QuadCities.com has debuted a new commercial! It’ll be running on local TV, cable channels and internet sites, and you can check it out here:  Read More

MACOMB, IL – In the spirit of a community working together, one Macomb business is producing 1,000 cloth face coverings to be distributed across the Western Illinois University campus as the University prepares to open for the Fall 2020 semester. WIU is doing business with Jeff Clayberg, owner of the Attic II, on West Jackson Street in Macomb, to produce the face coverings. “We are lucky to have Jeff and his team at the Attic II so close to the University during such unprecedented times,” said Joe Roselieb, executive director of Auxiliary Services and Risk Management at WIU. “Any... Read More

Rock Island-based Quad City Arts was the only organization in the immediate Q-C to earn funding Wednesday from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grant. Like most of the 855 organizations funded nationwide, the regional nonprofit will get $50,000, on top of a previously approved $30,000 NEA grant last month that was unrelated to Covid-19 relief. Quad City Arts this spring did get Covid-19 relief funding through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, executive director Kevin Maynard said Thursday. Part of the criteria for new funding... Read More

You can help make a child’s first day at school a lot more special by helping The First Day Project. Over 25,000 kids receive free or reduced lunches, and therefore they qualify for free school supplies through the project, which relies on the generosity of locals in the community to help out. The First Day Project used to partner with the Postal Service to collect the school supplies but three years ago they Postal Service stopped the program and United Way stepped in to help. “In the past, we worked mainly with our business community to collect the items but the need is too great... Read More

The City of Rock Island is requiring that all bars and restaurants located in Rock Island’s city limits that hold a 3 AM license close at 2 AM effective immediately. The decision stems from the City wanting to be a regional player with the rest of the Quad Cities where bars and restaurants close at 2 AM. Growing concerns of COVID-19 also played a part in the decision as larger crowds tend to gather past the hours of 2 AM. The City has decided to close several downtown streets to provide more space for gathering areas to aid in social distancing. Mayor Mike Thoms says, “Beyond my duties as... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 3rd Ave., Rock Island, will remain closed until this fall, since it can’t financially absorb losses due to the latest Illinois reopening guidelines, owner/producer Denny Hitchcock announced Wednesday. On Friday, June 26, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the new guidelines for indoor theaters would allow for reopening at a 50-percent capacity, or 50 guests, whichever is lesser. “In working with several state officials over the previous weeks, we had been very optimistic that the Phase 4 guidelines for the state of Illinois would put our dinner theatre in the same... Read More

There will be no joy in Mudville, or Davenport, again this year. The Quad City River Bandits have canceled their season, in accordance with Major League Baseball’s decision to cancel the entirety of the 2020 minor league season. This is the second year in a row the Bandits’ season has been decimated, as the 2019 season was destroyed due to flooding in downtown Davenport. The outlook for the Bandits, minor league baseball and the mood surrounding the announcement is grim, especially given previous discussions to contract the number of teams in the minor leagues earlier this year and... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Beginning in the Fall 2020 semester, the Western Illinois University College of Business and Technology will offer an online human resource management degree. WIU is one of very few schools in the state to provide this offering. The new option for students expands flexibility to take classes online, join remotely during live lectures, watch recorded lectures or combine online learning with face-to-face classes on the Macomb or Quad Cities campuses. In addition, all curriculum is aligned with the educational guidelines put forth by the Society for Human Resource Management. “The... Read More

The Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules Tour originally set to hit Rhythm City Casino on Jan. 28, 2021, has been canceled. Refunds for any tickets already purchased will be refunded immediately, according to Rhythm City officials.  Read More

MACOMB, IL – Students in Western Illinois University’s Speech Pathology and Audiology program got a recent boost with the donation of 100 protective face shields by the Wahl Clipper Corporation in Sterling, IL. The donation was sought by company employee Jody Dirks, the mother of Erica Armstrong, a graduate student in WIU’s speech pathology program. “Wahl is a family owned company, which really cares about their employees and community,” said Dirks. “They made and donated these shields to local hospitals and emergency workers in the area. I asked if I could get some... Read More