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

Tuesday, May 12th, 2026
	Wind energy project halts in Knox County, school tax revenue option closes A wind energy project in Knox County got shut down after a federal order delayed permits for roughly 250 energy projects around the country. The project was expected to bring 300 construction jobs and generate more than $40 million in tax revenue for the county. The Knox County Wind project started in early April, but [...]
	Arsenal to add jobs, but lawmakers on high alert after ‘chaos’ in previous cuts Jobs are coming to the Rock Island Arsenal, but lawmakers are still concerned about more 'chaos' from Army officials
	Construction begins on Moline shared-use path It's an Our Quad Cities News traffic alert. A new bike path on 36-th avenue in Moline is now under Construction has begun on a new shared-use path along 36th Ave. from 7th St. to 13th St. in Moline. According to a release from the City of Moline, work will include a water main and [...]
	QCA torch run honors Special Olympics Iowa Law enforcement officers ran four and a half miles for the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run. The tradition supports athletes in Special Olympics Iowa. The Summer Games begin May 21. Dozens ran along the Mississippi River Trail in honor of the athletes competing in Special Olympics Iowa. The Law Enforcement Torch Run started at the [...]
	Wold co-defendant in civil suit faces criminal drug charges: Court records A 39-year-old Bettendorf man with business ties to Andrew Wold now faces felony drug charges, according to Scott County Court documents. Kyle Robinson is also a defendant in civil litigation related to property transactions Wold made after the partial collapse of an apartment building in downtown Davenport on May 28, 2023, when three residents were [...]
	New student loan repayment program to be offered for Illinois Department of Transportation Engineers Payments will be capped at a total of $60,000 and begin once the engineer has worked at IDOT at least four years.
	Major renovations coming to Herbert Hoover museum in West Branch as population booms In 2010, the population was around 2,300. It has now jumped to just under 3,100, a roughly 31% increase in just 15 years.
	Former private prison official to serve as acting ICE chief Compared to the start of President Trump's second term, David Venturella takes over an agency with a larger workforce, more financial resources — and also a continued funding lapse.
	Iowa public charter schools to receive $1,200 per-student funding increase Public charter schools in Iowa will receive a $1,200 increase in funding per student starting next school year.
	Jason Collins, NBA's first openly gay player, dies at 47 of brain tumor Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday.
	‘It was just terrifying," Mother speaks on shooting that killed 3-year-old The mother of a 3-year-old boy who was fatally shot during an officer-involved shooting recalls her experience being held hostage inside a room as a domestic situation escalated.
	QCA effort to help Illinois foster family shortage Professionals in the foster care system say there's a significant shortage of foster families in Illinois. One Quad-City event, the 2026 Foster Fair at Marketplace at 2500, is an attempt to chip away at that deficit. "Every kid needs a home and a supportive environment to thrive," says Kayla Sierra-Lee, Director of Operations and Community [...]
	Overdose leads to Davenport man's arrest on drug trafficking charges The investigation began after a fentanyl overdose at a local drug rehabilitation facility in late April.
	Quad City DekHockey welcomes players of all ages and skill levels The local league is open to kids, women, men and coed teams at their complex in Bettendorf. This year, more than 500 QCA kids make up 55 youth teams.
	Workers left in limbo after permit delays stalls wind energy project A major wind energy project in Knox County has come to a halt, with labor leaders saying workers are now feeling the impact of construction delays tied to the federal permitting process.
	North American and Caribbean men's handball championship tournament in Bettendorf this week Top handball teams from across North America and the Caribbean will face off for a spot at the IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany.
	Illinois bill to crack down on sexual assault at schools An Illinois bill would crack down on sexual assault at schools. Senate Bill 939 would expel students who sexually assault another student for six months to a year. Those students could only be allowed back in school with a unanimous vote by the school board. Sen. Steve McClure came up with the bill after a [...]
	Duckworth questions Army secretary about Arsenal staffing Questions were also asked about the use of AI to determine who was deemed a surplus employee.
	Special Weather Statement until TUE 8:15 PM CDT Gusty Winds and Blowing Dust Expected This Evening
	Iowa teen wanted for Iowa City Ped Mall shooting arrested in Georgia The Cedar Rapids teenager who police say shot five people in Iowa City has been arrested. Damarian M. Jones, 17, was arrested Monday by U.S. Marshals Service near Atlanta, Georgia.
	Not much rain to start the wet season After what was a very wet April last month where the Quad Cities received over 2 inches of rain above average, the same cannot be said for May. Despite May being the time where we shift from Spring to Summer, entering into what is normally our wet and stormy season, we have not seen much [...]
	Community holds polar plunge and torch run to support Special Olympics Iowa Two local efforts including a polar plunge and torch run were held to support Special Olympics Iowa.
	Busch Stadium gets all new grass, installed by a Quad-Cities company While the St. Louis Cardinals were away, workers from Bush Sports Turf have been rolling out an entirely new carpet of green grass at Busch Stadium.
	Armed Forces Day Celebration coming to the Rock Island Arsenal this weekend The event runs through May 15 and 16 with live music, food trucks, vendors, military displays, live wrestling, fireworks and foot races.
	Public asked to help decide future of downtown Silvis The Illinois Department of Transportation held a public meeting on Tuesday as it looks to revamp the Illinois 84 and Illinois 92 corridor (1st Avenue) in downtown.
	OpenAI's Sam Altman takes the stand to fend off Elon Musk's accusations he 'stole a charity' The trial pits two of tech's most famous personalities against each other and could lead to seismic changes for the maker of ChatGPT.
	Opening date for Scott County Park pool pushed back to July Officials said staffing issues with the contractor working on the pool's renovation have kept the project from being completed on time.
	Enjoy high-energy baseball with the Clinton LumberKings vs. the Chicago Snowballs Come out to the ballpark for unique high-energy, entertainment-first baseball like no other! Nate Vander Bleek joined Our Quad Cities News to talk about the excitement as the Clinton LumberKings battle the Chicago Snowballs. For more information, click here.
	Illinois lawmakers weighing proposal expanding housing and support services for people leaving prison HB0624, the Home for Good Act, would create statewide reentry housing and support services for people leaving prison. It now moves through the Senate, with a committee decision deadline of Friday, May 17.
	ICE arrests 8 people in Davenport ICE officials said the people were arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into immigration violations and other related offenses.
	Illinois, Iowa in top 10 highest number of tornadoes so far this year April, May and June are peak severe weather months in the QC.
	ICE arrests 8 people in Davenport, officials say ICE officials said the people were arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into immigration violations and other related offenses.
	ICE arrests 8 people during raid in Davenport The arrests happened on April 22. According to ICE, the arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into immigration violations and other related offenses.
	About 7 million kids live in a home with a loaded and unlocked gun, a study finds The new study in JAMA Network Open also finds that more parents leave their guns loaded and unlocked when they have teenagers, despite the fact that suicide risk goes up for this age group.
	QCA pools prepare to open for 2026 season Summer is almost here and swimming pools across the Quad Cities are preparing for another season of fun in the sun.
	Quad City Area REALTORS CEO to retire next month Sharon Smith is closing on 47 years in the real estate industry.
	Davenport School District will demolish a pair of buildings dating back to WWI Two buildings, one of which had national registry potential, will be demolished by the Davenport School District.
	Davenport Schools gives a sneak peek of new Brady Street sports facilities Central High School baseball players, and other athletes, will be getting some upgrades this summer with a new field house and baseball field.
	Rock Island City Council approves the use of TIF funds for home improvements Rock Island aldermen have approved a TIF-funded housing rehabilitation pilot program to help homeowners in the North 11th Street and North Port TIF districts pay for home improvement projects.
	The SPLC survived firebombs and death threats. Will it survive Trump 2.0? The Southern Poverty Law Center is facing a serious threat from the Justice Department — and comes at a time when several former and current SPLC employees say the group is already deeply vulnerable.
	YWCA Quad Cities holding free Youth Mental Health Forum The YWCA Quad Cities will hold a free Youth Mental Health Forum on Thursday, May 28.
	Scott County Park Pool opening delayed due to construction staffing issues Swimmers who use the Scott County Park Pool will have to wait a little longer to enjoy the water. The pool's opening will be delayed due to contractor staffing issues that have prevented the ongoing pool renovation project from being completed on time. The pool was originally scheduled to open at the end of May [...]
	Lee County, Iowa Narcotics Task Force busts 2 on drug house, firearm charges While the search warrant was being served, investigators found methamphetamine, marijuana, two firearms, and drug paraphernalia.
	Free Girl Scout program helps girls get ready for kindergarten A new program from Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois is helping girls get ready for kindergarten. “Make New Friends” is a four-part virtual series that helps current pre-K girls build confidence, social skills and kindergarten-ready behaviors in a fun and supportive environment. The series strengthens four key areas of early childhood development: [...]
	North American and Caribbean men's handball championship tournament in Bettendorf this week Top handball teams from across North America and the Caribbean will face off for a spot at the IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany.
	North Scott Press — May 13, 2026
	Get your copy of the 2026 Eldridge citywide garage sale map!
	Quad Cities law enforcement officers run torch relay for Special Olympics The Bettendorf and Davenport police departments have participated in the torch run for more than 30 years.
	Kathy Henningsen: Community difference-maker The Shannon clan of Long Grove is well-known for serving the community. And now they might well be known for joining the North Scott Hall of Excellence. After John Shannon (Class of ’65) in 2006 and Nancy Shannon (Class of ’72) in 2013, Kathy (Shannon) Henningsen is the latest to be inducted. She’s one of eight children born to Phyllis and Norbert Shannon and grew up on the family farm in rural Long Grove. Her school years predate the North Scott School District, and she began her learning in a series of rural one-room schoolhouses. “My first year of school was in Winfield No. 5.” She later attended a school near McCausland and also one near what is now Pride of the Wapsi pumpkin patch. But by the time she was a teenager, the North Scott School District was up and running, and she was one of the earliest students to attend. “The junior high and high school were mixed together when I was there,” Henningsen said. “We had one wing, and we had to go over to another wing to go to art.” She graduated from high school with the Class of 1968. After high school, she went to college, eventually earning a teaching degree from St. Ambrose. But she didn’t get a teaching job right away and initially went to work for Iowa-Illinois Gas & Electric. She worked in a series of departments, including customer service and the line department. Meanwhile, she was still living in rural Scott County. One of her big hobbies was playing softball for town leagues. But she suffered a major injury, hurting her ribs when she slid into home plate and landed on a softball. It took several years for her to recover. At the time, she was engaged to Harvey Henningsen, who she married in 1982. “When I was supposed to go back to work, I was just about to be getting married. If I went back to the power company, I would have to go to work in Rock Island on the night shift starting at 10 p.m., going into homes by myself and working on furnaces.” The couple ruled that option out, and soon a new opportunity presented itself. There was an opening at Alan Shepard Elementary School, working with special education students. “Barry Lahann, I knew him really well, and he offered me the job. It was supposed to be one year, and it turned out to be 18 with Alan Shepard and North Scott.” Henningsen also kept busy in the community, helping young women with an opportunity she never had in high school. In the early years of the district, there were no girls’ sports – Title IX didn’t come along until 1972. So, Henningsen had limited opportunities for extracurriculars. She said band was one of the few activities she was able to participate in. By 1974, girls’ sports began to be offered at the high school, but there were still no opportunities for younger players. There was no counterpart for Little League or Pop Warner, and girls who wanted to play summer ball had no choice but to play for boys’ teams. So, the seeds for the Southern Wapsi Girls’ Softball League began to be planted. This gave girls from third grade through high school the opportunity to experience sports with their peers for perhaps the first time. “Frank Wood was the instigator. We got together and each town had a person in charge. It just started. We worked together and we had kids everywhere.” Henningsen started as a coach in 1975, when her mother asked her to help with a team her younger sister was on. She remained with the league until her retirement last year and served as president for decades. “I just enjoyed it. I worked with it for 50 years. I retired last year, but I’m still doing it. I’m the treasurer now, which is not a real tough job, like the president – making all the schedules and stuff and getting everybody organized with equipment. “I never had any girls that played, but now I have two granddaughters that are playing. It’s hard to drop out.” For her work with the Southern Wapsi Girls Softball League, Henningsen had a ball diamond named in her honor in Long Grove. Her volunteer work extended to the Special Olympics, an organization that her family has been heavily involved with for years, especially her sister Nancy. Henningsen’s work at Alan Shepard wasn’t the only thing to influence her fondness for children with special needs. “When I was in high school, I lived with a family as a babysitter, and they had a special needs son. And that started me going to Special Olympics. “You’ve gotta love the kids, because they’re so excited about what’s happening.” One of the major lessons she’s gotten to teach young people throughout the years is the spirit of competition, and how to be a good winner – and loser. Henningsen was also a familiar face in The Pit during winter sports seasons, sitting at the scorer’s table for 37 years. She retired from that duty following the last home basketball game this year. She’s not entirely sure how she lucked into that position. “I was pregnant with my son in 1989, and Keith Benjamin was getting close to retiring. And I can’t think of who the athletic director was at the time, but evidently, they asked me if I wanted to do it, and I really liked it. So, I did that for 37 years. “But you get so old and then you have to stop. You lose your vision, and I got to where I was too slow on the button. But again, that was just something to do with the school kids. People need volunteers.” Henningsen has been able to reflect on how life in the North Scott community has changed since she was a student. “Back then, it was a small community. Everybody knew everybody. So, it was fun to be involved in different things. “We never did get the chance to be involved in sports at school, because we graduated too soon. But I got to be involved with it outside of the playing part – keeping score and coaching.” But one thing definitely hasn’t changed about North Scott in all these years. “It’s just a community that cares.”
