Even as covid numbers slowly decline in the state, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has said there may be tougher covid restrictions ahead. At a press conference this week, Pritzker noted that rather than a removal of the mask mandate and a pulling back of mitigations, covid restrictions may remain and be tightened up if numbers begin to rise like they did last fall. “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.... Read More

This weekend the Storm returns to action for its first road game of the season on Friday and Youth Jersey Night at the TaxSlayer Center Saturday at 7:10. Friday the Storm travel to Evansville to matchup with the Thunderbolts for the third time this season.  The T-Bolts beat the Storm on opening night and snuck out a shootout victory last Saturday. Saturday night the Storm play the newest team in the SPHL in their first ever game; the Vermillion County Bobcats.  The first 750 kids in the doors on Saturday get a free Storm youth jersey courtesy of TBK Bank Sports Complex.  The jerseys will only... Read More

The Quad Cities Chamber announced the launch of Leadership QC, a program for experienced community leaders and innovative thinkers who want to enhance their individual leadership skills. Leadership QC participants will work collectively to develop business-oriented solutions to challenges that impact our region’s workforce. Applications are now being accepted for this 9-month leadership program that will begin in January 2022. “Leadership QC will bring together a diverse group of our region’s leaders, that maybe wouldn’t normally work together or collaborate, to discuss and resolve issues... Read More

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’ 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

The Western Illinois University Student Development and Success Center will host students, faculty and staff for “Think B4 You Drink” from noon-2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 in the grassy area behind Stipes Hall. The event is aimed at educating students about safe alcohol consumption around the Halloween holiday, including drinking and driving, legal and medical ramifications, sex education and information on consent. Participants can stop by a variety of stations, where information will include standard drink sizes, blood alcohol content (BAC), the impact of BAC levels on functioning and... Read More

Western Illinois University Communication Professor Nathan Miczo will deliver the 31st annual Wayne N. Thompson Scholar Lecture at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26 in the University Union Heritage Room. The lecture is sponsored by the WIU Department of Communication. Miczo will deliver “Where’s My Toast? Age-Group Identification and Responses to Ageist Jokes.” Miczo came to WIU in 2001, and previously delivered the Thompson Lecture in 2010. He received his bachelor’s degree in broadcasting from Arizona State University, and both his master’s and doctoral degrees in communication... Read More

Western Illinois University Academic Advisor Tim Johnson has been named the Council of Administrative Personnel (COAP) Employee of the Month for September. According to Johnson’s nominator, he has delivered “exemplary academic services to his students,” coming up with innovative ways to provide assistance. “Tim also came to me with the idea of opening a satellite advising office in the residence hall,” said his nominator. “He adjusted his office hours to meet freshmen where they were at, and when it was most convenient, which was in the evenings.” Johnson... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Employment of emergency management directors is projected to grow six percent in the next nine years, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 1,000 openings for emergency management directors projected each year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Western Illinois University’s Emergency Management (EM) program will host an Emergency Management Day on Wednesday, Oct. 20 for prospective students to learn more about the degree program within WIU’s School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA). The event will be... 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