QCA.news - Quad Cities news and view from both sides of the river

Friday, April 19th, 2024
	Frontier Communications reports cyberattack The telecommunications company filed a report with the SEC that a third party hacked its IT systems.
	Camping Season is open now in Scott County! Buffalo Shores, West Lake Park and Scott County Park are now open for the 2024 camping season.
	QC bosses to belt out music to benefit Common Chord Some influential area bosses will bounce from the board room to the Redstone Room at Common Chord for a special battle. With a Common Chord staff house band, the “Battle of the Bosses” fundraiser will feature live music and a dessert reception provided by Molly's Cupcakes Quad Cities on Saturday, May 4 at 7 p.m., 129 N. Main Street in Davenport. Expect surprises, collaborations, and a whole lot of fun as these bosses battle it out, belting out classic tunes and seek the coveted Golden Microphone from a public vote, according to a Friday release from Common Chord. All proceeds raised from this fundraising event ($40 per person) will directly benefit QC youth through providing music education and enrichment programming. The bosses and QC companies represented include: All-Star Deere Band — John Deere (Jason Brantley, Susan Parker, Andrew Brock, Ross Carlson) Geoff Manis — Rouse Consulting Group James Palagi — Parker Davenport Rock 'n Ruhl — Ruhl & Ruhl (Chris Beason, Sally Atwell, Matt Schwind) Russell Resonators — Russell Construction (Jim Russell, Sam Russell, Mike Doucette) Sue Ramset Kretz -- KWQC-TV6 2024 marks the 20th year for Common Chord and promises to be an exciting year as they celebrate 20 years of providing meaningful educational and community programming. All year long, Common Chord provides a variety of educational and enrichment programs to area youth designed to provide access to musical experiences and build positive relationships. Examples include: Common Chord is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, in the historic Redstone building at 2nd and Main, Davenport. InTune Music Mentorship Program, provided to students at Project Renewal & Friendly House in Davenport, the MLK Center in Rock Island, and Boys & Girls Club in Moline. InTune employs professional musician mentors to share a love of music with the kids, build healthy mentoring relationships, develop stronger support networks for at-risk youth, and show positive paths forward in life. Acoustic Music Clubs, a music enrichment program for youth and adults with disabilities that provides a fun musical experience. Provided in partnership with the Blackhawk Area Special Education Center, ARC of the Quad Cities, Empowering Abilities (formerly HDC), and Empower House. RiverCurrents, the flagship school program that teaches the history and evolution of American music along the Mississippi River. All Davenport 5th graders participate in this program, along with many other schools throughout the region. Let's Band Together! instrument loan program. "We are grateful for these bosses who are rocking it in their day jobs and are true rock stars to Common Chord by helping us activate the power of music to improve our community," Common Chord executive director Tyson Danner said in Friday’s release. "The love of music knows no boundaries, and working together, we are changing lives." You can reserve tickets HERE.
	Former Davenport City Administrator Corri Spiegel requests media restriction clause be waived in $1.6 million settlement agreement News 8 obtained Spiegel's request, which was made in an email sent by Spiegel to Mayor Mike Matson, all 10 members of the Davenport City Council and others.
	What's next for Davenport Junior Theatre? Davenport Junior Theatre has a new home to continue educating and engaging kids in the field of performing arts, and now they're looking at the quality of the space they're moving into. Performing arts supervisor Daniel Sheridan and board member Nicole Savatski stopped by Our Quad Cities News to talk about what's next for Davenport Junior Theatre. For more information, click here.
	Vera French breaks ground on headquarters expansion The expansion will add a larger waiting room, a new ramp to help patients with mobility issues and additional windows to allow more sunlight into the facility.
	Vera French Clinic in Davenport expanding West Central Park clinic During a ceremonial groundbreaking, the Vera French Community Mental Health Center announced the expansion of its Vera French Clinic in Davenport.
	Rockridge High School reaps benefits of first hydroponic harvest The students have been growing lettuce, peas, broccoli, basil, cucumbers & tomatoes in their hydroponic 'Flex Farm' which uses minimal water and energy resources.
	Quad Cities area students compete at Bettendorf High school trebuchet competition Bettendorf High School held the 16th QCESC Trebuchet competition. A 170-feet long toss was the longest by Best Builders from Pleasant Valley High School.
	Quad City Climate Change Report shares challenges, solutions for areas future A Quad City climate change report released by the Prairie Rivers Network and the National Wildlife Federation shows some possible weather challenges in our future.
	Rockridge high school reaps benefits of first hydroponic harvest The students have been growing lettuce, peas, broccoli, basil, cucumbers & tomatoes in their hydroponic 'Flex Farm' which uses minimal water and energy resources.
	Vera French breaks ground on headquarters expansion The expansion will add a larger waiting room, a new ramp to help patients with mobility issues and additional windows to allow more sunlight into the facility.
	Iowa moves forward to reduce state income tax rates Iowa House Republicans are advancing an effort to reduce state income tax rates. The House and Senate Committees approved a plan to reduce rates to 3.8% next year instead of a planned 3.9% rate by 2026. Republicans say the state can afford the rate cut after ending fiscal year 2023 with a nearly $2 billion surplus. Final House and Senate votes on the income tax cut could come later today.