	Coya's Cafe to hold ribbon cutting for new location Coya's Cafe will hold a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the grand opening of its new Avenue of the Cities location.
	FDA commissioner is set to resign after tumultuous tenure The resignation would end Dr. Marty Makary's 13-month stint running the Food and Drug Administration, a period marked by turmoil and controversy.
	FDA commissioner resigns after tumultuous tenure The resignation ends Dr. Marty Makary's management of the Food and Drug Administration, which was marked by turmoil and controversy.
	Dustin Henningsen: 'I always had home to think about' North Scott students of a certain age might remember Channel One, a news program designed for teenagers that usually aired during homeroom every day. Dustin Henningsen might remember it more than most. “When I was a freshman, I remember walking into homeroom and watching clips of the Gulf War on Channel One every morning. At the time, I didn’t know how that war would become a realization for me later in my own life.” Henningsen parlayed a successful career in the military to an even more successful career in law enforcement. But before that, he was just a kid growing up on a farm north of Long Grove. The son of Marvin and Cindy Henningsen, he started at Alan Shepard before being transferred to John Glenn when the attendance boundaries for the district changed in 1982. His parents farmed, while Marvin worked construction and was later employed with the Scott County Secondary Roads department until his retirement. Cindy also worked at the North Scott School District’s copy center. Henningsen has two younger siblings who also graduated from North Scott. Once he reached high school, Henningsen said he took as many classes as he could and was also a member of the wrestling team. He also held a number of jobs during his high school years. “None of the success that came later in my life would have been possible without the help of so many people in my younger years, especially high school. My parents demonstrated hard work their entire life, as did many of my employers throughout high school.” While Henningsen said he had a “a great experience in high school,” he ultimately graduated early. “During my junior year in high school, lots of kids were making plans to go to college or figuring out what they wanted to do after high school. I knew at that time I wasn’t ready for college, so I joined the Navy at 17 and started training one week a month through my junior and senior years. “In 1994, I had enough credits to graduate early, so I left halfway through my senior year for basic training, and by the time graduation came around that summer, I was already stationed on a ship in Japan.” After basic training in Dam Neck, Va., where he learned to be an air traffic controller and firefighter, he spent three years in Japan aboard the USS Dubuque. An amphibious ship, Henningsen said it was similar to the ship that recently picked up the Orion space capsule at the end of the Artemis II mission. Throughout his three years in the Navy, he traveled to and was stationed in 11 countries or locations. He was honorably discharged in the summer of 1997. Once he returned home, he started taking classes at Scott Community College. Eventually, he graduated from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, majoring in psychology and criminology. In 1998, he joined the Army Reserves as an MP (military police). As he joined the Reserves, he was also applying at various law enforcement agencies in the Quad Cities. The same year, he was also offered a job as a trooper with the Iowa State Patrol. After graduating from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, he was stationed with the ISP in Ottumwa. Henningsen described the next two decades as “a whirlwind.” He balanced life as a trooper with his time in the Army Reserves. In 2002, he was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in response to 9/11 and worked in the first detention camp there for about a year. He was called back to service and deployed to Iraq in 2004. After returning from his deployment, he was honorably discharged from the Army in 2005 and went back to work as a trooper. “The patrol gave me so many opportunities and life was extremely busy after 2005. “Over the next 14 years, I spent time with our tactical unit assisting with felony warrants and taking down methamphetamine labs. I also became a drill instructor for five of our academies and got the opportunity to train over 100 of our new peace officers.” During his later years with the ISP, he joined the auto theft unit, which gave him the opportunity to return to the Quad Cities with his family. Henningsen met his wife, Cherie, in the military in 2001. They have been married for 21 years. Cherie taught psychology and sociology at North Scott High School for 11 years before leaving in 2024 to pursue a second master’s degree. The couple has a daughter, Gracie, who graduated from North Scott in 2024. She’s now a junior at the University of Northern Iowa, where she’s majoring in criminology and psychology, perhaps taking a page from her parents’ book. In 2019, Henningsen was promoted to a special agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. “Since that time, I have been assigned to our major crime unit, which investigates homicides, death investigations, different types of abuse – child and adult – and other felony-level cases.” Henningsen said he never expected to be inducted into the Hall of Excellence and said he’s thankful. “Life is hard, and it’s things like this that can help keep you moving in the right direction and give you the motivation to keep doing good things in the world.” Those good things include a lot of work within the community, volunteering with Special Olympics and Vacation Bible School, providing security for various community organizations, serving on boards and helping with the mobile food pantry. He’s also a frequent guest speaker at North Scott schools, teaching students about work in law enforcement. For as thankful as he is to be inducted into the Hall of Excellence, Henningsen said he’s even more grateful to have grown up in the North Scott community. “There are so many people that impacted my life in this community in a positive way. There is simply no way to thank them all. “Mr. Jeff Newmeister was my wrestling coach and biology teacher in high school, and no matter what kind of wrestling season I was having, he never gave up on me. Coach Clint Long played a role in that as well. “Mr. Dean Birkhofer also helped and encouraged me my senior year, prior to leaving for the military.” And despite his world travels, Henningsen said the North Scott community is the home he was always drawn back to. “When you grow up in a small community like North Scott, you get to know everyone, and you gain a sense of community. “When I left high school, I got the opportunity to serve or volunteer in 19 different countries around the world. No matter where I went or what I was doing in those countries, I always had ‘home’ to think about. The values I learned here have done well for me throughout my entire life. “This community is also why I wanted to come back after being gone for so long. I wanted to raise my family here. Having my wife teach for North Scott and our daughter graduate from here was a huge blessing.”
	Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone, May 22 He is Henry the eighth, he is, and on May 22, a pop-rock icon returns with the band that made him famous in the Adler Theatre's hosting of Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone – a night of British-Invasion favorites boasting such radio classics as “I'm Into Something Good,” “Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter,” “Silhouettes,” and, of course, “I'm Henry the VIII, I Am.”
	Sara Boeding: Honored to serve others Back in 2004, when Sara Boeding was preparing to graduate from North Scott High School, she was asked, “What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?” She wrote, “I hope to have my doctorate, and I would like to be a clinical psychologist.” Mission accomplished. And then some. The daughter of Dave and Marcia Boeding, she grew up on a farm near Princeton with her three brothers, Ben, Brian and Dan. “My Grandma and Grandpa Boeding lived about a mile away through the field. I loved growing up a farm kid and was and am very close with my family.” In addition to helping on the farm, she also helped at her mom’s store, Gifts Galore, in Clinton. Marcia was also a familiar face throughout the district, serving on the school board and as a substitute teacher. These days, Boeding’s parents are enjoying retirement, and her brother Ben has taken over management of the farm, with Dan working there as well. Boeding’s illustrious academic career began to blossom when she was in junior high. “I forget what it was called – if it had a name – but at the time I was in junior high there was a program where you could do four years’ worth of math and science in two, which meant that I was with the juniors and seniors for math and science when I was a freshman and sophomore in high school.” She kept busy with extracurriculars, playing clarinet in Symphonic Band and in the pit orchestra for the musicals. She was also in color guard and took private piano lessons. But as she approached her junior year of high school, Boeding got an incredible opportunity. She was one of eight students from across the country accepted into the National Academy of Arts, Sciences and Engineering (NAASE), which allowed her to go to the University of Iowa and start college a year early. “Academically, I had completed what I could at our high school by the time I was a junior, so moving on to college was a good fit for me.” She came back after that year to graduate from North Scott with her original class in 2004 and was named a valedictorian after earning a cumulative 4.0 GPA. Boeding returned to the University of Iowa, entering as an open major, but declaring her major in psychology and minor in Spanish by the end of the year. “Person after person that I met kept giving me the feedback that I would make for a great therapist, so I decided to volunteer for a crisis center and see what I thought. There was a call I had with someone who was having suicidal thoughts and was preparing to act that was especially impactful. In helping this person, I saw what kind of good I could do in the world and what the Lord wanted me to do with the gifts He has given me. I also volunteered in two psychology research labs, one that focused on social and health psychology and one that focused on couples.” Approaching graduation at Iowa, she decided to pursue her doctorate in clinical psychology through a combination program where she could also get a master’s degree along the way. She found the right program at the University of North Carolina. “In particular, I wanted to work with someone who specializes in couples therapy. I went to work with Don Baucom, who was the creator of Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy (CBCT), at UNC-Chapel Hill. Don has been an incredible mentor and friend over the years, shaping how I see and approach things, not just in my career but in life broadly.” After five years in grad school and a year-long internship at the VA Hospital in Durham, N.C., she received her PhD in 2013. “I then completed a year-long Trauma Recovery Fellowship at the Durham VA from 2013-2014. I was hired as a staff psychologist in 2014 within the Post 9/11 Program at the Durham VA, where I provide evidence-based psychotherapy to veterans who served Post 9/11 in a combat zone, such as Afghanistan and Iraq. I work with individuals, couples, and groups contending with a variety of conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. “In 2019, I was selected as the Assistant Division Chief for Specialty Outpatient Mental Health and as such programmatically oversee four interdisciplinary programs (Trauma Recovery Program, Women’s Health Program, Substance Use Disorders Program, and Post 9/11 Program) as well as directly supervise all the psychologists within those programs. I additionally still engage in clinical work within the Post 9/11 program. “Separate from my work at the VA, I have served as a trainer and consultant for senior therapists in England who are learning couples therapy for over a decade and co-wrote a book on conducting Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy for therapists. Training therapists is incredibly rewarding, as I am able to have an impact not only directly on the veterans I see through the VA, but indirectly on countless others who are seen by the therapists I train.” But Boeding’s life hasn’t been all work. “I really blossomed in so many ways after high school,” she said. She played clarinet in a band at Iowa for a year or two and began taking fun classes in her spare time – salsa and belly dancing and yoga. In 2012, she met David Yannuzzo. He is a martial arts instructor, and she was learning taekwondo. The pair quickly hit it off. He proposed to her during a trip to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Florida. “We are both big Harry Potter fans – I’m a Ravenclaw.” Boeding and Yannuzzo were married at her family’s farm in Princeton in 2020. On Jan. 20, 2025, they welcomed a daughter, Josephine Rose “Josie” Yannuzzo. “Josie is an absolute joy and the greatest blessing of my life, which is saying something because I have been blessed by the Lord in more ways than I can count. She is exuberant, smart, joyful, curious, adaptable, strong, hilarious, and expressive. She gets compliments on her red hair, blue eyes, and sparkling personality wherever she goes. It is amazing to start this new chapter of our lives together!” These days, her Grandma Olson’s piano – which her husband and daughter also enjoy – might be one of the most visceral reminders of life back on the farm in Princeton. But Boeding said there’s plenty of other things she’s taken from growing up in the North Scott community. “Growing up on a farm and in a farming community taught me to love and respect nature and to value hard work, collaboration, and community. I am also a very down-to-earth and genuine individual, which I think my farm background helped cultivate.” And she approaches her induction into the Hall of Excellence in that down-to-earth manner. “Getting to serve my patients and their families, as well as my staff and students, is incredibly rewarding in itself, and it is an honor to be recognized for my contributions to the lives of others.”
