BREAKING NEWS: A Rock Island person is the first to be infected with the new, more deadly strain of the South African COVID-19 variant Thursday, Illinois Department of Public Health officials announced tonight. The variant B.1.351, was found in a Rock Island resident, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. It’s not yet known how the person contracted the disease. “We expected to see more cases of variants detected in Illinois, including the B.1.351 strain,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike in a release. “These variants seem to spread more rapidly, which can lead... Read More

Experiencing rapid growth of its direct-to-consumer medication delivery service, Quad Cities-based pharmacy startup divvyDOSE is expanding in the region. After being acquired by UnitedHealth Group last fall, the healthcare tech company headquartered in Moline is adding 200-300 jobs in the area and moving its front-end operations to two floors of Mississippi Plaza in downtown Davenport, the Quad Cities Chamber announced Tuesday morning. divvyDOSE’s back-end operations, mainly the dispensing and packaging of medication, will remain at the business’s facility off John Deere Road (4300 44th Ave.)... Read More

Feeling like some sweet music this weekend? Saturday sees the debut of Circa ’21’s bluegrass musical BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN! If you’re a fan of the film   O’ Brother Where Art Thou   and   the Circa ‘21 favorite   Southern Crossroads,   you’re going to love this show. A merry band of misfits sneak into a theatre hoping to stay out of trouble, but instead find themselves front and center in this story about the power of music and seconds chances. Add a down on her luck theatre owner and her wacky assistant, a clueless town mayor, his scheming wife and bumbling sheriff and... Read More

Due to winter weather conditions, all Rock Island Public Library locations will close at 1:00 pm, today, Thursday, February 4, 2021. Mobile Library routes for this afternoon are also cancelled. Please watch the Rock Island Public Library website, www.rockislandlibrary.org, and Facebook page for updates on Friday hours.  Read More

As it looks to revisit a strategic plan changed by COVID-19, the Rock Island Public Library wants to know what you think. The library is currently running a public opinion survey to identify community needs, potential barriers to library use, and opinions on community challenges. “With the numerous changes happening in the world, this is an excellent time to refresh our strategic plan,” said Angela Campbell, director of the Rock Island Public Library. “The answers to our survey will help us ensure our strategies reflect the services that our patrons and the community need. We’re also identifying... Read More

The board of directors of the Quad City Botanical Center announced the upcoming retirement of Executive Director Ami Porter effective in May. Porter has led the organization since 2010 and started at the Center in 1998. “It has been such an honor to serve the Botanical Center and this community. I am very proud of what our team has accomplished, and I will be leaving the Botanical Center in a great position to propel forward, despite the difficulties we endured in 2020 due to the pandemic. I am humbled to have so many volunteers help us year after year, including board members,” stated Porter.... Read More

In a bitter, divisive time – just two days before inauguration of the 46th U.S. President – the 38th-annual memorial service honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday held special resonance. Livestreamed on YouTube from Rock Island’s Martin Luther King,. Jr. Community Center, the nearly hour-long service spoke to the ideals of the late civil-rights leader (who was assassinated in 1968) and how far the nation still has to go to achieve his dream of peace, unity and justice. MLK Center executive director Jerry Jones noted at the outset that theme of the service was King’s quote,... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse is thrilled to be working with the talented Bobby and Ashley Becher and their company “Rising Stars” to announce all new Winter classes.  All classes will take place at Circa ’21 or it’s secondary theater, The Speakeasy. “We are thrilled to be working with Ashley and Bobby again” said Denny Hitchcock Circa ’21’s owner/producer.  “They have done a wonderful job with their classes over the last year and we get such positive feedback from all the students who have taking the classes and their parents.  I encourage you to consider this for you child! ... Read More

Through March 1, 2021, Quad City Arts’ Art at the Airport presents “A Trip Back in Time” with Drew Morton’s digital drawings of airport runways, Peter Mauney’s time lapse photographs of airplane arrivals and departures along with a selection of Mid-Century Modern artifacts on loan from Fred and Ethel’s 50’s antiques, the Putnam Museum and Science Center and private collections. Drew Morton explains, “This series of airport runways emerged from a larger series called my ‘everydays’ where I created a piece of digital art every day for eight years. It allowed me to fall into and... Read More

Coming to your homes on February 6 is the bluegrass musical BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN! If you’re a fan of the film   O’ Brother Where Art Thou   and   the Circa ‘21 favorite   Southern Crossroads,   you’re going to love this show. A merry band of misfits sneak into a theatre hoping to stay out of trouble, but instead find themselves front and center in this story about the power of music and seconds chances. Add a down on her luck theatre owner and her wacky assistant, a clueless town mayor, his scheming wife and bumbling sheriff and you’ve got yourself an evening of music and... Read More