EXCLUSIVE — Illinois Quad-Cities businesses have been notified by the state to begin preparing for a shutdown and covid mitigation procedures beginning Wednesday, multiple sources who asked not to be identified told QuadCities.com today. The sources are all local small business owners, and were notified last night so they could begin preparing. An official announcement from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will be forthcoming Monday. According to the sources, there will be a number of mitigation actions put in place, including no indoor dining, limits to the number of people gathered in any... Read More

To celebrate Halloween, I’m dropping multiple columns for your laughs and enjoyment. Hope you all have a happy and safe holiday! Is there a vampire workout video? You hardly ever see any fat vampires. They’re almost invariably beautiful, young (or young-ish) and ripped. Even the evil decrepit old vamps are at least skinny. So, I’m wondering, do vampires only “turn” fit people? Or do people make deals with vamps and tell them, “Hey hey hey… let’s wait a minute here, shall we? Give me six weeks to get into shape, and THEN you can suck out my blood and turn... Read More

To celebrate Halloween, I’m dropping multiple columns for your laughs and enjoyment. Hope you all have a happy and safe holiday! Do ghosts fart? Ever walk into your house after you’ve been away, or walk into a room and notice a strange smell? Of course, once you do, you have to try to find it, to try to get rid of it, because who wants a strange smell in their house? I’ll usually look for some dropped food or something behind or under furniture, and sometimes that’s the case. Some bit of stray potable that tried to escape and sadly discovered its motion was limited to whatever got it... Read More

To celebrate Halloween, I’m dropping multiple columns for your laughs and enjoyment. Hope you all have a happy and safe holiday! Are there Vampire businesses that are open all night? There are a lot of other businesses that amaze me with their tenacity to stay around. I never see anyone there. There are never any cars outside. They don’t advertise. They don’t seem to be particularly viable. Yet there they are, steadfast, inexplicable. Can these places be potential tax write offs or money laundering enterprises? Or do they have a set of clienteles that I’m not privy to, since... Read More

Last year, spoken-word artist Aubrey Barnes and singer-songwriter Delores Westbrook-Tingle partnered to make a new song that summarizes what United Way of the Quad Cities is all about – “Together.” That inspiring song – which kicked off the July 2019 unveiling of United Way’s African-American Leadership Society (AALS) and was part of the September 2019 launch of “Amplify Quad Cities: The Soundtrack” – has now been made into a five-minute video to support the nonprofit’s racial equity effort. “We need to stand strong – walking together in this community,” sings Westbrook-Tingle.... Read More

To celebrate Halloween, I’m dropping multiple columns for your laughs and enjoyment. Hope you all have a happy and safe holiday! It’s Halloween weekend, and along with the tricks and treats, and little goblins and ghouls, there are other things that haunt me. Questions. Queries. Imaginings. Like bumps in the night, especially if they’re really freaking loud, these things keep me awake. And so, in the spirit of Halloween, I’m dropping a handful of columns this weekend like bite-sized candies. And our first very important question to be answered is… Can zombies swim? Whenever... Read More

The classic bromance of Faust bargaining with the devil, becomes a feminist, queer bond in a new Augustana College production opening tonight, Oct. 29, at the Brunner Theatre Center’s Blackbox Theatre. “The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) stars students Lauren Larson as Faustus and Alyssa Frazier as Mephistopheles, directed by senior theater major SophiaRose Brown. Doctor Faustus has mastered every scholarly subject, so what is left to explore? Magic? Necromancy? When offered everything she desires for 24 years and a demon at her command, the temptation... Read More

Celebrate Halloween with the friendly faces of Hy-Vee! Local Hy-Vees will be providing Outdoor Halloween Events this Saturday Oct 31 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Join Hy-Vee outside for a socially distanced, kid friendly event with activities, treat, and free giveaways. Moline (John Deere Rd and Avenue of the Cities), Silvis, Rock Island, Milan, Bettendorf and Davenport (W Locust, E 53rd, W Kimberly, Rockingham Rd) locations will all be providing freaky fun for the entire family! Visit your local Hy-Vee’s Facebook page for more information!  Read More

Quad City Arts launched its new collection of online educational materials for the 47th-annual Visiting Artist Series on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The site, https://www.quadcityarts.com/vas-educational-resources.html, offers exclusive content from a wide variety professional artists and ensembles, such as ballet fusion company Hiplet, pianist Barron Ryan, steel pan artist John Patti, Mexican folk/rock quartet Jarabe Mexicano, and National Players theatre company. Their contributions include brief demonstration videos, study guides, workshop-style videos, and more. This collection of resources replaces... Read More

A second large bar in downtown Rock Island is closing its doors. Just weeks after Billy Bob’s shut down, The Black Sheep Pub is closing. Owner Shawn Cirlos posted on social media that he’d been losing $30,000 a month due to covid and the city’s 1 a.m.curfew for bars in the downtown. Cirlos added that he’ll be relocating his employees to his businesses in Davenport and is considering a potential opening for The Black Sheep at a new location across the river. Cirlos also posted that he’s selling the location on the bar’s facebook page: FOR SALE !! We are... Read More