	Rock Island National Cemetery preparing for Memorial Day The Rock Island National Cemetery is asking for volunteers to place flags at the headstones of fallen service members ahead of Memorial Day.
	Smells Like Nirvana: A Tribute to Nirvana, May 22 Composed of lead vocalist Paul Wandtke on guitar, Mike Petrasek on bass, and Joe Kus on drums, the hard-rocking tribute artists of Smells Like Nirvana play a May 22 headlining engagement at Davenport's Capitol Theatre, celebrating the legendary sounds of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain through smash hits, B-sides, rare songs, and more from albums including Nevermind, In Utero, and Bleach.
	Home, home on the range Four bison returned to the Bill Cody Homestead south of McCausland last week. But now their herd is up to seven—three calves have been born since their mothers arrived, Scott County Conservation reported Monday. The bison are on loan from a Maquoketa ranch, and will remain at the Homestead until November 1.
	Open Bay Auto offers services for vehicles, nails A new business in East Moline allows customers to take care of their vehicles and nails while enjoying coffee or a lending library. Open Bay Auto, 807 13th Street, opens on Monday, May 18. It provides services for vehicles, along with a coffee bar, an on-site nail salon and a lending library wall so customers [...]
	Tuesday’s adoptable pet: Meet Doodle Meet Doodle! A 1-year-old male cat with beautiful eyes.
	Man arrested, woman in hospital after bizarre assault in Eldridge An Eldridge man was arrested Thursday morning following a report of an assault on an elderly woman. Jeremiah Chambers, 50, of Eldridge, was charged with willful injury causing serious injury (Class C felony), assault with injury on an elderly person (aggravated misdemeanor) and assault while carrying a dangerous weapon (aggravated misdemeanor). Eldridge Police were alerted to a situation in the 100 block of West Spring Street at approximately 11:30 a.m. Thursday morning. An elderly woman covered in blood was reportedly being dragged outside of an apartment building. The Eldridge Fire Department and Medic EMS also responded to the scene. The woman suffered serious injuries and was transported by Medic to UnityPoint Trinity in Bettendorf. Eldridge police chief Andrew Lellig said the incident remains under investigation and more information will follow at a later date.
	Mihali, May 26 With the Grateful Web hailing the artist whose "control is effortless, smooth but still electrifying," Vermont-based singer/songwriter and guitarist Mihali Savoulidis, performing under his single moniker Mihali, plays a May 26 concert at Davenport's Redstone Room, his singular blend of rock, jazz, reggae, bluegrass, and funk crafting immersive, improvisational live performances that have captivated audiences for two decades.
	Alabama will split U.S. House primaries, after the Supreme Court's voting ruling Alabama will hold a special primary election for four of its seven congressional districts, after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to use a map that had been blocked by the courts.
	No resolution to reassert home rule from county supervisors The Scott County Board of Supervisors failed to pass a resolution denouncing state laws and commissions that supervene local zoning authority. Democrat Maria Bribriesco proposed the resolution, and argued it would demonstrate the county had “the courage of our convictions” amid fears that the Iowa Utilities Commission may permit the construction of a rural power plant, despite opposition from the board of supervisors. The board’s four Republicans said the proposed resolution was premature and inconflict with Iowa law. It could lead to blowback from state officials. “I believe in local control, but there's ways to do it, and there's ways not to do it,” supervisor Ken Beck said. “I just can’t support this way of doing it.” It was an unusually partisan week at the board. Supervisors also approved amendments to the county’s open records code, over objections from Bribriesco that the changes gave the County Attorney’s Office too much leeway in judging what should or should not be made public. The County Attorney’s Office said it had cleared the amendments with the Iowa Public Information Board. Republican supervisors argued that changes requested by Bribriesco would exceed the obligations of state code and overburden county attorneys. Resolution fails to advance The resolution on local control died for lack of a second when it appeared before the board Thursday evening. Bribriesco told the board during its committee of the whole meeting Tuesday that the resolution would “tell people that we have the courage of our convictions.” “That’s something we need to do—to loudly and proudly proclaim that we're here to represent the interests of the people of Scott County,” Bribriesco said. “We are at the lowest level of government, meaning that people can come to us and we can listen,” she continued. “And that's how democracy should work.” The resolution would have affirmed that “zoning and land-use decisions affecting property within Scott County should remain under the authority of the elected Scott County Board of Supervisors.” It would have declared the county opposed to any policy that allows “unelected state officials, agencies, boards, or commissions” to overturn its decisions. But the policy met a cool reception before the board. On Thursday, Supervisor Ross Paustian called the policy “too broad” and “premature.” Central Iowa Power Cooperative, which hopes to build a power plant in rural Scott County, has yet to ask the IUC for the generating certificate that would supervene local ordinances. Paustian said the board could use language from Bribriesco’s draft resolution in addressing the IUC in the future. Supervisor Jean Dickson said Tuesday that while “local zoning laws are very important,” Iowa code gave other bodies authority to ovverride them. Bribriesco clarified that the resolution called for a change to any state law that abrogated local zoning authority. Beck worried the Scott County resolution could provoke blowback. “I agree with most of the things you say here, but we've had counties that have voiced their opinion on many different things that the legislators have put forward, and it's turned out very bad for those counties,” he said to Bribriesco. Board members should talk to legislators directly rather than target them with a resolution, he said. Board chair John Maxwell said local control was “essential and absolutely necessary,” but he thought a resolution was likely to antagonize state officials. Several members of the public called on the board of supervisors to approve the resolution Thursday. They included Jerry Mohr of Eldridge and Dave Golinghorst of Dixon. Both have protested CIPCO’s proposed power plant. Statewide context The authority of local zoning statutes has come under scrutiny across the state. A recent decision at the Iowa Supreme Court held that a wind farm planned for Worth County was bound by restrictive zoning ordinance passed by the local board of supervisors. But developers took that case to court rather than appeal to the IUC. The IUC held last month that they did not need to heed local zoning laws when issuing the generating certificates which allow utility-scale power projects to proceed. Open records ordinance passes All four Republican supervisors voted to pass revisions to the county’s public records code over objections from Bribriesco. The changes follow an informal resolution the Scott County’s Attorney’s Office signed with the Iowa Public Information Board in March, stating that they had “failed to produce records in compliance with Iowa Code”. The resolution directed the county to revise its public records statutes, and present the IPIB with draft statutes “before approval by the governmental body.” The IPIB cleared the revised statutes, Assistant Scott County Attorney Mallory Bagby told the board Tuesday. The revisions clarify how the county calculates and assesses fees or fees for large records requests. It also indicates how and when the county should notify members of the public about potential fees, and when the county may charge for “dilatory” and excessive communications with the public. Bribriesco said the revisions left too much discretion to the attorney’s office and opened the county to litigation. “I have many questions about the general language, and I think it will result in litigation against that county,” she told the board Thursday. She asked them to consider a two-week delay to gather public input. Other members of the board said they were satisfied by the revisions as written. “This proposal has been approved by the Iowa Public Information Board, so I don't think there's any need for us to wait two weeks and bring up again,” Paustian said. Bribriesco argued on Tuesday that the revisions would reduce transparency for county residents. The statute formerly stated that the county “will” identify documents withheld and cite relevant statutes. But the amended statute states that the county “may respond to the requester with a citation,” Bribriesco noted. She argued the “may” clause should become a “shall” clause. “I think that anytime that a document is not being released or being redacted, the county attorney should tell us exactly why,” Bribriesco said. Bagby said that county staff outside the attorney’s office would struggle to cite relevant state code when preparing records. But Bribriesco said county staff should be consulting with the attorney’s office whenever they redact information. Dickson said the county should not revise statutory changes already approved by the IPIB. “The policies need to comply with [Iowa code], but not be extra. If the law allows it to be discretionary, then I would support these changes,” she said. “I don't think we have to meet the minimum,” Bribriesco responded. “I think we've been in trouble because we are not going above and beyond to be transparent and accountable to the public.” She said the board should not depend on the advice of the county attorney’s office as it looks to amend public records statutes with which it has not complied. The amendments would give the attorney’s office excessive latitude in executing public records requests, she argued. Bagby alleged that the attorney’s office was “getting bombarded with requests so that complaints can be made” and that complainants regularly failed to pick up or pay for records requests. Bribriesco said she was frustrated the Attorney’s Office had not kept the board of supervisors abreast of legal complaints about its failure to turn over public records. “I've been following the case, actually, by reading the newspaper articles on it, because nobody briefs us on what goes on,” she said.
	Josh Spinner, May 22 Lauded by The Beverly Review as "a multi-talented musician from the northern suburbs of Chicago" who "brings a unique sound blending elements of funk, jazz, indie, and country," singer/songwriter Josh Spinner returns to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on May 22, the artist also hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "the epitome of a hardworking musician."
