Despite the intense rain, more than 200 golfers and volunteers showed up for the two-day Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 annual golf outing on September 20-21 at Indian Bluff Golf Course in Milan. “Even with the rain, we managed to have one of our biggest turnouts yet,” said Brett Swanson, Local 25 business agent. “This event has grown every year, and wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of more than 60 vendors, contractors and sister locals. We’ve already had people ask about next year’s tournament, so I don’t see our success slowing down anytime soon!” The event raised... Read More

It’s summer, and there are plenty of smiling faces around the Quad-Cities now that the weather is gorgeous and the floods have subsided! We here at QuadCities.com, in conjunction with our partners at KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live,” are always looking for positive news around the area to present in our monthly feature, What’s The Good News? So, what’s the good news for this month? Glad you asked!   Get More Rewards For Reading This Summer! Reading is a reward in and of itself, a generous gift to the imagination, but Rock Island Public Library is making it so that in addition to that... Read More

In celebration of National Safety Month, the ILLOWA Construction Labor and Management Council awarded 31 area contractors with safety excellence awards during a recent luncheon at the Milan Camden Community Center. Five of those contractors are signatory to the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 25. Since the late 1990s, ILLOWA has gathered statistics on the number of hours worked and the number of site incidents during the prior calendar year. Each year, awards are presented to the contractors who achieve the lowest injury/illness incidence rate. “This year was by far our largest group of... Read More

The Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 25 in Rock Island regularly encourages apprentices to “Be Your Best Self.” In the union, it’s more than a slogan — it’s a way of doing business. And one plumbing apprentice in particular is living up to the motto. Carter Hagen, fifth-year plumbing apprentice, recently gained international attention during the United Association’s annual International Apprentice Contest in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hagen competed against 32 of the top apprentices from across the United States, Canada and Australia to become the plumbing division champion, marking the... Read More

The magnificent, massive 55-foot skeleton of a rare Finn whale will be displayed in the atrium of the finished Umbeck Science and Mathematics Center in Galesburg’s Knox College, but in the midst of the complex’s construction, it’s the backbone of hard-working Local Union 25 craftsmen who are creating the building’s solid foundation. Over two dozen union members are hard at work on the $43 million, 30,000 square foot project, aiming for a finishing date of Thanksgiving 2019, and in an edifice dedicated to the study of science and mathematics those union workers are utilizing their skills... Read More

There’s always plenty of good news happening around the Quad-Cities, and here in What’s The Good News?, our cooperative effort with the good folks at KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live,” we highlight some of the awesome things happening around our area! Have something you want included next time around? Email Sean Leary at Sean@QuadCities.com. We’re happy to help! Now let’s get started in taking a look around the local spots for some positive and upbeat news…   Young Artists Bloom At Figge Museum Young artists from various schools around the Quad-Cities, including Eugene Field Elementary... Read More

Whether you are looking for a gift for that special someone, some unique décor for your home or maybe even a treasure you didn’t know you needed – make your way to the 61st Annual Rock Island Antique Show this weekend! The Quad Cities’ longest running antique show takes place this Saturday Feb 9 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday Feb 10 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Local Union 25 Plumbers and Pipefitters (4600 46th Ave. Rock Island). Featuring quality dealers from four states, the 61st Annual Rock Island Antique Show offers a wide selection of vintage merchandise, including; glassware, pottery,... Read More

We’re always looking for great, positive news in the Quad-Cities, and every month, I present some of the awesome things here in What’s The Good News? This regular column, in conjunction with my appearances with Paula Sands on “Paula Sands Live” (3 p.m. weekdays on KWQC-TV6), put the spotlight on some of the upbeat and positive news here in the Q-C! So what’s the good news for this month? Glad you asked! Let’s take a look …   Warm Up With Coffee And Coats Caffee 392, which is currently at 216 S. 2nd St. in Clinton, but is opening a store at 502 W. 3rd St., Davenport, early next... Read More

It’s clear as glass that Local Union 25 has made a white-hot impact on one of the most unique art spots in the Quad-Cities, Hot Glass. The gallery at 104 Western Davenport, in the Davenport Printing Company building, will be celebrating its renovation and expansion with a grand re-opening featuring renowned glass artists John Miller and Alex Stisser from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, and a look around its amazing studio gives area art fans a mirror into the craftsmanship of the union workers that made this renewal a reality. “We’re just stunned and so grateful to all the folks from Local... Read More

Downtown Davenport’s Hot Glass Inc. recently received a facelift, courtesy of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 25 member volunteers. The nonprofit — which teaches valuable life skills to veterans and at-risk or underserved youth through the experience of blown-glass art — moved into an upgraded studio and worked with Local 25 to obtain new equipment and create custom layouts for running natural gas piping, oxygen piping, compressed air, and more throughout the studio. Although a multitude of volunteers, community organizations and private benefactors helped make the remodel possible,... Read More