	Chicago bluesman to play Davenport Steeplegate The 40-year-old Mississippi Valley Blues Society is not having its trademark LeClaire Park festival this year, but it's not exactly singing the blues. It's launching a new concert series (partly to raise money for its 40th-annivesary festival in 2025) on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m., with Chicago-based Tom Holland & The Shuffle Kings. The concert is at the Steeplegate Inn, 100 W. 76th St., Davenport, where they had great success with Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys last spring. "We had a great turnout last year, over 200 people," MVBS president Steve Horan said Friday. He's really looking to Holland, a left-handed guitarist and singer who was one of the first members of the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame. Tom Holland is a 46-year-old Chicago native. "They're just an awesome band," Horan said. The humble Holland, a 46-year-old native of Chicago’s south side (Beverly), has played Mississippi Valley Blues Festival a few times, with the last at least 15 years ago. The Steeplegate gig will be his first QC appearance outside of Blues Fest. Holland was asked after MVBS members saw him play at the Central Iowa Blues Society Winter Blues event this past February. He called the Davenport fest “one of the better blues festivals in the country.” “You know when you walk in there, everybody is there for the music,” Holland said recently, noting the beautiful riverfront setting of LeClaire Park. He wasn’t surprised the MVBS had to cancel this year’s fest, due to lack of funds and need of a major sponsor. “A lot of festivals, a lot of clubs, a lot of blues societies didn’t make it to reopening” since the pandemic, Holland said. “Before the shutdown was the busiest I’ve ever been. Of course this is going to happen, I’m finally starting to make some inroads and do well. Of course, it’s gonna shut everything down.” He noted Illinois took its time reopening after COVID. During the pandemic, for two years, Holland played solo livestreams once a week. “Depending on the kindness of fans and strangers is one thing,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t gonna last forever. This might help out a little money-wise now, but it’s gonna be an exercise in keeping my chops up.” Several Chicago blues clubs didn’t open back up, and some that did said they couldn’t afford to pay Holland’s band, but just him solo. “I slowly built it back, but still 90 percent of the gigs that I do are solo,” he said. “Just me, guitar and a microphone. It’s taken a lot longer than I think a lot of people have thought. Slowly, I’m getting more and more band gigs.” Blues on Halsted in Chicago closed, since right before the pandemic they were going to sell the business, after 40 years. “They almost had the deal and the shutdown happen, which scared investors,” Holland said. “I heard somebody bought the building, they’re going to rehab it and probably open it back up in a year or two. I love Blues on Halsted, but it was a very well-worn club.” A musical childhood He grew up on Chicago’s south side and was influenced by the city’s rich jazz and blues heritage from a very young age. His father’s love of music and vast record collection was the catalyst for Tom’s love of music, especially blues. His parents' bedroom was lined with LPs, and one whole wall of the living room had bookcases filled with records – classical, blues, jazz, R&B, rock. “He was very well-rounded musically,” Holland said of his dad. He chose blues because that’s what his father mostly listened to, and picked guitar after seeing Eddie Van Halen on TV. Holland took guitar lessons for about a year and a half, but mostly learned by ear. Holland began playing guitar at age 13, learning by listening to Muddy Waters tapes, LPs, and CDs. Tom cites Muddy Waters, Earl Hooker, John Primer and Magic Slim as his greatest influences. By the time he turned 18, Holland was ready to start learning from the musicians on the Chicago blues scene. He studied a year at Columbia College Chicago and got hooked on music after playing his first gig by age 19, at a brewery in the western suburb of Downers Grove. Holland first patronized the blues great Buddy Guy’s Legends, which was within walking distance from the downtown college. “I started going to Buddy Guy’s every night and there was a jazz club another block down from the dorms,” he said. They did blues there every Tuesday, and that’s where he went every Tuesday. “The owner of this jazz club saw that I was not there to get drunk, pick up women. I was there for the music,” Holland recalled. He was thrilled when he first played at Legends. “I had been on sage before, but in the back of my head, I thought ‘If I get on stage, there’s a chance that Buddy Guy might be here’. 18-year-old me is like, Buddy Guy is gonna be here? I’m gonna be famous. That was when Buddy was at the height of his late ‘90s power, and he was on the road most of the time.” Primer as mentor Holland didn’t see Buddy until he started working with John Primer (Muddy Waters's last guitarist) in 1998. Magic Slim & The Teardrops used to play at The Checkerboard (originally opened by Guy) in Chicago, and when Holland started hanging out there, he had sold it and launched Legends. Magic Slim played Sundays and Mondays, and Primer played guitar with him. “I used to sneak out and go see them, and that’s when I met John, through seeing Magic Slim,” he said. “John went solo, left Magic Slim, and when Slim moved to Lincoln, he had John take over Sundays and Mondays.” Holland went to see Primer regularly, and asked to sit in with his guitar. Holland did that after six months and Primer took him on as a player for an upcoming gig, his first one. John Primer, second from left, and his Real Deal Blues Band, will play the Redstone Room in Davenport on May 17, 2024. After the first set, Primer asked: “What drugs do you do, how much do you drink, and if I need you, what’s it gonna take to keep you?” he remembered. “I don’t drink; I just smoke cigarettes, and if you need me, call me. I ended up playing for John for three years.” “I was young and didn’t know anything. I was still living at my parents’ house,” Holland said, noting Primer lived two miles from there. “I got to see the United States and Canada with John. I probably could have paid better attention, but I was happy – I don’t have a 9-to-5 job and people are actually paying me for this.” As a guitarist, Primer was very open and supportive. “He obviously saw something in me,” Holland said. “He’d show me stuff – no, not like that, like this. That was a big help for me.” Now 79, Primer played behind Junior Wells in the house band at Theresa's Lounge in Chicago and as a member of the bands of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Magic Slim before launching an award-winning career as a front man. He also taught Holland how to play slide guitar. “I’d fumble around on it and completely be horrible,” he said. “After probably five or six months of getting that every single night, it’s like, this doesn’t sound as it did before.” Holland toured the United States and Canada for two years with Primer as a member of his band, the Real Deal Blues Band. While in the band, he recorded the 1998 Wolf Records release "It’s a Blues Life." This was his first time in a recording studio and certainly not his last. It was also during this time that he formed the first incarnation of his own group The Shuffle Kings. Holland took his place as one of the top sidemen in Chicago. In late 1999, was asked to join Chicago blues guitarist Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater’s band. He toured with Clearwater for three years as the bandleader, and toured across the U.S., Canada, and made his first trip to Europe. He freelanced with Carey Bell, Phil Guy, A.C. Reed, Atlanta vocalist Sandra Hall, and countless other Chicago bluesmen and women. In November 2003, he was approached by harp legend James Cotton, who was in need of a guitar player. He accepted and toured with James for 12 years. Holland played on both of Cotton’s Grammy-nominated releases, "Giant" and "Cotton Mouth Man," both on Alligator Records. In 2013, Tom took the band back into the studio, recording "No Fluff, Just the Stuff," on his own E Natchel Records imprint, which garnered rave reviews. Hall of Fame induction Holland was one of the first inductees to the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2013, at just 35. “A friend of mine in New Jersey, who was real tight with the people who do the International Blues Hall of Fame, said they’re gonna do a Chicago one,” he said. “We’d like you to be in the first induction class; I said, ‘Absolutely not. I’m way too young for that.’” Holland recalled his friend told him he had already seen more countries than most people would. “You’ve been there for all the major guys in the last 20 years. You deserve to be in the Hall of Fame,” he quoted his friend. Holland finally relented, noting that first class included Eddy Clearwater (who died in 2018 at age 83). Blues musician Eddy Clearwater (born Edward Harrington) performs onstage during the Chicago Blues Festival at the Petrillo Bandshell, Chicago, June 9, 2013. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) “Eddy was the first band I went overseas to Europe with,” he said. “John put out on the road and Eddy kept me going. For me, it was a little weird. You’re inducting me with guy I was in his band not more than five years ago.” For more on the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame, click HERE. To learn more about Holland, click HERE. Future MVBS dates The April 28 Steeplegate gig has a $15 admission, and will have a taco bar and cash bar available for purchase. The Blues society upcoming concerts include: Free concerts outdoors June 15 at Pour Bros. Taproom, Moline, and July 14 at Whiskey Stop, East Moline. Aug. 18 fundraiser at Gypsy Highway, Davenport, and a September concert to be determined later. Coincidentally, John Primer (with opener Kevin Burt) will perform in Davenport in less than a month, at the Redstone Room (at Common Chord, 2nd and Main streets), on May 17, 2024, at 9 p.m. For more on MVBS, click HERE.
	Fulliam-Sycamore intersection open temporarily The intersection of Fulliam and Sycamore was reopened to traffic on Friday, but it will be briefly closed again next week, city officials said.
	Vera French holds ceremonial groundbreaking for upgrades to Davenport mental health clinic The organization plans to expand the clinic, which opened in 1971, and bring it up-to-date to meet the mental health needs of clients today.
	Midwestern leaders cheer E15 waiver for summer sale of ethanol blend fuel The EPA issued a waiver on ethanol today that will temporarily expand the fuel around the country.
	Crews respond to semi truck fire on I-80, Bureau County Crews responded to a report of a truck-tractor flatbed trailer on fire on I-80 on Friday.
	Moline man facing drug trafficking charges of fentanyl and marijuana A Moline, Ill. man is facing drug trafficking charges after prosecutors say he brought almost half a pound of fentanyl and marijuana into the state through the mail.
