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

Wednesday, January 28th, 2026
	Davenport man arrested, accused of making bomb threat A Davenport man has been arrested after police say he called in a bomb threat to a car wash. The criminal complaint filed in Scott County Court said Davenport Police responded to Silverstar Car Wash, 1914 N. Division Street on January 27 at about 4 p.m. for a report of a bomb threat. The defendant, [...]
	Broken sprinkler damages Avonlea Cottage, Sterling; residents evacuated Residents at Avonlea Cottage in Sterling were evacuated after a broken sprinkler head damaged wiring and light fixtures in the building yesterday, according to a news release from the Sterling Fire Department. The Sterling Fire Department, Rock Falls Fire Department, and CGH EMS were called to Avonlea Cottage, 2201 E. LeFevre Road, on January 27. [...]
	Elite Casino Resorts celebrates 20 years of business Elite Casino Resorts is marking a major milestone this year. They are celebrating 20 years of business. The company is celebrating with a Year of Entertainment. Johnathan Condit with Elite Casino Resorts tell us more.
	Rubio braces for Senate scrutiny over Venezuela At his first Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing since Nicolas Maduro was seized, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns the U.S. could still use force to pressure Venezuela's adminstration.
	'Sound of Falling' is a hypnotic history of German rural life The German film Sound of Falling compels and disturbs in equal measure.
	Man arrested in Clinton, sentenced to federal prison after using dead man's identity A Texas convict found living in Clinton under the name of a deceased Nevada man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to identity theft and gun charges.
	Quiet weather continues and so does the cold! The very cold weather that settled into the Quad Cities late last week shows no signs of leaving anytime soon. After a warm start to January, the average monthly temperature is now below average. But, warmer days are in the forecast starting early next week. While a huge snowstorm hit central and southern Illinois last [...]
	Scott County Supervisors poised to reject proposed natural gas power plant ordinance Four supervisors say they intend to vote against an ordinance that would allow a pathway for natural gas-fired power plants to be built on land zoned for agriculture preservation.
	As the U.S. bids adieu to the World Health Organization, California says hello In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from WHO, California is the first state to participate in the agency's disease monitoring network. Are others following?
	A Quad-Cities gem: How Necker's Jewelers grew to be among the top independent jewelry stores in the country Dave and DJ Necker, the third generation of owners of what is now Necker’s Jewelers, recall the story of how it got started 133 years ago.
	The Flood of '65 This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had been around in the days of Noah, things would have been different. Folks would…
	CBP has a history of excessive force. Critics say they were unprepared for Minnesota Experts say federal immigration agents' skills are a dangerous mismatch for urban settings such as the Twin Cities
	To keep AI out of her classroom, this high school English teacher went analog Forth Worth teacher Chanea Bond says sticking with pen and paper keeps generative artificial intelligence out of her American literature classes.
	3 generations of women in one family show how choices on motherhood have changed In one family, three generations of American women explore how choices around becoming mothers have changed at the same time the U.S. birth rate has dropped.
	The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules The rewrite was done to speed up the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors. Critics warn it could compromise safety and public trust.
	Americans may love football, but did you know its origins are in medieval England? "Football" is a word used to refer to different games: American football, the game played at the Super Bowl, where a foot is rarely used to direct the ball. And elsewhere in the world, football refers to what Americans call "soccer." But where does this word really come from?
	GameStop closes dozens of stores in Illinois GameStop has recently closed dozens of stores across Missouri and Illinois, including at least five in the St. Louis region, as the video game chain faces a wave of closures nationwide.
	Mexican president says her country has paused oil shipments to Cuba Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the pause was part of general fluctuations in oil supplies and that it was a "sovereign decision" not made under pressure from the United States.
	Spain will grant legal status to immigrants lacking authorization Spain's government announced Tuesday it will grant legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working in the country without authorization.
	Firefighter hurt in Davenport attic fire A firefighter was hurt after falling through a floor during an attic fire Tuesday night.
	Firefighters battle Moline house fire A KWQC crew on scene said the fire was on the corner of 25th Street and 11th Avenue.
Tuesday, January 27th, 2026
	Traffic Alert: Part of Marquette Street blocked for house fire The road is blocked from 16th Street to 14th Street.
	High school basketball: January 27th Watch highlights from high school girls and boys basketball on both sides of the river.
	It's the foundation of psychiatric diagnosis. And it's about to get a makeover The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is known as the DSM-5. What will the next version be called? That's one of several open questions as the "Bible of psychiatry" goes online.
	Man reunites with AirCare team who saved his life A man who suffered a medical emergency got the chance to thank the people who saved his life on Tuesday.
	Princeton considers downtown sales tax increase The city of Princeton is considering a one-percent sales tax increase limited to its downtown district, a move city leaders say could help support redevelopment and long-term investment.
	Rep. Krishnamoorthi introduces First Home Affordability Act According to Zillow, the average price of an Illinois home has reached more than $275,000, marking an increase of almost 35% compared to five years ago.
	Here’s what President Trump said in his return to Iowa President Donald Trump returned to Iowa and stressed the importance of the November mid-term elections.
	Davenport community protests ICE crackdown Protestors gathered on Brady and Kimberly to call for an end to violent immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis and across the country.
	On split vote, Rock Island school board hires Thurgood Marshall interim principal After a close vote, Thurgood Marshall will have a new interim principal, Mario Sherrell for the rest of the school year
	Iowa governor hopefuls discuss education, health care at Moms for Liberty debate Republican gubernatorial candidates, from left, Eddie Andrews, Adam Steen, Zach Lahn and Brad Sherman debated education and health care during a debate hosted by Moms for Liberty on Jan. 27, 2026. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)Republican candidates vying for the top spot in state government gave their plans to transform education on all levels for Iowa students during a gubernatorial debate Tuesday evening, claiming leftist indoctrination starts with teacher education before making its way into classrooms and parents need more control. Hosted by conservative organization Moms for Liberty and moderated by the organization’s CEO Tina Descovich and WHO NewsRadio Host Simon Conway, the debate also touched on topics like Iowans’ health, the absence of one of the candidates, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, and more. Candidates agreed that both education and higher education in Iowa need to be reformed, with eastern Iowa farmer and businessman Zach Lahn saying the issue needs to be framed as a “generational fight for the institutions in our society.” He and other candidates pointed at “the left” as targeting education to indoctrinate children, something Lahn said they have been “tremendously successful” at. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Lahn is running on an “Iowa first” agenda, with a focus on education, border security and supporting farms. The Republican candidate has not held political office but worked previously for a Colorado state senator, Republican campaigns in Iowa and conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity. “Public school is to promote civic virtue, to understand the principles of faith in our country and our culture, and that’s what it will be when I am governor,” Lahn said. Brad Sherman, a Republican state representative from 2023-2025, businessman and faith leader, said the “concept of God” needs to be put back in schools, and putting the Ten Commandments in classrooms is a good place to start. God gave children to their parents and not the state, Sherman said, and parents should have complete control. Sherman states on his campaign website he is committed to “restoring adherence to the Constitution and restoring the foundational principles that made America a great nation and Iowa a great state.” Parental rights were a focus for both Moms for Liberty and the candidates, with each candidate offering their support of parents deciding where and what their students learn. Rep. Eddie Andrews, R-Johnston, touted his authorship of parental rights legislation, which includes rights he said everyone agreed on until “three seconds ago.” Parents have the “fundamental right to raise their children in education,” he said. Andrews also suggested doing away with the current common core education rules and restoring state-specific education standards, including adding phonics, where the association between spoken and written sounds is taught, to classrooms. The five priorities listed on Andrews’s website include eliminating property taxes and combating inflation, parental rights in education, defending landowners and private property, championing mental health and health care freedom and protecting “life, liberty and traditional values.” Former Iowa Department of Administrative Services director Adam Steen said during the debate funding of public schools isn’t the problem but ideology is, as well as the “downright evil” requirements being pushed on students. “The line” for Steen was when his son’s teacher asked them to purchase a book titled “Jacob’s New Dress,” about a boy who begins to wear a dress to school. Teachers are sometimes forced to incorporate materials like these into classrooms, he said, adding he believes schools should instead teach real-world skills, vocational studies and industrial arts. “I believe that this isn’t on the backs of teachers, it’s on the backs of those that are putting these standards upon our teachers and forcing it down our children’s throats,” Steen said. Steen described himself at the launch event for his gubernatorial run as “the faith guy,” as well as a “Make America Great Again guy.” The Republican resigned from his position in August in order to enter the race and states on his campaign website he is pro-life, pro-Iowa, pro-property rights and pro-family. Branching off from school choice for parents, Steen said schools should have a say in how teachers are trained. Universities should offer degree tracks in “classical education” for students, he said, and universities should not promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Sherman suggested that teachers be given some form of test to ensure they can “do the job” while not needing to go through traditional university training. Lahn said the value proposition of a college education is “decreasing precipitously,” with schools talking to students about postsecondary options other than attending a university. Universities are “digging their own grave” while getting a lot of money from the state, and Lahn proposed overturning the Iowa Board of Regents and pulling funding from universities that refuse to stop teaching “woke indoctrination.” He said he would give the money instead to veteran support programs he pitched during the debate, such as trade schools and farm programs. Iowa’s medical needs Moderators also asked lawmakers about the medical issues facing Iowans, from cancer rates to vaccine concerns. Lahn, Sherman and Andrews all stated the need for additional, independent research on the causes of Iowa’s growing cancer rates in order to understand the problem fully and begin to identify solutions. Andrews mentioned $1 million in state funding provided to the University of Iowa for cancer research but said that didn’t include pediatric cancers, and said one suggestion to address that was to put in another $3 million. Lahn laid the blame on agriculture companies who aren’t truthful about what their chemicals are doing to Iowans, and said he wouldn’t allow them to operate in Iowa unless they can show through research that their products are not harmful. “It is the generational issue of our time, and we have to confront it head on,” Lahn said. Steen refused to lay the blame on farmers, citing radon, plane deicer and golf courses as other areas that could be impacting cancer rates. He said this is a years-long issue to solve, and he wants to bring the experts to the table to solve it, no matter their political affiliation. When asked about mRNA vaccines, Lahn, Sherman and Andrews all committed to banning them in the state, pointing back to issues during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Steen, who said his father got diabetes and cancer after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and later died, said he would consider a ban. Feenstra criticized for skipping debate Feenstra was invited to the debate but did not join, indicated by the empty podium Moms for Liberty placed on stage. Each of the candidates criticized his absence. Steen said if Feenstra is the Republican nominee, Iowa would end up with Democrat Rob Sand as a governor and Iowa would be “toast.” Feenstra was in Iowa Tuesday, Andrews said, and the fact that he didn’t show up felt like he was disregarding Iowans. “I’m not trying to cuss, but it’s like throwing a middle finger at all of you,” Andrews said. “He doesn’t care.” Lahn said he doesn’t believe that Feenstra was too intimidated to come to the debate stage Tuesday — he’s instead following a method that says if you get enough establishment money, you get to skip everything else. “Randy Feenstra has a lot of money, he has a lot of people behind him, but in Iowa, it doesn’t take that much money if you’re willing to work hard,” Sherman said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
	'We're entering a period that will be called the golden age of America' \| Trump speaks in Iowa The president spoke about energy, the economy and more while addressing a crowd at the Horizon Events Center in Clive.
