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

Friday, January 16th, 2026
	Crews respond to fire in Moline Firefighters were fighting a fire at 4820 47th St. on Friday evening.
	Traffic Alert: Westbound I-80 on-ramp closed, detour in place A traffic alert for drivers on I-80 at the Middle Road Interchange.
	Remembering Quad Cities food celebrity Chef Stephanie Godke Stephanie Godke passed away of cancer on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
	A frigid holiday weekend in the Quad Cities With the long weekend right around the corner, we are getting ready for temperatures to drop quite heavily for the next few days. Temperatures on the thermometer throughout the weekend are going to be in the upper teens and mid 20s with even a chance of snow on Sunday. However along with the colder weather, [...]
	Students in Central Dewitt experience 'Future Ready Day' Students in Central Dewitt experienced 'Future Ready Day,' an event designed to show how classroom learning connects to life after graduation.
	QC chef, culinary instructor passes away A well-known Quad-Cities chef and culinary instructor has passed away. Stephanie Heiwig Godke, 75, died Wednesday, according to her obituary. For decades, "Chef Steph" appeared regularly on television and radio. She is listed as "Spirited Chef" (recipe creator) on the website for the Mississippi River Distilling Company, LeClaire, where she created recipes for more than [...]
	1-on-1 with ABC Political Director Averi Harper \| Iowa midterm elections analysis ABC Political Director Averi Harper spoke with Local 5's Joseph Holloway about the upcoming midterm elections and some key races in Iowa.
	Drive okay after semi-truck crashes, catches fire on I-80 The cause of the accident is still unknown, but the driver was not injured.
	Quad City Blues hockey team to 'Face Off Against Type 1 Diabetes' with annual charity game The Blues will take the ice on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Vibrant Arena to raise money for Breakthrough T1D Eastern Iowa and Matt's Diabetes Promise.
	Hy-Vee donates more than $18k to the River Bend Food Bank Hy-Vee donated over $18k of fundraising dollars to the River Bend Food Bank, providing money for about 92,000 meals.
	Previewing week 2 of The Score Basketball on WQAD! News 8's Kory Kuffler and Jenna Minor preview all the basketball action we'll see on both sides of the river on Friday night.
	Knox County opens warming centers The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather advisory for the region beginning Friday, Jan. 16. On Sunday, the wind chill will be -3 in the morning and again that night. On Monday morning, the wind chill will dip to -18, and the actual temperature will be -1. WARMING CENTERS GALESBURG KNOX COUNTY Visit [...]
	American farmers, who once fed the world, face a volatile global market with diminishing federal backing President Donald Trump appears to have upended an 85-year relationship between American farmers and the United States’ global exercise of power. But that link has been fraying since the end of the Cold War, and Trump’s moves are just another big step. During World War II, the U.S. government tied agriculture to foreign policy by using taxpayer dollars to buy food from American farmers and send it to hungry allies abroad. This agricultural diplomacy continued into the Cold War through programs such as the Marshall Plan to rebuild European agriculture, Food for Peace to send surplus U.S. food to hungry allies, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which aimed to make food aid and agricultural development permanent components of U.S. foreign policy. During that period, the United States also participated in multinational partnerships to set global production goals and trade guidelines to promote the international movement of food – including the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Wheat Agreement and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. When U.S. farmers faced labor shortfalls, the federal government created guest-worker programs that provided critical hands in the fields, most often from Mexico and the Caribbean. At the end of World War II, the U.S. government recognized that farmers could not just rely on domestic agricultural subsidies, including production limits, price supports and crop insurance, for prosperity. American farmers’ well-being instead depended on the rest of the world. Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development. His administration has also aggressively detained and deported suspected noncitizens living and working in the U.S., including farmworkers. And he has imposed tariffs that caused U.S. trading partners to retaliate, slashing international demand for U.S. agricultural products. Trump’s actions follow diplomatic and agricultural transformations that I research, and which began with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Feed the world, save the farm Even before the nation’s founding, farmers in what would become the United States staked their livelihood on international networks of labor, plants and animals, and trade. Cotton was the most prominent early example of these relationships, and by the 19th century wheat farmers depended on expanding transportation networks to move their goods within the country and overseas. Workers load cattle on a train for shipment to market in the late 19th century. Bettmann via Getty Images via The Conversation But fears that international trade could create economic uncertainty limited American farmers’ interest in overseas markets. The Great Depression in the 1930s reinforced skepticism of international markets, which many farmers and policymakers saw as the principal cause of the economic downturn. World War II forced them to change their view. The Lend-Lease Act, passed in March 