	Dubuque awarded FEMA grant for flood mitigation The city of Dubuque recently received federal funding to help prevent flooding.
	Animal handlers at the Niabi Zoo celebrated one of their own Jilin is an amur leopard and celebrated his birthday with a birthday party this week. Jilin turned 6 years old on Thursday.
	State troopers release names of 2 killed in Scott County crash near Walcott Two people were killed in a crash last Saturday near Walcott and the names of the deceased have been released.
	Junior Theatre details Younkers site plans After of four months of study and community input, 73-year-old Davenport Junior Theatre has unveiled plans for a new location in 2025, after it moves from the Annie Wittenmyer campus on Eastern Avenue, where it’s called home since 1977. Davenport Junior Theatre cottages at the city-owned Annie Wittenmyer complex, 2800 Eastern Ave. The city of Davenport has entered into an agreement with developer Chris Ales (who led the restoration of the 1920 Capitol Theatre downtown) to create 99 units of affordable housing at Annie Wittenmyer. It will renovate the historic buildings, some dating from the late 19th century, and not require any demolitions. Junior Theatre has put together a detailed plan to convert the former Younkers store at NorthPark Mall into a new complex for the city Parks & Recreation program that serves over 2,000 kids throughout the QC region, from ages 3-18. The former Younkers site at NorthPark Mall, 320 W. Kimberly Rd., Davenport (Bryan Bobb). The Younkers interim space falls within the top choice area based on Junior Theatre’s Community Input Survey (which had 342 responses). “Centrally located in City, with key corridor access to highways for those traveling to Davenport,” the project website says, noting it has ample parking. There is easy drop-off at north entrance, which would be exclusive to DJT, with no general mall access. Green space will provide an outdoor programming area for summer camps. The mall space size vastly increases square footage compared to the current DJT location (which uses 43,617 square feet at Annie Wittenmyer), allowing for continued program growth. The interim theater itself would seat 270, while the current DJT theatre seats 362. The conceptual site plan of how the old Younkers space would be used, including a 270-seat theater, at left. DJT is working with OPN Architects of Iowa City on conceptual plans. They looked at local churches and performance spaces to move as an interim solution, but the trick was not only do they have a theater, “but we have a vast educational need of programming space,” Davenport performing arts supervisor Daniel Sheridan said Friday, noting those kind of spaces couldn’t fit all those needs. At Annie Wittenmyer, DJT operates out of 10 cottages as well as the Mary Fluhrer Nighswander Theater (which will not be developed as part of the housing plan), and the former Younkers store is 103,000 square feet. “It fell in that zone of the city that people were very interested in Junior Theatre being, and it checked so many of the boxes – community input and programming needs, that it definitely was the one to pursue,” Sheridan said. It’s also a plus being all space on one level, under one roof, which is certainly not the case at the Wittenmyer complex. The current layout, including cottages, at Annie Wittenmyer. “It’s a large space, which also makes it easy to build out,” he said of the variety of studios and office space. “One of the great things about this place, it’s got a ton of space, everything under one roof, but the down side is the theater space isn’t really a theater, it’s more a production space,” said Nicole Savatski, board member of nonprofit partner Junior Theatre, Inc., which puts on the three DJT mainstage productions a year. “Trying to retrofit a theater into something that was a mall, a shopping store, just doesn’t work very well,” she said Friday morning. Nicole Savatski and Daniel Sheridan speak with Our Quad Cities News on April 19, 2024. The Younkers site would require a theater with about 100 fewer seats and a smaller stage, so that’s one reason this is only a temporary fix (for at least three years), while DJT pursues a new permanent facility. “We’ve had the blessing of being in the Mary Fluhrer Nighswander Theater for 47 years, and the mall performance space will not be the Mary Fluhrer Nighswander Theater,” Sheridan said. “We owe it to this program and its legacy, and its possibility to grow and serve more kids, to create that theater space proper – that’s been earned by decades of people contributing.” There’s also a commission working with the city and NorthPark Mall owner Macerich to determine best long-term uses of the mall, he noted. Daniel Sheridan, a DJT, alum, at the entrance to the Mary Fluhrer Nighswander Theatre. The architect will come back with cost estimates and will be taken to city council, back for discussion on how to fund the renovations for the new facility. The timetable for the process includes: July-Sept. 2024: Put construction project out to bid, award bid, and begin project preparation for space. Oct.-Dec. 2024: Enter lease for existing space and start construction. Jan.-March 2025: Construction continues, programming continues at Annie Wittenmyer. April-June 2025: Begin draw down from current facility, finish final mainstage production, recitals, farewell celebration on May 18, 2025, finish final move out of cottages, summer programming begins at interim location. “From a Parks & Recreation standpoint, our leadership has been very clear that the nonprofit is not responsible for fundraising for a move to an interim location,” Sheridan said. “This was not something our partner chose; this was something that happened, so we’re trying to work that city process to make that possible.” Pluses at the mall Macerich has been incredibly favorable and generous in negotiating lease terms for DJT, and may contribute some of the funding for the renovations, he said. “They’ve been super responsive,” Sheridan said. “They’re very interested in having a program like Junior Theatre, where people come in – 500 families a week, and sit down for an hour. That would be a great asset to the mall, I think.” The interior of Davenport Junior Theatre, which was renovated in 2017 including all new seats. The mall parking also would be much larger and convenient than DJT’s current location. “Instead of having three disjoined parking areas – none of which are exceptionally close to the programming, this will all be right next to that door,” Savatski said. “This is a mall, there are thousands of spaces. This will be so much easier.” That north end of the mall is largely unoccupied, Sheridan said, in contrast with the main entrances on the south, by Barnes & Noble. DJT (the second-oldest children’s theater in the country, launched in 1951) is seeking feedback on the plans on its website. “The one thing I’m excited about with the survey, there are three key open-ended questions – What are you excited about? What are you concerned about? And what ideas do you have that maybe we have not considered?” Sheridan said. A scene from the DJT production of "Finding Nemo Jr." in February 2024. “We’ve already received over 100 responses in a 36-hour period,” he said. “Those will be very important to us, because there will be a lot of valuable ideas in there and things we need to consider.” The feedback so far has been exceptionally positive, but Sheridan said there already have been concerns expressed about the performance venue itself. “If you’ve ever been to a Junior Theatre event, we have 362 seats now and sometimes for our shows, people end up having to stand along the back wall,” he said. “It is busy, so losing 100 seats does impact program delivery. It doesn’t mean we can’t deliver a little different. But it will have an impact and it will not feel like the theater we have today. The theater we have today is beautiful.” The lease at the mall will be for three years, with options to renew. Big farewell bash planned On May 18, 2025, they plan a big celebration at the current site. “Nicole and I both grew up doing Junior Theatre, so we have a deep affinity for this location,” Sheridan said. “Even though we’re moving, it’s great to know the facility will be redeveloped and last longer as a piece in our community. “The farewell event in May is going to really be a celebration of all that we’ve accomplished here,” he added. “We don’t want it to feel like a funeral. We wanted to really celebrate how grateful we are. When you talk about a permanent home, nothing’s permanent. This has been a permanent home and we need to celebrate all that it’s done for us. “Now we have to find our next permanent place for the next 25, 35, 45, 50 years,” Sheridan said. "We are making an effort to be fiscally responsible," Savatski said. "In 2017, our board raised over $112,000 towards improvements to the Nighswander Theatre. A large portion of that were the chairs, which are still in excellent shape. The current plan is to respect that large investment and bring them with us. The plan is to bring as much as possible with us in order to lower costs now in hopes that more resources can be provided down the line towards a permanent home." Junior Theatre has been at the Annie Wittenmyer campus since 1977. Junior Theatre's next Mainstage production is "Suzette Who Set to Sea," directed by Cynthia Taylor, showing April 27th & May 4th at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and April 28th and May 5th at 3 p.m. All shows are free to see, thanks to some generous grants, and the April 28th performance will be ASL interpreted, Savatski noted. "There are three songs containing original music written and performed by the cast. They are truly beyond talented," she added. For more information on the facility plans, visit the project page HERE.
