The new Raccoon Motel bar and live-music venue plans to open St. Patrick’s Day 2021 at the old Abernathy’s in downtown Davenport, with live music starting in early summer, one of its partners said Wednesday. John McDermott, a Quad-Cities commercial lender who’s friends with original Raccoon Motel music booker Sean Moeller, is partnering with Moeller and Eric Swanson to resurrect the Raccoon – which operated from March 2017-August 2019 at 304 E. 3rd St. (now Devon’s Complaint Dept.), averaging about 150 live shows a year. The new Raccoon already has been selling some new hoodies, stocking... Read More

MACOMB, MOLINE, IL – Western Illinois University Assistant Director of Residence Life Jessica Butcher has been named the Al and Elaine Goldfarb 2020 Civil Service Employee of the year. Butcher was awarded an engraved clock and a $500 stipend from the WIU Foundation. She was also named the Employee of the Month for November. Butcher started at WIU in July 1998 as a residence hall director in Auxiliary Facilities Systems. In July 2005, she was promoted to assistant director of Student Development and Orientation, and in July 2010, she was promoted to assistant to the vice president for student... Read More

The Raccoon Motel, a haven for intriguing live music and performance in the Quad-Cities up through its closing in 2019, is re-opening in a new spot in downtown Davenport. The Motel’s founder and event promoter, Sean Moeller, released the following message today regarding the venue: Santa Claus has a ringed tail this year! He’s swooped into the Quad Cities to announce a new Raccoon Motel coming to Davenport sometime in the spring of 2021 and to drop some fresh new Motel merch just in time for the holidays! These hoodies, stocking hats and tees can serve as a cozy hand to hold until the music... Read More

Eleven cultural organizations and three artists in the Quad-Cities were among those to receive a share of $7 million in new grants announced Tuesday by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. A total of 267 cultural organizations and 152 artists serving 118 Iowa communities will get funding, made possible by the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, on Dec. 2. The department launched the Iowa Arts & Culture Recovery Program the same day and received more than 550 requests totaling more than $36 million by the Dec. 11 deadline. The list of recipients includes some of Iowa’s... Read More

Hey Weirdoughs! The Wednesday before Christmas Baked, 1113 Mound St., Davenport, is going to have a cookie decorating party at 4:20 on Wednesday. (Gee, that time sounds familiar for some reason… can’t remember why… can’t remember why…) Anyway, $25 gets you 12 Christmas shaped Sugar Cookies & all of your colored frosting & sprinkle fixings to decorate at your table! Bring them to your holiday party, gift wrap them, or eat them here! Reservations are encouraged & can be made by calling 563.232.1251 during regular business hours. Get more info here.  Read More

They say “hindsight is 20/20.” Well, most of us would like to put 2020 in the rear view mirror, but the Figge Art Museum wants you to reflect a bit before you do. The landmark facility at 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport, is highlighting this crazy year in a new exhibition opening on Wednesday, Dec. 23. “2020 Vision: You Are Here, You Are Not Alone” will be installed in the Figge’s second-floor Mary Waterman Gildehaus Community Gallery and will provide several chances for visitors to participate and contribute in person or from home. It will offer an opportunity to think, reflect, and create... Read More

One of the coolest new restaurants in Rock Island, and the Quad-Cities, is celebrating its opening with a ribbon cutting. The City of Rock Island will celebrate Curry-Out (1407 30th Street, Rock Island) at a ribbon cutting Tuesday, December 22nd at 2:00 p.m. The ceremony will be conducted by Mayor Mike Thoms. Curry-Out is a newly established family owned and operated business, serving authentic Indian cuisine with fresh, healthy and local ingredients, cooked together with love. In addition to their menu items, they can prepare numerous other dishes upon request. They can even arrange for pickups... Read More

Hannah Holman, principal cellist with the Quad City Symphony, got an early Christmas present this month – the keys to the historic Deanery at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Davenport. She’s had a longtime dream to start a new music school, which she did online in September, and she is Executive Artistic Director of the Quad City Music Academy. Following months of negotiations between the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral’s Vestry and her academy’s Board of Directors, Holman now has a 15-year lease on the 90-year-old building and the QCMA will rename it The Deanery School of Music. “It’s so... Read More

Want to give in a profound way for the holidays? It’s time for the Season of Giving blood drive at Quad City Botanical Center in Rock Island. It is time for our annual Season of Giving blood drive in Illinois! We’ll be at the Quad Cities Botanical Center on December 22 and December 23 from 2pm – 6pm. Each donor will receive their choice of gift card OR long-sleeved t-shirt. Appointments are required. Schedule yours here: bit.ly/2Lw9WCK For more info see here.  Read More

The long awaited “Save Our Stages” bill is part of the $900 billion that’s expected to be approved by Congress, providing economic relief to those affected by Covid-19. Congress has agreed to a new bipartisan relief package that allocates $15 billion in funding to independent movie theaters and concert venues. According to USA Today’s Nicholas Wu, the relief package incorporates the Save Our Stages Act. First introduced by Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota over the summer, the act calls for six months of financial support to “keep venues afloat, pay employees,... Read More