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

Saturday, May 16th, 2026
	A new Ebola outbreak has already killed 87 people Health officials are working to contain a new Ebola outbreak in the DRC of a virus strain with no known vaccine.
	North America poised for light display of aurora borealis The splashy nighttime phenomenon will be best observed on Saturday and Sunday nights
	Perfect weather + fast cars adds up to great night at Davenport Speedway Beautiful weather and fast race cars made for an enjoyable evening Friday at Davenport Speedway. The second points night of the 2026 season yielded only one repeat winner from the season opener. Cruz Birkhofer dominated The Outhouse/Storage to Go - IMCA Late Models. Birkhofer started seventh in the feature and would not see the lead [...]
	Arconic, union, agree to temporary extension while talks continue According to a Facebook post from USW Local 105, the contract between Arconic and the union is temporarily extended while bargaining continues Saturday, May 16. "We continue to bargain to reach a fair tentative agreement today," the post says. "Keep reporting to work as scheduled. Stay safe and stay tuned."
	Quad City Bank & Trust Riverfront Pops concert returns in August, to feature music from ‘The Who’ The music for this year’s Riverfront Pops concert has been announced.
	Niabi Zoo to offer extended summer hours on 4 dates with ‘Zoo Nights’ Last entry will be at 7 pm. on the extended hours nights, officials said.
	Officials: Arconic contract negotiations underway, contract set to expire Saturday Time is running out as union workers at Arconic are in negotiations over a new contract.
	Sonia Citron scores 30 as Mystics top Fever 104-102 in OT despite Caitlin Clark’s heroics Sonia Citron scored 30 points, Kiki Iriafen had 25 points and 13 rebounds, and the Washington Mystics edged the Indiana Fever 104-102 on Friday night after Caitlin Clark forced overtime with a dramatic 3-pointer and 17 points in the fourth quarter.
	Dog saved by Iowa State vet students and doctors surprises everyone at commencement A dog who was brought in with devastating injuries after being hit by a car on Christmas Eve made a surprise appearance at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine commencement ceremony to watch the students who helped save her life graduate.
	Davenport crews to re-stripe traffic lanes through mid-June A heads up to drivers in Davenport as public works crews will be working to re-stripe traffic lines.
	Timmy the humpback whale found dead off Danish coast A humpback whale found dead this week off a Danish island has been identified as the animal released two weeks ago in a spectacular and controversial rescue effort after repeatedly becoming stranded off Germany's Baltic Sea coast, Danish authorities said Saturday.
	Former Thomson prison employee convicted of sexually abusing inmates A Lanark man is found guilty of sexually abusing two inmates at Thomson prison.
	Aquatic Center, Muscatine, prepares to open for the season The City of Muscatine is preparing to welcome residents back to the Muscatine Aquatic Center at Weed Park. Parks. Recreation staff have completed the annual pool filling and are finalizing water‑quality balancing and pre‑season maintenance ahead of opening day on Saturday, May 23. The Aquatic Center will be open from noon–8 p.m., weather permitting. The [...]
	Clinton Public Library adjusts hours, transitions to online catalog system The Clinton Public Library will experience service changes and adjusted hours between Wednesday, May 20, and Monday, June 8, as the library transitions to a new online catalog system and installs new furniture, according to a news release. Wednesday, May 20 through Monday, June 8: New library cardholder impact People who sign up for a [...]
	Muscatine Aquatic Center set to open May 23 Muscatine is preparing to welcome the public back to the Muscatine Aquatic Center at Weed Park with opening day on Saturday, May 23.
	Elephants eat their crops. Farmers strike back. It's a war that's only getting worse In Sri Lanka, the islanders revere elephants. But for farmers, there's rising tension that's leading to more fatal encounters — for both humans and hungry pachyderms.
	Geneseo School Board takes harder look at solar WHAT WE KNOW: The Geneseo School Board heard a presentation on a 300-kilowatt solar project at the middle school at its March meeting.
	Moline High School History Club earns national recognition for third time The Moline High School History Club has been recognized as a National History Club of the Year for the 2025-2026 school year, according to a news release. Moline’s History Club is one of six chapters (out of 500) in the United States to receive this recognition from the National History Club. This is the third [...]
	QC Symphony Orchestra will play at new WIU performing arts center The Quad City Symphony Orchestra has announced a special run-out performance next spring at the newly constructed Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts on the campus of Western Illinois University (WIU) in Macomb. (A "run-out" performance means the orchestra will play away from its usual venues just for this particular concert.) The concert, scheduled for Monday, April 5, 2027, marks the [...]
	Memories of Muscatine: Battle of Wilson's Creek This week for Memories of Muscatine: A chromolithograph from 1893.
	Charges dismissed in Scott County sex abuse case over statute of limitations A Scott County District Court judge ruled Wednesday that under state law in place at the time of the alleged offense, the statute of limitations had run out.
	'Rock Island Knows Tractors' series gathers steam at Downtown Library Rock Island has a long history of tractor manufacturing,. Learn more about it with “Rock Island Knows Tractors,” a new history series starting next week at the Rock Island Downtown Library. "Rock Island Knows Tractors" kicks off at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, with “From Steam to Gasoline, The Very Beginning,” in the Downtown Library [...]
	Darkness Visible This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.For several years in the 1980s, there was a night janitor at a local college library who was as interesting as any of…
	Do gas tax holidays actually bring relief at the pump? Trump wants to suspend the federal gas tax, but state-level gas tax breaks could have a bigger impact at the pump, says one expert.
	The townspeople of Vilseck, Germany, worry that Trump may pull out 5,000 U.S. troops President Trump's troop withdrawal threat rattles residents of a small Bavarian town reliant on U.S. military personnel and their families for both income and friendships built over decades.
	How Tamara Rojo is remaking ballet From championing women choreographers to upending classics, the former Royal Ballet star turned artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet doesn't play it safe.
	This Republican voted to convict Trump. Now he's up for reelection. Can he survive? Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to impeach President Trump. Now he's running for reelection in a race that will test Trump's hold on the GOP.
	We've seen Isaiah Rashad exposed. Now he's ready to bare his soul. In the five years since his last album, the Chattanooga rapper retreated from the public eye after a very private betrayal. He emerges with raw new music in pursuit of a warts-and-all self-acceptance.
	Trump says Islamic State group leader was killed in a joint U.S.-Nigerian mission Trump announced the joint operation in Africa's most populous country in a late-night social media post. He said Abu Bakr al-Mainuki was second in command of the Islamic State group globally.
	120k children's tower stools recalled after 8 injuries reported You should put these away from kids immediately.
	The Eurovision Song Contest reaches its grand final with pop and protests The final of the Eurovision Contest arrives Saturday, with tight security and rainy weather failing to dent the enthusiasm of fans, or the opposition of critics who think Israel shouldn't be invited.
	Gaza airstrike targeted Hamas military wing leader, Israel says An Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Friday targeted the leader of Hamas' military wing, Israeli officials said, but it wasn't immediately clear if Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed or injured.
Friday, May 15th, 2026
	Fulton tops West Carroll 10-0 to secure the NUIC title Fulton softball topped West Carroll 10-0 in six innings to secure the NUIC conference title.
	Steamwheelers beat Tucson 40-38 The Quad City Steamwheelers snap a four game skid after defeating the Tucson Sugar Skulls 40-38.
	Central DeWitt, Dubuque Wahlert track teams honor late teacher Trisha Brookins One month after the Central DeWitt School District lost teacher Trisha Brookins, two track teams came together to honor her memory.