	Roadwork is done in Dixon — but at a cost Roadwork has finished at the intersection of Walcott and Davenport Streets in Dixon, but the city bill landed $30,000 higher than expected. Dixon City Council accepted a $166,163.50 bid for the work from Ihrig Works last year. With change orders, that bill has risen to $198,383.50. The council approved the final change order—$15,483.50, largely for sidewalks—at their regular council meeting Wednesday, May 6, but not before admitting that the project had overshot its intended scope. “We blew our budget,” Interim City Clerk Amy Flynn said. “We weren’t even close,” Mayor Steve Laughlin added. Laughlin was elected mayor by write-in last fall, and Flynn was appointed after former clerk Meghan Ganzer resigned last month. The final change order drew a chorus of complaints for the council. Ihrig Works discounted sidewalk replacements by 50% after the council objected last month that they had never approved new sidewalks. But several new charges—including $3,360 for topsoil seeding and $1,089 for roadway paint stripes—made up the difference. The project has faced headwinds since it broke ground in October. Contractors discovered unmarked sewer manholes and water lines beneath the intersection, leading to a round of change orders. Appointed mayor, Laughlin has scrutinized the project and asked Ihrig to account for work he has said does not meet city standards. Laughlin has worked as a surveyor for 30 years, he said. “The whole problem with the road is, there was no engineering, no design, no plans,” Laughlin told The North Scott Press in April. “I don’t know how you build without plans. They did, but there were things that weren’t correct, in my opinion,” he said. “I don’t agree with how the road project was handled. I wasn’t involved in the process, I just get to clean it up.” Upcoming projects The end of roadwork on Walcott and Davenport Streets will bring other improvements forward in Dixon. The city must repair a failed culvert that drains into an empty gravel lot at the corner of Walcott and Davenport Streets. The city received one bid on the project in April, for $44,611 from Engelbrecht Brothers Tiling. The council said Wednesday that they hoped to draw out several further bids before advancing with the project. The city has received three bids for repaving work on Davenport Street from Walcott Street east to its corporate limits. Manatt’s submitted two bids at $96,946.25 and $76,927.50. Hawkeye Paving bid the project at $63,700. The council hopes to push both projects into the next fiscal year, which begins in July. Laughlin said he was in touch with County Engineer Angie Kersten to see if there was grant money available to support the cost of each project, as the city struggles to pay for this year’s roadwork. Laughlin also said he hopes to back out of a 28E agreement with the county, which gives Dixon access to road use tax dollars but makes them responsible for maintaining portions of farm-to-market roads like Walcott and Davenport Streets that stretch through their corporate limits. A new agreement would defray the cost of repaving Davenport Street westward, he said. Under Iowa law, counties are required to maintain farm-to-market roads that pass through cities with population below 500, at the request of those cities, Kersten said. “We’d be happy to sit down with them, discuss the ongoing 28E agreement, what their thoughts are,” she said. “If they want to rewrite that agreement, we’re open to doing that with them.” City clerk The city council received four applications for the open role of city clerk, and chose to interview candidates prior to their June meeting. The four candidates were Addison Olson, Melissa Conner, Kristi Runge, and current city council member and Clinton Finance Director Nicholas Manrique. The role would be a part-time position. Council members Matt Stolley and Nick Phares will conduct separate interviews with each candidate.
	Derision Cult, May 27 Hailed by ReGen Magazine as "one of the current industrial/metal scene's sharpest acts," the touring musicians of Derision Cult headline a May 27 engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, Metal Temple Magazine adding that the band's 2025 release The Mercenary Notes, Pt. 2 "flows freely between hardened metal and jolly good fun, and it's a strange combination, but it just works."
	North Scott bids longtime administrators farewell The North Scott School Board bid farewell to two longtime administrators and welcomed a new face to the boardroom. Monday marked the last required meeting for outgoing principals Chad Ruth and Carrie Lane. Ruth has accepted a position as principal at Pleasant View Elementary School in the Pleasant Valley School District, and Lane announced her retirement last month. “Thank you, guys, for everything you’ve done over the years,” said board president Tracy Lindaman. “We’ve been lucky to have you and we’re going to miss you.” Ruth’s successor at Alan Shepard, Kory Esbaum, sat in on Monday’s meeting and introduced herself to the board. Superintendent Joe Stutting said she will participate in the upcoming administrators’ retreat in June as one of her first duties with the district. Meanwhile, the board approved the hiring of a new district director of business affairs. Lisa Jones is currently the business director of the Atlantic Community School District in western Iowa. Previously, she was employed by the Lamoni School District and Graceland University in Sioux City. Her first day with the district will be July 1. Jones will succeed Jill Van Roekel, who announced last month she accepted a position as chief financial officer of the Clinton Community School District. Interviews were held Monday for the assistant principal position at the junior high, although the hiring committee did not make a final decision prior to the board meeting. The successful candidate will be announced at a future meeting. Lego League presentation Junior high Lego League advisor Nicole Pilcher updated the board on the team’s activities over the last school year. Team members Laydon Boddicker, Cael Moss, Sam Schachow, Will Noonan and Raena Dallman were unable to attend the meeting due to all participating in the Parade of Choirs spring concert. Students can begin Lego League as early as elementary school, although not all North Scott elementaries currently have a team advisor. Pilcher said the program teaches coding and programming through computer science fundamentals, engineering design, problem-solving and critical thinking, teamwork and collaboration, research and communication skills, and builds resilience and adaptability in students. Pilcher said the team began working on its project early this school year, doing much of the work on early-out Fridays, and adding practice times as needed, especially in the lead-up to competition. The junior high team competed at the state competition in Ames after qualifying at the regionals, which were held at the Putnam Museum. The theme of the competition this year was “Unearthed,” where students were tasked with identifying and creating a solution for a real-world problem archeologists might face in the field. “They channeled their inner Indiana Jones and came up with the idea of securing archeological dig sites from human and natural threats,” Pilcher said, donning a brown hat similar to that worn by the iconic Harrison Ford character. The hat featured a Lego League sticker. However, Pilcher said the idea the team took to competition was not their original plan. “They initially wanted – using satellites and LiDAR – to find dig sites in remote areas.” The students learned through the help of experts that this idea might not be feasible. Among the experts they worked with were Chery Haury-Artz, an archeology technician at the University of Iowa, and Dr. Michael Doneus, director of prehistoric and historical archeology at the University of Vienna in Austria. “Of all the people that I contacted to try to get to work with my kids, a man from Austria was the only person besides Ms. Haury-Artz to respond,” said Pilcher. “I probably sent out feelers to 30 people, and these were the only two that responded.” Pilcher said Doneus was “absolutely amazing” to work with. “He worked with our time change and did a Google Meet with the kids, talked to them and showed them some of the things that he’s done.” While Doneus ultimately helped the students realize their idea for satellites and LiDAR might not be possible, he did help bring them around to considering security at dig sites. However, the project they came up with did rely on some satellite imagery, leading them to consult with team member Laydon Boddicker’s dad, Michael Boddicker. Mr. Boddicker is retired from the Iowa National Guard and did a lot of work with satellites when he was in the military. He is also the current IT director for the City of Davenport. They later worked with Jay Nelson, who teaches Project Lead the Way at the junior high, to complete their project, the R.E.L.I.C. app. The app can provide alerts to natural or man-made threats, including seismic activity, natural disasters and human or animal disruption, at dig sites. “They were using satellites, they were using solar energy sensors, cameras, to monitor remote dig sites,” explained Pilcher. “And then it would send a notification to the app and send you a message and it would say, ‘There’s a major hurricane coming towards Chichén Itzá.’ And it would tell you what the impact could be. Or whether there’s a fire, or if there’s a camera there and somebody comes in and starts to loot or damage any of the things at that particular site.” The app could also provide updates on situations, such as whether authorities had been contacted and dispatched to the site. The team also built and programmed a robot named “Scotty” – for North Scott – which allowed them to compete in robot games. This year’s game involved having the robot drive across a bridge and into a “mineshaft” on a competing team’s game field. Although the team did not place at state this year, Pilcher said they did an amazing job overcoming some obstacles at the competition. They were unable to connect to the Wi-Fi at Iowa State University for much of the presentation, but Pilcher said they worked as a team to answer questions from the judges and troubleshoot at the same time. “They handled it like pros. I’ve been really blessed every year to have amazing kids working on these projects.” Graduation update The board approved the graduation list for the Class of 2026, and Stutting and high school principal Andrew Lehn gave an update on discussions surrounding future graduations. While officials at Vibrant Arena were unwilling to move the start time of graduation if there were only two graduations scheduled on a particular day, Lehn reached out to Pleasant Valley officials. They are currently discussing a proposal that would see North Scott and Pleasant Valley annually alternate the 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. slot for a Sunday graduation. Stutting indicated Pleasant Valley officials seemed amenable to the proposal. Lehn said Moline must go either first or last due to the size of its class, but North Scott officials have not yet considered a 7:30 p.m. graduation time. Stutting also said the district has checked on other dates for the Class of 2027 graduation. As of right now, Bettendorf will be graduating on the Saturday during Memorial Day weekend, and they are the only school scheduled so far for that date. That would create an availability for North Scott to hold its graduation on a Saturday, which Stutting said would be fine for 2027. However, a Saturday afternoon graduation would likely conflict with the state track meet in 2028. “So, right now, for next year, we have our name put in for both time slots (on Saturday and Sunday) until we make a decision,” said Stutting. “Unless people are so set on doing it on a Sunday, next year is an easy one. It’s 2028 I think we would want to be really sure. And maybe it will work its way out – maybe there’s only two of us on Sunday. But we can do what Moline does: book two dates and make a decision at a later date.” “There is one caveat,” said Lehn. “Augustana might also do a Saturday night, but then it would just bump to 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. for the Saturday.” He said he wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to going at 10 a.m. on a Saturday. “If it wasn’t for state track interfering, for me, Saturday would be perfect,” said Stutting. “But you’d hate to have X amount of kids miss their graduation because they’re running state track.” Bills Van Roekel presented $848,201.43 in bills for approval. Highlights included $14,777.56 to DMW Design Ltd. for updated graphics at the high school; $31,649.20 to the International Thespian Society for registrations for the 2026 festival in Bloomington, Ind.; and $266,881.89 to Bluum of Minnesota, LLC, for audio enhancement and gym audio video installation at Ed White and John Glenn. Stutting also congratulated Van Roekel and Central Office staff for receiving the Association of School Business Officials’ Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting award. This is the 43rd year in a row the district has received this award. Other business The board approved a bid from Lovewell Fence & Deck to fence the remaining elementary playgrounds. Lovewell’s $110,665 bid was the lower of two completed bids; a third bid received was incomplete. The board approved compensation packages and handbooks for staff members. Mid-management employees, administrators and the superintendent and child care staff will receive a 2% total package increase for the 2026-27 school year; non-represented staff will receive a 2.18% total package increase; classified staff will receive a 2.12% total package increase; and bus drivers will receive a 2.08% total package increase. The board approved a public hearing for a budget amendment for the 2025-26 school year, which will be held at the next meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26. The meeting will be held on a Tuesday due to Memorial Day on May 25. Stutting recognized board members for their work in honor of School Board Recognition Month, which is held in May. “You’re one of the only elected volunteers in the state of Iowa,” said Stutting. “No board member can get any benefit other than a pass to get into athletic events, I think. So, you truly do get elected to a volunteer role that is a lot of work, a lot of time, and sometimes headaches, because you can’t please everybody.” Stutting also pointed to research that indicates school board leadership and superintendent partnerships have an academic impact on schools. “High quality teams are what it takes to move the school district, and that’s what you guys do.” Two students were present at the meeting as a requirement of their government class. Board members Carrie Keppy and Molly Bergfeld were absent.
	Stein/Smith/Shead and Gabi Vanek, May 23 Four sterling independent instrumentalists will share one thrilling night at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox on May 23, with OUTLETProgramme presenting a collective concert with the Stein/Smith/Shead trio and touring bassoon player Gabi Vanek.
	Whitewater Junction to open for season Whitewater Junction says the waterpark will open for its summer season on Saturday, May 23.
	10 of Soul, May 23 A high-energy ensemble boasting some of the sharpest musical talents the area has to offer, 10 of Soul headlines a May 23 engagement as part of the Tangled Wood's summer concert series, their Bettendorf set sure to boast classic tunes from the genres of soul, funk, and blues, as well as a few funky arrangements of their own.
