Quad Cities Interfaith is putting on one of their spectacular Trivia Nights! Inspired by the Academy Awards, the night will consist of a wide variety of trivia, time spent with friends, and most importantly supporting a good cause!

Join QC Interfaith and friends, Saturday February 21st at Sacred Heart Davenport for a fun-filled night of trivia. The doors will open at 6 with the games beginning at 7:00pm.

The entrance is $10 a person, or $80 for a table of 8. QC Interfaith will also be providing snacks and drinks for purchase. To RSVP call 563.322.4910.

Thank you, Quad Cities, for your continued support!

More than 13,000 Girl Scouts are gearing up for an unprecedented cookie season.

Cookie sales begin Friday, February 13, 2015.

With the addition of cookie sales online, organizers expect this year to be busy.

"Our online sales are a convenient addition to our traditional cookie booths and door-to-door sales. Our customers will now be able to order their favorite Thin Mints or Caramel deLites from the comfort of their own home, or they can depend on local Girl Scouts to sell cookies at their front door," said Nikki Habben, Chief Operating Officer at Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.

Girl Scouts aren't required to participate in the 100-year old cookie program, but more than 13,000 girls in the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois council have chosen to participate in the largest girl-led business in the world.

"Thousands of girls participate in this program because it really challenges them to learn skills they'll use the rest of their lives like goal setting and money management," said Habben.

Proceeds from each box are used to support local programs offered within the council.

To find your nearest box of Girl Scout cookies, go to www.GirlScoutCookies.org.

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About Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois: Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development program for girls where girls can have fun, make new friends and learn new things in a safe all-girl setting. Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serves approximately 18,000 girls in 38 counties. For more information, visit GirlScoutsToday.com or call your local Girl Scout Leadership Center at 800-798-0833.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2015 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of more than $16 million in funding to support research, education and Extension efforts to improve food production and increase food security, defined as regular access to affordable, nutritious food. NIFA is funding the grants through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Food Security program.

"Agricultural production is inextricably linked to the health of our nation, and every American deserves access to safe, nutrient-rich food," said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director. "This funding will increase food security by improving agricultural production systems at the regional and national levels and by encouraging diverse agricultural production."

The goal of the AFRI Food Security challenge area in 2015 is to develop more sustainable, productive, and economically viable plant and animal production systems. This program will also develop regionally-adapted crop cultivars and livestock breeds that contribute to rural economic development and prosperity while enhancing food security.

The fiscal year 2015 AFRI Food Security request for applications addresses four priorities of the 2014 Farm Bill to continue building a foundation of knowledge in fundamental and applied food and agricultural sciences that are critical for solving current and future societal challenges. The four priority areas include : plant health, production, and products; animal health, production, and products; food safety, nutrition and health; and agriculture economics and rural communities.

A letter of intent is due March 19, 2015, and full applications are due May 21, 2015. Please see the request for applications for specific program requirements.

The purpose of AFRI is to support research, education, and extension work by awarding grants that address key problems of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture. AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program authorized under the 2014 Farm Bill and supports work in six priority areas: 1) plant health and production and plant products; 2) animal health and production and animal products; 3) food safety, nutrition and health; 4) bioenergy, natural resources and environment; 5) agriculture systems and technology; and 6) agriculture economics and rural communities.

The 2014 Farm Bill requires NIFA to establish Centers of Excellence for food and agricultural research, education, and extension. Applicants who meet the requirements of this funding opportunity are also eligible to apply for Center of Excellence designation as part of their grant application, which gives them priority consideration during the external peer review process. Information on applying for this designation can be found in the RFA.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is at: www.nifa.usda.gov.

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Statement attributable to Jason Barclay, General Counsel, Office of the Governor:

Governor Rauner directed our legal team to conduct a comprehensive review of the evaluation and selection process that the Quinn administration used to recommend applicants for licensure in the State's Medical Cannabis Pilot Program.

His request was threefold.  First, determine whether the process used by the Quinn administration followed the law.  Second, share our findings with the Attorney General and determine what, if any, corrective actions need to be taken for any failures to fully comply with the law.  Finally, recommend a plan of action that corrects any deficiencies and fully adheres to the spirit and letter of the law.

Our recently completed legal review identified four potential problem areas:

1)      The review teams imposed certain arbitrary scoring "cut-offs" that were not expressly contemplated or provided by law that effectively eliminated certain applicants from consideration;

2)     The agencies conducted a character and fitness review of the applicants after the blind scoring process had been completed;

3)     As part of the character and fitness review, several applicants were disqualified without clear procedures and standards for disqualification and without offering the prospective applicants an opportunity to respond to the information that was relied upon to make the disqualification decisions; and

4)     Despite seemingly contradictory language in the rules promulgated by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the prior administration decided to award no more than one cultivation center license to applicants who were the high point scorers in more than one district.

We concluded that these problem areas create a risk of substantial and costly litigation to the State.  We shared our findings and this conclusion with the Attorney General.  Her staff conducted a prompt review and for that we thank them.

As a result of our consultation with the Attorney General, we have further concluded that there is a significant likelihood that the Quinn Administration's decisions will not be upheld in court.  We have also relied upon the Attorney General's legal guidance and must now take all necessary corrective action to make sure that these licenses and permits are properly issued in compliance with the law.

As a result of these conclusions, we are therefore recommending the following actions:

1)      Licenses and permits will be issued to the highest scorers in each district where the top scorer was not disqualified;

2)     Cultivation center applicants that were high scorers in more than one district will be awarded permits up to the three permit limit that was expressly provided by 8 Illinois Administrative Code (the "IL Department of Agriculture Rules") Section 1000.40(d);

3)     The artificial and subjective scoring "cut-offs" that were imposed by the agencies will be eliminated and licenses and permits will be awarded to the high scorers in those districts regardless of their final point total; and

4)     Any applicant that was recommended for disqualification will be fully informed of the basis for that decision, given an opportunity to respond in writing and/or in-person to the respective licensing agency's director and general counsel to contest the recommendation, and a final written character and fitness decision will be made consistent with the relevant pre-established formal standards established by the IL Department of Agriculture Rules Section 1000.110(j) or 68 Illinois Administrative Code (the "IL Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Rules") Section 1290.70(e) - (f).

These actions may result in some additional minimal delay in a limited number of districts and for that we apologize to the patient community.  The Governor has requested that this process must be deliberate, fair, and fully comply with the law.  In order to accomplish those important objectives, these additional steps are essential to correct the deficiencies of the previous administration's selection process.  Only then can the public have the fullest confidence that the law was followed and these licenses and permits were awarded for the right reasons.

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