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

Wednesday, February 25th, 2026
	China restricts exports to 40 Japanese entities with ties to military China on Tuesday restricted exports to 40 Japanese entities it says are contributing to Japan's "remilitarization," in the latest escalation of tensions with Tokyo.
	Signs, silence, and skipping: How Democrats protested Trump's State of the Union The pushback comes as Democrats enter a midterm year where they hope to make gains in the House and Senate.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2026
	Galesburg advances to Sectional Championship Galesburg girls basketball advances to the 3A Sectional Championships after defeating Metamora 51-27.
	Calamus-Wheatland advances to Regional Finals Calamus-Wheatland boys basketball advances to Regional Finals after defeating Hillcrest 48-46.
	Central DeWitt punches ticket to state for the second year in a row Central DeWitt girls basketball punched their ticket to state for the second year in a row.
	Clinton’s season comes to an end falling 72-56 Clinton girls basketball great season came to an end Tuesday night as they fell to Clear Creek Amana in the Regional Championship 72-56.
	Trump honors gold medal-winning men's hockey team at State of the Union amid controversy The celebration of the men's team comes after FBI Director Kash Patel's trip to the Games in Milan, and the president's comments about the U.S. women's team, have drawn scrutiny.
	Two Rivers YMCA seeks city support for $23.5 million renovation Two Rivers YMCA in Moline is planning a $23.5 million renovation and asking the city to waive more than $100,000 in permit fees to help fund upgrades.
	Trump delivers 2026 State of the Union Trump officially broke the record set by Bill Clinton for the longest State of the Union address.
	Operations suspended at Muscatine Organic Recycling Center pending financial review The Muscatine Recycling Center will continue to accept cardboard and mixed recyclables.
	Rock Island School District continues to face public and board outcry after high school fight Two weeks after the Rock Island High School fight, concerns still hover over the school district.
	Is high speed rail still on track for Illinois? With a proposal to make the Moline to Chicago high speed rail a reality, supporters are ready to hop aboard before economic opportunity leaves the station. Our Quad Cities News Illinois Capitol Bureau chief Alex Whitney reports some state lawmakers are still on track for more train service in Illinois.
	Aledo votes to end contract with trash pickup services; cites 600+ complaints The Aledo City Council voted to change the city's trash and recycling service Tuesday night during a special city council meeting. It comes after city staff served a notice of default to the company in October. Staff said at a public hearing two weeks ago that they had more than six hundred complaints about Lakeshore [...]
	Aledo plans to move forward with new waste management service provider Aledo city leaders are set to hold a special city council meeting on the future of their waste management services, Tuesday night.
	Bill that would rename the Gulf of America advances out of Alabama House Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden, speaking to Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on Feb. 24, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would rename the Gulf of Mexico. HB 2, sponsored by Rep. David Standridge, R-Hayden, would require all state and local entities to change name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The bill passed the House 74-30. “This bill came about because all the federal agencies are using the name Gulf of America,” Standridge said during the floor discussion. “Our neighbor in Florida has officially changed it to the Gulf of America. Louisiana is using the Gulf of America, another Gulf state, and it’s known of major companies. It’s known by the mapping software and I think that we need to also make that change here.” Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, said the name of the Gulf could change again when a new administration is in office. “When textbooks are changed, what every seven years or every 10 years, so you would be halfway through a textbook series [and] another administration says, ‘we’re not doing that, we’re going back to where we are,’” she said during debate. According to the bill, the changes wouldn’t have to be made if it poses a “financial burden” on local or state entities. Public K-12 schools and colleges and universities are also not prohibited from using the term Gulf of Mexico during an academic instruction when it’s done for historical purposes. Rep. Brett Easterbrook, R-Fruitdale, spoke in favor of the bill and said this wouldn’t be the first time something has been renamed. “I heard a lot of talk about the president renaming it, jumping up and down about it. Didn’t Biden rename all the bases in the South?” Easterbrook asked. In 2022, former president Joe Biden renamed several military bases across the South due to linkage to Confederate leaders. The Trump administration reversed Biden’s decision last year. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, called the bill “overreaching” and said renaming the body of water is different from previous renamings. “President Biden, when he did rename something, it was to erase the stain of racism, of torture, of lynching, of discrimination by those who refuse to recognize people of color who fought in a Civil War against people of color that are Black,” she said during debate. Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Prichard, said he thought the bill started from a joke. “I really feel like this wasn’t even something that was really that serious, like, I feel like it was a joking type situation, and a lot of it was based off of the tension between the two countries, and some of it may have been built around the border issue and the wall,” he said during debate. “But all of a sudden it’s become so serious to the point that it’s like we’re trying to name something that we don’t even own.” Standridge said another reason for wanting to pass the legislation is because it’s “an opportunity to make a patriotic statement.” “I think that the president would embrace that,” he said. “I think it’s more fitting for the body of water, that it is, that that’s what the name should be.” If passed, the bill would go into effect Oct. 1. It moves to the Senate. Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Students 'terrorize' Rock Island High School: RI-Milan School Board hears public outcry School board members and others made clear Tuesday night that discipline problems at Rock Island High School must be addressed ... and soon. At least six people - including two school board members and a teacher - spoke out at the Rock Island-Milan School Board meeting Tuesday. "It is as bad as everyone thought it [...]
	Iowa Child Care Assistance measure moves forward Free child care for child care workers in Iowa could be a permanent benefit. The State House passed a measure to make Iowa's Child Care Assistance program permanent. The program is open to parents with a monthly income below 250% of the federal poverty level and those who work at least 32 hours a week [...]
	LIVE: Trump delivers State of the Union, seeks to calm voters’ concerns ahead of midterm elections President Donald Trump will use his State of the Union address to argue that his whirlwind first year back has made America stronger and that Republicans deserve to keep control of Congress after the midterms.
	Woman who tried to steal baby from Davenport home enters plea A woman who forced her way into a Davenport home in an effort to steal a child has entered into a plea agreement with Scott County prosecutors.
	Operations suspended at Muscatine Organic Recycling Center pending financial review The Muscatine Recycling Center will continue to accept cardboard and mixed recyclables.
	Flooding damages items in Storage of America units, tenants say they haven't received answers Tenants at Storage of America in Moline and Rock Island say burst pipes caused flooding and mold, destroying belongings. They said management has been unresponsive.
	City of Muscatine suspends operations at recycling center The City of Muscatine has suspended operations at the Muscatine Organic Recycling Center (MORC) until further notice while officials evaluate the program’s financial impact on city resources, a news release says. The Muscatine Recycling Center is no longer accepting organic food waste, but is still accepting cardboard and mixed recyclables. “While the Muscatine Organic Recycling [...]
	Davenport West students get hands-on look at healthcare careers in UI Health STEM event Students at Davenport West High School got a unique look at possible healthcare career choices.
	Rep. Tammy Duckworth, other Democrat leaders respond to the State of the Union Illinois Representative Tammy Duckworth (D) and five other Democrat senators hosted a press conference Tuesday afternoon to respond in advance to President Trump's State of the Union address. "(Trump) happily stripped away the tax that millions of Americans relied on to afford healthcare," said Duckworth. "Thanks to his bill, thanks to his apathy, thanks to [...]
	Buddy Bench catches on at Hampton, Riverdale schools — and it started with a student A simple bench on the playground at Hampton and Riverdale elementary schools is helping make sure no student feels left out during recess.
	BNSF pours millions into Galesburg rail yard, boosting capacity and jobs Rail investment expected to bring jobs, economic growth to Knox County
	Sweet job: Davenport elementary students taste-test pancakes Some elementary school students saw their morning get off to a sweet start. Eisenhower Elementary in Davenport tested a new brand of pancakes for next year's breakfast option. Involving students in these decisions is one way Davenport Community Schools cut back on food waste. "We've done this a few times in the past, never to [...]
	Niabi Zoo trivia event to benefit African painted dog research You're invited to Niabi on Thursday, Feb. 26 for a trivia night. The proceeds will benefit painted dog conservation work in Zimbabwe.
	Niabi Zoo's global partnership with Painted Dog Research in Zimbabwe Niabi zoo is once again throwing a fundraiser for its ongoing, international partnership helping wild painted dogs and conservationists in Zimbabwe, Africa.
	DARI will end economic-development services agreement with City of Rock Island DARI (the Development Association of Rock Island) has voted to end the economic development professional services agreement with the City of Rock Island effective March 31, according to a news release. This was the second three-year professional services agreement with the city. It began in March 2020. Before 2020, the city and DARI worked together [...]
	President Trump set to deliver first State of the Union address of his second term Facing low approval ratings and ahead of midterm elections in November, President Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term as president Tuesday night.
	President Trump delivers first State of the Union address of his second term Facing low approval ratings and ahead of midterm elections in November, President Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term as president Tuesday night.
	Trump cheers Republicans, scolds Democrats in State of the Union address Facing low approval ratings and ahead of midterm elections in November, President Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term as president Tuesday night.
	Trump cheered Republicans while scolding Democrats in State of the Union address Focused on the wins of his first year in office, President Trump gave himself and Republicans high marks while scolding Democrats for their stances on the economy and immigration.
	Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers response to Trump's State of the Union Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers the official party response after President Trump gave himself and Republicans high marks while scolding Democrats for their stances on the economy and immigration.
	Trump cheered himself and Republicans while scolding Democrats in State of the Union Focusing on political victories during his State of the Union address, Trump gave himself and Republicans high marks while scolding Democrats for their stances on the economy and immigration.
	Prosecutors ask judge to deny Jamison Fisher's request to move trial out of Henry County Fisher's attorneys said widespread media coverage makes it unlikely he will receive a fair trial. The judge has yet to rule on the motion.
	Iowa DOT to start ramp replacement off U.S. 61 in Scott County starting next week Construction is scheduled to begin next week on the replacement of the bridge deck and pavement of an off-ramp on U.S. 61 just north of Davenport, causing some closures.
