I got two election fliers in the mail the other day. Being that we’re only a few days away from the April 6 election, and the mayoral race in Rock Island is, from most reports, closely contested between incumbent Mike Thoms and challenger Thurgood Brooks, this is not surprising. But what has been pleasantly surprising is the positive nature of this campaign. While the Moline mayoral race slides around in the mud, with a bunch of slanderous and poorly spelled fliers by a dark money group peddling lies about Stephanie Acri’s challenger, Sangeetha Rayapati, the two men vying for Rock Island’s... Read More

EXCLUSIVE: Controversy erupted with the ferocity of a barroom brawl on social media Monday night after the Rock Island City Council voted 4-3 to indefinitely maintain a 2 a.m. closing time for bars in the downtown Rock Island District area. It’s worth noting that one of the people voting against the measure was alderman Dylan Parker, whose ward includes the District. The other two were Ivory Clark and Dave Keenan. It’s also worth noting that Parker’s vote against the continued closure is representative of the opinions of his constituency, the bar owners, which were hoping that the council... Read More

Denny and Brett Hitchcock are the most tenacious of entrepreneurs. For over 40 years, their business, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, has endured a handful of recessions, booming and barren economic conditions, and, now, a pandemic. It certainly hasn’t been easy. Especially not in 2020. Both father and son have said, without hyperbole, that their business was very much in danger of going under if pandemic and economic conditions continued. However, this week, they re-opened, after several months of stress and uncertainty. They debuted a new show, “Savannah Sipping Society,” a homey comedy that’s... Read More

Following many years of work in historic preservation, Rock Island leaders made history again Monday, July 6, as the downtown officially became part of the National Register of Historic Places. Led by the city’s Community and Economic Development Department, the effort was announced by the city of Rock Island and the Development Association of Rock Island (DARI) on the Great River Plaza downtown. “Rock Island is a historically significant community. Establishing this designation offers many benefits to property owners and the community,” Mayor Mike Thoms said. “Projects will be easier to... Read More

“How can you be making a celebrity out of a criminal!” “He broke the law! How can he be a hero?” “You should be ashamed of yourselves for giving fame to a law-breaker!” These are some of the messages I’ve gotten this week from, well, all of three people. And no, they’re not about Batman. Those have finally died down, especially after he helped stop the Joker from blowing up the Rock Island County Courthouse. Or at least got a temporary injunction. Rather, the flood of Batman emails has subsided in lieu of those complaints about Catfish Guy. Yes, QC Catfish Guy. A.k.a. Pete Robinson. A.k.a.... Read More

With the weather getting colder, having shows at Garage 3 is going to require wearing more than a crew neck, so next Monday, Crew Neck Comedy is calling it a year for 2016, having their last show at 8 p.m. at the venue at 817 22nd St., Rock Island. Admisssion is free. The Crew Neck Comedy Show is a conception of Andrew Cline, a native of Orion. The first show was in late September of last year, with the intent of host Cline wearing a crew neck sweatshirt to every show. However, shows in late July were not anticipated during the creation of this theme. Cline is proud to be part of the burgeoning... Read More

To say Rock Island made a colossal error in wasting $15 million to woo Walmart to 11th Street is a stunning understatement. But what’s perhaps saddest and most pathetic about it is its irony. Rock Island, like thousands of other cities across the country, will, at least once a year, pay lip service and throw promotional money at “small business weeks” and hollow pitches to “shop local.” City officials should’ve heeded their own advice in this matter. Aside from the property owners who were able to hit a stunning jackpot on selling their failed and crumbling 11th Street businesses at... Read More

Garage3, at 817 22nd Street in Rock Island, is becoming an ever more popular venue for traveling comedians, as the word spreads of its laid back atmosphere and warm crowds.  Named as being the third garage on the property of Dylan and Tia Parker, Garage3 is normally host to spoken word and poetry readings. Sporadically, however, it is taken over by comedians. Monday, August 22nd was one of these nights. Hosted by local comic Andrew Cline, the Crew Neck Comedy Show is a free comedy showcase of local and traveling acts. A donation basket is passed around for the out of town entertainers, however.... Read More

A little of the big apple is coming to a garage in Rock Island tonight. Monday, August 22, Garage3’s Crew Neck Comedy Show will be showcasing comedians from New York City. Patrick Hastie, an Iowa native now living in New York, will be headlining. Featured along with Hastie will be Albert Kirchner and Nick Pupo from New York as well. Local comedians will be Benjamin Graham from Rock Island, as well as Travis Bails and Donny Townsend from Cedar Rapids. Located at 817 22nd Street in the historic Broadway District of Rock Island, sits Garage3, named as being the third garage on the property of #MrRockIsland... Read More

There have been many spirited discussions, parties and creative meetings of the minds and performances held in garages, with and without the use of musical instruments. So much so that an entire subgenre of music, garage rock, has been named for it. Dylan Parker and Sean Whitney have taken that to the next level with Garage 3. The Rock Island performance space hosts a variety of poetry, comedy and spoken word performances in, well, Parker’s garage. On Wednesday, July 20, an attractive audience gathered at Garage3, named as being the third garage on the property of #MrRockIsland himself Dylan... Read More