QCA.news - Quad Cities news and view from both sides of the river

Davenport School District launches free summer food program for kids, teenagers

Davenport School District kicked off its free summer food program, providing nutritious meals to all children 18 and under through July 31.

Rock Island City Council amends development agreement with Crawford Company adding additional city reimbursement funding

The council approved unanimously on first reading an amended agreement for a proposed manufacturing development at the former Rock Island Livestock Auction Barn and Bi-State Masonry property located at 34/37 Avenue and 9th Street. The city will reimburse up to $458,200 for the demolition of the former Swords Veneer property using tax-increment financing district funding.

River Action’s Father’s Day bike ride brings history, music and family activities to Arsenal Island

The Father’s Day Ride the Island event on June 21 offers biking, historic home tours, live music, games and voter registration, with packet pickup beginning June 20 in Rock Island.

‘She didn’t have her phone or water’: Fruitland teens rescue elderly neighbor trapped in yard for 16 hours

Fruitland teens Gunner Skidmore and Kohen Chick are being hailed as heroes after finding an elderly neighbor who was trapped in her yard for 16 hours

Quad Cities preparing for potential flash flooding with storms in the forecast

It's been almost a year since flood waters rose on 35th Street near Fair Avenue in Davenport, damaging several homes. The area is located along Duck Creek.

Davenport fire christens new rescue boat ‘Big Red’

Davenport Fire Department officially christened "Big Red," a state-of-the-art rescue boat equipped with advanced river rescue and firefighting tech.

Kewanee police renew appeal for answers in unsolved 2024 homicide

Kewanee police are still looking for answers in the 2024 homicide of Damon Foulks.

Potato donation delivers 42,000 pounds of food to Quad Cities organizations

Churches United of the Quad City Area donated 42,000 pounds of potatoes to more than 60 organizations to help combat hunger across the Quad Cities.

Muscatine considers new animal services agreement following shelter closure

Muscatine city leaders are considering a new agreement for animal services following the closure of It Takes a Village Animal Rescue.

Large police presence in Bettendorf

A large police presence responded to a Bettendorf neighborhood on Tuesday evening. It's happening in the 2700 block of Magnolia Drive and started around 6 p.m. The Bettendorf Police Department is being assisted by Davenport Police and Iowa State Patrol. Avoid the area if possible.

Large police presence responds to Bettendorf apartment complex

Developing.

Davenport Fire Department debuts new rescue boat

The new addition replaces a 17-year-old vessel officials said wasn't designed for river operations.

New research finds bird populations shrinking faster in heavily farmed regions

We've known North American bird populations have been declining since the 70s. But new research is linking even faster decline in ag regions, especially the Midwest.

House approves labor-friendly bill with support from 20 Republicans

The House has approved a bill to slash the time it takes for newly unionized workers to get a first contract. The measure allows for government intervention if a deal is not reached within 90 days.

Iowa universities face $2M annual cost for new civics requirements

Iowa taxpayers could be responsible for more than $2 million in additional annual costs to meet new American history and civics requirements at the state’s three public universities.

Davenport Community Schools kick off summer food service program

It's opening week for the Davenport School District's (DSD) summer meals program. Kids aged one through eighteen can show up throughout the summer if they need lunch. There are no income restrictions, and you don't even have to be a DSD student. "It's so important for our kids to get out of the house. It's [...]

How to avoid ‘blue bride’ syndrome during wedding season

A University of Iowa researcher says the pressure of a "perfect wedding" can have lasting consequences. Here are some tips to refocus your big day on the marriage.

Republicans hope to reengage Bears with new proposals

Illinois Republicans are proposing new tax and infrastructure deals to restart negotiations with the Chicago Bears amid threats of an Indiana move.

Three judges, three scandals and new scrutiny of judicial accountability

Three judges are facing misconduct allegations in three different states, putting pressure on the federal judiciary's system for policing bad behavior in its own ranks.

Dixon, Illinois, police make arrest in continuing drug investigation

The Dixon (Illinois) Police Department is pursuing individuals within the community involved in illegal drug sales, according to a news release. Police continue to be aggressive in enforcement and arrested Jeremiah M. Miller on Tuesday, June 9,, for felony drug charges. The Dixon Police Department began a drug investigation several months ago. Miller was identified [...]

Brady Street Stadium being renamed after football hall of famer

The Davenport School Board approved the new name on Monday.

Rock Island public works director resigning

Mike Bartels started working for the City of Rock Island in 2013. He will take a new job at Iowa American Water, city officials said.

Body of 21-year-old reported missing out of Bettendorf found in river

The Bettendorf Police Department received a report of a missing and endangered 21-year-old man on Sunday.

How to combat the 'bridal blues'

There's a lot of pressure for weddings to be perfect. Research shows the culture could cause depression, relationship strain and marital dissatisfaction for brides.

Study: Bird populations shrinking faster in heavy agricultural areas

In 2019, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology found the North American bird population had shrunk by nearly three billion breeding adults.

Kewanee police asking for help solving 2024 homicide

50-year-old Damon Foulks of Peoria was found dead on June 8, 2024 when officers conducted a wellness check.

Celebrate Circa ‘21’s 49th anniversary at Music on the Marquee

Get ready for a special live outdoor concert event in Rock Island. Tristian Tapscott spoke with Our Quad Cities News about Circa ‘21's Music on the Marquee. For more information, click here.

House passes bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the remainder of Trump's term

The bill provides roughly $70 billion for immigration enforcement and highlights a GOP caucus continuing to endorse Trump's immigration agenda as Democrats warn Congress has ceded its oversight role.

Journey, June 24

Performing in their wildly anticipated "Final Frontier Tour," the iconic arena-rockers of Journey play Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK on June 24, the band currently composed of guitarist/vocalist Neal Schon (the longest-serving original member), keyboardists/vocalists Jonathan Cain (retiring from the group after this tour) and Jason Derlatka, drummer/vocalist Deen Castronovo, bassist Todd Jensen, and lead vocalist Arnel Pineda.

Charley Crockett, June 25

Touring in support of April's Age of the Ram and that same month's "surprise" release Clovis that Whiskey Riff said "could be the most impressive and important work of his entire career," country, blues, and Americana singer/songwriter Charley Crockett headlines a June 25 concert at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center, the musician's discography boasting an astonishing 17 studio albums over the last dozen years.

Cooling centers available to get reprieve from extreme heat

Summer is perfect for spending time outdoors, but the season is known for high heat and humidity. Here's how to keep yourself safe when temps climb.

Taking Back Sunday, June 19

With their most recent album 152 hailed by Kerrang! as "a stunning set of songs that truly defies the band's age" and "the perfect bridge between past and present," the emo-pop and alternative rockers of Taking Back Sunday headline a June 19 concert at Davenport's Capitol Theatre, the staff Consequence magazine citing the group on their list of "The 100 Best Pop Punk Bands" in America.

Dickie and The Tanya English Band, June 20

Performing a thrilling night of Americana, rock, and blues, the combined talents of Dick “Dickie” Prall and the Tanya English Band play an exhilarating, co-headlining engagement at Rock Island's RIBCO on June 20.

Scott Wolverton, June 19

Touring in support of new songs including his critically lauded "Cattleman's Call," country-music singer/songwriter Scott Wolverton headlines a June 19 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the performer hailed by Holler Country for his "warm and balanced, widescreen quality that draws from the heartland rock of Mellencamp and Springsteen, giving his songs a soft melancholy and a wide-eyed sense of wonder that sets them apart."

Thee Marloes, June 20

Touring in support of their newly release sophomore album Di Hotel Malibu, the Indonesia-based soul trio Thee Marloes headlines a June 20 engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, Far Out magazine stating that with their latest recording, the international artists "have reaffirmed their position on the upper echelon of modern soul."

18 to be laid off at UnityPoint Health - Trinity Rock Island in July

In April, parent company UnityPoint Health announced it was laying off 207 workers in the IT department company-wide.

Clinton City Council to consider enacting rules to temporarily halt data center from moving to town

At the end of May, city council met to discuss the plans proposed to them from the company QTS Data Centers.

Dinner Time, June 21

Lauded by SputnikMusic for their "very chill and dreamy guitar-driven indie rock with a distinct early-'00s feel," the touring quintet Dinner Time headlines a June 21 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the ensemble also hailed by PopMatters as "a band with loads of musical chops and a great deal of vision."

Rock Island High student receives National Merit Scholarship

A student from Rock Island High School’s Class of 2026 has earned a prestigious National Merit Scholarship. Gabe Mahn was selected as a recipient of a college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. College-sponsored scholarships are awarded by participating colleges and universities to National Merit Finalists who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement [...]

Night Moves, June 25

Touring in support of their latest recording Double Life, which led Americana UK to rave that the "artful production and clever lyrics make the band's fourth album in six years a standout," the Minnesota-based indie rockers of Night Moves headline a June 25 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, When the Horn Blows adding that the new LP is "a candid and impressionistic personal record that comes to terms with the complexities of life."

Victim identified in fatal Davenport house fire

73-year-old Mark Fick was killed after a fire broke out on the 3800 block of Johnson Avenue on Wednesday, June 3.

Marisa Anderson, June 20

With her 2022 recording Still, Here praised by Pitchfork as "an alternately deliberate and exploratory” work in which "the guitarist and composer finds flashes of beauty at the heart of each instrumental tale," singer/songwriter Marisa Anderson headlines a June 20 concert at Rock Island's Rozz-Tox in support of her May release The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music: Volume 1.

Bettendorf police: Missing 21-year-old's body found in Mississippi River

Police said Jamarius Johnson was last seen around 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 6.

Heads in Motion, June 20

A Quad Cities-based tribute act dedicated to free-spirited and energetic concert experiences from the Stop Making Sense era, the tour de force of musicians known as Heads in Motion plays Bettendorf's The Tangled Wood on June 20, with the 10-piece ensemble celebrating Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner David Byrne and his iconic rock outfit Talking Heads.

Old 97's, June 24

Praised by Americana Highways as "consistently exciting and rambunctious," delivering "alt-country with a little garage-rock grunge," the touring talents of Old 97's headline a June 24 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, Glide magazine adding to the band's numerous raves by saying the musicians "come off as down to earth in a rock subgenre that's rarely grounded.."

The Wichita Linemen: “A Tribute to Glen Campbell featuring Carl Acuff Jr.,” June 20

With the June 20 show boasting a repertoire of beloved classics including "Gentle on My Mind," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Galveston," "Southern Nights," and the iconic "Rhinestone Cowboy," the touring talents of the Wichita Linemen come to Maquoketa's Ohnward Fine Arts Center with their lauded stage show A Tribute to Glen Campbell featuring Carl Acuff Jr.

Victim identified in fatal Davenport house fire

Officials said the cause of the fire is accidental due to improperly disposing smoking material.

Longtime Iowa legislator who missed this year’s season has died

State Sen. Julian Garrett, who missed the entire 2026 Iowa legislative session, died on Monday.

Davenport releases name of man who died in June 3 house fire

Firefighters responded to a 911 call of a house fire in the 3800 block of Johnson Avenue at approximately 12:48 a.m. June 3.

Knox-Galesburg Symphony: “Silver Screen Symphony,” June 20

Performing under the baton of guest conductor Richard Cangro, the Knox-Galesburg Symphony will treat Orpheum Theatre to a Silver Screen Symphony on June 20, this cinematic celebration boasting thrilling selections from iconic film scores by legendary composers such as John Williams, Lalo Schifrin, and more.

A warm World Cup welcome? U.S. immigration policies have chilling effect

As the World Cup begins later this week, match officials and team members have faced enhanced immigration scrutiny when trying to enter the United States. A FIFA referee from Somalia was turned away.

“Angels in America: Millennium Approaches,” June 25

Presented as the fourth and final event in a month-long series of screenings held in celebration of Pride Month, the first half of author Tony Kushner's, director Mike Nichols' and HBO's Emmy-dominating miniseries Angels in America, Millennium Approaches, enjoys a June 25 screening at the Figge Art Museum, this special series made possible by the Art Bridges Foundation in conjunction with the Felix Gonzalez-Torres exhibition now on view at the Davenport venue.

Adoptable pet: Meet Daisy

Daisy is a couple months old. McRae said Daisy is spayed, microchipped and vaccinated.

Sick Summer Mini-Block Party rolls into Rock Falls

Sick the Magazine is coming through Rock Falls for the third year in a row on Monday, June 15 and the city is having a mini-block party downtown to welcome them. Rock Falls Tourism is hosting a Sick Summer Mini-Block Party as about 350 race vehicles and an additional 200 "Sick Ward" cruisers make their [...]

Genesius Guild's “Antigone,” June 20 through 28

An ancient-Greek classic that has long been translated for stage, cinema, television, and more than a half-dozen full-length operas, Sophocles' Antigone will be staged in Rock Island's Lincoln Park June 20 through 28, Genesius Guild's latest serving as the theatre company's annual presentation largely performed in traditional Greek masks.

Why there's a debate over the new quarantine center for Americans at risk of Ebola

Opinions are divided about the new facility in Kenya. The U.S. defends it. Kenyans are protesting it. Doctors who were on the ground in the 2014 Ebola outbreak voice criticism as well.

Matt Mathews, June 20

Appearing locally on his nationally sold-out "Boujee on a Budget" tour, comedian and musician Matt Mathews performs two sets of standup at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on June 20, the Southern-raised talent lauded by American Songwriter for his "unique brand of no-filter-farm-funny meets observational humor."

River Action's Ride the Island, June 21

Continuing last year's exciting twist on the organization's annual Father's Day activity Ride the River, Davenport's River Action will again host hours of outdoor fun in Ride the Island, a June 21 opportunity for cyclists to ride the roads and trails on the Rock Island Arsenal while exploring its rich history and visiting iconic landmarks.

NASA names 4 astronauts on the 'highly complex' Artemis III lunar training mission

The crew of four — NASA astronaut and commander Randy Bresnik, European Space Agency pilot Luca Parmitano, NASA mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas — are scheduled to launch next year.

