access to immunizations for families and neighborhood communities throughout Illinois," said Mark Wagner, president of operations and community management, Walgreens. "Our pharmacists have played an integral role in improving immunization rates for flu and other diseases, and with today's legislation, Walgreens pharmacists will serve as an even more valuable health care and immunizations resource in helping people get, stay and live well."

"Expanding access to vaccinations is critical especially for children, and the collaboration between the retail pharmacy and medical community to make vaccinations more readily available is an example of sound public policy," said David Vite, President/CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association. "Allowing parents to get their children vaccinated at the local pharmacy gives them a quick, easy and inexpensive way to meet the changing vaccination needs of the public schools, and we should thank Governor Quinn and the legislature for making access much easier for busy families."

As part of August being National Immunization Awareness Month, the Illinois Department of Public Health is reminding parents and health care providers that all sixth and ninth graders are now required to show proof of having received the TDAP vaccine before being allowed to attend school. The shot includes protection against pertussis (commonly known as whooping cough) which has been on the rise in Illinois. In 2011, health care providers reported 1,509 pertussis cases to IDPH for the entire year. With five months still to go in 2012, providers have already reported more than 1,300 cases of pertussis.

"The single most important thing parents can do to protect their children against whooping cough and other preventable diseases is to receive a vaccination," said IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck.

For more information about vaccinations, please contact the Illinois Department of Public Health at 217-782-4977 or online at http://www.idph.state.il.us/home.htm.

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SPRINGFIELD - August 21, 2012. 2012 was a banner year for the Illinois State Fair.

Attendance soared 13 percent this year.  According to newly released figures from state fair officials, 918,875 people passed through the gates during the fair, which is 103,275 more than a year ago and the most since 2002. The fair concluded on Sunday.

"This was a great fair," Governor Pat Quinn said.  "Every year our State Fair team makes Illinois proud. Special thanks to State Fair Manager Amy Bliefnick, Agriculture Director Bob Flider and everybody who visited the fairgrounds, especially the buyers who demonstrated their commitment to Illinois agriculture during this difficult time for the industry."

Grandstand attendance was up four percent, thanks to strong sales from country stars Eric Church and Miranda Lambert.  Church's concert on opening night of the fair drew 12,643 spectators, and Lambert's show on the final Saturday drew 10,103.  Collectively, the acts sold 51,732 tickets, the most in 12 years.  Several records were set during the 11-day run of the fair as well.

The grand champion junior steer shown by Seaton teenager A.J. Line sold for a record $52,000, surpassing the previous high of $51,200.  It was one of five record prices fetched at the Sale of Champions, the auction of prize-winning Illinois State Fair junior livestock.  The grand champion barrow ($24,500), grand champion sheep ($17,200), Land of Lincoln barrow ($11,000) and Land of Lincoln Supreme Dairy Champion ($3,000) were the other record-setters.  The event raised $159,210, not only for the youngsters who raised the animals, but also for the state's 4-H and FFA youth education programs.

"While the attendance is gratifying and makes the effort that goes into putting on the event worthwhile, it's what can't be quantified -- the lasting memories the fair creates, that is most important.  The families who attended this year likely will never forget their trip to Springfield," Acting Agriculture Director Bob Flider said. "It's those memories that I hope will keep them coming back for years to come."

Preliminary, unaudited figures indicate revenue from admissions and parking also was up, increasing 33 percent to $1.5 million.

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Do you know what is the second leading cause of lung cancer?  I didn't, until I started to learn about Radon.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking and almost 400 Iowans a year die from radon induced lung cancer. What's more is that seven out of 10 Iowa homes have dangerous radon levels. Radon is a gas that occurs naturally in the soil underground that can get in to buildings.  You may be breathing this in every day without even knowing it.

It's also in our children's schools. Iowa is ground zero for this deadly, odorless, invisible gas, yet we have almost no radon prevention and mitigation (safely venting the radon out of a building) legislation at all.

Over the next few weeks, you'll hear from a radon cancer survivor, learn about radon in schools, and find out how you can help us get important, lifesaving radon legislation passed.

For now, I encourage you to learn more about radon in Iowa.