1941, aimed to keep the United States out of the war by providing supplies, weapons and equipment to Britain and its allies. Importantly for farmers, the act created a surge in demand for food. And after Congress declared war in December 1941, the need to feed U.S. and allied troops abroad pushed demand for farm products ever higher. Food took on a significance beyond satisfying a wartime need: The Soviet Union, for example, made special requests for butter. U.S. soldiers wrote about the special bond created by seeing milk and eggs from a hometown dairy, and Europeans who received food under the Lend-Lease Act embraced large cans of condensed milk with sky-blue labels as if they were talismans. Crates of American hams, supplied through the Lend-Lease Act, are loaded on a ship bound for Britain in 1941. Bettmann via Getty Images via The Conversation Another war ends But despite their critical contribution to the war, American farmers worried that the familiar pattern of postwar recession would repeat once Germany and Japan had surrendered. Congress fulfilled farmers’ fears of an economic collapse by sharply reducing its food purchases as soon as the war ended in the summer of 1945. In 1946, Congress responded weakly to mounting overseas food needs. Bags of Marshall Plan flour wait in New York for shipment to Austria in 1948. Ann Ronan Picture Library/Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images via The Conversation More action waited until 1948, when Congress recognized communism’s growing appeal in Europe amid an underfunded postwar reconstruction effort. The Marshall Plan’s more robust promise of food and other resources was intended to counter Soviet influence. Sending American food overseas through postwar rehabilitation and development programs caused farm revenue to surge. It proved that foreign markets could create prosperity for American farmers, while food and agriculture’s importance to postwar reconstruction in Europe and Asia cemented their importance in U.S. foreign policy. Farmers in the modern world Farmers’ contribution to the Cold War shored up their cultural and political importance in a rapidly industrializing and urbanizing United States. The Midwestern farm became an aspirational symbol used by the State Department to encourage European refugees to emigrate to the U.S. after World War II. American farmers volunteered to be amateur diplomats, sharing methods and technologies with their agricultural counterparts around the world. By the 1950s, delegations of Soviet officials were traveling to the Midwest, including Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev’s excursion to Iowa in 1959. U.S. farmers reciprocated with tours of the Soviet Union. Young Americans who had grown up on farms moved abroad to live with host families, working their properties and informally sharing U.S. agricultural methods. Certain that their land and techniques were superior to those of their overseas peers, U.S. farmers felt obligated to share their wisdom with the rest of the world. The collapse of the Soviet Union undermined the central purpose for the United States’ agricultural diplomacy. But a growing global appetite for meat in the 1990s helped make up some of the difference. U.S. farmers shifted crops from wheat to corn and soybeans to feed growing numbers of livestock around the world. They used newly available genetically engineered seeds that promised unprecedented yields. Expecting these transformations to financially benefit American farmers and seeing little need to preserve Cold War-era international cooperation, the U.S. government changed its trade policy from collaborating on global trade to making it more of a competition. World leaders sign the Marrakesh Agreement, creating the World Trade Organization, in 1994. Jacques Langevin/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images via The Conversation The George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations crafted the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization to replace the general agreement on trade and tariffs. They assumed American farmers’ past preeminence would continue to increase farm revenues even as global economic forces shifted. But U.S. farmers have faced higher costs for seeds and fertilizer, as well as new international competitors such as Brazil. With a diminished competitive advantage and the loss of the Cold War’s cooperative infrastructure, U.S. farmers now face a more volatile global market that will likely require greater government support through subsidies rather than offering prosperity through commerce. That includes the Trump administration’s December 2025 announcement of a US$12 billion farmer bailout. As Trump’s trade wars continue, they show that the U.S. government is no longer fostering a global agricultural market in which U.S. farmers enjoy a trade advantage or government protection – even if they retain some cultural and political significance in the 21st century. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Peter Simons, Hamilton College Read more: Why 2026 could see the end of the Farm Bill era of American agriculture policy Trump’s tariff gambit: As allies prepare to strike back, a costly trade war looms Agriculture secretary oversees food production, rural life, and nutrition programs that help millions afford healthy diets Peter Simons does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
	Hy-Vee presents River Bend Food Bank with check for more than $18,000 The QCA raised thousands to help fight food insecurity in our area. Local Hy-Vee leaders presented the River Bend Food Bank with a check for more than $18,000. The money was raised through customer donations across eight Hy-Vee stores across the Quad Cities. The fundraising campaign ran in November as people struggled to access food [...]