	After the Games: How one organization is partnering to help Team USA Athletes on their career paths post competition Sorry, but your browser does not support the video tag. var bptVideoPlayer = document.getElementById("bptVideoPlayer"); if (bptVideoPlayer) { var cssText = "width: 100%;"; cssText += " background: url('" + bptVideoPlayer.getAttribute("poster") + "');"; cssText += " -webkit-background-size: cover;"; cssText += " -moz-background-size: cover;"; cssText += " -o-background-size: cover;"; cssText += " background-size: cover;"; bptVideoPlayer.style.cssText = cssText; var bptVideoPlayerContainer = document.getElementById("bptVideoPlayerContainer"); if (bptVideoPlayerContainer) { setTimeout(function () { bptVideoPlayerContainer.style.cssText = "display: block; position: relative; margin-bottom: 10px;"; var isIE = navigator.userAgent.match(/ MSIE(([0 - 9] +)(\.[0 - 9] +) ?) /); var isEdge = navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Edge") > -1 \|\| navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Trident") > -1; if (isIE \|\| isEdge) { fixVideoPoster(); } }, 1000); } var bptVideoPlayButton = document.getElementById("bptVideoPlayButton"); if (bptVideoPlayButton) { bptVideoPlayButton.addEventListener("click", function () { bptVideoPlayer.play(); }, false); bptVideoPlayer.addEventListener("play", function () { bptVideoPlayButton.style.cssText = "display: none;"; }, false); } var mainImage = document.getElementById("mainImageImgContainer_sm"); if (mainImage) { mainImage.style.cssText = "display: none;"; } var mainImage = document.getElementById("photo-noresize"); if (mainImage) { mainImage.style.cssText = "display: none;"; } var assetGallery = document.getElementsByClassName("asset_gallery")[0]; if (assetGallery) { assetGallery.style.cssText = "display: none;"; } var assetGallery = document.getElementsByClassName("trb_article_leadart")[0]; if (assetGallery) { assetGallery.style.cssText = "display: none;"; } var assetGallery = document.querySelectorAll("[src='https://d372qxeqh8y72i.cloudfront.net/917040ce-aad3-4448-870f-f27f15c2d12e_web.jpg']")[0]; if (assetGallery) { assetGallery.style.cssText = "display: none;"; } } function fixVideoPoster() { var videoPlayer = document.getElementById("bptVideoPlayer"); var videoPoster = document.getElementById("bptVideoPoster"); fixVideoPosterPosition(videoPlayer, videoPoster, true); window.onresize = function() { fixVideoPosterPosition(videoPlayer, videoPoster); }; videoPoster.onclick = function() { videoPlayer.play(); videoPoster.style.display = "none"; }; videoPlayer.onplay = function() { videoPoster.style.display = "none"; }; } function fixVideoPosterPosition(videoPlayer, videoPoster, display) { setTimeout(function () { var videoPosition = videoPlayer.getBoundingClientRect(); videoPoster.style.position = "absolute"; videoPoster.style.top = "0"; videoPoster.style.left = "0"; videoPoster.style.width = videoPlayer.offsetWidth + "px"; videoPoster.style.height = (videoPlayer.offsetHeight + 20) + "px"; if (display) { videoPoster.style.display = "inline"; } }, 1010); } (BPT) - As the excitement builds for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, athletes must prepare for competition on the world's biggest stage while simultaneously preparing for a life after sports. Thanks to Guild's partnership with Team USA, athletes are now able to work on their future and achieve their educational goals while representing the US at the highest level in elite sport. By giving athletes access to hundreds of degree and certificate programs tuition free, Guild's partnership is changing the game when it comes to the future of Team USA.
	Milan man facing murder charge wins hearing for pretrial release A Milan man facing a murder charge in Mercer County has been released from custody after it was determined he had not been brought to trial within 90 days.
	Sterling sprinkler leak forces evacuation of assisted living and memory care facility The Sterling Fire Department is responding to a report of a “water issue.”
	Rep. Ilhan Omar rushed on stage and sprayed with liquid at town hall event Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was speaking at a town hall event when she was rushed by a man who sprayed a liquid at her via a syringe.
	Rep. Ilhan Omar rushed by man on stage and sprayed with liquid at town hall event Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was speaking at a town hall event when she was rushed by a man who sprayed a liquid at her via a syringe.
	QCA heart-attack survivor meets AirCare 'superheroes' that saved his life Owen Meyers' normal day at work on Jan. 3 quickly changed for the worse. While he was operating an excavator, Meyers felt a sudden, intense chest pain. He knew something was wrong. It felt similar to the two heart attacks he had prior to this cold day at work. Meyers quickly shut off the machine, [...]
	Future of QCA theater is unclear, says owner's Facebook post: 'I am broke' The future of a Maquoketa theater is unclear, according to a Facebook post written by one of the owners on Tuesday. "Over the last two years, I have been absolutely blessed to be able to call the Voy Theatre a second home that I am so incredibly proud of," the post begins. "Over the last [...]
	Davenport woman called onstage by Trump praises tax cuts during speech Judy Waldron, a part-time bartender from Davenport, joined Trump on stage during his speech.
	City officials say questions remain about scope, permanence of Collis layoffs in Clinton Wire, steel and glass components manufacturer Collis to cut jobs in March
	Riverbend FAME partnership boosts Quad Cities workforce pipeline, prepares students for careers A long-term investment in the Quad Cities’ workforce pipeline for maintenance technicians is being made thanks to the new Riverbend Federation for Advanced Manufacturing (FAME) partnership, officials said.
	Internal review contradicts White House narrative of Pretti's death The preliminary assessment from Customs and Border Protection makes no mention of Alex Pretti attacking officers or threatening them with a weapon — as the administration first described the incident.
	Maquoketa movie theater closing in February unless lease can be extended Voy Theatres at 207 S. Main St. is slated to close on Feb. 15 unless the building's lease can be extended.
	Heart attack victim reunites with helicopter medics who saved his life One month after suffering a sudden heart attack at work, Owen Meyer returned to Davenport to thank the air care team who helped save his life.
	Six positions for firefighters could be eliminated in Clinton Six positions for firefighters could be eliminated from the City of Clinton's new fiscal budget. According to a post on the Clinton Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 609 Facebook page, the move could impact public safety. The positions were hired through the SAFER Grant in 2022. The positions raised staffing from 45 to 51. Because of [...]
	FULL SPEECH: Trump speaks in Iowa, addresses economy and midterms President Trump delivers remarks during a campaign push for midterms in Clive, Iowa.
	Winter months leave fewer seats filled at Davenport movie theater Cold winter months and fewer major film releases are leading to lower attendance at local theaters, forcing adjustments in staffing, pricing and concessions.
	New partnership aims to build the future of Quad Cities manufacturing workforce Riverbend FAME, is designed to prepare students with an associate degree in industrial maintenance.
	NTSB blames 'deep' systemic failures for deadly midair collision near Washington D.C. After a yearlong investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board did not find a single cause for the deadly collision near Washington, D.C., but blamed the crash on multiple systemic failures.
	Below 0° wind chills for 111 of last 117 hours in Quad Cities Last Thursday night 9 p.m. - our wind chill dipped down below 0° and has barely recovered above 0° since then! As of the time of this story publishing, our wind chill has been at or below 0° for 111 of the last 117 hours! And the actual temperature has been struggling as well. Look [...]
	Maquoketa Voy Theatre owners say business’s future looks uncertain A small-town movie theatre could be closing their doors next month after being open for less than two years.
	Snow on ground in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas etc. but NOT in the Quad Cities! Today's snow depth map is quite unusual, to say the least! We have basically NO SNOW on the ground in the Quad Cities. That's not too out of the ordinary for late January. But, the fact that places across the deep South DO HAVE snow on the ground and we don't is HIGHLY unusual! We [...]
	Hundreds of QCA students receive new shoes in nonprofit's first year of operation Credit Union Kicks is a community outreach program that started in 2025. Hundreds of kids have received new socks and shoes as part of the effort. On Tuesday, students at Fulton Elementary School enjoyed an assembly, countdown, and confetti drop along with the new sneakers. "There is about 490 pairs of shoes today," said Lily [...]
	An end to the colder weather in sight As this long stretch of colder weather continues through the rest of January, we might finally see some warmer temperatures for a change. Our Temperatures Outlook from Feb. 2nd-Feb. 6th is showing that the Quad Cities will see temperatures closer to normal if not slightly warmer than normal. As we look ahead to the first [...]
	Luana Stoltenberg announces Scott County Board candidacy Luana Stoltenberg announced Tuesday that she is running for Scott County supervisor, citing "a commitment to responsible leadership, fiscal accountability and open and transparent county government," a news release says. "I am excited to join a board that has been doing a wonderful job for Scott County," Davenport resident Stoltenberg said. "I believe we can [...]
	Sterling Fire Department responds to report of ‘water issue’ The Sterling Fire Department is responding to a report of a “water issue.”
	Birth to Five Illinois working to improve access to early childhood education The group offers a toolkit to help educate businesses and offer resources to reduce the strain that child care places on working parents.
	Students and staff at Seton celebrate Catholic Schools Week with annual 'Day of Service' Students and staff at Seton are helping QC Paws to celebrate Catholic Schools Week with annual 'Day of Service.'
	Upcoming event highlighting mental health for women in agriculture From farm tasks to family duties, women in agriculture juggle several things at once. An upcoming event will share how to balance it with your mental health.
	Illinois working to expand access to early childhood education Emily Cummings and Heather Anderson joined The Current on News 8 to break down the need in our community.
	Experience rural homelessness through Night in a Car Step outside your comfort zone through a simulation shining a spotlight on the hidden aspect of rural homelessness that many in our community experience. Tara McFarland and Kyle McEwen joined Our Quad Cities News with details on Mercer County’s Night in a Car. For more information, click here.
	Bitter cold grips the eastern U.S. as storm deaths rise and power outages linger Three Texas siblings who died in an icy pond are among several dozen deaths in U.S. states gripped by frigid cold. A massive storm dumped deep snow across more than 1,300 miles from Arkansas to New England.
	TobyMac, Crowder, and Jeremy Camp, February 6 Teaming up for an unforgettable concert event boasting chart-topping hits and passionate lyrics, the combined contemporary-Christian talents TobyMac, Crowder, and Jeremy Camp bring their national "TobyMac's Hits Deep 2026" tour to Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK on February 6, performing dozens of fan favorites and delivering an uplifting, inspirational experience designed to get fans singing and dancing.
	Quad City Symphony Orchestra Masterworks IV: “The Rite of Spring,” February 7 and 8 We may be in the midst of winter, but the Quad City Symphony Orchestra will be celebrating the season to come in the February 7 and 8 concert event The Rite of Spring.
	Finalists for Davenport City Administrator have been selected A public reception for the five city administrator finalists will be held at the Adler Theater lobby from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2.
	Jackson Dean, February 6 A 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards nominee for New Male Artist of the Year whose Billboard smashes include "Don't Come Lookin'" and "Heavens to Betsy," Nashville-based singer/songwriter Jackson Dean headlines a February 6 concert event at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, Country Swag raving that on the artist's sophomore album, "every single song off On the Back of My Dreams is exactly what music is all about."
	Italian officials voice outrage at the presence of U.S. ICE agents at the 2026 Olympics U.S. Homeland Security agents provided security support at past Olympics. But after violence by ICE agents in Minneapolis, some Italian officials say an ICE unit is unwelcome in Milan Cortina.
	North Scott Press — January 28, 2026
	5 finalists selected in search for new Davenport city administrator Davenport has narrowed their search for a new city administrator to five finalists. The public is invited to meet them at a reception in February.
	Touch of Trey: Phish and Grateful Dead Tribute, February 6 Celebrating the expansive discographies of two of rock's most accomplished acts in one exhilarating night, Josh Pearson brings his Touch of Trey: Phish and Grateful Dead Tribute to Davenport's Redstone Room on February 6, honoring those beloved bands as well as all things Trey Anastasio and Jerry Garcia.
	The Four Horsemen: Tribute to Metallica, February 7 Performing from a heavy-metal repertoire that boasts 11 studio albums, eight live albums, three EPs, and 49 singles, the hard-rocking talents of The Four Horsemen: Metallica Tribute bring their touring show to East Moline venue The Rust Belt, their February 7 engagement treating fans to classics from the third-best-selling music artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, selling in excess of 67 million albums in the United States alone.