	Galesburg seniors dance to viral video status Some Galesburg senior citizens are dancing their way to viral video status. Gordon Behrents Senior Center posted this video of its Gordon Girls and other participants to its Facebook page. Seniors and staff danced and lip synced to Jess Glynne's hit song 'Hold My Hand.' The video has been seen over 7,000 times. For more, click here.
	Environmental biologists are excited about the upcoming cicada emergence While some people are fearing the "cicada-pocalypse" regional scientists are hard at work studying this rare phenomenon.
	The Culture Report \| Caitlin Clark's Salary Sparks Pay Gap Outrage This week we discuss the growing popularity of women's sports and the inequities that still exist, violence among young people and fitting in.
	13 tornadoes confirmed in Iowa from Tuesday’s severe weather outbreak The strongest tornado was the EF-2 that did damage in Houghton, Salem, New London and areas to the northeast.
	4 Your Money \| Tax Refunds We are all thankful that the tax filing season is now behind us. Nate Kreinbrink, Financial Planner at NelsonCorp Wealth Management, lets us know if there was anything new that stood out this year and how it may impact viewers.
	Protecting your plants from the cold and frost Protecting your plants from the cold and frost
	School administrators in Morrison weighing options to preserve school funds Administrators in the Morrison school district are struggling with their budget, and are proposing changes to their education opportunities to save money.
	3 Things to Know \| Quad Cities morning headlines for April 19, 2024 The Rock Island Army Corp of Engineers is hosting free boating safety courses, and high schoolers are putting their engineering skills to the test with trebuchets.
	Republican lawmakers propose further income tax cuts in Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds called these tax cuts a "common sense compromise," and Republicans hope this is the first step towards a long-term plan.
	Rashee Rice latest: Crash report shines more details into how Dallas crash happened Both Rice and Knox face eight felony charges in connection to the Dallas crash in late March.
	Moline schedules hydrant-flushing throughout city The Moline Water Division will begin hydrant-flushing Monday, April 22. According to a release, Water Division personnel will verify proper operation of more than 2,500 fire hydrants located in Moline. This operation removes deposits and sediment that can accrue in the water mains. Customers may experience some discoloration or cloudiness in their water for a short time following hydrant-flushing. Generally, this will clear up by running some water from a cold-water tap for a few minutes. The water is safe to use during this time, but customers should refrain from doing laundry while flushing is being conducted in their area. Moline flushing routes schedule (City of Moline) The hydrant-flushing is scheduled to happen weekdays between 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The program is set to last for about four weeks. For an approximate schedule, click here.
	'Remarkable Woman' will host Davenport fundraiser to help women, children Luekinna Hodges, Nexstar's 2023 winner of the Remarkable Women of the Quad Cities, will host a special event on Friday, May 10. The "Rise Women of Vigor" gala fundraiser will benefit Kinna's House of Love, which has a mission to empower women and children affected by abuse. Remarkable Women of the Quad Cities winner Luekinna Hodges, left (photo submitted) The evening of elegance and empowerment will be held at 1411 N. Brady St., Davenport. Attire for the evening will be white, and guests are asked to wear a purple flower to represent the women who have passed on. (Getty) The event will feature door prizes, raffles, one surprise under a seat, dinner, entertainment by a saxophonist, comedian Chris Schlichting, and an address by last year’s Nexstar Remarkable Woman of the Year Mona Highline, who is founder and CEO of Joseph Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. Also featured will be the director of WISP (Women’s Independence Scholarship Program) Jill Tremlette Large, and domestic abuse survivor Angela Lathan. For reservations, click here.
Thursday, April 18th, 2024
	Rock Island Police Chief Richard Landi announces his retirement Landi's last day with the department is a week from Friday.
	Rock Island Police Chief Richard Landi announces his retirement Landi's last day with the department is a week from Friday.
	Muscatine to apply for federal grant to purchase electric buses Two electric buses would replace one of the city's eight buses.
	QCA teams face off in Junior Achievement Titan Competition Students from high schools around the QCA competed in a regional business contest by Junior Achievement of the Heartland. The Junior Achievement Titan Competition challenged teams to act as CEOs in the phone industry. Teams from Mediapolis High School, Mendota Township High School, Pleasant Valley High School, Rivermont Collegiate and West Liberty High School faced off in the scholarship round. The team from Mediapolis took home the grand prize this year.
	Iowa American Legion post 711 celebrate 75th anniversary The organization was founded by WWII veterans returning home from war.
	Trader Joe's recalling organic basil products The recalled items were sold in Iowa and Illinois between February and April 2024.
	Muscatine to apply for federal grant to purchase electric buses If approved, the grant would also pay for a new building to house buses, charging stations and training staff on electric vehicle maintenance.
	Moline residents can now report crimes online The new program is expected to expand to additional cities in Rock Island County.
	Here's how you can help victims of Tuesday's tornado While no injuries were reported during Tuesday's storms, extensive damage to homes, trees and outbuildings was noted by NWS Quad Cities.
	Muscatine to renovate Weed Park The $500,000 project will clean up the park's two lagoons, replace an observation deck and more.
	NHL prospect from Bettendorf Luke Toporowski savoring opportunity to play close to home with Iowa Wild Luke Toporowski has loved hockey for longer than he can remember.
	Bettendorf K9 Lewis receives new vest One of the members of the Bettendorf K9 police force received a new vest.
	QC man first in world for breakthrough implant Peripheral arterial disease is a condition that develops when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the arms or legs, affecting up to 12 million people in the U.S. Our Quad Cities News reporter Victoria Frazier introduces us to a Quad-City man who was the first in the world to receive a new implantable device to help treat the condition, and it happened here in the QCA.
	Construction set to begin on April 22 in Galesburg Illinois Department of Transportation announced construction in Galesburg.
	IDOA schedules clean sweep collection in Central Illinois Residents of 11 counties in Illinois can dispose of unwanted agrichemicals for free through the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s (IDOA) “Clean Sweep” program.
	Ben Butterworth Parkway trail closed for repairs The Ben Butterworth Parkway trail will be closed for repairs.