	A LITTLE snow is possible this week, but don't expect much shoveling We have a few chances for snow over the next 7 days...including one for Tuesday evening. Any snow will be very light with no accumulation expected. There's another chance for a light snow event late Wednesday night. This too will be very light. By Sunday a third chance for snow gets here, with some minor [...]
	Zimbabwe nonprofit Painted Dog Research and Niabi Zoo to hold trivia night The trivia night will be held Thursday, Feb. 26 at Niabi Zoo.
	Eisenhower Elementary students taste-test new pancake options Following a landslide vote among the students, Eggo Confetti pancakes will be available on the menu next year.
	How Honor Flight of the Quad Cities is expanding its mission Honor Flight of the Quad Cities has taken thousands of area veterans to see memorials honoring their service, and now the organization is expanding its mission. Steve Garrington joined Our Quad Cities News to talk about that expansion. For more information, click here.
	Son charged with 1st-degree murder in stabbing death of mother, EM police say East Moline police have made an arrest in an ongoing homicide investigation after a woman was stabbed and died in late January.
	East Moline police arrest son in connection with mother's homicide East Moline police have arrested the victim's son in connection with the homicide investigation into the death of Bonnie L. Smith, according to a news release. Michael A. Bryant, 32, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, a Class M Felony. He is Smith's son. Bryant was being held Tuesday in [...]
	Trump's State of the Union address: What guests Iowa, Illinois lawmakers are bringing — and who's not going Members of Iowa's congressional delegation are bringing the family members of two fallen National Guardsmen. In Illinois, some lawmakers are boycotting the address.
	East Moline police: Son charged in mother's murder East Moline police found a 56-year-old woman with apparent stab wounds in January. Her son has now been charged with her murder.
	Read NPR's annotated fact check of President Trump's State of the Union As President Trump delivers his State of the Union address, reporters from across NPR's newsroom will fact check his speech and offer context.
	Read NPR's annotated fact check of President Trump's State of the Union As President Trump delivers his State of the Union address, reporters from across NPR's newsroom will fact check his speech and offer context.
	East Moline police arrest son of Bonnie Smith in connection with her death East Moline police on Tuesday arrested the son of Bonnie L. Smith in connection with her Jan. 23 stabbing death.
	The Tinkers fought for free speech in public schools These Iowa siblings were suspended for protesting the Vietnam War at school. They took their case to the Supreme Court — and won — in Tinker v. Des Moines.
	Gov. Reynolds orders flags at half-staff in honor, remembrance of Rev. Jesse Jackson Flags will also be at half-staff on all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state.
	Police identify body pulled from the Green River in Colona on Monday Emergency crews responded to the scene on Nancy Court along the Green River around 11 a.m. on Monday.
	East Moline police: Son charged in mother's murder East Moline police found a 56-year-old woman with apparent stab wounds in January. Her son has now been charged with her murder.
	Zimbabwe nonprofit Painted Dog Research partners with Niabi Zoo Wild painted dog populations have dropped from half a million to about 6,500.
	Galesburg Board of Education approves upgrades to baseball and softball field The upgrades will cost approximately $1.8 million, according to documents from the Galesburg Board of Education.
	Police: Son arrested in connection to stabbing death of East Moline woman East Moline police have made an arrest in an ongoing homicide investigation after a woman was stabbed and died in late January.
	Death Notice: Alice Vetter A funeral service for Alice M. Vetter, 95, of Long Grove, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service on Friday at the church. Burial will be in Pine Hill Cemetery, Davenport. The Runge Mortuary, Davenport, is assisting the family with arrangements. Mrs. Vetter died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at MercyOne Genesis, Davenport. Memorials may be made to the Long Grove Civic Center or Long Grove Fire Department. Online condolences may be made at www.rungemortuary.com. A full obituary will appear in the March 4 edition of The NSP.
	Aledo to hold special city council meeting on future of waste management services Aledo city leaders are set to hold a special city council meeting on the future of their waste management services, Tuesday night.
	Quad City Symphony Orchestra Masterworks V: “Beethoven Second Symphony,” March 7 and 8 Rhythm, energy, and innovation will be celebrated in the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's fifth Masterworks concerts of the 2025-26 season, the March 7 and 8 repertoire boasting Leonard Bernstein's vibrant "Three Dance Episodes" from On the Town, Rebecca Burkhardt’s captivating Ballet for Cello and Orchestra, and, as fitting for the program's title, Ludwig van Beethoven’s spirited and uplifting Second Symphony.
	U.S. House rejects aviation safety bill after Pentagon abruptly withdraws support The House of Representatives narrowly rejected a bipartisan aviation safety bill that was spurred by the deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C. after the Pentagon abruptly withdrew its support.
	Chicago Farmer & the Fieldnotes, March 6 A consistently popular performer touring in support of his March 8 release Homeaid, beloved Midwestern folk singer/songwriter Cody Diekhoff – better known by his recording alias Chicago Farmer – headlines a March 6 concert with his band The Fieldnotes at Davenport's Redstone Room, the artist a soulful crooner and guitarist who inspired No Depression to rave, “If the Midwest is looking for a voice, the search is over.”
	Ole 60, March 6 Currently traveling the country in their “Smokestack Town '26 Tour,” Ole 60, self-described as “not your father's country band,” headlines a March 6 engagement at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, The Westview Wire giving the musicians' 2025 album Smokestack Town five our of five stars, and The Bluegrass Situation calling the ensemble "one of the most intriguing new acts in Americana."
	Scott County Road F-55 at U.S. 61 in Davenport to be closed in both directions beginning in March An upcoming traffic alert for drivers in Scott County.
	New Illinois bills target hidden price hikes based on your clicks Two bills introduced in the house would require companies to tell consumers when their personal data is used in price setting.
	The Legendary Wailers featuring Julian Junior Marvin, March 7 Performing from a repertoire boasting such revered songs as "One Love," "Get Up, Stand Up," "I Shot the Sheriff," "Is This Love," and "No Woman, No Cry," the Legendary Wailers featuring Julian Junior Marvin return to East Moline venue The Rust Belt on March 7, the outfit's bandleader the Jamaican-born guitarist and singer who was invited to join Bob Marley & the Wailers a full 49 years ago.
	Adam Weiner a.k.a. Low Cut Connie, March 6 Praised by Rolling Stone for “gutbucket rock & roll and soulful boogie” and by NPR Music for being “fresh, original, and truly pledged to rock and roll,” Adam Weiner a.k.a. Low Cut Connie headlines a March 6 solo concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist's 2023 album Art Dealers hailed by Glide magazine as "a perfect mix of charm, love, and devotion with just enough sleaze and grit to keep it interesting."
	Fabrizio and Clementine, March 7 A disparate night of musical genres will be heard at Davenport's Raccoon Motel on March 7, the artists' repertoires ranging from the country and Americana of Nashville-based Fabrizio to the emo and punk of Rockford, Illinois' Clementine.
	V. Vecker, March 7 With his compositions praised by Beatroute as "gnawing and building and growing in strength, crushing you like the weight of ice," composer, improvisor, and multi-instrumentalist V. Vecker headlines a March 7 OUTLETProgramme event at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox, the artist performing music that makes you, per Beatroute, "feel trapped until the sweet release of melancholy pulls you under – the calm after the squall."
	Chris Ruggiero, March 6 Dedicated to taking his audiences on a journey through the Golden Age of rock and roll, popular touring vocalist brings Chris Ruggiero brings his headlining tour to Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre on March 6, the PBS and social-media sensation revered for breathing new life into the timeless music of the 1950s, '60s and '70s.
	Economic development group DARI ends agreement with city of Rock Island Under the terms of the agreement, Rock Island paid DARI $300,000 annually for its services.
	City of Rock Island ending economic development partnership services agreement with DARI The Development Association of Rock Island has partnered with the City since 2020.
	“Honky Tonk Angels,” March 11 through April 25 Praised by WhartonPlazaTheatre.com for its "rousing musical numbers, hilarious social commentary, and heavenly harmony," the feel-good, foot-stomping, country-music sensation Honky Tonk Angels enjoys a March 11 through April 25 run at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, RochesterMedia.com adding, "To paraphrase a well-known movie quote: Is this heaven? No. It’s Honky Tonk Angels. Welcome to heaven on earth.”
	“Company,” March 12 through 15 A groundbreaking achievement whose original Broadway production received six Tony Awards and whose most recent New York presentation won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, composer Stephen Sondheim's and author George Furth's Company enjoys a March 12 through 16 run in Augustana College's Brunner Theatre Center, the legendary work a resonant dramatic comedy by an artist the New York Times calls “one of the most sophisticated composers ever to write Broadway musicals.”
	Prosecutors ask judge to deny Jamison Fisher's request to move murder trial out of Henry County, Illinois Fisher's attorneys asked the judge to move his murder trial to a different county, claiming an impartial jury is "highly unlikely" due to media coverage.
	“Langer, Lesperance, & Schroeder,” March 4 through April 27 A wide range of disparate mediums and gorgeous artworks will be on display at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery from March 4 through April 27, with art lovers area-wide invited to view new metal and fiber sculpture by Amanda Langer, encaustics by Cindy Lesperance, and Japanese tiles by Nick Schroeder in the exhibit Langer, Lesperance, & Schroeder.
	Road work closing Scott County Road F-55 in both directions Scott County drivers need to find another way to access Scott County Road F-55 during an Iowa DOT replacement project. Workers will replace the bridge deck and pavement on the northbound U.S. 61 off-ramp (Exit 124) to Scott County Road F-55 on Monday, March 2, weather permitting. The project will require closing the road in [...]
	Art Conversation Talk, March 12 Held in conjunction with the current exhibit The Golden Age: Featuring Northern European Works from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art, Davenport's Figge Art Museum will host a special Art Conservation Talk on March 12, the event featuring a program conservator visiting the Quad Cities from the National Gallery of Art.
