Illinois’ mask mandate could be off the table by Thanksgiving, according to comments made yesterday by Gov. JB Pritzker, allowing families to gather for the holidays without following covid mandates on the holiday to do list. During his weekly covid-19 status update for the state, Gov. Pritzker said he’s hoping to be able to lift mask mandates in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. “State health officials are continuing to watch the numbers to determine when the right time is to remove the mask mandate,” Pritzker said, while noting that he wasn’t going to be doing... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Kelly Severs, former multipurpose building coordinator and student athlete success coach at Spoon River College (SRC) in Canton, has been named the Western Illinois University College of Education and Human Services development director, effective Oct. 12. Severs served in her role at SRC since June 2020. As the multipurpose building coordinator, one of her roles was leading large-scale athletic fundraising efforts and working with coaches and staff to generate new fundraising initiatives. Severs also coordinated with marketing to create content for fundraising efforts.... Read More

As Illinois covid numbers continue to improve, pressure is mounting for Gov. JB Pritzker to remove the covid-19 restrictions and mask mandate which has been in place since August, but yesterday in a press conference Pritzker renewed the mask mandate and said it was still “way too early” to remove it. “If you go look at the hospitalizations — the new hospitalizations, as well as the ones that are, you know, existing in total — they are not dropping at the rate that they were dropping even a couple of weeks ago,” Pritzker said. “So I’m concerned about... Read More

Local officials, citizen scientists, and community organizations will gather on Friday, October 15, 2021 at Jetty Park in an effort to combat plastic pollution along the Mississippi River. The initiative is being directed through the leadership of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) and the mayors of the Mississippi River, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme  and the University of Georgia. This is the second pilot phase of the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative in which local data collection efforts will occur throughout the... Read More

The following story is shared from WVIK News as part of QuadCities.com’s partnership with WVIK. To see the full story click here. Republican Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms is running for the Illinois Senate. Thursday morning he began a several-stop announcing tour of the new 36th Senate district. If elected, he says his focus would be on the economy and jobs. “More jobs, more rooftops. More rooftops, more retail. More retail, more income. And that’s how we do it. We need to generate new income for the state of Illinois, not continue taxing the existing people that are here, more... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: New Iowa covid-19 numbers show a positive trend, but are still on “high alert,” with over 1,000 daily new cases for the eighth week in a row — a significant increase over summer’s 100 per day average. October numbers for Iowa are down 23 percent from September, with hospitalizations falling 10 percent over the past two weeks. The Iowa Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that 598 Iowans are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, with 150 patients in the UCU. Only 55 percent of all Iowans are vaccinated, which is driving the continued spread, as most... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Good news this week for Illinois covid-19 numbers as Illinois became one of just six states nationwide to move from the high level of covid transmission (the highest) down to the substantial level. The state is now at 95 cases per 100,000 people; the cutoff for substantial is 100 per 100,000. The positive move has prompted speculation that the mask mandate and other restrictions Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker implemented late in the summer as numbers began to surge. “We’re watching to make sure that we’re on a good downward trajectory,” Pritzker said in a press conference. “That’s... Read More

Juliet Christenson knows how to win friends and influence people, both on the job and off. Director of Product Strategy and Development at Rock Island-based Royal Neighbors of America, she will be honored Wednesday, Oct. 13 as a Woman of Influence by Women Lead Change (WLC) for the 2021 Leadership Awards, as part of the WLC Quad Cities Conference at the Waterfront Convention Center, Bettendorf. The Women of Influence honorees are one of two new categories along with Emerging Leaders. The 2021 award winners are: ATHENA Leadership Award Honoree, sponsored by Bank of America — ** Elaine Kresse,... Read More

The Quad Cities Chamber on Monday presented a progress report to Rock Island City Council on efforts to explore the creation of a new public-private place management organization supported by sustainable funding to deliver special services that enhance public spaces, encourage investment and improve overall quality of life in Downtown Rock Island. In addition, updates were provided on plans to modernize the Downtown core, including the Great River Plaza and Arts Alley. Jack Cullen, the Chamber’s Director for Downtown Rock Island, introduced the core place management services called for by the... Read More

The Bettendorf Rotary is determined to make sure every homeless person in the Quad Cities has a blanket this winter. According to the nonprofit shelters in our area, blankets are the number one requested item. The Acre of Warmth project will run through the month of October. Bettendorf Rotarians are asking for gently used and clean or new blankets to be donated. The size that is most requested is twin but all sizes are welcome. The goal is to have 800 blankets donated which is enough to cover the size of a football field, approximately an acre. “We have had a great start with blanket donations,”... Read More