	DeSantis and Ladapo tout ‘freedom’ as measles rages “The reality is that Americans are increasingly adopting a more dismissive mindset in the way they view vaccine efficacy. Skepticism, rather than hesitancy, is a more accurate term to describe America’s perception of vaccines — and it shows no sign of slowing down.” (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)“Convenient mythologies require neither evidence nor logic.” — Edward S. Herman, “Manufactured Consent: The Political Economy of Mass Media” In a number of articles on its website, PEN America explains in striking detail the right-wing Trojan horse of “parental rights,” illuminating the threat caused by policymakers focused on this theater in the culture war. PEN — which has gained a global reputation for standing “at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide” — argues that “parents’ rights” is not a source of freedom as claimed, but the crux of an ideological rigidity exercised by MAGA Republicans. Replace the terms “books” and “literature” with “vaccinations” in the narratives, and the poisonous effects of “parents’ rights” and “medical freedom” on Florida’s public health system becomes clear. Under the guise of “freedom,” the DeSantis administration including Surgeon General Joe Ladapo has established policies that have directly contributed to the measles outbreak that has spread across the state. Yet, despite the proliferation of this disease, which has placed Florida fourth in the United States with 152 confirmed cases in 2025-26 and 145 confirmed cases so far this year, state officials have acted as if “there’s nothing to see here.” Collier County is the center of an outbreak that began in January at Ave Maria University. The number of reported cases out of Collier has remained steady at 106, with most cases affecting those aged 15 to 24. According to the Florida Department of Health, Florida is up to 150 cases this year as of the week ending May 2. Officials note that there is “a continuing slowdown in infections after outbreaks earlier this year.” Contagion Measles is one of the most contagious communicable diseases on record. With the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, measles is easy to control. The MMR vaccine is credited with saving the lives of millions of people globally over the past 50 years. Traditional medical experts warn that unvaccinated children need to stay home after measles exposure to stop transmission of this highly contagious disease. If not, chances of a prolonged outbreak increase significantly. Among unvaccinated people, nine of 10 who’re exposed will get infected. Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republican legislators, and some health officials might have avoided the outbreak had they treated it as a strictly health-related issue not a politically charged one. And if DeSantis and Ladapo weren’t so cavalier about tossing around inaccurate data, taking problems out of context, or selectively presenting information, Florida wouldn’t be in this situation. Experts point to vaccine hesitancy and fear sown by MAGA Republicans as reasons why fewer parents are interested in vaccinating their children. According to Politico, vaccine hesitancy has “evolved into a central pillar of the MAGA movement’s health policy, often blending medical skepticism with a desire to dismantle public health regulations.” Skepticism of COVID-19 vaccines, and a growing distrust of traditional childhood vaccines, are “closely tied to the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda led by figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” Politico writes. The publication cites a 2023 Morning Consult poll showing that “as the number of voters more doubtful of vaccines has risen — despite scientific evidence that they’re safe and effective — it has come almost exclusively from one political party. While opposition to more established vaccines is still far from a majority position among Republicans, significant numbers question their safety and say Americans shouldn’t be encouraged to get them.” Hubris Katelyn Jetelina and Kristen Panthagani capture perfectly the hubris surrounding Florida’s widening measles epidemic. Jetelina, an epidemiologist, and Panthagani, an emergency physician at Yale University, have written that by ignoring common sense and medical advice, Florida’s health officials risk a mushrooming measles outbreak. Negligence by Lapado, DeSantis, and the MAHA crew has endangered citizens and inflamed the outbreak. “This is happening in a state with a growing skepticism of vaccinations and an ongoing debate between individualism and the good of the larger population that came to a head during the COVID pandemic,” the authors write in a 2024 opinion piece in Scientific American. “But containing measles, which can spread quickly, should not be up for debate. Yet this is what is happening in Florida, and it’s putting children’s health at risk.” A 2025 study from the Cureus Journal of Science and Medicine, published in PubMed, examines how “declining vaccine uptake and growing vaccine hesitancy created pockets of susceptibility that enabled the outbreak.” DeSantis and Lapado are vigorously pushing to make it easier for parents to opt their children out of mandatory school vaccines — a proposal the Florida House refused to pass in the 2026 regular session and the just-completed special session. ‘Parental rights’ “Since 2021, the Sunshine State has led the country in advancing the parental rights agenda. Contrary to its name, this agenda has used fuzzy, coded language to manufacture moral panic, and to deliver control over what students can read and learn in schools not into the hands of all parents but to a particular segment of citizens — some not even parents but community members,” PEN America officials and researchers said. “The cumulative effect has been to privilege some parents’ ideological preferences above all others, tie the hands of educators, and limit students’ access to information through curricular prohibitions and book bans.” The same dynamic applies to health care and vaccines. In its report on “parental rights” legislation, PEN cautioned that despite the fact that encouraging greater parental involvement in schools can seem like common sense, “these bills have an ulterior motive driving them: to empower a vocal and censorship-minded minority with greater opportunity to scrutinize public education and intimidate educators with threats of punishment.” In Florida, the DeSantis administration and Republicans in the Legislature have taken up the battle cry. Ladapo and DeSantis announced in a press conference their intention of eliminating childhood vaccine mandates. Medical experts note that all 50 states enforce childhood vaccine mandates, with all states allowing medical exemptions and more than half — including Florida — allowing religious exemptions Lyndon Haviland of the CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy blames the “perfect storm” of vaccine skepticism, failed leadership, and broken trust as the core reasons for the outbreak. The eruption of measles in Texas, Florida, and elsewhere, she contends, aren’t isolated events. Manufactured distrust “Cases have also surfaced in Alaska, California, New Mexico, New York City, Georgia, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Concern that reports will continue to grow is rising,” she writes. “It’s especially worrisome considering that the measles virus was completely eliminated in the U.S. as recently as the year 2000. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributed this achievement to a “highly effective vaccine program in the United States, as well as better measles control in the Americas region.” So, how did we get here? “The answer: distrust. Distrust in health experts, who years ago were revered as national authorities on serious medical issues. Distrust in public health agencies, the CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration specifically, once respected as credible information resources. Distrust in the strength and rigor of vaccine testing protocols, the pharmaceutical industry itself and the broader politicization of public health.” Haviland and other health experts fear ‘America, which was once considered a world leader in public health, has lost decades of progress in preventing the spread of a deadly disease with a provably safe therapy that has successfully saved millions of American lives.” The focus on vaccine hesitancy “underplays the significant backlash against vaccines and the flood of anti-vaccine misinformation to which many Americans have been subjected,” Haviland continues. “The reality is that Americans are increasingly adopting a more dismissive mindset in the way they view vaccine efficacy. Skepticism, rather than hesitancy, is a more accurate term to describe America’s perception of vaccines — and it shows no sign of slowing down.” A certain arrogance There is a certain arrogance the MAGA multitude carry. They act as though they have a direct line to God and the divine right to determine what’s best for the rest of us. Hence, the series of seemingly endless toxic, selfish crusades that former youth pastor and author John Pavlovitz argues “amplify baseless anti-science propaganda.” This poisonous mindset has a human cost. Almost 90,000 people in the Sunshine State have died because of COVID; others have succumbed to preventable diseases like the flu. There’s no telling when this measles outbreak will end but many in health circles and elsewhere will not stop fighting to protect America’s people against this destructive public health crisis. Kevin Griffis, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy’s director for media relations and public affairs, in an April 22 opinion piece wrote, “Americans can handle hard truths. What they should not have to tolerate is selective concern dressed up as science. … Public health depends on trust. Trust depends on honesty.” “When the nation’s top health official pretends otherwise — or claims ignorance when it is politically convenient, so as not to raise the ire of MAHA activists — it is not public health leadership. It is yet another example of politics and ideology trumping evidence.” Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	Federal permit delays pause construction at Knox County wind farm Around 300 workers expected to build a wind farm in rural Knox County for the next year. Now, they're removing work they've already done.
	Three people injured in multi-vehicle crash in Davenport Friday The crash occurred at 11:11 a.m. on northbound U.S. 61 at Interstate 280.
	1 injured after crash involving semi truck, 3 cars A woman has life-threatening injuries after a crash Friday morning on Highway 61 near I-280 exit.
	Coast Guard Auxiliary shares boating safety tips ahead of summer season National Safe Boating Week runs from May 16 to May 22. Here are some simple ways to keep you and your family safe on the water this summer.
	"It's about time." Iowa shelters react to new animal-torture law A new law written to enforce stricter punishments on animal abusers grants a sigh of relief to shelters in Iowa. "It's about time," said Deb Mock, an employee at King's Harvest Pet Rescue in Davenport. "We're always last at everything ,I feel like." "It's been a long time coming for it, for sure," said Celina [...]
	OQC Crime Watch: man faces charges after assault of 88-year-old: Episode 66 Watch crime reporters Linda Cook and Sharon Wren talk about crime and courts in our area with the latest episode of the Our Quad Cities Crime Watch Podcast. In this episode Linda and Sharon discuss updates on: A man who faces charges after an assault in Eldridge that left an 88-year-old woman injured After three [...]
	‘Cop on a Rooftop’ raises over $1.28 million for Special Olympics in Illinois, Iowa Police departments and Dunkin’ teamed up Friday for “Cop on a Rooftop,” an annual fundraiser benefiting Special Olympics athletes across Illinois and Iowa.
	Maryland launches ‘one-stop’ resource website for new, expecting parents The state this week unveiled a one-stop website that offers new families information on health insurance, parental leave and support services to make sure children get a healthy start in life. (Stock photo by John Fedele/Getty Images)New families in need of health insurance, parental leave and other resources can look up that information on a new state website launched Thursday. Resources for expecting and new parents was announced by the Governor’s Office for Children as a “one-stop” resource hub to not only support families, but also as a way to make sure children have a healthy start to their lives. “Welcoming a child should be a moment of joy, but without adequate access to support and resources, starting or growing a family can be an economic hurdle,” said a statement from Carmel Martin, special secretary in the Governor’s Office for Children. “By streamlining access to these critical supports, we can boost economic mobility for families and make government work better for Marylanders.” For instance, the site has a link to the state’s Maternal Health Innovation Program that connects to a state map. On the right side of the page, a person can click on an icon to find the location for a variety of services, such as food resources, housing assistance and clinics for women, infants and children. The site also has a link to the state Department of Health’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau with guidance on a safe sleeping environment for babies. It provides background information on infant care, established by House Bill 177 in 2024 sponsored by Del. Robbyn Lewis (D-Baltimore City), that requires hospitals to give parents and guardians oral and written resources on how to do that. Maryland lawmakers ‘disheartened’ by persistent inequities in Black maternal health outcomes There’s information on early childhood learning, that helps parents and guardians find a Head Start program by location. Clicking the link brings up a list of organizations throughout the state that includes Head Start of Washington County, Montgomery County Community Action Agency and Community Development Institute Head Start in St. Mary’s County. The site also provides a link for parents to apply for the state’s popular child care scholarship program, even though enrollment has been frozen since May 1, 2025. But lawmakers allocated $20 million for the program, which is expected to cut the current waiting list of more than 5,000 families by more than half in the next fiscal year. The new parent resource guide was worked on by state agencies in the Maryland Children’s Cabinet, which is part of the governor’s mission to reduce the number of children living in poverty. To assist those with limited access to a computer or other forms of technology, the governor’s office said printed copies will be distributed at hospitals, local departments of social services and Patty Centers that provide health and education services for parents with children up to age 3. “Ensuring every family has access to helpful information and reliable support is essential to their success,” said Health Secretary Meena Seshamani. “This new guide serves as a vital bridge for families and caregivers from pregnancy through early childhood, making sure that essential healthcare, nutrition, and early education resources are always within reach to support them at every step.”SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Maryland Matters
	Home destroyed, residents displaced after fire A home was destroyed and residents were displaced after a fire Friday in Galesburg.
	Davenport’s strategy plan prioritizes housing, roads, public-safety transparency The Davenport City Council finalized its 2026-2027 priorities, focusing on infrastructure, housing, animal control, and improved public safety incident reporting.
	House passes bill allowing year-round E15 gasoline sales The U.S. House has passed a bill that would allow year-round sales of E15 gasoline across the country. Supporters say the ethanol blend could boost demand for corn and help farmers during a tough time for agriculture.