	“Rocks, Minerals, & Gems: The Olsen Collection,” February 24 through March 20 Amethyst cathedrals, diamonds, Lake Superior agates, opals, geodes, and additionally beautiful objects will be on view at the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Art Gallery through March 20, with works in the fascinating exhibition Rocks, Minerals, & Gems: The Olsen Collection spanning five-plus decades of curiosity, craftsmanship, and global exploration.
	North Scott Press — February 25, 2026
	Charlie Berens, March 8 A Midwestern comedian, New York Times bestselling author, Emmy-winning journalist, and musician whose content for his various social platforms has amassed more than 10 million followers, Charlie Berens brings his "The Lost & Found Tour" to Davenport's Adler Theatre on March 8, the Wisconsin native famed for his appearances on Comedy Central, Funny or Die, and MTV News.
	Chris Kattan, March 12 Beloved for his 1996 to 2003 tenure on Saturday Night Live, where he was best-known for characters including Mango, Mr Peepers, and one of the Butabi brothers opposite Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan performs as the latest guest in the "Laugh QC" Thursday Night Comedy Series held in the Mississippi Hall of the Davenport RiverCenter, the comedian's March 12 engagement treating fans to a night (at the Roxbury) with one of SNL's longest-serving cast members.
	Spring 2026 Antique Spectacular Vintage Market, March 6 through 8 One of the area's most eagerly anticipated sales events returns to Rock Island's QCCA Expo Center March 6 through 8, as Melting Pot Productions, Inc. presents this year's spring Antique Spectacular Vintage Market, allowing hunters of vintage goods an all-weekend opportunity to shop for a wide range of quality antiques.
	Rock Island, DARI to end $300,000-a-year contract, citing ‘realignment and refocus’ Rock Island and DARI said they are are ending the services agreement they’ve had since 2020.
	“Barbie: An All-American Girl?”, March 8 Patrons of the German American Heritage Center are invited to discover the history of one of the world's most recognizable dolls – and how she evolved from a comic for adult men in Germany (!) – in Barbie: An All-American Girl?, with Putnam Museum and Science Center Curator of History and Anthropology Christina Kastell leading a fascinating March 8 program in the Davenport venue's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series.
	At the Legion The main drag in Dixon has seen better days: a bank, a post office, and two pop machines. And the Dixon Legion, Post no. 353, where new management hopes the town will see better days yet. Rod Ferris of Maysville has been a member of the Legion since he left the U.S. Navy 50 years ago, after service during the Vietnam War. He is one of less than thirty Dixon Legionnaires who still pay their annual dues. He will not let the post go dark. Ferris decided to take over last month, when longtime manager Pat Reese and Legion Commander Rick Stoltenberg said they planned to close it down. “It’s too nice of a building to close, and I just didn't want to let it happen,” he said. “. . . I’ve got a lot of support behind me. I’m off to a good start.” “We just want to get the word out that we’re still open,” he added. As a child, Ferris’s father Carl Ferris, Jr. was briefly Commander of the post, a term memorialized on the wall. The year was 1957. Ferris said he “grew up” around the Legion, attending dinners, traveling from post to post for bowling tournaments. When he left the Navy, he tended its bar. For 25 years he dealt blackjack at its annual “stag night” fundraiser. The roomy Dixon Legion, 604 Davenport Street, hosts a small bar on its east end. Two joined reception spaces stretch west. Attic rooms hold decades of ephemera, including the rifles used to salute Legionnaires at funerals; Ferris said the Legion sometimes has trouble finding a man for each rifle. The bar has TouchTunes, so patrons can play the songs of their choice. Ferris has brought Shelby Prier, former bartender at Ray’s Pub in Donahue, to manage the reopened venue. Prier said that, like Ferris, she didn’t want to see the Legion close down. “This is the only thing in Dixon besides the pop machine,” she joked. While the Legion used to be a “popping place,” it needed to be revamped. Prier and Ferris have spent the past two weeks sweeping and scouring the neglected venue. Already, opening the bar for an afternoon or evening, Ferris said it has received hearty support. Seats fill quickly with friends and regulars; beer is cheap, and a neighbor might just buy it for you. “Now I’m more motivated,” Ferris said, about seeing friends fill the venue. “They don’t want to see this place closed.” On Friday, they welcomed several hundred guests for their monthly fish and chicken dinner, the first with a new faces behind the bar. Street parking was at a premium Friday night on Davenport Street, as hungry diners packed the bar and the Legion Hall, waiting up to an hour for made-to-order chicken and catfish. They came, not just from Dixon, but from neighboring communities like Walcott, New Liberty, Long Grove, Donahue and Eldridge. People showed up before 5 p.m. to get in line, even though the kitchen didn’t open until 5:30. They were content to wait. Ferris rarely left his post in the kitchen, but as friends came up to shake his hand or give him a pat on the back, he grinned and clacked his serving tongs at them in greeting. Then he got back to work plating baked potatoes and checking the progress of workers on the breading line. They recently switched to catfish fillets, Ferris said. People seemed to like them better than the whole catfish previously offered. The key to a successful dinner is good food, he said. And plate after plate was served up. Two catfish fillets or four pieces of chicken. A baked potato wrapped in foil, coleslaw and a dinner roll. The condiment table featured tartar sauce, lemon juice, sour cream and huge tubs of butter. The kitchen ran out of baked potatoes just before 7:30 and they had to switch to French fries. All in all, Ferris said he was pleased, not just with the event, but with the positive feedback from news of the Legion’s new ownership. There will be another catfish and chicken fry on the third Friday of each month, although they might take a month or two off in the summer when people are busy with outdoor activities and vacations. Ferris hopes to see a range of events return to the Legion, or start there. A church group from Wheatland uses the reception room on weekends. Prier has already booked a small party for April, and Ferris hopes to see weddings and other family events. “Not everybody has these big, high-dollar wedding receptions,” Ferris said. He hopes to make several improvements to the space, replacing old carpet, updating television sets. Lite beer and fish dinners help raise funds, but so do raffles, which he said have helped support the Maysville Fire Department. Ferris serves as mayor of Maysville. He also hopes to bring back the stag night fundraiser: a night that transforms the Legion into a casino on a one-night gambling license from the county. But that will have to wait until next year, he said. It is a February tradition. Perhaps events will help grow Legion membership, which is open to all active-duty veterans who have served from the Second World War on. Membership is $50 a year. “I can’t get the young kids,” Ferris said. “They just won't join. I don't know why. It's kind of a shame, but that's happening everywhere.” For now, Ferris just hopes to see the Legion get back on its feet after it appeared ready to close. “I'm not taking any money out of it. I'm just getting it going,” he said. Soon he will return to his seat at the bar, talking to old friends and hoping the Cubs can field another real team. NSP Editor Erin M. Gentz contributed reporting.
	North Scott Singers head for Milwaukee The North Scott Singers have long been known for vocal excellence for individual students at the All-State level. But this week, the choir, and their director, will perform at the highest level and demonstrate their skill as a group. North Scott’s premier vocal ensemble was chosen as one of six high schools to perform at the prestigious Midwestern Choral Directors Convention in Milwaukee. They will sing before an audience made up of music professionals, including other choir directors, on the stage of the historic Pabst Theatre on Thursday morning. “It’s kind of the Super Bowl for choir,” said director Lori Potts. “That’s what I tell the students. For individual singers, it’s All-State. But for full choirs, this is a full group experience to get to that level.” But this honor doesn’t just represent success for this iteration of North Scott Singers. In order to be considered, Potts had to submit recordings from the previous three years, as well as the programming the students performed, so the adjudicators could evaluate the level of music. She also had to propose a 25-minute program for a group of students who had never sung together before. The idea for applying to the convention is one Potts has had for a while. “I’ve gone to a lot of conventions over the years and seen varying levels of performance. And just watching them, I could see our students doing this song, or doing that song, and just thinking that our choir program really needs to be recognized at that level.” But the recognition didn’t come easy. “I believe I’ve submitted applications probably four or five times, with rejection letters,” said Potts. “And this summer, when I got this email in July, I had to read it about five times to actually believe that we were invited.” She said it also wasn’t necessarily easy to program three years out. “My program is what I would consider pretty traditional choir music. When we go there, we’ll see everything from avant-garde to the basic. So, we are just doing the traditional stuff that I feel fits best for our kids. “One piece of advice I got from a colleague was, program the kind of music that got you there. Don’t try to do anything extra tricky. Don’t do anything you don’t already know. So, for me, we just stayed in the lane of what I know that our kids can do.” She said this group is particularly good at rhythmic music and languages, and both of those aspects were built into a program based on the convention theme, “Reflections of Us.” The choir previewed the program during a special concert on Sunday at Faith Lutheran Church, and during the annual “Almost Spring” concert on Monday. These performances can be seen on Faith Lutheran’s Facebook page, and on the North Scott Community School District’s YouTube channel. The program opens with a song that highlights both of the choir’s strong suits, “Rytmus,” which is a rhythmic song in Hungarian. It’s followed by a German piece by Schubert, “Gretchen am Spinndrade” (Gretchen at the spinning rod), featuring an ensemble of Marlayna Cockshoot, Nora Davis, Ben Hill, Grady Kirst, Ben Lightle, Charlotte Madden, Charlie Peterson, Behren Radech, Addalie Reese, Nolan Reese, Natalie Sierk, Anthony Vatnsdal, Taylar Vondal and Lauren White. Rachel Eriksen leads the choir with a solo in “Only in Sleep,” followed by “Hope,” featuring Anthony Vatnsdal on djembe and Kinza Maclin on shaker. Eriksen has another solo in “Do Not Be Afraid.” The program closes with a spiritual, “Ain’t Got Time to Die,” featuring solos by Grady Kirst and Ben Hill. Potts said the students have been “really good sports for me leading them to the unknown, because they have no idea what the audience is going to be. Because it’s all choral directors from across the Midwest, at different levels, that are going