MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – The sting of a single bee has elevated the graduate school project of a Western Illinois University alumnus into a home for an endangered species. Ross Smith received his master’s degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration (RPTA) in 2018. For his final project, Smith transformed two underutilized baseball diamonds in Hampton, IL, into a prairie area for the Rock Island County Forest Preserve District, where he has been employed since 2015. “The baseball diamonds were underutilized, compared to neighboring diamonds and with the Dorrance Forest Preserve... Read More

Discover how to schedule and host effective virtual meetings, collaborate on documents with others in real-time, and access your files from anywhere—even from your phone. This program will be done virtually using GoTo Meeting. No registration is required. We are excited to offer this program as a partner with Grow with Google. More information on how to join is listed below. Collaborate, Work, and Meet Remotely Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (CDT) Join from your computer, tablet, or smartphone: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/887332573 You can also dial in using your phone: +1... Read More

Quad Cities Bicycle Club is riding their bikes for a cause — doing a benefit ride to raise awareness about opening the Riverdale trail Friday, October 2, from 4:00 PM -5:30 PM, weather permitting. The ride Starts in Riverdale at the parking lot on South Bellingham Street. Come show your support to open the gate that connects South Kensington Street to the Mississippi River Trail. Take a 1.9-mile loop around Riverdale with the Quad Cities Bicycle Club. This event is designed to ride, walk, or run at your own pace anytime during the posted tour times. Talk to the frontline advocates to discuss... Read More

Fifty years ago, a Muscatine native was inspired by a St. Ambrose University professor who could make geography really come alive first thing in the morning. That 1971 SAU alumnus, John L. Butler, announced Wednesday that he would give $2.5 million to the private university to permanently endow and name an academic chair in the SAU History Department in honor of that professor, Agnes C. Renner. Butler, who graduated summa cum laude with a degree in history, went on to receive a Master of Arts degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He was on the original... Read More

In a virtual 4th birthday celebration, Tuesday, Sept. 29, Lead(h)er shared stories from across its 300-plus matches of female mentors and mentees, highlighted successes, and announced the 2020 Girl on Fire Award winners. The awards honor Mentor of the Year and Mentee of the Year — amazing women nominated by their peers who show exceptional commitment. Lead(h)er offers free mentorship to young professionals, free networking, guest speakers and professional development, as well as an inspirational spark to serve their community. All day Tuesday, on the organization’s Facebook page, they celebrated... Read More

MACOMB, IL — The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Western Illinois University (Illinois SBDC) provides no cost, confidential advising and training to help entrepreneurs and businesses start, grow, sustain and transition their businesses. The Illinois SBDC, funded in part through a grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, recently secured additional funding through the CARES ACT Supplemental Funding, for small businesses affected by COVID-19. This funding will enable the Illinois SBDC to provide assistance to small businesses who are re-starting and re-opening... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Looking for a step up on a new career? Seeking an internship that’s going to help your job prospects and expand your skills? You’re in luck, because a virtual Fall Career and Internship Fair, for all academic majors at Western Illinois University, will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6. Students and alumni will be able to take part in both group and one-on-one sessions with employers. They can participate in as many group and one-on-one sessions as they choose to. Participants must log in to Handshake and sign up for sessions prior to the event. To join... Read More

Today, negotiations are set to continue on another covid stimulus bill. Nancy Pelosi has said, to her credit, that she doesn’t want Congress to adjourn without another one. And, Steven Mnuchin, also to his credit, has seemed eager to likewise get a deal done. And make no doubt about it, there NEEDS to be another deal. And it NEEDS to get done before Congress goes home for a month for the window dressing of campaigning for votes during a time in which they should be earning them by actually doing something for the people whom they claim to represent. Recent numbers show as many as 60 percent... Read More

Don’t expect live concerts back at Davenport’s Redstone Room until next summer. And don’t expect the staff and volunteers at the 16-year-old River Music Experience to sit on their hands until then, either. Even though indoor live music has returned to some bars across the Quad-Cities, theater to Circa ’21 and The Speakeasy in Rock Island, and the Black Box and Spotlight theaters in Moline, and the Quad City Symphony returns this weekend to the Adler in Davenport, RME executive director Tyson Danner doesn’t expect live shows back in the Redstone Room (at 2nd and Main streets in Davenport)... Read More

At a time when the national travel and tourism industry has been reeling from the Covid pandemic, Visit Quad Cities is launching a new weekly radio show to air on WOC 1420 AM on Saturdays at 10 a.m., beginning Oct. 3. The half-hour show (called QC Current, based on the Mississippi River and current events) will tell the untold stories of this “must-experience riverfront destination,” according to a Tuesday release from the destination management group. Through in-depth interviews with Quad Citizens – starting with VQC president/CEO Dave Herrell — listeners will learn more about little-known... Read More