	Concerned Citizens speak against rural power plant The Concerned Citizens of Scott County want to stop a proposed rural power plant in its tracks. Gathered beneath “Say no to CIPCO” and “Preserve Our Ag Land” signs at the Eldridge branch of the Scott County Library, 200 N. 6th Ave, Jan. 21, the advocacy group demanded that county supervisors vote down an amendment to allow power generation on agricultural land. That amendment was requested late last summer by Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO), which has proposed construction of a $400 million, 240 MW natural gas power plant about one mile east of Maysville. Linda Golinghorst organized the Concerned Citizens last fall. She farms near the proposed site and led the meeting Thursday. “We are, plain and simple, squarely against the proposed ordinance change that would end up allowing CIPCO or any thermal electric power plants, be it gas, coal, nuclear… in the ag preservation district,” she said. “Our goal tonight is to get more public support to stop the ordinance that allows power plants on the best farmland in the world,” she said. Golinghorst spoke about the impact of the plant alongside watchdog attorney Mike Meloy, physician Ross Burandt, and meteorologist Ray Wulf. Prominent county Democrats, including county supervisor Maria Bribriesco and Iowa Senate district 47 challenger Nikhil Wagle, raised concerns about the power plant as the meeting turned to open discussion. The contested amendment, stalled by supervisors since October, would add “thermal electric energy generation” to a list of approved “special uses” for county agricultural land. It would restrict that use to land at the intersection of gas and transmission lines, like the Maysville site. What the Concerned Citizens want Golinghorst said Thursday that the Concerned Citizens believe no amendments should be passed without a full review of the county’s comprehensive plan. The current plan dates to 2008, though it has been amended. “There is nothing in [the comprehensive plan] that addresses the ability to put a power plant on any kind of rural land. It's just not even there. It wasn't a need,” she said. “Now we know that things have changed,” she continued. “Data centers are driving the need for more increased power production… but we feel no power plant decision in Scott County should occur without an update to that plan—a new plan—and proper analysis with community needs and input.” CIPCO has said that the plant would not feed a data center. Instead, it would run 15% to 20% of the time to backstop the grid during periods of high energy consumption or low production, including from renewable sources. County Planning and Development Director Greg Schaapveld said in September that the comprehensive plan’s silence on electrical energy generation resulted from “a lack of history.” The plan does include a broad commitment to “clean, renewable and efficient energy.” Golinghorst said that the draft amendment before the board of supervisors is “grossly insufficient” in its protections for farmers and neighbors. The amendment places a 1,000-foot residential setback on any thermal power facility and restricts construction to the intersection of fuel sources and transmission lines, but includes no environmental review standards. County staff and CIPCO representatives have said the project would be held to strict environmental standards at other stages of the approval process, including before the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and county Zoning Board of Adjustment (BOA). Golinghorst said there was no reason for the supervisors to carve out a piece of agricultural land in Scott County for a plant that would yield neighbors no direct benefit. “CIPCO distributes power to 58 counties in Iowa. This plant is not based upon the needs specific to Scott County,” she said. “The power is going to go where it's needed during peak times. There's no guarantee it's coming here. So why site this in Scott County?” Golinghorst said that CIPCO should look to redevelop unused sites, such as a defunct coal plant in Montpelier. “There’s no need to site this on prime farmland at all. There are other options,” Golinghorst said. CIPCO Vice President of Communications Kerry Koonce told The North Scott Press that the Maysville site was selected after a comprehensive review of transmission and natural gas lines in its coverage area. The site selected would minimize the need to bring take farmland out of production to extend transmission or natural gas lines, she said. Meloy, who has been retained by Concerned Citizens, said the construction of the power plant would reshape Scott County. “You folks own some of the best farmlands in the world. Scott County, Iowa: you grow corn, you grow beans, you feed the world. This power plant is going to change your lifestyle,” he said. Meloy argued that there was no “shortage of electricity” that would necessitate a plant “of this size, of this magnitude in Scott County.” “You know, you got to think about why this is being done. It's being done for profit… What is the reason, besides someone making money off the sale of their land?” he said. CIPCO, which is a nonprofit cooperative, has said they currently buy up to 14% of their energy on the open market. They have said they expect that figure to increase as coal plants retire. Meloy alleged that the zoning amendment had been “secretly enacted or done under the radar.” County officials and CIPCO representatives have both said that the cooperative followed standard procedure in requesting a change to county code from the Planning and Development Office. Democrats voice concerns Bribriesco told the gathering that she shared their concerns over ad hoc changes to the comprehensive plan. “One of the most important points that was made tonight, in my opinion, is that energy use is not part of the comprehensive plan,” she said. “That is a drastic change, and I think we need more input from the community.” She said that she was “leaning heavily towards a ‘no’” vote on the current amendment. She planned to invite members of Concerned Citizens to present before the supervisors in the coming weeks. “When I ran for office, my promise was and accountability, and that is what I'm trying to do,” she said. The board of supervisors heard at length from CIPCO in October, while members of the public were loosely limited to two minutes of individual comment. Wagle, who is running for a senate district that stretches from LeClaire to Eldridge, said Board Chair John Maxwell should recuse himself from any discussion or vote on the amendment over a potential conflict of interest. Maxwell rents two hog barns to farmer Tom Dittmer, who has optioned land to CIPCO. “It'll be very interesting to see when this board of supervisors does vote on this, will John Maxwell recuse his vote?” Wagle asked to applause. “If you have a vested interest, you need to recuse your vote,” he said. Assistant County Attorney Kristina Lyon issued an opinion Jan. 16 that concludes Maxwell’s ties to Dittmer do not constitute a conflict of interest. A potential conflict led supervisors to table the amendment last fall. Doctor, meteorologist speak on impact Ross Burandt, an Eldridge physician, said that he “didn't have an opinion at all” when he first heard that a natural gas plant had been proposed for rural Scott County. “Instead, I felt that it was a responsibility to myself and my family and the community to learn more about it,” he said. He has since become a critic. “Any natural gas power plant is not emissions free. They release nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter… These pollutants can worsen preexisting conditions like asthma, COPD and lead to respiratory disease,” Burandt said. Burandt cited statistics that 10.5% of all citizens in Scott County have asthma, and 3.3% of all citizens have COPD. “That's an estimated over 17,000 people in Scott County with asthma and over 5,000 with COPD,” he said. He also referenced a 2012 environmental health study that indicates a positive correlation between proximity to a fuel-fired power plant and incidence of hospitalization for respiratory illness. “Once a gas plant is built, the exposure becomes permanent… You can't see fine particulate pollution, but you can definitely feel it, whether it's in your lungs or your chest or your medical bills,” he said. “I mean, who here trusts their insurance to cover an inhaler if they would need one?” he asked to a ripple of laughter. Wagle, who is an ophthalmologist, said project neighbors should look at the impact of coal-fired plants in Woodbury County on respiratory illness rates. “I understand it's coal, but this type of a power plant will put somewhat similar particulates into the air,” he said. Only pieces of Burandt and Wagle’s picture would apply to the proposed plant, according to official reports from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Those reports state that natural gas–fired plants produce a “negligible” amount of particulate matter and “trace to low” amounts of sulfur dioxide. Instead, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions lead concerns at a natural gas turbine. Coal and oil plants produce a significantly wider range of pollutants. According to a recent report from the Iowa DNR air quality bureau, CIPCO plans to install a low-temperature burner that would decrease the expected nitrogen oxide emissions rate by about 95% over an “uncontrolled” turbine. It would release one-sixth the nitrogen oxide per unit of gas burned expected from a home furnace. Meteorologist Ray Wolf spoke to where emissions would travel across Scott County. Predominant winds blow from the south and west, and remain low to the ground throughout the winter months, he said. “Anybody who's downstream of those westerly winds or southerly winds is going to have a risk exposure that's higher than folks elsewhere,” he said. “You can take a look at where the plant is proposed to potentially go, and decide whether you're in the downstream area or not.” Wolf also noted that the plant would produce greenhouse gases that could worsen the effects of global climate change.
	BASIC, February 12 Touring in support of their acclaimed album debut with their moniker in the title, the musical mosaic BASIC headlines a February 12 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, Pitchfork raving of the group's This is BASIC, "Like a less shambolic version of 75 Dollar Bill or a more shambolic version of the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet, the band repeats simple parts with such insistence and drive that they turn minimalism into maximalism."
	Pretoria, February 6 Lauded by Local Sprins for their "unique three-guitar harmonies and infectious hooks," the power-pop ensemble Pretoria headlines a February 6 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artists inspiring Atwood magazine to rave, "Through genuine, memorable, and eccentric tunes that are sure to get stuck in your head. Pretoria’s music is everything but surface level, challenging the deepest of thinkers and feelers simultaneously."
	La Plante named to Eldridge council Eldridge City Council members chose Scott La Plante to fill a two-year vacancy Monday. La Plante was one of six candidates who applied for the vacancy. Those candidates were interviewed at the Jan. 12 committee of the whole meeting. “Two weeks ago, we interviewed six very qualified candidates for the open position,” said mayor Scott Campbell. “After hearing their answers and reading their applications, I think everybody at this table agrees that any of those candidates could have filled this seat. I just wish they would have run in November, so the public could have weighed in.” Campbell said he had also reviewed the video of the interviews and recommended La Plante, although he said the decision on the appointment was up to the council. “The decision on the recommendation was very difficult. I felt it was beneficial that Scott is currently a member of the Park Board and also the Planning & Zoning Board, and that experience could bode well for the city and the council.” Council member Brian Dockery also thanked all the candidates who submitted their names. “In my mind, that night we had two people, in my opinion, shine above the others. I was asked my opinion. I said I could live with two of them, and Scott is one of those two names.” Council member Ryan Iossi agreed, saying that La Plante was also one of his top choices for the seat among three he thought stood out. “My reasons were because he’s already been involved with the city. I think to finish out a term, it felt most appropriate. I’d be happy with that selection, and I would also be happy with anybody that put their name forward. I think that’s great, and I hope they do consider in 18 months running for election.” “I can tell you that I’ve had the pleasure to work with Scott over the last two years as the Park Board chair,” said council member Jeff Ashcraft. “I feel the same as Councilman Iossi and Councilman Dockery, that he is somebody that will come prepared. He has good experience, and he certainly has the city of Eldridge at the center of his values and his heart. So, I have no concerns with Mr. La Plante either.” Council member Adrian Blackwell said he had enjoyed being part of the process. “Scott interviewed very well, and his experience and background will be beneficial. As I told the mayor in discussions, I hate to lose him from the committees, with the expertise that he brings, but I can see where he would do well as a council member as well.” Blackwell said that he thought the public should also have a voice in the process, saying he would not be opposed to a special election to choose the new member. “But I understand we have business that we have to do, and I don’t want to hold anything up as we move forward here. So, I would be OK with that recommendation but would prefer that individuals choose that next council member.” Although the appointment has been made, citizens may still petition for a special election. That would require a petition with the signatures of 188 Eldridge residents filed at city hall by no later than the end of business on Feb. 9. Meanwhile, La Plante will officially be sworn in as the new council member at the next meeting, which will be held Feb. 2 at City Hall. If a special election were to be held, La Plante would hold the seat until the time of the election. Community center discussions continue The council voted, without comment, to dissolve the Eldridge Community Center Board. In a memo to the council, assistant city administrator Jeff Martens said that, with the closure of the ECC, the board’s only function would be to approve bills and minutes until the end of May. The board and city staff recommended the dissolution. Any matters that would fall under the board’s discretion will now be handled by the city council. The council devoted a significant portion of the meeting to discussing a request for proposals (RFP) plan to lease at least a portion of the ECC and manage the skatepark and events center. City administrator Nevada Lemke provided a rough draft of the RFP to the council for consideration and discussion, with an option to leave the process open for 30, 45 or 60 days. By consensus, the council decided on a 45-day window to receive proposals. Dockery said he thought 30 days was too small a window for someone to put together a viable business plan, and 60 days might be extending the process too long. Iossi agreed. “I also don’t want to drag it out too long, because for somebody that’s potentially got interest, time is important right now.” Council members differed on a proposal to form a small committee to begin the review process for RFPs. Dockery said he would like to see the entire process handled in public at the committee of the whole level. Ashcraft said he favored a small committee composed of some council members and city staff to review the RFPs and make presentations to the entire council. “It just seems to make more sense to allow a smaller group to really pour through the nuts and bolts of it, as opposed to us trying to do it in an hourlong meeting,” said Ashcraft. “That gives that team a little bit more time, gives us more realistic information, and gives us, I think, a better process, a better opportunity to process the information in a digestible way so we can make a decision and still keep it transparent and very open to the public.” “As much as this has been a hot button issue, I think we owe it to the citizens to hear all RFPs,” said Dockery. Ashcraft said he didn’t believe his proposition would change the transparency level of the process. He said a small committee could analyze the proposals at a granular level and meet as many times as they needed to. Dockery said committee of the whole meetings could be called frequently as well, and they didn’t need to be limited to just one hour. “I just think everybody’s entitled to see all the nuts and bolts, including the public,” he said. Iossi said he could go either way on the issue, and his larger concern was that the RFP be a working document that the council had the ability to change, “so that it fits with whatever proposal comes in that’s the most beneficial for the city.” He added that the council will probably need to have several special meetings as the RFP process goes along. “It’s going to take work on our part of looking at all the opportunities and trying to figure out what is the best solution for the city.” He said regardless of which option the council chose, he would like to be an active part of the process. He also recommended a pre-bid meeting and for the city to do a forensic walkthrough of the building to understand what improvements might need to be made. Blackwell agreed that streamlining the process while