The YWCA Quad Cities is celebrating a surprise holiday gift this week. It is among 384 charities throughout the United States that have received a donation from MacKenzie Scott, a 50-year-old American novelist, billionaire, and venture philanthropist. She has donated $4.1 billion to nonprofit organizations in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, and the YWCA is just one of two recipients that serve the Quad-Cities – the other is Goodwill of the Heartland. “These 384 carefully selected teams have dedicated their lives to helping others,” Scott explained in a Dec. 15 post on Medium,... Read More

Taylor Swift isn’t the only recording artist to release two albums during quarantine. Even though she didn’t write or record them during the shutdown since March, country-rock star Margo Price released a live album and her third studio record in 2020. The outspoken 38-year-old native of Aledo, Ill., also has been a powerful, busy voice this year on social media and several media outlets nationwide – addressing urgent issues like racial injustice, Covid-19 financial relief, political polarization, public health and how to get out of this endless pandemic alive and sane. As a fiery opponent... Read More

Despite the 2019 flood and 2020 pandemic, the Quad-Cities’ Lopiez Pizza is growing by leaps and bounds – to open their third location next month at Analog Arcade Bar, 1405 5th Ave., Moline. Analog – which opened New Year’s Eve 2018 – is itself a sister bar to the first Analog Arcade Bar in downtown Davenport, which opened in 2015 at 302 Brady St. The Moline location has about 80 games, including pinball machines and old-school arcades, with a 36-foot bar and 20 beers on tap. It’s temporarily closed due to Illinois Covid-19 restrictions, but Lopiez co-owner Andrew Lopez said Wednesday... Read More

Today is yet another great day for the future of YWCA Quad Cities. “One of the biggest challenges that we deal with more often than not, is WANTING to provide bigger and better programming, but NOT having the funds available to do it,” says Julie Larson, President and CEO.  “Well, today that changes!” YWCA Quad Cities is 1 of 384 charities throughout the United States that has received a donation from MacKenzie Scott, American novelist, billionaire, and venture philanthropist. Ms. Scott worked with a team of advisors to help her accelerate her 2020 philanthropic giving through... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Western Illinois University has extended the $30 application fee waiver for undergraduate, graduate, and international students who apply to WIU (wiu.edu/apply) through Dec. 31. Graduating high school seniors and transfer students, dual enrollment students, graduate students and international students, as well as those applying through the Bachelor of General Studies(BGS) program, who apply for admission to Western for the Spring 2021 and Fall 2021 semesters, will have the application fee waived through 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31. In addition, the WIU Office of UndergraduateAdmissions... Read More

Western Illinois University Agriculture alumnus Bryon Kirwan considers it a source of personal pride to give back to his alma mater and its School of Agriculture, including helping with research at the Allison Organic Research and Demonstration Farm. The 1980 graduate was recently named a national economist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). He had been serving as the state economist in Illinois, but his new position allows him to oversee work in 15 states. It will also necessitate him commuting between his home... Read More

This morning, the first covid-19 vaccines to arrive in the Quad-Cities were administered to Genesis Health employees in Davenport. Dr. Robert Mixsell, Medical Director of Convenient Care and Alli Edmunds, R.N., emergency department at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport were the first two to receive the vaccine. It’ll be a while before the general public is able to receive the vaccine, with subsequent batches coming in being administered first to health care workers who are on the front lines of battling the disease. Still, there’s a lot of confusion and misinformation out there in regard... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: The first batches of the covid-19 vaccine are in the Quad-Cities and have been given to local health care workers. This morning, vaccinations in the Quad-Cities were administered to Genesis Health employees in Davenport. Dr. Robert Mixsell, Medical Director of Convenient Care and Alli Edmunds, R.N., emergency department at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport were the first two to receive the vaccine. Genesis Health System employees will take the lead in being vaccinated for COVID-19, according to the hospital. In a Genesis survey, 72 percent of all employees and 97% of independent... Read More

Emma Benson spent two consecutive Christmas Eves hospitalized in Iowa City for anorexia. Now, the 29-year-old Sherrard native is preparing for her first holiday without her father and the baby boy he never got to meet. The former Emma Williams is one of three daughters of Bob Williams, the beloved Quad City Music Guild director who died suddenly Oct. 4, 2020 at 61, from a heart attack. Thirteen days later, Emma gave birth to her second child, Zeke, and she’s dealing with a lot of bittersweet emotions now. Benson recently posted on Facebook that between Covid and missing her dad, she felt like... Read More

HyVee is hosting a virtual cooking event where you can make your own gingerbread house, at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Get in the holiday spirit in this virtual Kids in the Hy-Vee Kitchen Class! We will be making Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses, Banana Santas, and Hot Chocolate Stocking Stuffers! Registration required. Register at this link. To make these recipes with Nina and Katie in real time you will need the following: For the Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses: -Honey Maid Graham Crackers – 5 per house -4 cups powdered or confectioners sugar -5 Tbsp warm water -3 Tbsp meringue powder -Paper... Read More