Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced Wednesday that all of the state’s Driver Services facilities and other departments will be closed for two weeks at the beginning of January 2022. “After careful consideration and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to close all Driver Services facilities beginning Jan. 3, 2022, through Jan. 17, 2022, due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. The health and safety of employees and the public remains paramount, and face-to-face transactions potentially increase the further spread of the virus. Our goal is to safely reopen all offices... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: With Illinois covid-19 numbers finally starting to trend in the right direction, will Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker relax any of his mandates and restrictions regarding masks and other measures about the virus? Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady spoke with media today, and was cautious about any removal of mask mandates, and in fact talked about the potential for a return to more restrictions if numbers take a downtown when colder weather sends more people indoors. “First of all, as always, this is the first day we have been back down in this substantial... 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

Kewanee Hog Days starts TOMORROW and runs through Monday! The Spotlight is on Saturday, Sept. 4! This day is huge with entertainment! We start the day with the Kewanee Library Book Sale. Then go right into the Senior Citizens Hog Days Breakfast! For all you runners and walkers, you won’t want to miss the Hog Days Stampede! A great event every year! Ryan’s Round Barn is giving tours and stop by Hill Church for a Kids Carnival! The World’s Largest Outdoor Pork BBQ kicks off at 11:00 A.M. and runs through 9:00 P.M.! Stop down or “drive-through” our newest... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Some Illinois High Schools in western Illinois have put their sports seasons on pause due to the virulent outbreak of the covid-19 delta variant in their districts. Mercer County School District 404 in western Illinois sent out a letter to parents today saying they were pausing all practices and competitions for high school sports “while we implement outbreak protocols” regarding the massive spread of the delta variant within their schools and districts. “Due to the number of positive cases at Mercer County High School, our football, volleyball, and cheer squads... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois is expanding mental health programs for farmers and those working in agricultural programs, Gov. JB Pritzker announced this morning at the Illinois Farm Progress Show, the nation’s largest outdoor farm event. Farmers’ mental health is being addressed and helped by the new program, which is especially crucial during the spiking covid-19 pandemic, Pritzker said. “No industry merges innovation and tradition quite like this one,” Pritkzer said, “and doing so while maintaining sustenance, which is integral for our communities. That is no small responsibility... Read More

Illinois is back under statewide restrictions TODAY in response to rising covid-19 numbers. What do Illinois residents need to know about the restrictions, and how could there possibly be MORE restrictions coming in the future? Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced last week that beginning today, there would be new statewide restrictions to attempt to stop the spread of the virulent new delta variant, particularly among unvaccinated people, who have been hit particularly hard by it. “Nearly all Illinoisans who are hospitalized are those who are unvaccinated. From January to July, 98 percent... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois is bringing back a statewide indoor mask mandate starting Monday, a vaccine mandate for all school employees in P-12 and all employees and students in higher education facilities statewide, and other restrictions, Gov. JB Pritzker said in his press conference this morning. The mask mandate applies to anyone over the age of two, regardless of vaccination status, echoing the same mask mandate brought back to Chicago two weeks ago, and to Cook County surrounding Chicagoland last week. All educational system and healthcare system employees will be mandated to get the covid-19... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law today sweeping new programs to overhaul the state’s mental health care system, including groundbreaking new laws regarding sending mental health professionals to 9-1-1 and 9-8-8 calls. Under the new law, the Community Emergency Services And Support Act, Illinois is just the third state in the nation to now require insurance to cover mental health disorders and substance abuse issues. It also requires officials receiving 9-1-1 and 9-8-8 calls involving mental health issues to include not just a police response but response from a... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Quad-Citians worried about the expiring eviction order at the end of July got a reprieve today from the CDC, which issued an order halting all evictions in areas of “substantial” and “high” covid transmission rates until at least October. Rock Island County is in the “substantial” zone and Scott County is in the “high” zone, meaning the entire Quad-Cities area and surrounding rural areas are covered. The CDC released the following statement today: CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky today signed an order determining the evictions of... Read More