	Federal court sets May 22 hearing on new Alabama congressional map The front of Hugo L Black Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama on August 15, 2023. The Northern District scheduled a preliminary injunction for the Milligan case May 22. (Jemma Stephenson/Alabama Reflector)A federal court Friday set a hearing for May 22 on a motion for plaintiffs to block Alabama’s use of a 2023 congressional map the court previously declared racially discriminatory. The court is reconsidering the map after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier lifted a permanent injunction against the map and sent the case, known as Allen v. Milligan, back to the lower court. The justices ordered the court to reconsider its ruling in light of its ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, a ruling last month that weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and made it harder for plaintiffs to challenge maps on the basis of racial discrimination. U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco wrote in her ruling that “appropriate relief, if any, will be issued in time for Alabama’s 2026 election to occur according to a lawful map.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday set special primary elections in four congressional districts to take place in August under the boundaries of the earlier map, which will likely reduce Alabama’s Black representation in the U.S. House. Plaintiffs Friday filed motions in Allen v. Milligan and in Alabama State Conference of the NAACP v. Allen, a 2021 case that led to the redrawing of two state Senate seats in the Montgomery area. The motions, which seek to block new primaries under laws approved in a legislative special session earlier this month, argue that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais does not apply to the Northern District rulings in the two separate cases and it is too late for Alabama to revert to the maps created by Republican lawmakers in time for the primary election happening in a few days. “During this time, Alabamians voted and labored under the understanding that the Remedial Map would be used in the 2026 election,” the plaintiffs said in their motion for a preliminary injunction on Friday. “For months, election officials and candidates laid plans, spent money, and engaged voters based on the remedial map’s districts. And, for seven weeks, Alabama voters cast ballots under the remedial map.” In the case of the state Senate maps, the plaintiffs stated in their motion that, “Now, the Secretary seeks the Court’s eleventh-hour intervention to change the map in the middle of that same election despite the mass confusion it will create, and the legitimate votes it will nullify.” The state appealed the verdict on the state Senate districts in NAACP v. Allen to the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. As of Friday evening the court had not ruled in the case. The Allen v. Milligan plaintiffs have also filed a motion for a temporary injunction. In both filings the plaintiffs in the two cases said that changing the electoral maps would disenfranchise voters due to confusion over the rightful candidates. “Moreover, granting a preliminary injunction to preserve the congressional districts approved by this Court is the only way to prevent the disenfranchisement of the thousands of Alabama voters who have already returned their absentee ballots,” the Milligan plaintiffs said in their motion. “Courts have long recognized that the denial of ‘the opportunity to vote in an election’ constitutes ‘an irreparable harm.’” Plaintiffs also said earlier in the appeals process before the maps were changed that the state should not be forced to change election rules by moving to a new map because it would create problems in an election that was months away. “The secretary’s prior representations in this matter conflict with his present ones,” the plaintiffs said in their motion regarding the state Senate districts. “At the start of the remedial phase, he represented to this court that any remedial map needed to be in place more than six months prior to the May 19 primary election to avoid calamitous effects on election administration. The secretary said that it was ‘not possible to provide a date and say with confidence that Alabama can implement a remedial map entered by that date without disruption and confusion.”’ Plaintiffs also said that changing maps violates an amendment to the Alabama Constitution approved by voters in 2022 that bans election law changes in a six-month period prior to an election. That deadline was May 3; the special session started on May 4. The plaintiffs also said their maps do not violate the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Callais, which stated that plaintiffs that allege discrimination cannot use race when they propose new maps and that they must consider the state’s other interests. Plaintiffs said the new maps were drawn without considering race and that the maps conformed to the state’s guidelines. Several groups support the preliminary injunction filed by the plaintiffs in Milligan. “Alabama’s rush to discard ballots in order to force the use of a congressional map that intentionally discriminates against Black Alabamians and dilutes their votes—as already determined by a federal court—is a craven and shameful attack on our democracy, and on the rights of all Alabama voters,” said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Redistricting Foundation. Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Limited-edition bobbleheads celebrate Hawkeyes, Cyclones graduates Limited-edition bobbleheads celebrate graduates from the University of Iowa and Iowa State, according to a news release from The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. The Iowa Hawkeyes bobblehead will be individually numbered to only 1,847, and the Iowa State Cyclones bobblehead will be individually numbered to only 1,858. he bobbleheads, which are expected [...]
	Quad Cities big band marks 25th anniversary with free Frank Sinatra concert This year marks the 25th anniversary of "Josh Duffee and His Orchestra," which has brought swinging big band music from the 1920s through the 60s to our region.
	No injuries after partial roof collapse in Galesburg fire No injuries were reported following a a partial roof collapse at a fire in Galesburg. According to a release, the Galesburg Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 400 block of N. Broad St. May 15 at approximately 10:01 a.m. Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy smoke and flames visible from a two-story home. [...]
	Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre launches fundraiser for upgrades The Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg is raising $100,000 for upgrades that would unlock a matching tourism grant from the State of Illinois.
	Davenport police release dash cam in crash involving 2 squad cars No injuries were reported, and no civilians were involved in the crash.
	It’s ‘midpoint’ in budget negotiations and chambers take a break Sen. Ed Hooper (L) and Rep. Lawrence McClure (R) will work throughout the weekend to have negotiation offers ready for Monday. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) Florida legislators wrapped up the first week of their budget special session Friday far apart on multiple spending priorities for schools, healthcare — and even whether Gov. Ron DeSantis deserves a security detail after he leaves office. “We’re at the midpoint in the negotiations,” Rep. Jason Shoaf of Port St. Joe, House budget chair for transportation and economic development, told reporters. The only bill the Legislature is required to annually pass is the General Appropriations Act, the state budget. For the second time in as many years, Republican lawmakers were unable to finish that work during the 60-day regular session that ended in March. When the Legislature cannot accomplish its work on time, it increases costs for taxpayers. 2025 extended session cost Florida taxpayers more than $259K The House and Senate did last month reach an agreement on the overall spending amounts for the new budget, and they have since Tuesday been trying to bridge differences on individual spending items. Some of those items include whether to break out how much the state spends to help families send their children to private schools; how much money should go to DeSantis priorities such as his “job growth grant fund” that lets the governor award economic development grants; and how much the state spends on healthcare for the poor, elderly, and disabled. For the past few days, budget conference committees have exchanged offers contained on spreadsheets. The Senate made a budget offer this week to have the state’s top law enforcement agency provide the governor and his family with security for the year following DeSantis’s departure from office in January. Seeking Rents investigative reporter Jason Garcia first broke the news on social media. The House, which has been at odds with DeSantis, for the last two years under Speaker Daniel Perez of Miami, hasn’t agreed to the idea. There was no price tag with the budget offer because the details needed to make those assumptions, such as where he will live and what he will do, aren’t known. Now the process changes. The next round of negotiations will involve the top budget chairs for the House and Senate. Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez said in memos Friday that Sen. Ed Hooper and Rep. Lawrence McClure will work on offers throughout the weekend but they would not formally swap any offers until next week. Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	Sisters reunite after Middle East deployment More than 100 members of the Iowa National Guard returned home Thursday after nearly a year deployed in the Middle East.
	Celebrating 25 years of the Quad Cities big band, 'Josh Duffee and His Orchestra' The group has been a staple at QCA jazz fests, outdoor concerts and museum events. They're marking their anniversary with a free Frank Sinatra concert.
	Supreme Court is death knell for Virginia's Democratic-friendly congressional maps The new map was drawn by Democrats and approved by Virginia voters, but the state Supreme Court declared the referendum null and void because lawmakers failed to follow the proper procedures to get the issue on the ballot.
	Alternating Currents reveals first 2026 lineup Alternating Currents has released its first wave of artists for its 2026 festival. They're set to perform in Downtown Davenport, Rock Island, and Bettendorf from August 13th to August 16th. The artists include: 7ArkAchromatic of TimeAdam Greuel & The Space BurritosAlbornAmerican Devil SoundAndrew HoytAngela MeyerBarefoot & SunshineBCMCBeth Lizano BandBig Head ModeBlack Note GraffitiBurntMCMelbaToastCamp RegretChris OtepkaCJ [...]
	Dash cam video shows crash involving 2 Davenport police cars on April 24 No injuries were reported, and no civilians were involved in the crash.
	Davenport releases footage of crash between two squad cars Two squad cars crashed on April 24 at about 9 p.m. while responding to a 911 call reporting a burglary in progress in the 1500 block of West Third Street.
	Dash cam video shows 2 Davenport police cars crashing while responding to incident No civilians were involved. News 8 edited the two separate dash cam videos together. Police said the second video cuts off due to a power failure from the collision.
	Rivermont Collegiate appealing potential suspension of ISACS accreditation While the school determines the future of its ISACS accreditation, it still maintains Cognia accreditation.
	Behind the scenes of Amazon's new last-mile facility Amazon says the facility can process 26,000 packages every day and as many as 40,000 in busier times of the year.
	NM U.S. Sens. Heinrich, Luján seek answers on federal Agriculture Department research moves USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on April 23, 2026, announced the USDA was restructuring its research mission and relocating research projects across the country. (Julia Goldberg / Source NM)New Mexico’s United States senators this week joined 22 other Democrats in seeking more information from the federal Agriculture Department on how a recently announced “restructuring” will impact the department’s research and innovation mission. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins in late April said the department would be relocating some positions and otherwise refocusing the department’s Research, Education and Economics mission area, which is dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge related to agriculture, according to the department. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Rollins’ statement stressed that the changes were not a “reduction in force” that would result in mass layoffs, but instead aimed to reduce complexity and bring scientists closer to the communities they’re serving. That will mean the decommissioning of the Maryland-based Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and “relocating research programs to facilities across the country better aligned with regional agricultural needs,” according to the USDA. U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, both New Mexico Democrats, said they are concerned Rollins is actually reducing the USDA’s research capacity. They and other Democratic senators sent her a letter Thursday that noted previous staff relocations by federal agencies resulted in mass resignations from employees unable to quickly uproot and move cross country. “This effort will erode the capacity of USDA’s research agencies and threaten their ability to deliver innovation and timely economic data for farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” the letter reads. The letter asks Rollins to provide detailed descriptions of how the USDA intends to minimize disruptions to farmers, ranchers and researchers, including how they plan to address existing collective bargaining agreements with public sector labor unions. “Proactive and ongoing engagement with these employees will be necessary to prevent major disruptions to research, data collection, and education,” the senators write. In addition to the USDA’s research shakeup, the USDA is also relocating the United States Forest Service’s headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City, Utah. Environmentalist groups have raised similar concerns about staff reductions that result from that move. Courtesy of Source New Mexico
	Scuttled sale of nonprofit care facility in Des Moines sparks litigation Calvin Community, a 188-unit continuing-care facility on Des Moines’ Hickman Road. (Photo via Google Earth)A federal lawsuit has been filed seeking to force the owners of Des Moines’ Calvin Community nursing home and assisted living center to sell the nonprofit facility to a group of New York investors. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, seeks to compel the sale of the 188-unit continuing-care facility on Des Moines’ Hickman Road to Everview Group, which is a trio of New York-based investors who allege they have spent almost a year negotiating a purchase of the property. Court records indicate the Everview partners and potential buyers of Calvin Community are Isaac Moskowitz, David Herskowitz and Jeffrey Arem. Calvin Community is currently operated as a nonprofit entity and is one of Iowa’s larger retirement communities. The campus includes a 59-bed nursing home and an array of independent-living apartments and assisted-living units. According to Everview’s newly filed lawsuit against Calvin Community, plans for the sale involved Everview acting as a “placeholder” buyer, with management of the facility eventually transferred to a separate, fully vetted “high-quality successor operator” that would run the operation. As the planned date of closing drew near, Everview alleges, Calvin Community “abruptly sought to manufacture a termination of the parties’ agreements” so that it could accept “a more lucrative alternative offer received from a third party.” The lawsuit seeks an injunction blocking such a sale, in part to “protect the continuity of care for the facility’s residents.” The lawsuit also seeks a court order that would compel Calvin Community “to take all actions necessary to consummate” the planned sale to Everview. Price slashed due to ‘physical condition’ of buildings The lawsuit claims Everview and Calvin Community first entered into a purchase agreement in May 2025, through which the property was to be sold for $9.4 million. Separately, the lawsuit alleges, the two parties also entered into an “operations transfer agreement” that was intended to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality care for the residents, with Everview securing a third-party entity to take over management of the facility at the closing of the sale. At the same time, the lawsuit claims, Calvin Community collected a $250,000 deposit from Everview, which was to remain in escrow until the closing of the sale. Over the following 10 months, the parties engaged in what the lawsuit calls a “sustained and collaborative effort to navigate the complex regulatory and operational hurdles” related to transferring both ownership and management of a large continuing care retirement community. In November 2025, the two parties agreed to a sale-price reduction of $636,591 in return for Everview assuming more than $700,000 in liabilities related to “entrance fees” that Calvin Community allegedly owes to current residents of the facility. In January 2026, the agreed-upon sale price was dramatically reduced from $9.4 million to $6 million, the lawsuit alleges, “to account for the facility’s physical condition,” and to “account for funds previously mishandled” by Calvin Community. The price reduction, combined with the $636,591 in assumed liabilities, resulted in an agreed-upon final sale price of $5,363,409, according to the lawsuit. Everview claims that in early March 2026, Calvin Community’s CEO, Billy Meyers, hosted prospective third-party operators for tours of the facility. According to the lawsuit, the planned sale to Everview went south almost immediately thereafter, with Calvin Community notifying Everview’s partners on March 20, 2026, of its intent to terminate their contractual agreements. Lawsuit: Nonprofit now seeks ‘lucrative windfall’ Calvin Community, Everview now alleges, had been “secretly negotiating with — and has potentially reached an agreement with — a third-party buyer to sell the property” for more than what Everview had agreed to pay. The lawsuit characterizes this as “a transparent effort” by Calvin Community to “escape its contractual obligations to Everview to pursue a more lucrative windfall.” Everview claims it had secured Bonvera Health as the successor operator of Calvin Community and that Bonvera had been “ready, willing, and able” to take over if Calvin Community hadn’t scuttled the deal. In addition to an injunction blocking Calvin Community’s efforts to “shop the property and the facility to third-party buyers to secure a more lucrative deal,” the lawsuit also seeks damages and legal fees for alleged breach of contract. Calvin Community has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable Friday to reach either the home’s administrator or its attorney for comment. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Vigil to be held for 3-year-old killed in hostage standoff A public vigil for the 3-year-old who was shot and killed during a hostage standoff near Princeton, IL will be held Sunday, May 17.
