The deadline is quickly approaching to be a part of the Final Phase of the Western Illinois University Alumni Plaza brick project. The last date to purchase a brick, which will be installed in July, is Monday, June 15. More than 750 donors, representing 31 states have already placed about 800 bricks in the plaza, raising more than $110,000. The plaza is a brick patio, just north of the anchoring the North entry to the University Union. Once the project is complete, it will adjoin a Mascot Memorial Plaza, paying tribute to WIU’s live mascots, “Rocky” and “Ray.” The... Read More

After raising more than $500,000 through grants, corporate donors, private donors, and public sources; the Family Museum is ready to open the Luckey Climber presented by Genesis Birth Center to the public. On Thursday, June 11, at 5:30 pm, prior to the public opening, the Museum will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony with invited local granting organizations, Bettendorf’s Mayor Robert Gallagher, members of the City of Bettendorf City Council, and Family Museum staff. In order to practice social distancing, this ribbon cutting is not open to the public, but it will be live-streamed on Facebook. The... Read More

Rhythm City Casino Resort is bringing the funny — and some big names in the laugh game — to their new Comedy Series inside the Rhythm Room. The series includes performances by Josh Arnold, Michael Winslow, Mary Mack, Tim Meadows, Ryan Niemiller and Todd McCommas. The monthly performances begin in August. For ticket information and more, please visit rhythmcitycasino.com/rhythmroom.html. Tickets for all performances go on sale this Friday at 10 AM CST. These performances are open to those 21 years or older with a valid photo ID and those that are legally able to game in the state of... Read More

A group of local teenagers have spent the past year identifying promising opportunities and pressing needs in the Quad Cities area as part of the Quad Cities Community Foundation’s Teens for Tomorrow Program. The students immersed themselves in the grant process by learning about community needs, developing a grant opportunity, evaluating applications, visiting with nonprofits, and now, awarding grants. In recent months, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region, the teens also adapted to virtual meetings due to stay-at-home and social distancing requirements, giving them experience... Read More

Joining the cavalcade of Quad-Cities cultural offerings impacted by Covid-19, the 49th-annual Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in Davenport also is moving online this year, July 31 and Aug. 1. It had been scheduled for the Rhythm City Casino Event Center in Davenport, but bands this time will record videos that can be seen for free, said Steve Trainor, Bix Society board president. “I think the majority of the board of directors of the Bix Jazz Society had felt, almost from the beginning that this was not going to be your typical year,” he said Monday. “And like everyone else, the more... Read More

Well, fingers crossed, this past weekend began the grand re-opening of society after the covid quarantine. In some states, like Illinois, we’re not entirely 100 percent back to normal, but it’s certainly stepping in that direction. On the Iowa side, it’s full boar, all in, back to the way it was, and, again, fingers crossed that we stay that way. People are squirrelly and jacked up like spider monkeys on Mountain Dew after months of being in lockdown on social distancing protocols, and as such, it’s probably going to be a wild couple of weeks. But, as always, it’s... Read More

MACOMB, IL – As Western Illinois University transitions into its summer course sessions, its faculty continue to reach students through alternative methods, extending beyond traditional coursework to reach more people. Educators across the University’s various academic schools and departments have worked together, collaborating to make each student’s educational opportunity a valuable one. In the School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, as in other WIU offices, professors have shared teaching and research ideas, including helping each other adjust to the technology needed... Read More

In town for a tourist activity or business? New to the Quad-Cities? Or maybe you’re from the Q-Cs and live here and you’re just looking for fun recommendations of things to do? In this special edition of QCUncut, the number one-rated podcast in the Quad-Cities, Sean Leary gives a fun and freewheeling tour of the local hot spots and places to go, whirling through all the downtowns and hitting on cool spots and great places to get tacos, pizza, steaks and more!  Read More

After 40 years of drawing crowds to Walcott, Iowa, off I-80, the annual Truckers Jamboreee will be virtual this July 9-11, including an online Antique Truck Show; Super Truck Beauty Contest; Trucker’s Best Friend Pet Contest and free meals for drivers. “The good news is we will most definitely continue with our long-standing tradition of Celebrating America’s Truckers,” Heather DeBaillie, Vice President of Marketing for the Iowa 80 Truckstop, said in a recent release. “While we can’t host 45,000 people at Iowa 80 to celebrate, we will take the Jamboree virtual and still celebrate the... Read More

One of my favorite local artists, Jon Burns, will be helping out the Black Lives Matter movement by donating 50 percent of proceeds from sales of his artwork in his current gallery to the movement. Pieces will be marked as sold when paid for and can be picked up by appointment at my living room window in downtown Moline. Burns’ art is a colorful and fun pastiche of pop art and pop culture images in a unique style. Send Jon a DM on his Facebook for interest. New pieces will be added throughout the month and you can check out his artworks in his virtual gallery here. Here’s a sampling... Read More