maintaining transparency was key. Campbell also agreed on the need for transparency. He said having city staff or a small committee review the RFPs to come up with a presentation for the whole council might be beneficial. “At the end of the day, city staff doesn’t vote on it, we do,” said Dockery. Ashcraft made another request for a small committee, and recommended Dockery might want to be a part of it. Iossi said he didn’t have a problem with city staff working on the RFP process, as long as they bring all the information to the whole council. He said city staff will be involved with portions of the process anyway, including communicating with prospective tenants. Blackwell said he was also fine with a small committee as long as there was transparency. Iossi requested a committee of the whole meeting prior to every meeting during the RFP process. Campbell agreed, saying that since the city will also be working on its budget during that period, it was likely there would be committee of the whole meetings scheduled for at least some of those meetings already. Campbell asked if there was any strong feeling on leasing all or part of the building. He said if the city retained a portion of the building, it could be used as a community room. Iossi said he thought the city should look at the prospective proposals before making any commitment on keeping part of the building. Dockery said he thought the city should lease “all of it or none of it. Because if you get two different entities in here, how are you going to hold people accountable if there’s damage? How are you going to split up utility bills? I think one entity needs to be in charge of it. If they elect to lease things out to non-profits, we can state our wishes.” Ashcraft said he agreed with Dockery, but felt that Iossi’s proposal could put some controls on the matter. “We will have this discussion, I’m sure, at some point, but my ultimate goal is that we find somebody who either wants to purchase the building outright or comes in and leases it with the option to buy it down the road,” said Iossi. “Because I think that’s what’s going to be best for the city of Eldridge. I don’t want to be in the business of being a landlord either.” He said he just wanted to allow for flexibility in the proposals. As to whether the city should commit to any capital improvements right now, Ashcraft said he wasn’t sure the council could answer that just yet without having gone through the budget process. He said, to Iossi’s point, if the RFP was a working document, they could work with prospective tenants to see what their needs might be. Iossi said this was another reason it might be beneficial to take a deep dive into the needs of the building, including the condition of the roof and HVAC system. Dockery said it might also be worth it to have a certified appraiser come in and look at the building and property. Iossi also advocated for a pre-bid meeting, where prospective lessees could walk through the building and submit questions. “We could have that pre-bid meeting at a committee of the whole meeting,” Dockery suggested, to chuckles from the council. “It sounds like a good idea,” said Ashcraft. The council will take up the amended RFP again at the Feb. 2 meeting. If it meets with approval then, the RFP process will officially begin. Fire department update Campbell gave an update on the fire department as part of his mayor’s report. He said he, Lemke, Iossi and Martens had met with representatives of the fire department on Jan. 14 and said they were able to cover many topics. Campbell said the city asked the department for an appraisal of assets as well as vehicle maintenance records, the expected life span of the vehicles and results from their latest pump, ladder and hose testing. The department also recently purchased new SCBAs, which should last for about 10 years. Campbell said they also learned that Eldridge responds to about 20% of Long Grove’s calls. Long Grove’s call volume is about 250 calls, with more than half of those being in Park View. A new chief has not been chosen yet, and assistant chief Dave Engler has been fulfilling those duties in the interim. Former chief Keith Schneckloth is staying on as an administrator. Campbell said they had discussed priority dispatching and ways to reduce the department’s call volume. He said they also committed to continuing the Explorer program. Members of the department asked about a proposed timeline. Campbell said the city still needs to talk with insurance and legal representation, but the minimum timeline would be two months to get all the necessary ordinances passed. Seth Porter, insurance agent for both the city and the department, said four months would probably be a more realistic timeline. The department plans to replace its old command vehicle with a one-ton Chevy pickup truck, with the cost to purchase the truck and outfit it estimated at $90,000. The department is also planning a new brick memorial outside of the station. Both projects will be paid for out of the department’s reserves. And they are working with FEMA to arrange a meeting to answer some of the city’s questions about the SAFER grant. Campbell said representatives from the department also asked about the future of the fire company, and if it would be dissolved if the city took over. While the tax money the department currently gets would remain with the city, the department receives about $10,000-15,000 annually in donations and memorials. That money is used for the annual spouse appreciation dinner, monthly meeting meals and other expenses, or it could be put into reserves to bank towards a large purchase. City officials said they would talk more with LeClaire, which has a hybrid department. They also discussed the pay-per-call stipend, which would probably be given out twice a year if the city were to take over the department. Department officials said they did not know of anyone currently on the department who wants the job of being a full-time chief, but they stressed the importance of hiring the right person and said they knew it would represent a major transition. “They said if the department gets saddled with a lot of bureaucracy, it will be tough on the volunteers and they will probably lose them,” said Campbell. Campbell said the department also asked a surprising question. “They shared their concerns about becoming a city entity with our oversight. They asked, ‘What if the EFD retained an independent status?’ Which is something totally different than we’ve been talking about over the last year. We were caught off-guard, but it really led to a very healthy discussion where we were able to talk about a lot of things.” Campbell said the department emphasized that they need full-time support but asked what funding and other organizational arrangements might look like if they hired and managed their own chief. He said city officials told the department they might be supportive of that and reiterated that they had offered to fund such a position last year. “We agreed to lay out parallel plans as to what it would look like if they stayed independent and what it would look like if the city took over,” said Campbell. “So they have an idea of what they’re comparing things to as they move forward.” Ashcraft asked what it would look like for the city in terms of liability if the city were to fund a paid position while the department remained independent. Essentially, the city would just increase its total contribution to the department annually, which currently sits at approximately $260,000. “In the past, the issue was they wanted us to hire because they wanted IPERS for retirement for the chief,” said Campbell. He said the department did not address that issue at the meeting. Dockery said, regardless of what path the city and the department went down, “it’s critical we do it in a way where we can still have volunteers. Because the cost savings to our taxpayers is enormous.” Campbell agreed, and he said the Davenport fire chief had also told the city to protect the volunteer base. Iossi said they had also discussed the importance of making sure the right individual was hired. He said it was important to make sure everyone within the department bought into the process, because no matter what, there would be a huge change. Audit report Sarah Bohnsack with Bohnsack & Frommelt LLP gave a presentation on the city’s annual audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Included with the presentation were several handouts, including an 85-page summary of the audit. The full audit report will be available on the city website. In FY25, total revenue for the city was $9.5 million, compared to $8.3 million in FY24. Total expenditures were approximately $6.2 million, down from $6.8 million the prior year. Bohnsack said the biggest drop in expenditures came at the public works and public safety level due to a decrease in repair and maintenance costs. “It was in line with your budget,” she told the council. Bohnsack said representatives from the firm had met with city employees in the spring to discuss issues with segregation of duties, a weakness that is frequently identified in towns with a small staff. “It was a really good process, and they were eager to correct what needed to be corrected for the city.” The council will vote on approval of the audit at the Feb. 2 meeting. The item was on Monday’s agenda, but Dockery asked for it to be tabled until Feb. 2 to give council members more time to review the information Bohnsack provided. Other business The council approved a proposal by city staff to advertise for a deputy city clerk/billing clerk position at an annual salary of $62,335 ($29.97/hour). This position will be posted in lieu of the vacant billing clerk/payroll and permits clerk position. Ashcraft said he thought a deputy clerk might help fill some of the gaps that were identified in the audit. The council also voted to approve replats of two properties. The first property is located off of South 4th Avenue, containing 41.17 acres, more or less. It currently contains split zoning of R-1 Single Family Residential, R-3 Multi-Family Residential and C-3 General Commercial. The North Scott School District is looking to purchase land in that parcel, and the district and Muhs Tracts LC, which currently owns the property, submitted a request to rezone the area R-1 Single Family Residential. Martens said an R-1 zoning would allow the district to construct a school-related building on the property, although he added the district does not currently have a master plan in place for the land. The district also requested the vacation of a right-of-way and a utility easement on the property, which was also approved. The second parcel of land is owned by Baustian Farms Inc. and is located south of East Blackhawk Trail and west of South Cody Road. Martens said the family is adjusting a property line to hand a 40-acre parcel off to another family member. There was split zoning on the property, and the family had no preference on how it was to be rezoned, as they plan to continue farming for the foreseeable future. Martens recommended R-1 Single Family to fit in with the future land use map, and the family agreed. Lemke also shared that the new traffic signal at LeClaire Road and 4th Avenue is now scheduled to be operational by Feb. 5.
	“Heated Rivalry” Night, January 30 With viral party @club90s delivering an evening of HR edits, pop throwbacks, queer anthems, and nonstop high-energy hits, a current TV smash transforms into a thrilling dance party in Heated Rivalry Night, the January 30 event at Davenport's Capital Theatre featuring favorite songs from the steamy ice-hockey romance, a photo booth, prize giveaways, and more.
	Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter joins those calling for boycott of World Cup in U.S. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is backing a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Trump and his administration at home and abroad.
	Jukebox Saturday Night, February 6 With their performance held in conjunction with the 2026 UD Jazz Festival, the big-band revue Jukebox Saturday Night brings their exquisite talents to the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center on February 6, filling the university's John and Alice Butler Hall with unforgettable favorites from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
	Walcott Council heads for special election March 3 Joe Quick is the newest member of Walcott City Council, but he will have to defend his seat in a special election set for early March. The council appointed Quick at their regular meeting last Monday, Jan. 19. He was one of two residents who applied for the seat vacated by Mayor Jake Puck on Jan. 1. Just two days later, residents of Walcott had submitted a petition requesting a special election to fill the seat. The city council certified the petition Thursday evening. Walcott City Clerk Lisa Rickertsen confirmed the election would take place March 3, the same day as a vote to raise the Davenport School District’s physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL). Rickertsen said that the special election will be the first since she joined the city in 1999. This was at least the 10th vacant seat filled by appointment in that time, she said. Candidates seeking the seat must file their affidavit of candidacy and nomination petition with the County Auditor by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6. Candidate paperwork is available at City Hall. Quick appointed over McKibbin Quick’s appointment was motioned by councilwoman Lisa Mengler and seconded by councilman Kirk Koberg. It was approved by voice vote with no dissent. Quick is former chair of the Walcott Day Committee and Walcott Community Club. He told the council that he would hope to focus on expansion if chosen for the seat. “I want to grow Walcott, because the only way we save Walcott from something happening with Davenport schools is grow Walcott,” he said. “I think this would be a great opportunity to continue to give back for the community,” he said. Quick was sworn in by Puck immediately following the vote. Megan McKibbin, vice president of the Walcott Volunteer Firefighters’ Association, also applied for the seat. She told the council she would focus on “the ins and outs of the numbers” if appointed. “Everybody needs to have a nerdy spreadsheet person around every once in a while,” she said. “That's kind of where my knowledge, skills and abilities can help.” Lynnette Tarchinski, who ran for the city council in November and had expressed interest in the open seat, did not apply. She told The North Scott Press that she believed the council had already decided to appoint Quick to the seat despite her longstanding interest. Residents of Walcott packed the city’s modest council chambers for the meeting. Several said they had come with reservations about the council’s decision to appoint rather than elect their next member. “I was just kind of concerned about the haste in which you're looking to install a new council member,” Joe Aubry said. “You have enough for a quorum. It’s not an immediate necessity.” Mengler clarified that the council’s decision to appoint a new member followed the pattern laid down by other recent vacancies. Both Tarchinski and Aubry told The NSP they planned to run for the seat March 3. Both said the decision should be made by the community rather than the council. “I think citizens who want to have a special election are a great example of citizens wanting to have their voices heard,” Tarchinski said. “I’d just rather have community input rather than only council input,” Aubry said. Auditor’s report Walcott’s fiscal year 2025 independent report returned top marks for city staff. Rickertsen presented the report, conduct by the State Auditor’s Office, to the council last Monday. The report held “no findings” in conflict with required practices and procedures and was approved unanimously. Fire department fee Multiple members of the public expressed concern about Fire Chief Joe Hahn’s proposal to charge groups for their use of the fire station’s common room. Hahn offered his proposal Jan. 5. Brent Puck, with Walcott Hearts and Hands, said the room was an important space for local volunteer groups. “I’m not a big fan of a fee being charged,” he said. “...Bottom line is, we do need a space for our civic organizations.” Stacey Koberg stressed that all local organizations and civic groups should be exempt from the fee. Tarchinski said she believed the city, and not the fire department, should oversee the space. The city “already owns the building, pays for the heating, the insurance,” she said. “It makes more sense for people who are here every day to manage that space,” she said. Mayor Puck said he had not yet received a written proposal from Hahn. Hahn said Jan. 5 that he would like to exempt community and volunteer groups from the fee. He offered several examples but did not provide a full list. Bids open on well project The council also voted to authorize taking of bids for a new well planned for E. Wulf Rd. The well is estimated to cost up to $1.6 million, Rickertsen said last year. The council set a public hearing on the project for its regular meeting Feb. 2. Bids are due 10 a.m. Feb. 25 and will be opened by the council at their first meeting in March. Other business In other news, the council: • Approved three new members for the Walcott Fire Department: Charles Kirkley, Michael Showers, and Nathan Sidlinger. • Completed the second of three readings of routine amendments to city building code. • Reapproved the city’s investment policy, presented by Rickertsen. • Approved a five-year primary road maintenance plan with the Iowa Department of Transportation. • Set its annual budget review meeting for 5 p.m. Feb. 3.