	Ready ... aim ... trebuchet! Students will compete in Bettendorf Bettendorf High School students will compete with their peers from Pleasant Valley, and North Scott, Riverdale and Moline schools in a trebuchet contest Friday, April 19, a news release says. Each team’s challenge will be to assure its trebuchet launches accurately and consistently. The trebuchets will toss large raw eggs at targets 75’, 100’ and 125’ away. Points will also be given for longest toss as well. A point system has been calculated for different points awarded for closer ranges. The ultimate goal is to hit the bull’s-eye. Other points will be awarded for design presentations judged by Quad City Engineers. Beginning at 9 a.m. at Bettendorf High School, teams will test their trebuchet designs by tossing eggs. Each of the 22-plus student teams will be given four shots at each target using raw large eggs, three of the four will be counted as scoring shots. Each team has 30 minutes to complete their effort. The scoring is bull's eye -10 points, 10' circle -8 points, 20' circle -6 points, 30' circle -3 points. Trophies will be awarded for the top three point-getters, most innovative design, as well as longest toss. In addition to the event, teams will throw for distance after the target shots. Each team will have two chances for bragging rights of the longest throw of the day. This event is free and open to the public. This is one of the three events sponsored by the Quad City Engineering and Science Council. The winner of the three events wins a $1,000 scholarship individually. The school wins a traveling trophy with the most points.
	Forum helps QC businesses diversify workforce Businesses in the QCA took time to learn about increasing the diversity in their workplaces. IowaWORKS hosted a forum to focus on the immigrant workforce. Business owners and managers learned about the migrant community from those who call the Quad Cities home. They heard from other companies about their experiences with migrants. Organizers say migrants are eager for work but struggle finding jobs. World Relief Quad Cities, the Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges helped organize the session.
	Moline Police Department set to launch online reporting system The Moline Police Department has launched an online reporting system.
	Moline police launch online crime reporting system The new program is expected to expand to additional cities in Rock Island County.
	Culver's raising money on Earth Day Join Culver's on Earth Day in supporting Living Lands & Waters, when 10% of all sales will be donated.
	Safer Sacks helps QCA community programs The Safer Foundation hosted its annual Safer Sacks fundraiser to benefit the group's programs in the QCA. St. Ambrose University students joined in to volunteer and help out Safer Foundation supply the meals. "I have a natural compassion in my heart and I love to have experiences like this," Gabriella Butler, a St. Ambrose University senior, said. "I think a lot of people think they need to make some huge grand donation, but when it comes down to it, you're just volunteering a little bit of your time, just hanging out with the kids makes a bigger impact on their life than you think." Safer Foundation provides programs for individuals 16 and up. "It's really great for the students to feel they have some connection at a different level, just understanding that there's something that's different than what they've known," Brian Monroe, Safer Foundation Assistant Director, said. "So many of them only know what they've been brought up in. Our core purpose is really to help individuals that have had some involvement with the criminal legal system, back on their feet and back in the community." Throughout the busy day delivering lunches for the people who purchased them, Safer Foundation makes sure that students learn about the positive impact they're leaving behind. "When we do have time to have conversations with them it's really positive," Monroe said. "Because then we can spend some time talking about what is that impact, and long term what does that mean." Students from Safer Foundation say they enjoyed spending the day helping the community with St. Ambrose students. "It means a lot to me to know that I'm able to give back to the community," Butler said. "I get to learn about things that they're going through, and how what little or big steps I can make to improve their overall quality of life and enhance their wellbeing." Butler hopes more community members step up to help those in need. "You can make a difference in someone's life just by showing you care," Butler said. Safer Foundation sold just under their goal of 2,100 lunches, giving away 1,995 total.
	Iowa GOP lawmakers reach deal to speed up, further cut income taxes Income taxes in Iowa could be dropping for everyone, and the cuts could be coming a year sooner than the current plan.
	Moline police officially launch online reporting system Moline residents can now report minor crimes to the police online.
	Mike Truitt to be named Muscatine High School’s new Head Football Coach Muscatine High School has named Mike Truitt as their next head football coach.
	Safer Foundation holds annual ‘Safer Sack’ fundraiser The Safer Foundation held their annual “Safer Sacks” fundraiser. The organization sold sack lunches to businesses with 100% of proceeds going towards individuals served through the foundation’s local programs.
	IowaWORKS Immigrants and refugee workforce event connects Quad Cities employers and job seekers The immigrant and refugee community of the Quad Cities learned about employment resources at IowaWORKS' "Immigrant Workforce – The QC's Best Kept Secret" event.
	Moline Police launch online reporting system The Moline Police Department has launched an online reporting system for minor offenses or nonemergency crimes called the Desk Officer Reporting System (DORS,) according to a news release. If a crime is in progress or there is an immediate threat, you should always call 911, the release says. If a citizen has an incident that occurred within the jurisdiction of the Moline Police Department and is not an emergency, the individual can navigate to the website to fill out a report online. Upon completion of the report, the submitter will receive a case number and be able to print a draft copy of the report. Once submitted, the report will be reviewed by the Records Division. If the report needs further investigation, the individual will be contacted. Those filing an online report should be sure to have a valid phone number and email submitted on the report. Online reporting is not designed to reduce policing services or replace speaking to an officer in person if needed. This enhancement is designed to provide citizens with a convenient and more efficient method to file a police report where documentation is the primary purpose. This also is a more efficient use of police resources by decreasing response times for report-only calls. A citizen may choose to file a report online for cases such as burglary to a motor vehicle, criminal damage to property, home-repair fraud, deceptive or bad checks, harassment by electronic communication, minor thefts, or visitation interference, for example. The DORS program project was implemented in cooperation with the Rock Island CountyEmergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) and will expand to further cities in Rock Island County over the coming months. The DORS program is integrated with the dispatch center that can send a caller a text message with a link to the online reporting system. Moline soft-launched this system in February and through a small sample size, tested the application to ensure proper functionality. Over two months, the Moline Police Department accepted 21 reports, which transitioned well from the online system into our records system. The project build began in July 2023. For more information, or to file a report online, visit here and click on "police."
	'It's all joy' \| Meet the QC man behind Navarro Canoe Co.'s handcrafted boats Jeff O'Hern spent his whole life around boats. Then two years ago, he started making them. You can get a BTS look at Navarro's 'Meet The Maker' event April 20-21.
	Golfing 'fore' Gray Matters Collective! Good things come in three! Here's your chance to tee off and help a great cause. Todd Winter with Rock Island Parks and Recreation, Haley DeGreve with The Gray Matters Collective and Chuck Dinwiddie with the Rock Island Moose Lodge made the drive to Our Quad Cities News to talk about the Par 3 Golf Tournament. For more information, click here.
	Woman charged in Jo Daviess County crash The Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office responded to a two-vehicle crash involving a freightliner tractor, trailer Wednesday. A woman is now facing charges.
	What a new climate change report found about the Quad Cities region The recent report predicts places like the Isle Casino Hotel and Vibrant Area at the MARK could become susceptible to flooding as early as 2040.
	PAW Animal Shelter looks for community support to build larger facility PAW Animal Shelter in Fort Madison, Iowa, was recently gifted a $750,000 matching challenge for a new shelter and is asking for the public's help in matching funds.
	Morrison Community School District begins exploring budget cuts Superintendent Scott Vance said he's looking at plans that involve cutting $200,000 to $1 million over three years.
	Illinois Secretary of State encouraging residents to register as organ donors According to the Secretary of State's office, about 300 Illinois residents die each year waiting for a transplant, with another 4,000 people on the waitlist.
	PAW Animal Shelter looks for community support to build larger facility PAW Animal Shelter in Fort Madison, Iowa, was recently gifted a $750,000 matching challenge for a new shelter and is asking for the public's help in matching funds.
	'It's all joy' \| Meet the QC man behind Navarro Canoe Co.'s handcrafted boats Jeff O'Hern spent his whole life around boats. Then two years ago, he started making them. You can get a BTS look at Navarro's 'Meet The Maker' event April 20-21.