	Quad City Blues hockey team to 'Face Off Against Type 1 Diabetes' with annual charity game The Blues will take the ice on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Vibrant Arena to raise money for Breakthrough T1D Eastern Iowa and Matt's Diabetes Promise.
	Warming shelters open in Clinton as dangerously cold temperatures approach Officials in Clinton County have activated their Extreme Temperature Plan due to the upcoming dangerously cold weather.
	'An impact all over the country': Quad-Cities students wrap trees for conservation project Rock Island and Riverdale students helped wrap trees, to be planted all across the United States.
	QC Farm Show returning for the 34th year The annual QC Farm Show returns for their 34th year at the QCCA Expo Center.
	Measles is spreading fast in S.C. Here's what it says about vaccine exemptions More than 550 people have contracted measles in Spartanburg County, S.C., in a fast-growing outbreak. Like a majority of U.S. counties, nonmedical exemptions to school vaccination are also rising.
	Iowa dairy farmers could benefit from new whole milk law As students get back the option for whole milk with their school lunches, experts say Iowa's dairy industry will reap the benefits.
	Illinois ‘Clean Slate’ law allows automatic sealing of nonviolent criminal records Illinois will begin a process to automatically seal criminal records for millions of adults in the state, after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the ‘Clean Slate’ Act on Friday.
	Special Weather Statement until FRI 5:30 PM CST Strong Winds and Falling Temperatures Expected This Afternoon
	For those with addiction, going into and coming out of prison can be a minefield. Many jails and prisons around the country don't provide medication treatment for opioid use disorder. Studies show that medication makes recovery more likely and reduces the risk of overdose death.
	Chicago Bears to face Los Angeles Rams on KWQC The game will be broadcast on KWQC 6.1 and Peacock, according to a post on X.
	Muscatine Police K9 Riki receives body armor donation The Muscatine Police Department has received a donation of body armor to protect its K9 Riki. A post on the department’s Facebook page says Riki has received a bullet and stab protective vest, courtesy of a donation from nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Riki’s vest was sponsored by Vested Interest in K9s, [...]
	Niabi Zoo receives $527,800 state grant for new outdoor amenities The grant was given to support new outdoor amenities to focus on education, exploration and family-friendly recreation, according to a news release.
	Moline seeks input to shape new environmental plan Moline is seeking resident input to help shape a new environmental plan. According to a release from the City of Moline, the Environmental Resiliency Plan (ERP) will help the city "identify environmental challenges and make data-driven decisions to protect Moline’s infrastructure and economy." Residents can participate in the following ways: “Moline is grounding our resiliency [...]
	One person is dead after two-vehicle crash in Whiteside County One person is dead after two-vehicle crash on Illinois Route 84 near Spring Valley Road.
	MAP: Will parts of Iowa see the Northern Lights this weekend? Millions of Americans will have a chance to view the Northern Lights on Friday and Saturday, according to an aurora forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
	Icestravaganza brings ice art and lights to downtown Davenport Icestravaganza kicks off Friday at the Freight House in Downtown Davenport, featuring more than 100 ice carvings, live demonstrations and interactive activities.
