The Quad Cities International Airport is continuing its impressive ascent in passenger traffic, as April saw more than 36,000 passengers travel through the Moline airport. For comparison, April 2020 saw just 2,734 total passengers as the pandemic took a firm hold across the globe. With this last month’s 36,594 passengers, moving forward the airport will use 2019 passenger numbers as a comparison to measure recovery, it said Wednesday. “We typically see a slight dip in April coming off of the busy spring break season, so the slight bump in passenger numbers was a welcome sight,” Q-C Airport... Read More

River Music Experience — with other local businesses and nonprofits that make their home in the historic Redstone building in downtown Davenport – has a lot to celebrate, including the planned opening of a new Zeke’s Island Café and re-starting of the free weekly Live@Five concert series. They all will celebrate the start of the summer on Friday, June 4 with their first outdoor concert of the year, and a building-wide Open House. The 1892 Redstone (129 Main St.) is welcoming its newest tenants, Underground Economy and Zeke’s Island Café. The building now houses two restaurants —... Read More

UnityPoint Health won six Healthcare Advertising Awards for their 2020 marketing campaign featuring a “kid ambassador” delivering real, critical messages to consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic. UnityPoint Health, an integrated healthcare system, which serves patients in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, also received a coveted “Best of Show” award for their commercial featuring the kid ambassador giving a pep talk to his stuffed animals on fighting Covid-19. In addition to receiving a “Best of Show” designation, a category that recognizes outstanding creative execution, overall... Read More

The Rock Island Artists’ Market has announced it will be hosting two events for the 2021 season. Join local artists, makers, and growers on Sunday, June 27th and August 29th from 12 to 5 pm in the parking lot of Skeleton Key Art and Antiques, 520 18th Street, Rock Island, IL. This outdoor event is free to the public, and family friendly. Applications are now being accepted for vendors. Interested artists can find more information and the application form under the “Rock Island Artists’ Market” tab on Skeleton Key’s website, www.skeletonkeyqc.com, or in person during regular store hours.... Read More

Today is last call for QC Craft Beer Week! Throughout the past two years, hundreds of craft beer lovers from 17 different states have blazed the QC Ale Trail.  The QC Ale Trail invites beer lovers on a self-guided tour of the local craft breweries across the Quad Cities region. To close out QC Craft Beer Week, there will be a QC Tap Takeover happening on Saturday, May 15 at Five Cities Brewing.  Starting at 11 a.m., it will be all QC craft beer on tap from our local breweries.  $1 from every pint sold will be donated to the River Bend Food Bank.  Lopiez Pizza will be there from 12-4... Read More

It’s almost your last day to quaff up some local suds as Quad-Cities serves up QC Craft Beer Week just in time for the second anniversary of the QC Ale Trail. Over the past two years, hundreds of craft beer lovers from 17 states have blazed the QC Ale Trail, according to Visit Quad Cities. The QC Ale Trail invites beer lovers on a self-guided tour of local craft breweries across the region, from Muscatine, Iowa to Geneseo, Ill. The Q-C craft beer community continues to grow, with three new breweries opening last year and Nerdspeak Brewery opening soon at 7563 State St.,... Read More

The Illinois Quad-Cities will open up more today and leave many covid restrictions behind as the state moves into a “Bridge Phase,” dropping many covid restrictions on businesses and the public. Governor JB Pritzker announced the lifting of the restrictions this week, and said that he foresees a full state reopening by June 11, given the increasing numbers of people in Illinois being vaccinated. Under the Bridge Phase: Bars and restaurants: Can now operate within their regular liquor license hours and reopen standing areas at 25 percent capacity. Social events: Indoor events can have... Read More

Derek Watts, the interim director of the Western Illinois University’s Office of Public Safety (OPS), has been named the director of the department, effective June 1. Watts has served as the interim director since March 2019. He becomes the first internal candidate named to the director/chief position. Watts joined OPS in 1998 as a patrol officer. He was promoted to corporal in 2006 and to sergeant in 2009. A 1996 and 2015 graduate of the WIU School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, Watts was promoted to lieutenant in 2018. He started his law enforcement career with the Bushnell... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Samantha Klingler, director of the Student Development and Success Center at Western Illinois University, has been named the WIU 2021 Employee of the Year by the Council of Administrative Personnel (COAP). The annual award recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of a COAP member who has far exceeded their duties. “Samantha has been a positive role model for their staff and WIU as a whole. Her leadership skills have afforded their unit the opportunity to not only grow, but thrive beyond expectations. The resilience, grit and determination Samantha modeled during... Read More

Like many hospitality businesses during the past year, the 113-year-old Quad-Cities institution Lagomarcino’s has had a very hard time since the pandemic. As Wednesday afternoon’s beautiful blue skies blanketed the area, brighter days are ahead with the recent installation of a new parklet outside the ice cream parlor  and confectionary at 1422 5th Ave., Moline. This is the first such parklet in the Quad-Cities area, said Geoff Manis, Main Street program manager for the City of Moline and Moline Centre. It is defined as “a small seating area or green space created as a public amenity on... Read More