SAL Family & Community Services (SAL), home to Skip-A-Long Child Development Services, is launching a major new initiative intended to transform the lives of low income expectant families and children until four years of age. Through the first and only Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Program (EHS CCP) serving the Illinois Quad-Cities, SAL continues its deep commitment to further the Q-C’s regional vision of cultivating a community that is both equitable and inclusive. The program is made possible thanks to a new annual $3.8-million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human... Read More

Before she achieved her musical dreams on ABC’s “American Idol,” Althea Grace lived through a personal nightmare with her little daughter. The persistent, inspiring 21-year-old native of Algonquin, Ill. (near Chicago) had her first child, Lennon, in Los Angeles Jan. 22, 2019. Grace has loved music and “American Idol” since she herself was little – writing her first song at age 4. Her parents named her after a 1980 Grateful Dead song, and Grace named her daughter after the legendary ex-Beatle who was murdered in 1980, since Althea is a huge Beatles fan. On Thursday – three days after... Read More

How does a hot, fresh, delicious Harris Pizza sound? Pretty darn delicious, eh? Well, you could win a $50 Harris Pizza Gift Card from Harris Pizza and QuadCities.com! For real! How? It’s easy! Share this post on Facebook and follow these instructions: 1.  “LIKE” both the Harris Pizza and QuadCities.com pages on Facebook! 2. Mention Harris Pizza and QuadCities.com in your post! Tag those pages! 3. Tag at least 2 friends! The contest runs through Friday, April 2 and a winner will be chosen on Saturday, April 3! The winner be announced on our Facebook pages! HarrisPizza.com QuadCities.com  Read More

And so the saga sort-of, maybe, kinda, possibly, ends. Or not. We’ll see. The Rock Island County courthouse saga has gone on for a couple of years now, with the county wanting to demolish the building and repurpose the spot just off Centennial Bridge, and a growing number of citizens calling for it to be sold to local developer Joe Lemon, who has been trying to buy it for over a year. We at QuadCities.com have covered this issue extensively, and if you want to get more of the details, I encourage you to listen to my various QCUncut podcasts of a meeting about the issue, an interview... Read More

The month-old Jambrella movement is quickly gaining steam, as Jambrella Productions is having a big jam event Friday night to raise money for local musicians. There are also plans to have a second major festival outdoors on Saturday, June 12 to coincide with the 17th anniversary of River Music Experience. The first massive Jambrella music festival – aimed to give back to local musicians and bars – was a major success Feb. 26 at The Mound in the Village of East Davenport, raising $7,006. Artists who performed that night included Molly Durnin, Far Out 283, Angela Meyer, Fair Warning, 3 On... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Applications are being accepted for the Western Illinois University 2021 Martin Dupuis/Mukti Fund Leadership Award in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Communities. The $1,400 award recognizes a student who has provided leadership either for a LGBTQ* group and/or in regards to LGBTQ* issues. Applicants who meet the leadership criteria must be undergraduate students who will return to WIU for the 2021-2022 academic year. To be considered for this award, students must complete an application, write a short essay, provide a resume and include two letters of reference.... Read More

Quad City Arts presents the 44th Annual High School Art Invitational at Quad City Arts Gallery in Rock Island, from March 27-April 29, 2021. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The gallery will be open extended hours-until 8 pm-on April 1 and 29th.  A virtual award presentation will go live on Quad City Arts Facebook page on April 1st, along with an online gallery where all of the entries can be viewed: https://www.quadcityarts.com/hs-invitational.html This exhibition features exemplary works of art selected by each high school art teacher in the region. On the average, 16 schools,... Read More

After a long winter, area gardeners are ready to plan and sprout their gardens, and the Rock Island Public Library is ready to help. RIPL Seed Library packets are now available for pickup or distribution by mail. The Seed Library is a free collection of seeds suited for the local growing area.  Seeds are available now for pickup inside the Downtown Library, 401 19th Street, Rock Island. The seeds are free, and no library card is required. Each household can pick up five free packets per month. Rock Island and Milan households can request seeds by mail by using the online form on the RIPL website.... Read More

Returning with the venue’s first mainstage production since area theaters closed in November, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse is ready to bring audiences lots of deserved laughs and warmth in the local debut of The Church Basement Ladies in “You Smell Barn.” Running through May 15, the latest encounter with everyone’s favorite group of singing and joking Minnesotans is sure to put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. With all shows at the beloved Rock Island dinner theatre, this new musical comedy is being presented by an outstanding company of professional actors. The Church Basement... Read More

Charlotte Boyer, a 17-year-old junior at Rock Island High School, made her national television debut Monday night on the final rounds of blind auditions for Season 20 of NBC’s “The Voice” singing competition, which began Monday, March 1. She was featured singing a minute-long rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Love Is a Losing Game,” and didn’t get the response she hoped for from celebrity judges John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and Nick Jonas. None turned their chair for her. “I am so sorry we don’t have better news for you today,” Legend told Charlotte on the show. “I... Read More