	Davenport's Freight House holds returning Icestravaganza Icestravaganza is returning to downtown Davenport's Freight House with Iowa theme.
	One dead, two seriously injured after crash in Whiteside County Thursday night The names of the victims have not yet been released.
	Bettendorf emergency responders called to early morning semi fire Officials were called around 1:40 Friday morning for a potential semi fire under the I-80 overpass.
	Whiteside County fatal crash under investigation One dead and two injured after two-vehicle crash on Illinois Route 84 near Spring Valley Road.
	Person killed, 2 others seriously injured after 2-car crash Two vehicles crashed about 9:21 p.m. Thursday on Illinois Route 84 near Spring Valley Road.
	Icestravaganza returns to Davenport at the Freight House Icestravaganza is returning to downtown Davenport's Freight House, featuring ice sculptures.
	4 Your Money \| Parking Spot, Not The Destination Last week we discussed money market funds and why cash tools have been so popular lately. David Nelson, CEO of NelsonCorp Wealth Management, elaborates more on real cash yields and explains why cash tools provide short-term stability but are not ideal for long-term investing.
	US auto manufacturing heads into 2026 with less margin for error US auto manufacturing heads into 2026 with less margin for errorU.S. auto manufacturing is entering 2026 leaner than it was a year ago and with less room for disruption.Federal labor data shows employment in motor vehicles and parts manufacturing fell by roughly 29,000 workers in 2025, even as production expectations largely held. The result is an industry operating with fewer people and less slack than in prior years.While payrolls shrank, the pace of work did not slow in the same way. Average weekly hours in auto manufacturing remained around 42.8 hours at the end of 2025, close to where they were a year earlier.Production data helps explain why. Federal Reserve figures show U.S. motor vehicle assemblies fluctuated through 2025 but did not collapse, staying broadly within the 9-10 million seasonally adjusted annual rate range. Industrial production for motor vehicles and parts also remained near long-term averages late in the year.In other words, the industry didn’t shed work. It shed buffer.When staffing levels thin without a corresponding slowdown in output, systems become more sensitive to disruption. With fewer people available, covering an absence or delay can mean reassigning tasks, leaning more heavily on overtime, or operating with less backup when something goes wrong. What might once have been a manageable hiccup can ripple more quickly through schedules.Manufacturing research consistently shows that unplanned absences and concentrated workloads increase operational strain, particularly in environments where staffing is already tight, which increases the risk of safety incidents, especially in automotive.TeamSense analyzed BLS data showing manufacturing absence rates averaging 2.8% over a 12-month period, with warehousing even higher at 3.4%, compounding the impact when there is little margin to absorb disruption.The employment decline itself reflects a mix of forces rather than a single shock. Automakers spent much of 2024 and 2025 recalibrating electric-vehicle plans as EV demand lagged earlier forecasts. Reuters reported that major manufacturers, including General Motors and Ford, delayed EV production ramps and reduced shifts at some facilities, with effects cascading through parts suppliers.At the same time, automation continued to advance. The International Federation of Robotics reported that robot installations in the U.S. automotive sector rose more than 10% in 2024. Together, these trends point to an industry that has become more efficient but also more exposed. With fewer workers available, the cost of disruption rises, and the room for error narrows.In practice, some manufacturers are already seeing how reducing last-minute absences can ease pressure on remaining teams.At automotive supplier Martinrea, human resources manager Shanna Wilson said attendance consistency had a measurable impact in a short period of time:“We’ve seen a huge reduction in our turnover because our biggest driver for turnover has been a no call, no show. In just 45 days, we’ve seen a 50% reduction in no-call, no-shows.”More broadly, employers facing leaner staffing are focusing less on pushing output higher and more on preventing disruption. Workforce management research highlights the importance of earlier visibility into absences, faster coverage decisions, and clearer communication with frontline employees to reduce last-minute gaps that strain teams and disrupt productivity. Others emphasize reducing no-call, no-show incidents and improving attendance consistency as ways to stabilize schedules without increasing hours or headcount.What to watch for in 2026With fewer workers and limited slack, auto manufacturing may be more sensitive to everyday disruptions in 2026. A single absence, delayed shipment, or production hiccup could carry more weight than it once did. How the industry responds may determine whether lean operations remain efficient or begin to feel fragile.This story was produced by TeamSense and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	A