BREAKING NEWS: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced today that he will be ending the state’s indoor mask mandate — but Illinois schools may still have a mask restriction in place. During a press conference, Gov. Pritzker said he will lift the mandate for the state, with certain exceptions, by Feb. 28. “My intention is as we’ve seen these numbers peak at about 7,400 hospitalizations, and heading downward significantly – we’re now I think under 2,500 hospitalizations, so that’s almost a third of where we were at the peak and heading even further downward –... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Western Illinois University has been recognized once again by the U.S.News & World Report for offering some of the best online degree programs. Western is ranked 111th out of 384 regionally accredited institutions in the 2022 “Best Online Programs: Bachelor’s” category. Western also received a “Best for Vets” designation, ranking 63rd. WIU offers 463 online classes (320 undergraduate; 143 graduate) and 16 undergraduate and 10 graduate degree programs online, including the longstanding Bachelor of General Studies (BGS), which offers students... Read More

The Davenport Community School District has received a grant from Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education for $10,000 to help build the future of early childhood education and childcare in the Davenport Community. The Blended Early Learning in Educational Foundations (BELIEF) grants were awarded to 16 Iowa school districts to facilitate a year of planning and research for local committees. DCSD has formed a committee of community stakeholders such as the YMCA, The Mississippi Bend AEA, University of Iowa, Davenport preschool teachers and private daycares. This committee will... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Thousands of students and parents statewide in Illinois are defying Gov. JB Pritzker’s order for mask mandates in schools upon the announcement of Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow granting a request from downstate attorney Tom DeVore to temporarily halt the governor’s executive orders on masking and quarantining for schools. Across social media, parents from schools throughout the state posted pictures and messages about their children not wearing masks anymore, and the parents posted celebratory messages calling for a permanent end to masks in schools and during... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: An Illinois judge’s ruling prohibiting mask mandates has got schools statewide in a tizzy over whether or not to continue to enforce Gov. JB Pritzker’s mask rules and other covid restrictions. On Friday, Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow granted a temporary restraining order effectively prohibiting mask requirements for students in numerous school districts across the state. A group of parents had filed lawsuits downstate against more than 140 school districts statewide, as well as Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education last year,... Read More

For more than 20 years, Western Illinois University students have gone across the United States during spring break all in the name of helping others as part of WIU’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program. ASB, which is within Volunteer Programs in the WIU Office of Student Engagement (OSE), will once again hit the road this spring, to Memphis, TN. Nine WIU students will immerse themselves in the city by giving back to the community by working with JustCity CourtWatch and Clare’s House Women’s Shelter, from March 14-18. The students will also tour the Civil Rights Museum and... Read More

The Rock Island Public Library is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $50,000 grant for fiscal year 2022 from the Illinois State Library to help it transform library spaces for COVID resilience. The library applied for the grant funding to help it welcome patrons back to its Downtown and Southwest locations with enhanced comfort, privacy, and service. “Part of COVID resilience is the ability to move programming and other services into outdoor spaces, and to allow for better social distancing and privacy in our interior spaces,” said Malachi Kohlwey, Rock Island Public Library building... Read More

Because of crowd size limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 51st annual Western Illinois University Ag Mech Farm Expo, scheduled for March 5-6, has been canceled. The annual show, acknowledged as the largest, student-run agriculture show in the country, attracts more than 150 vendors, and provides networking opportunities for students. “We are disappointed to cancel the WIU Ag Mech Farm Expo for the second year in a row; however, due to the WIU COVID protocols, we are unable to host an event of this size for the public,” said Ag Mech Club Co-Advisor Jana Knupp. “We appreciate... Read More

From the African American Literary Society to the Zoology Club, and all sports clubs, honor and academic societies, fraternity and sorority life and all other clubs in-between, with more than 200 student organizations at Western Illinois University, there truly is something for everyone. WIU-Macomb students can check out registered student organizations at Western at the Office of Student Engagement’s (OSE) Spring 2022 Student Organization Fair, which is set from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23 in the University Union Grand Ballroom. In addition to the organization fair, a volunteer fair will... Read More

It was a day of celebration at the downtown Enterprise Lofts, where Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati and other officials celebrated the announcement of Western Illinois University-Quad Cities decision to open its new Spanish Bilingual Early Learning and Family Empowerment Lab. This exciting project launched the same day Moline began accepting applications for its new ARPA-funded childcare workforce infrastructure loan program. The City remains committed to working with multiple partners – including Renew Moline, Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, United Way Quad Cities – to expand childcare... Read More