BREAKING NEWS: Illinois covid numbers soared to record highs yesterday, with almost 12,000 new cases of the virus, record hospitalizations and deaths, and with more omicron cases being identified in the state, both Gov. JB Pritkzer and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot are talking about more restrictions being put in place. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 11,858 new confirmed and probable cases of covid over the last 24 hours, a record high for 2021, and the highest since Dec. 1, 2020, when 12,542 new cases were reported. The state is now averaging more than 8,000 new cases per day,... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: All bars and restaurants are going to carry-out and drive-thru only, all casinos and theaters are shut down, many grocery stores and other retail outlets are restricting their hours, high school sports are being put on hold, and many other changes are hitting the Illinois Quad-Cities as part of statewide mandates in effect today, as announced in Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s press conference this afternoon, which just ended. According to the most recent available statistics, the Quad-Cities’ region is at a 15.6 covid positivity rate with a rolling seven-day average... Read More

Is “Tiger King” coming back too? With covid numbers spiking again, general unrest about the election and the political and economic landscape, and more state restrictions looming this week, the familiar spectre of dwindling supplies on shelves — particularly toilet paper — is starting to loom in some area stores. A visit to four area locations — a Target, a Walmart, and two HyVee stores — showed that shelves in some are starting to look a little short, and one store — the Moline Target on John Deere Road — has already put up signs limiting customers... Read More