to be sitting there with a magnifying glass, listening and just critiquing. So, they have no idea of that.” The students have also been good sports about the rehearsal schedule, putting in extra practice on Saturday mornings for most of the year. “The kids that we have now, I would say they have great attitudes,” said Potts. “It’s a different group. I’ve never had a group like this. I have not heard one complaint, all year, about anything extra. They’re just great workers and they have great attitude. Besides being talented, they’re just here to do the best job that they can do.” Aided in this process by accompanist Kinza Maclin and junior high director Paul Skyles, Potts said each year is built off the next. She said she and Skyles have lots of conversations about how to get students to the next level and seeing the areas that need to be worked on. “We just have to create those opportunities. Whatever the students need, we try and fulfill that to make it to the next level. If they want to go to All-State, then they’ve got to work hard and they have to go through the All-State process, learn how to hold their music and how to communicate. Some schools, they’re able to put those kids in a group and let them do their thing, where we break it down to whatever those students really need. And that’s, I think, the important thing about our program here – these kids are getting good education in choral music.” The students head to Milwaukee Wednesday, where they will have a professional sound check that night. The performance will be early Thursday morning, after which they’ll head back to Eldridge. “They will not get to see any other choirs, which is too bad, because we’ll sing so early in the morning and then they’ll just come right back home. But they will – they should – get some accolades, I would think, from people, and just a really cool experience that we’re actually a performance choir. Main stage.” Potts said she’s also grateful for the support of the community. “Our students did a fundraising push back in October, and we were able to raise every single dollar that we will need to go up. And so, the kids will pay for nothing for housing, charter buses and a couple of meals. So, all of that, plus merchandise for the kids. “That, to me, means that there’s a lot of people that are behind us, rooting us on. So we want to do the best that we can when we get there.” Potts said the last time a concert choir from the Quad Cities area was selected to participate at this convention was in 2000, when the Davenport Central High School Choir performed under the direction of Sally Riewerts. “It’s just awesome that our students are being acknowledged for excellence in the choir classroom, and that we get to perform up against Luther College and other universities and high schools from across the Midwest.” And Potts said she considers this moment to be a monumental personal achievement as well. “It’s an honor for me to be standing up there, because I’ve gone to a lot of conventions, and just trying to envision, is this something that I can do? Can I handle the stress that goes along with everything and just getting them ready? It’s really, probably, the top of the mountain for me as a director, just knowing what I had to prepare.” Soprano 1 Rachel Eriksen Katelyn Peck Anna Philip Natalie Sierk Lauren White Soprano 2 Marlayna Cockshoot Charli Conner Maddy Hillman Jane Nichols Maddie Norin Micayla Ramirez Emma Reif Tori Samara Bella Suarez Addison Yanke Alto 1 Amira Blackwell Nora Davis Riley DeBourcy Brooklyn Lacher Chelsea Nwatchock Taylar Vondal Eisley Weinert Alto 2 Ava Atzen Charlotte Madden Hannah Nelson Ella Peters Addalie Reese Ella Siokos Saeler VenHorst Emma Zrostlik Tenor 1 Evan Keppy Grady Kirst Hayden Lacher Bradyn Mulvaney Charlie Peterson Ezekiel Skyles Gage Wagner Tenor 2 Jax Adkisson Griffin Frank Zach McMann Will Meeks Nolan Reese Gabe Skyles Bass 1 Nathan Anderson Obadiah Hagedorn Parker Hamly Ben Hill Pacey Kane Ben Lightle Alexander Simmons Jack McCarthy Bass 2 Jacob Link Cael Mess Behren Radech Bryce Stewart Kaden Timmerman Anthony Vatnsdal
	China and the US alter foreign aid strategies China's foreign aid strategy has shifted in the last few decades and now its model may be the one the US is adopting as China moves away from it.
	The new cop? An artificial intelligence On a sleepy Eldridge afternoon, a member of the police department completes a routine traffic stop. Lights on, he approaches the vehicle; speaks with the driver; runs plates, perhaps issues a warning. He returns to his squad car and sees a message on his computer. After reviewing body camera footage of the interaction, his supervisor has commended him for professional behavior. Only, his supervisor is not a police officer. It is not a supervisor at all. It is an artificial intelligence. Eldridge police officers have spent the last several months integrating Truleo, an AI assistant dedicated to helping law enforcement agencies manage tasks from bodycam review, to report writing, to real-time translation. The Eldridge Police Department is the first in Scott County to integrate the technology, according to Chief Andrew Lellig. Officer Garrett Jahns, who works as the department’s School Resource Officer, is among the technology’s most eager proponents. While on patrol, he can hold down the space bar of his laptop to ask Truleo questions. “I push the space bar and say, ‘What's the city ordinance for barking dog?’” Jahns offered in a demonstration. Truleo responded quickly. The Eldridge Police Department has uploaded the entirety of city and state code into the program. “If regular, individual or continued barking causes serious annoyance to the neighborhood, it's considered a public nuisance,” Truleo read aloud. “Animal control or city police officers can require the owner to make efforts to quiet the dog, and may impound the dog if the owner is absent.” He prompted Truleo to generate a preliminary police report for a public nuisance citation. He provided his computer with a fictional street address, date, and time, and a brief account of his invented interaction with a neighbor. Truleo kept requesting additional information, but Jahns directed it to jump directly to a report. Truleo silently processed the information before producing several hundred words, faithfully reproducing each of Jahns’ details. Jahns described the AI-generated narrative as the basis of a report he might submit to the county attorney’s office. Jahns said that, for cases more important that a city citation, he uses Truleo to proofread a report he still writes himself. The program will offer feedback on a missed lead or a breach in protocol, he said. Police “have all kinds of tools at our at our discretion,” Jahns said. “We have tasers, we have guns, we have radios, flashlights, all to help us better do our jobs…. But not a lot is talked about when it comes to report writing and courtroom testimony. You don't see a lot of that on TV… how that paperwork gets done, or how difficult that paperwork can be.” Artificial intelligence is a tool for the back end. “Using a system like Truleo can cut that time in half, and by cutting that time in half, it gets the officer back out on the streets a lot faster, too, making them better available for the public,” Jahns said. Integrating Truleo Lellig first encountered the software at a conference last year, where a police chief from Colorado explained the timesaving benefits of AI bodycam review. He said Truleo has already saved the department hundreds of hours of time spent reviewing officer conduct. “It's worth its weight in gold,” Lellig said. “It's able to analyze all the hundreds of thousands of hours of bodycam footage we have.” Truleo watches officers’ bodycam feeds in real time. It summarizes every encounter with the public, noting professional conduct and flagging any breach of protocol or procedure, Lellig explained. “Is he explaining things the way he should? Is he not using profanity—staying cool, calm and collected? It will highlight that,” he said. Both officers and supervisors can see the AI-generated reports. Jahns and Lellig both showed the North Scott Press their Truleo user interface. When Lellig logs on to his office computer, Truleo presents him with a list of recent encounters and summaries for him to review. He no longer spends time combing through hours of footage and preparing reports. It brings certain encounters—such as a possible use of force—to his immediate attention. The program has cut down on what was once 12 to 15 hours of work every week, he said. While the program routinely offers positive feedback, Lellig said that they had got “some good training feedback from the system as well, some proficiency things that we can work on as a department.” “We had an incident where an officer was just giving a ride to somebody, and should have done a search before they put them in the vehicle, and it flagged that,” Lellig explained. That gave the department an opportunity to review safety protocols, he said. Lellig said the department has encountered few issues as it has deployed the program in recent months. Police use of AI made headlines last month when a report filed in Heber City, Utah, stated that an officer transformed into a frog. AI review of bodycam footage tripped over a Disney movie playing in the background. Truleo costs the Eldridge Police Department $50 per regular user per month, with a slightly higher fee for the administrative users. It is free for each member of the department who is a veteran of the armed services, Lellig said. Unlike typical AI programs, the software is SIGIS certified, the encryption rating standard for law enforcement use. “They’re a very veteran friendly, law enforcement friendly company,” Lellig said. The first year of the program was purchased using the department’s donation fund. Next year, he has asked the city council for a $4,800 line item in the city budget to keep the program live. He said that time savings justified by bodycam review alone justify the expense. Additional features Truleo has several other features the department hopes to use or integrate in the coming months, Lellig said. For instance, it can provide officers with real-time translation into another language, if they interact with a member of the public who does not speak or understand English. Or when an investigation grows in size, Truleo can host hundreds of documents, generate summaries, and could offer leads, Lellig said, though the department has not yet had an opportunity to try that feature. When first considering the technology, his interested was piqued by an account from Meskwaki Nation Tribal Police that Truleo had generated new leads in a cold case fed hundreds of old files. The department is also working to overcome IT hurdles that make it difficult to integrate with county dispatch. Ideally, Truleo could provide officers with real-time answers to questions as they respond to a call, questions like, “How many times have I been to this residence? Have there been firearms there in the past?” “We don't have that capability yet. We're still working through some IT issues… but that is something that we could get possibly down the road,” Lellig said. He said that the relatively young Eldridge police force has taken quickly to the software. “We've gotten a lot of good feedback from the officers,” Lellig said. Jahns agreed. “The general consensus is pretty good at the department—the team seems to be really excited about being able to use it,” he said. “I think it's been a great system. You know, it's just another tool for the officers to use to make their lives a little easier,” Lellig said.
