BREAKING: As Iowa continues as a hot spot for covid-19 cases, Governor Kim Reynolds is extending mitigations for “at least another week” on the state. “We look at it on a daily basis, we review it on a daily basis, we review it on a weekly basis,” Reynolds said in a press conference today. “We still have a long ways to go on our hospitals, but they are seeing some relief. I’ve said all along, we’ll dial up and we’ll dial back as appropriate and so that’s the same thing that we’ve done from the beginning of the pandemic.” Iowa... Read More

At the close of a year that has very much gone wrong, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse has made another difficult decision – to postpone its forthcoming comedy, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” from this January to January 2022. “With the explosion of Covid–19 cases in the last few weeks, and our governor reverting back to the restrictions of Stage 3, coupled with the huge post-Thanksgiving surge anticipated in the next 2 weeks, and the post-Christmas increase, it was abundantly clear we had to postpone the show,” Circa ‘’21 producer Denny Hitchcock said Wednesday. “Our main concern,... Read More

The Quad Cities River Bandits will move up a level of play and become a Kansas City Royals affiliate, whenever the team ends up playing again after covid-19 mitigations. Major League Baseball announced today that the Quad Cities River Bandits and eleven other Midwest League teams will be moving up one level of play, as the team and the league have been promoted from Single-A to Advanced-A baseball. That puts Quad Cities players just below Double-A and one step closer to the major leagues. The River Bandits also announced today the team has been invited to become the Advanced-A affiliate of the... Read More

United Way Quad Cities is accepting applications for its new United for Equity Fund grants, with up to $200,000 to distribute — supported by local business and industry leaders as well as individual gifts. Applications will be accepted through United Way’s website until noon Jan. 8. The ideas of 450 Quad Citizens, brought up during 29 small-group conversations at the Quad-Cities Equity Summit in October, have informed and inspired the framework for United Way’s United for Equity initiative, aimed to reduce and prevent racial disparities affecting the education, income and health in the... Read More

A record-breaking number of people came out for free covid-19 tests over the weekend at the TaxSlayer Center, the first of three weekends this month offering free testing at the Moline venue. Over 850 free tests were given on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6, breaking the old record for the most number of tests given out over a weekend, according to Kyle Douglas, site manager for HR Support, the subcontractors running the testing location. There were also a record number of tests given on one day, as 517 were administered on Saturday. The temporary community-based COVID-19 drive-through testing site... Read More

Health officials on both sides of the river encourage Quad-Citians to continue to mask up and be diligent in regard to preventing the spread of covid-19, warning we still have a long way to go before the pandemic is under control. Illinois Department of Public Health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said numbers from the aftermath of the Thanksgiving holiday have still not fully emerged, and that we “have a long way to go” before the disease is settled. “To be clear, the numbers still have a long way to go to move away from what could reasonably be called the danger zone. In other words,... Read More

Janessa Calderon’s young, fast-growing career has led her to exactly the perfect place. The driven, 26-year-old native of Muscatine, Iowa, is the new executive director (and the youngest Latina in the job) of the Greater Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce (GQCHCC). After more than two years working for the nonprofit, the board promoted Calderon to the position – its only paid staff — effective Dec. 1, 2020. “I’m very excited about it,” she said Monday. Calderon succeeds Zenaida Landeros, the first Latina executive director of the chamber, who resigned this past spring to become executive... Read More

You can help honor and support Iowa arts and culture this Friday, Dec. 11, as the 9th-annual Celebrate Iowa Gala will be hosted virtually from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The state’s premier cultural celebration, presented by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (IDCA), will offer guests once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet notable Iowans, watch an Iowa movie star add his handprints to the Wall of Fame at the State Historical Museum of Iowa, and enjoy musical performances at iconic Iowa venues, including the American Gothic House in Eldon and the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. The virtual event also... Read More

Visit Quad Cities and local tourism leaders are mourning the loss of a Q-C champion and cheerleader. Joe Taylor, 65, of Hampton, Ill., died Thursday, Dec. 3 in a Cedar Rapids hospital. He was the longtime former president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities, then-Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB). “On behalf of our Board of Directors and team, we are incredibly saddened by the news of Joe Taylor’s passing,” Dave Herrell, current president/CEO of Visit Quad Cities, said Friday. “A leader and accomplished veteran of our industry, Joe’s love, passion, and contributions to the... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: UnityPoint Health – Trinity is modifying its current visitor limitations to only allow one designated visitor per inpatient, during visiting hours throughout the length of the patient’s hospitalization. This change is effective Monday, December 7, and until further notice. This temporary modification creates added protections for our patients and health care workers while allowing hospitalized patients an opportunity to have a designated family member or loved one visit. We recognize there are times when having a visitor or family member present is crucial. In these cases, a... Read More