	Religious non-profit celebrates 88 years with fundraiser YouthHope, a religious non-profit organization, is celebrating 88 years, and they held a fundraiser Thursday night to support their after-school programs and summer camps.
	Easy tips to help prepare for severe weather Ameren Illinois recommends that everyone in the home knows where the kit is kept.
	1,600+ MidAmerican Energy customers without power in Rock Island County As of 4:30 p.m., 1,667 customers in total were without power, including 569 customers in Port Byron, 487 in Rapids City, 52 in Hampton and 559 throughout RI County.
	Niabi Zoo reducing admission costs for 2024 season Some exhibits will be temporarily closed after heavy snowstorms damaged the zoo's facilities. Admission costs have been reduced by $2 as a result.
	What's coming up with Bettendorf Parks and Recreation? Warmer weather will be here before you know it, and Bettendorf has plenty to keep all ages busy during the summer months! Recreation coordinator Meredith Fabrizius stopped by Our Quad Cities News to tell us about some great programs and events from Bettendorf Parks and Recreation. For more information, click here.
	Unemployment numbers in for Iowa and Illinois Unemployment numbers are in for both Iowa and Illinois. Iowa's unemployment rate fell to 2.9%, which is down one-tenth of a point from February. The state's labor force participation rate fell to 67% from 67.2% percent in February. Iowa added 4,000 jobs in March. Illinois' unemployment rate didn't change in March, staying at 4.8%. The number of unemployed workers increased to 312,000. Illinois added more than 26,000 jobs. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.8% in March. For more information, click here.
	Moline, R.I. progress in addressing poverty Project NOW held its 2nd-annual Rooting Out Poverty Conference Thursday at Rhythm City Event Center, Davenport. Among the six-hour event, that attracted over 300 people, Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati discussed the new Level Up and Thurgood Brooks talked up West End Revitalization, two major efforts to help lift local residents out of poverty. Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati speaks at the Project NOW poverty conference Thursday, April 18, 2024, at Rhythm City Casino Event Center, Davenport (photo by Jonathan Turner). Level Up (a pilot program for the 2024 calendar year) was launched to offer critical or emergency assistance to residents in need who are not met by other programs or services. It was initially supposed to be funded by $200,000 in cannabis tax revenue, but there was a delay in filing the paperwork, and the city is not going to get that revenue until beginning July 1. “The staff found us money for us this first round, but the intent is to be funded by cannabis tax revenue,” Rayapati said Thursday. Project NOW (which administers the program) is funding $120,000 for the monthly grants, $60,000 for one-time emergency assistance, and $20,000 for program administration. The Level A funding is $400 a month for a year, helping 25 qualifying families. They must be Moline residents, single or two-parent families where a parent is enrolled in a program at Black Hawk College, WIU-QC, UnityPoint or University of Illinois nursing programs, or in a local apprenticeship in a trade organization or other credentialing programs. Level B one-time grants (of up to $2,000) are for anyone 18 years old or up who meets the above requirements, and they can’t also receive monthly grants. Level Up has the goal of moving people up in quality of life and economic mobility, Rayapati said. In Moline, 15 percent of residents live in poverty and over 57% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. “We’re looking forward to the data gathering that will happen throughout the year, we know by the next budget cycle, how we can continue to help folks – see what worked and what needs improvements,” she said. “It’s really up to case management at Project NOW to see what their needs are,” Rayapati said of recipients. No one will be negatively impacted by receiving Level Up, meaning other public assistance won’t be reduced, the mayor said. The program is based on similar programs in cities and counties across the country. “They’re working on ways to actually lift people up and out of poverty,” Rayapati said. Thurgood Brooks of Rock Island, left, and Michael Berger and Ashley Ezzio of Uplift Iowa listen as Mayor Rayapati talks about Level Up (photo by Jonathan Turner). She wanted to promote the program at Thursday’s conference and show Moline’s success so far (they’re the only QC community to have such a program). “When you look at data around our median income, our education level, how much farther behind some of our residents are than the state average is, it’s very clear we need to keep working hard to make sure that people aren’t stuck in the situations they might have been born into,” Rayapati said. “We’re really proud of this specifically being for parents, or single-parent families, because we know those are some of our most vulnerable children,” she said. “We can make a generational impact in this way.” Level Up was created because the mayor chose to learn what’s going on across the country to address economic mobility. Rayapati attended a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Reno, Nev., where she heard Michael Tubbs, former mayor of Stockton, Calif. “He’s really a groundbreaking mayor; he created an organization called Mayors for Guaranteed Income,” she told the Davenport conference gathering. “I said, I wonder what I need to do in Moline to address economic mobility and access to opportunity,” Rayapati said, adding she later met with Project NOW executive director Dwight Ford about starting Level Up. “Guaranteed income has a very long history, under lots of different titles,” she said in the panel. “The legacy stretches all the way back to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For us to have entered into conversations decades ago, and not done anything, I think is a tragedy. We’re trying to do something in a big piece, a large way.” To learn more about Level Up, click HERE. Uplifting central Iowa At the afternoon panel the mayor spoke at, coordinators of the year-old Uplift Iowa in the Des Moines area -- Ashley Ezzio and Michael Berger – also spoke. It’s similar to what Moline is doing. There are over 130 similar programs across the nation, and Uplift Iowa has worked with the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania. Ashley Ezzio “We really kind of modeled that and used their advice on how to do evaluations, best research,” Ezzio said before her panel. They started their program in May 2023 and it’s just for two years, helping 110 people with $500 a month in Polk, Dallas and Warren counties, with the last payments in April 2025. Their eligibility is for people living with a dependent up to 25 years old, and a household income at or below 60 percent of the area median income, Berger said. They’re doing a research study comparing participants with a control group of 140 who meet the income levels but don’t receive grants. The participants have an average age of 37 with an average annual household income of $24,542, 85% are female, with an average of two children per household. The average participants spend 44 percent of their income on housing, more than the 30% that’s considered “housing burdened,” according to Uplift Iowa. The funding comes from 11 sources, including private and public entities, Ezzio said. Michael Berger Berger said poverty is a big problem in central Iowa, from housing instability to food insecurity. “Child care is an extremely huge cost for these folks, meaning they have to make very difficult decisions – are they going to work or does it make more sense to have a parent at home?” he said. “We really do see the plethora of the symptoms of poverty,” Berger said. Lifting up Rock Island’s West End Thurgood Brooks, a 30-year-old Rock Island native, is coordinator for the West End Revitalization project. Project NOW – a key partner -- invited him to speak Thursday. He grew up in the West End. “We’ve stayed in dialogue with them through this entire process, the three-year plan,” Brooks said. “It was a no-brainer to share what we’re able to do.” Thurgood Brooks of Rock Island is coordinator of the West End revitalization. “This is intentional, deliberate actions and a strategic plan behind stability for the West End,” he said. “It’s not top down. It’s from the grassroots level up – we’re working with residents of the West End, real Rock Islanders behind this plan.” Other major partners include the John Deere Foundation, the Martin Luther King Center and the QC Community Foundation, which awarded the project a $300,000 transformational grant earlier this year (spread over three years). In early 2022, Rock Island City Council approved and John Deere provided funding for a one-year phase to prioritize West End Community Assessment recommendations. That summer, a Task Force of community representatives appointed a Steering Committee for the West End Revitalization. In 2023, it created working groups in five impact areas and one cross-cutting areas: Community Engagement, Personal Assets & Income, Housing & Land, Community Economic Vitality, Infrastructure & Visual Appeal, and Communications. In March 2024, based on efforts by the Working Groups and guidance by the Steering Committee, a 3-Year Implementation Plan was unveiled. “Our plan is holistic; we’re looking at five areas,” Brooks said Thursday. “You can’t look at one area; if you do, you won’t address anything. Understanding that, we can’t do it all alone. We have to collaborate – which means building relationships with folks, whether it’s a credit union, providing services for people that need financial education, financial mobility, or working with our schools.” John Deere Foundation hasn’t committed a specific new grant yet. The city of Rock Island has been a good partner, Brooks said, and they’re also looking to businesses and the community for support. “We’re looking at any funds and resources that are appropriate to tackle what we need to tackle,” he said. The short-term goals over three years are to: A new West End Community Development Corporation is fully operational with staff, an office, established partnerships, and is implementing actions in the plan. Franklin Field is acquired with development partners and plan in place. West End Special Service Area is created. West End community stakeholders are regularly engaged and play key roles in moving the Action Plan forward. Partner organizations and institutions are leading and supporting actions in the plan. Diversified funding has been secured and a West End Revitalization funders roundtable has been established. West End stakeholders know the purpose, progress, and goals for the West End Revitalization initiative and how to get involved. Brooks said his main message to Thursday’s conference was: “To go fast, you go alone. To go far, you go together, and that’s what we’re looking to do.” He networked with other experts on the issues at the Project NOW conference. “We can get buy-in into our vision of the West End, and they see their vision within ours. That’s how we’re gonna go far, together.” To learn more about the project, visit the West End site HERE.
