http://www.qcanews.com/ News and views from both sides of the river en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss QCANews.com RSS Generator brad@musatcha.com (Brad Isbell) brad@musatcha.com (Brad Isbell) 15 A former child actor best known for his role on TV's "The Rifleman" has set his sights on the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120496 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:55:02 -0400 ROCK ISLAND – Rock Island educators learned Wednesday that the district has secured a $6 million federal grant for school improvement. The Illinois State Board of Education named Rock Island/Milan School District as one of only four http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120495 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:25:29 -0400 A counter offer for Audubon Elementary School has been proposed by the owners of Rock Island’s Abbey Station and The Abbey Addiction Treatment Center in Bettendorf. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120493 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:25:02 -0400 (CNN) — A fourth suspect is in custody in the alleged forced labor of a mentally disabled woman held captive with her young daughter, according to federal prosecutors in Ohio. Dezerah Silsby, 21, turned herself in and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday afternoon, authorities said. The two victims were held in an apartment crowded with people and animals for more than a year, and the woman was forced to perform manual labor and threatened with dogs and snakes to keep them compliant, authorities have said. Federal prosecutors said the people accused of holding the pair in Ashland, about 60 miles south of Cleveland, collected the woman’s government benefits and beat her in order to get painkillers for themselves. They kept her in a room with a free-ranging iguana and ordered her to feed the reptile fruits and vegetables her daughter was denied, according to court papers. “The living conditions were simply subhuman,” said Steven Dettelbach, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. The mother and daughter were sometimes forced to eat dog food, according to a law enforcement source with firsthand knowledge of the investigation. They were also frequently denied access to the bathroom, FBI Special Agent Eric Smith told reporters on Tuesday. Officials earlier said 26-year-old Jordie Callahan, 31-year-old Jessica Hunt and 33-year-old Daniel Brown were arrested and charged with forced labor. Callahan is facing an additional count of witness tampering, the U.S. attorney’s office in Cleveland said. Callahan’s mother, Becky, told CNN’s Piers Morgan that the accusations are false, and that the alleged victim was allowed to leave the apartment whenever she wanted. “She was giving them a couple hundred dollars a month for staying there. She was getting her own food. She wasn’t being starved,” Callahan’s mother said. Andy Hyde, who has represented Callahan, told CNN on Wednesday that prosecutors are wrongly characterizing the relationships among the alleged victims and the suspects. “It was clear in my discussions that they were never forced. This group were all friends,” said Hyde. “There are photographs … (of) them all drinking beer together, laughing, joking on a couch. Traveling to other places together. They moved to several different residences together.” Investigators stated Callahan and Hunt in 2011 persuaded the mother to move into the apartment they shared with Hunt’s four sons and “numerous” animals, knowing she “suffered from a cognitive disability and received monthly public assistance payments.” According to prosecutors, Callahan showed police a mobile-phone video of the mother, identified in court papers as S.E., beating her child. S.E. told police that she had been told to do so by Callahan and Hunt and that Callahan threatened to show police the video if she “messed up” or went to authorities. Hyde told CNN’s Erin Burnett the mother has given different accounts, from denying she beat the child, to admitting to doing so once to saying she was forced to do it. “Her story has changed so many times I think it strains credibility to believe what she is saying,” Hyde said. “This is not a slave labor case at all. They were friends.” http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120494 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:13:42 -0400 A bill sponsored by a group of Democrats in the U.S. House would produce significant funding for repairing or replacing deficient bridges, including the Interstate 74 bridge in the Quad-Cities. TheStrengthen and Fortify Existing (SAFE) Bridges Act http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120491 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:55:30 -0400 DAVENPORT-- People using Medicare to pay for diabetes testing supplies by mail will be required to use Medicare's designated mail-order supplier beginning July 1. To help explain the changes, Genesis Medical Center is sponsoring informational meetings at http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120492 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:55:30 -0400 LOS ANGELES — HBO and James Gandolfini's managers say the actor famous for his role in "The Sopranos" has died in Italy. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120490 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:55:02 -0400 CAMBRIDGE -- Illinois State Sen. Kirk Dillard, a candidate for the Repubican gubernatorial nomination, plans to visit the Henry County Fair on Friday. Sen. Dillard, of Hinsale, whose district covers DuPage and Will counties, plans to be http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120487 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:25:28 -0400 ROCK ISLAND -- This year's Red White and Boom! festival in Rock Island and Davenport will focus on the military and a partnership between the Iowa and Illinois Quad-Cities. The free festival will begin July 3 at http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120488 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:25:28 -0400 DAVENPORT -- TheBix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Society is not just about celebrating the past and the music of one of Davenport's most famous sons. The volunteer society also honors the life and music of Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120489 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:25:28 -0400 ROCK ISLAND -- This year's top cop and firefighter both said they were inspired as teens to pursue their current careers. The Rock Island Knights of Columbus will honor Rock Island Police Officer Scott Gable and Assistant http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120486 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:25:27 -0400 HBO and James Gandolfini's managers say the actor famous for his role as Tony Soprano on the HBO series "The Sopranos'' has died in Italy. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120485 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:25:19 -0400 He was known the jazz world over as a cornet player, but Bix Beiderbecke was adept at the keyboard as well. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120484 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:25:02 -0400 Democrats on the House Transportation Committee have introduced a bill to boost spending on the nation's aging bridges. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120483 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:25:02 -0400 Quad-Cities Interfaith, partnering with World Relief, the Q-C Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, the League of United Latin American Citizens and Casa Guanajuato, has organized a “Dream for… http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120482 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:55:03 -0400 Downtown Davenport will once again be taken over by jazz musicians. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120480 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:25:20 -0400 (AP) Gov. Pat Quinn has set a July 9 deadline for a bipartisan committee to come up with a solution for Illinois' pension crisis. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120481 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:25:20 -0400 Local lawmakers are trying to push fast forward on the I-74 bridge project. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120479 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:25:19 -0400 75-year old Ida Johnson started the United Neighbors summer program back in 1973. The program is aimed to help keep kids ages 5 to 12 off the streets in Scott http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120478 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:25:16 -0400 Paint is being delivered, and ladders are being gathered as almost 500 teens will descend on Davenport next week to put those supplies to good use. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120475 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:25:02 -0400 A new Congressional Budget Office report says the immigration reform bill before the Senate will cut the nation's deficit, but it would reduce illegal immigration by only a quarter of what it … http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120476 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:25:02 -0400 (CNN) — A high-pressure system over the Northwest United States is giving new meaning to the term Baked Alaska. But relief is coming, according to meteorologists. The National Weather Service reported that several record-high temperatures were recorded across the south-central part of the state this week. Tuesday saw record highs for that date — 81 in Anchorage, the state’s largest city, and 70 in Seward, situated on the Gulf of Alaska about 75 miles south of Anchorage. The city of Homer saw a record-tying 74 degrees Tuesday. The normal temperature for Anchorage this time of year is about 63 degrees. North of Anchorage, Talkeetna and Palmer each saw record-tying temperatures for the date — of 89 and 78, respectively. Monday was even toastier, with Talkeetna recording a temperature of 96 degrees, shattering the record of 91 that had stood since 1969. Monday’s temperature in Seward was 88, also a record. Cordova and Valdez, both along the southern coast, saw a record-breaking 90 degrees Monday. “An expansive ridge of high pressure over Southern Alaska is continuing the string of unusually hot days,” the weather service said in a public advisory Monday. The NWS further forecast that temperatures would begin cooling Tuesday, and “the cooling trend will continue on Wednesday.” The highest-ever temperature in the state came almost a century ago, when Fort Yukon recorded 100 degrees on June 27, 1915. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120477 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:07:23 -0400 ROCK ISLAND -- School and city officials are not willing to discuss an offer to buy the former Audubon Elementary School from developer Joseph Lemon Jr. as long as Fareway still has an option to buy the property. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120474 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:55:30 -0400 Boston Pizza Restaurants has assumed ownership of the Quad City Mallards of the Central Hockey League, the Mallards announced at a press conference June 19. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120473 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:55:21 -0400 There are over 300 species of mussels living in North America, 70 of those can be found along the Mississippi River.  Some have become endangered. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120472 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:55:20 -0400 "Now is the time to engage. Let your elected officials know how important this is to you." These are the words of Tara Barney - CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.  While the Illinois pension http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120471 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:55:17 -0400 Moline police are asking the public's help in locating a teen missing since early Wednesday.  http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120468 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:55:02 -0400 Riverside Casino and Golf Resort CEO Dan Kehl met with Davenport economic development staff Wednesday, a day after entering into an exclusive option agreement for Rhythm City as the city moves… http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120469 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:55:02 -0400 It’s a summer vacation in the swamp for some Augustana college students. They’re interested in the strange behavior of certain turtles. Trucking through swampy waters, Augustana’s Biology professor, Tim Muir and some students’ are on the hunt for one thing. “Hopefully, there’s some turtles in here,” says Muir. They’re trying to learn how animals survive in low body temperatures. They look for pregnant turtles. Turtles are the best to study, because they freeze and essentially die in the winter and come back to life once the weather warms up and they thaw out. “I’m definitely picking up a lot of extra information. I feel a little bit more informed,” says Henry Roderick, who’s attending Augustana in the fall. They bring the turtles back to lab to weigh and measure them. Wait for the eggs to hatch then start their research. “The really exciting stuff happens in the lab in the winter and when we get the data in and analyze the data,” says Muir. A three hour trek through the swamp, students say there’s no better way to get hands on, “Finding something no one else has found before and answering new questions and stuff that no one’s thought of,” says Augustana student, Jimmy Wiebler. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120470 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:47:57 -0400 MOLINE -- The Quad City International Airport will host a dodgeball tournament to benefitHonor Flight of the Quad Cities, New Kingdom Trailriders, and the Quad Cities Sports Commission. The tournament will be from 6 to 10 p.m. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120467 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:25:28 -0400 Today is Wednesday, June 19, the 170th day of 2013. There are 195 days left in the year. 1863 -- 150 years ago: The treasurer of Mercer County has been instructed to sell all thespecie now in the treasury http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120465 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:25:27 -0400 History of U.S. Route 6, Curt and Libby Roseman (Senior Day) 1:30 p.m., Bettendorf Library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive. Free. 563-344-4175. Niabi Zoo Animal Visit 11 a.m., Rock Island Library, 9010 Ridgewood Road. Free. 309-732-7323. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120466 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:25:27 -0400 16 year old Amy Stallings was last seen at 2504 19th Avenue in Moline just after midnight. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120464 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:25:19 -0400 The Moline Police are currently looking for Amy S. Stallings, 16 years of age. Stallings was last seen at 12:30 A.M. at 2504 19th avenue Moline.  No foul play is suspected at this point.  Stallings is http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120463 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:25:16 -0400 (CNN) — One word could have a big impact on the way doctors treat obesity in the United States. The American Medical Association has adopted a new policy that officially labels obesity as a disease “requiring a range of medical interventions to advance obesity treatment and prevention,” according to an AMA statement. The physicians’ group voted to approve the obesity policy, among others, on Tuesday during its annual meeting in Chicago. The U.S. obesity rate increased almost 50% between 1997 and 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, nearly 30% of American adults are considered obese, and the problem is almost as prevalent in kids. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years, the CDC says. Obesity for adults is defined as having a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher. BMI is a way to measure body fat based on your weight and height. (Calculate your BMI here) Being obese increases your risk factor for developing many serious conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. In fact, obesity has been linked to almost every chronic disease in some way or another. “Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue,” AMA board member Dr. Patrice Harris said in a statement. Obesity has long been recognized as a disease by other groups, but this move by the AMA sends a strong signal to the medical community, said CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Some experts worry suddenly declaring one-third of Americans “ill” or “sick” will increase the desire for quick interventions or medications and discourage people from making the lifestyle changes known to combat obesity. On the other hand, AMA’s declaration could help increase funding for future obesity research. It could also lead to payment for doctors who want to simply talk to patients about nutrition or exercise — time that’s not currently reimbursed by insurance plans. Identifying obesity as a disease may also help in reducing the stigma often associated with being overweight, said Joe Nadglowski, president and CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition. “Obesity has been considered for a long time to be a failure of personal responsibility — a simple problem of eating too much and exercising too little,” he said. “But it’s a complex disease… we’re hoping attitudes will change.” Nadglowski thinks the AMA’s support is also an important step in helping people gain access to obesity treatment. Most forms of insurance do not cover obesity alone. For instance, an obese patient cannot hire a nutritionist or a trainer and have it covered by his or her plan simply to lose weight. “We do cover treatment connected with a co-morbidity,” says Don McLeod, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “For example, if you have diabetes and obesity is aggravating the diabetes, we might cover obesity treatment as a way of treating the diabetes.” Obesity-related health care expenses cost Americans between $147 billion to $210 billion per year. Preventing and treating obesity before it leads to more serious diseases could help combat these costs, Nadglowski says. AMA’s decision comes at an interesting time. The Obesity Action Coalition has been working to introduce the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act in Congress. The bill was re-introduced in the House on Wednesday and will be re-introduced in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon, according to the office of Sen. Tom Carper, D-Delaware, one of the measure’s sponsors. A similar bill last year stalled in committee. The bill would increase obesity treatment options for Medicare patients, expand the types of providers who can offer obesity counseling and take away some obesity medication limits. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120462 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:05:50 -0400 Police reported a missing girl last seen in Moline. According to the Moline Police Department, 16-year-old Amy Stallings was last seen shortly after midnight on Wednesday, June 19, 2013. Amy was last seen wearing a pink pajama top and pajama bottoms. She has blonde hair with pink highlights and blue eyes. She is 5-foot 3-inches tall and weighs 143-pounds. Any information about Amy’s whereabouts should be reported to the Moline Police Department at 309-797-0401. Police say no foul play is suspected. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120460 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:50:27 -0400 A local fire department is receiving thousands of dollars from a federal grant. The Davenport Fire Department is the recipient of a $68,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack said the funding will help make sure the crews receive the training and resources needed to ensure quick response to disasters in the community. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website, the mission of the grants are to meet emergency response needs. The AFG has been offering this grant since 2001. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120461 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:26:04 -0400 It's a night to celebrate our nation. And the Quad Cities is doing it in style. The red, white, and boom event is a fireworks extravaganza on the Mississippi river. Organizers say this year will be unlike http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120459 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:25:22 -0400 There are 8 thousand outstanding warrants and on June 28th Rock Island officials are asking anyone with a warrant to come down to the sheriff's office to clear them all http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120458 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:25:21 -0400 Area students are getting creative and beautifying the community. Members of Quad City Arts' Metro Arts program are creating a one thousand square foot mural spanning both sides of the Harrison Street http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120456 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:25:18 -0400 Local law enforcement are teaming up to clear up outstanding warrants and get offenders off the streets. There are currently 8,000 outstanding warrants in Rock Island County and over one million http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120457 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:25:18 -0400 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Gov. Pat Quinn has set a July 9 deadline for a bipartisan committee to come up with a solution for Illinois' pension crisis. The Chicago Democrat says lawmakers must move quickly http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120455 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:25:17 -0400 A benefit will be held Saturday, June 29th for the family of Holli and Jessica Harker, two sisters killed in the deadly Sherrard mobile home fire. The benefit will be held at Crabby’s Bar and Grill, 826 W. 1st Ave. Coal Valley, Illinois.  