As of Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, the month of September has been declared the HAVlife™ Preventing Lost Potential™ Month in Iowa, this year and every year. Governor Kim Reynolds made this action official with the signing of an official proclamation in a private ceremony in her office in Des Moines, IA. The signing was attended by HAVlife™ representatives Mike Vondran, Founder; Kimberly Guy, Foundation President; Baron Vondran, Quad Cities Board Member; Brenda Vondran; Dave Parochetti, Quad Cities Board Member; and Kathleen Vondran, Tri-States Board Vice Chair. According to the proclamation,... Read More

Fall is falling into the Quad-Cities! The weather is getting crisper, the sweaters are coming out, the pumpkin spice is beginning to invade! And there’s plenty of positive news dropping like so many golden, orange and rust leaves. There’s always a lot of great things happening in the Quad-Cities, and every month, we here at QuadCities.com, in partnership with our friends at KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live,” present to you an array of some of the best of them. We call this What’s The Good News? and it’s a way for you to keep up with some of the awesome people, events and things going... Read More

“Be Kind.” “You are Enough.” “We are in this together,” are just some of the many positive messages you’ll see at Rock Island High School. The idea came from Rock Island High School teacher Kelly Young. Mrs. Young was starting to accumulate several inspirational t-shirts. So she decided to start wearing them once a week at work, every Tuesday. “The idea is to wear shirts with inspirational or supportive text to show students we care,” said Mrs. Young. After she started getting students complimenting and noticing her shirts she thought why not... Read More

Aurora Beard was named for the Disney princess Aurora in the Sleeping Beauty story. It fits. She is a beauty. There is another meaning for the name Aurora, which also fits. Aurora Beard is a natural light display, in spite of her physical challenges. Aurora is an active 5-year-old who wheels herself around, plays Challenger League baseball and is gaining independence with the therapies available from Genesis Outpatient Pediatric Therapy (GOPEDS). Aurora was born at 7 pounds, a healthy weight, but soon it became apparent she was not developing on schedule and was not growing as expected. “From... Read More

All Davenport Community School District (DCSD) students will get free breakfast and lunch during the 2021-2022 school year, as part of the Seamless Summer Option funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will allow all students to eat for free every day, regardless of income. Students and their families who would like to qualify for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) or other income-based benefits must still apply through the school district on the Free and Reduced Meal Application to be eligible for the funding. This application must be completed annually.   Students... Read More

Even though vaccines for the COVID-19 virus are being distributed, the health crisis is still active and many families continue to struggle with their finances. As our community works to recover from the pandemic, it is important for students to receive nourishing meals. The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program of the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service provides food assistance benefits to children, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals, due to changes in instruction schedules and... Read More

Genesis Health System will help area students and families get back to normal when schools reopen, and donations begin at various locations on Monday. So if you want to help out local students in need, please stop by! “Pack the Bus’’ debuted two years ago as part of the Genesis anniversary celebration of 150 years of health services. The needs are even greater as families continue to recover from COVID-19 disruptions. “The Genesis ‘Pack the Bus’ campaign will assist families and the schools again this year by providing the tools they need for learning,” said Shirley Gusta, director... Read More

In a really, really cool move and some great positive news, kids won’t have to worry about getting rides to and from school and activities this fall! Metro is offering free bus rides to K-12 students on their bus routes. Students need to show their ID for the ride, and as per existing rules, all passengers need to wear a mask on the buses. For more info, see www.MetroQC.com.    Read More

QuadCities.com is proud and happy to announce we’re partnering with the Quad City Animal Welfare Center! Starting TODAY we’ll be featuring their Pet of the Week, helping for find new homes for great dogs and cats! If you’re looking for a new pet, we encourage you to adopt, and please check out the Pet of the Week from Quad City Animal Welfare Center, today and every Tuesday on QuadCities.com! And here’s the first Pet of the Week… Princess is making her magical debut and is wondering if she can discover a whole new world with her furrever family! Princess is a shepherd... Read More

Summer is in full swing and there are so many things to feel sunny about in the Quad-Cities! There’s always lots of positive news out there and we highlight some of the awesome things going on every month in this column, What’s The Good News, featured here on QuadCities.com and on KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live!” So, what’s the good news for July 2021? Here are some of the headlines… Quad-Cities Podcast Hub Debuts! Looking for your new favorite podcast? Shop local! With the Quad-Cities Podcast Hub! The site, located on QuadCities.com at quadcities.com/podcasts, offers over 50 podcasts... Read More