	How to make sure you're staying safe while boating this summer National Safe Boating Week starts on Saturday, May 16, shining a light on boater safety and the risks encountered on the water.
	DPHHS hosts disability employment summit Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras, right, delivers opening remarks during the annual Disability Employment Summit. Also pictured is sign language interpreter Cheryl Lund (DPHHS photo)The Department of Public Health and Human Services recently hosted its fourth annual Disability Employment Summit in an effort to increase job access for Montanans. DPHHS reported there are around 79,000 Montanans with disabilities aged 18 to 64. There are about 41,000 Montanans with disabilities in the workforce and an additional 3,000 that are in the labor force but are currently unemployed. “The summit is an excellent opportunity for Montana businesses to learn from experts about the value of employing individuals with disabilities,” Montana Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras said in a press release. “Across Montana, people with disabilities are already contributing in numerous ways, and many more are ready and eager to put their talents to work for employers.” More than 35 organizations signed up for the conference, which connected business leaders with ways to navigate workplace accommodations. The event also fit in with an effort by Gov. Greg Gianforte, the 406 JOBS initiative, which seeks to modernize the state’s workforce. DPHHS has a Disability Employment and Transitions Division, which helps to connect businesses with people with disabilities who are seeking employment. “We support businesses with a wide array of services, resources, and solutions related to disability employment,” Chanda Hermanson, a DPHHS administrator in that program, said in a press release. “Our team provides no-cost assistance to help employers recruit skilled candidates, retain quality staff, improve workplace accessibility, and access tools that save time and money.” Courtesy of Daily Montanan
	Davenport police release dashcam videos of squad car crash The Davenport Police Department has released dashcam video of a squad car crash from April.
	Board: Pharmacist failed to report vaccinations for 15 years State regulators have issued a warning to an Iowa pharmacist who was alleged to be incorrectly reporting vaccinations and immunizations to the state for 15 years. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce/ For the Virginia Mercury)An Iowa pharmacist who was alleged to be incorrectly reporting vaccinations and immunizations to the state for 15 years has been issued a warning by state regulators. The Iowa Board of Pharmacy recently charged pharmacist Ellen Bridget Overholtzer-Strait of Malvern with failing to order and dispense medications as required by regulations and statewide protocols. The regulations cited by the board required that pharmacists, after the administration of a vaccine, report the vaccination to Iowa’s Immunization Registry Information System, more commonly known as IRIS. The board alleges that after two different patients, on two different occasions, went to a pharmacy in Glenwood for vaccinations, it was discovered that both patients had already received those vaccinations from a different pharmacy where Overholtzer-Strait worked, and that those vaccinations were not reflected in IRIS. The board alleges that when Overholtzer-Strait was contacted after a complaint was filed with the board, she asserted she kept records of all the vaccinations she had administered but was unaware they weren’t somehow automatically reported to IRIS. According to the board, she then worked to manually enter into IRIS all of the missed immunizations and vaccinations, including some that dated back to 2011. The disciplinary case was resolved recently with a settlement agreement that calls for Overholtzer-Strait to pay a $500 civil penalty. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Arconic employee union votes in favor of potential strike Negotiations continue as the existing contract expires on Saturday. That contract covers roughly 3,400 workers, with 1,800 of those in the Quad Cities.
	Arconic employee union votes in favor of potential strike Negotiations continue as the existing contract expires on Saturday. That contract covers roughly 3,400 workers, with 1,800 of those in the Quad Cities.
	Former medical director of Ames health spa faces more sanctions (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)The former medical director of an Ames health spa is facing sanctions from a second state licensing board. In January 2025, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy charged advanced registered nurse practitioner Antoinette Thompson of Pleasant Hill with failing to maintain a separate registration for each business that makes use of controlled substances; committing acts that would render her Controlled Substances Act registration inconsistent with the public interest; obtaining, possessing or administering controlled substances without lawful authority; distribution of drugs for illegal purposes; failing to comply with federal laws and regulations related to the storage of controlled substances, and failing to immediately notify the board of any theft or significant losses. Court records indicate Thompson served as the medical director and nurse for the Live Hydration Spa in Ames until she was terminated when the business closed in September 2024. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. The Board of Pharmacy alleged its charges were based on complaints that Thompson had prescribed controlled substances using the wrong CSA registration, used a CSA registration to a specific business after she had left employment there, and had written prescriptions for patients by providing her own phone number and address as that of the patients. The board also alleged, without explaining or elaborating, that Thompson “filled prescriptions under patients’ names for which were subsequently used as office stock supply to be used for other patients.” To resolve the matter, Thompson and the board recently agreed to a settlement that calls for the indefinite suspension of her CSA registration. Board of Nursing also took action In 2025, the Iowa Board of Nursing charged Thompson with failing to evaluate, document or report the status of a patient; committing an act that might adversely affect a patient’s welfare; misappropriating medications or supplies of a patient; being involved in the unauthorized manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance; prescribing, dispensing or distributing drugs in an unsafe manner; prescribing, dispensing or distributing drugs without accurately documenting the act or without evaluating the patient; willful or repeated failure to practice nursing with reasonable skill and safety, and failure to query and reviewing the Prescription Monitoring Program database prior to prescribing or dispensing of an opioid. In April 2026, the Board of Nursing and Thompson agreed to a settlement that has resulted in the suspension of her nursing license for a minimum of one year. According to a civil-court filings by Live Hydration, Thompson’s termination was based on her “actions resulting in imminent danger to patient health and safety.” The company also alleged Thompson violated her franchise agreement with Live Hydration by opening a competing business that offered IV vitamin therapy, injections, hormone replacement therapy and Botox treatments. Thompson denied all of the company’s allegations, and is currently suing Live Hydration for breach of contract and defamation, alleging the company tried to “starve” her franchise and mount a hostile takeover of the Ames location — charges the company denies. A trial is scheduled for Dec. 15, 2026. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	NU officials celebrate opening of medical school, expanded rural health teaching complex in Kearney Philanthropist Ruth Scott stands with Doug Kristensen, former chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. This week they and others celebrated the ceremonial opening of the second teaching structure on a rural health education complex newly named in honor of Kristensen. (Courtesy of UNK Communications) LINCOLN — The latest $95 million structure to open on a rural health education complex in Kearney is expected to double the number of health care students on the campus, to about 625. That three-story, 110,000-square-foot building opens to full occupancy this month and will enable the University of Nebraska Medical Center to offer — for the first time — medicine, pharmacy and public health programs on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus. A May 14 ceremonial event marked the formal opening of a second building on a rural health education complex on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus. (Courtesy of UNMC) It joins the original $19 million Health Science Education Center I, which opened in 2015 and focuses on allied health and nursing. Together, the two buildings will be known as the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex, a name revealed publicly this week. Lead donor, the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation, requested the complex be christened in honor of the former UNK chancellor. UNK and UNMC, the state’s only public academic health science center, in a news release described the expanded Kearney complex as the largest rural healthcare teaching facility in the country. Dr. Jeffrey Gold, president of the NU system, said it was “historic” for the state in that the campus will “significantly improve” the state’s ability to provide a healthcare workforce. Currently, 83% of Nebraska’s practicing healthcare providers are located in metropolitan areas, while only about 65% of the state’s population lives in those communities, state officials said. “Students no longer must leave central Nebraska to access a world-class healthcare education,” UNK Chancellor Neal Schnoor said. “They can learn here, train here and ultimately build their careers and lives here.” He said that matters not only for students but for the future of rural Nebraska, where a strong healthcare workforce can serve as a catalyst for economic growth. Nebraska officials expect UNMC healthcare enrollment in Kearney to grow to about 625 students, nearly doubling its current presence at the state campus. The newest building, Gold noted, is the result of a public-private partnership boosted by $60 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated by the Nebraska Legislature. The City of Kearney allocated $5 million and Central Community College, $1.5 million. The philanthropic community committed $28.5 million to support construction. So far an additional $5.8 million has been committed to support the UNK Endowed Fund for Rural Health Initiatives, which includes an effort to recruit students from smaller Nebraska cities and prepare them to practice healthcare in rural areas. Overall, officials said, the Kristensen complex will host 14 academic programs: cardiovascular interventional technology, diagnostic medical sonography, magnetic resonance imaging, medical laboratory science, medical nutrition, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, radiation therapy, radiography (all UNMC programs) and speech-language pathology (a UNK program). UNMC interim chancellor H. Dele Davies said in a statement that a Thursday celebration at the Kristensen complex marked more than the official opening of the second teaching building. “This new health sciences complex stands as a promise: the promise that students should be able to pursue their dream of becoming a healthcare professional close to home, near the communities that shaped who they are.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	Bernice King, members of Congress expected at Saturday redistricting protests A group of protestors hold a banner saying "Black Voters Matter" with a quote from Allen v. Milligan, a 2023 case that required Alabama to draw a second congressional district to give Black voters an opportunity to elect their preferred leaders, on May 4, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Protestors plan rallies on Saturday in opposition to the state's efforts to redistrict congressional seats. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)Thousands of people are expected to attend two rallies in Selma and Montgomery on Saturday to protest what organizers call a concerted Republican effort to dilute the voting power of Black voters throughout the South. The All Roads Lead to the South National Day of Action is response to attempts by southern state legislatures to reconfigure their electoral maps to increase Republican majorities in Congress and in state assemblies in the region. “Now we are seeing unprecedented assaults on our generation, on those rights that were paved for in the blood of our ancestors,” said U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, at a media briefing Friday. “We take this seriously, and we know it is not just about Black folks because democracy is not secure for anyone if it is not secure for everyone.” Booker will be one of scores of dignitaries and leaders scheduled to attend the event. Others scheduled to participate include Democratic U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell of Birmingham and Shomari Figures of Mobile, Alabama’s two Democratic House members. The state is attempting to adopt a map that would redraw their districts. Figures is considered particularly vulnerable should that take place. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais in April, which weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, preventing racial discrimination in voting laws, Gov. Kay Ivey called a special session for the passage of a law allowing special primary elections in in congressional and legislative districts under injunction by the courts for Section 2 violations. The federal courts blocked a 2021 state Senate map and a 2023 congressional map for not giving Black voters an opportunity to select their preferred voters. After the Legislature passed the law, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday lifted an injunction against the congressional map, though plaintiffs continue to fight it in lower court. Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday set special primaries in the districts for August in anticipation of the use of maps. Lawmakers from other states are also expected, including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia. Rev. Bernice A. King, CEO of the King Center, is scheduled to attend. A morning gathering will be held in Selma, where peaceful civil rights protestors were attacked by law enforcement on March 7, 1965. The event, known as Bloody Sunday, led to the Selma-to-Montgomery march and was a catalyst for passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Faith leaders will march from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma to the Edmund Pettus Bridge and pray, not only for the day’s events but also for other gatherings that will happen in the coming months. “We are walking silently, because we are being contemplative, we are being in prayer,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, at Friday’s media briefing. “We are grounding in the memory and (paying) homage to those who have laid the foundation, but also consecrating ourselves for what we know is a long road ahead.” That will be followed by a mass rally in the afternoon in Montgomery near the Alabama State Capitol, where the Selma-to-Montgomery march concluded in 1965. Organizers expect at least 5,000 people to attend. “We have got every sector of our movement who will be represented, from labor and young people to social justice organizations, to education groups that will come,” Brown said. “We also have people coming from all over the country.” Organizers said the gatherings will kick off a slate of events aimed at mobilizing voters in opposition to mid-decade redistricting and to preserve the voting rights of vulnerable communities. Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Amazon dedicates last-mile Davenport facility Amazon dedicated its last-mile facility in Davenport. The facility opened in October, but it has now ramped up to full operations. The last-mile facility serves a radius of 60 miles, allowing more addresses to be included in the free two-day shipping.The move means Amazon employs over 3,000 people between the two facilities on Division St., [...]