2026 Quad City Juneteenth Festival, June 20

An eagerly awaited pre-summer event complete with food, vendors, local history, games, and entertainment for the entire family, the 2026 Quad City Juneteenth Festival will be held at Davenport's LeClaire Park on June 20, the celebration hosted by the Friends of MLK (FoMLK) and held in commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

North Scott Press — June 10, 2026

Playtime begins in Princeton

Princeton youngsters inaugurated the city’s new playground at Woomert Park last Tuesday, June 2—spinning, sliding, climbing and jumping into summer break. City officials and volunteers raised all but $17,838 of the playground’s $125,960 price tag. They cut the ribbon Tuesday evening. “Everything is really starting to look nice up here,” Mayor Travis Volrath said. “And hopefully that leads to more improvements.” Fundraising for the playground project began last summer. Volrath detailed grants and donations that contributed to the project at Princeton’s May council meeting. They include: • $47,299: Grant from Burke Equipment, playground manufacturer • $25,000: Grant from the Roy J. Carver Trust of Muscatine • $15,000: Grant from the Regional Development Authority • $6,825: Proceeds from Princeton Sports and Rec concession stand • $5,423: Proceeds from a gun raffle • $5,000: Bond return from St. Joan of Arc catholic school • $2,200: Proceeds from the Princeton Fall Festival last October • $875: Walnut logs sold from city property • $500: Local business donations The city voted in May to contribute the $17,838 project cost difference out of the city’s capital improvement reserves. Woomert Park has seen additional improvements in recent years. Princeton Sports and Rec, which raised over $25,000 last year, recently completed new dugouts at the park’s ball diamonds.  

Eldridge makes its case for new facilities

Approximately a dozen Eldridge residents turned out last Thursday for an open house at city hall to ask questions and get more information about the city’s proposed municipal building plans. Speaking on behalf of the city were mayor Scott Campbell, city administrator Nevada Lemke, assistant city administrator Jeff Martens, public works director Tony Rupe, and council members Jeff Ashcraft and Scott LaPlante. They were joined by Grant Nordby from Shive-Hattery, who has been working with the city to craft proposals for new municipal buildings, including a new city hall/police station and a public works building. Sgt. Ryan Gale and Officer Garrett Jahns of the Eldridge Police Department offered tours of the existing police station. Campbell opened the public forum portion of the event reminding those in attendance about the last time the city attempted to pass a bond referendum for a new city hall in 2014. That referendum fell short of the 60% needed to pass, with only 48% of residents voting in favor. At that time, the proposed project was a 16,900 square foot facility at $5.7 million, with a proposed bond of $2.9 million. Campbell said the city is still in the same facilities that were determined to be too small and inadequate to conduct city business 12 years ago and said the need for new facilities has now become critical. “We are at the point now where we cannot hire another police officer. We cannot hire another city staff employee. As you can see, our council meetings are standing room only, and some people are sitting on the floor,” he said, gesturing to a few people who crowded in the doorway. Attendees collected handouts and informational packets from the council table, which Campbell explained showed the future the city envisions for its facilities. “And that future, what we’re planning on, will last for the next 35 to 40 years. We need to do better. We need to leave the next generation better than we found it. And these facilities are long overdue” But some attendees still seemed wary, and the question-and-answer session opened with a resident asking if the city had considered using the existing community center as a municipal facility. Martens said city engineers had explored the possibility and pointed to a section of one of the handouts that explained some of the inadequacies of that facility. According to the handout, the location is not ideal, as it is out of the way and distant from the center of town, including the schools, which could lead to police response times being delayed in the event of an emergency. The handout also explains that the building itself is a pre-engineered metal (PEMB) structure. “These types of buildings are notoriously hard or even impossible to adapt and are typically value-engineered to meet the minimum standards of being structurally significant for their original intended use.” This would make it difficult to do rooftop mounting, and there would also be difficulty installing new door and window openings. The handout also says the building may not be able to structurally withstand high wind loads, which would rule out its being used as a command center in the event of a weather emergency. “The building in its current state does not meet the code requirements for a Police Department/Public Safety facility and would need extensive reconstruction. The ultimate recommendation would be razing the building and starting from scratch if relocating public facilities to this site.” The resident followed up by asking if there had been any consideration for moving just the police department, which he suggested would free up the existing police area for city staff. He also suggested this might be more affordable, explaining the potential impact on his taxes. “We just keep getting piled on and piled on. So, $32 million for all of this, versus something significantly less expensive to accommodate the need for more police and patrols. I think that the majority of the community – obviously I don’t speak for everybody, but that’s why I wanted to come tonight – it seems like that would be a logical plan. And I want to know, was that even considered?” Martens said that the engineering studies had considered this, and it was determined a joint city hall and police station, with a separate public works campus, would be the most affordable option. The proposed 16,600 square foot city hall/police station is estimated at $12.2 million, and the public works campus, with its proposed seven buildings totaling 79,405 square feet, is estimated at $20.7 million. Lemke also said keeping the existing building likely wouldn’t lead to significant cost savings either. “This building has some improvements that would be fairly costly that would need to be made regardless of who is going to be occupying this space.” With the bulk of the funding for the proposed project earmarked for the public works facility, Lemke enumerated the reasons for that portion of the work. She said the current facility does not have enough space to properly store existing equipment, and the existing buildings are starting to deteriorate, with holes and mold that would be extremely expensive to remediate. The city also spends about $25,000 annually to rent storage space for city equipment at the former Caterpillar plant in Mount Joy. Campbell went back to the resident’s point about taxes. “You have to remember that Eldridge does have the second lowest tax rate in Scott County. And our citizens have great amenities that we are trying to provide by keeping our taxes low. A few previous councils and mayors, they really worked hard to do that. Now it’s kind of time to pay the piper. Our water rates? The lowest of anybody in Scott County. There’s a reason people want to move here – it’s because of our low taxes. But now, we’re kind of in crunch time.” He said that the recent tax bill passed by the Iowa legislature now also caps municipal growth at 2%. “Some of our collective bargaining agreements are probably 3%, 3.5%. Tony just got quotes for salt. It’s almost 150% more for salt next year. So, those costs keep going up and the legislature keeps shrinking us. “So, you should feel, people should feel fortunate, I feel fortunate that our taxes are low. But there comes a time, I believe – and this is what I campaigned on – if we would have raised our taxes incrementally over the last 10 years, we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.” The city provided a chart that showed the total tax levy for Eldridge in FY27 is $8.13 per thousand. If the referendum were to pass, the total levy for FY27 would increase to $10.03 per thousand. Eldridge would still have the fourth lowest tax rate in Scott County, with only Long Grove, Princeton and Donahue having a lower levy. Hometown with a vision? City officials also pointed out that many smaller communities in the area have significantly nicer facilities than what Eldridge currently has. “LeClaire, they’re smaller than we are. Their facilities blow us out of the water,” said Campbell. “Same thing with DeWitt.” Jahns, who formerly worked for the Blue Grass Police Department, also pointed to that community’s public safety building. “Their facilities make us look like, well, I can’t even imagine an analogy,” Campbell agreed. “But we are like the ugly stepchild in a way. When you look at all these other communities, again, these are overdue.” Resident Judi Sarafin said she was in favor of the proposed new facilities and had already considered the impact on her taxes. She said she viewed it as similar to the taxes she pays to the North Scott School District. “I don’t have kids in school, but we pay to support services that make Eldridge good. We pay for the services we all benefit from.” Resident Tracy Harris agreed, and said when residential taxes go up, it may not necessarily all be from the city side, as residents pay county and school taxes, too. Campbell agreed that was also something to consider, as well as the fact that taxes can look higher if the assessed value of a resident’s home increases. “Look, I pay taxes. I hate them.” Ashcraft said. “They’re a necessary evil though that we have to have to have the amenities to live the life that we all want to have, from safety to having nice parks and streets that are cleared in the middle of winter.” Ashcraft said despite that, he wants to live up to Eldridge’s motto of “Hometown with a Vision.” “We are not that hometown right now. We’re having a heck of a time, or will have a heck of a time, recruiting and retaining staff. And frankly, we don’t have much staff as it is right now. And if we don’t start looking at the facilities and the environment and the culture that we provide for our police department … I’m a cop’s kid. I grew up in a law enforcement household. These people put their lives on the line for us every day … and we’ve got them in the absolute most minimal environment that we could put them in. “At the same time, we’re asking people like Nevada, Jeff and Tony to work in facilities – I supervise 350 people on a daily basis, and I wouldn’t ask any of the people that I work with to work in the environments that these guys work in. Is it horrible? Is it efficient? In some cases, we’ve got buildings over at the public works building that have mold that is not worth remediating. So, we really have to do something. Does that mean we have to impact the residents? Yes, but if the residents want to continue to have, including safety, including people who are competent and willing to commit to sleepless nights in a pole barn so that your snow is plowed when the blizzard comes in, we’ve got to do better. We’ve got to live up to that tagline of having a vision of who we want to be. And that will, in turn, help us grow as a community.” LaPlante said he was in favor of centralizing the location of city hall and the police station. His youngest daughter, who is in high school, told him she also liked the idea of having the police close to the high school, for safety reasons. Campbell and Ashcraft discussed a point Campbell made in a guest editorial published in The North Scott Press last week – the city does not have a Plan B right now. “If the community comes back with feedback and says, ‘No, we don’t want this,’ then we’re going to have to go back and regroup and have a Plan B. But right now, we’re putting our best idea forward based on what the consultants have shared with us that they think makes the most sense,” said Ashcraft. “And we’re not building a palace. We’re not building the Taj Mahal here. This is the absolute minimum that we think, but it’s also designed to allow for future growth.” Ashcraft said that if the city were to sell the community center, the existing city hall building, and the front half of the property the public works building sits on, it could help bring down the debt for the project and make it less expensive in the long term. Earlier in the meeting, Martens explained the proposed new city hall/police station would be located on the back side of the existing public works property because that is where the water tower is located and the city does not want to move that structure. Ashcraft, who said he has lived in Eldridge for 37 years, and Campbell, who has lived in Eldridge for nearly 43 years, also pointed to other longtime residents who attended the meeting, saying the current facilities are essentially unchanged from when they moved to town. The public works building was constructed in 1980. The current city hall was built in 1978 and the city moved in in 1987. Campbell specifically cited the decline of the public works building. He, Ashcraft, and council member Ryan Iossi toured the facility a few weeks ago. “When we went through that, the first thing we thought was, what an embarrassment to our city, that these are the public works facilities that our employees are forced to work in.” “I’ve got to tell you, it makes me a little emotional,” said Ashcraft. “If you could see, and I’m sure Tony would take you over and show you where they sleep when they’re plowing snow. I wouldn’t let my dogs sleep there. And this is where these guys are sleeping to make sure that our streets are plowed so we can get out and get to work. It’s shameful.” Campbell said that city staff is working in these conditions without complaint, however. “They’re just working in the conditions that they’re forced to work in. And we see that, and we decided, you know, we need to do something. We deserve better. Eldridge deserves better.” Campbell also said the cost of the project will not get any cheaper if Eldridge does not act now. Ashcraft added that this is why Eldridge is conducting the public survey now, although if the public provides negative feedback, it will not move forward with the referendum this year. “Whatever you tell us in the survey will tell us what direction we’re going to go.” “We need public participation,” said Campbell. “Public opinion is what we base our decisions on.” Pushback from residents The panel was also asked if it had received other bids on what the project could cost. Lemke said the initial cost estimate was provided by another engineering company a few years ago, and the project transitioned to Shive-Hattery. Both companies evaluated the projected cost estimate based on what the city’s needs are. Not all residents were convinced that the proposed city hall is what Eldridge needs though, with one comparing the preliminary rendering to a “Missouri pole barn. “When you said you were going to build a city hall, I thought you were going to build something that looked like US Bank. You know, something that looked like a building. I can’t believe anybody went for that,” he said of the rendering. “There’s no finishings to that.” “This is just a very vanilla rendering of the space,” Ashcraft said. “You can’t even walk to that. A handicapped person can’t even get to this front door,” the resident continued. City staff said the drawing was preliminary, and no design decisions had been made. The resident also objected to the proposed detention ponds in front of the building. City staff said they are required by law to provide detention. “They’re not required,” said the resident. “Nobody in the city of Davenport, Bettendorf, has ponds in the middle of town. Everybody else puts those underground, for crying out loud." “That’s pretty costly,” said Nordby. “Well, between the frogs and the Canadian geese and the other things you’re going to have dealing with that pond? That’s craziness,” the resident said. When reminded that this was just a starting point, the resident said, “My thought is, you haven’t even got a good starting point.” He and his wife suggested that the city hall/police station be put on the front side of the current public works property because it is valuable real estate. They were again reminded the city needs to keep the back half because of the water tower. Campbell also said the front half of the property is prime real estate, possibly the most expensive in the city of Eldridge, before asking attendees not to get too far into the weeds on a preliminary proposal. The resident also objected to a proposed rendering of the public works campus, saying, among other things, the driveway does not need to be a u-shape. Rupe said it was designed that way because there will still be some equipment stored outdoors, and public works also gets deliveries from semis. The resident said there were also too many buildings. He was told this was due to sprinkler requirements for larger buildings, and some of the buildings will be heated, while others will be cold storage. City staff also said the proposal was based on other public works campuses across the state. No finalized plans have been made for what the buildings will look like, as the city has yet to receive a report on whether it should move forward with the proposed referendum. That report is expected to arrive in late July after the returned surveys have been analyzed by independent research group Community Perceptions. While residents should have received surveys by now, only one was sent to each household. If a home has more than one adult resident who wishes to take the survey, hard copies are available at city hall. The deadline to return surveys is June 15.  

Bettendorf police find body believed to be missing man

Jamarius Johnson had been reported missing on Sunday, June 7.

Body of missing man found in river

The body of a missing Bettendorf man was recovered from the Mississippi River Tuesday morning, ending a multi-agency search.