The event will include a 50/50 drawings and raffles, bags tournament, darts tournament, poker run and a hog roast. Sign up for the Poker Run will be from 10 am to noon.  Bags tournament will start at 2 pm and followed by the dart tournament at 4 pm.  The hog roast is $6 a plate. Proceeds will be given to the parents, Tim and Missy Harker, Sherrard High School and Matherville Jr. High.  Funds to the school will go to help children that are in need of some extra financial help. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120451 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:17:16 -0400 Top cops in Rock Island County are urging people with outstanding warrants to turn themselves or risk being arrested in an upcoming police sweep. “We’re encouraging people between now and June 28th to take care of their warrants at the risk of being arrested”, said Sheriff Jeff Boyd at a news conference in Rock Island Wednesday. “Or take an hour out of their day on June 28th to clear it up”, Boyd said. On that day, the courthouse will be equipped with a team of judges and prosecutors to handle people who want to turn themselves in. “The states attorney’s office will have prosecutors here, we’ll have judges lined up and the goal is to get these warrants, many of which are contempt of court warrants, cleared up”, Sheriff Boyd said. Right now, there are about 8 thousand outstanding arrest warrants in the county, from unpaid fines and fees to felonies. “Many of them are people who have just failed to pay their particular fines and judges have issued bench warrants for them because they are not doing what the court has ordered them to do”, said States Attorney John McGehee. Authorities say they are formulating a list of offenders and will coordinate a county-wide sweep at the end of the month with local police departments and the Illinois State Police. “It will go a lot smoother if they turn themselves in. If a police officer has to pick them up, they’re going to have to come down here to the jail and be processed, so it’s much better if they show up”, he said. Circuit Clerk Lisa Bierman says non-payment of fines and fees is a big problem for the county. “We have in excess of a million dollars out there overall”, said Bierman. The last warrant sweep was conducted back in 2005. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120452 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:15:00 -0400 After surviving a fire that killed his wife, daughter and 3 others, Wayne Viager says the only thing he can do is move forward. “Yea, it bothers me and I will never forget about it but you can’t let it beat you down.  Wayne says, “It’s not fair to you or anybody else or to them.” Click here to see the first part of the interview. It’s where Wayne has decided to rebuild that may surprise you.  Wayne has laid foundation of what will be his new home, just feet away from where his mobile home once stood.  He says it is how he and his late wife, Anna had planned. “The two of us always had a dream of building a house out here, kind of where I got it sitting now.  That’s how she wanted it.” He says the community’s support has been overwhelming.  Numerous benefits have been held around the area, raising enough money to make the build possible.  Wayne wanted to make sure everyone knew how much he appreciated their help. “I want to tell everybody thanks; the community and everybody that has helped out and been here, thanks.” He says he is rebuilding one step at a time.  On his lot, just south of where his mobile home was, he has planted 5 new trees.  Each tree represents one of the girls lost that night.  There is also an angel next to the trees that was a gift from a stranger. “I thought that would be appropriate to put [next to the trees] to kind of watch over them, a symbol for them because they were all angels in my eyes.” http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120453 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:38 -0400 A group dedicated to halting the proposed closing of some Girl Scout camp locations says they’ve won a battle but the war might still be on. The Save Our Scout Camps! Group is petitioning the council to hold a special meeting to allow all members of the council to vote on any proposed property sales, including those that might be proposed in the future.   The group posted a notice on their new website, calling for members to send written requests for the meeting to the council.   All members ages 14 or older can participate in the petition. Ten percent of the council membership must petition for that matter to be considered. Girl Scout councils across the U.S. have considered closing or limiting sites for summer camping, citing lower interest in the traditional camping experience. Four camp locations that serve the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois council were among those facing closure.  Faced with a court injunction, the council withdrew initial plans to sell the campgrounds and went back to work to make new plans for the sites. The council passed the new plan April 11, 2013 which would create one central, modernized residential camp for year-round use at Camp Conestoga in new Liberty, Iowa.  Portions of the remaining three camps – Camp Tahigwa, Camp Little Cloud and Cam L-Kee-Ta – would be used for overnights and troop meetings, and unneeded land at all four sites would be sold. Some members of “Save Our Scout Camps” say the plan still allows the council to sell off camp sites. The group has launched a new website to support their efforts to convince the council to keep the land.   