	Whitney, May 23 Touring in support of their 2025 album Small Talk that Newcity deemed "a masterpiece," the touring independent rockers of Whitney headline a May 23 concert event at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, their most recent recording also inspiring The Line of Best Fit to state that ""when Whitney are operating in this ecstatic sphere of glorious, glacial sounds of the late '60s and early '70s, they’re nothing short of irresistible."
	“100 Years of Hank Williams,” May 23 Performing from an iconic repertoire boasting such classics as "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey Good Lookin'," and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," country musician and Obie Award winner Jason Petty brings his touring production 100 Years of Hank Williams to Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre on May 23, Petty being the only actor to portray Williams in New York City's hit off-Broadway musical Lost Highway, as well as the only artist to perform that musical at Nashville's world famous Ryman Auditorium.
	“Godspell,” May 29 through June 7 One of the most beloved stage musicals in American history, as well as a Tony Award nominee for Best Original Score, composer Stephen Schwartz's timeless Godspell opens the mainstage season at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, the show's May 29 through June 7 run treating audiences to what NewCity Stage called "a terrific show – fresh, inventive, timeless, and rich."
	Israel's government is expected to collapse over ultra-Orthodox military draft An ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition has called for parliament to be dissolved, threatening to bring down the government.
	Travelogue relates trip to Israel, Jordan Join DeWitt local Twig Caven Tuesday, May 19, at 3 p.m. as he travels 12 days in Israel and Jordan, starting in Tel Aviv and ending in Amman, Jordan. The trip was guided by an archeologist and included many historical sites and religious locations. The May 19 Travelogue is the final offering of 2026. And it’s Cookie Day! Doors open at 2 p.m. and every effort will be made to present the Travelogue on the day scheduled; however, if inclement weather requires a cancellation, the information will be posted at the theater or contact Monica 563-370-9394 or Lori 563-212-2991. If Central DeWitt Community Schools are canceled or scheduled to be released early by 1 p.m., Travelogue will also be canceled. A $5 donation is suggested. The proceeds support local community projects such as the Referral Center, DeWitt Library, DeWitt Fire Department, KidSight, Diabetes Awareness, Camp Courageous and Camp Hertko Hollow.
	Earth Day Every Day Fair May 16 Progressive Action for the Common Good will host the annual Earth Day Every Day Fair again this year with the Freight House Farmers Market on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come celebrate our amazing planet and learn more about local environmental, conservation and educational organizations. This free, family-friendly event is also sponsored by Living Lands and Waters and WVIK. During the event, you can listen to music and stop by tables hosted by more than 20 local organizations! The Market’s hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for their regular vendors, who offer an amazing array of food, drinks, and craft items. The Metrolink Electric bus will be there, along with Living Lands and Water’s barge. Musical groups will include: the Native American Coalition of the Quad Cities, Richard Roberts, Totes McGotes, and Chris Dunn. For more information, visit Progressive Action for the Common Good at pacgqc.org.
	Rock out this summer with free Chamber concerts The Eldridge-North Scott Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2026 Free Summer Concert Series lineup. These free concerts are made possible by the generosity of title sponsor Central Broadband and individual sponsors: Amhof Trucking, D&D Wrecker, The North Scott Press, and the Eldridge Lions Club. All concerts will be from 6–9 p.m. at Sheridan Meadows park. Bands include: Wednesday, June 17: The Blackstones Wednesday, July 15: The Tailfins Wednesday, Aug. 23: Class of ‘82 Numerous food and beverage vendors on hand at each concert, including Flavor Train, Cabo’s Cantina & Grill, Cindy’s Tropical Shaved Ice, and Big D’s Lil Donuts. These events are open to all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and their dancin’ shoes. Outside food, beverages and coolers are prohibited. Each concert will also include a Classic Car Cruise-In sponsored by Aqua-Tech Car Wash and Monica Hursey-State Farm, with assistance from D & D Wreckers Inc. and Dave Engler. The Chamber invites attendees to bring their “hot wheels,” classic cars, and vehicles that you want to show off to the event. Cruisers should enter at the North entrance (by the pickleball courts) and follow the parking guide’s instructions as there will be reserved parking. Cruisers can start arriving as early as 4:30 p.m. to secure their space. The first 50 cruisers at each event will receive a free swag bag from our sponsors (one per vehicle). If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Deanna Valliere at the Eldridge North Scott Chamber of Commerce or follow the Eldridge-North Scott Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.
	Pasture walk set for June 30 Forage producers interested in learning more about pasture weed management, fertility and interseeding are invited to a pasture walk on June 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. The pasture is located at the Scott Cherne farm, 28639 Miners Creek Road, Guttenberg. The pasture walk aims to answer questions about weed management and selecting different forage species for pastures. Joshua Michel, extension field agronomist at Iowa State University, says the evening will also touch on why it is important to fertilize. “Currently, pastures in Northeast Iowa are growing very well, but that also means that many weeds are also doing well,” he said. “This is an opportunity for producers to see how different herbicide strategies can help manage weeds and boost pasture productivity.” Additionally, Ryan Hegland, pasture and land management specialist at Corteva, will discuss weed suppression and highlight differences in several herbicide demonstration plots. Michel will share insights on fertility management, interseeding and species selection. A brief introduction about the rotational grazing system and cow-calf operation will be provided, followed by transport for participants to the pastures via hay racks. A light dinner will be served after the pasture walk. For more information and to preregister, contact the ISU Extension and Outreach Clayton County office at xclayton@iastate.edu or 563-245-1451.
	Software contracts, building improvements top $3M Supervisors approved costly contracts for software and building improvements last week, committing over $3 million to improvements at the youth jail and other county departments. Buildings The county will install metal panels in 43 sleeping rooms at the Youth Justice and Rehabilitation Center after residents damaged ceilings made of reinforced drywall. Bruce Builders of Eldridge will complete the work for $837,005.40. Bruce served as primary contractor for the facility, which opened in December 2024. YJRC Director Jeremy Kaiser told The North Scott Press that they had originally thought reinforced drywall would be “sufficient.” “Pretty early on when we moved into the building, we had some damage done to one of the ceilings,” he said. “That exposed an issue that was directly impacting safety and security of the facility.” Kaiser did not share further details of the damage, citing security concerns. Meanwhile, new HVAC controls at the county courthouse and jail will cost the county $689,165, and computer hardware in the building’s lower-level emergency communications center will total $286,940. Trane Technologies will provide new HVAC equipment at the courthouse and jail. Facility and Support Services Director Tammy Speidel said the existing infrastructure in the building was 15 to 20 years old, and at the end of its life. The county had originally budgeted for the repairs in the coming two fiscal years. But the $690,000 quote came in at nearly half of $1.3 million budgeted, leading county staff to advance the timeline. Tri-City Electric of Davenport submitted the lower of two bids to install a backup universal power supply and accompanying computer room air conditioning. Software A three-year contract for jail management software with Tyler Technologies will total $1,113,771. A five-year contract with the same provider for community development software will total $1,014,280. Jail management software will streamline how the Sheriff’s Office and staff at the Youth Justice and Rehabilitation Center book, house, care for and release inmates, procurement lead Stephanie Macuga said. It includes a “corrections mobile” functionality that allows corrections officers to access the software from portable tablets. Renovations planned for the county jail the coming fiscal year will improve wireless internet connectivity, Macuga said. New community development software will support permitting, licensing and inspection processes for the county Planning and Development Office, Health Department, and Secondary Roads crew. Members of the county IT department requested permission to negotiate both contracts in December. Supervisors Maria Bribriesco and Ken Beck questioned why procurement officers had selected Tyler Technologies, when competing providers had submitted lower bids. Macuga explained that she had received poor user feedback on their preferred jail management software, and could not reach a contract during negotiations with their community development software vendor. Tyler Technologies had emerged as the preferred vendor for both needs. Supervisors approved negotiations in January, and approved final contracts Thursday. Other news In other business, supervisors: • Completed the first of two readings of a zoning amendment that would allow tubing hills in rural Scott County to serve hot food like hot dogs or soup. • Approved the purchase of 580 “stop the bleed” kits to be distributed to the public by Medic EMS. The kits will cost $32,474.20, paid for out of a Scott County Regional Development Authority grant received last year. • Approved routine tax suspensions and liquor license renewals. • Agreed to abate taxes on $5,979 owed on abandoned cabins with no assessed value along the Wapsi River. Scott County Treasurer said owner Scott Davis was attempting to “clean up” the property, which had formerly been leased to several occupants. • Renewed its memorandum of understanding with United Way of the Quad Cities, which administers certain social services on behalf of the county through the Coordinated Assessment Program. • Held a public hearing Thursday on activities funded by the Community Development Block Grant.
	Hall of Fame Induction North Scott welcomed the 2026 class of the Hall of Fame last Wednesday, May 6. Inductees included Stew Gillmor, Evan Hundley Swalla, Aaron Huber and the 2002 state champion softball team.
	Utility rates will rise By Noah Glasgow NSP Staff Writer Water, sewer and garbage rates are going up in Walcott as the city eyes infrastructure improvements. Last Monday, the city council backed a recommendation by City Clerk Lisa Rickertsen to raise water and sewer rates by 5% next year. Walcott plans to spend at least $1.4 million next year to build a new well on E. Wulf Road. Public Works Director Paul Stagg has said the coming years will require an additional $220,000 investment in the city water tower and $350,000 improvements at the wastewater treatment plant. The council will need to approve 5% rate increase ordinances before the start of the next fiscal year on July 1. Garbage rates will increase at a contracted 4% next year. The council approved the second reading of an ordinance to raise garbage rates Monday. Walcott Commons Brett and Felisha Lacher, new owners of the Coliseum, 116 E. Bryant Street, received an alcohol permit from the city council. Ongoing renovations at the bar and event space will yield a café by June, Felisha Lacher told The North Scott Press last month. The council thanked the Lachers for bringing new business to the city. Purchases The city council approved several purchases last Monday, including: • A 2026 Ford F250 for the public works department, replacing a vehicle from 2009. • A new backup server for City Hall, at the cost of $7,9495.76. • A laptop computer for the Police Department’s new squad. The Dell computer will cost $3,821.22. The council also gave Stagg approval to install a handicap-accessible parking space near Water Tower Park. Stagg estimated the cost of the installation at $1,000. The council first heard requests for the space last fall, but delayed the project to the spring construction season. Other news In other business, the council: • Approved the fire department’s application for the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program Grant. The grant would fund the purchase of new air packs, department volunteer Megan McKibbin said. • Approved a fireworks permit for the Iowa 80 Truck Stop’s Truckers’ Jamboree festival July 9 and 10. • Renewed its three-year contract for IT support with Platinum Information Services. • Approved a request from Midwest Iron Addicts organizer Austin Bowman to delay the start of the group’s May 23 5K from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
	59th Quad Cities Criterium, May 25 Presented by the Quad Cities Bicycle Club and returning to the Village of East Davenport, an eagerly anticipated Memorial Day tradition returns for its 59th year in the Quad Cities Criterium – a May 25 event featuring hundreds of adult and youth cyclists from across the U.S., Canada, and Europe participating in a dozen bicycle races, with thousands of dollars in cash prizes awarded throughout the day.
