The WQPT-PBS broadcast of their short 2020 documentary “Over & Under: Wildlife Crossings” has been nominated for a Mid-America Emmy in the Environment/Science category. Films by Kelly and Tammy Rundle have now been nominated nine times for regional Emmys. This one is among three nominees in its category; the awards will be presented on Oct. 23. “Over & Under” was partially funded by a grant from BeWildReWild/Big River Connectivity and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. The film examines wildlife crossings by exploring two successful yet different approaches to turtle crossings under... Read More

While he’s probably at least two decades older than the fire captain he’s playing in the new Black Box Theatre production, Jim Harris is otherwise the perfect choice to help commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. The 68-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y. – who moved to the Quad-Cities three years ago to be closer to his daughter and their family – plays Nick in “The Guys” by Anne Nelson. Based on a true story, in the two-person play opening Thursday, it’s less than two weeks after the September 11th attacks, and New Yorkers are still in shock. One of them, an editor... Read More

For years, Moeller Nights’ GARP Fest has rocked the barn at Codfish Hollow Barnstormers in rural Maquoketa, quickly becoming recognized as one of the Midwest’s best events. But on short notice this year, the barn made the difficult decision to temporarily cease performances, leaving the beloved festival without a venue. After cancelling last year due to the pandemic shutdown, this comes at a challenging time. Responding quickly to the closure of GARP’s original venue, Davenport-based River Music Experience has stepped in as a co-producer to bring the festival to Rock Island. RME and Moeller... Read More

The Covid pandemic has tested everyone’s patience. But even pre-pandemic, award-winning composer, pianist, and music professor William Campbell was at his wit’s end. Fortunately, he found some peace, wisdom and channeled his boundless creativity into a new album, “All In Due Time,” expressing the in-between moments of anticipation, recovery, and reflection. This collection of evocative solo piano instrumentals is set to release September 10th, and is a product of Campbell’s experiences with events such as Covid, recovery from a debilitating injury, and an activity called “forest-bathing.”... Read More

The following article is part of QuadCities.com’s partnership with local music website The Echo. For more, check out theechoqc.com! Downtown LeClaire has long been a popular Quad-Cities destination for its quirky, locally-owned shops, the Buffalo Bill Museum and Riverboat Twilight cruises, scenic riverfront, and its excellent variety of food and drink establishments. For several years, it’s also become known as a great place to hear live music, and a newly rebranded monthly series is raising the bar on promoting free live music. Ryan Burchett, the owner of Mississippi River Distilling Company... Read More

After an invitation-only reception last Thursday featuring live music, the Redstone Room on the second floor of River Music Experience (129 Main St., Davenport) finally reopens for a public concert this Thursday, at 8 p.m., with an All Sweat Series “Island Del Soul” event, with several artists. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. The RME provided the following description of the lineup: Nadirah Shakoor — At the tender age of five, Nadirah told her parents she wanted to “be a singer like Diana Ross.” Her family migrated from Texas to California where she studied... Read More

There are over 475,000 stories in the six-county Quad-City region, but just 45 people will have their reflections of 2020 published in a new anthology – edited by the busy author/editor Misty Urban of Muscatine – called “These Interesting Times: Surviving 2020 in the Quad Cities.” It will be released (full disclosure: I’m one contributor) in late September by the Midwest Writing Center Press. Urban, a three-year member of the Rock Island-based MWC board, is an award-winning writer who has two new books out (including her first novel), and is teaching a new MWC series, “Crafting the... Read More

The new 52,000-square-foot Peter J. Lindberg, M.D., Center for Health and Human Performance at Augustana College not only stands at Rock Island’s intersection of 7th Avenue and 35th Street, but stands at a key intersection of academics and athletics. The gleaming $18-million building was celebrated and opened Monday morning, on the first day of classes for the 2021-22 year at the private school. The Lindberg Center’s primary objective will be to prepare graduates for health-related careers requiring a major in kinesiology or public health. Kinesiology, derived from the Greek word for movement,... Read More

Kevin Hines, one of the world’s leading suicide-prevention advocates, will be the keynote speaker for “Can’t Replace You” – a conference Thursday, Sept. 30 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Ballroom, 226 17th St., Rock Island, presented by Foster’s Voice and The Gray Matters Collective. Foster’s Voice, Inc., is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping others with depression and advocating for suicide awareness and prevention. It’s named for Foster Atwood, a 19-year-old United Township grad struggling with depression who took his life on July 21, 2017. The Gray Matters,... Read More

Ashley Hicks has spent her whole professional career in banking, but she’s cashed in her experience on and off the job, and is investing it into a major nonprofit – as the new Women United director for United Way Quad Cities. She and her boss already are seeing it reap profitable rewards. “I have watched Ashley from afar, in all of her involvement in the community and her passion. She wears it on her sleeve,” United Way president/CEO Rene Gellerman said Thursday. “Plus, her energy and excitement. She’s very well-known in the community and that’s a great asset for us. Her passion for... Read More