Celebrating their 49th anniversary in bringing great entertainment to downtown Rock Island, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse was honored today by the Better Business Bureau. The theater announced the award on their social media today. “We were honored by the Better Business Bureau – Greater Iowa for our commitment to ethical business practices at today’s BBB […]
State Senator Mike Halpin released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2027 budget: “There are key initiatives in this package that combat food insecurity and provide tax relief to working families. I am supportive of policies that make sure that we’re holding big multinational corporations and big tech companies financially accountable. […]
In order to protect those needing a guardianship, State Senator Mike Halpin has passed a bill through the Senate to prevent their exploitation. “Illinois needs to ensure folks who require a guardian are not taken advantage of,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “This legislation puts rules around who can be a private professional guardian so we […]
The city of Bettendorf is benefitting from three new grants from Scott County Regional Authority, which were announced last week. Of nearly $1.4 million in total spring grants, supporting 48 Quad Cities projects, three main ones apply to Bettendorf: $166,667 for The Landing water park and ice rink, part of $4 million in total SCRA […]
Anderson Taylor of Cambridge, Illinois, at just age 11, has officially been recognized by Guinness World Records as the youngest museum curator in the world. He was just 9 years and 340 days old when he opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum on August 10, 2024. What began as a childhood fascination with fossils, minerals, dinosaurs, and natural history has quickly grown into […]
The Bettendorf boys soccer team, ranked 9 in Iowa, defeated #11 Muscatine 4-3 in a thrilling, back-and-forth contest Thursday night to win their fourth consecutive Mississippi Athletic Conference title. The Bulldogs went to 8-1 alone atop the conference and 10-3-1 overall. All three of their losses have been to opponents ranked in the top three […]
Congratulations to Hunter Morrow who has been awarded the 2026 Dooley Scholarship! This $20,000 scholarship is given annually to one student that plans to pursue a career in medicine. A standout student at Davenport North High School, Hunter earned a 4.0 GPA, Academic All-Conference honors for four years, and has been deeply involved in athletics, […]
A huge congratulations to retired Bettendorf High School soccer coach Ben Pennington, who will be inducted into the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame this summer—an incredible and well-deserved honor! Pic. – MT Principal and former coach Chad Uhde & Coach Pennington.
State Senator Mike Halpin’s bill to allow retired teachers to work additional paid hours as substitutes in order to address the statewide teacher shortage passed committee Tuesday. “Illinois schools need more teachers and more substitute teachers. Allowing retired teachers to continue to work more substitution hours gives the support our education system needs,” said Halpin […]
Angela LaFrance, of Disability Resources at Western Illinois University, has been named the February 2026 Al and Elaine Goldfarb Civil Service Employee of the Month. LaFrance is recognized for demonstrating exceptional enthusiasm in her work, consistently approaching each interaction with energy, empathy and a genuine commitment to student success. In her role within Disability Resources, […]