	Crime Stoppers: Have you seen him?
	Crime Stoppers: Woman wanted in Scott and Rock Island counties on multiple warrants Have you seen her?
	Crime Stoppers: Woman steals hundreds of dollars out of purse found at Walmart The Moline Police Department is looking for a woman who they say found a purse left in a shopping cart at Walmart on March 19, and instead of turning in the purse, she stole $400 out of it and then ditched the purse in the restroom.
	Illinois could amend demonstrations law Stricter penalties may soon happen for protesters who block busy public streets in Illinois. Rep. Dan Ugaste has proposed legislation to amend the Illinois Public Demonstrations Law. Demonstrators who block streets for more than five minutes or prevent emergency workers from passing could face felony charges. The measure comes after protesters recently cut off traffic near O'Hare International Airport. For more information, click here.
	Rock Island police chief to retire After more than 30 years with the Rock Island Police Department, Chief Richard Landi will retire effective Friday, April 26, 2024. Chief Landi was appointed chief of police in April 2022 after serving five months as interim chief. He began his career with the Rock Island Police Department in December 1993 as a patrol officer in Field Operations, according to a city release Thursday. He rose through the ranks of the police department, serving as sergeant from 2003 to 2010, and as lieutenant until 2020 when he was appointed to deputy chief of police. Chief Richard Landi will retire effective April 26, 2024. “It's been an honor and privilege to have served in one of the finest police organizations in the nation,” Chief Landi said in the release. “Over the past 30 years, I've served in many roles within the police department and was fortunate to have worked with so many dedicated and talented people -- past and present -- many of whom shaped me as a police officer and guided me as a future leader. “The capstone to what has been a wonderful and rewarding career undoubtedly has been that of becoming the department's police chief,” he said. “While this role wasn't something I thought to achieve, attaining it provided me with the opportunity to lead the department through what has been the most challenging and changing landscape that law enforcement has experienced during my career.” Landi attended Black Hawk College for law enforcement and criminal justice and received his certification from the University of Illinois Police Training Institute for Basic Correctional Officer, Basic Law Enforcement Officer and Master Firearms Instructor. He earned various certifications in areas of police operations, management and administration throughout his career. Prior to joining the city of Rock Island, Landi began his law enforcement career in 1990 as an auxiliary police officer for the Village of Milan. He then joined the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department as a correctional officer, where he later became the jail administrator. During his nearly 31-year tenure at the Rock Island Police Department, Landi has served in a variety of roles, including field training officer, firearms and Use of Force instructor, assistant watch commander and watch commander for the Field Operations Division, deputy commander of the Technical Services Division, deputy commander of the police department’s Emergency Response Team, deputy commander of the ILEAS Region 2 WMD Special Response Team and agent in the Office of Professional Standards. Additionally, Chief Landi has earned several service awards during his career, including letters of recognition, certificates of appreciation, commendations and Life Saving awards. “On behalf of the city, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for Chief Landi and the incredible leadership he has provided to the Rock Island Police Department," said Mayor Mike Thoms. "His dedication and commitment has led to a decrease in crime, improved community relations and an increase in efficiencies across the department. "We congratulate Chief Landi on a job well done and wish him well on his retirement." In addition to overseeing the daily operations of the police department, Landi supervised the department’s recruitment efforts, reorganized staff and implemented new technologies to improve the department’s efficiency and effectiveness in delivering police services to the community. This includes transitioning to the new P-25 radio network for police, fire and emergency services in Rock Island and Scott counties; implementation of a new records management and 911 dispatch system; a new Automated License Plate Recognition System; and the continuing expansion of the city’s camera network. Under his leadership, the police department: Enacted numerous operational policy and procedural changes to meet the mandates of Illinois’ Safe-T-Act Partnered with Family Resources to embed a crime victim specialist into the department for victim support and assistance Completed the police department’s third re-accreditation under the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program for Tier 2 status Joined with the six other Illinois QC law enforcement agencies to adopt the Ten Shared Principles in partnership with the Rock Island County NAACP Worked with the Rock Island-Milan School District to reintroduce a school resource officer to the high school. Landi’s efforts to strengthen partnerships with neighboring law enforcement agencies led to an intergovernmental support agreement between the city and the Rock Island Arsenal for the management of their police and fire radio service maintenance; collaboration with the Davenport Police Department to expand Group Violence Intervention (GVI) to Rock Island; and collaboration with the Moline Police Department for a shared automated biometric fingerprint identification system to aid their Criminal Investigations Divisions in solving cases.
	Rock Island police chief announces retirement Rock Island Police Chief Richard Landi will retire next week.
	Rock Island police chief to retire at end of month After more than 30 years with the Rock Island Police Department, Chief Ricard Landi is set to retire.
	Pediatric expert explains newborn healthcare Babies need lots of visits to the pediatrician after they’re first born
	Rock Island police chief announces retirement Rock Island Police Chief Richard Landi started at the department in 1993 and climbed through the ranks before becoming police chief in April 2022.
	LIVE TV6 Investigates Talks: Overdosed, finding help in Quad Cities area The family’s story the TV6 Investigates team has shared about addiction has continued to evolve, while in the final part covering treatment available in the Quad Cities area.
	Trace Adkins to perform Somewhere in America tour in Moline, Ill Country star Trace Adkins will perform at The Rust Belt in August.
	Caitlin Clark nearing eight figure endorsement deal with Nike The deal is expected to be one of the most lucrative sneaker deals in the WNBA.
	Two shootings, two different responses — Maine restricts guns while Iowa arms teachers Two states. Two tragedies. Two different approaches to improving public safety.