	Forum brings legislators to RIC Area legislators had much to say during a forum on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Regional Innovation Center. Topics ranged from education funding to pipelines and eminent domain, energy policy, right to repair, property taxes, townships, technology training, bail reform and attracting a professional football team to Iowa. Attendees included Sen. Mike Zimmer, Sen. Scott Webster, Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, Rep. Gary Mohr, Rep. Mike Vondran, Rep. Norlin Mommsen and Rep. Monica Kurth. All area Scott County legislators were invited to attend. The forum was hosted by the Scott County Farm Bureau, with help from North Scott FFA students. The event was the first stage of the chapter’s National FFA Week activities, which began Saturday. Hailey Schaack, the chapter’s Vice President of Strengthening Agriculture, told the audience that one of the goals of FFA is to be able to “use our leadership skills to be able to make a positive difference in our communities and become a model citizen. A model citizen shows many qualities of citizenship. These qualities include honesty, self-discipline, responsibility, respectfulness and kindness.” Schaack added that FFA members hoped to use the forum to encourage young people to vote. “This helps us meet our quality standard of citizenship, which helps us learn how the government works on a state level.” Chapter Vice President of Building Communities Molly Mose led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and laid out the ground rules for the event, saying it was meant to be non-partisan, respectful and engaging. FFA members collected questions from audience members, which were sorted by a panel that included FFA advisor Jacob Hunter and Scott County supervisors Jean Dickson and John Maxwell. The forum was moderated by Scott County Farm Bureau president Joan Maxwell. Taking questions FFA student Gracyn Koehler led off the questions, asking about Senate File 2219, which would require schools to adopt policies for FFA and 4-H students, including excused absences for school-related activities. Kurth said that there shouldn’t be rampant absenteeism, but there should also be flexibility for students who are involved in school-related activities. Zimmer said that the legislature should not be deciding the issue, and it should be left to school districts and administrators. He said that the bill, as it is now written, only addresses FFA and 4-H, and not myriad other organizations that could have students needing to miss classes for school-related activities. “I absolutely understand the frustration, but to me, this is what I would say would be Des Moines overreach,” said Zimmer. “It needs to be targeted to the people that make that decision. Your local people.” “In a perfect world, that would be ideal,” said Kaufmann. “But schools are not listening to the complaints. Therefore, we’re going to make them.” Moderator Maxwell asked about legislative priorities for ensuring dependable, affordable energy supplies, while also conserving prime farmland. Mohr said, looking into the future, it’s clear that energy demand is only going to increase. He said he was in favor of reopening the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant near Cedar Rapids, as well as looking for more ways to generate more electricity, whether that was wind, solar or nuclear. He said there was a solar bill right now that he had problems with, because it didn’t protect ratepayers. Kurth added that she had visited the Scott County Landfill over the summer and learned about how they were converting methane into energy. “There are innovations that we can pursue. It would be great if every landfill did something like that.” She said small nuclear was another option. Gruenhagen said he also supported looking into options like anaerobic digestors, which convert animal waste into gas, and can then be pumped into natural gas lines. He said it was important to ensure there were enough reliable energy sources in the state, to ensure new businesses could come in. Webster said right now, Iowa has some of the lowest power rates in the country. He said the state needs to ensure rates stay low, while creating more energy. “It’s a huge issue in looking at all types of energy that come in. Not saying, ‘We don’t want this one; we don’t want that one.’ We need to look at all of it. But the sun doesn’t shine every day … the wind doesn’t blow every day to make those things work. And we have to have an all-around process at this.” Zimmer said energy production and land rights “go hand-in-hand.” He said county supervisors across the state were already under tremendous pressure to balance different ways of producing energy with protecting landowners. He said he was concerned about proposed legislation that would make the Iowa Department of Natural Resources a depository for what county ordinances could look like in the future. He said the state should provide guidance, but it shouldn’t overrule local leaders on the issue. That led directly into a question about proposed legislation that could override local land use decisions and reduce county authority. Maxwell asked how legislators planned to protect both local decision making and ag land, and how they defined the balance between property rights and local planning. Webster said the legislation was currently “morphing,” and conversations were continuing. But he suggested that zoning districts could be created. “I believe that we need to make sure that the ultimate local control is with the person that owns the ground.” Maxwell pointed out that 58% of all farmers in Iowa farm on land that is rented, and some of the largest landowners in the state are investment firms. “Let’s please make sure we understand that landowner and farmer don’t mean the same thing,” she said. She then asked about hydrogen mining and other mineral rights. Zimmer said mineral rights laws in Iowa, as they currently stand, are antiquated and need to be updated quickly. Mommsen agreed and said the issue is also incredibly complex. “It’s especially new to Iowa, but we’ve got to deal with it, because if we don’t, it will be, well, it is a mess.” Pipelines and eminent domain “Where are we in the legislation on defining the CO2 pipeline and eminent domain?” asked Maxwell before pointing to Kaufmann. “I don’t have a lot of thoughts on this issue,” he quipped, to chuckles from the crowd. He said when he became House majority leader, he made a promise that the first bill out would be legislation addressing the use of eminent domain. “My personal view is that a private company does not in any way, shape or form, deserve the right of eminent domain.” He said he believed the legislature could come to an agreement on the issue of eminent domain. He added he was already having good conversations and hoped the issue would be resolved during this session. “But if they don’t come to an agreement, I promise you, the next time there is a left-wing governor in the governor’s mansion, they will use that against us. And every Green New Deal that you can ever think of will be imposed on all of you with or without your consent.” “I will point out that last year, every single senator in the Senate did vote against eminent domain for CO2 pipelines,” added Gruenhagen. “So, that’s not really a question. It’s what the final bill looks like is what we’re working towards.” He said he believed any vote against eminent domain for pipelines was a vote for the status quo. Webster agreed, saying that if the legislature didn’t settle the matter, the issue would come up again for hydrogen pipelines. Zimmer said Senate majority leader Mike Klimesh is also tackling the eminent domain issue. Klimesh has introduced a bill that is “double-barreled,” which Zimmer explained means it cannot be amended. He said the Senate version includes a provision for eminent domain “if there is no other option.” Zimmer described companies like Summit Carbon Solutions as “arrogant.” Kurth said, right now, Iowa does not have a dedicated legislative energy committee, and that is something she thinks could be helpful. Property taxes Kaufmann said that, for the first time in his career, there was a bill out on property taxes from the House, Senate and the governor’s office. He said there were things he liked and disliked about each, and he was hearing a lot of feedback on the issue. Traditionally, tax policy has been one of the last things tackled during each legislative session, because there is no deadline on that policy, in the same way there is for education funding, for instance. “I don’t have an answer for, this is what the bill is going to look like. I can just tell you, for the first time in a long time, we have three bills, which means that something significant will get done.” Mohr said property tax legislation was being negotiated at the highest levels, with representatives from Gov. Kim Reynolds and Speaker of the House Pat Grassley also involved. Zimmer said one of the biggest issues when it comes to property taxes in Iowa is the rollback system, which he said could be individualized based on the size of a community, rather than being a statewide average. Maxwell also asked what the state could do to discourage out-of-state investors from coming in and buying up farm ground. Webster said, constitutionally, there was little the state could do other than trying to disincentivize potential investors. “But we can’t figure out how to do that without hurting the people that are within the state of Iowa already.” He said there was also the possibility of investors creating “straw buyers,” where they registered the land purchase in the name of an Iowa resident, but the land was managed by the investor. “We think we’ve been talking about carbon pipelines for a long time. I have a feeling on this particular one, we’re going to be talking about this for years before we can come up with something that will make it constitutionally through.” Township bill The panel was also asked about proposed legislation that would strip away most of the responsibilities of township trustees and hand that authority over to counties. Township trustees handle issues like fenceline disputes, rural fire protection and caring for rural cemeteries that are not under the purview of a religious organization. Webster said the bill was sparking good conversation, and it was essentially about streamlining government. He said that, between city and county councils and boards, water districts, school boards, and township trustees, Iowa has an incredibly high number of elected officials per capita. “In some ways, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. But we’re trying to streamline government in a way that makes it most effective for the taxpayer, most for people to find out who they need to talk to, to do certain things. I think this bill is interesting.” He also touched on the issue of consolidating fire departments or at least allowing urban fire districts to extend further into the county to ensure adequate protection. “We don’t want to step on the toes of the volunteer firefighters that we have. Because there’s two sides to that coin – they’re great people and they do great for their communities. But some of those areas – it all depends on where you’re at – Donahue fire is great. It’s got plenty of people. Eldridge has got plenty of people, but they’re looking at trying to go to a more professional type of model. “Volunteerism is getting harder and harder to do with the lives that people have now … it’s hard to get volunteers, and this is a conversation that I think is a good thing to have.” Webster said he believed having these conversations was a proactive measure, looking ahead to future issues. Zimmer agreed that, while the bill might not go anywhere, the conversations were important to have. However, he said he believed that “government serves best when it’s closest to the people.” He added that there were still a lot of questions about what making government more efficient actually looks like. “We’re going to be running head on into this efficiency versus local representation now. And so, it’s a good conversation to have.” Mommsen said he had previous experience as a township trustee, and the job can be difficult for people to understand if they don’t have a lot of knowledge about the issues faced at that level. That said, he added that since township trustees don’t get paid, “I don’t know how eliminating my cohorts would change much.” Education and technology Maxwell asked about policies being pursued to ensure students, including FFA and ag students, have access to the tools and training they need to be workforce ready. Kurth