Strawberry Festival, Stampede this weekend

This weekend will be Long Grove’s time to shine, with two days of city-sponsored activities leading up to the main event, the 64th annual Strawberry Festival on Sunday. The fun starts Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Long Grove Civic Center with Movie Night in the Park. There will be activities for kids and Ihrig Works will have equipment on hand. The movie will begin at dusk, and there will be hot dogs, chips, popcorn and soda. Saturday’s activities will last all day, starting with the Boy Scouts Breakfast from 7–11 a.m. There will be a car and truck show from 8 a.m. – noon, with judging from noon – 1:30 p.m. Awards will be presented at 2 p.m. There will be craft vendors, bounce houses and children’s activities all day. Food vendors will include Iowa Smoke, Rural Rumps BBQ, Cabos, and Fizz and Freeze. Angela Meyer and the Western Stars will perform from 6:30-9:30 p.m. On Sunday, the Long Grove Civic League will take to the streets for the Strawberry Festival. Coffee, donuts and waffles will be available starting at 7 a.m. in front of the civic center and at the fire station. Last-minute registration for the Strawberry Stampede will be from 7:30-8:45 in the shelter behind the civic center. The cost to register on the day is $30. The races step off at 9 a.m. with the quarter mile Strawberry Stampede, followed by the one mile run and Judy’s Jog at approximately 9:30. Awards will be presented in the shelter at approximately 10 a.m. This is the 42nd annual Strawberry Stampede, and additional information and updates from race director Scott Hoag will be available at the Strawberry Stampede Facebook page.  The line-up for the parade will start at 10:30 a.m. on North 1st Street, and the parade steps off at 11:15. This year’s grand marshal is longtime Long Grove resident Jack Hoag. Jack and his wife, Betty, raised their three children, Scott, Kelli and Tammy, in Long Grove. He donated much of his time over the years to help with town improvements with the Civic League, beautification projects, and helping with the Strawberry Stampede by running the clock. He now lives at Harmony Utica Ridge. Jack said Long Grove is a nice little town to raise a family in. All day activities include bounce houses, basket raffle sales, the CCT dunk tank, the marketplace, which will feature area vendors, and games for the kids. There will also be plenty of food options to sate any palate, from brats and hot dogs to walking tacos, snow cones, pork chop sandwiches, kettle korn, lemonade shake-ups and cotton candy. And, of course, there will be strawberries galore, including cake and ice cream in the civic center. New this year, strawberry donuts from Barb’s Market Pantry will also be on offer. “We’re also going to have local honey for sale, and local eggs for sale,” said organizer Joni Kuehl-Schneider. The Civic League will be selling buttons and 50/50 raffle tickets all day. Another new vendor this year will be at the petting zoo. Kuehl-Schneider said 4H Ranch will be bringing its animals to downtown Long Grove. “Usually we hire Miller’s Petting Zoo, which is a very good zoo,” Kuehl-Schneider said. “But this year, we decided to go local.” There will also be a new balloon animal vendor. According to Kuehl-Schneider, the festival’s regular balloon maker, Rick Eugene, “has injured his hand and cannot twist balloons right now.” Eugene will still be on hand this year, helping with the bubble stations and other activities, and he helped the Civic League source a new vendor, QC Clown Around. Other annual traditions include the strawberry cooking contest; winners will be announced at 11 a.m. The pie auction, featuring pies of every variety, will be held right after the parade. The Berry Pageant will be held at 12:15 p.m. in the gazebo south of the civic center. And the pedal tractor pull will be held at 1 p.m. in front of the fire station. Entertainment will include North Scott’s Jacob Link playing piano music in the morning at 8 and 10 in the gazebo. Magician David Casas will be roaming, but Kuehl-Schneider said he will also have a performance at 12:30 p.m. in the basement of the civic center, immediately followed by vintage Bingo from 1-3 p.m. Outside, the Locust Street Boys Dixieland band will perform from 12:30-2:30. Performances in the shelter behind the community center will include selections from Countryside Community Theatre’s upcoming shows, “Guys & Dolls” and “Mean Girls.” The Movement Collective (formerly Tina’s Dance Studio) will perform at 1 p.m., and there will be a taekwondo demonstration by Chung Kim’s Black Belt Academy at 1:45 p.m. All successful events need help, and Kuehl-Schneider said the Civic League needs volunteers, both before the festival and on the day. “We can take fifth graders and up helping at the kids’ games, and teenagers and adults in the kitchen.” To sign up, use the QR code in the Strawberry Festival ad on page 16A, where a full schedule of events can also be found.      

Get a glimpse behind “Jaws” in “The Shark is Broken” in Moline

As part of their 10th anniversary season, The Black Box Theatre in downtown Moline is presenting the QC premiere of “The Shark is Broken” by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, opening Friday, June 12.

Touch-a-truck in Walcott Saturday

Youngsters will have a chance to explore Walcott’s vehicle fleet this Saturday at the city’s first annual touch-a-truck event. The city will wheel out a range of its vehicles from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday morning, June 13, on W. Otis Street.  Assistant City Clerk Trish Moses said the fleet would include fire trucks, police vehicles, skid loaders, tractors, snowplows, and heavy farm equipment. Moses has worked to organize the event, which Walcott City Council approved after deciding to terminate the city’s summer camp contract with Camp Abe Lincoln. Snacks and refreshments will be available, and the event is open to the public. Walcott City Council approved street closures for the event at their June 1 meeting.

Crop diagnostics in-season training set for June 23

Farmers, crop scouts and agricultural professionals looking to improve their in-season crop diagnostics and scouting skills are encouraged to register for the Crop Diagnostics In-Season Training on June 23 at the Iowa State University Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville. Hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, this hands-on training is designed for those seeking to build practical skills and confidence in diagnosing crop issues and making management decisions during the growing season. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and demonstrations covering a range of timely topics, including: • Using web-based tools to assist with disease scouting • Digging and evaluating corn roots for rootworm feeding • Identifying in-season nutrient deficiencies and fertilizer spread patterns • Maximizing the effectiveness of spray drone applications The training will be held at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm, 3115 Louisa-Washington Road, Crawfordsville. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., with the program running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost to attend is $100 and includes lunch, refreshments and course materials. Certified Crop Advisers can earn 4.0 pest management credits and 1.5 nutrient management credits. Pre-registration is required, and no walk-in registrations will be accepted. Space is limited to 40 participants, and registration will close when capacity is reached or by the deadline of June 19 at 11:59 p.m. To register, visit go.iastate.edu/cropdiagnostics. For more information, contact Rebecca Vittetoe at rka8@iastate.edu or 712-540-3319.

Primary knocks McAndrew Lane from supervisors

Republican voters in Scott County’s June 2 primary knocked Jennifer McAndrew Lane out of the race for the board of supervisors. Current supervisors John Maxwell and Jean Dickson, as well as former state representative Luana Stoltenberg, will represent Republicans in the November election. Maxwell led candidates with 6,099 votes, followed by Stoltenberg with 5,804 votes and Dickson with 5,055 votes. Lane earned 3,682 votes. There were no other contested primaries in the North Scott area. Lane, who is married to Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane, told The North Scott Press that she had expected to lose the primary vote. "I expected it because there are many people who feel that with Tim being sheriff, it would be a conflict,” she said. “I am okay with what happened," she added. "The people of Scott County need to hold their politicians accountable. And that’s on both sides.” Lane said she was glad to have brought her concerns—such as needless spending and opposition to a proposed rural power plant—before Republican voters. Kevin Randle, the lone Democratic candidate for the board of supervisors, earned 9,746 votes. Dickson told The NSP that she was “excited to get through the primary.” “The numbers show that I have work to do,” she said. “I intend to focus on getting my message out to Independents and Democrats, as to my knowledge and experience of key issues.” Stoltenberg thanked her primary voters. “It’s a great honor to serve them,” she said. “It’s exciting to step into the next phase of the general election.” Maxwell expressed gratitude for his victory and said he hoped to “continue to represent all of us and make our county the best it can be.” Former Scott County State Senator Chris Cournoyer won the state primary for the auditor’s office with 54% of the vote statewide. She took 65% of the Scott County vote. Scott County Republican primary voters favored U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra in the race for governor. He earned 3,802 votes. Zach Lahn, the Benton County businessman who won the state primary, took 3,346 votes. Over 2,000 Scott County voters cast ballots for other gubernatorial candidates Adam Steen (1,267 votes), Brad Sherman (565 votes), or Eddie Andrews (274 votes). Primary voters set up a rematch between Democrat Christina Bohannon and incumbent Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks for U.S. House District 1—the third consecutive matchup. Bohannon defeated progressive challenger Travis Terrell, and Miller-Meeks defeated perennial candidate David Pautsch. Scott County Democrats and Democrats across the state preferred Council Bluffs State Rep. Josh Turek to former Johnson County State Senator Zach Wahls in the primary for Iowa’s open senate seat. Turek earned 6,658 Scott County votes to Wahls’s 3,902.  

Bribriesco objects to closed session, requests “disclosure”

Scott County Supervisor Maria Bribriesco voted against a motion for the board to enter closed session last Tuesday, arguing that the stated reason—to discuss pending litigation—does not provide enough information to the public. Bribriesco, lone Democrat on the board of supervisors, has repeatedly argued that the county attorney’s office operates without sufficient transparency. She argued Tuesday that while the motion for a closed session “may, in somebody's mindset, comply with the black letter of the law, it does not comply with the spirit of the law.” Bribriesco said that the motion should specify the pending cases or legal concerns up for discussion. That would promote “disclosure, letting the public know,” she said, “even letting us, the board of supervisors, know ahead of time of what we're going to be discussing.” Bribriesco said she did not know what would be discussed or how many items were up for discussion. The notice “doesn't give us adequate and reasonable notice about what we're going to discuss,” she argued. “It does not comply with the open meeting law.” The board voted 4–1 to enter closed session. Bribriesco has voted in favor of nearly identical motions, but her apparent frustration with the county attorney’s office has grown in recent weeks. She voted against changes to Scott County’s open records policies which she said would give the attorney too much discretion over which documents to make public. She also voted against providing the county attorney a raise. Local governments often enter closed session to discuss pending litigation or legal concerns without specifying a case to the public. Bribriesco did not respond to request for additional comment. Present litigation against Scott County includes: • A suit from Riverstone Group seeking relief from the county’s decision to block a concrete and asphalt recycling plant from siting in Mount Joy. • A suit from county resident Jonathan Uhl alleging that the county attorney’s office failed to provide him with public records following a formal request. • A suit from former deputy sheriff Joshua Wall alleging that he was fired by Sheriff Tim Lane in relation for raising concerns about his spouse, Department of Corrections officer Jennifer McAndrew Lane, and relaying those concerns to former state senator Chris Cournoyer.  

Mystery buyer for Walcott lumberyard?

Walcott Public Works Director Paul Stagg told the city council Monday, June 1 that a local business had asked purchase the former Schneckloth lumber yard lot, at the southeast corner of Lincoln and Main Streets, for private development. The block was ravaged by a 1996 fire that drew every fire department in Scott County for aid. The city has owned the 0.89 acre lot since 2000, according to county records. The council agreed to discuss a sale of the lot at a future meeting. Stagg did not provide the name of the business that had inquired about a sale. Walcott City Council completed their second of two readings of a pair of ordinances that will raise city water and sewer rates by 5% July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. The council also approved a 4% raise for all city employees effective with the new fiscal year. In other business, the council approved a fireworks permit for Walcott Day July 17 and street closures for the Walcott Commons grand opening June 12. It also renewed the Legion liquor license.  

Roadwork spending continues at county

The board of supervisors approved a spate of summer roadwork purchases and several winter materials contracts last week. The county will resurface E. LeClaire Road from Eldridge to 240th Avenue late this summer, at the cost of nearly $3 million. Valley Construction Co. will perform hot-mix asphalt resurfacing and cold in-place recycling along the roadway. The Rock Island firm submitted a low bid of $2,975,715.39, nearly a half-million dollars below the engineers’ estimate. The Bi-State Regional Commission will cover $1.8 million dollars of the project cost, County Engineer Angie Kersten reported. Scott County and the city of Davenport will split the cost to repave 210th Street from Harrison Street to Holden Drive. The $1.9-million, 0.4-mile stretch connects the Davenport Airport to U.S. 61 and is one of the county’s most damaged roads. The project is set to begin in July. Midwest Concrete of Peosta was awarded the contract by the city of Davenport. It submitted a low bid of $1,898,975.39. Supervisors also approved a $24,239 cost overrun on a $325,000 project to patch a portion of 210th Street beneath the U.S. 61 overpass. Kersten said contractors mistakenly patched roadway that county crews had intended to fix. She recommended that supervisors approve the overrun. Supervisors further accepted rock, sand and macadam quotes from three local quarries—RiverStone Group, Linwood Mining and Wendling Quarries—who supply county road crews with the materials required for local maintenance. The prices are: RiverStone Group Class “D” rock: $11.25/ton; sand: $9.50/ton; sand delivered: $16.00/ton (semi); sand delivered: $17.25/ton (tandem); macadam: $11.00/ton; class “A” rock: $11.50/ton. Linwood Mining Class “D” rock: $13.95/ton; sand: $17.00/ton; sand delivered: $16.00/ton (semi); macadam: $14.95/ton; class “A” rock: $13.95/ton. Wendling Quarries Class “D” rock: $10.90/ton; sand: $10.25/ton; macadam: $9.90/ton; class “A” rock: $10.90/ton. The county hauls rock from each quarry depending on its proximity to a given project. Supervisors furthr agreed to buy salt this winter from Compass Minerals America at the cost of $125.19 per ton. Kersten estimated that the county would purchases 1,600 tons of salt at the total cost of about $200,304 dollars. The price of salt rose susbtantially from last year, when Compass Minerals submited a low bid of $88.25 per ton. Contract concerns Bribriesco voted against four of the five roadwork projects and materials contracts brought before the board—an unusual protest against items typically treated as routine. Bribriesco requested further liability protections in the contract with Davenport for work on 210th Street. She said the county should strike a paragraph from its resolution approving paving on E. LeClaire Road, which stated that the board had “sought appropriate professional guidance for the concept and planning for the project.” She objected that the project had been designed and let by the Iowa Department of Transportation, not the county. She said it was not clear to her that the board had met the terms of that paragraph. Bribriesco further requested additional documentation on the bidding process for winter rock and salt. Fellow supervisors did not share her objections, and the items were approved 4–1. Bribriesco joined supervisors to approve cost overruns on 210th Street patching 5–0. Other news In other business, the board: • Renewed its contract with Schneider Geospatial to host an online map of county property. The three-year contract costs $159,061, divided evenly between the county, County Assessor, and Davenport Assessor. • Renewed its annual contract with Dr. Richard Vermeer, medical director of Medic EMS, for $95,000.  • Agreed to maintain a full-time deputy sheriff at Scott Community College for the next two years. The Eastern Iowa Community College district contracts for the deputy at $130,000 per year. • Approved routine tax suspensions and four tobacco license renewals, and abated taxes on a new sidewalk in LeClaire. • Sent a letter to the city of Princeton objecting to a planned urban renewal area the city intends to establish to support residential development. The county routinely sends similar letters to cities that use urban renewal areas and tax increment financing to support residential development or subsidize city expenses.

