Western Illinois University will honor members of the armed forces, along with two of its own fallen soldiers, Capt. Derek Dobogai and Lt. Col. Robert Baldwin, Saturday, Oct. 30 as part of the 10th annual Fallen Soldiers 5K Run/Walk. The event will begin with a ceremony at 8:30 a.m. at Hanson Field, with the race beginning at 9 a.m. in front of Western Hall on University Drive. For those who cannot attend, the ceremony will be live-streamed on the Fallen Soldier Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FallenSoldiersWIU. Registration is $35 for the in-person race and $38.45 for the virtual race... Read More

Illinois employers could be allowed to fire employees who refuse to get vaccinated or comply with other covid-19 regulations if a new mandate from Governor JB Pritzker is implemented. The Health Care Right of Conscience Act amendment would not allow employees to use their moral beliefs as a reason to refuse to comply with a workplace’s covid mandates, which could include mandatory vaccinations. State legislators are expected to take up the measure this week. The Health Care Right of Conscience Act has actually been a law since 1998 and was driven by healthcare providers having moral objections... Read More

Western Illinois University School of Agriculture Alumnus Riley Hintzsche has been named a National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Teach Ag Champion. Hintzsche, a Streator Township High School agriculture teacher, and FFA chapter advisor, graduated from WIU in 2014, with a degree in agriculture education. He is one of three agriculture teachers nationwide to win the honor this year. Teachers were selected based on their passion and dedication to transforming agricultural education into a more inclusive and diverse profession, while cultivating the next generation of leaders, problem... Read More

Retired Western Illinois University Building Service Worker Sharon L. Robinson passed away Monday, Oct. 25, in Macomb. Cremation has been accorded and there will be no formal service. A celebration of life for family and friends will be held at a later date. Robinson began working at WIU in August 1980, and retired in July 2008. She is survived by her husband, William; her children, Tammy, Angie, and Ryan; nine grandchildren; three brothers; and two sisters. For additional obituary information, visit dodsworthfh.com.  Read More

The Genesis Flu-Free Quad Cities program will offer four family vaccination clinics providing protection against seasonal influenza Tuesday, Oct. 26 at TaxSlayer Center, Moline, from 3-6 p.m.; and, Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 3-6 p.m. at Brady Street Stadium, Davenport. These clinics will provide free seasonal influenza vaccinations to all ages. Genesis Flu-Free Quad Cities has provided more than 100,000 free flu vaccinations since the origin of the program in 2007. The vaccinations are available at elementary schools throughout the region. Consent forms for vaccination are required. The form can be... Read More

The Quad Cities Cruisers are holding their latest car show, the Farmer’s Market Cruise In, from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Freight House, 421 E. River Drive, Davenport! The event is free and open to the public. Come check out the cars!  Read More

Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films received a Mid-America Emmy® Saturday evening for their short documentary “Over & Under: Wildlife Crossings” in the Environmental/Science category. The Rundles’ films have been nominated nine times. “Our sincere gratitude for this important win goes to all involved in this production,” producer Tammy Rundle said. “And, a big thank you to Lora Adams and WQPT-PBS for the qualifying broadcast and their ongoing interest in our films.” “Our hope was that the film would bring more awareness to this important environmental subject and inspire... Read More

Fourth Wall Films Tammy and Kelly Rundle are finally Emmy WINNERS! The duo posted the following on social media: Our film “Over & Under: Wildlife Crossings” won an Emmy last night! A HUGE thank you to Lora Adams and WQPT-PBS for the qualifying broadcast and all of your support! Our sincere gratitude to Ross Gipple, Mark Edwards, BeWildReWild, and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for entrusting us with this important project. #MindTheSigns #bewildrewild For more information, click here.  Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Three candidates have been invited to interview for the assistant vice president for facilities management position at Western Illinois University. Troy Rhoads, interim assistant vice president for facilities management at WIU, will interview Monday, Oct. 25; Joe Roselieb, executive director of auxiliary services and risk management at WIU, will interview Thursday, Oct. 28; and Kevin Rushing, regional manager of National Management Resources Corporation of LaGrange, GA, will interview Friday, Oct. 29. An open session will be held via Zoom at 2:15 p.m. for each candidate. Individuals... Read More

Diversity in the arts is the latest hot topic on the Quad-Cities arts scene, and it’s certainly a welcome one, as the discussion has long been overdue. There is a definite shortage of minority voices across the arts spectrum, and that needs to be corrected. The only way it will be corrected is by it being acknowledged and addressed. Some groups have certainly been doing so, and deserve credit for it. Tristan Tapscott’s The Mockingbird On Main has been one of the most forward thinking theaters on the subject, with casts and shows that have distinctly featured minority performers and... Read More