	“9 to 5: The Musical,” February 6 through 15 Lauded by the New York Daily News as "fresh and original" with "bouncy, big-hearted songs," the acclaimed stage version of a film-comedy smash enjoys a February 6 through 15 run at Moline's Spotlight Theatre, with 9 to 5: The Musical deemed "a triumph" by The Guardian, which added, "It seemed improbable, given the cult status of the movie, but the stage show has met it and raised it, rather than being its pale imitation."
	Alice in Wonderland opens Friday Don’t be late, as this weekend marks a very important date on the Lancer Productions calendar. This year’s Children’s Theatre production of “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” opens Friday night, with shows on Saturday and Sunday as well. And Children’s Theatre doesn’t just feature a show. Included in the price of a ticket is admission to the Literacy Festival, which features games, an art walk, and a Scholastic Book Fair. The festival opens two hours prior to each show and runs for 90 minutes, closing a half hour prior to curtain. “Come buy books at the Book Fair so we can buy books for our school libraries!” said producer Stacie Kintigh. The fun doesn’t stop there. The Drama Boosters have “all kinds of fun stuff planned,” said Kintigh. That includes merchandise, as well as a dinner special featuring a hot dog, corn dog or chicken, and a side, and the Dessert of the Show will also be on offer. And, just prior to the start of each performance, there will be a special preshow presentation by the TickTock Tea Party, featuring a cast of elementary and junior high students from across the district. “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” is based on the series of books by Lewis Carroll and the animated Disney film. It features songs from the 1951 cartoon and the 2010 live-action film, including “A Golden Afternoon,” “The Unbirthday Song,” and “Painting the Roses Red,” as well as new material written just for the show. While the show is a celebration of imagination and wonder, it also tells a story about the importance of knowing and discovering your true self. “This is my favorite Disney movie ever,” said Brayden Serrano, who plays the Mad Hatter. “I grew up with the movie, and I came to see it when we did it back in 2014 or something, and I was obsessed with it. I just love ‘Alice in Wonderland’ so much, and like, ‘Coraline,’ all that. And doing this and being the Mad Hatter too. That’s such a staple character.” “We’ve also been plotting this for a year,” said Grady Kirst, who plays the Caterpillar. “Last year, we were like, we’re going to do ‘Alice,’ we just know it. And now that it’s actually here and we’re doing it, it’s full circle, getting to do what we want to do.” Director Leiren Jackson said the reward for Children’s Theatre is in the reaction of the audience. “The payoff is the delight you see with the kids, and they will tell you exactly how they feel about it, good or bad. Whatever reaction they have, they’re not tempering it. And I love that, and I love our tie-in with the literacy program. Seeing the kids’ delight when they get to take the book home. Their squeals are just … it’s everything.” Addyson Yanke, who plays Alice, said her favorite part of Children’s Theatre is getting to see the impact on young audiences. “I love getting to see their happy faces. And getting to work with everyone and seeing the show come to life. And when (the students) get here, they get so excited and so happy.” Emma Zrostlik plays the March Hare and said she also enjoys seeing the reactions from the audience. “A lot of the choices and blocking, what we do in Children’s Theatre is geared towards children’s minds. So, seeing their reactions to the jokes we make for them is always fun.” Another way the cast gets to interact with the audience is during a special performance for fourth graders across the district. After the performance, the cast and crew take questions from the audience about the show. “I love to do the talk-back after the fourth-grade show,” said Kirst. “That’s my favorite part.” “I always like the show, too, because it’s so fun,” Serrano said. “Doing shows that are really animated is really fun and easy for me, and it’s a way to get my energy out.” “It’s a different kind of acting, and I think it’s way more fun to do,” agreed Addalie Reese, who plays the mercurial Queen of Hearts. “And I just love the hint of craziness. It’s so different. I feel like we haven’t done a show like this in a really long time, and it’s been really fun to have those moments where you’re watching it and you’re like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m enjoying it.’” Mason Smeltzer plays the King of Hearts, and this is also his first musical with Lancer Productions. “I think it’s kind of set me up to know how to handle them, and how fun it is to be around everybody. And I think this show in particular is very fun, the music and the choreo.” Kirst said this show will also be a new experience for audiences who might be familiar with the classic “Alice.” “I think this version came out last year, so it’s relatively new and not many people have seen it before.” Cast members said there are a lot of Disney jokes sprinkled throughout, including references to “Mary Poppins,” “The Little Mermaid,” and the “Frozen” series. “This show moves really quickly,” said Jackson. “And it’s really just a lot of fun. It’s not super heavy, and I think that’s a good thing for our times, and in the winter, just being able to come in and say, ‘We’re going to be goofy for a while.’ And I hope that’s the experience the audience has, a little bit of escapism.” The cast includes: Addyson Yanke (Alice); Bella Suarez (Small Alice); Marlayna Cockshoot (Tall Alice); Ally Sosnowski (Mathilda); Riley Johnson (Friend); Sophia Frahm (Friend); Emme Plett (Cheshire Cats), Emily Stutting (Cheshire Cats); Natalie Sierk (Cheshire Cats), Sophia Nelson (Cheshire Cats); Jane Nichols (White Rabbit); Ashton Goodwin (Doorknob); Ben Hill (Dodo Bird); Taylar Vondal (Tweedle Dee); Riley Plymale (Tweedle Dum); Nora Davis (Rose); Charlotte Madden (Lily); Katelyn Peck (Petunia); Madilynn Hillmann (Daisy); Brooklyn Lacher (Violet); Grady Kirst (Caterpillar); Brayden Serrano (Mad Hatter); Emma Zrostlik (March Hare); Mason Smeltzer (King of Hearts); Addalie Reese (Queen of Hearts); Camdyn Strom (Ace of Hearts); Charli Conner (Two of Clubs); Hayden Lacher (Three of Diamonds); Jack McCarthy (Four of Hearts). Members of the Wonderland Ensemble include: Micah Webb, Eleanor White, Laylah Boutelle, Samantha Mussack, Ella Dierickx, Charlotte Mendenhall, Callie Poinsett, Lyla Jones, Michael Hames, Ezekiel Skyles and Obadiah Hagedorn. The cast of the TickTock Tea Party preshow includes Kaelyn Biehl, Liam Biehl, Ryli Fierce, Olivia Grimm, James Grubb, Alaina Hickey, Harper Huff, Jax Huntley, Elena Jones, Isabel Jones, Spencer Jones, Ambellina Kelly, Raea Koberg, Savanna Lovell, Rosalyn Lyons, Sawyer Marple, Elly Matheson, Amelia McCarty, Camilla Miller, Reilly Nienhaus, Eila Pearson, Ben Peterson, Eleanor Ruiz, Elena Skadal, Cooper Stevens, Oliver Verhaeghe, Brecken Vondal, Esme Wye and Ashley Yanke. “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” is directed by Leiren Jackson, and the musical director is Bobby Becher. The show is produced by Stacie Kintigh, with Emily Hintze as marketing and public relations lead. The TickTock Tea Party is directed by Maddie Harbour and Joie Stoefen. Kaitlyn Knepper and Haidyn Koberg are the Literacy Festival coordinators. Technical director is Josh Tipsword, assisted by Justin Walker. Renae Mohr is costume lead. The stage manager is Mya Kelsey, assisted by Kelsey Clayton. Lighting design is by Hannah Nelson, assisted by Kora Thiessen. Bella Riley is spotlight operator, and Kora Thiessen is light board operator. Madi Brus is the sound effects operator, and Taylor Crain is the sound board operator. The properties master is Pacey Kane. The stage crew includes Alliana Ray and Gabriel Ruggles. The costume crew includes Emma Reif, Eva Wyatt, Ella Siokos and Haidyn Koberg. Performances are Friday, Jan. 30, and Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m. in the North Scott Fine Arts Auditorium. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students, plus a credit card processing fee if applicable. Tickets are available at the door or at tix.nshslp.com. The show runs just over one hour, not including the preshow.
	Attorney: no conflict of interest in CIPCO request Business ties between a Scott County supervisor and a farmer who has optioned land to Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) do not constitute a conflict of interest as supervisors weigh a proposed power plant, according to Assistant County Attorney Kristina Lyon. CIPCO has asked supervisors to approve a change to county code that would allow the plant to move forward on 90 acres of agricultural land they have optioned east of Maysville from farmer Tom Dittmer. Supervisors put that request on hold in October, after members of the public questioned whether Dittmer’s business ties with Board Chair John Maxwell might constitute a conflict of interest. They do not, Lyon wrote in an opinion shared Jan. 16. The request before the board of supervisors would add “thermal electric energy generation” to a list of 14 approved “special uses” for agricultural land in Scott County. Lyon’s opinion clarifies that a “disqualifying conflict” depends on whether a supervisor has a “substantial, tangible pecuniary interest that would be directly affected by the board’s decision.” Dittmer rents two hog barns from Maxwell, according to the opinion. That relationship does not amount to “a substantial, tangible, pecuniary interest that would be affected by amending the ordinance to add a special use,” Lyon wrote. “In fact, John Maxwell has no pecuniary interest that would be affected by the ordinance,” she continued. “Although Dittmer would undoubtedly profit from an eventual sale of an acreage to CIPCO, the action currently before the Scott County Board of Supervisors is not specific to CIPCO, Tom Dittmer, or any individual. “The amendment of the ordinance is wholly unrelated to any relationship John Maxwell has with Tom Dittmer. Even IF the CIPCO facility is constructed, John Maxwell has no pecuniary interest related to said facility,” Lyon wrote. If the board approves the amendment, CIPCO would have to request a special use permit from the county Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA). Dittmer is a member of that board and has said he would recuse himself from all discussion. Members of the public have said that other members of the ZBA and of the county Planning and Zoning Commission, which has already recommended the ordinance to the supervisors, have similar business ties to Dittmer. Lyon wrote that “it would not be appropriate at this step in the process to project potential conflicts relating to various business relationships upon an amendment that does not directly involve Tom Dittmer.” “Depending on the outcome of the vote by the Scott County Board of Supervisors, the other alleged potential conflicts may become moot,” she wrote. Lyon concluded her opinion with a quote from 1969 Iowa Supreme Court case Wilson v. Iowa City, where the justices adopted the language of a 1952 New Jersey ruling on conflicts of interest. The quote suggests that even the appearance of a conflict of interest can compromise the legitimacy of a board’s decision. “The concurrence of an interested member in the action taken by the body taints it with illegality… The infection of the concurrence of the interested person spreads, so that the action of the whole body is voidable,” it reads. “It being impossible to determine whether the virus of self-interest affected the result, it must needs be assumed that it dominated the body's deliberations, and that the judgment was its product,” it concludes. “Best practice, if a Supervisor believes a conflict to exist, would be to abstain from voting,” Lyon summarized.