	Road repairs to begin across county Scott County plans to patch dozens of rural roadways before the start of July. Last week, County Engineer Angie Kersten brought supervisors a $377,780.50 contract with CDMI Concrete for repairs that span the county. “The work includes scarifying areas of severely deteriorated asphalt and placing new hot mix asphalt to restore the surface, improve the ride quality and extend the service life of the pavement,” Kersten explained. The Secondary Roads department presented a list of roadways targeted for repairs: • 70th Avenue, approximately 1 mile south of 160th Street. • Maysville Road, approximately 0.1 mile north of 200th Street. • 115th Avenue, approximately 0.4 miles north of 255th Street. • West and east bridge approaches on 290th Street, approximately 0.3 miles east of 140th Avenue. • 162nd Avenue near 275th Street. • Park View Drive from Scott Park Road to Manor Drive. • Lincoln Avenue from Grove Road to Manor Drive. • 210th Avenue, approximately 0.3 miles south of 280th Street. • 210th Avenue, approximately 0.1 mile north of 230th Street. • 300th Street between Scott Park Road and 230th Avenue. • Allens Grove Road between Dixon corporate limits south to 115th Avenue. • Scott Park Road between 270th Street and Clinton County limits. Kersten said the project would fully repave the targeted stretch on Lincoln Avenue. They had identified 25 patches on Allens Grove Road, 11 patches on 300th Street, and 25 patches on Scott Park Road. “This work aligns with our proactive maintenance strategies by addressing localized failures and delaying more costly reconstruction,” Kersten said. CDMI Concrete submitted the lowest of four bids. Supervisors approved the contract 5–0 Thursday, May 7.
	River Action's Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks, May 26 through June 25 Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action will again present a series of outdoor presentations in the first month-plus of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly "Explore the River Series" programs that, from May 26 through June 27, will address such topics as raptors, barges, Modern Woodmen Park, and the historically wicked night spot that was Davenport's Bucktown.
	UI’s water monitoring to rely on separate funding streams Advocates of the state’s widest-spread and fastest-with-data water quality monitoring system are feeling frustrated by a lack of state support, and say appropriations that did make it through the legislative process won’t help every Iowan. The Iowa Legislature went back and forth on funding for water quality during the final days and hours of its 2026 session last weekend. Lawmakers approved measures to appropriate $300,000 to the University of Iowa IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering department-run Iowa Water Quality Information System (IWQIS) — then changed the bill to send the money to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources instead. Rep. Norlin Mommsen, R-DeWitt, said the final bill still provides an avenue for the university to receive funding for the monitoring system and the publicly available data it supplies through grants from the DNR. “There’s a path there, basically, for them still to receive the 300,000…,” Mommsen said. “The Senate felt, let’s start out with our regulatory branch and keep everything in one spot, and then they divvy it up from there.” Downstream funding uncertain with lack of state support IWQIS hasn’t received funding directly from the state since 2023, and has operated since then on support from the Walton Family Foundation, which is set to end this summer. Certain counties and cities have also committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the system, but IIHR director Larry Weber said that’s only enough to keep it running through June 30, 2027. Mommsen said he and Weber came up with the $300,000 funding amount together, but Weber is now unsure of just how the process will work to apply for funding through the DNR and, hopefully, receive it. The DNR also received $500,000 for water quality monitoring that previously went to the Water Quality Financial Assistance Fund. “Irrespective of where the funding is coming from, whether it be counties or cities or the state, we feel an obligation to serve the people of Iowa with the expertise that we have, and we plan to continue doing this work,” Weber said. Weber described IWQIS as “one of a kind,” with sensors deployed in waterways across Iowa that provide information on temperature and concentrations of nitrate, pH and dissolved oxygen every 15 minutes. Information from the IIHR sensors is brought together with U.S. Geographical Survey sensors, National Weather Service and other data to create a publicly available website to show water quality conditions and more in Iowa. Thousands of Iowans were part of advocacy efforts to fund IWQIS during the 2026 legislative session, said Iowa Environmental Council Senior Director of Policy and Programs Kerri Johannsen, many of whom shared their concerns of water quality impacts on cancer rates with the council last summer. The council, in collaboration with the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, identified nitrates as an environmental risk factor in Iowa’s high cancer rates in a report released in late March. “On behalf of all of the people of Iowa who are feeling so much concern, anxiety, grief over what is happening in our state with water quality, to have that funding taken out at the last minute was very frustrating,” Johannsen said, “especially given that just the day before, there was a press conference about water quality, where Gov. (Kim) Reynolds and (Agriculture) Secretary (Mike) Naig and legislative leaders were talking about making investments in water quality.” State water quality package leaves gaps in support Johannsen, as well as Iowa House Democrats, raised concerns about parts of the “farm to faucet” water quality package introduced May 1 by Reynolds and Naig, many portions of which were passed by the Legislature. It included water quality funding for the DNR and the reallocation of $25 million to double the Central Iowa Water Works’ nitrate removal capacity over three years. Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, said in a press conference after the announcement that while it’s “better late than never,” the water quality package doesn’t do enough to address issues of water quality in Iowa. Rather than focus on removing pollution from waterways, he said the state needs to provide financial incentives to farmers to implement sustainability practices and create guidelines on when fertilizer should be applied and other practices. Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, advocated in the press conference for IWQIS funding, calling it cheaper than DNR or U.S. Geographical Survey water monitoring and more publicly available. “I would also say it’s frustrating to those of us who don’t live in central Iowa to see picking and choosing,” Levin said. Johannsen agreed with Levin’s point, saying Reynolds’s water quality package and its focus on central Iowa leaves out portions of the state, especially rural areas “which are suffering disproportionally from nitrate pollution.” This could also be a consequence of individual towns and counties funding IWQIS rather than the state, Johannsen and Weber said — the potential for greater water quality monitoring in those funded areas while others see their monitoring go away. Polk County committed $200,000 to IWQIS in the fall, Weber said, with Johnson County promising another $200,000 in the past month. Wright County has also committed $35,000 and Linn County may give as much as $100,000, but Weber said negotiations are ongoing. This funding, alongside $80,000 from the Izaak Walton League and $17,000 from the City of Decorah, will power the system for another year. However, some of those funding streams come with restrictions on how or where it can be spent. Weber said he believes the system sensors will be able to stay where they are even with these limitations, but details are still being figured out and “last-minute shifts” may be necessary. Having state funding would eliminate this concern, he said, and his team, as well as the Iowa Environmental Council, will continue to advocate for state support for IWQIS in the future. “Although we didn’t get that budget line item approved this year, we’ll continue to work with our state legislators in the next legislative session to see if we can get back to state funding,” Weber said. “So we’ll continue to try to do that, and we’ll remain undeterred in the work that we do.”
	Reynolds signs law making animal torture a felony on first offense Torturing a companion animal will be charged as a felony in Iowa under a measure signed into law Monday by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Reynolds, joined by lawmakers and advocates, signed House File 2348 into law at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa shelter in Des Moines. The law establishes a Class D felony charge for animal torture, defined as when a person “intentionally, willfully, and maliciously mutilates, burns, poisons, drowns, starves or causes intensive or prolonged pain or death to a companion animal, or provides anything of value to another person to do the same.” This charge would increase to a Class C felony if individual has been previously convicted of other offenses related to animal cruelty. The law will be a step up from current Iowa law, which penalizes animal abuse causing injury as a serious misdemeanor, and an aggravated misdemeanor if the abuse results in death. With the signing, Iowa has become the 50th state to make animal torture a first offense felony. “This is already the legal standard across the rest of the country, and it’s only common sense that we adopted here in Iowa, because this isn’t just about being punitive,” Reynolds said. “This is about cracking down on intentional, willful and malicious infliction of pain or prolonged death on innocent animals — horrible acts of violence that are evil in their own right and also certainly linked to the violent crimes against people.” Joining politicians and advocates at the bill signing was Ember, a puppy rescued by the ARL in March that Tom Colvin, CEO of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa said was the victim of animal abuse and torture. Colvin showed a picture of Ember when she first came to the ARL at eight weeks old. She had sustained a broken jaw, a broken leg and a severe injury to another leg, as well as a severely injured eye, that Colvin said “we were able to determine happened from multiple abuses, multiple times she was tortured.” Ember, now five months old, has recovered from the injuries. Colvin said Ember “was fortunate enough to be a survivor of animal torture, but there’s so many other ones that aren’t,” which is why the measure needed to be signed into law. Colvin said this was a topic advocates had been working on as early as 1996, and thanked those who have kept bringing the issue up at the state Capitol. He also thanked law enforcement for the support of the measure and U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who has worked on animal cruelty legislation at the federal level. Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle, who led the bill in the House, said the measure was “long overdue” and “the right thing to do.” “I think it’s a commitment to what Iowa stands for, that, in our character, we want to protect our pets,” Fett said. “Our pets are there for companionship, for comfort, for therapy, for service, for working, and what better way to protect them … by passing something like this.”
	Mercado on Fifth Opening Day Celebration, May 22 Mercado on Fifth, the Quad Cities’ premier Latino cultural market and small-business incubator, will kick off its 10th Anniversary Season with a vibrant Opening Day Celebration on May 22, the scheduled events including live music, a marketplace, food and beverage vendors, and cultural activities throughout the evening.
	Data for Grant Writing workshop to be offered June 4 Finding the right data can be one of the most challenging parts of preparing a grant proposal. A new workshop from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development will help participants locate and understand information they can use to describe communities, document needs and support proposals. The Data for Grant Writing workshop will be offered June 4 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Alliant Energy Ag Innovation Lab, 3800 University Blvd., Room 1060, Ames. Designed for grant writers, nonprofit staff, planners, local officials and others who need data for proposals, the workshop will focus on information about the people, places and communities a project is intended to serve. Participants will learn how to find economic, demographic, social, housing, poverty and health-related data and how to locate information at the city, county state and census tract levels. During hands-on activities, participants will visit data websites, explore key indicators and practice finding information connected to projects. Registration is $100 per person. The registration deadline is June 3. Participants will need to bring a laptop with Wi-Fi capability. Local organizations and regional groups interested in sponsoring a local workshop may contact Burke for more information. For questions about the workshop or sponsoring a local workshop, contact Sandra Burke at scburke@iastate.edu.
	Online open records training May 28 Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development will offer an online Open Meeting and Open Records training May 28 from noon to 2 p.m. for newly elected and appointed public officials, including board and commission members. The training is designed to meet the state requirement that newly elected or appointed officials complete instruction on Iowa’s open meetings and public records laws. ISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development is an approved trainer by the Iowa Public Information Board. “Open meetings and open records laws are part of the day-to-day work of public service in Iowa,” said Sara Shonrock, community development specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “This training gives officials a structured way to review those responsibilities and ask questions about how the laws apply.” The session covers Iowa’s sunshine laws, which govern public meetings and access to public records. Participants will learn about meeting notices, agendas, closed sessions and what qualifies as a public record. “Public officials are often making decisions in settings where process matters,” Shonrock said. “The training uses examples to help participants understand what the law requires and how those requirements apply during regular meetings and public business.” The training costs $50 per person, and advance registration is required. For more information about the training, contact Antoinette Veldhuizen, program specialist, at aveldie@iastate.edu.
	Prom date Staff at the Scott County Library in Eldridge transformed story time into a ballroom on Tuesday, April 28, holding a Preschool Prom. As young children entered the library, they were greeted by a red carpet. There were snacks and crafts, including prom crowns and foam corsages. And, of course, there was dancing, complete with bubbles and Kidz Bop tunes.
	SPECTRA Reading Series: Jenna Goldsmith and Brittany N. Jaekel, May 28 Treating literary fans to readings in celebration of the latest chapbook release by the Midwest Writing Center's MWC Press, a pair of lauded poets will take the stage at Rozz-Tox on May 28, the Rock Island venue delighted to host an evening with Jenna Goldsmith and Brittany N. Jaekel.
