It was a cold and stormy day. We met at Elly’s. Little coffee joint down by the river. My associate and I walked in, took a look around. Waitress smiled her way over. “Hi. What can I get you?” “Nothing right now, doll, thanks,” I said. “I got business.” He was waiting at a corner table. Back to the hard brick wall, mafia style, eyes on the door, like a guy who doesn’t want to get hit without a chance to go down with some cold steel in his mitts. He wore dark shades. Dark shirt. Drank coffee black as the devil’s heart. Gave us a nod. Yeah. He was the guy we were there to meet. The... Read More

Looking for an excuse to get out of the house and show off your slick ride? Head to the Muscatine Mall (1903 Park Avenue Muscatine) this Sunday May 31 from 2 – 5 p.m. for the 2020 All Around Drive in Car Show/Cruise. Here is some more info from the Facebook event page: 100% Free event Let’s kick off 2020 Car season with a bang, We will offer food (possible taco truck), music (Possible Dj), a cruise after the meet to get dinner somewhere (to be determined), and best of all our Rev Battle, Best of Show and Cash Prizes!   Any cars are allowed to come in participate in the show, all cars upon... Read More

Muscatine School Orchestras are excited to present the 11th Annual Giles Joslyn Memorial Stringfest! This year, the format will be VERY different, with performances being entirely online, but the spirit of Stringfest remains the same. Students and performers are hard at work prepping for this event. The performance will be broadcast right here on Facebook Live on Friday, May 22. The concert will feature student performers from 4th grade to 12th, as well as professional musicians around the community and around the country! There is no admission, but with one of the main missions of Stringfest being... Read More

The Pandemic Pantry is an effort coordinated by local business leaders to re-supply the food bank at the The Salvation Army of Muscatine County, Iowa. With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, there has been an increased number of families relying on our local food banks. The Salvation Army of Muscatine County has become reliant on purchasing from food banks in neighboring counties. We are here to spread the word and fill the Hawk Hauler for the Salvation Army! The next pantry event will be held 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM today at Muscatine Blain’s Farm & Fleet Hawk Hauler Event. For more information,... Read More

The 11th Annual Giles Joslyn Memorial Stringfest is going to be VERY different this year, with the performance being entirely online, but the spirit of Stringfest remains the same. Students and performers are hard at work prepping for this event. The performance will be broadcast right here on Facebook Live on Friday, May 22nd. The concert will feature student performers from 4th grade to 12th, as well as professional musicians around the community and around the country. There is no admission, but with one of the main missions of Stringfest being to raise funds for students who need it most/ “We... Read More

Does this beautiful spring weather have you more than ready to take your most prized possession for nice afternoon cruise? MMR Car Meets and Cruises will be hosting the 2020 Quarantine Cruise for Cause this Sunday May 10, and you are invited! The group will meet up at Muscatine Mall (1903 Park Avenue Muscatine) around 1:30 p.m. The cruise will start at around 2:15 (so don’t be late!) and will travel around Muscatine. Back roads included! The group will head down past Sunny Brooks Assisted Living for chance to show off those cars. The cruise will end around 4 p.m. or when everyone starts getting... Read More

Mike Rankins is putting the pep back in Pac Man, the thrills into Evel Knievel’s pinball machine and the spring back in Mario’s step. That’s because the Muscatine-born-and-raised 46-year-old is the mastermind behind The Land of Oz Arcade Restoration, 801 Oregon Street, Muscatine, a business dedicated to repairing any and all arcade games, personal video games, electronics and more. Rankins has been restoring video games and related ilk for over 25 years, mostly as a hobby, but after repairing over 200 games over the Christmas season two years ago and continuing to rake in the pixels, he decided... Read More

Celebrate life and help spread Organ Donation Awareness in Muscatine this weekend! The 9th Annual Jessica Peine Memorial Ride and Music Festival returns this Friday Sep 20 and Saturday Sep 21, which helps spread Organ Donation Awareness and supports Jessica Faye’s Closet. This year’s event is being held in honor of Organ Donors Austin Gainuss, Nick Hartman and Devin Estabrook. The fun kicks off on Friday night with live music at Missipi Brewing Co. (107 Iowa Ave. Muscatine). Admission is just $5.   Friday Night’s Lineup: 6 – 6:45 p.m.      Vann Britt 7 – 7:45 p.m.     ... Read More

There’s a robust family atmosphere that fills Sal Vitale’s and Sons, with the same richness and flavor of their delicious Italian food. The authentic Sicilian restaurant at 1010 Park Ave has been a family tradition since opening in 1984, said owner Salvatore Vitale, and given how the amiable Salvatore beams with jocularity and pride when speaking about it, it’s easy to see how it’s become so popular. “It’s all about the quality, and the situation is, absolutely nobody has the products and the ingredients we have,” Vitale said, proudly. “Everyone has quality ingredients, but we’ve... Read More

You’ll find quaint, cute, fun and funky products more folksy than a dropped “g” at Rustic Pickin’s, a new store that just moved from its old Park Avenue locale to new digs at 225 E. 2nd St., in Muscatine. The location specializes in the suddenly hot market for repurposed items, furniture, housewares and the like. As owners Jackie Petty and Melissa Lowrey put it on their Facebook page, “We use old, forgotten ‘junk’ in unexpected ways. Come to our next show to see what we’re all about.” So, what are they all about? “We’re all about repurposing different materials into new... Read More