said there is currently a bill working its way through committee that would add a half unit of computer science and artificial intelligence to the curriculum. She said it was important that students have access to technology training. Zimmer, a former educator and school board member, said there was a difficulty in that. He said there are currently bills that would require all kinds of additions to the curriculum, from nutrition to civics to AI. “If that goes through … where do students have time for career technology education coursework? Because you throw in the math, science, social studies, English requirements on top of it, and physical education. I’m just saying: stop.” Zimmer said it was one thing if the legislation was being put forward to communicate to educators that they should be teaching more about a certain subject, but lawmakers also needed to consider that, “we’ve got to allow time within a student’s school day to be able to access this stuff.” He said he was adamant about not adding any more graduation requirements. Mommsen said, over the last few years, both the governor and the legislature had promoted the importance of apprenticeships, which could fit into academic opportunities. Gruenhagen also touted the importance of work-based learning. Bail reform Vondran discussed a bill he is championing on bail reform. Maxwell asked if the legislation would lead to an increase in the jail population, putting a substantial financial burden on counties. Vondran said one goal was to put accountability on judges who vary from traditional bail standards. Another goal is to decrease recidivism, because oftentimes, out-of-state criminals will put down their bail, get out of prison, and either reoffend or leave the state and not come back for trial. He said with the House bill, judges would be required to put in writing why they varied from the bail standard, thus creating accountability for that decision making. Webster said he was “ecstatic” Vondran was tackling bail reform. He told an anecdote about an individual from Chicago who attempted to steal vehicle titles. He was released on $100 bail and never heard from again in Scott County. “We need to make sure that we’re making good decisions on bail,” he said, and ensure that individuals determined to commit crimes instead remain in prison. As to the burden on counties, Vondran said, “We’ll have to deal with it … The alternative is to let them roam. That’s unacceptable.” He said out-of-state individuals who want to come to Iowa to commit crimes need to be disincentivized by a stronger bail structure. “Does that come with a cost? One hundred percent. Letting them loose? Much worse cost … We’re going to stop saying we’re tough on crime and be tough on crime. Period.” That said, Vondran said he didn’t want to give audience members a sense of fear that Scott County is “being invaded. The folks that we’re talking about are repeat offenders. In Scott County, it’s a list of about 45 individuals that are causing this problem. That’s not going to overcrowd our jails. But it’s going to stop them.” Education funding The legislators differed on approaches to education funding, with Democrats Kurth and Zimmer both saying that funding had not kept up with inflation. Webster said one of the issues is that the number of children in Iowa is decreasing, while employment in schools has increased. Kaufmann said he considered discussing educational funding based on a percentage to be “extremely intellectually lazy.” If, as in the House bill, Supplemental State Aid is increased by 2%, that will increase per pupil funding by $160, bringing the total to $8,148 per student. Per classroom, Kaufmann said the state is spending about $474,000. “Anyone that says education funding is not our priority is false, and they’re statistically false. It is our number one investment, and it’s going to continue to be our number one investment.” He said that was borne out by the fact that education funding represents the biggest investment in the state budget. Mohr, who has a background in education through community colleges, said he was “always amused” by the argument that funding was not keeping up with the rate of inflation. “Let me ask you guys some rhetorical questions. If you’re a farmer, does your income keep up with inflation every year?” “We’re at a deficit,” said Maxwell. “Bingo,” continued Mohr. “If you’re a retiree on IPERS, does your salary increase? Keep up with inflation every year? How many of the rest of you who aren’t retired or on IPERS or aren’t farmers – how many years does your salary keep up with inflation? Zero. I know that sounds good, that we need to fund education to keep up with inflation. But who in the hell keeps up with inflation? I worked for 41 years. Never one year did my salary keep up with inflation. “We spend $4 billion out of a $9 billion budget on K-12 education. And I always smile when people say, ‘We need fully funded education.’ And I asked the question, ‘What does that mean?’ I haven’t had one answer yet.” Mohr said the state also spends another $1 billion on higher learning and $300 million on educational savings accounts. “I mean, sure, we could spend more. But where are we going to take it from? Because it’s going to come from somebody else.” Bears bill Finally, Maxwell asked about a recent bill put forth attempting to attract the Chicago Bears to relocate to Iowa. Reading from the question card, she said, “Was this bill filed as a publicity stunt? Well, you’re successful. However, it was bad publicity. Please file bills.” Webster said he didn’t believe it was bad, either as publicity or as a bill. He pointed to the economic driving impact of the Newton Speedway. “The day before we filed the bill, the chance of us having the Chicago Bears was 0.00%. The day after we filed that bill, the chance was 0.01%, and everybody in the world now knows that Bettendorf exists in the state of Iowa, and people are looking at it. “This particular bill gave both sides of the aisle the availability to talk good about Iowa and say why Iowa’s a good thing. I don’t think that’s a joke … It’s good to talk good about Iowa. Don’t look at anything like a joke. Look at it as Iowa getting good presence.” Kaufmann pointed out that he also didn’t believe the bill was a joke, because the state of Indiana has also filed a bill to try to lure the Bears east. “Go Pack, Go,” quipped Vondran. As Maxwell wrapped up the forum, in their closing remarks, legislators also chose to focus on the positive side of working together, pointing out that 92% of bills pass with bipartisan support. Zimmer also thanked the North Scott FFA, saying that the group had recently visited the Capitol and was able to sit in on a subcommittee hearing and learn more about the legislative process and parliamentary procedure. Webster wrapped up by saying, “I believe we need to continue to talk about the good things in Iowa. I believe that we could triple our problems, and we’d still be better off than Illinois.”
	Officials release identity of body pulled from Green River in Colona The Colona police and fire departments say they recovered a body from the Green River.
	Flavor Flav is among women's hockey team fans outraged by presidential snub The rapper, who also serves as the official "hype man" for multiple U.S. Olympic teams, invited the female hockey players to Las Vegas for a "real celebration."
	Why raise school levy March 3? On March 3, North Scott voters will decide whether to raise a property tax levy dedicated to building and equipment upkeep. The sizable jump—from $0.97 to up to $1.34 per $100,000 in taxable valuation—would bring the North Scott School District in line with neighbors in Bettendorf, Davenport, and Pleasant Valley. In a presentation last week, Superintendent Joe Stutting insisted that the school board needs the additional taxing authority to pay for the rising costs of school equipment, technology, and maintenance. “We all know inflation. We all know what tariffs have done. We all know how budgets are being pushed,” Stutting said. “We are so lucky, in Iowa, to have this voter approved levy that many states don't have that allows us to maintain our facilities,” he said. “We don't lay off teachers in order to fix a building or purchase some large equipment.” The Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) is one arrow in the quiver of school funding. School districts pay the bulk of their expenses out of separate funds allocated on a per-student basis by the state legislature every spring. North Scott uses PPEL to pay expenses like preventative maintenance and the purchase of new school buses, Stutting said. “As time goes by, things get more expensive—like buses,” Stutting said. “When I first got here, we bought three buses for under $300,000. Now we buy two buses for $300,000.” The district, which runs 26 bus routes daily, purchases three new school buses every year to keep the fleet in good repair, Stutting said. The North Scott School District maintains over 832,000 square feet of building space, 615,000 square feet of parking, 170,000 square feet of parking, and with a recent purchase, over 150 acres of grounds. Since the PPEL was last approved in 2017, the district has added several facilities, including the Regional Innovation Center last year. Across its buildings, the district spends an annual sum of about $780,000 on preventative maintenance, Stutting said. They repaint walls, maintain fire alarms, and occasionally replace roofs; they keep up 189 HVAC units, 24 boilers, and 422 climate controllers. “We do that in order to make sure we continue to have the best educational environment, and [so] that we don't have to put tons of money into a building or tear a building down,” Stutting said. “We’re always trying to extend the life of anything that we have to get, to maximize what we can get out of it,” he added. The district also buys and replaces hundreds of Chromebook and iPads annually, to maintain its standard of one device per student. “The cost of the Chromebook, which has been falling every year, this year, went up $100 per Chromebook,” Stutting said. “That's another expense that you have that comes out of PPEL.” “Technology generally is cheaper every year, but we're not in that kind of mode right now. It actually is going up in cost,” he added. Stutting said reliable PPEL income prevents the district from having to bond for maintenance and building improvements. “It actually helps protect property tax in the long run,” he argued. “Because if you didn't have this… you're going to run a bond to do the stuff that we don't do.” The March 3 vote would give the school board the authority to raise PPEL to the state maximum, $1.34, beginning in 2029. The district has called the vote early to ensure that, if it fails, they have a year to remake their case and try again, Stutting explained. The rise from $0.97 to $1.34 is the equivalent of a rise from $8 to $11 dollars per month per $100,000 in the taxable valuation of a home. Taxable valuation in Iowa is about half a residential property’s assessed valuation. An Eldridge home worth $400,000 would pay the rough equivalent of $22 a month under an increased PPEL. Since reconvening in January, Iowa State Legislature has focused particular attention on restricting or lowering property tax levies across the state. Most proposals aim to restrict revenue growth year-to-year at a fraction of the jump proposed by the district this year Stutting said potential changes to the district’s tax authority were “a factor” the school board had considered when requesting a rise. “But we wouldn't just do it, just to do it, either,” Stutting said. Rising costs were the district’s primary concern. A successful vote March 3 would preempt any law passed by the legislature this year. “We keep an eye on it because we want to know how it's going to impact us,” he added. Stutting added that PPEL funds are raised locally and paid out largely to local workers and contractors. “It's a local tax that gets spent locally. Most of the contractors that we spend on this work, especially that $780,000 [in maintenance], are generally our smaller contractors right here in the area,” he said. “It's generally our local Quad City businesses that are that we're spending that money with. It's a local tax that stays local.”
	Rock Island, DARI end partnership agreement The City of Rock Island and DARI (Development Association of Rock Island) are ending their economic development professional services agreement, effective March 31, according to a news release from the city. The DARI Executive Board of Directors voted to end the agreement that originally began on March 11, 2020 and was renewed on December 20, [...]