	'It has been an honor': Rock Island Police Chief Richard Landi retiring Chief Richard Landi will retire on Friday, April 26.
	April 22: Pre-order for BBBS plant sale ends The opportunity to pre-order flowers through the Big Brothers Big Sisters plant sale will end Monday, April 22. After April 22 flowers will only be available for purchase on May 10 through May 13 at the organizations retail site at Northwest Bank Tower in Davenport. To pre-order flowers online click here. For more information about the sale or assistance with the ordering process, please contact BBBS at 563-323-8006. The BBBS Plant Sale has been happening for 35 years and is considered the first community fundraising event for the organization. Funds raised support the organizations one to one mentoring programs provided to youth and families in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. (Credit: Getty Images) The Plant Sale is presented by Iowa American Water, Mel Foster Company and Solutions Management Group. The sale offers 46 different varieties of annuals in hundreds of color options. In addition to flats of annuals, the sale includes 20 different hanging basket varieties, 12 five-inch pot varieties, seven seed geranium color options, 14 wave and easy wave color options and accent plants including Spikes, Sprengeri and Vinca Vine. Hard to find annuals such as Zinnias, Salvia, Gerber Daisy, Snapdragons and others make the sale a must support for quality and cause.
	Culvers, Living Lands and Waters fundraiser breaks records Culver's restaurants around the Midwest are partnering with Living Lands and Waters in celebration of Earth Day for the fourth consecutive year. On April 22, 10 percent of net sales from over 80 participating Culver's locations will be donated to Living Lands and Waters. The initiative has grown significantly since its beginning. Starting with 13 restaurants participating in 2021, support skyrocketed to 25 on 2022 and 33 by 2023. Additionally, the Culver's Foundation has contributed to the raising of funds for Living Lands and Waters. Culver Franchising has also added to the marketing effort and promoting the fundraiser each year. “I could not be more excited about the growth of this very special event. The Independent Culver’s owners and Culver Franchising have always sought out ways to give back to their respective communities. In this partnership with Living Lands and Waters we have the unique opportunity to also have a global impact while raising awareness of this outstanding organization,” says Mike Martel, a Culver’s Owner and Operator. 2023 check presentation (photo courtesy of Living Lands and Waters) Living Lands and Waters is an environmental organization founded by Chad Pregracke in 1998. It's mission is to aid the protection, preservation and restoration of the natural environment of the nation's major rivers and their watersheds. “I want to thank everybody at Culver’s for continuing to help us and our mission of cleaning up America’s rivers in a huge way. We simply couldn’t accomplish all that we do without the support of compassionate individuals and organizations like theirs,” says Pregracke. Starting with just one boat, Living Lands and Waters has grown into an internationally known organization with a fleet of barges and work boats. Every year thousands of volunteers participate in river cleanups, environmental education workshops, tree plantings and more. For more information about Living Lands and Waters click here. 27 Culver's will support the effort for the whole day, with 54 more joining from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Some local restaurants participating all day include the Bettendorf, Davenport, Moline, Clinton and Muscatine locations.
	Lee County man follows juvenile trespassers, arrested after striking juvenile with UTV Max Muetze, 38, was charged with aggravated reckless driving after chasing a juvenile trespasser off his property and striking them with his UTV vehicle.
	Downtown Davenport hot spots partner on 4/20 This year’s Record Store Day (RSD) coincides with internationally recognized cannabis day (4/20), Saturday, April 20 and the Last Picture House in downtown Davenport is getting in on the action. The two-screen indie movie palace is launching a new "Record Store Day" Screening Series, to celebrate RSD this Saturday 4/20. All films are screening April 20 to April 22. The showtimes will be: “Dazed and Confused” – Saturday at 7:15 p.m., Sunday at 12 noon, and Monday at 7:45 p.m. “Cheech & Chong’s Up In Smoke” – Saturday at 9:30 p.m., Sunday at 4:20 p.m., and Monday at 10 p.m. “Lost In Translation” – Saturday at 5 p.m., Sunday at 2:15 p.m., and Monday at 3:30 p.m. Each soundtrack is being re-released for Record Store Day, and if you purchase one of the three soundtracks down the street at Ragged Records / Trash Can Annie (311 E. 2nd St., Davenport), you will receive 50% off your movie ticket! The 2003 film "Lost in Translation" stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Ragged Records is giving away free tickets to Milwaukee Summerfest to the first 150 customers at Record Store Day this Saturday starting at 9 a.m. as a part of its free tote bag giveaway brought to you by Ragged Records and Gnar City Custom Printing in Davenport. Starting at 9 a.m., they will have stocked shelves with an extensive selection of limited-edition Record Store Day titles. Be sure to show up on time or line up early to get your desired title. They’ll be giving away free Ragged Records / Gnar City tote bags packed with goodies to the first 150 customers through the door. Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 independently-owned record stores in the U.S. and thousands of similar stores internationally, according to Ragged. The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today, Record Store Day is celebrated at independently-owned brick-and-mortar record stores around the world. Ragged Records owner Bob Herington and Trash Can Annie's owner Laura Heath (photo by Jonathan Turner). Ragged Records will open at 9 a.m., but you might want to get in line early. “Some people usually show up in the wee hours of the morning and we've been known to have a line all the way down the block as early as 8:00 a.m.,” the business posted on the Facebook event page. Releases are first come, first serve to those who show up. They can’t reserve any titles. Each customer is allowed only one copy per title, but you can buy as many different titles as you want. “We usually go pretty wild with the variety and quantity of titles we order but sometimes titles are so limited edition we can only get a certain amount of copies,” Ragged posted. Bob Herington looks through the vinyl collection at Ragged Records, 311 E. 2nd St., Davenport (photo by Jonathan Turner). There will also be special 12-inch portraits of musicians painted by Jon Burns to purchase exclusively at Ragged Records for Record Store Day. While Saturday is Record Store Day, Friday is Taylor Swift Day and Ragged is selling Taylor’s new album “The Tortured Poets Department” on Ghosted White Vinyl (double album) starting at 10 a.m. for the sale price of $44.99. Why did 4/20 get associated as the national pot day? Derrick Bergman, chairman of the Union for the Abolition of Cannabis Prohibition, smokes a marijuana cigarette in coffeeshop De Baron in Breda, Netherlands, on Dec. 15, 2023. Bergman was at the coffeeshop to mark the start of a new experiment with legally grown weed going on sale in two Dutch cities. (AP Photo/Mike Corder) The origin story is traced to Marin County, Calif. In 1971, five students at San Rafael High School would meet at 4:20 p.m. by the campus’ statue of chemist Louis Pasteur to partake, according to a Time magazine piece. They chose that specific time because extracurricular activities had usually ended by then. This group became known as the “Waldos” because they met at a wall. They would say “420” to each other as code for marijuana. For more information on Ragged Records, click HERE.
	Rainy and chilly Thursday; Frost possible this weekend Frost/freeze concerns by the weekend.
	Dead dogs found. 60 animals rescued by Animal Rescue League of Iowa at Norwalk home 57 dogs and puppies and three cats suffering from fleas, cuts and raw skin were rescued from the Norwalk, Iowa home. Dead dogs were also found at the home.
	2 men arrested after using bat and golf club in Knox County fight Two men have been arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after using a bat and a golf club during a fight.

Friday, April 19th, 2024

Thursday, April 18th, 2024