In this dark winter of our discontent, Summer Olson treasures a feeling that’s all too elusive in the Covid era – total freedom. The bright, bubbly Bettendorf 26-year-old – with a personality as warm as her name – loves leaving the confines of the ground behind, by taking off in a two-seater Cessna. Even greater than being unchained by the shackles of Earth, Olson and her boyfriend, Kyle Kuehl, are true entrepreneurs, and have combined their talents by starting a new business – Quad Cities Aero, based at the Davenport Municipal Airport. She flew on her initial discovery flight (with an... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Michael Sowinski, former vice president, Internal Audit at OSF HealthCare in Peoria (IL) has been named director of Internal Audit at Western Illinois University. Sowinski served as the vice president at OSF HealthCare from 2016-2020. In that role, he developed, directed and oversaw the enterprise Internal Audit Program, the Specialized Compliance Audit Program and the Compliance Project Management function. Sowinski built the first Internal Audit department and was a key member in the development and execution of the Enterprise Risk Assessment, focusing on high-risk areas... Read More

Restaurants around the Illinois Quad-Cities opened their doors for indoor dining today for the first time in months, as customers began to slowly return, wearing masks and being careful, but happy for the opportunity. Today, the Illinois Quad-Cities, and its surrounding Region 2, was moved up to Tier 1 covid mitigations, meaning that indoor dining is allowed in restaurants at 25% capacity in the Quad-Cities and all Region 2 counties, including Bureau, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell,... Read More

In a bitter, divisive time – just two days before inauguration of the 46th U.S. President – the 38th-annual memorial service honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday held special resonance. Livestreamed on YouTube from Rock Island’s Martin Luther King,. Jr. Community Center, the nearly hour-long service spoke to the ideals of the late civil-rights leader (who was assassinated in 1968) and how far the nation still has to go to achieve his dream of peace, unity and justice. MLK Center executive director Jerry Jones noted at the outset that theme of the service was King’s quote,... Read More

WQPT, Quad Cities PBS is revisiting their original fundraiser “The Auction is at Your House.”  The new event is an on-air, on-line auction airing on WQPT January 28 and 29 from 8 to 10 pm, while the on-line part of the auction is live now at wqpt.org/auction. “Typically at this time of year we would be holding our gala Champagne on the Rocks, but due to Covid we had to think out of the box for our auction items, and we took a look at our history and decided to bring back The Auction is at Your House,” said interim General Manager, Dawn Schmitt. Items can be viewed before the on-air portion... Read More

BREAKING: Due to covid-19 numbers getting better in the Quad-Cities Region 2, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Sunday that the region is moving out of Tier 2 restrictions and into Tier 1. Indoor dining at 25% capacity will now be allowed in all Region 2 counties, including Bureau, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, and Woodford. This marks the second Illinois region in two days to be moved to Tier 1, as Region 5 was moved to Tier 1 restrictions on... Read More

A winter storm can mean extended interruptions of power and heat in your home.  Here are tips from Genesis emergency department physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay safe and comfortable in severe winter weather. In Your Home Plan an alternative source of heat for your home during a power outage.  Secure dry wood for a fireplace or wood stove or kerosene for a kerosene heater.  Do not use outdoor grills for heat or cooking inside your home. Put together an emergency box.  An emergency box should have blankets and sleeping bags; matches; dry-chemical fire extinguisher;... Read More

As the 117th Congress and General Assemblies in Iowa and Illinois return to work, the Quad Cities Chamber is releasing its 2021 regional advocacy priorities. The Chamber’s priorities are member-driven; its team will provide regular opportunities for businesses to give input on legislative issues through surveys, petitions and more. The Chamber remains committed to advocating for public policies at the local, state and federal level that enhance the area’s economic competitiveness, increase investment and benefit chamber members and regional economy, according to a release this week. “These... Read More

Phases, tiers, mitigations… oh my! Many have seen a variety of terms used in regard to the precautionary measures put forth by the state of Illinois in its covid-19 protocols, as we all await word on how these mitigations are going to impact our lives as they change over time. As we at QuadCities.com have reported, the Quad-Cities area is scheduled to go from tier 3 to the less restrictive tier 2 on Friday. But what does that mean? Sure, I can say, according to the metrics put forth by Pritzker on Nov. 20, a region can move down to Tier 2 mitigations if it sees a test positivity rate less... Read More

Harris Pizza is looking for a few good pizzamakers. The popular Quad-Cities pie emporium posted the following on their social today: Harris Pizza needs YOU to help us make “The Finest Pizza in the World!” We know so many of you are out of work and in our ongoing effort to give back to this community, we are offering something few companies are…. JOBS! That’s right: JOBS! Let us put YOU back to work! We can’t make this magic without YOU! Full time and part time positions available in all areas! Please apply within at Rock Island and Bettendorf locations! Visit HarrisPizza.com today!  Read More