	Scott County legislators talk taxes, energy with QCC Property taxes, workforce growth, and energy needs were top of mind for Scott County legislators who gathered at the St. Ambrose Rogalski Center, 518 W. Locust Street, Friday morning for a forum with members of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. Legislators have now entered the third week of the 2026 session. Republicans in the State House, Senate, and Governor’s Office have put forward three different tax reform proposals, and passed promised restrictions on eminent domain in the House last week. Chamber Director Peter Tokar asked nine senators and representatives a series of questions on local priorities. Legislators’ perspectives tended to follow with their party line. Republican Representatives voiced optimism for property tax reforms they say will help struggling Iowans, while Democrats worried that property tax cuts could harm local services and schools. Republicans touted workforce and energy development programs designed to make Iowa attractive for business. Democrats said legislators had to ensure those programs supported everyday Iowans—as some did—rather than offer boondoggles to industry. Proposals for property tax reform Representative Gary Mohr, R-Bettendorf pitched the chamber House Republicans’ vision for tax reform. Their program would cap city and county revenues at 2% annual growth, with carveouts for new construction, school funding, and debt levies. It would also exempt homeowners from paying taxes on the first $25,000 of their home valuation. Unlike bills proposed by the governor and Senate, the House bill includes no targeted relief for seniors, Mohr said. “If we freeze property taxes for seniors, everybody else's taxes have to go up to compensate for it,” Mohr said. “We had a group of young families who wanted us to freeze property taxes for young families. Same thing. If we freeze property taxes on young families, everybody else's property taxes have to go up.” “So theoretically, while it sounds good, applicability makes it difficult in our minds,” he said. Senator Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf offered a defense of the Senate proposal, which would relax the 2% revenue cap proposed by the House. “We have… what we would call a soft cap, which means that if the city has a need, or an availability, or some sort of event that needs them to go over that 2%, they can go to the vote of the people,” Webster said. The Senate proposal would also eliminate the current “rollback” system, which places an annual exemption the taxable value of residential, commercial, and farmland. In its place, home owners would receive a 50% exemption on their, property up to $350,000 in value. Seniors would be granted further exemptions, Webster added. “We have a non-simple system now. We're trying to make it simple, and sometimes to make something simple, you got to blow up a whole system,” he said. “And I believe that's what we're trying to do with this.” Democratic Senator Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport said that those cuts posed a risk to the “sustainability” of local services and schools that rely on property tax income. Representative Dan Gosa, D-Davenport echoed her concerns. “A lot of people at the state legislature never served in local government, and they don't understand how those property taxes work and the different services that are provided,” Gosa said. Representative Ken Croken, D-Davenport said that legislators were wrong to focus on tax cuts as they worked to help struggling homeowners. “I don't believe the issue is property taxes. The issue is affordability, and it has to be taken in the context of all the obligations that our homeowners are facing,” he said. Jobs tied to energy Mohr and Webster said that guaranteeing cheap and available power was a priority for Republican leadership this term. “Both sides talk about increasing jobs. We want companies to come to this state. We want you guys to increase your employment in this state. We need to have plentiful, cheap energy,” Mohr said. “I'm in favor of all kinds—solar, gas-fired power plants, nuclear,” he added. “As we look to the future, our energy demands are increasing tremendously, and we have to be ahead of that.” “I would say the same thing's happening in the Senate,” Webster said. We're having an across-the-board conversation on how to make sure that Iowa is an across-the-board energy state.” “This is a conversation that's going on at the upper echelons of the Iowa Senate and the majority party, quite often, almost daily,” he continued. Linn County recently finalized a rezoning ordinance that could bring the defunct Duane Arnold nuclear plant back online by 2029. Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) has proposed construction of a $400 million, 240-MW natural gas “peaking” plant in rural Scott County. After the meeting, Webster told The North Scott Press that approval of the Maysville plant was still a “local” issue. But he hoped to see it move forward. “It’d be unfortunate if they can’t work out a solution,” he said. “The need for power is huge.” “Overall, it’s a county board decision. But it’s a regional problem,” he added. Gosa said that the state should get behind energy projects that would bring hundreds of temporary construction jobs to the state—jobs he used to work, he said. “My career, my livelihood, was made on temporary jobs. I worked in construction. Some years, I might have had 20 different W-2s,” he said. And the demand for power was undeniable. “There is a very high demand for power. There's going to come a point where you're going to go flip that light switch on and the light’s not going to come on. We need it. We need to address it and get it done,” Gosa said. Other Democrats said that legislators should be careful to make sure that access to energy and other utilities was equitable across Iowa. “Some of the communities are struggling with availability of water and availability of power on the residential side, because the businesses that have come in have taken so much of the power and the water,” Winckler claimed. “We have to have a balance and make sure that… the cost of the business coming in is shared,” she continued. “We don’t want to put it on residential taxpayers.”
	Illinois sees its worst flu season in recent years as vaccine skepticism grows At least 100 people have died from the flu this season in Illinois, with 77 of those deaths occurring this month alone, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
	Democrats to caucus Feb. 2 at Davenport North The Scott County Democrats will caucus on Monday, Feb. 2, at Davenport North High School, 626 W. 53rd St. Doors open at 6 p.m. You must be in line or signed up by 7 p.m. to participate, and the caucus will begin at 7 p.m. The purpose of this year’s caucus is to: • Strategize as a county party on our goals for 2026 • Elect delegates and alternates to the County Convention • Elect Precinct Committee Persons to the County Central Committee • Discuss and adopt proposed resolutions to be added to the county platform The precinct caucus is a great way to get involved in grassroots activities with the Iowa Democratic Party. All Iowa Democrats are encouraged to attend, and registration will be available on-site. Iowans who will be 18 on or by Nov. 3, 2026, can register to vote and participate in the caucus. For more information, call the Scott County Democrats at 563-324-7699 or email info@scottcountydems.org. Information is also available at scottcountydems.org.
	Candidate for Ag Secretary pitches Scott County Dems Chris Jones hardly ever sees an open seat when he speaks in Iowa. An environmental advocate and Democratic candidate for Secretary of Agriculture, Jones told a Scott County crowd Thursday that frustration with water quality and agricultural pollution is rising throughout the state. A commitment to cheap corn, soy, pork, and ethanol have degraded the environment and left farmers at the mercy of corporations that provide patent-protected inputs, Jones argued at Modern Woodmen Park, 209 S. Gaines Street. Meanwhile, taxpayers have subsidized both ethanol production and conservation programs. “We have here in Iowa a real dissatisfaction with the environmental outcomes from the current production model,” Jones said. “Farmers are frustrated: they're not getting the outcomes that they want. The public is frustrated: they're not getting the outcomes that they want. And so why are we doing what we're doing? Nobody's happy,” he said. The solution, Jones believes, is agricultural diversity. Trying out new production models could free farmers, their neighbors, and the environment from the grip of “ungovernable, multinational agribusiness corporations.” “Iowa used to be, believe it or not, the top apple state… We used to be the top sorghum state, the top barley state. Lots of things will grow here,” Jones said. Iowa used to be a major producer of oats, as well as honey, with bees raised on fields of alfalfa that fed pastured cattle, he recalled. “We need to help farmers get into a different production model. You just don't wake up one morning and say, I'm going to grow apples. You don't even wake up and say, I'm going to grow oats. You've got to have infrastructure developed to accommodate these other crops,” he said. He hopes to lead that change from the Secretary’s office. History to candidacy Jones was raised in Ankeny, earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Montana State University, and spent the early years of his career Minnesota. He returned to Des Moines to run the city water works in 2003. Those works draw from the Raccoon River, among the most polluted waterways in the country. “I'd see the brown foamy water and the nitrate would be sky high. And I just would think, where's the outrage?” Jones said. Slowly that outrage grew. After taking a job at the University of Iowa, Jones started an online blog that explained water quality research in plain terms, with heavy criticism of agribusiness. Jones unexpectedly retired in 2023 amid rumors that state senators had pressured the University to shut down his blog. “It just bewildered me how communicating this information in honest ways, in ways that connected with average people… became such a threat to the industry,” he said. “And as I saw how they viewed this as a threat, I knew how this whole thing was so weak.” Pollution and its costs Jones said that for half a century, Iowans have been drinking water filled with agricultural chemicals. For half that time, they have known they pose a cancer risk. “We've known for about 25 years now that drinking water above three parts-per-million nitrate poses a risk for cancer: a risk for bladder cancer in post-menopausal women, a risk for thyroid cancer, a risk for colorectal cancer, and some others,” he said. The legal limit is 10 parts-per-million nitrate. Agricultural runoff and overfertilization are the leading sources of nitrate pollution across Iowa. “Is it any surprise now that we have the second-highest cancer rate in the country? I'd say it is not. It's not a surprise,” he said. Jones argued that, for decades, state and national policies have guaranteed demand and support for ethanol and confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). As those policies reshaped the industry, they trapped farmers with ever-rising input costs and neighbors with the health impacts pollution, he said. Jones said that opposition to reform has not come from farmers so much as the corporations which control the farming industry. “Who is getting the outcomes that they want? Well, I'll tell you who it is: it's these ungovernable multinational agribusiness corporations. They get the outcomes that they want. They always make money, whether or not the farmers are making money,” he said. “They're making big bucks: Cargill, Syngenta, Corteva, Koch Industries.” Those same companies have bought state regulators, Jones argued. “Guess who funds incumbent Mike Naig’s campaign? It's those entities that I just mentioned. He's not a secretary of agriculture; he's a secretary of agribusiness,” he said. Jones said that state conservation efforts have left taxpayers, rather than the agricultural industry, responsible for cleanup. The state currently reimburses farmers for “in-field practices” like saturated buffers and bioreactors that Jones said keep the current production model alive without considering alternatives. “This is what we call the cost share model in conservation. It's what we've done here for a long, long time, at least 50 years, if not longer… It hasn't given us the water quality that we want,” Jones said, as the state continues to allow fall tilling, winter spreading, and farming right up to streambanks. Jones said that as secretary of agriculture, he would shift conservation efforts towards a diversification of the industry and enforcement of existing pollution statutes.
	Former McCausland clerk posts bail Sheila Bosworth, the former clerk of McCausland charged with the theft of over $63,000 in city funds, posted bail last week. Bosworth had been held at the Scott County Jail since November, when Judge Eric Syverud set cash-only bail at $25,000. Bail was lowered to $2,500 at a hearing Dec. 30. Bosworth could not post bail with a bondsman. The case is set for pre-trial conference Feb. 20.
	Young Footliters Youth Theatre's “A Wrinkle in Time,” February 6 through 8 Adapted from the YA science-fantasy that has sold more than 10 million copies and was a 2018 Disney movie smash, Madeleine L'Engle's iconic A Winkle in Time enjoys a February 6 through 8 staging at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, the inspiration for this latest production by the student talents of Young Footliters Youth Theatre a work the National Education Association listed as one of its "Teachers' top 100 books for children."