	Alaska Legislature approves plan for mental health education in schools A.J. Dimond High School in Anchorage seen on Feb. 23, 2025. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)The Alaska Legislature passed a bill requiring the state to develop guidelines for mental health instruction in Alaska school districts. The aim is to place mental health education for K-12 students on par with physical education. House lawmakers passed Senate Bill 41 by a 27 to 13 vote late Thursday night, and the bill now heads to Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s desk for consideration. The bill instructs the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to develop guidelines for schools to offer developmentally appropriate mental health curriculum in partnership with the Alaska Departments of Health and Family and Community Services, along with regional tribal health organizations and representatives of state and national mental health organizations. Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, speaks in support of her bill that would add mental health instruction to public school curriculum on the Senate Floor on March 6, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Sen. Elvi-Gray Jackson, D-Anchorage, sponsored the bill and said the initiative helps to address mental health needs of students. “This bill recognizes the importance of mental health education as an essential component of a comprehensive K-12 curriculum,” she said in a statement introducing the bill. “And (it) aims to create a balanced approach to health instruction by placing mental health education on par with physical health education.” The bill also would require school districts to give parents and guardians at least two weeks’ notice of upcoming mental health classes, and allow families to opt students out. Alaska students and school officials testified to lawmakers in February about the need for lawmakers to address what they said is a growing crisis of student mental health challenges and a lack of counselors, resources and support services. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Several testifiers spoke about the devastating impact of student suicides on schools and communities. Alaska has the highest rates of suicide of any state in the nation — a pervasive trend for decades — with the highest rates among youth ages 15 to 24. Kay Andrews, a school board member from the Southwest Region School District, which includes eight schools spanning across the Bristol Bay region, described the impact to lawmakers in February. “Our region recently experienced another suicide, which deeply affected our students and our only regional counselor,” Andrews said. “Schools are more than our classrooms. They are community centers. They are safe places for our children, yet, schools are being asked to do more with less.” House legislators debated the bill and the proposed mental health education in schools over several days on the floor this week. Proponents said the new guidelines and curriculums would provide support not only for students, but also much-needed support and training for teachers and staff already engaging with students struggling with mental health. Opponents said a new curriculum would further burden schools, and mental health support and conversations should take place with parents and in family settings. Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, spoke on the House floor Thursday night and said he was unsure about the effectiveness of a new curriculum, but acknowledged that two students of Soldotna High School had died by suicide this year. “I’m torn. I agree with many of the members that say I’m not certain that this bill is going to do enough. I don’t think this bill is going to change much,” he said. “But we’re losing too many of our kids, and for a whole host of reasons, our communities are struggling. We’re losing access to things that used to bring people together in a healthy way. We got to start addressing some of those things. I hope the curriculum addresses that.” Rep. Nellie Jimmie, D-Toksook Bay, acknowledged the students from her district who traveled to the Capitol in March to advocate for legislation to fund the 988 crisis line and behavioral health services. Brothers Johnny Nicolai and Jacob Nicolai of Toksook Bay speak at a news conference with advocates at the Alaska State Capitol to raise awareness around suicide and urge state support for the 988 crisis line on Mar. 19, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) “In my district, there are no therapists down the road, no crisis counselors in every school. When something breaks in a child in rural Alaska, it usually breaks quietly, and we always see how that ends up — we always find out too late. We are losing kids,” she said. “This bill puts mental health alongside physical health in every K-12 classroom in this state, developed with tribal health organizations at the table, so rural Alaska is not written as a footnote. The kids already did their part, they showed up, they spoke up. Now we do our part.” If approved by the governor, it would take some time before mental health curriculums are implemented and students participate in new mental health classes. The bill would allow two years for the state Department of Education to develop the guidelines and submit a report to the Legislature on the process used to develop them. Lawmakers also debated and approved an amendment that says the mental health curriculum guidelines may not include “any political, ideological, or advocacy-oriented content that is unrelated to student mental health.” But several members of the all-Republican Minority caucus opposed the bill, including Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, who said mental health should be addressed by parents. “Parents just don’t want this in the classroom, they want the classroom to focus on academics and leave all of this that has to do with the well-being of their child to them, and not exempt the other parents from that same responsibility,” she said. Ketchikan Republican Jeremy Bynum urged support for the bill, amid widespread efforts to combat stigmas around mental health nationwide — particularly among veterans — and address ongoing needs of students. “Imagine being a kid, not knowing who to go talk to, not knowing what to do. This provides teachers an opportunity — with parental approval — to think about these things,” he said. “If this helps one kid in my school district, if this would have helped one kid in my school district… it’s worth doing.” The bill is now before Dunleavy to approve, veto or allow it to become law without his signature. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
	Conservative organizations file briefs in support of WV families challenging school vaccine mandates A child under 12 years old receives a dose of Pfizer vaccine as part of the COVID-19 immunization campaign on Jan. 18, 2022 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. (Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)Conservative organizations — including one that helped with the West Virginia Legislature’s passage of a 2023 religious freedom law — have filed briefs arguing the law does in fact add religious exemptions to the state’s strict school vaccine mandates. The Alliance Defending Freedom and the Heritage Foundation are among the organizations that have filed amicus briefs in the case of M. Guzman and C. Hunter v. the West Virginia Board of Education, which is before the state Supreme Court of Appeals. Amicus briefs are arguments filed by entities that are not party to a particular case but have a strong interest in its outcome. Raleigh County parents Guzman and Hunter are asking the high court to uphold a November Raleigh County Circuit ruling that required schools to allow children admission with a religious or philosophical objection to the state’s school vaccination requirements. Judge Michael Froble ruled that the West Virginia and Raleigh County school boards’ policy not to accept religious exemptions is a violation of the state’s Equal Protection for Religion Act of 2023. States generally require school students to be vaccinated against a series of infectious diseases, like polio, chickenpox and measles. West Virginia is one of only five states with laws that do not allow families to opt out of the requirements based on their religious objections to the shots. Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order his first day in office requiring the state to allow religious exemptions based on the state’s 2023 Equal Protection for Religion act. In its amicus brief, conservative legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom wrote that it supported the passage of the Equal Protection for Religion Act, which former Gov. Jim Justice signed into law in 2023. “ADF and its associated entities also draft and support legislation designed to prevent government actors from burdening religious exercise or treating religious conduct less favorably than non-religious conduct,” the organization wrote. “As relevant here, ADF supported the enactment of West Virginia’s Equal Protection for Religion Act, the statute central to the disposition of this appeal.” EPRA’s lead sponsor, Del. Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason, said through a House of Representatives spokeswoman Friday that ADF did not draft the legislation, but the organization provided guidance to Pinson related to the bill. The Alliance Defending Freedom and other groups argue that EPRA applies to the school vaccine law and that the vaccine policy should have religious exemptions. “The Equal Protection for Religion Act places firm limits on all ‘state action’ that substantially burdens religious exercise or treats religious conduct more restrictively than comparable non-religious conduct,” the Alliance Defending Freedom wrote in its brief. “All ‘state action’ means anything done by, or fairly attributable to, any arm of the government of the State of West Virginia, its political subdivisions, and those entities’ officials. “Yet Appellants maintain that their enforcement of vaccine requirements is not subject to the EPRA’s requirements. That’s wrong,” they wrote. The Heritage Foundation is a right-wing conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. It helped author Project 2025, a set of far-right conservative priorities that has served as a blueprint for many of President Donald Trump’s policies during his second term. “This case presents the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia’s first opportunity to interpret the Equal Protection for Religion Act,” the Heritage Foundation wrote in the brief filed this week. “How it uses this opportunity will determine whether the law means something or nothing at all.” The organization argues that the West Virginia Equal Protection for Religion Act is designed to create religious exemptions to all non-excepted state law, including the vaccine requirements. The Equal Protection for Religion Act, like the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act that it’s based on, is a “super statute” that displaces other laws and requires that laws have religious exemptions, they write. The state and Raleigh County school boards officially filed their appeal to the Supreme Court in March. Earlier this week, attorneys for the two Raleigh County families filed their response to the school boards’ argument. In it, attorneys for the family said E.G., one of the children in the case, is a 17-year-old who lacks only one vaccine — a booster for the meningococcal vaccine required for high school seniors. “Plaintiff Hunter did not previously have religious objections to vaccinating E.G.,” the attorneys write. “However, after a period of thoughtful prayer and scripture reading, Mrs. Hunter’s religious objections to vaccinating E.G. were cemented after she concluded vaccinating E.G. would be ‘spiritually impure.’” The attorneys argue that the families’ religious beliefs and practices have been “substantially burdened” by the vaccine policy. They also argue that state schools do not mandate that teachers and other adults working in the school system be vaccinated, despite working closely with children, and that the schools do not mandate vaccination for events like athletic games or for homeschooling families, microschools or learning pods. Besides the conservative organizations, Morrisey has supported the families in an amicus brief filed this week. The school board will have until June 1 to write a reply to the families’ argument. After June 1, the Supreme Court may decide the case on its merits or schedule oral arguments in the case. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of West Virginia Watch
	Man charged with firearm, drug possession Alexander Delgado, 30, has been charged with firearm and drug possession.