City resolves email trouble

An email update which caused issues that plagued Eldridge city staff and officials for several days has now been resolved. Assistant city administrator Jeff Martens shared at the June 1 council meeting that the city recently changed from a Microsoft business account to a government account for increased security. The migration did not go as smoothly as hoped for some users, leading to difficulty logging in and some missed emails. “It wasn’t quite as easy when we got in on Monday as just entering the new passwords,” explained Martens. “So, the people that were using the web-based services seemed to have easy transitions and no disruptions, but people that were using the app services had a little more difficulty. It seemed to want to pull in the old information.” “We were supposed to use that password too, right? I thought you guys were just ignoring me,” joked council member Ryan Iossi. Martens and tech support employees from Shared IT worked to correct the issues, which should now be resolved.  City clerk Tracy Northcutt, who experienced email fraud several years ago, thanked Martens for his work in ensuring the city’s email was more secure. Woda Cooper update Mayor Scott Campbell told the council that Woda Cooper, who gave a presentation to the council in April regarding a proposed senior housing development, was scheduled to hear whether it had received tax credits from the Iowa Finance Authority on June 3. Campbell said it was his understanding Woda Cooper was one of 12 projects that applied for potential tax credits. On Friday, Martens told The NSP he had been contacted by Barry Accountias, vice president of development for the company. Accountias said Woda Cooper was not one of the recipients during this cycle. He said Woda Cooper plans to examine its options going forward, and it would still like to keep an option on the land, located directly south of the North Scott Hy-Vee. Other business The council received notification from the Iowa Department of Transportation of an upcoming patching project on Highway 61 between the area south of Interstate 80 to the south junction of Highway 30 near DeWitt. Council member Brian Dockery asked if the city has any communication from the IDOT on any ramp work in Eldridge. City administrator Nevada Lemke said city staff has not received any update from the department. “They weren’t in a big hurry to put it on their list, but they said they’d come out and review it,” she said. Council member Adrian Blackwell said, with the growth Eldridge has experienced, it may be time for the ramps, both in town and at Blackhawk Trail, to be repaired. “Maybe good things come to those who wait,” he quipped. “But it would be nice to hear what their vision is.” The council approved a tobacco permit renewal for Big 10 Mart #25 and #27, as well as the liquor license renewal for Al & Gerry’s Tap. They also learned, as of 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 1, Cabos was able to start serving liquor again, as its issues with the state were formally resolved. Lemke also shared an email public works director Tony Rupe received from a resident on Stonebridge Circle, thanking the public works crew for repairing an issue with their sidewalk.

Motorcycle safety training for riders, EMTs in Dubuque June 13

Bill Gillespie, ABATE of Iowa district coordinator, encourages emergency medical professionals and motorcyclists two attend accident and trauma response training June 13 in Dubuque. ABATE is a nonprofit organization which promotes motorcycle safety and road awareness. Participants must register for the events in advance. On the morning of June 13, a two-wheel trauma program for EMS providers will run from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The program is fully funded and will provide four CEHs. “Over 50% of all motorcycle crashes will result in serious injury or fatality. EMS providers must be prepared to assess the crash scene, prevent rescuer injury and accurately triage and treat the injured,” the course program reads. EMS professionals can register by emailing emsploog@utlook.com. In the afternoon, ABATE will offer an accident scene response program designed for motorcyclists. “Attendees will learn what to do and what not to do at a crash scene before help arrives, how to call in a crash, what a stop the bleed kit is… and much more,” the program reads. The program will accommodate up to 80 guests on a first come, first serve basis.  

Veterans’ Night at ballpark July 3

North Scott’s grand baseball tradition continues Friday, July 3, with Veterans’ Appreciation Night at the ballpark. Prior to North Scott’s 4:30 p.m. game against Central DeWitt, all veterans in attendance will be introduced on the field. Veterans will get free admission, plus a free drink and sandwich, courtesy of the North Scott Athletic Boosters. For more information, or to RSVP, contact Coach Brad Ward at 563-320-2647 or bward93@hotmail.com.

Unofficial 2026 Iowa primary turnout up from 2022

More than 19% of the state’s registered voters participated in the 2026 primary election, up from more than 16% in the 2022 primaries, according to unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State. Unofficial results also show that 411,525 total ballots were cast in this year’s primary, compared to 356,140 in 2022. Fewer voters cast ballots early or by mail. Out of the total ballots, 68,489 absentee ballots were cast. In 2022, 73,868 absentee ballots were cast during the first statewide primary election following the COVID-19 pandemic, when absentee voting remained more common than in previous election cycles. Election Day registration data and party turnout figures have not yet been released. As of June 1, Republicans held a statewide registration advantage with 649,349 active voters compared to Democrats, who had 500,432 active voters. There were 588,009 active Iowa voters were not registered with a party. Independent voters can cast ballots in the primary but they have to change their party registration at the polls. Voters selected nominees in several high-profile races, including the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, where state Rep. Josh Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls and the GOP gubernatorial primary where Zach Lahn, a farmer and businessman, defeated four other candidates, including U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump. The results will remain unofficial until county officials certify their results at their canvasses.

Youth softballers take over Princeton park

Lightning strikes. And strikes again. And again. Three strikes—you’re out! On weeknights in Princeton, the youngest members of the North Scott Lightning youth softball program show down against rival teams from across the Quad Cities area. Princeton City Clerk Kisa Tweed organized the Princeton league in her unofficial capacity as a parent and coach. It began last spring with just five 8U and 9U teams. It now counts 16 teams from across the Quad Cities. North Scott girls from all five elementaries make up four teams in the league. “We wanted a local league to bring people to Princeton, and to North Scott areas that are not Eldridge,” Tweed, who lives in McCausland, said at a game last Tuesday. The league plays two eight-week seasons in the spring and fall, with one game and one practice each week, and several tournaments on weekends. North Scott Lightning feeds the North Scott High School softball program, which ranks third in its class this season. “It’s really good for the girls to have an opportunity to see different teams from around the area, and have exposure to all levels of softball,” North Scott parent Morgan Dossett said. “They love it,” Dossett said of the ballplayers. “The best thing is how well they all get along. I mean, you can tell by them being in the dugout together—they really vibe really well together.” The league plays Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at Woomert Park, where Mayor Travis Volrath and the Princeton Sports and Rec crew grill up burgers and steak sandwiches to raise money for local causes. “We love coming out here. The food is phenomenal,” Dossett said. “I just waited all day for a steak sandwich.” The league plays another game at Old School Park on Tuesdays and Wednesdays—and Tweed makes sure that a food truck is always there. Wolfe It Down pizza sold 65 pies at a single recent game, Tweed reported. She said residents in town come to the food trucks and Sports and Rec stand for a bite to eat and opportunity to hang around in the late spring sun. “It's a great field, it's a great atmosphere. Parents are happy, kids are happy, that's all that matters,” Dossett said.

Existing city facilities are wholly insufficient

Readers of my other column, “Our Past,” may have noticed an interesting item in last week’s edition. In 1986, the Eldridge City Council was asked to consider a larger police station for the five-member department. Back then, city hall and the police department were in what’s now The NSP office, with the city staff and council chambers crammed into the front half of the building. The police took up the back half. The southernmost part of our building, where Scott Campbell’s office was located, wasn’t part of the existing space then. It was a craft store. “Storage of evidence is the big problem and, let’s face it, this building is not conducive to what we’re using it for,” said council member Myrle Buzzell. He asked the council to consider constructing a purpose-built police station on the municipal lot, located at the corner of North Third and West Franklin streets. He said he wasn’t sure the city could afford a new city hall, but it might be able to swing just a police department. Sound familiar? We know that never came to pass. Instead, the city took up residence on North Third Street in 1987 and has remained there since. This, even though they only intended to use that space for about 10 years. Back in those days, Drs. Scott and Julie Daniels had their practice in the building, and the Midwest Egg Producers were in one of the other suites. Eventually, the dentists and the eggs both decamped to other locations, and the city was able to spread out across the whole building. Not unlike now-Mayor Campbell, I’ve lived in this town for 43 years. So, I remember most of these changes. But I’ve also seen a lack of change in our municipal sites.  We’ve come a long way from the days of a five-man police department and Jean Schilling and Lu Wiese staffing city hall. Why haven’t our facilities kept pace? These days, there’s at least eight people working in city hall and 11 police officers, all crammed into a 5,600 square foot building. Then you add in public works employees popping in and out throughout the day, and members of the public. It’s 10 pounds of people in a five-pound building. I doubt the average Eldridge resident spends much time at city hall aside from maybe dropping off their monthly utility bill, but I’d wager I spend more time there than most. It’s … not great. Consider the average council meeting. When we were able to meet over at the community center, it wasn’t so bad. There was room to spread out, plenty of seats, and it was a moderate temperature. But we moved back to city hall in late January. Back in the council chambers, the table is almost too big for the room. In addition to that monstrosity, there’s 14 chairs crammed next to the window for members of the public to sit in. There’s no elbow room, and the front row is right up next to the council table. Ryan Iossi and Adrian Blackwell sit at the ends of the table. They’re both delightful, but I like personal space, and I suspect they do, too. Even when there’s no one at the meetings except me and Marty O’Boyle, the room still seems too crowded. And it’s also always hot, even with the AC, so somebody has to climb on top of the council table to turn the ceiling fan on. But now let’s say you’re a high school junior and you need to attend a council meeting to fulfil a requirement of your government class. Imagine it’s April, and you’ve procrastinated all semester. So, you roll up to Eldridge City Hall, only to discover that 25 of your fellow classmates have also procrastinated. And suddenly there’s no place to sit, so you’ve got to stand along the wall wrapped all the way around the council table or you’ve got to sit on the floor and get tripped on and create a potential fire hazard. That’s an issue in and of itself, but I’ve also had fun getting in and out of city hall, because if somebody is already in the vestibule, you’ve basically got to do the hokey pokey to get back to the offices. I already knew the place was awful, but I didn’t get a full picture until last week’s open house at city hall regarding the proposed new municipal facilities. Jeff Martens gave me a little tour of the city hall side afterwards. His office is miniscule, and Nevada Lemke’s office also doubles as a conference room. City clerk Tracy Northcutt’s office isn’t exactly huge either, and there’s three desks out in the bullpen. Ray Nees’ office technically isn’t in city hall and is instead at the back of the council chambers. But then Jeff showed me where utility manager Sadie Wagner sits. It is literally a hallway. After that appalling revelation, Jeff took me and a few others downstairs. The stairs are completely exposed. The risers are wide open and there’s no wall next to the handrail. More than one of us commented on the safety factor. Once we got downstairs, which is a typical horror movie murder basement, Jeff showed us the “server room.” One of the servers is locked up, because it has security footage on it. The other one is just on a shelf, open to the elements. Police station somehow worse Before my tour with Jeff, Sgt. Ryan Gale and Officer Garrett Jahns showed us around the police station. There’s a video of one of the tours on the City of Eldridge Facebook page, and I’ve linked it to The NSP Facebook page. Even if you’re not on the fence about new facilities, I would encourage you to watch it to see all the lowlights. While the Eldridge Police try not to hold people in custody and instead work to get them turned over to county as soon as possible, the only place to stow suspects or arrestees is in the interview room. There’s no holding cell or anything like that. What would happen if someone else came in who needed to discuss a private matter? Maybe a crime victim? Where would they talk? There’s certainly nowhere else private in the building. Garrett showed us where officers carry out preliminary breath tests on suspected drunk drivers. The PBT machine is shoved into a hallway near the supervisors’ offices. It was particularly impactful when he said there’s barely enough room for an officer there. Stand one way, the suspect has access to the officer’s firearm. Shift position, the suspect has access to a TASER. And if any of the doors are closed, forget about being able to fight back. The evidence storage room isn’t ventilated and if there’s any narcotics evidence, the entire building reeks of it, including city hall. The basement is also prone to flooding in the records room, and sewage back-ups. I don’t know about you, but I can think of plenty of other things our police department could be doing rather than moving filing cabinets and cleaning up a bunch of water and who knows what else off the floor. We also learned officers have spent their own time and money sprucing up the department, from painting the upstairs area and the downstairs bathroom to building shelving. Why are we asking our police department to take that on? Towards the end of the tour, we learned that the department essentially has no training space. They’ve got to borrow the fire department’s room or some space at the public works building, or they’ve got to go out of town. Garrett said, depending on whether an officer has to stay overnight, one out-of-town training could cost more than $1,000. If they had training space here, those costs could be significantly reduced, and the department could perhaps host a training or two. Public works lacking On Monday, public works director Tony Rupe gave me a quick tour of the public works facility. There’s not a lot of official office space, and when they have trainings, all the public works employees have to cram into an upstairs conference room in the main building. There’s a small break room downstairs, but it doesn’t fit all the employees. So, there’s a smaller break room in one of the other buildings – with no water or bathroom facilities nearby. In the vehicle maintenance area, there’s insufficient ventilation. During warmer weather, mechanic Mitch Morris can just open the garage doors. But that’s a poor option in the winter. There’s also a lack of space, safety concerns, and the mechanic’s bay isn’t tall enough to accommodate some of the larger vehicles fully. A lack of heated storage means diesel vehicles need to be parked in the wash bay during the winter. None of the buildings are in particularly good shape and Tony said they’ve patched numerous spots. The newest building, which is about 15 years old, would stay if the referendum passes. It would be used for indoor storage for police and other city vehicles. If you’re wondering where city employees sleep during snow emergencies, there’s a beat-up couch shoved into the corner of one of the buildings. Tony said there’s also a couple of cots stowed away elsewhere.    Tony also took me down to the old Cat plant, where the city pays $26,000 a year to store additional equipment. It’s not always convenient to have two employees drive down to Mount Joy to pick something up. Also, if you’re wondering what $26,000 a year gets you, the answer is not much. Right now, the snowplows and salt spreaders are in there, and there’s not a lot of room to move around otherwise. Another disadvantage to the Cat plant storage is that the city is essentially sharing space with a mulch-making facility. The only thing separating city equipment from the mulch is a plastic curtain. Frequently dust sifts through the curtain, covering all the city equipment and generally making a mess. Looking to the future Knowing where Eldridge is, and where it could be, I have to agree with Mayor Campbell and city council member Jeff Ashcraft, who said they were embarrassed at the absolute state of our current facilities. Even before I saw the working conditions, I was in favor of moving forward on a new municipal facilities project. Now that I have seen them, I’m ready to vote “yes” in a referendum right now. Am I in love with the proposed renderings of city hall that I have been shown so far? Not exactly, but I also understand that grand finishes will cost more money, which the city isn’t keen to do, as they want to keep the project affordable to taxpayers. It’s all preliminary anyway, so I’m not going to spend a lot of time worrying about what it might or might not look like right now. I’m also in favor of keeping city hall and the police station together. They do conduct some overlapping business. I’ve been asked, and I’ve seen it posited elsewhere, whether it would be cheaper or easier for the police department to be separate. I don’t think it would, especially long-term, when you consider it’s just more facilities to take care of, including lawncare, snow plowing and general building maintenance. I’ve also seen a suggestion online to put city offices in an existing empty building that the city does not own. I don’t think that building is large enough (it’s less than 2,300 square feet), it’s certainly not up to code for a public safety building and would need too many modifications, in addition to the city purchasing the property. It also doesn’t solve the problem of secured parking for the city vehicles, because they would still be parked outside where anyone could walk up and vandalize them. I’m totally OK with the proposed location, on the back side of the current public works property. Selling the front half makes perfect sense. It is absolutely prime real estate, and the city could get millions of dollars in a sale. That money could then be used to pay down the debt on the new facilities. I also agree with Jeff Ashcraft’s comment from last Thursday’s open house. We need to be living up to the promise of the motto “Hometown with a Vision.” Building new facilities won’t make us just another stop on the way to Davenport, but they are a way we can show civic pride. These new facilities should be places where we can be pleased to welcome visitors to our community, whether they are potential residents or businesses. But right now, we’re escorting them into garbage offices in garbage buildings. They’re dumpy and it makes it look like we don’t care about our town. A few weeks ago, when I wrote about the potential sale of Eldridge’s water and sewer utilities to Iowa American Water, I said Eldridge needs to decide what kind of town it wants to be. And that’s true here, too. We need to decide if we want to be a modern, growing community. If so, one way we can show that is through new facilities. Some people want to pretend we’re still Mayberry. But consider this: Even Mayberry had a holding cell.   