	Eldridge Lions continue to lead KidSight screenings Many people already know the Lions Club provides vision saving assistance through donations of used eyeglasses. But the Lions Club also offers services to children through the KidSight program. In Iowa, KidSight is run through a collaboration between the Lions Clubs of Iowa and the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Services and the Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The KidSight program is designed for children aged six months through kindergarten and works to enhance early detection and treatment programs for vision impairment. The screening can identify such vision problems as farsightedness, nearsightedness, cataracts, muscle imbalances, and astigmatisms. All screenings are offered free of charge. Since 2000, more than 800,000 children across the state have received a KidSight screening. At the local level, the Eldridge Lions Club has screened more than 7,500 children at 553 sessions. More than 350 children have been referred for detected vision problems. The club regularly visits elementary schools in the North Scott School District, with the Long Grove Lions also assisting with screenings at Alan Shepard. The club also has conducted screenings at several preschools in the area. KidSight screenings fulfil the state mandated requirement that all children must receive an eye exam before entering kindergarten. Dan Ferry is the KidSight coordinator for the Eldridge Lions. He said vision screenings are conducted using a special digital camera. The camera allows the screener to type in information about each child and has aiming dots on the front that the screener can use to focus the camera, as well as two flashes that illuminate the eye. “There are flashing lights to capture the child’s attention, because we want them to look directly into the camera,” said Ferry. “And when we push the shutter button, almost simultaneously, there will be a vertical flash and a horizontal flash. We get two pictures of the child’s eye, and there should be a white dot in the middle of the pupil.” Lions Club screeners do a preliminary check on the photos to make sure the photos meet KidSight criteria. “We look for the dots in the center of the eye. The pupil has to be more than four millimeters, or dilated, in other words. It has to be in focus, and we have to have four eyes. Sometimes it’s a challenge, with active kids, but once we meet those criteria, we save the picture.” The photos are then transmitted to the University of Iowa, where trained ophthalmology screeners view the photos and look for issues. If a problem is detected, parents will receive a letter instructing them to arrange for a more advanced eye exam with a local doctor. “The whole idea is to find these problems before they start to impact academic performance,” said Ferry. The Eldridge Lions Club has had its current camera since about 2012, said Ferry. But technological advances have created new cameras, and the club would like to purchase one. To that end, they’ll be taking donations and hosting a jigsaw puzzle building contest to raise money. The Iowa KidSight program spent most of 2025 conducting an evaluation of available screening devices and will be transitioning to the G5 Vision Screener by iScreen, and KidSight will begin rolling out the cameras in the first part of this year. The camera has a retail value of just over $9,400, although trade-in discounts are available. “We knew that the present iScreen technology was evolving into a new device. Before committing, we invited competitors to present their devices,” Dr. Bill Scott, Iowa KidsSight medical director, told the statewide Lions newsletter. “After careful consideration by Lions, Iowa KidsSight staff and Medical Advisory Board members, the group determined the best path forward was with the new iScreen device.” Buck Brown, CEO of iScreen, said, “iScreen Vision is excited about the upcoming release of our new G5 Vision Screener. We designed it to incorporate many features our customers requested, and Iowa KidSight’s input was invaluable. We are confident the G5 will make it even easier for Iowa Lions and grassroots volunteers to continue identifying childhood vision problems, as they already have for thousands of Iowa children.” Ferry said that, while the Lions’ current camera was a “big step up” from the original screening device, a Polaroid camera, getting a new camera will also be a boon for the club. “At this point now, the technology has changed. This is an old NiCad battery, which can be kind of problematic. We can’t change the battery by ourselves. We have to take it to the Iowa KidSight office or ship it there to have them change it.” The new camera has a battery that local clubs will be able to change and recharge on their own. Ferry said there are other problems with the current camera. “The keyboard on this is kind of clunky. Sometimes you have to press really hard to get a response. The new camera will have a touchscreen, and it should be a little more intuitive to the user. Which is good, because some of our screeners don’t do it more than once a year.” Ferry said the new camera also has a better aiming system, which should allow for faster set-up and photo taking. “One of the things the KidSight office encourages the screeners to do is take more than one picture if they’re unsure going through our quality control process. If they’re not, if we’re not quite sure, they take another picture, so they have a better chance of finding a usable screen. With this camera, we’d take the child’s first picture, and then we’d have to reenter the child’s information to take the second picture. With the new camera, that information will be preserved.” He said the transmission process will also be easier. With the old camera, Ferry needed to hook a network cable up to his router to send the photos. The new camera can connect to Wi-Fi, and the state office can access the photos through a website, rather than having to download them individually. “It’s going to be smaller, more compact. Because, you can imagine, this one is a little clunky, a little heavy. And sometimes we do 50, 60, 70 kids in a morning.” The Lions Club motto is, “We Serve.” And Ferry said he’s proud, not only to be a Lion, but to have the opportunity to serve youth. “Vision is one of the key service areas for Lions, and this program gives me a chance to be a part of that,” said Ferry. “I’ve been doing this since I joined the Lions in 2006. I think this was one of the first activities I got involved with. “It’s kind of satisfying being able to have a firsthand interaction with the kids. You see the effort is going to good.” For more information on the club, visit EldridgeLions.org.
	“The Cigarette Surfboard,” February 8 Winner of Best Feature Documentary prizes at the Waco Independent Film Festival and Richmond International Film Festival, as well as the Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the Green Film Festival of San Francisco, 2024's The Cigarette Surfboard serves as the fourth presentation in the 2026 QC Environmental Film Series hosted by River Action, the 90-minute movie also hailed by KPBS.org as "a beautiful and inspiring portrait of activism."
	Knights of Columbus free-throw contest The St. Ann’s Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship will be held Saturday, Jan. 31, from 1-2 p.m. at Neil Armstrong Elementary School in Park View. All boys and girls ages 9-14 are invited to participate in the local competition. Winners will progress through local, district, regional, and state competitions. Plaques will be awarded for first place in each age group and gender. Winners in each 12 divisions move on to the District Championship. There is no cost to enter the event. Participants are required to furnish proof of age and written parental consent. Entry forms are available the day of the contest. Age eligibility is determined by age of contestant as of Jan. 1. A total of 15 shots will be taken to determine each age group winner at the local level and then 25 shots at the next levels. For additional information, please contact Sam Samara at Samuel.Samara@gmail.com or call 563-505-7267.
	Checking in on Children's Theatre Lancer Productions prides itself on providing an educational experience for its students. And one of the ways the staff tries to do that is by giving the cast and crew an opportunity to work with different directors. That’s been true for Children’s Theatre, as three years ago, North Scott alum Nate Curlott joined the directing staff with his partner, Leiren Jackson. This year though, things have changed slightly, as it’s just Leiren. Nate is busy with the national touring company of “Clue: On Stage,” playing Colonel Mustard. That show is scheduled to appear at the Adler Theatre in Davenport on April 1. Leiren has lots of experience with this show though, having played a Disney Alice in a different production. “It’s been so fun and rewarding,” she said of this production. “I’m excited that I know the material better. I feel like I’ve been able to come a little more settled with my ideas because of my experience before. It’s been great – as an actor, you have opinions, and it’s your job to keep them to yourself. So, it’s been great to not have to keep any of that to myself and get to bring my vision to life with it.” Still, she said it’s a little different not having Nate around. “It’s harder in that, Nate is my sunshine. I take things very seriously and get all the practical stuff done, but Nate is the one who, at the end of the day is like, ‘Have some fun!’ So, I don’t have that sort of yin to my yang, and I’ve had to get my perfectionism kind of out of the way on my own. “So, I miss that. And we’re always on the same page creatively, and I just love bouncing ideas off of him. So, it is my preference to direct with him, for sure. And, you know, have him around,” she said with a laugh. As for the students, they haven’t missed a beat, and love working with Leiren. “You can just really tell she cares about you,” said senior Jane Nichols, who plays the White Rabbit. “She’s just so sweet and she’s, I think, the most creative person I know.” “Leiren also sees all the positives,” said sophomore Mason Smeltzer, who plays the King of Hearts. “Even when she’s criticizing, she still does it in the nicest way possible, where she’s still telling you what you need to fix, but in a way where you still think you’re doing good.” And the feeling is mutual. “These kids are so, so great,” said Leiren. “They care so deeply about putting on a good show. After every single rehearsal, I feel like I have a line of eight to 10 kids coming up and saying, ‘What can I do to make the show better?' That level of commitment and care, it is just really beyond their years. And they bring so much, individually, creatively. I love seeing what they bring to the table. It’s just been a real delight.” Speaking of delight … One of the most fun things about every Lancer Productions show is seeing their marketing ideas. And one student is taking an idea and running with it. For the last couple of seasons, LP has done collaborations with Sips Coffee in Eldridge for energy and other drinks. Sophomore Mason Smeltzer has taken over this project in a big way. “I message them on Instagram and see if they’re willing to collaborate, which they usually are, for each show,” Mason said. “For ‘Clue,’ I designed the drinks, not the menu. But for this, I designed the drinks and the menu.” For “Alice,” he designed four drinks. They include: Alice, a mixture of blue raspberry, cupcake, cold foam and white chocolate; Royal Hearts, which is strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, edible glitter and white chocolate; Mad Hatter, featuring green apple, pineapple, pop rocks and white chocolate; and White Rabbit, including pineapple, cupcake, vanilla, cream and white chocolate. Not only does Mason design the drinks, but he also reviews them on his Instagram page (Lancer Productions links the videos to their page as well). Each video gives a little insight into the design process, as well as his initial impressions. He’s already done the Mad Hatter drink. “I plan on reviewing Royal Hearts next. I had to put that one because I’m the King of Hearts, so I had to incorporate something with me and the Queen. That’s going to be the next one, but I plan on doing the last three before opening night.” He’s also already thinking ahead to “The Addams Family” in April. “I’ll probably do a drink for Lurch, Pugsley, and then Fester and Gomez or Morticia. Fester’s will probably be something electricity blue. Lurch, I might do a mystery thing. Because he doesn’t really talk, you don’t know what’s going on with him. “I plan on doing this until I graduate. I’ve kind of started this because my aunt is an influencer, and I’ve been inspired by her. And that’s why I’ve been given the confidence to talk to Sips and post myself out there reviewing.” For more information on the collabs, check out facebook.com/sipsofeldridge or visit instagram.com/nshslp to see Mason’s reviews. And don’t forget to see “Alice” this weekend with shows at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Literacy Festival will also be going on, including a Scholastic Book Fair, opening two hours prior to each show, and closing 30 minutes prior to curtain.
	The rise of Facebook and the end of responsibility At the beginning of every Walcott City Council meeting, members of the public are asked to introduce themselves. Sometimes this is a bit of a joke. At more than one meeting, I have been the only member of the public there. Just so: it is my job to carry important news out to the public. Which is why I was delighted last week when a man told the city council that he decided to attend after reading something in The North Scott Press (Jan. 14), namely that the city fire chief had asked to charge volunteer groups for use of the station’s meeting room. Another man said he hoped to hear more from the applicants to city council after reading their interviews with The NSP in print the same week. Perhaps I am flattering myself, but this is the way things are supposed to work. Government meetings can be long, dull, and difficult to drop in on at random. They are opaque not because cities are trying to hide anything, but because the operation of a modern city requires a dizzying number of acronyms. Unfiltered public information has the power of a floodlight: it can blind as easily as illuminate. Nowadays when people show up to a city council meeting, their reason, often as not, is Facebook. Facebook and other social media represent the perfect democratization of the news: written by everyone, for everyone, all the time. A legion of subjective observers replaces the single, objective observer. Don’t they average to the same thing, anyway? Of course not. One of the reasons we elect city council members, supervisors, and school board members is to anoint them with responsibility—something we try constantly, in all kinds of small ways, to avoid. Responsibility is a demand that we act in the trust and faith of others. It terrifies our selfish instincts like nothing else. It scares me every day. The beauty of Facebook is the complete absence of responsibility. No one serves to moderate discussion or check sources. Everyone hurls accusations and demands for which no one is accountable. We indulge our selfishness and participate in society as though we were spectators. Once, a challenge to our beliefs might have carried the force of a trusted neighbor or a trusted reporter. Now we recognize that since no one on the Internet assumes responsibility, no one can be trusted. We can only trust ourselves. No doubt these reflections are self-serving. They amount to, “Please, read the newspaper, we have not lost relevance in the digital age.” The irony is not lost on me: if you’ve made it this far, you already read the newspaper. Then there is the further irony that if, by some miracle, this column reaches a wider audience, it will probably be through Facebook. Nonetheless I felt I had to put my thoughts down in writing. I confess that my periodic hopelessness is as much about The NSP and Walcott City Council as it is about the state of the nation at large. So many, it seems, have shrugged off responsibility, especially those to whom we have given it. The rest of us have been left with the daunting, perhaps fatal, prospect of assuming it ourselves. I have the extraordinary privilege of being paid to write. I must—I must—believe that writing can still change a mind, illuminate rather than blind. If I don’t believe it, who will?