	'Addams Family' named Outstanding Production Following the success of the spring musical, “The Addams Family,” Lancer Productions has even more to celebrate. Last Wednesday, cast and crew members learned the production received 26 honors from the Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards, including Outstanding Production. This is the highest award presented by the IHSMTA and celebrates excellence in all areas of the production. Other awards include: • Outstanding Ensemble • Outstanding Community Engagement: partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley • Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role: Brayden Serrano as Gomez Addams • Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role: Natalie Sierk as Wednesday Addams • Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role: Grady Kirst as Uncle Fester • Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role: Isabella Suarez as Pugsley Addams • Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role: Charlotte Madden as Morticia Addams • Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Role: the marketing and PR team of Riley Johnson, Kaitlyn Knepper, Isabella Suarez, Mason Smelzer and Addyson Yanke • Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Role: the lighting design team of Hannah Nelson and Kallen Rohlf • Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Role: the hair, makeup and costuming team of Eva Wyatt, Charli Conner and Emma Reif • Outstanding Achievement in a Behind-the-Scenes Role: the stage management team of Madilyn Brus and Alliana Ray • Special Recognition in a Behind-the-Scenes Role: Mya Kelsey for front-of-house management • Special Recognition in a Principal Role: Jack McCarthy as Lucas Beineke • Special Recognition in a Principal Role: Taylar Vondal as Alice Beineke • Special Recognition in a Principal Role: Emily Stutting as Grandma • Special Recognition in a Principal Role: Alexander Simmons as Lurch In addition to these awards, the production also produced five nominees for the coveted Triple Threat Award: Brayden Serrano, Natalie Sierk, Grady Kirst, Isabella Suarez and Charlotte Madden. These students will compete for the award, and one male and one female student will be chosen from all Triple Threat nominees to represent Iowa at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmys, in New York City this summer. In addition to competing for the Triple Threat Award, they will also have the opportunity to perform in a special Showcase medley and are eligible to receive theatre camp scholarships. Isabella Suarez was chosen as a Spotlight performer, and will sing “What If,” from “The Addams Family” during the IHSMTA Awards Showcase, which is scheduled for May 28 at the Des Moines Civic Center. Jack McCarthy and Taylar Vondal will represent Lancer Productions in the collaborative opening medley of the Showcase, which will feature students from across the state. The medley will be led by a guest Broadway music director and choreographer. Mya Kelsey was chosen to serve as an assistant stage manager at the Showcase. She will work alongside the professional team to run rehearsals, call cues and more to help execute this event. Kelsey was also chosen as an ISHMTA Technical Theatre Scholarship recipient for her work in stage management. She will receive a $2,500 scholarship. Riley Johnson, Hannah Nelson, Kallen Rohlf, Eva Wyatt, Alliana Ray, Addyson Yanke and Charli Conner will showcase their award-winning work as part of the Behind-the-Scenes Awards track. Finally, longtime Drama Booster and theatre supporter Mary Beth Madden will be honored as one of this year’s Impact Award recipients, which honors adults who make a significant impact on students’ school musical experience. She was nominated by Charlotte Madden, with recommendations from LP students, staff and fellow Drama Boosters. The IHSMTA Showcase will air live on IowaPBS.org at 7 p.m. on May 28. A highlight show will also air on Iowa Public Television in July. “The Addams Family” was directed and choreographed by Ashley Becher, with vocal direction by Bobby Becher and technical direction by Josh Tipsword, and was produced by Stacie Kintigh and Emily Hintze. Other participating local schools included: Davenport Assumption’s production of “Grease” (School Version); Bettendorf’s production of “Anastasia: The Musical”; Calamus-Wheatland’s production of “Alice in Wonderland” (Prince Street Players Version); Clinton High School’s “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”; Davenport Central’s production of “Into the Woods”; Davenport North’s production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; Davenport West’s production of “The Music Man”; and Pleasant Valley’s production of “Anything Goes.”
	Jason Hudy: “Mesmerizing Magic,” May 16 Delivering a night of prestidigitation that, according to The Bash, "could not have been better," touring artist Jason Hudy brings his show Mesmerizing Magic to Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse on May 16, the man's gifts inspiring Studio City Casino's Franz Harary to rave, "To tell you that his professionalism, performance, and overall way of being is outstanding does not give him nearly enough credit."
	State Street, Bettendorf patching project underway Work is now underway on a street patching project on State Street in Bettendorf. The project started on May 12 and crews will be working to make improvements to the roadway and sidewalks. Work includes full-depth concrete patching, utility structure repairs and adjustments, sidewalks, pedestrian ramps and other work associated with the replacement of approximately [...]
	United Township High School announces principal for 2027-2028 school year United Township High School has internally hired a new principal for the 2027-2028 school year.
	Face-to-face with the history of the prairie I had never seen a bison until Wednesday morning of last week, when I took a trip out to the Bill Cody Homestead. Scott County Conservation had kept bison at the Homestead until the last bull, Cinco, died in 2024. Now they have returned, thanks to a loan from a ranch in Maquoketa. The bison were a thrill. They had wild and uneven proportions: little back legs that built into a towering hump, with overlarge heads hanging at the front. There were six of them, four adult cows and two calves. A third calf has been born since my visit. Scott County Conservation Director Roger Kean told me one of those calves had been born just the day before I visited. The fourth bison may give birth yet, but no one is certain whether she has been bred. “Bison aren’t as easy to handle” as cattle, Kean observed. They plan to name the calf born last Wednesday after his forebear Cinco, who was born on the same day—Cinco de Mayo—some three decades ago. The bison treat the pasture at the Cody Homestead just like they would the open prairie. “They’re really hardy animals, and they’re not a domestic animal,” Kean said. “They really don’t need much. We’re basically providing them with a pasture and some nice grass.” They have automatic watering stations, and the county can bring in grass or hay if the season turns dry. “But they don’t normally need that,” he said. It’s only natural that the bison are at home. This is their home, after all, or at least it was 150 years ago. Bison are like so many American treasures—the First Amendment, for instance—that persist despite repeated attempts to get rid of them. They kept their distance as I took photos. Just like cows, they bent their curious ears towards me, even when they bent down for a bite of grass. They restore a degree of wildness to the landscape. I felt like I was peering back in time: bison in the blue grass, climbing the ridge up into the blue sky. A turkey vulture circled in the air. I was certain my boots would stumble towards a rattlesnake. Living history like that is frail, and our conservationists do an extraordinary job keeping it steady. Conservation has its own, independent merits: providing for the diversity of local species, guaranteeing county residents access to the outdoors. But it also provides us with a relief to compare to the landscape we are accustomed to. The bison show how artificial our world of row crop and highway grids and drainage tile is, how what passes for nature is nothing of the sort. Of course the bison are part of a commercial herd, they aren’t nature either. They just suggest it. The Bill Cody Homestead is open Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The bison can be glimpsed from the roadside.
	2021: Tensions simmer with Eldridge City Council May 12, 1976 • The City of Eldridge planned to appeal a ruling from the Iowa Comptroller’s Office that its proposed $171,479 taxation budget for 1976-77 exceeded an allowable growth of 9%, which was approved by the Iowa Legislature. According to a letter from the comptroller, the proposed budget was $28,266, more than allowed. This was a 30.5% increase over the budget from 1975-76, • McCausland mayor Walter Knapper Jr. was up a tree, literally, as he attempted to rescue the family cat. “Buz” climbed atop a 40-foot pine tree and spent much of the day there. Sardines were used in a futile attempt to bribe the feline into coming out of the tree. Eventually, Knapper borrowed a ladder from the fire department and he and a neighbor, Bill Harkins, brought Buz back to earth. • Elmer and Ruth Jurgens of Long Grove celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with family. Among the guests were Gerd and Ulla Ahrens of Germany, cousins of Mrs. Jurgens. Mr. and Mrs. Ahrens spent three weeks visiting relatives in the area. • Lynn Schmidt qualified for the state girls’ track meet, setting a school record in the mile in the process. She ran a 5:30.8 to place second to Erin O’Neill of Bettendorf, who came in a second earlier. Coach Frank Wood said the team was also waiting to hear if the 880-relay team of Stephanie Nollge, Pat Jones, Cindy Marten and Debby Bockwoldt also qualified. The squad placed third at the district meet and set a school record of 1:50. • Third-grade students at Alan Shepard Elementary School were enjoying reading stories by E.B. White, including “Charlotte’s Web.” They wrote a letter to Mr. White and included illustrations they had done for his newest book, “The Trumpet of the Swan.” White wrote back to the students, thanking them for the letter and pictures. He also sent them a photo of his goose, Felicity, who was making a nest in his barn. May 14, 1986 • A group of parents confronted the North Scott School Board over the elimination of industrial arts teacher Lynn Reth’s position at the high school. One parent said he was concerned that, with one less shop teacher, classes would be overloaded beyond safe levels and students would have less contact time with their teachers. He asked board member to explain their votes to dismiss Reth, but district attorney Don Sitz advised that since the termination hearing was held in closed session, they could not disclose anything that was discussed. • Park View residents were surprised to find nine Iowa State Patrol vehicles parked at the gates on the community one morning. The troopers were dispatched to check for faulty equipment and out-of-state registrations as part of a crackdown by the Scott County Treasurer’s Office. Treasurer William Cusack said 11 tickets were written for out-of-state registrations and “a lot” of tickets for faulty equipment. Also, “one woman had even cut her picture out of her driver’s license because she didn’t like it.” • More than 30 people crammed into an Eldridge City Council meeting to ask for dust control measures on several gravel roads, including Cody Road, Lincoln Road, Blackhawk Trail and South 11th Avenue. The council, which had been debating the use of calcium chloride for a month, finally voted to use it as dust control. This was necessary because it was now illegal to use waste oil on gravel roads for dust control purposes. At the same meeting, the council also voted to change the name of Cemetery Park to Franklin Park. • North Scott officials were concerned after enrollment for kindergarten classes in the fall dropped significantly over the year prior. At kindergarten roundup, just 195 students were registered, down from 234. The biggest drop was at Ed White, where the enrollment of 32 was down by half. Poor economic conditions were cited, as many families were moving out of the district in search of work. • North Scott’s first-ever Post Prom was seen as a success, with about 375 students attending the bash. The party started at 1 a.m., and students danced and partook in casino games until 3 a.m., wining play money they would later use to purchase prizes in an auction conducted by Matt Costello. The gym was finally empty by 5 a.m. High school principal Craig Hintz said they’d only expected 200 students and maybe $2,000 in donations. They received $4,000 in donations, more than 100 door prizes and enough food to also help cover the annual Senior Picnic. “It was well worth feeling like a zombie on Sunday and Monday,” said Hintz. May 16, 2001 • The North Scott School Board made a series of personnel decisions. Chief among them was the promotion of Bill Kessinger to head band director, after Dan Anderson announced earlier in the year that he would retire. Kessinger had worked in the district since 1975 and had been Anderson’s assistant for 25 years. Randy Schrader also stepped down as dean of students. He would take over Dan Mashek’s physical education teaching position and continue as football coach. Mashek would then move to the social studies department to fill the vacancy created when Rusty VanWetzinga departed for Pleasant Valley. • North Scott senior Caleb Shreves won the 46th Iowa Bandmasters Association Landers Scholarship, considered the highest honor for an Iowa high school musician. Shreves began playing his father’s old trumpet in seventh grade and quickly showed talent. He was named to the All-State band and All-State jazz band twice, including lead trumpet in the jazz band his senior year. He was also named principal trumpet player in the All-State Orchestra in 2000. He won the $2,000 scholarship after a lengthy process that included a theory test, a sight-reading test, and an interview and performance before three judges. He was the first North Scott student to receive this honor. “I really wanted to win this in Mr. A’s last