Santa Claus is arriving in the Quads this week for pictures with kids at SouthPark Mall in Moline. Santa wouldn’t miss this visit for anything! Santa will be here starting December 4 and is located in the Von Maur Court. Rest assured, he and his elves have made every effort to provide a memorable – and contact free – experience. A visit with Santa is always free and available without a reservation as social distancing requirements allow. What to Expect During Your Visit with Santa Masks are required to be worn by Santa, the team and guests ages 2 and above or by local mandate. Hand sanitizer... Read More

UPDATED: Illinois will remain under tier 3 covid mitigations for at least two to three more weeks, and could elevate to a more restrictive level if numbers get worse, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said during his press conference today. Illinois covid numbers leapt back up after a few days of numbers getting better. After yesterday’s report of just 6,190 new cases, today’s report listed 12,542 new cases in Illinois and 125 new deaths over the past 24 hours. It should be noted that today marks six days from “Blackout Wednesday,” that traditional unofficial day of inebriation... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Western Illinois University has merged five undergraduate majors, three master’s degrees and one post-baccalaureate certificate to form the School of Accounting, Finance, Economics and Decision Sciences (AFED). The new school, located within the College of Business and Technology, will allow curricular synergies between the multiple disciplines. This merger will serve as an opportunity to strengthen the curriculum, encourage collaboration between the students and faculty across the disciplines and benefit WIU overall. “Although each of the four primary academic... Read More

Seven months after launching their weekly “Double Threat” podcast about musical theater, choreographer/dance teacher Steph DeLacy and music director/vocal coach Megan Warren are extending their brand to the new Double Threat Studios. The performing arts studio at 882 Middle Rd., Duck Creek Plaza, in Bettendorf, will open in January, aiming to provide high-quality, comprehensive musical theater instruction for young performers in grades 3rd-12th. “We aim to encourage boldness, confidence, creativity, and community through performance,” the women posted Friday morning on Facebook. “Our... Read More

Thanksgiving turkeys and supplies have been gobbled up quickly off Quad-Cities grocery store shelves, so if you’re still on the hunt for a bird, you might have tough time. A trek to three area HyVee and two Aldi stores and a Target on the Illinois and Iowa sides of the river found ALL six of them SOLD OUT of turkeys, as of this morning. As for other supplies, the Aldis in Davenport and Rock Island were also sold out of cranberries, mashed potatoes and some stuffings, although still had gravy and a good supply of vegetables. The HyVees in Moline, Davenport and Milan were likewise out of cranberries,... Read More

QuadCities.com is offering a series of features running today between 2 and 5 p.m. showcasing local businesses in advance of Small Business Saturday.  Lagomarcino’s in Moline and the Village of East Davenport has long been a sweet destination for Quad-Citians, and now it’s getting recognition statewide for its terrific treats. The Illinois Office of Tourism has an annual Illinois Made Holiday Gift Guide, featuring one-of-a-kind products by small businesses around the state – including the iconic Lagomarcino’s in downtown Moline. All products featured in this year’s gift guide... Read More

QuadCities.com is offering a series of features running today between 2 and 5 p.m. showcasing local businesses in advance of Small Business Saturday. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind item to cherish this holiday season, with the personality and charm of a watermark, you’ll want to check out  WaterMark Corners, a 21-year-old gift shop at 1500 River Drive, Moline. Amy Trimble, co-owner of the store, says she historically does half of their entire year’s business in the fourth quarter, between October and December, and a full 25 percent of their revenue is typically in December... Read More

Kevin Maynard was as busy as a Christmas elf last Friday afternoon, as he distributed sugar cookies in the area to help promote the 35th-annual Festival of Trees. In fact, the Quad City Arts executive director dressed as an elf to deliver the Olde Towne Bakery treats (topped with the Festival logo) to his home-based co-workers and other Festival supporters. Among Maynard’s cookie run was for Kelly Oberhardt of KONE Spares (a team of the local KONE company), who covered the cost of her cookies and she matched donations of her team – raising a total of about $500 for Festival of Trees. “Things... Read More

Quad-Cities stores are far from flush with toilet paper. With new covid-19 restrictions in place for the Iowa and Illinois Quad-Cities, toilet paper is flying off the shelves again in local stores, although other staple food and supply items seem to be remaining stable on shelves. A visit to six area locations — two Targets, a Walmart, a Sam’s Club, and two HyVee stores — showed that shelves are barren in some, but still in ok shape in others. Iowa side stores seem to be in more of a frenzy, given Governor Kim Reynolds’ proclamations and immediate restrictions put in place... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Illinois High School sports will be put on hold effective immediately, and could be delayed through 2020 and into spring 2021 due to covid-19 mitigations, according to a statement released this evening by IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. The statement was released following Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s announcement of moving Illinois to Tier 3 mitigations for covid-19 starting Friday. There’s no set date for the return of sporting activities, however the statement says the IHSA remains “optimistic” for a return soon. The statement reads as follows: IHSA... Read More