	Colorado's Democratic governor will let Trump ally Tina Peters out of prison early Gov. Jared Polis' controversial commutation follows a pressure campaign by the Trump administration to free Tina Peters, an ex-county official who was convicted of tampering with election equipment.
	South Dakota revisits family benefit cuts and hospital payment changes after public backlash South Dakota Department of Social Services Secretary Matt Althoff fields questions from advocates for people with disabilities on Sept. 10, 2025, during a public hearing at the Sioux Falls One Stop building. (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)SIOUX FALLS — The South Dakota Department of Social Services is taking a second look at two administrative rule changes the department originally proposed last year. More than a hundred South Dakotans spoke against proposed changes last year to reduce benefits for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and adjust payment methodologies for hospitals. The new proposals back away from the most controversial elements of the original changes. Department officials held public hearings for both in Sioux Falls on Friday. Public comment remains open on the proposed changes until May 25, with comments accepted at Rules.SD.Gov. The legislative Rules Review Committee is scheduled to consider the changes at its June 9 meeting. TANF change is partial restoration of earlier benefit reduction TANF is a federal-state program used in South Dakota to provide assistance to families with children who need financial support because of the death of a parent, an absent parent, or the unemployment or physical or mental incapacity of a parent. Caregiver participants are required to work, search or train for a job. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Last year, the Legislature’s budget committee cut state TANF funding by 30%, authorizing the department to backfill the gap with leftover federal funds. Instead of fully replacing the state cut with those carryover funds, the department reduced benefits by 10% — saving the state about $1.5 million, department Secretary Matt Althoff said at the time. The cut reduced the average household benefit by $51 per month. That decision set off a monthslong dispute between the department and Rep. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls, a budget committee member, over whether the committee understood the department’s plan when it approved the cuts. The South Dakota Legislature partially restored the cuts earlier this year. The Legislature’s approval pairs a $427,000 increase in state funding with another $427,000 in authority to spend carryover federal funds — together restoring half of last year’s cut through a 5% benefit increase. The proposed rule changes adopt the 5% increase as well as a 1.4% inflationary increase for beneficiaries. That raises the average monthly TANF payment from $478.53 to $509.49 — or an increase of $30.96, according to a fiscal note. The program distributed $15.3 million in benefits in fiscal year 2024, when the average monthly benefit per household was $518.06. Nearly 5,000 people in the state, most of them children, benefit from the program. Cathy Brechtelsbauer speaks against a plan to cut TANF benefits for South Dakota recipients on June 20, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) Three people spoke Friday during public comment, including Cathy Brechtelsbauer, who organized a protest last year against the department’s cuts. She presented a “shoestring budget” for a parent with two children, totaling $1,420 per month. The estimate included rent at $650, utilities, phone and internet, transportation, clothing, and food not covered by other assistance programs. The average TANF benefit still falls short of those needs, Brechtelsbauer said, adding that her estimates show why the state should “step up the payments.” Medicaid changes attract support after previous concerns Last year, the department proposed revising how it reimburses hospitals through Medicaid — the joint federal-state program that provides health coverage to low-income residents and people with disabilities. Officials from LifeScape, the state’s primary caretaker for people with complex disabilities, and families who use its services testified last year about the risk the changes posed to the organization. Althoff pulled the proposals after the backlash. On Friday, Althoff said hospitals “weren’t ready” for the original proposal. He called the new changes “a win for South Dakota taxpayers” because they modernize Medicaid reimbursement and help contain costs. Searchlight Report podcast Voices from South Dakota politics and policy. Listen > The changes heard on Friday should not negatively impact providers in the state, South Dakota Medicaid Director Heather Petermann added. They align hospital reimbursement methodologies more closely with industry standards and ensure more equitable reimbursement among providers, she said. Petermann said the department “better explained” proposed rule changes to providers and adjusted proposed methodology for critical access hospitals. Critical access hospitals are small, rural hospitals that offer 24/7 emergency services. “The intent is to make this better for hospitals,” Petermann said. “It had to be their buy-in and to make sure everyone was on the same page.” The department received letters of support from LifeScape, Avera Health, Sanford Health, Monument Health and the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, Petermann said. SDAHO President and CEO Tim Rave said the new methodology shifts money from out-of-state hospitals back into South Dakota facilities. “While this does not bring our hospitals to a rate that covers what it costs to care for Medicaid patients in South Dakota, it does provide a much-needed boost to the rates as they are today, for which we are grateful,” Rave wrote in a letter to the department. Critical access hospitals have not had a full review since the designation was established in 1997. Hospitals reimbursed below 100% of their allowable costs will be brought to 100% under the new rules. Hospitals already paid above that threshold will see no change. The changes carry an $8.6 million price tag, included in the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget. “We want to thank the department for working with our members to come up with a solution that will keep hospital services open in rural South Dakota and not risk losing those services or hospital closures,” Rave added. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of South Dakota Searchlight
	Cox issues emergency declaration over crops lost to unseasonal weather McFarland Family Farms in western Weber County is pictured on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has declared a 30-day state of emergency in 10 counties to address crop losses caused by unseasonal freezing temperatures in April. In an executive order signed Friday, the governor specified that freezing temperatures that occurred in early and mid-April caused a 95% to 100% loss of crop production of apricots, sweet and tart cherries, plums, peaches, pears and apples. Wheat and alfalfa producers have also experienced losses. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “Conditions this year have already deeply affected agricultural producers here in Utah,” Cox said in a statement. “Due to an unexpected freeze in April following unseasonably warm conditions, many are facing devastating crop losses. This is the time in the season when emergency resources have the best chance to make a real difference in our farmers’ ability to survive and recover.” The order gives affected farmers emergency access to resources from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food for a month unless the state Legislature approves an extension. More information about that assistance will be released in coming days, a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food said. However, the declaration immediately unlocks an emergency disaster relief loan the state offers. The counties included in the order are Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Iron, Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Utah and Weber. Let us know what you think... The governor’s office noted in a news release that the losses are expected to impact not only farmers, but also consumers, local markets and seasonal staffers that rely on the annual harvest. Kelly Pehrson, commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, thanked Cox for “acting quickly on this” and allowing the state to open up its disaster relief programs. “In tough situations like crop loss, we have a duty to get assistance to producers and help them through seasons that might otherwise be too difficult to weather,” Pehrson said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Utah News Dispatch
	Rivermont Collegiate pursuing appeal after accreditation body revokes membership A member of Rivermont's Board of Trustees says its ISACS accreditation was abruptly revoked without notice, while the school still maintains Cognia accreditation.
	Quad-Cities high schools honored for voter registration efforts As primaries draw near, Iowa Secretary of State, Paul Pate visited Davenport North High to award them for civic engagement.
	4 Your Money \| The Real Deal Interest rates and inflation are always a hot topic in the financial world. David Nelson, CEO of NelsonCorp Wealth Management, shares his perspective on “real” interest rates and why it is positive news for investors and savers.
	Rock Island PD enforcing 'Click It or Ticket' campaign during Memorial Day travel The Rock Island Police Department is joining the "Click It or Ticket" campaign with Illinois law enforcement agencies from May 15-26.