What a steak sandwich can tell you about a small town

For my money, you can find the best sandwich in Scott County on weeknights in Princeton. The Sports and Rec crew grills up a simple, unbeatable steak sandwich right by the dugout in Woomert Park. They get their meat from Baetke Custom Cuts in Long Grove. Last Tuesday I had mine with A1, and it was gone—despite its healthy size—in a few eager bites. Princeton Mayor Travis Volrath works the Sports and Rec grill whenever it’s open. He has company: his wife, Casey, along with two other couples, Paul and Chelsea Stephens and Toby and Brenda Schroder. They don’t just come when their kids have games, and they don’t let other parents muck around in their system. They are committed to the ballfield, and it shows. Last year the stand raised $25,000 for improvements at the park. Are other mayors out grilling at their town ballgames? Volrath asked me Tuesday. Probably not. They take a different view of their responsibilities. Volrath leads the town and leads it publicly. He has grand plans: River Drive restored and flourishing with businesses; the old Presbyterian Church converted to a preschool, food pantry, and community center; Woomert Park with a sterling ballfield and playground. You cannot fault him for vision. You might even praise him, along with the volunteers, council members, and city staff who share his love for the city and his desire to see it improved. It helps that civic life in the city is unmistakably young. Volrath, clerk Kisa Tweed, councilmen Zach Phares and Brandon Forristall all balance careers and school-age kids with their responsibilities to Princeton. So it makes sense that they have stopped trying to preserve an old town and started trying to make a new one—something that offers more to the next generation. It’s worth noting that the town reelected Phares and Volrath in the fall, and chose newcomer Lori Maher over incumbent councilwoman and former city clerk Karen Woomert. New voices are in demand. Sometimes they come up against the limits of what’s possible. Eldridge would like to borrow $30 million for new facilities; Princeton is desperate to sell Boll’s Community Center for $300,000. When the Princeton council requested $3 million for River Drive improvements last year, the public returned a swift no. But they can manage smaller improvements. Last week they inaugurated a new, $125,000 playground that cost taxpayers just $17,800. They pinched together the $45,000 needed to match an Iowa DNR grant that will fix the Presbyterian church roof. And they will soon hear bids on a solar array poised to save the city tens of thousands of dollars at its sewer treatment plant. And not every improvement requires the city government. I was in Woomert Park Tuesday for a pair of youth softball matches in the North Scott Lightning league, which plays all its games in Princeton. Tweed organized the league last year as a parent and a coach. Every game draws a crowd: parents in the stands, young kids on the playground, neighbors at the Sports and Rec stand. “We love coming out here,” one parent from Eldridge said. “I waited all day for a steak sandwich.” While other cities improve slowly and methodically, Princeton prefers to leap forward in fits. Sometimes ill-fated, other times successful. They are evidence of the city’s enthusiasm, which keeps local politics from lapsing into proceduralism. Princeton has retained an old style of politics in which everything is on the table and discussion is loud and contentious. Vision can beat pragmatism and the young generation can stake its ground against the old. It’s hard to separate the liveliness of the ballfield Tuesday night from the liveliness of local government, and not just because they feature several of the same participants. And participants is the key word here: people in Princeton participate. They don’t just observe, spectate or complain, and when they do they don’t get very far. Even residents who have criticized Volrath and some of his programs—like Planning and Zoning chair Tim Ruser, who ran as a write-in candidate for mayor last fall—have developed ideas that will clearly benefit the city, like the solar array, which skeptics on the council have now come to support. Princeton proves that local politics is not an old person’s. It also proves that a thriving town has more to show for itself than an orderly monthly council meeting. It has new ideas, ballgames, and a killer steak sandwich.

1986: Rohlk Lumber closure announced in Donahue

June 10, 1976 • Turnout was very light in the primary election, with less than 10% of registered voters heading to the polls. In the race for Scott County Board of Supervisors, incumbent Republicans Bob Petersen and Judd Mills easily won their races. On the Democratic side, state representative Bill Gluba and former Davenport Police chief Charles Wright earned spots on the ballot for the general election. • The North Scott School Board approved new boundary lines for the district’s elementary schools. Under the new plan, 33% of students currently attending Ed White would be transferred to Alan Shepard, allowing for more growth potential at the Eldridge school. Ed White’s boundaries would now include all students living in Eldridge who could walk to school, while Neil Armstrong would have all students in Park View who could walk to school. Alan Shepard would take all students from the remaining areas in the central portion of the district. Students in the western section would attend John Glenn, and students in the eastern portion would attend Virgil Grissom. • Mary Clare Peeters retired after 45 years of teaching in the Eldridge and Long Grove area. She began her career in the rural one-room schools in 1931. As the North Scott School District was created, she taught first at Ed White and later at Alan Shepard from 1970-1976. Her first teacher, Eleanor Connell, later became a colleague, and was present at Peeters’ retirement party. Peeters received a memory box that included a miniature one-room schoolhouse. • Dr. Donald Sierk opened an orthodontic practice in Davenport. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Sierk of Princeton, he graduated from North Scott High School and the University of Iowa. After serving in the Navy, he did his residency in Iowa City before returning to Scott County. • Roger Freiderichs was named MVP of the boys’ track team. He and Keith Jansen were elected honorary co-captains, and Gregg Strobbe was voted most improved. June 11, 1986 • After 76 years of business in Donahue, Harland Rohlk announced the Rohlk Lumber Center would close, effective Aug. 1. “It hurts. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and I didn’t want to do it now,” said Rohlk. He said the poor farm economy was a major factor in his decision to close. His father, Grover Rohlk, and William Goettsch opened the Rohlk & Goettsch Lumber, Grain, Coal and Livestock Company in Donahue in 1910. The pair built a small grain elevator in 1915 and also sold IH equipment and Model-Ts for a time. Harland entered the business in 1936. • The North Scott area was up to eight doctor-diagnosed cases of rubeola measles, with another 20 suspected cases. However, Carmine Rocco with the Scott County Health Department said most of the cases were not laboratory confirmed, which could take more than two weeks. In the meantime, several hundred doses of measles vaccines had been delivered to area doctors, as well as laboratory collection kits. • Countryside Community Theatre presented the Neil Simon comedy “Plaza Suite.” Cast members included Angela Gibson, Mike Carlin, Jill Accola, Alan Knapper, Tiffany Prickett, Colleen Bulazo, Diana Hinrichs, Jeff Huettman and Craig Waetke. • Jason VanVooren of Geneseo, Ill., and Jenny Shanks of Bettendorf won the Strawberry Stampede. Allison and Emmy McCubbin, aged 2½, were the youngest runners in the race. • The Pit was preparing to host the first-annual Quad-City All-Star Basketball Classic, boys’ and girls’ teams from Iowa and Illinois would square off. Members of the Iowa girls’ squad, which would be coached by North Scott’s Deb Menke, included Jenni Fitzgerald, Tracy Moore and Ann Laughhunn. Tim Albers was set to compete on the Iowa boys’ team. June 13, 2001 • As expected, the Eldridge City Council voted down a resolution that would have allowed for a referendum to borrow money for an outdoor pool, 3-2. Approximately 40 members of the public attended the meeting, with many speaking in favor of the aquatic center and the referendum. Meanwhile, Rick Sharp, whose current term was set to expire in 2004, announced that he would resign from the council, effective Dec. 31. • Ken Slater was hired as the new varsity girls’ basketball coach, replacing Dan O’Flahrity. Slater had served as sophomore coach for the last two seasons, coaching his teams to a combined record of 31-10. • The North Scott School Board planned to go ahead with the construction of a new sports complex, despite the fact that bids came in higher than expected. Langman Construction of Rock Island was awarded the $1.7 million contract to construct a soccer pitch and a 12-court tennis facility.    • Friends, well-wishers and plenty of former students came out to a retirement party for former North Scott band director Dan Anderson. That included an alumni jazz band performance directed by Anderson. Members included Janeen Davis, Kara Brown, Joe McElhiney, Linda Schmitt, Conner Haas, Wendy Hamann Green, Drew Anderson, Caleb Shreves, Rob Medd, Alan Knapper, Rory Bruckman, George Shreves, Troy Anderson, Kris Dinusson, Adam Noel, LeAnn Frandsen Bruckman, Jim Williams, Craig Welch, Brian Viner and Katie Clasen. Many of these former students now had careers in music – teaching, performing and consulting. • Winners of the one-mile Strawberry Stampede were Joe Hambleton and Courtney Pennel, both of Long Grove. Quarter mile winners were Noah Gumpert and Emily Hermiston, both of Eldridge. June 15, 2011 • The rumor mill was running overtime as changes were allegedly in store for the Eldridge Post Office. While some people initially believed the post office would be closed altogether, it now appeared that the mail sorting and route delivery would instead be transferred to the northwest station in Davenport. While the USPS had made no official comment, staff from U.S. Rep Bruce Braley’s office said they were looking into the situation. • Penalties were increasing for the student conduct policy at North Scott. “We’re going from 11% (of the season) on the first offense to 25%. And the second offense from 44% to 50%,” high school activities director Frank Wood explained to the school board. He also said illegal use of prescription drugs and simulated controlled substances were also added to the policy. The “mere presence” rule was also still in effect. Wood said he believed this would bring the district’s policy in line with other area school districts. • Countryside Community Theatre presented “Gypsy,” based on the life of burlesque artist Gypsy Rose Lee. Cast members included Christina Myatt, Mark Ruebling, Kelsey Nagle, Stacy Phipps, Keegan Harry, Anthony Curlott, Nate Curlott, Shane Rumpza, Madison Phipps, Analisa Percuoco, MacKenna Janz, and Josie Lindle. • An informational meeting was held at the Eldridge Community Center regarding the Rock Island Clean Line project, which would see high-voltage direct current transmission lines run across the state of Iowa, including Scott County. This would transmit wind energy from western Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota to the eastern United States. Opinions from those in attendance were widely varied about the project. “I don’t want it. I know I can’t stop it. I hope they pay a lot of money,” said Mike Auliff of rural Princeton. • It was a busy morning at the Strawberry Stampede, as 113 of the 273 runners registered the day of. Eight-month-old Jordan Iseminger was the youngest participant. Winners were Brady Shows, Maddy Youngers, Kyler Gerardy and Tori McCubbin. June 9, 2021 • The Eldridge City Council met in closed session until after midnight, and part of the session involved the evaluation and proposed pay increase for city administrator Lisa Kotter. Another closed session was scheduled two days later. Kotter’s contract said her evaluation should have taken place by no later than Sept. 9, 2020, six months after her employment period began. • Kerri Tompkins stepped into the role of Scott County’s newest auditor, following her appointment by the Scott County Board of Supervisors. She had served on the Davenport City Council for three terms and had a background in human resources and administration. “What I really enjoy is learning new processes and creating efficiencies. Are there better ways to do things? What are best practices? I want people to know I am qualified for this position. I bring a lot to the table. And I’m excited to serve Scott County,” she said. She said she planned to run if Scott County voters overrode her appointment and definitely planned to run in the 2022 election. • The Eldridge Police Department held a Coffee with Cops event at Sips, and officers and participants alike agreed it was a great time. Kids had the opportunity to meet the officers, explore the squad cars and try out handcuffs and shields. “It was great, especially with the older kids,” said Sgt. Andrew Lellig. • Roma Nagle officially retired after 41 years with the Scott County Health Department, including 22 years leading the department’s clinic services. She was praised for her efforts in working with people diagnosed with communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, STDs, H1N1 and COVID, and for helping with the lead prevention program. “She is the calm and strength in in the midst of chaos,” said Health Department director Amy Thoreson. Nagle was modest in her approach. “People came to me when they had no one to talk to them, no one to touch them, no one to be with them. If I had panicked and not been willing to work with people who were positive, what would have happened?” • After a three-year absence, the North Scott girls’ soccer team returned to the state tournament with a 2-0 win over Iowa City Liberty. That came on the heels of a 6-0 win against Fort Madison. They entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed and were scheduled to take on No. 3 Norwalk in the quarterfinals.