	Meet the candidates for Walcott council Three candidates—Joe Quick, Joe Aubry, and Lynnette Tarchinski—have asked voters for their support in a cty council special election set for March 3. Mayor Jake Puck vacated a seat on the council at the start of this year. The council appointed Quick to his term, but will Quick must defend that seat after citizens filed an election petition last month. Lynnette Tarchinski previously ran for a seat on the council in November. We asked each candidate to respond to a list of questions. Here are their answers. 1. What has motivated you to run for city council? Tarchinski: I am running for city council because I care about Walcott and believe strong local leadership matters. I want to be a clear, reliable voice for all residents and help ensure families feel represented in city decisions. Walcott’s sense of community and quality of life are worth protecting, and I am committed to thoughtful, balanced decision-making that reflects the priorities of our citizens. Quick: I was very involved growing up in Minnesota in politics. My father was a council member for our town and was also very active in state politics and campaigning. So naturally I followed along. I spent most of the time when I was in high school working with local and state campaigns alongside my father. So it is something that I have always shown interest in. With both my children out of high school, I knew this would be the right time to consider running for election. Aubry: Since becoming a father, my core drive has been to pursue improvement in all aspects of life—within myself, my children, my marriage, and the community in which we live. I am motivated to run for city council to ensure that Walcott remains a thriving, vibrant place for all families to grow and succeed. 2. What relevant experience in leadership will you bring to the council? Tarchinski: I bring leadership experience shaped by collaboration, accountability and public engagement. In my current role, I work in public affairs and regularly meet with state representatives and senators in Des Moines to discuss legislation that affects communities like Walcott. I am experienced in evaluating issues, communicating across perspectives and focusing on practical solutions that serve the public interest. Quick: Like I said, I have been around politics from a young age and have seen how things work, from campaigning to elections to being on city council. I have been very active in the city for the past 24 years. I have been in charge of many groups including the Walcott Unified Fund, Walcott Day Committee, Walcott Community Club, Walcott Athletic Board just to name a few. So this has given me the opportunity to work with many people in the community and build relationships that will only help me work with the community to build a stronger Walcott. Aubry: Civically, I have been actively involved with the "Save Our School" efforts to prevent the closure of the elementary portion of Walcott K-8 School. Additionally, I have served on the city Planning and Zoning Commission for several years and recently began serving on the Calvary Church Board of Trustees. Professionally, I am a recognized top performer in my division at Getz Fire Equipment Company, where I ensure businesses and staff have proper fire protection assets and training. I also have prior management experience involving time management and revenue profit/loss assessment. 3. What is the most pressing challenge now facing Walcott? Tarchinski: Walcott’s most pressing challenge is managing growth and change while preserving the strengths that make our community unique. Responsible planning, sound financial decisions, and maintaining city services are essential. It is also important that Walcott remains proactive and engaged regarding external decisions that may affect our residents, including those impacting our local elementary school and community stability. Quick: I think the biggest issue Walcott as a city is facing is growth! We have had concerns in regards to the local elementary school being closed and directly affecting the city as a whole. We need to be able to be a city where people want to live to and raise their families, because without that the town slowly dies. That is where the issues come in. You have to entice those to come and move to Walcott and for that to happen you have to start from the ground up. If you don’t have good infrastructure everything above it collapses. Roads and sewer are huge to name a few. Aubry: Our community requires strategic growth to survive. A few years ago, we faced the potential closure of our elementary school by the Davenport Community School District. Such a closure would make Walcott less attractive to young families and lead to a decline for our town. I am committed to prioritizing sustainable development and advocating for our local institutions to ensure Walcott remains a first-choice destination for families. 4. What other issues or goals would you hope to see city council address? Tarchinski: I would like the council to prioritize fiscal responsibility, infrastructure and community amenities that support families and residents. My long involvement in Walcott reflects this commitment. I have been a member of the Walcott Chamber, Hearts and Hands, Walcott Women, Walcott PTA, Calvary Church of Walcott, and have served on the Preschool Board of Directors, Walcott Athletic Board of Directors, and Tri-County Townball Board of Directors. These experiences have reinforced the importance of practical leadership and community-focused decision making. Quick: Improving what our city has to offer. We have added many things over the years with the rec trail and splash pad. We need to continue with those projects. As a council I think we need to work very closely with the Hearts and Hands committee to assist the rec trail to completion and any other projects they continue to come up with. There are a lot of individuals in Walcott that want this city to grow and working together is how we get things done. Aubry: I would like to see a greater emphasis on communication with the public on city activities both small and large. Efforts towards this goal have already been shown by newly-elected mayor Jacob Puck to keep the public better informed by providing greater communications via social media posts and personal outreach. I would like to help further those efforts to ensure the town is always actively working towards the goals of its community members. "Hearts and Hands Working Together" is Walcott's town motto, and I believe we can accomplish much by working together.
	Supervisors join county to new emergency team Scott County has pledged its support for a new emergency response team that would coordinate efforts across Quad Cities agencies and jurisdictions. The Quad Cities Regional Incident Management Assistance Team (QCRIMAT) would provide short-term support for any participating jurisdiction if a disaster exceeded its response capacity, Scott County Emergency Management Director Brian Payne told supervisors last week. The team would coordinate assistance from nearby agencies and oversee the flow of information to responders, he explained. “They don't take anything over,” Payne said. “They provide assistance in command and coordination.” Payne said QCRIMAT might spring into action after a major industrial accident or weather event, like the Greenfield tornado that struck western Iowa in 2024. He said that state and federal resources have proved unreliable, and that local governments must make up the difference. “We had an incident here recently, within the last couple of years, where we requested the state of Iowa's incident management team, which was unavailable,” Payne said. An incident management team from Illinois responded in its place, and the initial quote for their response was $350–450,000. “Greenfield, Iowa requested not only the state team—they also requested support from the federal government through FEMA. FEMA, after roughly four days, turned around and told them they were not able to come,” he added. A team from Minnesota responded instead. Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday, Feb. 13 to sign a memorandum of agreement that joins their response teams, such as the Sheriff’s Office and MEDIC EMS, to the QCRIMAT. Budget amendment passed Supervisors also passed their annual amendment to the current county budget. The amendment, routine in the middle of the fiscal year, largely revises estimates of expenses and incomes. It also allows county departments to receive and spend grants. Budget and administrative services director David Farmer presented a breakdown of the amendment. Notable changes included nearly an $800,000 jump in spending at the Sheriff’s Office and Youth Justice Rehabilitation Center, to account for overtime pay, medical services, out-of-county jail placements, groceries, and other expenses. Facilities and Support Services, meanwhile, revised down its spending by over $500,000, an apparent result of the county’s decision to outsource janitorial services last summer. The amendment also allotted an additional $1.2 million for new road maintenance equipment. The county revised its expected revenue up by over $5.6 million. That figure includes new grants received, gains on county debt, and opioid settlement funds. ARPA funds dwindle Scott County has spent nearly $31.7 million of the $33.6 million awarded by the American Rescue Plan Act. That leaves the county with just $1.9 million in ARPA funds, which must be spent by the end of the fear, Farmer told supervisors at their quarterly update on the Pandemic-era program. That money has been allocated towards stormwater infrastructure improvements in Mt. Joy. Funds unspent between 2021 and 2026 generated over $2.5 million in interest income, Farmer added. Those funds do not expire. Budget projections for next year divide that sum between MEDIC EMS ($800,000), conservation engineering ($420,000), Park View infrastructure improvements ($749,900), and capital improvements to county buildings ($585,844). Other business In other news, supervisors: • Agreed to a pair of organizational changes at the health department, which will replace existing human resources roles with dedicated recruiting and benefit specialists. • Switched their vehicle registration printing services from Mail Services of Des Moines to Professional Office Services of Waterloo. The change will save the county two cents per mailed notice.
	Princeton considers solar A plan to install solar panels at Princeton’s water treatment plant, along 285th Avenue and Great River Road, returned to the council Thursday, Feb. 12. The council deferred action on the project last spring after opening a request for proposals and receiving several bids. They worried that paying interest on borrow funds would outweigh the annual savings advocates promised. Tim Ruser, chair of the city Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), invited Kent Kraus, of Eagle Point Solar, to discuss advantages of the project with the council. Kraus warned that growth in energy demand and a lack of supply in Iowa would drive rates up in coming years. “We have demand growing and we have a low supply. What happens? The prices go up,” Kraus summarized. He said a solar array would insulate the city from those costs, a point repeated by Ruser and other supporters of the project. “You’re hedging against utility rates going up faster and faster and faster by having an asset that produces energy at a fixed rate,” he said. “We're going from a flat load to exponential load growth over the next 25 years,” he forecast. He said cities could expect to see 8% to 12% annual increases in their electricity bill. It remains unclear how Princeton would pay for the solar project, and what support they might receive from government incentives. If the project breaks ground before July 4 of this year, it would be eligible for a 30% federal rebate on the cost of installation. Those funds would arrive within 12 to 18 months following construction, Kraus said. Projects that break ground after July 4 are in a “bit of a gray area,” he explained. The federal government has repeatedly delayed issuing revised standards that would affix to any project trying to qualify for the next set of rebates. Kraus said those standards were likely to target projects that, for instance, used solar panels manufactured in a foreign country, which he said Eagle Point does not. But there could be other restrictions. “There might be some other qualifications,” he said. Breaking ground by July 4 would require a rush of effort from the city. Bids received last spring are now ineligible, so the council must vote in March whether to reopen the project for new bids. They would then open and award bids in April. The project site lies adjacent to railroad tracks that run through the town, necessitating a comprehensive review from the railroad operator. That could be difficult before the July 4 deadline, Kraus said. If the city broke ground without it, they could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in changes requested by the railroad. The city would also need to file for an interconnection permit with MidAmerican energy, which Kraus said he expected to arrive in about 60 days. Princeton would have to borrow money to build the array. Interest payments would delay the amount of time it would take for the installation to generate electricity savings that outweigh its cost. The project also lies in a flood plain, raising the cost of engineering and construction. Kraus said the city could save money by cutting back on amenities included in last spring’s request for proposals, including an access road and fencing. City Clerk Kisa Tweed told The North Scott Press that the council would likely see a request for proposals on their March agenda. Princeton P&Z has recommended that the council move forward with installation of the solar array. Anderson estate to be dissolved Princeton City Council gave their approval to a request from the Anderson family to dissolve their trust and establish three separate holdings. The family trust, known as the “Anderson 400,” holds roughly 400 acres of farm and residential land on the south edge of Princeton. Surveyor David West said the request would not lead to rezoning or development requests. “We're just changing the name of who owns what part of the property out there,” he said, at the request of members of the family. “The county has waived their jurisdiction to you, and we do this all the time in other counties, but we are here to ask your blessing… to create three separate parcels that can be transferred amongst the family,” West explained. P&Z recommended approval of the request. Other business In other news, Princeton City Council voted to switch their city management software from gWorks simple city to gWorks cloud. The vendor no longer provided tech support for the previous software, Tweed said. The new software will cost Princeton $10,100 per year.