	Doctors voice ‘temporary relief’ as SCOTUS allows mifepristone via mail to continue for now More than 2,200 physicians across the United States have signed a letter this week, organized by the Committee to Protect Healthcare, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to permanently restore access to the abortion medication mifepristone via telehealth. (Photo: Getty Images)Many OB-GYNs breathed a sigh of relief Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that telehealth access to the abortion drug mifepristone can continue until after the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a ruling in the federal lawsuit Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Jenna Beckham, an OB-GYN and complex family planning subspecialist in Durham, says abortion in North Carolina remains legal for up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. But she says the legal back-and-forth over whether mifepristone will remain available via telehealth is creating chaos and confusion. Durham OB-GYN Dr. Jenna Beckham (Photo: Screenshot) “No patient who is dealing with a miscarriage or in need of abortion care should be forced to drive hundreds of miles to pick up a medication that is not just effective, we know is exceedingly safe,” Beckham said on a Friday call with reporters. Mifepristone is not a new medication. It was first approved by the FDA in 2000. In 2023, the FDA concluded the drug used in medication abortion was safe to be distributed via telehealth and through pharmacies. However, in the case before the 5th Circuit, attorneys for the state of Louisiana, which has banned abortion completely, argued that allowing healthcare providers in other states to use telehealth to prescribe and ship mifepristone to women in Louisiana violates the state’s ban. The 5th Circuit Court agreed, issuing an injunction that banned telehealth access to mifepristone across the entire country. But the high court paused the injunction late Thursday, ruling that telehealth access to the abortion drug would remain in place until the 5th Circuit can rule in Louisiana v. FDA case. Beckham said while politicians and judges make it harder for patients to get care when and where they need it, doctors and health care clinicians know mifepristone is safe. “Safer than Viagra, Tylenol and countless other medications that patients and people throughout the country don’t think twice about taking and certainly don’t attract the attention of politicians,” said Beckham. More than 2,200 physicians across the United States have signed a letter this week, organized by the Committee to Protect Healthcare, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to permanently restore access to the abortion medication mifepristone via telehealth. “Since the Supreme Court’s ruling [Thursday] is only a temporary reprieve, we want to be very clear that any future decision to restrict mifepristone access would not be grounded in science. It would not be grounded in patient safety,” said Dr. Melissa Bayne, an OB-GYN in west Michigan. Federal appeals court moving forward on North Carolina abortion pill restrictions case As a rural health physician, Bayne said she can’t imagine not being able to use telehealth to help patients needing her care. “We have huge areas that are maternity care deserts right now. There are zero OB-GYNs,” said Bayne. “I am one of four OB-GYNs in an entire hour or 60-70 mile radius of where I practice. I’ve been up for 24 hours.” Bayne said that mifepristone is the first step in a standard care regimen for both abortion and miscarriages. Medication abortion via telehealth accounts for 27% of all abortions. “Requiring a patient to see me in person to have access to this medication does not add any safety improvements, it only creates an additional barrier to essential care,” said Bayne. Both Bayne and Beckham said they’ve seen an uptick in patients requesting sterilization at very young ages because they are worried about not having agency over their reproductive health. For those patients feeling especially anxious about increased restrictions on reproductive care and how the case before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will play out, Beckham uses that as an opportunity to talk about the importance of voting. “Unfortunately, our politics are more and more interfering with our ability to provide care,” said Beckham. “[Voting] is one thing that every American can do in local and federal elections to voice our concerns and to try to keep things like this from hopefully not continuing to happen.” Courtesy of NC Newsline
	Third Thursday Live Music Series at The Plex, Bettendorf Live music is coming to The Plex in Bettendorf this summer with a new Third Thursday live music series. The first event will be on Thursday, May 21st outside of Oscar’s Pub, 5027 Competition Drive, featuring live music from Luke Fox from 6 - 8:30 p.m. The evening includes a free yoga/Pilates session hosted by [...]
	How to improve your company's appeal to sell How to improve your company's appeal to sell Middle-market mergers and acquisitions (M&A) appear poised for a recovery thanks to a more resilient U.S. economy along with substantial amounts of capital from both private equity (PE) firms and corporate buyers, says Melina Audinelle, managing director and senior vice president of Fifth Third Investment Banking. With buyers eager to acquire midsize companies, owners need to find ways to boost the curb appeal of their firms to avoid potential missteps in the M&A process or leaving value on the table.However, many owners may not yet be prepared to capitalize on this promising momentum. Despite the favorable conditions of the market, a 2024 survey by Capstone Partners revealed 37.9% of CEO respondents have not yet begun formally preparing for a business exit. The survey also reveals a strong link between having a succession plan and confidence in the company’s future. In fact, only 47.7% of owners without a plan feel confident in their business’s long-term viability. This lack of preparation could ultimately undermine their ability to attract buyers and maximize valuation.Value creation demands foresight, and effective planning takes time. To compete in today’s M&A landscape, preparation must begin early. Getting your company ready for a transition needs to begin long before the actual transfer so that you have time to make growth investments, put strong management in place, enhance financial reporting and assemble a team of trusted advisors.What are buyers looking for?Whether you ultimately sell your company to a PE firm or a strategic buyer, there are certain fundamentals that make a business universally attractive to any buyer. Think of it as knowing how to improve company curb appeal.Among the most important is whether your company occupies a great market niche or has a unique capability that creates more value for customers and sets it apart from other companies in your industry. More specifically, has that differentiator translated into higher margins and higher rates of revenue growth relative to peer businesses?"Higher margins build a bigger moat around the business and generally reflects a better value proposition to customers that differentiates them from the competition," Audinelle says.Equally critical are your company’s current growth rate and future growth opportunities. "If GDP is growing at 3%, a business growing at a healthy 5% or 6% will be attractive, but a business growing at 10%+ will command a premium valuation," mentions Audinelle.Likewise, buyers will pay more for a company that has developed a new technology or is in a hot industry, with the expectation that the company will have above-average future growth. A business in a mature industry, where margins and growth are harder to achieve, will have a more challenging time creating high investor demand and justifying a premium valuation. Potential buyers will also closely compare the performance of your business with others in the same market.Consistent growth is also an extremely important attribute. "A potential buyer wants to see how your company performed in different economic conditions, especially during COVID-19 and the severe financial crisis of 2007 to 2009," says Audinelle. A company that has been managed very conservatively and doesn’t have impressive historical growth can, however, still be attractive to buyers who see an opportunity to take more risks and push the company to achieve greater growth. The key is communicating that there is a clear and actionable path for growth that can be achieved by the buyer.Beyond impressive margins and growth, different types of buyers have specific objectives for the companies they want to add to their portfolios. The strategic buyer wants to acquire companies that will enhance their existing businesses and expects to hold acquisitions for the long term. Strategic buyers will also focus on opportunities for revenue and cost synergies, while direct competitors have the added consideration of using acquisitions to grow market share.PE firms looking for platform or stand-alone acquisitions are looking for value in a business they believe they can augment over the next three to seven years before selling the company. Given the significant ongoing investment by PE across industries, there is also the "semi-strategic buyer," which is a PE-backed business that is looking to grow via acquisitions and is a hybrid of a strategic and purely financial buyer.How to prepare your business for saleHow can I make my company more appealing before putting it on the market? Depending on the time horizon for selling your company, taking these steps can enhance your business's curb appeal.1. Build a management team committed to business growthAll buyers value a strong management team that can keep the business ramping up after the deal closes, although this is even more important to a financial buyer. While a strategic buyer can and may sometimes prefer to have their own team integrate and run the acquired business, PE firms are not looking to run the business. Instead, they want to leverage an existing strong management team that can execute a business plan. PE firms often provide incentives to senior managers to keep them economically aligned with growing the business after the sale. It can be valuable to show potential buyers that you’ve already instilled that leadership culture in your company by transferring equity ownership to senior managers, which can include stock options, warrants or phantom stock. Family business owners getting close to retirement should focus on recruiting younger management talent and prepare them to run the business after it’s sold—classic succession planning. Companies that have a younger management team with deep experience in an industry and are hungry to grow the business will be the most attractive to PE buyers.“Many PE buyers will have a ‘rollover investment’ requirement, which asks sellers to reinvest a minimum of 10% and as much as 49% in the equity of the business," says Audinelle. "If the company does well, not only does the seller receive the initial proceeds from the sale but also a second bite of the apple when the company is sold in three to seven years. It is not unusual for the value of the rollover equity investment to be higher than the proceeds from the initial sale, and when you combine the two, the deal from the private equity firm can sometimes be more lucrative to the seller than a ‘one-and-done’ transaction from a strategic buyer."2. Optimize equipment, information systems and technologyYour company’s potential for earnings becomes less compelling if a buyer has to make a significant investment in the business, such as updating an ERP system post-closing. You don’t have to spend millions to install or expand automation technology right before you intend to sell the company. But you should invest enough in your business to achieve the company’s goals for the next two to three years and be able to document the returns of that investment, including labor costs, improving margins, productivity and volume output.3. Make decisions for the long termToo many business owners sabotage the value of their companies and their competitive edge by unnecessarily cutting costs before they intend to sell. "Don’t cut costs to inflate your profitability; buyers always see through that strategy," says Audinelle. "If investing in a piece of equipment or making a terrific hire is in the best interest of your business, then do it." Finding the right buyer for your company may take longer than you expect, and the shortcuts you take today can ultimately diminish the value of your company when buyers come calling.4. Diversify your customer baseIf most of your revenue comes from only a few customers, or if your customers constantly demand lower prices, it’s time to shore up your customer base. Buyers will discount a company that has customer concentration risk, given the negative impact if those customers leave or if they seek deep pricing discounts. Develop a strategy to achieve increased granularity in your customer base and end-market segments, and in doing so, the resilience and value of the business will increase.5. Get your financials in orderPotential buyers will want to review at least three years of detailed financial records, including your company’s assets and liabilities, profit and loss statements and cash-flow statements. "Having your financial statements reviewed by a reputable third-party accounting firm is not as strenuous or as costly as an audit, but it shows that there is a third party validating your financial reporting," says Audinelle.In addition to organizing your business finances, it’s important to consider a personal wealth plan. Work with your advisor to develop tax-efficient strategies to transfer ownership interests to shareholders, your heirs or charitable organizations in advance of a sale. "While you are in the middle of a sale, you don’t want to be thinking about how you are going to transfer the proceeds and whether you have the right trusts and other estate-planning vehicles in place," mentions Audinelle. Also, the IRS will value a deal when it starts, so it's better to set up tax-efficient structures at least one year in advance of a sale.6. Develop a growth road map and track your KPIsA growth road map can demonstrate to a potential buyer that the goals you set for your company are strategic, actionable and obtainable—and that they will translate into realistic growth for the company they are considering buying. Elements of this plan may include opportunities to expand product lines, enter new geographies or even make add-on acquisitions to accelerate growth. In conjunction with this road map, you should have a system to track the key performance indicators (KPIs) that show how well your company is achieving its short- and long-term goals and be able to readily produce the data for potential buyers.7. Entertain multiple suitorsIt’s not unusual for PE firms or other buyers to contact a business owner directly and make an offer. Some business owners may find it appealing to negotiate and accept that offer to save on advisor fees. However, dealing with a sole potential buyer is anything but a simple and quick transaction. When only one buyer is at the table, the business owner has much less leverage over the negotiation than when multiple firms are competing to acquire the business. In the absence of competing buyers, the due diligence process tends to drag on because there is no pressure to close the deal. Consequently, the owner and the management team are forced to devote too much time to the sale, causing the business to suffer. "If there are any blips in the business because the owner and management team are distracted, the buyer will use that opportunity to lower the purchase price," says Audinelle. "The biggest enemy of an M&A deal is the loss of the competitive tension that keeps buyers honest and moving quickly through the process."However, broadcasting that a business is up for sale to drum up interest among multiple potential buyers may risk creating turmoil among customers and employees, while creating an opportunity to be exploited by competitors. "An advisor can help quietly and confidentially identify and vet potential buyers without tipping your hand to competitors who could hurt your business if they got wind of a possible sale," says Audinelle. "And while that offer from an initial buyer may appear fair, you may be leaving better offers on the table if you don’t carefully open the process to other interested buyers."Selling a business is not something to go into lightly or without proper preparation. The owner is well advised not to try to go it alone and should instead build a team of advisors with expertise in wealth and estate planning, M&A, tax and legal. This team can augment the company’s internal resources and ensure a customized process focused on achieving the owner’s and management’s goals. The sooner an owner begins to tackle these considerations and engages a team of advisors, the higher the likelihood of a successful sale.This story was produced by Fifth Third and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Hantavirus countdown: U.S. cruise passengers settle in for 42 days of waiting The hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has potentially exposed passengers to a deadly disease. Most returning Americans are now housed in Nebraska. Some may be cleared to quarantine at home.
