With covid numbers dropping a whopping 94 percent since the peak of the omicron variant surge, hospitalizations down 84 percent, and death rates down 50 percent, Illinois dropped its statewide mask mandate today for indoor spaces as well as schools. However, there are still some areas where masks are required; where are they? The Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday reported 13,028 new cases for the week, an average of about 1,861 per day — numbers down considerably from the omicron peaks of over 40,000 per day in January. In addition, the IDPH reported that hospitalizations have plunged... Read More

Illinois will no longer have a statewide mask mandate starting Monday — including in schools. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on Friday that students and staff in schools statewide will no longer be required to wear masks in Illinois schools as of Monday, and he will withdraw the executive order for that mandate, in alignment with new Centers for Disease Control recommendations. The new CDC rules are more targeting, saying people should only wear masks indoors in communities where hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed by patients diagnosed with covid. The new rules no longer call for all... Read More

For the final production of the venue’s sensational 44th season, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse will proudly stage the area debut of one of the funniest slapstick comedies of modern times: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG. Running at the Rock Island dinner theatre through March 12, this Tony Award-winning riot was described by the New York Times as “a knockabout farce” and is being brought to life by a spectacular team of professional talents. THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG will be presented on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:45 p.m., Sundays at 5:45 p.m. and beginning Feb. 16, Wednesday matinées... Read More

The next Fresh Films filmmaking project – Roku Change Makers – starts on March 10th and we would love to have some of your youth join us for this amazing documentary filmmaking project! Not only will they learn film and tech skills, but this project offers the opportunity for their films to be streamed on the Roku Network (how cool!)! We have included an email below that you can easily forward along to your students to let them know about this amazing opportunity! Join the Fresh Films Weekly Filmmaking Program for our Next Film Project – Roku Change Makers starting March 10! Every... Read More

Boylesque is back with an all new show! Enjoy a night of strip tease, comedy, and the men of Manscape in the Quad-Cities only male revue. You don’t want to miss this fabulous dance party at the Speakeasy! Must be 18 or older to attend. Doors 7 pm, Show 8 pm Tickets $12 in advance, $15 day of show For reservations, call: 309-786-7733 ext. 2  Read More

Did you know that February 27th is National Retro Day? Well, there is no way we could let that pass us by without a party… and by party, we mean inviting all of our favorite shoppers in for sales and fun surprises, of course! Join us Saturday and Sunday for big sales, far out door prize drawings, and a special award for whoever comes in with the grooviest getup! Our Saturday hours are 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday we’re open noon to 4 pm. It’s gonna be swell! Learn more here: https://www.skeletonkeyqc.com/  Read More

New funding and resources for entrepreneurs and startups are coming to the QC as The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, Inc. (NewBoCo) expands. In addition, ISA Ventures, the first multi-stage venture capital studio in Iowa, plans to expand into the QC region by building a local syndicate network of investors to support regional entrepreneurs on both sides of the river. NewBoCo, a Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit, launched the Iowa Startup Accelerator (ISA) in 2014 that has assisted 67 Iowa businesses by providing entrepreneurs with the knowledge, expertise and more than $6 million in direct... Read More

Illinois covid numbers for cases, infection rates, deaths and hospitalizations hit their lowest numbers in six months this week, as the statewide mask mandate is set to end Feb. 28, prompting parents and students to question why the statewide mask restriction for schools is not also being lifted. On Monday, the state of Illinois, Cook County and Chicago will lift mask mandates and, for the county and city, vaccine mandates, however, Chicago Public Schools says that it will keep its requirements in place for at least the time-being, “to preserve in-person teaching and keep students and educators... Read More

For your late night viewing pleasure…   Quad Cities is a web series that was shot in the Quad Cities in the summer of 2021 and debuted in the fall of 2021.   The series was created by Kurt Oberhaus (This Is Us) and Justin Marxen (Haunt) and features both local and National talent.   Quad Cities follows a series of gruesome murders that plague the Quad Cities and an unlikely duo must work together to restore peace to the area.   All 5 episodes of Quad Cities – Mini Series now available for free on YouTube! EPISODE 1: https://youtu.be/zi3-dWq7zYE EPISODE 2: https://youtu.be/Cxq8wd3oanc EPISODE... Read More

Enjoy a great tour of the Karpeles Museum during March Museum Madness Month which will include a detailed description and history of the building which includes walking into the heart of the organ and the main basement area. Admission and tours are all free! Learn more here: https://karpeles.com/ O  Read More