Eldridge needs new buildings — but not ones this big

I have owned a home in the city of Eldridge for over 42 years. I have seen the population grow from 3,000 to over 7,000 people. The need for a new Police Department building and City Hall has been long overdue. Just a few years ago the city put together a bond referendum to build a new City Hall / Police facility. When voted on by the citizens of Eldridge, the referendum did not pass. Now the mayor and city council once again are looking for feedback from Eldridge residents on building a $12.2 million Police building and City Hall and a $20.7 million Public Works Facility on city owned property. If the bond referendum were approved, the property tax on a $ 350,000.00 home would increase $295.00 a year. This is significant tax increase for retired citizens living on fixed incomes. I believe the city’s proposal is too expensive and over the top for what is needed. The survey sent out to residents left out the rendering and square footage of the Public Works Facility. This is the most expensive part of the referendum. If the city wants this to pass, they need to scale back the Public Works Facility. Possibly keeping the existing buildings and utilizing the public meeting rooms of the new city hall for training and Water/Sewer board meetings. The city owned property on South 1st Street could be used for storage of larger equipment or maybe look at the old Community Center for storage.   Chris Meyer Eldridge

Nurses are not 'professionals' anymore

As of July 1, 2026, the Department of Education no longer calls nurses “professionals”. What does that mean? The federal loans available to assist nurses in continuing their education have been cut in half. This was outlined in the 2025 “Big Beautiful Bill” by the Trump administration. Those professions include midwives, nurse anesthesiologist, and ARNPs (Advance Registered Nurse Practitioners). Cuts to federal funding that has historically helped nurses pursue that education will make the path more difficult for many. While these decisions may appear to be budgetary matters on paper, they have real-world consequences. Every barrier placed in front of a future healthcare provider is a barrier placed between a patient and the care they may someday need. These careers hold the rural communities together. They are there to help our communities, through access and availability, but there will be a shortage with this cut in funding. What’s the solution? The only way to change this, now that it’s passed, is to demand our members of Congress rescind the bill, which they can do. And that means we need different members of Congress, because the current Iowa delegation voted for passage of the bill. In this fall’s election, vote for those who will support nurses and their education, not those who downgrade it.   Jean Semsch Stockton

'It's going to be barnburners'

Not spending four hours on a bus to and from Independence. No penalty kicks or overtime periods adding needless stress. Celebrating with a state qualifier banner. Hard to draw up a better regional final for the North Scott girls’ soccer team. Thursday night was all Lancers, the whole time. A 7-0 shutout over Fort Madison is sending the scarlet and silver to the state tournament on a 17-match unbeaten streak. It marked North Scott’s 14th clean sheet of the season, and its sixth in a row. “Going in, nothing is promised. We all showed up for each other, and that’s how we turned up today,” Lancer senior Kenzie Moeller said. “We obviously knew that we had a chip on our shoulder. Those who lost last year know what it’s like. We played confidently knowing today could be our last game.” Fort Madison, ranked 15th in Class 2A, entered this match with a 14-2-1 record. But playing in the weak Southeast Conference, and not playing a top 10-ranked team all season, did not prepare the Bloodhounds for the wall they were running into in Eldridge. “I knew, as long as we didn’t mess up, we should be OK tonight,” Lancer coach Dion Ayers said. “That center back of theirs played her heart out, and that goalie made some amazing saves. We told the girls they don’t have the bench that we have, so let’s just outwork them. And they got tired.” The Lancers made sure the Bloodhounds knew whose time it was, over, and over, and over again. Sophomore Reese Barnett scored two goals in the first nine minutes, one with a header and one with her left foot. Moeller scored two more before the first half ended to lock this game down. Barnett scored two more in the second half, and freshman Sawyer Koberg added the seventh and final goal to throw away the key. This is Barnett and Moeller’s first season as a duo atop North Scott’s formation, and it’s hard to imagine the season going any better than it has for this two-headed monster. Barnett and Moeller have combined for 41 goals and 33 assists in 19 games. “(Moeller) is amazing. (Playing with her) is a weight off my shoulders compared to last year,” Barnett said. “Having her up there brings new energy, and it’s amazing having us two up there. We can both win balls out of the air. We both love to shoot. The competitiveness and goals scored have definitely carried over from that.” Barnett actually leads North Scott in both categories with 29 goals and 20 assists. “To know she also leads in assists, you can’t determine what she’s going to do because she can score and pass,” Moeller said. “Reese is an amazing player. She plays so confidently, and she never seems to give up, no matter what she does. She has a lot of grit and determination, which helps me a lot too.” Earn what you take Ever since the preseason, the Lancers knew they were a state title contender. A 7-0 pummeling of Independence in the season-opener set the stage for one of the best regular seasons in team history. North Scott lost its next game, to Bettendorf 2-1 on April 7, and has not lost since. Between then and now, the Lancers defeated 3A No. 9 Iowa City Liberty, 1A No. 2 Davenport Assumption, and played to ties against 2A No. 1 Norwalk and 2A No. 6 Sioux City Bishop Heelan. “I know recently, because of our unbeaten streak, you don’t want to get too cocky. You want to stay calm. But you want to ride your wins and take that confidence,” Barnett said. “We’ve been so composed and really classy about how we’ve been taking care of everything.” That is the biggest difference between the 2025 and 2026 Lancers — taking care of their business. Last year’s team showed high-upside flashes with road wins over third-ranked Davenport Assumption and Pleasant Valley, and neutral-site wins over ADM and Nevada. But its stumbles against Davenport Central and Muscatine resulted in a road game for the regional final. This year, the Lancers earned the right to host one-win Davenport North and No. 15 Fort Madison at home — as easy a path as it gets. “For us, to get through that weekend where we had Norwalk and Heelan with draws was big,” Ayers said. “Some of our youngins struggled a little bit that weekend because it’s a different level. A lot of the older girls were talking about that weekend. ‘Where do we stack up?’” With its win over Fort Madison, the Lancers reached the 15-win mark for the first time since the 2015 and 2016 campaigns. One win at state would break a tie with those two seasons, putting these Lancers second in program total wins in recent history, only behind the 2014 state champion’s total of 19. The state tabbed North Scott as the No. 6 ranked team in the preseason, and the Lancers stand at state as the No. 4 seed. The top five ranked teams all held serve, so North Scott gets its expected quarterfinal opponent of Gilbert. The Tigers, one of two undefeated teams remaining in Class 2A, defeated No. 14 Bondurant-Farrar 3-1 in their regional final. North Scott and Gilbert played Monday afternoon on the campus of Iowa State University. It was a quick turnaround for the Lancers, and even faster for Gilbert. The Tigers had to play their regional final Friday afternoon due to a severe weather postponement. The Class 2A semifinal matches are set for 2:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. at Lied Recreation Field. The state championship will be played on Saturday at the Cyclone Sports Complex. “It’s film tomorrow (Friday) morning with the girls. More film for me tomorrow afternoon watching the Gilbert game,” Ayers said. “Practice here Saturday morning, and then we leave on Sunday. Then, we go from there. “I’m excited for this group. Now, it begins. Anybody that makes it up there from our class can win state. It’s going to be barnburners. What team doesn’t make the mistake?”

Alternating Currents Film Fest announces lineup

Over two dozen independent, original films will be screened as part of the 2026 Alternating Currents this August. The Alternating Currents Film Fest features a diverse lineup of 28 independent original films covering drama, horror, comedy, experimental and feature categories. Free screenings will take place at The Last Picture House, 325 E. 2nd Street in [...]

Holdorfs to mark 50 years of marriage with open house

JoDee and Duane Holdorf of Dixon will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house on Sunday, June 28. All friends and relatives are invited to join them from 1-4 p.m. at the Maysville Fire Station, 23640 93rd Ave., Maysville. No gifts, please. JoDee Halligan and Duane Holdorf were married March 20, 1976, at Holy Family Church in Davenport. Mr. Holdorf is a self-employed farmer, and Mrs. Holdorf is a farm wife. They are the parents of Lisa (Kevin) Toft of Stockton, and Kevin Holdorf of Dixon. They have three grandchildren, Katelynn, Allison and Morgan Toft.   

Trump confirms Iran shot down helicopter, says U.S. 'must' respond

Trump also confirmed the two pilots were unharmed and safe.

Inside Iowa Politics: Potential 2028 presidential candidate’s advice to Democrats

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear offered advice to Democrats on how to talk with voters.

Obituary: John ‘Jack’ Ranson

John F. “Jack” Ranson, 84, of Long Grove, passed away on Monday, June 1, 2026, at MercyOne Genesis, Davenport. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Long Grove.  Visitation was from 2 p.m. until the time of service.  Burial was at St. Ann’s Cemetery.  Memorials may be directed to the Donahue Volunteer Fire Department or Camp Courageous.  Chambers Funeral Home, Eldridge, assisted the family with arrangements. Jack was born on Feb. 24, 1942, in Davenport, the son of George and Veronica (Gillooly) Ranson.  He graduated with the Class of 1960 from St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in DeWitt.  Following high school, Jack joined the U.S. Army and served until 1963.  On Oct. 2, 1965, he married Carole L. Crane at St. Ann’s Catholic Church.  Jack was known for his strong work ethic. In his early years, he developed a wide range of skills, working as a cement worker and diesel mechanic, and later ran the corn sheller at the Eldridge Co-op. In 1969, he and Carole began farming together, where they built a life centered around faith, family and hard work. Together, they raised five wonderful children and managed a hog operation for 32 years. At this time, they continued farming crops and raised a few black angus cattle until Jack retired in 2015. Jack always enjoyed spending quality time with his 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren and supported all of their interests as a proud “Papa.”  He also had a special fondness for his beloved, “Hank Dog,” who was a constant and loyal companion. Those left to honor his memory are his wife of 60 years, Carole; his children, Wanda Radcliff of Durant, Debbie (Rex) Baetke of Eldridge, Peggy (Drew) Streit of Marion, Andy (Kim) Ranson of Long Grove, George (Jerri) Ranson of Iowa City; grandchildren, Ashley (Adason), Amber (Brandon), Allison, Anna, Cameron (Rhea), Zach, Grace, Nate, Austin, Kahlen, Emmalia; great-grandchildren, Ava, Alice, Nellie, Otto, Barlow, Rylee; and sisters, Sherril Ryan and Dolores Ranson, both of Eldridge. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings, James Ranson and Mary Jo Ranson; and a brother-in-law, Richard Ryan. Online condolences may be shared with Jack’s family at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.   Custom obituary

Obituary: Bridget Johnson

Bridget Ann Johnson, 53, of Blue Grass, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, June 1, 2026, at MercyOne Genesis East Medical Center. Funeral services and visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 10 (today), at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home in Davenport. Family and friends are invited to gather for a visitation from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:30 a.m. Following the service is a luncheon at Duck Creek Lodge in Davenport. Memorials may be made to the family. Bridget was the kind of mother that everyone wishes they have. A woman who would have given her bones to her children if they needed. Motherhood filled her cup as full as it could be. And when she became a grandmother, that cup overflowed and filled up every space around her. Her grandsons, Oliver and Theo, had her heart from the day they arrived, until the day she left. The relationship those three shared had an energy so big, anyone in the same space could feel the love. Bridget is truly irreplaceable. Outside of her family, Bridget was loved deeply by so many. Not everyone, but mostly. Her spirit was fiery and honest, graceful and understanding, and she never half assed a single thing in her life. It doesn’t feel wrong to say a curse in this obituary because Bridget rarely spoke a sentence without one. Mouth like a trucker, they say. Bridget drove her dump truck for over 30 years and was a highly respected member of the trucking community. She spent time at Miller Construction, Ballegeer, Phoenix Surfacers, Wildermuth, Generation 2, Snowbird IDOT, and Scott County. She was a previous member of union Teamsters 371 and was an active member of International Union of Painters and Allied Trades at the time of her passing. She worked in a man’s world and was proud of her job. She could maneuver her dump truck better than many in the industry, men included. The way she passed, does not take away any of that. She loved being outside, warm cups of coffee, and cigarettes. Watching sprint cars, her bible study sessions, and music you can dance to. Bridget loved her independence. And spoiling her grandkids. She loved to laugh and was never afraid to cry. She loved her family deeply and knew her family loved her back. Bridget has left a mark on this world that will never be repaired or erased. She is survived by her parents, Steve and Jackie Johnson; her sisters, Kelly Johnson (Erik Johnson), and Megan Thomas (Aaron Thomas); her aunt, Toni Johnson; her children, Bailey Comeaux (Joey Geerts), Steven Comeaux, and Christopher Comeaux, and Addison Hillyer; her grandchildren, Oliver and Theo Geerts; and many nieces and nephews   Custom obituary