	Shakira returns to official World Cup song duty, this time with Burna Boy FIFA's official 2026 World Cup song is "Dai Dai" from Shakira and Burna Boy. There are a number of factors that shape which songs define a tournament — and endure beyond it.
	Amazon cuts the ribbon on its last mile facility in Davenport The Amazon distribution center employs about 400 people and opened in October.
	A new DNA profile of Ted Bundy could help solve these Utah cold cases A new DNA profile of Ted Bundy could help solve these Utah cold casesUtah has a new tool that could help solve several decades-old cold cases that investigators have long suspected were linked to infamous serial killer Ted Bundy.For each of those cases, DNA evidence largely collected in the 1970s has sat idle for decades. Much of it was degraded or mixed with DNA from multiple people, making it difficult to use, Amy Newman, the director of the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services, told The Salt Lake Tribune.State testing methods could only produce partial DNA profiles from the samples, which then weren’t strong enough to compare with the FBI’s national DNA database, called CODIS, she said.But that changed in 2023, when the state crime lab began using new genotyping technology that allowed investigators to reconstruct a full DNA profile capable of being entered into the FBI database, Newman said.From there, the DNA collected in Utah was finally compared to a complete DNA profile of Bundy in Florida.The result: Utah now has a full profile for Bundy, which can be used to compare against evidence from other cases.The breakthrough comes as investigators announced last week they closed a more than 50-year-old cold case involving the killing of Utah teen Laura Ann Aime, who was found dead in American Fork Canyon in 1974.The DNA profile for Bundy was pieced together from samples collected from Aime’s body at the time, Newman said.Now, it could help solve other killings long believed to be tied to Bundy but never definitively proven, said Detective Ben Pender, who leads the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office cold case unit.“Maybe even cases that we’re not aware of that are Bundy cases,” Pender added. “I think it is significant.”What cases could it help solve?Before Bundy was executed in Florida in 1989, he confessed to killing at least 30 young women, including eight in Utah. Some of their bodies have never been found.There are currently four known cold cases in Utah that Bundy is said to be involved in, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety’s cold case database and a department spokesperson.It’s not clear when Bundy first began killing, but by 1974, young women were disappearing in Washington state.Those cases were still unfolding when he moved to Salt Lake City that September, before investigators believe he went on to kill multiple women across Utah, Idaho, and Colorado.At the time that Aime was killed, Bundy was a law student at the University of Utah.Among the cases still under investigation in the killing of Nancy Wilcox, a 16-year-old cheerleader from Salt Lake County, is believed to be Bundy’s first Utah victim.She went missing in 1974, and Pender said her body was never found.Pender, who continues to investigate the case, said Bundy confessed to killing Wilcox, but investigators have never been able to independently confirm it.Bundy told authorities to search near Capitol Reef National Park, but those efforts came up empty, Pender said.He believes the confession may have been a ploy to delay Bundy’s execution in Florida — one reason he said a confession alone was never enough to close the case.Bundy also confessed to killing Susan Curtis, a 15-year-old who disappeared in 1975 while attending a youth conference at Brigham Young University in Provo, according to the state cold case database. Her body also was never found.Without physical evidence to compare against the new DNA profile, those cases can’t be resolved with the new tool. But it can help in others.Two more Utah cold cases believed to be tied to Bundy include the killing of Melissa Smith, who disappeared in October 1974 and was later found dead in Summit Park, and the killing of Deborah Smith, whose body was found near Salt Lake City International Airport in 1976, according to DPS spokesperson Stephanie Dinsmore.Though the Bundy profile is a milestone, Newman said the new technology could also help solve other cases not connected to the serial killer.There are 444 unsolved cases in the state, Dinsmore said, including 258 homicides, 146 missing persons, and 40 unidentified human remains, with more that may not be logged in the database.And while DNA can often help solve and prosecute crimes, it can also help clear those who were wrongly accused.“One of the cool things about DNA is it exonerates people as much as it might convict somebody,” Newman said. “DNA doesn’t have a side.”This story was produced by The Salt Lake Tribune and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Amazon marks milestone at Davenport delivery station Amazon celebrates a milestone at its Davenport delivery station, processing over 3 million packages since last fall with a team of 675 employees.
	How to lift cleavage naturally How to lift cleavage naturallyOne thing bodies are guaranteed to do is change, and it's completely normal to notice your breasts sitting a bit differently as you go through life. If you're in search of some easy, temporary hacks to help your chest achieve a more lifted appearance, you've come to the right place.Here, Honeylove shares three easy, quick fixes to help you lift your breasts naturally.Understanding Breast SaggingBreast tissue consists primarily of fat, glands, and ligaments called Cooper's ligaments that provide natural support. Unlike other body parts, breasts contain no muscle tissue, which means they respond differently to exercise and aging.Several factors influence breast position over time. Aging naturally decreases skin elasticity as collagen production slows down. Pregnancy and breastfeeding cause temporary enlargement followed by reduction. Weight fluctuations stretch skin that may not fully bounce back. Genetics plays a big role in determining breast composition and how they respond to gravity over time.Hormonal changes during menopause also affect breast tissue density and elasticity as estrogen levels decrease.This is all to say that the relaxation of your breast tissue is completely normal and can often be difficult to prevent. There is nothing wrong with your breasts, and there's nothing that needs to be fixed. However, if the position of your breasts is impacting your confidence or making it difficult to wear certain outfits, these hacks can be great to have on hand.Push-Up Bras for Extra LiftThe first way to get some lift is to pick the right bra style. A standard underwire bra is a great place to start, but if you really want some extra help, try a push-up bra. Push-up bras feature angled padding inside each cup, which pushes your breasts up and together.Though it might make intuitive sense to size down for extra lift or size up to accommodate the extra padding, you should always choose your regular size bra when shopping for push-up bra styles. This ensures your push-up bra will give you the perfect amount of lift without any cup spillage, gapping, or red marks.Breast Lifting Bra InsertsIf you don’t want to buy a new bra but you do want some instant lift, try a bra insert. These silicone inserts can be inserted into your bra similar to the way the pads sit in a push-up bra, except you have more control over exactly where you want to place them, which means you can position them exactly where you’re experiencing volume loss.The wonderful thing about inserts, as opposed to a padded bra, is that you have much more versatility. For example, if you have breast asymmetry and need more lift on one side, you can place the padding in one bra cup only. Additionally, you can add pads under tops and dresses that have compressive fabric or built-in bras for extra oomph.Boob TapeLast up, there’s boob tape. This is a great hack for when you’re wearing a low-cut top that exposes your cleavage, but the top doesn’t allow for a traditional bra.For a plunging neckline, you’ll want to lift the breasts into place and anchor the tape below each breast. Then, lift the tape and secure it at the shoulder. Keep adding layers until you feel like you have enough support, then repeat the process on the opposite side.Boob tape is like wearing a custom, internal bra. You get to decide exactly where you want to position your breasts based on the amount of lift you desire and the style of your clothing. While boob tape is a bit more labor intensive than the other two options and can require a bit of skill, it's easy to learn with practice and can help expand the number of clothing styles you feel comfortable wearing. Brides and wedding guests, this is an especially great hack for you.Looking to get the most out of your lift? Use a bra size calculator to find your exact bra size.This story was produced by Honeylove and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Measles found in Cass County; North Dakota passes 2025 total for infections One of the symptoms of measles is a red, blotchy rash. (iStock/Getty Images)State health officials on Friday confirmed the first case of the measles in Cass County in 2026 as North Dakota surpasses last year’s total for measles infections. North Dakota Health and Human Services said the person in Cass County, which includes Fargo, likely acquired the infection within the state. The agency is investigating the source of exposure, as the individual reported no recent out-of-state or international travel. North Dakota has had a total of 38 confirmed cases of measles this year through Friday and five people have been hospitalized. There were 36 measles cases in the state in 2025, which resulted in three hospitalizations. There have been confirmed cases in eight counties. People who think they have measles should call a healthcare provider before seeking treatment to avoid exposing others to measles, the health agency advises. People who are not vaccinated and are exposed to measles stay home and avoid public settings for 21 days after exposure. Measles spreads easily through the air and can remain in a room and on surfaces for up to two hours after a person who is contagious leaves, the agency said. Measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are available through most clinics. For families in need, the federally funded Vaccines for Children Program provides vaccines at no cost through participating providers. The United States has confirmed 1,893 cases in 2026, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Courtesy of North Dakota Monitor
	4 KWQC personalities win Locals Love Us awards Four TV6 personalities were honored with Locals Love Us awards, including Morgan Ottier, Erik Maitland, Sharon DeRycke, and Theresa Bryant.
	The Trump administration is planning a prayer event on the National Mall. All but one of the speakers is Christian The event comes as a new survey finds that many Americans aren't comfortable mixing religion and politics.
	I-280 ramp at US 61 blocked after crash A KWQC TV6 crew said cars are able to turn right not left at the I-280 exit.
	Harvey Weinstein's third sex crimes trial in New York ends in mistrial It was the second time in a year a jury was unable to reach a verdict on a rape charge brought by Jessica Mann.

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