Riverssance Festival of Fine Art came back strong in 2021! In its 33rd year, this outdoor event featured over 70 quality visual artists drawn from a national call for entries, live local music, food vendors, wine tasting, and a children’s art activity tent. The event took place in scenic Lindsay Park in the Village of East Davenport (Davenport, Iowa). As one of the premier arts festivals in Iowa, Riverssance is designed to showcase and support visual artists in our region while enhancing the cultural vibrancy of our community.  Sherry Case Maurer is the recipient of the 2021 Harley Award for... Read More

A long-standing hallmark of the Western Illinois University Physics Department has been the commitment of faculty to provide one-on-one research experiences to both graduate and undergraduate students. The efforts of the faculty in mentoring and professional development of students extends beyond graduation, as exemplified by the recent research accomplishments of the Astrophysics Research Laboratory. WIU Physics Professor Esteban Araya, lead of the laboratory, said most scientific projects in physics take many years of research to complete, and typically a project extends well beyond the time... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Starting TODAY, Illinois teachers and school employees will be required to get a covid-19 vaccination or submit to weekly testing for covid-19 in order to continue working in the schools. The following e-mail was sent out to Rock Island School District 41 employees today. Variations of the same e-mail have been sent out to other school district employees across the state. Starting Monday, September 20, 2021 all RIMSD employees must be vaccinated OR get a COVID- 19 test each week. Fully vaccinated employees must submit proof by sending a copy of their vaccination card to the District... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Davenport and Bettendorf School District schools will require masks on all buses and school vehicles starting Wednesday, Sept. 22, according to an e-mail sent out to all students in the districts. The following e-mail was sent out today: Beginning on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, masks will be required on all school buses and other district vehicles based on the CDC requirements and affirmation by the IDPH and Iowa Department of Education. This guidance was posted in the Iowa Department of Public Health “COVID-19 and K-12 School Update for Fall 2021” guidance which... Read More

September is Library Card Sign Up Month, when libraries everywhere remind residents about the awesome benefits of a simple plastic library card. Rock Island Public Library offers insider tips on using that card through free “library university” online courses. The four Library University sessions are offered at 2:00 pm on Tuesdays in September via the Zoom meeting platform. Each week offers a new look at amazing things RIPL cardholders can access with their free library card.  Topics include: September 21: What Should I Read Next? Reader Advisory Tips: If you’ve ever wondered how to find... Read More

Join us Tuesday, September 21st at 6:30 pm as Dr. Sarah J. Eikleberry discusses Iowa’s Segregated Summer Camps for Youth from 1925-1950. Black middle-class reformers and professionals worked to create and safeguard childhood experiences in Iowa during the American Interwar era. This presentation explores some of the ways Black communities worked to carve out space for their children through the American summer camp movement. These racially, age, and gender-segregated environments provided a week of structured and supervised recreation for young people who were still not welcomed in many municipal... Read More

Fresh Films has just launched applications for our 2021 Weekly Filmmaking Program. This program is free for teens ages 13-19 in Quad Cities and across the country. Starting in October, participants meet on Thursdays from 4-6:30pm to practice film production and technical skills and build a network of peer collaborators. New film projects kick off every 4-6 weeks! No special equipment required, and all levels of experience are welcome. Applications due October 12: freshfilms.org/weeklyfilmmaking  Read More

For area students who are beginning the college search process, the annual Illinois Regional College Fair will be hosted by Western Illinois University Tuesday, Sept. 21. The fair, which will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. in the University Union Grand Ballroom on the WIU-Macomb campus, will feature representatives from WIU and approximately 50 public and private Midwestern universities. Students are required to register prior to attending the fair. Registration is free, and students will receive a unique barcode that college and university representatives can scan, saving students time from completing... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: The Davenport School Board voted 5-2 tonight to install a mask mandate for all Davenport Community Schools. TJ Schneckloth, Superintendent of the schools, issued the following statement tonight: Dear DCSD Families and Staff, On Monday, September 13, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa issued a temporary restraining order regarding the State of Iowa’s current mask requirement ban.  With the issue of this temporary order, until further notice, Iowa school districts can require face masks in schools. Following a special Board meeting on Thursday,... Read More

On September 17, 1787, the most influential document in American history was signed, the U.S. Constitution. To celebrate, we are giving away free pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution on Friday, September 17th. You can find your free copy at the self-checkout machines at the Main, Fairmount, and Eastern libraries. This event is FREE and open to the public. For more information visit www.davenportlibrary.com or call the library at (563) 326-7832.  Read More