Western Illinois University President Guiyou Huang, who took the helm Jan. 1, 2021, will hit the road next week on his Inaugural Alumni & Friends Tour in Arizona and Florida. WIU alumni and friends are invited to join Huang, Alumni Programs Director Amy Spelman and WIU Foundation Executive Director Brad Bainter as they first stop in Tucson (May 19), Glendale (May 20) and Phoenix (May 20) for socials and luncheons. While all events will be held in-person, there will be a virtual component for those who cannot attend in-person. Following the events in The Grand Canyon State this month, Huang... Read More

The Illinois Quad-Cities will open up more today and leave many covid restrictions behind as the state moves into a “Bridge Phase,” dropping many covid restrictions on businesses and the public. Governor JB Pritzker announced the lifting of the restrictions this week, and said that he foresees a full state reopening by June 11, given the increasing numbers of people in Illinois being vaccinated. Under the Bridge Phase: Bars and restaurants: Can now operate within their regular liquor license hours and reopen standing areas at 25 percent capacity. Social events: Indoor events can have... Read More

Derek Watts, the interim director of the Western Illinois University’s Office of Public Safety (OPS), has been named the director of the department, effective June 1. Watts has served as the interim director since March 2019. He becomes the first internal candidate named to the director/chief position. Watts joined OPS in 1998 as a patrol officer. He was promoted to corporal in 2006 and to sergeant in 2009. A 1996 and 2015 graduate of the WIU School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, Watts was promoted to lieutenant in 2018. He started his law enforcement career with the Bushnell... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Samantha Klingler, director of the Student Development and Success Center at Western Illinois University, has been named the WIU 2021 Employee of the Year by the Council of Administrative Personnel (COAP). The annual award recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of a COAP member who has far exceeded their duties. “Samantha has been a positive role model for their staff and WIU as a whole. Her leadership skills have afforded their unit the opportunity to not only grow, but thrive beyond expectations. The resilience, grit and determination Samantha modeled during... Read More

The Quad-City Music Guild Youth Chorus will perform their spring concert Saturday, May 22nd, at 2:00pm at the Music Guild Theater. Under the direction of Valeree Pieper, Moline and accompanied by Randin Letendre, also of Moline, the Youth Chorus will present a program entitled Songs of the (QCMG) Season, which features selections from some of Music Guild’s past productions, such as Singin’ in the Rain and Oliver as well as the upcoming summer productions of Monty Python’s Spamalot, Mamma Mia and Matilda. The songs include Singin’ In the Rain, Consider Yourself, Comedy Tonight, Take a Chance... Read More

G.I.T. Improv and The Black Box Theatre of the Quad Cities are excited to announce the long-awaited return of the The Late Nite Shows – a popular line-up of original, uncensored comedy performances – to The Black Box Theatre stage, located at 1623 5th Avenue in downtown Moline, beginning Saturday, May 22nd at 7:30PM. “To say we are more-than-ready to get back on stage and make the Quad Cities laugh again would be a massive understatement,” said Jeff Adamson, owner of G.I.T Improv. “We have maintained great communication with the Black Box over the past year and are approaching... Read More

Like many hospitality businesses during the past year, the 113-year-old Quad-Cities institution Lagomarcino’s has had a very hard time since the pandemic. As Wednesday afternoon’s beautiful blue skies blanketed the area, brighter days are ahead with the recent installation of a new parklet outside the ice cream parlor  and confectionary at 1422 5th Ave., Moline. This is the first such parklet in the Quad-Cities area, said Geoff Manis, Main Street program manager for the City of Moline and Moline Centre. It is defined as “a small seating area or green space created as a public amenity on... Read More

Do you have a passion for writing? Would you like to shine a spotlight on the POSITIVE things going on in the Quad-Cities? Would you like to go to concerts and events for FREE and write about them? Well, QuadCities.com is looking for interns for the summer and beyond into the school year! We’re seeking people interested in writing, podcasting and doing vlogs and video shows for our website covering the arts and entertainment scene and positive news in the Quad-Cities.  We’re also looking for potential interns to sell advertising and work with advertising clients, if that’s something... Read More

The long and painful Covid-19 pandemic has hurt the mental health of most everyone, but Katrina Eirinberg has been focusing on helping local families with young children. She is the mental health therapist (and a licensed clinical professional counselor) for SAL Family & Community Services, home to Skip-a-Long Child Development Services. Children, without the ability to fully grasp what’s happened over the past year, can only feel that things have changed — and often, those feelings spark anxiety and fear, Eirinberg said Tuesday. “With the pandemic, we’ve had to create a whole new... Read More

A dozen outstanding Quad Citizens will be honored as part of the YWCA Quad Cities 3rd-annual Race Against Racism on May 22, presented by IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union. A special recognition ceremony will be held at the post-race party at Lindsay Park Yacht Club, Village of East Davenport. The race started in 2019, featuring a 5k run/walk and a 1-mile fun-run; however, the most important part of this event is honoring individuals who are standing firmly and intentionally against racism and doing this through their words, choices and actions, according to a Tuesday YWCA release. “At YWCA Quad... Read More