Looking for some fun this weekend? This week, and every week, you can check out our Weekend in 2 Minutes podcast — the longest-running podcast in Quad-Cities history, going into its sixth year! Weekend in 2 Minutes gives you a quick rundown of some of the fun things going on in and around the area, and as always, it’s FREE to listen to as much as you want. This week, it’s one of the last weekends for outdoor live music, and you can get the rundown of some of the shows in our Weekend in 2 Minutes, along with updates on Mercado, new shows at the Spotlight and Circa ’21, comedy... Read More

The unveiling of the first prototypes of the public art to mark the locations of killings from the 1919 Chicago Race Riot was held in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, in July. A bicycle and trolley tour of key sites related to the history of the city’s worst-ever incident of racial violence as well as of the Black community, and in support of the public art project, was held at the same time. Approximately 350 people attended, about 300 of whom joined the two-hour bike tour. The art project, the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project (CRR19), was founded by Western Illinois... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – This fall, Western Illinois University is experiencing the highest international student enrollment in 30 years, and is also seeing an increase in new graduate student enrollment. The number of international students enrolling this fall – 658 total, which includes new (424) and returning (234) international students – is a historical record for Western. According to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, the last peak in international enrollment occurred in 1987 with 574 students. New entering graduate student enrollment has increased by 36.7 percent, while... Read More

The Western Illinois University Counseling Center (UCC) will host a Fresh Check Day for WIU students from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23 on the Multicultural Center lawn (rain location: Multicultural Center). The annual event is a day to check-in with college students regarding mental health awareness and suicide prevention. “This is an uplifting day that brings our services directly to our students,” said UCC Counselor and Fresh Check organizer Marsha Dace. “Our goals are to increase student awareness of the mental health resources available, reducing the stigma and misconceptions... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois students, teachers and school staff with confirmed and probable covid-19 infections are now required to be banned from schools and school activities due to an executive order signed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. The executive order, signed late Friday night, states that people are required to remove themselves from schools or school activities if they have covid-19 or knowingly have been in close contact with someone who has the virus. The order states schools must exclude any student or school personnel with confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 for at least 10 days,... Read More

This week is special in more ways than one for the cast and crew of a new Spotlight Theatre production of the beloved musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.” The portentous prologue to the funky, campy, black comedy begins: On the twenty-first day of the month of September In an early year of a decade not too long before our own The human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence And this terrifying enemy surfaced as such enemies often do In the seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places… Directed by Spotlight co-owner Brent Tubbs, and starring Jacob Johnson as... Read More

MACOMB, IL — Celebrating Town & Gown, the annual signature Western Illinois University and Macomb community event, will kick off 2021 WIU Homecoming activities Thursday, Sept. 23 and include the latest Rocky on Parade unveiling. The event is hosted by WIU and the City of Macomb. This year’s event is the inaugural Town & Gown celebration for WIU’s 12th President Guiyou Huang. The 14th annual Celebrating Town & Gown event, with Huang and Macomb Mayor Mike Inman, will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at The Forum in Macomb, with a short program at 6:15 p.m. All Macomb... Read More

Forward Jay Croop has signed a training camp contract with the Quad City Storm. Croop is a sixth-year pro from Glen Allen, Virginia who played for the Columbus River Dragons the last four seasons. During his professional career he has logged a point per game with 62 goals and 64 assists in 126 contests.  Read More

The Late Nite Shows featuring Wisenheimer plays The Black Box Theatre in downtown Moline on Saturday, September 25 at 7:30 pm.   Wisenheimer – the best in long form improvisational comedy celebrates 10 years this coming December. The troupe of Leslie Mitchell, Jeff De Leon, and Jen Kuhle have a myriad of improv training from nationally renowned institutions, and travel the country performing at comedy festivals. In 2015, the troupe launched Wisenheimer: The Podcast – available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Opening for Wisenheimer is Des Moines stand-up comedian Jameson Cox. Originally... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid-19 numbers are “going in the wrong direction fast, and looking bad for fall,” according to Covid-19 Illinois, a not-for-profit group which presents and analyzes statewide data on the pandemic. The group released its latest analysis for the previous week, two weeks, and month, on Monday. According to Covid-19 Illinois,497 Illinoisans died from Covid-19 in the last 15 days; and 506 in the entire month of August. “Last September before the vaccine, 307 died from Covid-19 in the first 15 days of September, this is a 40% increase this same period,”... Read More