The site says SOS is concerned that there is still no way to know how much land will be sold at any of the four facilities. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120454 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:58:56 -0400 (CNN) — Vince Flynn, the bestselling author of political thriller novels, died early Wednesday after a long battle with prostate cancer, his publisher said. He was 47. Flynn was the author of 14 novels, which regularly appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. All but one of his novels feature counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp. The character and series garnered Flynn legions of followers, with CBS Films buying the rights to the Mitch Rapp character with the intention of creating a movie franchise. Flynn had planned on becoming Marine Corps aviator in the early 1990s, but he was medically disqualified before entering the program, his publisher, Simon & Schuster, said. It was around that time that he first considered writing a novel. Flynn wrote his first novel, Term Limits, while supporting himself by bartending at night. His manuscript was rejected more than 60 times before he decided to self-publish, which was not very common at the time, his publisher said. The self-published book was a hit, and Flynn’s career took off. “Flynn’s novels have been praised for their extensive research and prescient warnings about the rise of Islamic Radical Fundamentalism and terrorism,” Simon & Schuster said in a statement. On his website, Flynn had said that becoming a novelist was an unusual choice because he had been diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, and struggled with reading and writing. He listed his influences as Ernest Hemingway, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gore Vidal and John Irving. Flynn is survived by his wife, Lysa, and three children. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120449 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:37:06 -0400 Come next year, the Niabi Zoo’s lions will have a new habitat, giving zoo explorers a better view of the cats. According to Zoo Director Marc Henizman, on Tuesday, June 18, plans to construct a new lion enclosure were approved by the county board. He said the zoo’s three lions have been moved to the Big Cat Complex for now and in eight-to-nine months they will be moved to their new home. The enclosure, which is one of the oldest exhibits in the zoo, will allow spectators to see the lions better, according to Heinzman Currently the enclosure is below the viewer, soon it will be on the same level, and zoo-goers will be able to see the lions through windows. Another feature the construction will provide is a view of the lion exhibit from a classroom, Heinzman said. “We want to provide a better habitat for the animals and also at the same time provide a better experience for the guests when they come to the zoo,” said Heinzman. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120450 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:28:41 -0400 Three promising young golfers, all under the age of 21, will get sponsor exemptions to play in the 2013 John Deere Classic. Jordan Spieth, 19, gets the exemption for the second consecutive year.  Spieth turned pro after his freshman year at Texas, and he has four top-ten finishes in 11 starts this year on the PGA Tour.  Spieth finished the 2012 John Deere Classic tied for 58th. Patrick Rodgers, 20, also played in the 2012 John Deere Classic with a sponsor exemption.  Rodgers is the Number Eight ranked amateur in the world according to the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking.  Rodgers just finished his sophomore season at Stanford, where he was named to the All Pac 12 First Team for the second consecutive year and led his team with a 70.66 stroke average. Justin Thomas, 20, gets the exemption for the first time.  Thomas just completed his sophomore year at Alabama, and was part of the Crimson Tide’s NCAA National Championship team.  Tomas had a team-leading stroke average of 70.72 in his first two seasons on the Alabama squad. Thomas and Rodgers were also finalists for the Ben Hogan Award. Steven Ihm, of the University of Iowa, has already received an exemption to play in this year’s John Deere Classic. Tournament organizers said Zach Johnson, Lucas Glover and Tiger Woods each played with sponsor exemptions in previous John Deere Classic tournaments. Other players who received sponsor exemptions to play in the JDC in recent years include Jason Day, Bill Haas, Luke Guthrie, Matt Kuchar, Spencer Levin, D.A. Points, Webb Simpson, Kyle Stanley, Camilo Villegas, and Nick Watney. The 2013 John Deere Classic is set for July 8 to 14, 2013 at TPC Deere Run.  Players have until 5 p.m. the Friday before the tournament to commit to the John Deere Classic.  A field of 156 players is expected for the 2013 tournament, with a purse of $4.6 million.  The winner will received $828,000. http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120448 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:04:07 -0400 DODGE HIGH FARES WITH ALLEGIANT COMPANY CRUSHES THE COMPETITION WITH THE BEST VACATION DEALS MOLINE, Ill. June 18, 2013 — Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) wants Central Illinois travelers to stop paying outrageous airfares and Dodge High http://www.qcanews.com/redir.php?articleid=120447 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:55:28 -0400