BREAKING NEWS: The omicron covid variant has invaded Illinois, infecting at least one person in Chicago, prompting fears of a wide spread in the third-largest city in the United States and throughout Illinois, and spurring some to dread potential new restrictions hinted at by Gov. JB Pritzker, including requiring proof of vaccination to enter certain public spaces or activities. The Chicagoan infected by the omicron variant was both fully vaccinated with two shots and had gotten their third booster dose. They were tested at the hospital and dinged positive but did not require hospitalization and... Read More

One of the world’s largest producers of silicones has selected Group O as a strategic partner to manage the filling, packaging, warehousing, and distribution of their construction silicone products. This complete line of building envelope silicone solutions for roof coating, air and water barriers, architectural coatings, weather sealing, residential glazing, insulating glass, and structural glazing can be found throughout the construction industry. Using the latest German automation, technology and equipment, Group O will receive the bulk product through reusable fluid-bag containers, and... Read More

The Christmas tradition of “Julotta” returns at Bishop Hill State Historic Site. All are welcome to attend a nondenominational church service at 6 a.m. Christmas Day, Saturday, Dec. 25 in the Colony Church. The word Julotta comes from the Swedish words for “yule” and “before dawn.” Christmas morning in Sweden begins with attendance at the Julotta service. Since 1970, the service has been a tradition in Bishop Hill to help reaffirm the community’s Swedish heritage. Constructed in 1848 by Swedish immigrants, the public is invited to attend the worship service at the restored Colony... Read More

The McDonough County Health Department, in cooperation with Western Illinois University, will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinics (including boosters) for WIU faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the general public, in December as the Fall 2021 semester comes to a close. The clinic will be held in the University Union Sandburg Lounge from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7. Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be available at no cost. NOTE: If the Dec. 7 date at WIU does not work for an individual’s schedule, the McDonough County Health Department will host vaccine... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid cases continue to explode, reaching their highest levels in a year, as the omicron variant has spread to 16 states nationwide and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker hints at future restrictions for the state. New covid cases statewide have raged over the past two weeks, with over 7,100 cases per day — the highest numbers since December 2020 — according to the Illinois Department of Public Health data. Over 11,000 new cases were reported statewide over the weekend, and Illinois has been reporting more new tests per day than it has at any point during the pandemic,... Read More

It’s a place where memories live on. In June 2021, the new Gwendolyn Brooks Memorial Parks was dedicated following a successful fundraising campaign. The park, located on the corner of Adams and Normal streets on the WIU-Macomb campus, is on the site of the former Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center (GBCC), originally called the Black Cultural Center (BCC), and on the ancestral lands of the Illinois (Inoca) indigenous people. The Gwendolyn Brooks Memorial Park was created to honor the legacy of an American icon and award-winning poet, the Illinois Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize winner, nurturer... Read More

Moline will welcome in three new interim department directors next week to assist in implementing the city’s newly adopted strategic plan in the coming months. The interims will be in place for up to six months, while the city reboots its search for permanent directors with the assistance of executive search firms. The new interims will head up the Community and Economic Development, Engineering and Public Works departments. Those positions have been vacant since 2019, 2020 and April 2021, respectively. Michael Schenk will serve as interim City Engineer. He recently retired as City Engineer in... Read More

“The Sound of Music” may seem like an overdone, ancient warhorse – with its 1938 Austrian setting and ruthless, invading Nazis – but classics are classics for a reason. Live theater presents the chance for actors to interpret iconic roles in their own way, putting their own spin on them, letting us see the familiar stories with fresh eyes, and absorb the messages and emotions in ways the original creators and performers could not have anticipated. The intolerance and hate speech reflected by the Third Reich in “Sound of Music” (which premiered in 1959) take on whole new meanings in... Read More

The McDonough County Health Department, in cooperation with Western Illinois University, will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinics (including boosters) for WIU faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the general public, in December as the Fall 2021 semester comes to a close. The clinic will be held in the University Union Sandburg Lounge from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7. Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be available at no cost. NOTE: If the Dec. 7 date at WIU does not work for an individual’s schedule, the McDonough County Health Department will host vaccine... Read More

It’s Sunday, and QuadCities.com proudly presents Fun10, a list of the top 10 things to do in the Quad Cities this week, and every week! Every Sunday, we drop a new Fun10, to give you a head start on your week and a heads up on what’s going on over the coming seven days. Check out Fun10 every Sunday for the details on ten awesome events happening around town. It’s a cool read, and a great way to get started planning your entertainment for the week. FUN10 — ten ways for you to have fun in the Quad-Cities, this week and every week, running every Sunday, only on your site for fun, free, local... Read More