year,” he said, referring to band director Dan Anderson. • After nearly a year and more than $26,000 in legal bills, the North Scott School District finally reached a settlement with former boys’ varsity basketball coach Neal Green. The district agreed to pay Green $11,000, although the settlement agreement denied any violations of district policies or state, federal and local laws and was “not to be construed as an admission by the district of any violation.” The settlement did not affect Green’s teaching contract with the district. • Iowa officials were educating residents of the dangers of foot and mouth disease (FMD), which was affecting livestock in other countries, but reportedly caused little risk to humans. “FMD is one of the worst threats to our livestock,” said state Rep. Joe Seng of Davenport. “Since it is an air-borne virus, it could spread like wildfire in a state like Iowa.” The disease was ravaging livestock herds across Europe and had been diagnosed in 34 countries in 16 months. Officials worldwide were also concerned about Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease, which could affect humans. So far, North America remained unaffected. • The North Scott girls’ track team qualified for nine events at the state meet. Brook Bowman qualified in the 100 and 200 and was also part of the 4x100 unit that also included Ashley Balli, Becca Lewandowski and Mindy Heidgerken. The latter three would also compete in the sprint medley with Abby Wiese. Heidgerken, Lewandowski, Wiese and Eden Olsen qualified in the distance medley. Others competing at state included Jessica Viner in the 3000, Maria Linnenbrink in the shot put, and Christina Gehrls in the wheelchair shot put and wheelchair 100. May 18, 2011 • A meeting was scheduled to give Scott County residents a look at a proposed energy transmission line that could cross the northern part of the county. Rock Island Clean Line was attempting to build a 500-mile overhead high-voltage direct current transmission line from Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota into Illinois. The proposed path in Scott County would include New Liberty, Donahue, Park View, Dixon, McCausland, Princeton, Maysville, Eldridge and LeClaire. • North Scott boys’ soccer coaches Enrique Sandoval, Jeremy Miller and Justin Ramos resigned after the Iowa High School Athletic Association said they violated an off-season no-contact rule. “Basically, we had a high school student participating in an adult co-ed recreational soccer league with some of our coaches this winter,” explained North Scott activities director Frank Wood. “There were a couple of times that the team the coaches played on was short players and they asked the North Scott student to play. I truly think it was a harmless thing, but it was in direct violation of the IHSSA coaching contact rule that states you can’t have any off-season contact with players other than open gyms.” • The group project by Emma Hubner, Cydnie Carmody, Emily Bainter and Taylor Gehrls won the “Best of Iowa” award at the state History Day contest and would be on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History during the National History Day competition in June. They did their project on Tinker v. Des Moines, a landmark Supreme Court case that held the First Amendment applied to public schools. • Members of the North Scott Wrestling Club competing at the state AAU tournament included Caleb McCabe (6th place), Brian Hilsenbeck, Mikey Wheeler, Collin Lewis (1st place), Austin Clark, Riley Thomas, Dakota Asleson, Jake Matthaidess, Mayson Shannon, Ryan Renken, Tanner Burchette, Jacob Ridgeway (6th place), Cordell Eaton (5th place), Colin Kreiter (3rd place), Jakubb Fahrenkrug (2nd place), Wyatt Wriedt (2nd place), Zach Petersen and Jacob Schmidt. • North Scott High School introduced the Summa Cum Laude designation for students earning a cumulative 3.9 GPA. They included Cameron Christoff, Travis Dierickx, Kelli Golinghorst, Grace McCammant, Amanda Ploof, Travis Reed and April Weiss. May 12, 2021 • Volunteers were needed for Project Linus, an organization that helped make quilts for foster children, families in homeless shelters and others in need. “They’re used by everyone from a preemie newborn all the way up to a big, 18-year-old football player,” said Project Linus chapter president Karen Brix. • Tensions within the Eldridge City Council exploded into public view, as council member Bruce Cheek accused city officials, including mayor Marty O’Boyle, of a lack of transparency, especially regarding a delay in city administrator Lisa Kotter’s annual review, as well as concerns over the police department. • Work continued at the new North Scott YMCA, as crews from Russell Construction worked to fortify the soil base at the site with compaction and additional rock. This would help support the weight of the building. • The North Scott boys’ track team captured its first MAC title since 2002, edging out Pleasant Valley by 3.5 points. The win wasn’t secured until the last event of the night, as Logan Soedt helped the 4x400 team to a fifth-place finish. The Spartans were disqualified from the event as one of their runners threw the baton at the end of the race. “Our kids were really loud and excited. When Logan crossed the finish line, there were about 20 kids waiting for him and they all piled on top. It was a pretty cool scene,” said coach Joe Greenwood. • The North Scott girls’ golf team finished third at the MAC meet. Elle Loehr carded a 98, good enough for seventh place.
	Border control is essential — but so is legal immigration Immigration and border control are a couple of the most serious issues facing the U.S. The debate over how many legal immigrants should enter the country, how to improve the legal immigration process, who should be granted legal status, and how to address the folks who break the rules is never-ending. It’s easy to fall into the trap of having the ‘answers’ to long-running questions like these be black and white. Some would say let everyone in. Others would say let no one in. Grant amnesty to every illegal immigrant, or deport them all back home. These options are the wrong fit for the U.S., and they’re definitely the wrong fit for Iowa. The true solution, like everything in life, is going to be more complicated and requires leaders to work out common-sense solutions. That has obviously not been happening. Let’s be clear. We need a secure border. Violent criminals should not be admitted and those who commit violent crimes after they are here should be deported. Iowans need and have the right to feel safe in their homes. The questions we are facing are complicated by the reality of what’s happening in Iowa. Iowa has an aging population. People are having fewer babies. If health care becomes better, if jobs paid better, if child care becomes more accessible and affordable – maybe that would turn the situation around. Our reality right now, though, is that Iowa’s aging population puts more pressure on government services because a greater percentage of our citizens rely on them. At the same time, we have fewer young people who fund and work to provide these services, a double whammy that has a strong potential to reduce the quality of life in our state. The reality is that Iowa has alleviated some of these issues with immigration into the state. More than 7 percent of Iowa’s labor force is foreign-born. An estimated 20 percent of doctors in Iowa were born outside the United States. Iowa has a history of helping immigrants, as evidenced by Republican Governor Robert Ray’s program to welcome immigrants from Southeast Asia, particularly Tai Dam people, who were fleeing from war in 1975. Iowans are compassionate. We understand the human reality that people do what’s best for their families because that’s what we do ourselves. So, we understand when families choose to flee from violence and starvation to protect their family members and Iowans have been proud to help those folks in the past. However, we need to keep our own borders safe and secure in order to protect our own families. Banning all immigration would be a detriment to Iowa. Allowing the immigration of everyone who wished to cross our borders would also be a detriment to Iowa and to the country. Right now, the path to legal immigration takes too long and costs too much money. The solution must be found in the middle. We need a solution that acknowledges our aging population, allows us to provide a safe haven for those who truly need it, fills the need for younger people in the workforce, streamlines and lowers the cost of legal immigration, and recognizes and celebrates the contributions immigrants have already made and will continue to make to our communities and state. It’s nonsense that Democrats want to open up the border and let undocumented citizens access programs like SNAP and Medicaid. This is fearmongering and politics at its worst and it is just not true. Bigotry and hatred have no place here. We’re perfectly capable of policing our borders without fearmongering about the ‘other’ that lies in wait just outside the lines drawn on our maps, just as we’re completely capable of crafting an immigration policy that’s merciful and effectively addresses our economic needs and realities. Iowans are tired of the grandstanding and inaction on an issue that truly divides our society. The way to change our immigration system is by electing people who have thoughtful solutions and are willing to work across the aisle to find compromise so that good, common-sense immigration policy can become our new reality. I have an inkling that Bob Ray would’ve been able to do this, and we have politicians today who can follow in his wise footsteps. It’s time for change because we’ve been divided by this issue for too long. The immigration debate won’t end with this column, just as it won’t end with this election. But the debate should be grounded in reality and treated like a serious discussion, not as a way to whip people into a frenzy and never provide solutions that unite us rather than divide us. Iowa is better than that. Iowans are better than that
	Welcoming legal immigration without accepting chaos Iowans are compassionate people. We believe in hard work, personal responsibility, and following the rules. That’s why most Iowans support legal immigration and welcome people who want to come here the right way, contribute, and build a better life for their families. But Iowans also believe in the rule of law and that borders matter and the public safety of Americans is paramount. For four years under Joe Biden, Washington acted like enforcing immigration law was somehow optional. Democrats across the country agreed. The result was chaos at the southern border and consequences that reached every corner of the country, including states like Iowa that sit hundreds of miles away. Under Biden, every state became a border state. While the true number may be even higher, an estimated 6.7 million illegal immigrants entered the United States during the Biden administration. Americans watched overwhelmed border communities, cartel activity, human trafficking, and dangerous criminals take advantage of a system that stopped prioritizing enforcement. Iowans have seen the consequences firsthand. Sarah Root and Mollie Tibbetts were young Iowans with bright futures who were killed by illegal immigrants who should never have been in this country. Their families should never have had to endure those tragedies. In Sarah Root’s case, her killer was allowed to post bond and fled the country because of a legal loophole. Years later, under President Trump, he was finally arrested in Honduras and returned to face justice. President Trump later signed Sarah’s Law, championed by Iowa’s congressional delegation, to help ensure no family experiences that heartbreak again. Public safety should never be controversial. That’s why Republicans in Iowa have supported stronger cooperation with ICE, banned sanctuary city policies, and worked to ensure law enforcement has the tools necessary to keep dangerous individuals off our streets. Meanwhile, too many Democrats continue to dodge straightforward questions about immigration enforcement. While many in his party lob insults and attack ICE, Rob Sand, the presumed Democrat nominee for governor, is silent. He has repeatedly avoided clearly stating whether he would maintain Iowa’s cooperation with ICE. Voters deserve a clear answer. This debate is often framed dishonestly. Democrats want voters to believe Republicans oppose immigration entirely which is simply untrue. Iowa depends on legal immigration. Agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and construction all rely on hardworking people who want to contribute to our economy and communities. Iowa can support legal immigration while also insisting that laws be enforced and borders secured. Those ideas are not in conflict unless politicians choose to make them so. What Iowans oppose is a system where people skip the line, enter illegally, and receive preferential treatment while families who follow the legal process wait years to come to this country the right way. Republicans believe immigration should be lawful, orderly, and serve the interests of American citizens first. That includes securing the border, deporting criminals who are here illegally, and ensuring states like Iowa can continue cooperating with federal law enforcement. The contrast since President Trump returned to office has been significant. Border crossings have sharply declined, deportations have increased, and for the first time in decades, the United States experienced negative net migration in 2025 after strong enforcement measures were put in place. That happened because leadership changed and priorities changed. Americans should not be afraid to expect enforcement of immigration laws. They should not be lectured for wanting safe communities or secure borders. And they should not be told that compassion requires accepting disorder and chaos. Iowans are compassionate people. But compassion should never come at the expense of public safety, the rule of law, or the citizens whom the government is elected to protect. As this election approaches, voters should ask themselves a simple question: which party is willing to enforce the law, support legal immigration, and protect Iowa families at the same time?

Tuesday, May 12th, 2026