	2001: Adults join NS 'West Side Story' cast Jan. 28, 1976 • A judge rejected an injunction filed against the City of Davenport by Eldridge city officials regarding Caterpillar’s request to voluntarily annex into Davenport. The injunction asked that Davenport be denied the right to receive, accept and approve Caterpillar’s request. Judge James Havercamp said there was “no showing of irreparable damage” to Eldridge if Davenport annexed the Mount Joy plant. Eldridge city attorney John Stonebraker said he believed there may be additional support for another injunction request, and a steering committee of Eldridge business and city representatives also planned to make a presentation to Caterpillar executives showing the benefits of annexing into Eldridge instead. Committee chair Judd Awckerman said they didn’t feel their side had been heard so far. “Caterpillar never contacted anybody in Eldridge regarding the services we could provide,” he said. • Scott County farmer Wayne Dengler was named the champion soybean grower in the 1975 Iowa Master Soybean Growers’ Contest. His yield of 69 bushels per acre was the highest recorded in the contest’s history. • A long-awaited water tower was being constructed in Long Grove. Portions were being fabricated on the ground and lifted into place. • Approximately 12 elementary-aged girls in the Eldridge area were victims of an obscene telephone caller in one week. A mailing was sent home to parents explaining what to do if they received a call, and families were also encouraged to contact the police. “As a parent and a principal, I am concerned about the fear some of our children have already experienced,” said principal David Fairweather. “The school is cooperating with officials of Central Scott Telephone Company and the Eldridge Police Department.” • The North Scott girls’ basketball team defeated Davenport Assumption, 83-68, exhibiting strong defense combined with a 21-8 scoring run in a five-minute portion of the game. Koreen Knutson scored 29 points in the second half and was named one of the Players of the Week, together with Pat Jones and Cindi Strobbe. Jan. 29, 1986 • Officials from Central Trust & Savings Bank said they were feeling the effects of the poor economy and reported $721,000 in losses during 1985. Bank president Jim Tank said this was the result of unprofitable farming, real estate devaluation and high unemployment. Tank said these issues had pushed the bank to the point where a major infusion of capital would be necessary for the bank to maintain local ownership. • The North Scott School Board voted to create a centralized copy center for the district. Judy Bernhagen voted against the proposal, saying she had “serious reservations” about how well the system would operate and that she wasn’t convinced it would save the district money. “I think we need better facts before making a 10-year commitment” to a copy center, she said. She added that the district should have given more consideration to staff and teachers. • Virgil Grissom custodian Dave McLaughlin was honored with a special day of festivities on his retirement and 62nd birthday. McLaughlin had worked for the district for 29½ years and served as a custodian for 27 one-room schools before the district was formed. Students performed skits, songs and other presentations, including the fifth-grade class doing the “Super Dave Shuffle.” He also received several buckets of golf balls, with each of the 277 balls signed by a student. While he said retirement might take some getting used to, he was looking forward to it. “Every year the kids get better. The only thing is Uncle Dave gets older.” • Mike Busch was crowned king of Bachelor Capture during a pep aud in The Pit. • The North Scott boys’ basketball team upset Burlington, 44-43. Tim Albers was fouled with 16 seconds left in the game and put away both free throws to seal the victory. “I knew he was going to make them both,” said coach Bill Harris. “Just last week he hit 53 in a row in practice, and I wasn’t a bit concerned.” Jan. 31, 2001 • Exactly eight weeks after a fire demolished two of the four buildings at Olsen Engineering, company officials broke ground for a new, 50,000 square foot building. The building would be constructed with metal trusses and have a state-of-the-art alarm and sprinkler system. Olsen’s president and CEO Kevin Code said the buildings that burned down had been constructed in 1973, and the new facility would replace them. The buildings that remained would also be retrofitted to meet current fire codes. Company officials hoped the construction would be completed by May 1. • The race to replace Mike Bladel as Scott County sheriff grew again, as former deputy LaMar Lucas threw his hat in the ring as an independent. He had also owned an armored car business and worked in security. • Scott County administrator Glen Erickson announced his retirement, saying his last day with the county would be Jan. 4, 2002. He said he wanted to make his plans known early, so his replacement could be hired soon enough to give him time to work with the new person before his last days in office. He said he had enjoyed working with the county and said in retirement, “I’m going to probably move out to Arizona or something.” • Lancer Productions was preparing to present “West Side Story” as its winter musical. Daniel Kelchen and Kendra Wulf were cast as the star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria. The show would also feature adults in the cast, a first for Lancer Productions. These included Randy Denner as Officer Krupke, Tom Goodall as Doc, Steve Parmley as Glad Hand and Frank Wood as Lt. Shrank. • The North Scott wrestling team finished third at the Urbandale Invitational, with Adam Claussen, Travis Claussen and Tom Power all finishing second. But there was other drama for coach Dan Mashek, as he survived a harrowing car accident on Interstate 80 near Iowa City. His van slid on a patch of ice and rolled into the median. Soon after, as he was talking to an Iowa State Patrol trooper, another vehicle slid into the median from the opposite side of the interstate and clipped the trooper’s vehicle. Mashek was uninjured in the ordeal. “It was an experience I don’t want to go through again,” he said. “We’re looking forward to going back to the tournament next year, but I think I’ll ride next time.” Feb. 2, 2011 • Anne Sarafin of Eldridge was experiencing harrowing world events in person. The 2006 North Scott grad was living in Egypt, doing her student teaching abroad to complete her education degree at the University of Northern Iowa. As protests broke out across Cairo in opposition to the government, Sarafin and four UNI classmates were preparing to evacuate the country with help from the university and government officials. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my entire life,” Sarafin said from her apartment in Egypt. “It’s crazy. I feel like I’m in a movie.” • With the RAGBRAI trail set to end in Davenport, Walcott mayor Jim Couper said he was hoping to convince officials to let the route go through his town. “It would certainly give area communities more insight into RAGBRAI and let the people who are on RAGBRAI know a little bit about Walcott’s about,” he said. The route was still being established and would be tentatively set by mid-March. Couper called for a meeting with organizational leaders in the community to gauge their interest in a RAGBRAI stop but said he believed there was enthusiasm for the idea. • A demolition project in Dixon uncovered a rare antique. As Rick Meyer worked to tear down three old and dilapidated buildings on the town’s main drag, an unusual square grand piano was located on the second floor of one of the buildings. While the value of the piano was unclear, Meyer said he at least wanted to try to salvage it. • Students and staff at Ed White Elementary School celebrated the 100th day of school with a special day of activities, including making paper chains with 100 links and decorating neckties with 100 items. Students pictured included Trevor Kilburg, Tyson Haedt, Athena Nelson, Samantha Stilson, Gracie Graham, Addison Frahm, Kyle Rigsby, Tommy Santilli, Miles Robertson, Rhyan Schneckloth, Gracie Hamann and Brooke Meyer. • The North Scott boys’ basketball team set a record for the number of three-pointers in a game, with players going 16-30 from beyond the arc in a 76-50 win over Muscatine. Aaron Huber scored a career high 30 points. Earlier in the week, Brandon Voss became the school’s all-time leading scorer, collecting 25 points in a double overtime win over Davenport North. He currently had 1,040 points, breaking the record of 1,022 set by Keaton Frye in 2006. Voss still had a few more games to improve on that total, as the team was gearing up for substate. Jan. 27, 2021 • The prospect of solar farms in Scott County met with a chilly reception from members of the county planning and zoning commission. While there were no big projects currently proposed in the county, commissioners were familiar with a large-scale project in Louisa County and said they weren’t interested in a similar scenario. “Our comp plan says our first and foremost thing is agriculture preservation. I don’t believe solar panels give us ag preservation,” said board chair Carolyn Scheibe. “I say no. Taking 1,500 acres out of prime farmland; is that what this county is about? What’s the difference between this and putting up an 800-acre building?” asked commissioner Easton Armstrong. • North Scott’s elementary staff were working to bridge gaps in instruction caused by the pandemic and its interruption of the 2019-20 school year. Curriculum director Bernadette Brustkern said there was a slight decrease in proficiency for some students shown at the start of the 2020-21 school year, but teachers were working to track and address these deficiencies, and Jessica Marceau, a fifth-grade teacher at Ed White, said the ability to do small group instruction had also helped. There were still about 140 students taking online classes through Edgenuity, and superintendent Joe Stutting said the district and school board needed to consider ways technology and other educational models could be used to help students as well. • Scott County planning director Tim Huey proposed changing the name of Coonhunters Road near Blue Grass to Hunters Road. He said there were some who thought the current name of the road evoked a racial slur. While he said the name likely came from hunting practices, He said the proposed change continued the tradition without racist connotations. “No one’s going to object to that except maybe People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.” • The City of Eldridge was mourning the loss of utility billing clerk Kristi Ernst, who passed away after battling COVID. “Kristi was always pleasant to be around and willing to help co-workers and the public,” said city administrator Lisa Kotter. “We’ll all miss her daily smiles and laughs that could be heard throughout city hall.” City hall remained closed as the pandemic had hit most city employees and some officials, including mayor Marty O’Boyle. “We obviously have been taking it seriously,” said Kotter. “Something tragic like this makes you think much more about how real COVID is.” • North Scott wrestlers Khylie Wainwright (126) and Jorie Hanenburg (152) earned top 12 finishes at the girls’ state wrestling tournament in Coralville. “This was a pretty awesome event and our girls wrestled well,” said coach Brian Thomas. “It was a pretty cool deal all the way around and I hope we keep moving forward with that. Our numbers aren’t trending down, that’s for sure, so we’ll keep that program strong.”
	“Alice's Ordinary People,” February 6 On February 6, patrons of the East Moline Public Library are invited to discover how one individual affected extraordinary change for human rights, the library's screening of the hour-long documentary Alice's Ordinary People focused on trailblazer Alice Tregay, and covering five decades of fearless activism and the continuing relevance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s ongoing fight for justice.
	Iowa politicians have abandoned Minnesota neighbors Finally, front page coverage in the QCTimes of the federal government’s occupation of Minneapolis and St Paul, which is less than a day’s drive from here. The Twin Cities local police is 600 strong with 3,000 untrained, masked ICE agents in their midst that operate with no regard for the law or the truth. The agents break into homes, haul the undressed out into the cold, smash car windows and drag people off, use kids for bait, whatever it takes to meet the government quota. They are terrorizing the community, not making it safer. The local police are swamped with 911 calls, working overtime, they are exhausted. Residents are lawful, proud people. They want ICE out of Minnesota to allow business and schools to resume. So they gather to help and care for their neighbors because not all brown skinned people are criminals. They march nonviolently to protest tyranny in Minnesota. On the 23rd 50,000 marched for three hours in minus nine degree weather. Sadly, Iowa politicians have shown no support for our neighbor. A famous quote applies, “fiddles while Rome burns.” Of course, having trigger-fingered ICE agents in Minnesota is a diversion from the Epstein files. Mary Tomsche Long Grove
	Trump is visibly exhausted and hardly hanging on During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Donald Trump, visibly exhausted, spoke to world leaders. He told the audience, “Until the last few days when I told them about Iceland, they loved me.” He actually meant Greenland, not Iceland. He went on, “They called me daddy, right, last time. Very smart man said, ‘He’s our daddy. He’s running it.’” Trump complained that people call him a dictator, but added, “Sometimes you need a dictator.” The speech raised questions about his mental fitness for office. The Atlantic wrote: “No one can be watching this Davos speech and reach any conclusion but that the President of the United States is mentally disturbed and that something is deeply wrong with him. This is both embarrassing and extremely dangerous.” The U.S. and NATO have always enjoyed free rein in Greenland, yet Trump insisted he needed to possess it for what he called “psychological” reasons. Now, he has circled back to the original arrangement, apparently unaware of the reversal. During his Davos speech, Trump said, “...it was a rigged election. Everybody now knows that. They found out. People will soon be prosecuted for what they did. It’s probably breaking news, but it should be. It was a rigged election. You can’t have rigged elections.’” Jack Smith, the former special counsel who investigated Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, testified publicly on Jan. 22 about the evidence that led a grand jury to indict Trump and led Smith to believe a jury would convict him. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, ICE agents pulled over an off-duty police officer, demanded her papers, she was a U.S. citizen, and held her at gunpoint. When she tried to record the encounter, they slapped the phone from her hand. After she revealed she was a police officer, they retreated to their vehicles and drove away. James Turley Eldridge
	“Art Historian Greg Gilbert: Robert Motherwell” February 12 Detailing the life and works of the abstract expressionist painter and printmaker, Knox College's Dr. Greg Gilbert – who earned his 1998 Ph.D. in Art History from Rutgers University – will deliver a presentation on Robert Motherwell at Davenport's Figge Art Museum, the February 12 event exploring one of the youngest of the New York School of Artists which also included Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko.
	Longfellow Liberal Arts set to reopen Wednesday An update was given Tuesday afternoon that the maintenance issue had been resolved and school will be in session on Wednesday, school leaders said.

Wednesday, January 28th, 2026

Tuesday, January 27th, 2026