Obituary: Eugene Doyle

Eugene (Gene) Doyle, age 87, of Bettendorf, passed away May 31, 2026, at StoryPoint Senior Living. Per his wishes, the rite of cremation will be accorded. A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on July 22, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Bettendorf. Visitation will be an hour prior. A luncheon at the Outing Club will follow the service.  Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport, is assisting the family.   Gene was born on July 20, 1938, in Davenport, Iowa, to Patrick and Vera Doyle.  He grew up on the family farm in rural Scott County and was educated in a one room schoolhouse through 8th grade. He attended the Saint Ambrose Academy (precursor to Assumption High School), graduating in 1956. He served in the National Guard. On June 11, 1960, he was united in marriage to Sondra (Egger) Doyle at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bettendorf. They were married for 59 years until Sondra passed in 2020.  They raised two children in the house where Gene lived for over 60 years. Gene showed his love through action.  He would get up every morning with his son, Shea, to help with his paper route.  He was always there to lend a hand to friends, family and neighbors.  When Gene moved to StoryPoint, he found a new community and reconnected with previous acquaintances. He quickly made new friends wherever he went. When Gene’s grandchild, Julia, lived in Bettendorf, he always looked forward to their shared culinary tours of various restaurants for lunch and dinner.  He kept a special framed drawing created by his other grandchild, Sam, taking it whenever he moved. Gene was employed by Bituminous Insurance Company in Rock Island for over 40 years. He retired as manager of purchasing and facilities in 2001. Until recently, he still attended the monthly Breakfast Club of former coworkers. Gene loved to walk outside.  He would rise early and walk the bike paths of Bettendorf. He also loved telling a good joke just to see you smile. Those left to honor his memory are his daughter Leigh (Tim) Appleton of LaFayette, Ill.; son Shea (Hannah Morrell) of Bettendorf; grandchildren Julia Appleton of Galesburg, Ill. and Sam Appleton of LaFayette. Gene had a close bond with his five siblings: John (Charlotte) Doyle, Patricia Panther, Colleen (Tom) Pohlman, Valera (Joe) Sovcik and Mike Doyle. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sondra, and parents. Leigh and Shea would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the extraordinary staff at StoryPoint Senior Living, Heartland Hospice, and Visiting Angels for the care, kindness and compassion shown to their father over the last two years. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Friends of Bettendorf Parks and Recreation.   Custom obituary

Eldridge Lions support food ministry

Mark Wall (right) of the Eldridge Lions presents a check for $500 to Nathan Anderson (left) and Madelyn LaPlante (middle), co leaders of the Faith Lutheran Church Feed Our Children lunch program starting June 9.   Distribution will take place from 11:30-12:30 in the following locations: • Faith Lutheran Church, 500 W LeClaire Rd., Eldridge (11:30-12:30) • Eldridge United Methodist Church, 604 S. 2nd St., Eldridge (11:30-12:30) • Donahue Maintenance Bldg lot, 104 N Main St.  Donahue (11:45-Noon) • American Legion, 604 Davenport St., Dixon (12:15) • Park View, Deer Creek/Park View Lutheran Church back parking lot (11:30-12:30) • Park View, corner of Manor Drive and Lincoln (11:40) • Park View, Neil Armstrong Elementary (11:50) • Park View, Double Diamonds parking lot (12:00) • Princeton, Princeton Branch Library (3:00) Tuesdays only • McCausland, Corner Market, 102 W. 1st St. (11:40)

View the Scott County Sheriff's report from the June 10 NSP!

MONDAY, MAY 18 10:30 p.m. — Blake Allen Fries, 23, Davenport, was charged with 3rd degree kidnapping, assault while participating in a felony, and domestic abuse assault – 1st offense, following an incident in the 6100 block of North Linwood Avenue, Davenport. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 1:40 p.m. — Brad Charles Ledbetter, 48, Davenport, was arrested on an outstanding intrastate warrant, following a traffic stop on Park View Drive, Park View. 1:58 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of an animal problem in the 400 block of West 4th Street. 2:27 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 5900 block of Elmore Avenue. 2:45 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 11800 block of Utah Avenue. 3:31 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of a three-vehicle accident near mile marker 286 on Interstate 80 West. A vehicle driven by Matthew Lee Willis, 40, Marion, attempted to change lanes. He struck a vehicle driven by Amyra N. Andino, 20, Davenport. Andino’s vehicle spun out and struck a vehicle driven by David L. Mikaio, 44, Milan, Ill., before coming to rest in the median. Willis was cited for an improper lane change. Andino was cited for failure to provide proof of insurance. 7:42 p.m. — Deputies performed a welfare check in the 30900 block of Scott Park Road. THURSDAY, MAY 28 12:23 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 3600 block of Rockingham Road. 3:28 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 1300 block of Devils Glen Road. 9:13 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of an animal problem near Hillside and Nicholas drive. 9:32 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 4900 block of North Elsie Avenue. 10:20 a.m. — Deputies responded to a drug complaint in the 3200 block of South 16th Avenue. 10:42 a.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with personal injury near Territorial and Great River roads. 11:15 a.m. — Tyree Laron Barnes, 32, Davenport, was charged with interference with official acts (bodily injury) and trespassing – 1st offense, following an incident in the 400 block of West 4th Street, Davenport.  12:50 p.m. — Deputies responded to a drug complaint in the 3200 block of South 16th Avenue. 1:45 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a sexual assault in the 400 block of West 4th Street. 2:30 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with hit-and-run damage near West 3rd and Marquette streets, Davenport. A vehicle driven by Kiara Nicol McLemore, 24, Davenport, was westbound on 3rd Street. She was struck by a vehicle driven by an unknown individual that was northbound on Ripley Street. The other vehicle did not ensure the intersection was clear before proceeding along the roadway. The other vehicle did not stop at the scene.  3:38 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with personal injury. 4:20 p.m. — Deputies responded to a weapons complaint in the 11800 block of Utah Avenue. 5:12 p.m. — Deputies responded to a harassment complaint on Frontier Court. 6:37 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of a vehicle vs. bicycle accident near State Street and Valley Drive, Riverdale. A vehicle driven by Michelle Lynn Cook, 55, Bettendorf, attempted to make a left turn from State Street to Valley Drive. She struck a bicycle operated by Jeffrey Scott Castro, 61, Bettendorf. Castro was transported by Medic to Genesis East Medical Center. Cook was cited for driving under suspension and failure to yield on a left turn. 8:20 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 3000 block of Parkwild Drive. FRIDAY, MAY 29 12:45 a.m. — James Miguel Springsteen, 45, Bettendorf, was charged with OWI – 1st offense and cited for violation of financial liability coverage and improper use of lanes, following a traffic stop near West Locust Street and North Ohio Avenue, Davenport. 1:22 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of an animal problem on Park View Drive. 1:46 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 2100 block of North Gayman Avenue. 2:37 a.m. — Deputies responded to a trespassing complaint in the 500 block of West Locust Street. 2:40 a.m. — James Allen Moore, 27, Detroit, Mich., was charged with providing false identification information and possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) – 1st offense, following an incident in the 2900 block of North Plainview Road, Walcott. 10:36 a.m. — Deputies responded to a drug complaint in the 1700 block of Fillmore Lane. 12:55 p.m. — Deputies performed a welfare check in the 7100 block of 112th Street. 3:31 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with personal injury. 3:55 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 3600 block of State Street. 7:28 p.m. — Kassie Lynn Nichols, 26, Wilton, was cited for driving while barred (habitual offender), following a traffic stop in the 600 block of Harrison Street, Davenport. 9:03 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance. 9:16 p.m. — Shavonta Shapri Lacole Randle, 32, Davenport, was cited for driving while barred (habitual offender) and driving with suspended/denied/revoked license or registration, following a traffic stop near Harrison and West Lombard streets, Davenport. 9:19 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 1500 block of West 3rd Street. 9:27 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with property damage near West River Drive and Harrison Street. 9:33 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with personal injury near West 4th and Marquette streets. 10:36 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of theft in the 2800 block of West Locust Street. 10:56 p.m. — Angel J. Lopez, 20, Moline, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) – 1st offense, possession/purchase of alcohol by a person underage – 1st offense, possession of tobacco/vapor/cigarettes while under 21 – 1st offense, and cited for failure to use headlamps when required, following a traffic stop near Brady and East 37th streets, Davenport. SATURDAY, MAY 30 12:08 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of theft in the 700 block of West Iowa 80 Road. 1:18 a.m. — Alaina Elizabeth McConnell, 22, Davenport, was cited for possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) – 1st offense, following a traffic stop near East 59th and Brady streets, Davenport. 8:02 a.m. — Deputies responded to a weapons complaint in the 600 block of North Division Street. 8:26 a.m. — Deputies responded to a trespassing complaint in the 500 block of North Highway 67. 11:51 a.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with personal injury. 1:08 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of West Kimberly Road. 4:00 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with property damage in the 2900 block of North Plainview Road. 4:56 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 3100 block of Pearl Avenue. 7:31 p.m. — Deputies performed a welfare check in the 100 block of East Ives Street. 7:35 p.m. — Deputies responded to a fraud complaint in the 400 block of Park Avenue. 7:57 p.m. — Deputies responded to a harassment complaint in the 500 block of North Genessee Street. 8:04 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 8400 block of 140th Street. 8:28 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of theft in the 11300 block of 140th Street. 8:50 p.m. — Deputies performed a welfare check in the 24600 block of Territorial Road. 9:03 p.m. — Keyarra Schantelle Wiseman, 23, Davenport, was cited for possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) – 1st offense and possession of drug paraphernalia, following a traffic stop near West 1st Street and North Cody Avenue, McCausland. SUNDAY, MAY 31 1:47 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of an animal problem on Manor Drive. 1:58 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 3700 block of Chisholm Trail. 6:42 p.m. — Deputies responded to a trespassing complaint in the 25500 block of 182nd Street. 8:43 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of an animal problem. 10:00 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a burglary/home invasion in the 6400 block of 116th Street. MONDAY, JUNE 1 1:18 a.m. — Elijah Devone Darnell, 20, Davenport, was arrested on an outstanding intrastate warrant and charged with possession/purchase of alcohol by a person underage, following an incident in the 28200 block of 102nd Avenue, Donahue. 2:15 a.m. — Charles Kenneth Daniels, 55, Davenport, was charged with domestic abuse assault – 3rd or subsequent offense, after deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 100 block of Crestview Drive, Park View. 2:52 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 300 block of West Kimberly Road. 4:19 a.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with personal injury in the 2900 block of West 47th Street. 7:49 a.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with personal injury in the 5300 block of New Liberty Road. 8:13 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of theft in the 12700 block of 105th Avenue. 10:28 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of an animal problem in the 26100 block of 235th Street. 10:59 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance near Arlington Avenue and Kirkwood Boulevard. 12:42 p.m. — Deputies responded to a fireworks complaint in the 26500 block of 20th Avenue. 2:24 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with property damage in the 8200 block of Northwest Boulevard. 2:45 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 100 block of West Spring Street, Eldridge. An individual was served a one-year notice of no trespassing for the property. The Eldridge Police Department also responded to the scene. 5:35 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 500 block of North Genessee Street. 6:59 p.m. — Tanner Jacobi Hougas, 29, Davenport, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) – 1st offense and persons ineligible to carry dangerous weapons, following a traffic stop in the 700 block of North Highway 67, Princeton. 7:04 p.m. — Trevon Alan Spicer, 39, Davenport, was arrested on an outstanding intrastate warrant and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, following a traffic stop in the 9400 block of River Camp Road, Donahue. 10:35 p.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of an accident with personal injury in the 1600 block of West Locust Street. TUESDAY, JUNE 2 1:07 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 6500 block of North Howell Street. 8:36 a.m. — Deputies responded to the scene of a one-vehicle accident in the 25200 block of 240th Avenue, where a vehicle driven by Steven Ray Hoogheem, 70, Clinton, struck a deer that entered the roadway. 9:13 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance on Manor Drive. 1:31 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 700 block of West Iowa 80 Road. 2:23 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 11300 block of 140th Street. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 6:55 a.m. — Deputies began a death investigation in the 100 block of East Lamphere Drive. 7:35 a.m. — Deputies responded to a weapons complaint in the 900 block of West 6th Street. 4:13 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 600 block of North Highway 67. 7:01 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 14100 block of 115th Avenue. 7:34 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 600 block of North Highway 67. 9:12 p.m. — Deputies responded to a harassment complaint in the 500 block of Main Street. 9:56 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 600 block of North 6th Street Court. 10:36 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance on Grove Road. 11:23 p.m. — Deputies responded to a report of an assault on Grove Road. 11:59 p.m. — Brittany Nicole Devan, 36, Davenport, was charged with 2nd degree arson and possession of contraband in a correctional facility (no weapon), following an incident in the 400 block of West 4th Street, Davenport. THURSDAY, JUNE 4 12:43 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the 1600 block of West 51st Street. 1:43 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 700 block of West 61st Street. 4:28 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a disturbance in the 600 block of North Highway 67. 7:35 a.m. — Deputies responded to report of a disturbance in the 600 block of North Highway 67. 8:39 a.m. — Deputies responded to a drug complaint in the 3200 block of South 16th Avenue. 9:18 a.m. — Deputies responded to a report of a juvenile problem on Park View Drive.

