Visit Quad Cities, the region’s official destination management and marketing organization (DMMO), announces a new initiative expanding the way visitors and Quad Citizens interact with destination assets.  The brand-new QC Coffee Trail showcases nearly 30 local coffee shops and cafés in the Quad Cities regional destination that are participating in the new trail. The QC Coffee Trail uses mobile-based code check-ins, special offers, and gamification to engage participants. It’s free to register at www.QCcoffeetrail.com.  As you visit the variety of coffee shops in the QC, you can check in... Read More

Western Illinois University now boasts a growing population of international students from the Caribbean, with more than 70 students enrolled at Western in the past two semesters. In July 2021, Western Illinois University signed its first MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to assure seamless transfer opportunities for students from 16 Caribbean countries to study at WIU. In addition to the CXC agreement, WIU has established partnerships with Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, Anguilla Community College, Antigua State College, Charlestown Secondary School... Read More

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. To spark conversations about childhood well-being and build awareness of the community resources available for ensuring safe, healthy childhoods for all, EveryChild, formerly known as the Child Abuse Council, is leading a variety of events, activities, and community trainings throughout the month. “Childhood well-being is a community issue, and Child Abuse Prevention Month is an opportunity for us all to come together to celebrate the small steps we can take to strengthen children and families, not just this month but throughout the year—and far into the... Read More

It’s after three o’clock on a Monday afternoon and while most students have left school to go home, a group of students chooses to stay and learn. Laura Irish is a teacher at Rock Island Academy and started the Leopards Who Code club. Just in its first year, already 16 students have signed up. “I have some good social-emotional learning conversations with my students about gaming and apps. They often make me think about things from a new perspective,” said Ms. Irish. The club is for any 3rd-6th grade Leopard who’s interested in learning about technology. The club... Read More

Tickets for the first Quad City Storm playoff game in franchise history are on sale now.  The Storm is scheduled to play a home playoff game on April 12th, 13th or 14th depending on the opponent they face.  Puck drop will be at 7:10 PM and the exact date and opponent will be finalized by April 10th; the last day of the SPHL regular season. $1 beers will be sold at all Storm home playoff games. The SPHL playoffs feature the top eight teams in the league.  In round one seeds are paired #1 vs. #8, #2 vs. #7, #3 vs. #6 and #5 vs. #4.   Winning teams from each matchup are then reseeded for the... Read More

Santana will smoothly saunter onto the stage at Moline’s TaxSlayer Center at 8 p.m. Friday, April 15, 2022. Everyone needs a ticket no matter the age. Doors open at 6:30 pm No bags allowed except wallets and clutch size purses. TaxSlayer Center concession stands do not accept cash. All guests will be asked to walk through a stand-alone metal detector. Tickets are on sale now! More info? Click here.  Read More

The inaugural Taste of East Moline annual event featuring local restaurants offering tasty bite-sized portions of their favorite menu items. Entertainment provided by Bobby Ray Bunch, auction items, a wine pull and a cash bar. The event will be held at the The Rust Belt, the Quad Cities coolest place for entertainment and events. Proceeds support the annual grant-making of the East Moline Community Fund. Sponsored by East Moline Glass. Participating restaurants include: Combine, Happy Joe’s, Jewel-Osco, Junior’s Sports Bar , Midwest Ale Works, Olde Town Bakery, Revive Cafe, Rudy’s... Read More

Ryan Warren, a Western Illinois University graduate student in Sociology and a Peace Corps Fellow, from Savannah, MO, has been selected as the Spring 2022 recipient of The Sociological Masters Scholarship Award. This $1,000 award, funded by emeritus WIU faculty members Ken Mietus and Chris Adamski Mietus, is given annually to an outstanding graduate student in the program based on their academic achievement and their application essay regarding how they plan to use their sociology degree. “In her essay, Warren discussed her career goal of becoming an investigative agent within federal law... Read More

Atomic Coffee along John Deere in Rock Island is OPEN NOW! The shop had a soft opening to get things moving along smoothly over the weekend, but today, they’re good to go, open in the old Checkers along John Deere corridor. Earlier, it was reported that Atomic  would be opening in Rock Island around March, and delays pushed them into early April.   Atomic has two other locations in the Quad-Cities, 4707 N Brady St. in Davenport, and 3235 Ridge Point, Bettendorf. For more info, stay tuned to your fun, free, local QuadCities.com…  Read More

The Knoblauch Cafe, a campus restaurant open weekly and run by Western Illinois University students, has reopened for the Spring semester. The cafe offers carry-out meals for $8 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. each Thursday that can be picked up in the Knoblauch Hall Corporate Kitchen, room 238. Each meal includes an entree, a beverage and a dessert. Jill Cassady, instructor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration, took over the course in 2010. Then, the cafe was named “Western Lites” and focused on offering low-calorie options for the campus community. Now, the cafe focuses... Read More