	Neil Armstrong partners with Blankets of Hope On Friday Feb. 13, Neil Armstrong staff and students participated in the national community service project—Blankets of Hope. Blankets of Hope is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on sharing and teaching kids about kindness, the homeless population and the power of hope for our neighbors. Students participated in a mini-kindness workshop and inspirational visualization and then got right to work to make a difference. Students wrote and decorated hundreds of notes of inspiration and hope for homeless people in our QCA community, which were paired with 210 new, warm blankets from Blankets of Hope. The purpose is simple, that the personalized package would help bring both warmth and inspiration to those who receive them. The 210 packages have been dropped off to QCA shelters and meal sites to be dispersed amongst the women, men and children in need of authentic notes, blanket and positive vibes. After over seven years leading the BOH program with her groups of fourth graders, Armstrong elementary art teacher Mrs. Elise Ward, shared the idea that an entire school community could make a larger impact with this program. Armstrong students really connected with the purpose of this mission and gladly took on the challenge to share their positivity with others. Students know that their contribution to their community will be making a difference as they lead by example and spread kindness like confetti! Way to be the change Armstrong students and to show how Eagles soar by lifting others!
	Elementary students learn how to collaborate in the classroom Students at Ed White Elementary School are discovering new ways to learn, not just from their teachers, but from their peers as well. Principal Carrie Lane, instructional coach Laura Jacobsen, and the fourth-grade teaching team of Brynn Dexter, Jenny Greenwood, Carly Keeney and Terri Kilburg shared ways they are using collaborative learning and discourse to improve student engagement. Lane said at the end of the last school year, staff identified a building goal of having 90% of all students reach benchmarks on standardized and screening assessments using High Impact Instructional Practices. These practices help teach self-management or regulation strategies, including the use of collaborative learning. Jacobsen said staff decided on collaborative learning because it has shown success in moving students from solely teacher-facilitated learning to shared discussion that includes student-led conversation, which can lead to deeper understanding of educational concepts. Cooperative learning also allows for additional opportunities for student feedback. “If the only feedback loop you have is from the teacher to the student, students really don’t have to internalize any of that,” said Jacobsen. “I’m just going to wait for the teacher to tell me if I was right or if I was wrong. But when you do that cooperative learning, it’s just that repeated opportunity, and it’s another loop that’s not the adult. Sometimes when students hear it from their peers, it can be a little more powerful.” Kilburg said teachers identified two main ways students could engage in collaborative learning. The first is a “turn and talk,” where a student turns to their neighbor and engages in one-on-one conversation about a topic. “If a teacher puts a question forward and you ask the students to turn and share, they get really excited, they turn quickly, they share.” She said the other method is “think, pair and share,” and explained that process is a little more intentional. “In a think, pair, share, it’s more of giving them some thinking and waiting time. Do I have something that I’m ready to share? When I am ready to share, I’m going to turn and share, and then we’re going to collaboratively share that out.” Dexter said they began with a project in October, where one student had to share detailed steps about a concept, and then their partner had to draw what was explained to them. She said students had to make sure that what they were explaining was clear, to-the-point, and shared constructively. “And then, they got to look and reflect on, did I share appropriately? Did I share all the facts? And the other partner – did I listen? Did I ask clarifying questions about them sharing it? It was just a good way for us to look and see what skills they already had, kind of a starting point for us to see on a low-stakes, fun activity for them.” Students and staff also engaged in conversations about what effective collaboration is like, including topics such as looking at your partner, having respectful conversation, active listening, staying on-topic, speaking calmly, and allowing everyone to participate. Greenwood said they began by having collaborative discussions in a non-academic setting, like morning meeting or snack time, to build student confidence in expectations. This also seemed to be more accessible to all students, because it was low-pressure. An example of discussion included, “Do you prefer talking on the phone or texting?” A student would share their preference and explain why they felt that way. Kilburg said that teachers noticed during “talk and turn” time, there was less collaborative discussion. “We noticed that they would turn and just talk over each other. They weren’t necessarily listening or responding or even sharing. They were excited to share what they wanted to say, but they weren’t really doing that full collaboration.” She said teachers quickly learned there needed to be some more explicit communication lessons for students at the fourth-grade level, in both “talk and turn” and “think, pair, share.” “We were very direct. First of all, you need a minute of think time before you respond. That way, your response has a little more meat to it. So, we would wait, give them a question, and then we would say, ‘It’s time to think now. When you’re ready, give me a thumbs up.’” Kilburg said they also talked about body language and eye contact, and deciding who would share first in partnered discussions. “You can’t assume they know these things,” she said. “Each step, we found, had to be explicitly taught.” Once the first partner shared their information, Kilburg said the other would repeat back the information, and then there would be a discussion starter like, “I agree with that,” or “I respectfully disagree, because I think …” Partners would then share what they had discussed with the whole group. She said staff observed there seemed to be more in-depth conversation with “think, pair, share” than “turn and talk.” Keeney said teachers gradually shifted this technique into academic settings. She gave an example of a math word problem: “Juan read 5/6ths of an hour. Larissa read 10/12ths of an hour. Who read for longer and explain. Now, they’re using the skills that they practiced during those non-academic sessions, but we’re putting in those academic topics with it, which is a little bit harder. We found that they did better with the non-academic, so now we’re really focusing on bringing all these academic areas and bringing that collaboration in.” She said they are continuing to bring students along with these techniques, especially students who might be classified as “on the bubble” when it comes to achieving proficiency. Dexter said that, while students are good at sharing, they are still working on listening and responding. Teachers are working on strengthening these skills and highlighting students who are modeling appropriate behavior. She said that students are also learning these are lifelong skills that they will use outside of school, too. “The ultimate goal is that they are going to have collaborative organic conversations,” said Greenwood. These techniques are being taught building-wide, with age-appropriate instruction. Lane said the building leadership team will soon be working on building-wide expectations for collaborative learning, as well as what it means to learn collaboratively in a respectful, responsible and safe environment. “Your partner has to feel safe if they want to share with you, and take those risks on something they may not be confident in, or asking for help at some point.” Kilburg said one of the interesting things she has noticed is how students react when they are wrong. She went back to the math word problem – where Juan and Larissa read the same amount of time – and said that when students discover they have an incorrect answer, they are still able to talk through their reasoning with their peers and learn why they may have thought that way. Greenwood said it has also helped that students are learning to disagree in respectful ways. “It’s OK to disagree, but you do need to also bring evidence to support why you’re disagreeing. Prove your point, so your partner can say, ‘Oh, that’s right.’” Board member Carrie Keppy asked if the staff has identified future goals. Greenwood said they hope to be able to encourage more student-led conversation, where teachers can initiate the discussion, but the students are able to engage with each other more independently. This includes encouraging questions like, “Why do you think that?” or “Can you say more about that?” “You make learning fun, that’s for sure,” said board vice president Joni Dittmer. Superintendent’s report The board agenda was light, with no old or new business to attend to. Superintendent Joe Stutting shared that the Iowa legislature approved a 2% increase in supplemental state aid, the amount of per pupil funding received by each school district. The legislation also includes a one-time $7 million allocation for statewide support staff, which Stutting said is about half as much as the last few years. The bill will be sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her approval. There will only be one board meeting in March, on the 30th at Virgil Grissom. This will also include a public hearing prior to the meeting regarding the proposed budget. The board will hold a finance work session on Monday, March 3, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the budget for the next school year. There are also three upcoming public forums with the board, on March 10 at 6 p.m. at Long Grove City Hall; 5 p.m. on April 9 at Princeton City Hall; and 6 p.m. on April 14 at McCausland City Hall. Bills District director of business affairs Jill Van Roekel presented $1,271,479.02 in bills for approval. Highlights included $7,750 to Genesis Outpatient Rehabilitation Services as a partial payment for athletic training services for the 2025-26 school year; $126,997.24 to Park Planet, a progress payment for new playground equipment at Neil Armstrong; and $18,594.34 to Tri City Equipment Co. for a new food merchandiser at the high school. Dittmer led the meeting in the absence of board president Tracy Lindaman. Six students attended the meeting as a requirement of their government class.
	Hegseth threatens to cancel Anthropic's $200 million contract over "woke AI" concerns The company's Claude chatbot is one of the few AI systems cleared for use in classified settings. But a standoff between Anthropic and the Trump administration is putting its government work at risk.
	Council purchases equipment for police, pickleball Walcott City Council approved purchases to outfit pickleball courts and a new squad truck at their regular meeting last Monday, Feb. 16. Equipment for a new police truck, expected to arrive in the coming weeks, will cost $20,684.10 from 424 Warning Systems. A dividing fence for city pickleball courts from Douglas sports will cost $2,699. The council rejected a recommendation from the city park Board to charge $10 to $20 for reservations at the town ball time, which would defray the costs of maintenance and lighting. Electricity costs at the park rose 40% from October of 2024 to October 2025, City Clerk Lisa Rickertsen reported. Members of the council said they did not want to be in the habit of charging for the use of public parks. “I want to be able to reserve the ball diamond, just because,” Councilwoman Bobbie Martinez said. “I want to welcome people from Blue Grass who are going to go to Walcott, welcome people from Buffalo who are going to go to Walcott.” “I think we can find that money somewhere else without charging kids to play in the park,” she added. “I agree with Bobbie that we find a thousand bucks somewhere else,” Councilman Kirk Koberg said. He motioned against the recommendation, and was backed without any dissenting voices. The city council also approved its annual $1,000 donation to Durant Ambulance and appointed Anthony Bein to a term on the city Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), which will conclude in 2030. The city still hopes to fill an open seat on P&Z for a term ending 2029. The council set its annual property tax hearing for April 6 at 5:30.

Wednesday, February 25th, 2026

Tuesday, February 24th, 2026