Lancers must trust process

Losing is never fun. But North Scott baseball is nowhere close to hitting the panic button. The variance of close games bit the Lancers once again last week. North Scott played in four one-run games last week, dropping three of them. North Scott swept Central DeWitt at home (2-0, 4-3) but saw the opposite result against Davenport North (5-4, 9-4) and Clear Creek-Amana (11-10, 7-6). “As much as losing stinks, we’re putting ourselves in spots to have opportunities to win. It just hasn’t gone our way,” Lancer co-coach Brad Ward said. “We are still playing at a highly competitive level. That’s kind of the message we are telling the team.” On the season, North Scott is 2-5 in games decided by one run. That record moves to 3-9 in games decided by three or fewer runs. “We could be 13-3 right now. Even 11-5. It would be a completely different vibe,” Lancer co-coach Matt Petersen said. “I think the resilience the kids are showing through this is commendable. They have to have some thick skin and some very short memories. Eventually, through the course of a long season, those games do flip around.” North Scott showed its ability to win close games in Thursday’s home doubleheader against Central DeWitt. Also known as the “Sam Shiltz Series,” the Lancer senior was the star of the show. In game one, Shiltz threw a complete-game shutout on just 67 pitches. He allowed just three hits and one walk in the best individual performance by a Lancer so far this season. In the nightcap, aided by teammate Dylan Kelsey’s leadoff triple in the bottom of the seventh, Shiltz hit a game-winning sacrifice fly to send the crowd home happy. This was a big series for Shiltz, who has been in and out of the lineup in the early portions of this season due to injury. “For him to have a day like that was huge,” Ward said. “We saw (him pitch like that) a couple of times from him last year. Pumping the strike zone. Our defense had no errors on the doubleheader. That’s what we preach. Look what can happen.” Senior Gavin Welch started game two, throwing 4.1 innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts. Junior Charlie Peterson came in to get five outs, bridging the cap for junior Ben Peters, who got the last three outs and became the pitcher of record. In an alternate universe, this was the start of a four-game winning streak for the Lancers. Clear Creek-Amana had other ideas. In game one, after trailing 10-3 after four innings, the Clippers scored nine runs in the final three innings to flip the scoreboard. In game two, in the bottom of the seventh, the Clippers were behind by one run with two outs and the bases empty. Two consecutive walks, and a defensive error, paved the way for a game-winning double to sweep the series. It was a similar story in the first game against Davenport North. The Lancers led 4-3 with two outs in the sixth inning. The Wildcats rallied and won the game 5-4. Part of the struggles, the coaches noted, is the fact that the Lancers have a young team. Only a handful have played varsity baseball before this summer. The beauty of baseball, however, is that they don’t have to face the challenges alone. “When you wear the hero cape, it usually doesn’t fit,” Petersen said. “They are super hard on themselves, which is a good thing at the end of the day because you know they want it. But it’s very hard to play baseball stressed… We have a team. You do your part; everyone else will do theirs. That’s how it’s supposed to work.” Petersen also noted how much better he feels these Lancers play at home. North Scott is 2-3 at home this season, but 2-9 on the road. It’s good news for the Lancers that they will play 13 of their remaining 24 games at home. That starts this week with a home doubleheader against Bettendorf (June 8) and a non-conference matchup against Northeast Goose Lake (June 11) This week also features the Lancer Baseball Invitational on Saturday. North Scott seeks to defend its championship after winning the LBI for the first time last year. This year’s field includes West Burlington Notre Dame, Cascade and Don Bosco. “All three are quality programs,” Ward said. “Cascade is new to the Invitational this year. Cedar Falls dropped out due to scheduling reasons. Cascade agreed to come play. They are a 2A program. They went to state last year. It’s no slouch. They’re coming ready to play. “(Cascade will) play Burlington Notre Dame in the first round. They are always tough when they come to our tournaments. We’ll open up with Don Bosco, which we did last year. They are a solid program, too. We’ll have to play to the best of our abilities to get some wins in that event.” North Scott will play Don Bosco at 10 a.m. West Burlington Notre Dame and Cascade will immediately follow. The two losers will square off in a consolation game at approximately 3 p.m. The championship is set for approximately 5:30 p.m.

A long road ahead

There are obvious benefits to crafting a difficult schedule. Currently, North Scott softball is experiencing the underside of that coin. North Scott has played the third-toughest schedule in Class 4A, according to the Varsity Bound Power Rankings. The Lancers have just three wins in 11 games to show for it. North Scott went 14-4 in conference play last season, finishing in a tie for second place. It is already at six losses in 2026 after sets with 3A No. 9 Davenport Assumption, 5A No. 3 Pleasant Valley and 5A No. 10 Bettendorf. It’s a start that nobody saw coming for the preseason 4A No. 3 Lancers. The team took a tumble to No. 7 in last week’s release. With a 3-8 record, and another rankings drop expected, the reality is that there is a lot of work ahead for this group to get into a state tournament position. North Scott hosted the Spartans last Monday (June 1) and showed flashes of the team that finished fourth at state last summer. In the end, Pleasant Valley found the clutch hits, scoring the go-ahead runs in the sixth innings of both 5-4 and 9-6 wins. Sophomore Brinley Schroeder provided the offensive spark for the Lancers with three hits and four RBIs in the series. Fellow sophomore Dana Webb made her varsity debut in the circle in the nightcap, pitching three innings with three strikeouts. Bettendorf’s offense had all the answers at home on Thursday, outscoring North Scott 16-7 in the two-game series. In game one, which the Bulldogs won 8-5, 10 of the game’s 13 runs were scored in the first three innings. The home team led 7-4, and each team added one more run before the game ended. All eight of Bettendorf’s runs were credited as unearned to North Scott pitcher Cadey Bredar. The Lancer defense committed five errors in the game. Game two was tied at two through four innings. Bettendorf posted four runs in the fifth inning and two runs in the sixth inning to secure the series sweep. Here, Schroeder and senior Aubrey Toohey had multi-hit games. Schroeder and senior Mayah Vogt had two RBIs each. North Scott attempted to wipe the slate clean with four non-conference games in the Iowa City West Softball Classic. The Lancers fell in the first two bids on Friday against 5A No. 7 Linn-Mar (5-3) and unranked Iowa City Liberty (8-4). North Scott was in pole position to snap its skid against Linn-Mar, leading 3-2 heading into the final half-inning of this abbreviated six-inning game. The Lions posted three runs in the top of the sixth, and kept the Lancers off the scoreboard in the bottom, to steal a win. It was the same script against the Lightning. North Scott led 4-3 entering the seventh inning. Here, Iowa City Liberty put up a five-spot to completely flip the scoreboard around. Pitching remains the Lancers’ weak point this season. The team has surrendered eight or more runs in six of the team’s 11 games this season. Relief came on Saturday’s two-game finale. North Scott snapped its eight-game losing streak with victories over unranked Cedar Rapids Prairie (8-3) and 3A No. 10 Center Point-Urbana (9-4). Sophomore Laney Welge entered the chat on Saturday, smacking a home run and driving in three runs in each game. Welge, Schroeder and Bredar each had two hits against Cedar Rapids Prairie. Additionally, eighth-grader Payton LeDoux drove in two runs on her double. In this six-inning game, North Scott consistently applied pressure, scoring a run in all but the second inning. Senior Adalynn Johnson joined Welge in the four-bag club on Saturday, hitting a solo shot against the Stormin’ Pointers. Every Lancer reached base at least once against Center Point-Urbana, and more than half the team scored a run in the team’s seven-run first inning. LeDoux and Webb pitched all five innings of this game, combining for four unearned runs, four strikeouts and seven hits allowed. This week, the Lancers got a chance to get their feet underneath them with a road trip to Clinton on Monday. Then, the scarlet and silver are back at home for the annual Dennis Johnson Classic featuring elite teams from across eastern and central Iowa. North Scott has three games on its plate, two of which are against teams ranked No. 1. The Lancers will face unranked Urbandale on Friday at 10 a.m. Immediately following this game, the Lancers will take on 4A No. 1 ADM. On Saturday, the Lancers will wait until the late afternoon for a big challenge against 2A No. 1 Louisa-Muscatine.

View the Eldridge Police report from the June 10 NSP!

MONDAY, JUNE 1 1:53 a.m. — Assisted a resident in the 800 block of East Iowa Street. Handed by officer. 11:09 a.m. — Report taken for an accident between two vehicles near East Blackhawk Trail and South 1st Street. 2:45 p.m. — Ryan Edwards, 31, of Eldridge, was arrested for OWI – 1st offense, unlawful possession of prescription drugs, open container violation and failure to give notice of address/name change, following an incident in the 100 block of West Spring Street. 6:08 p.m. — Report taken for a dog bite in the 900 block of West Pinehurst Drive. 6:18 p.m. — Assisted Medic with an EMS call in the 400 block of South 8th Street. 10:50 p.m. — Complaint of a suspicious subject in the 100 block of North 1st Street. Handled by officer. TUESDAY, JUNE 2 2:25 a.m. — Melissa Noriega, 44, of Davenport, was cited for operation without registration, following a traffic stop in the 200 block of South 1st Street. 2:05 p.m. — Denis Carranza Oseguera, 53, of Coal Valley, Ill., was arrested for OWI – 1st offense, following an incident near West LeClaire and North Buttermilk roads. 10:22 p.m. — Nolan Krakliow, 20, of Aledo, Ill., was arrested for driving while revoked, no insurance, insufficient number of headlamps and improper rear lamps, following a traffic stop on Highway 61. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 3:01 a.m. — Baneen Sami, 20, of Davenport, was cited for operation without registration, following a traffic stop near Slopertown and South Buttermilk roads. 7:32 a.m. — Complaint of a disabled vehicle on Highway 61. Handled by officer. 8:48 a.m. — Report of an alarm sounding in the 300 block of North 4th Avenue. Keyholder contacted. Handled by officer. 10:49 a.m. — Complaint of two dogs running loose in the 1200 block of West Davies Court. The owner retrieved the animals. Handled by officer. 12:24 p.m. — Complaint of a carbon monoxide alarm going off in the 1200 block of Colonial Court. Handled by officer. 12:37 p.m. — Assisted a resident in the 600 block of West Donahue Street with child custody issues. Handled by officer. 4:34 p.m. — Performed a welfare check in the 900 block of Sawgrass Court. Handled by officer. 11:24 p.m. — Report of an alarm sounding in the 800 block of East LeClaire Road. Keyholder contacted. Handled by officer. THURSDAY, JUNE 4 7:07 a.m. — Report taken for vandalism to a vehicle in the 600 block of West Donahue Street. 9:18 a.m. — Assisted another agency with a report of a juvenile problem on Park View Drive. 11:54 a.m. — A juvenile was cited for person under 21 using tobacco/vapor products – 1st offense, following an incident in the 200 block of South 1st Street. 1:24 p.m. — Assisted another agency with a report of a civil issue in the 100 block of North 2nd Street. 8:12 p.m. — Complaint of theft of property in the 3200 block of South 16th Avenue. Handled by officer. FRIDAY, JUNE 5 2:59 p.m. — Complaint of a minor accident between two vehicles in the 1100 block of East LeClaire Road. The drivers exchanged information. Handled by officer. 4:20 p.m. — Report of an alarm sounding in the 100 block of North 16th Avenue. Keyholder contacted. Handled by officer. 10:30 p.m. — Brian Maiden, 39, of Rock Island, was cited for improper registration plate lamp, no driver’s license and failure to obey a stop sign, following a traffic stop on Highway 61. 11:53 p.m. — Complaint of a disabled vehicle on Highway 61. Handled by officer. SATURDAY, JUNE 6 12:32 a.m. — Bailey Miller, 28, of Davenport, was cited for failure to obey a stop sign, following a traffic stop near South Buttermilk and West Lincoln roads. 6:53 p.m. — Riverio Lopez-Arauz, 33, of Moline, was cited for no insurance and no driver’s license, following a traffic stop near East 90th and Harrison streets. 7:01 p.m. — Complaint of a cat stuck in a storm drain in the 100 block of East Price Street. Handled by officer. 8:54 p.m. — Assisted another agency with an incident near East Blackhawk Trail and South 11th Avenue. Handled by officer. SUNDAY, JUNE 7 Midnight — Report of an alarm sounding in the 200 block of South 16th Avenue. Keyholder contacted. Handled by officer. 2:12 a.m. — Complaint of suspicious activity in the 100 block of East Price Street. Handled by officer. 2:01 p.m. — Report taken for fraudulent activity in the 600 block of West Donahue Street. 7:21 p.m. — Removed debris from the roadway on Highway 61.  Handled by officer. 7:43 p.m. — Rachel Costello, 23, of Long Grove, was cited for operation without registration, following a traffic stop near West Sheridan Drive and South 1st Street. 10:55 p.m. — Complaint of vehicles racing up and down the street in the 600 block of South 5th Street. Handled by officer. 11:10 p.m. — Complaint of suspicious juveniles in the 200 block of East Iowa Street. Handled by officer. 11:28 p.m. — Complaint of suspicious juveniles in the 100 block of North 1st Street. Handled by officer.

Naig: Iowa is monitoring screwworm parasite

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the state “stands ready” to protect livestock and farmers from screwworm. Naig’s statement came in a press release issued Friday, two days after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the nation’s first case of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that infests and feeds on warm-blooded animals, including humans, in Texas. A sample from a Texas calf was tested and confirmed to be infected at the USDA’s Veterinary Field Services Laboratories in Ames. In the press release, Naig praised the leadership of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, adding that the parasite poses no risk to food safety, including meat. “I appreciate Secretary Rollins’ leadership and all the work her team at USDA is doing to quickly respond to this case and work to prevent the spread of the parasitic New World Screwworm fly,” Naig said. “The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is closely monitoring the situation in Texas, and our team stands ready to respond as needed to protect Iowa livestock and our farm families’ livelihoods. Consumers should know that there is no food-safety risk associated with New World Screwworm and properly cooked meat remains safe to eat and enjoy.” According to the USDA, only one case of screwworm has been detected in the U.S. so far. The case marks the first time since the 1960s screwworm has been reported in the U.S after the parasite was eradicated nationwide. The USDA is also encouraging pet and livestock owners to check their animals for large wounds, signs of discomfort, larvae and eggs. “USDA urges residents in the area to check their pets and livestock for signs of NWS. Look for draining or enlarging wounds and signs of discomfort. Also look for screwworm larvae (maggots) and eggs in or around body openings, such as the nose, ears, and genitalia or the navel of newborn animals,” a USDA press release said. “If you suspect your animal is infected with screwworm, contact your state animal health official or USDA area veterinarian in charge immediately.” It was just over a month ago that Naig and Iowa’s state veterinarian reported the detection in Iowa of another previously eradicated livestock disease — pseudorabies — which was found in five boars that had been imported from Texas. In that case, IDALS said the incident was “isolated” and had been contained. Pseudorabies, which officials said posed no danger to human health or food safety, had been previous eradicated from U.S. commercial swine herds in 2004, but the virus could still be transmitted through feral swine, IDALS officials said.  

Why ultra-processed foods could become the new war on tobacco

Research published in the American Journal of Public Health details the connection between ultra-processed foods and the tobacco industry when it comes to production, strategy and marketing.

Big tobacco hooked us on ultra-processed foods. It might teach us how to cut back

Research published in the American Journal of Public Health details the connection between ultra-processed foods and the tobacco industry when it comes to production, strategy and marketing.

Davenport gala set to empower women, domestic violence survivors

Nationally-recognized celebrities Tanesha and Aqeel Ash-Shakoor will be among the featured speakers. Pictures will be offered with the stars.