Republican-sponsored bill would take back $21B appropriated for broadband deployment A Republican-sponsored bill would take back $21B appropriated for broadband deploymentA bill filed in late November would claw back $21 billion allocated to state governments to address the digital divide, marking another moment in the debate over expanding broadband internet access in rural America.The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, would limit the scope of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. BEAD, created as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act under the Biden administration, is a $42.45 billion federal grant program aimed at connecting every American to high-speed internet.Of that $42.45 billion, about $21 billion is slotted for so-called nondeployment funds — essentially, anything other than infrastructure to expand internet access. Those other projects could include funding for permitting, telehealth, cybersecurity, preparedness for artificial intelligence, and more.Ernst’s bill would claw back those nondeployment dollars, angering critics and lawmakers across multiple states.In Missouri, Republican state Rep. Louis Riggs said BEAD funding, including the nondeployment dollars the bill would redirect to the federal government, was “intended to bridge the digital divide once and for all.”“You’re punishing people in rural America, again, for being rural,” Riggs said in an interview with the Daily Yonder.Ernst’s bill is co-cosponsored by Republican senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. It’s unclear whether the bill would find enough support in Congress to pass. Ernst has long been critical of the BEAD program, claiming the amount of money allocated hasn’t produced results.So far, the projects meant to be funded by BEAD haven’t broken ground. As of early December, 29 out of 56 states and territories have had their final proposals — their plans on how to deploy high-speed internet to unserved or underserved areas — approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. California is the only state with its final proposal for approval still outstanding, according to the NTIA’s BEAD dashboard.States have not yet received any of the BEAD money from the federal government to implement their plans.Ernst has called the program a “boondoggle,” saying in a letter last year, “It’s time to pull the plug.”Riggs, the state representative from Missouri, said states have been saddled with an immense amount of work to prepare for the money, making maps and plans that take time. They’ve had to do much of that work from the ground up, he said.“Taking a sledgehammer to it isn’t helpful,” Riggs said.Drew Garner, director of policy engagement for The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, said BEAD “has always been about more than infrastructure.” Expanding internet access is at its core, but the program also aimed to address things like workforce development, affordability of internet, broadband mapping, and helping community anchor institutions, among other things.“This would be a huge missed opportunity for virtually every state,” Garner said.The estimated amount of money at risk for each state ranges from $49 million in Illinois to $936 million in Virginia. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers from across the country have petitioned to receive their full allotment, including the nondeployment funds targeted by Ernst’s bill.“I hope we get our $1.2 billion,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia, said in September. “I’m going to hold the Trump administration’s feet to the fire that this is what we’ve been promised, this is what we should get.”Riggs likened the potential transformation that BEAD could facilitate to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, calling the closure of the digital divide an “existential issue.”“We’ll never see money like that again,” he said.This story was produced by The Daily Yonder and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	US auto manufacturing heads into 2026 with less margin for error US auto manufacturing heads into 2026 with less margin for errorU.S. auto manufacturing is entering 2026 leaner than it was a year ago and with less room for disruption.Federal labor data shows employment in motor vehicles and parts manufacturing fell by roughly 29,000 workers in 2025, even as production expectations largely held. The result is an industry operating with fewer people and less slack than in prior years.While payrolls shrank, the pace of work did not slow in the same way. Average weekly hours in auto manufacturing remained around 42.8 hours at the end of 2025, close to where they were a year earlier.Production data helps explain why. Federal Reserve figures show U.S. motor vehicle assemblies fluctuated through 2025 but did not collapse, staying broadly within the 9-10 million seasonally adjusted annual rate range. Industrial production for motor vehicles and parts also remained near long-term averages late in the year.In other words, the industry didn’t shed work. It shed buffer.When staffing levels thin without a corresponding slowdown in output, systems become more sensitive to disruption. With fewer people available, covering an absence or delay can mean reassigning tasks, leaning more heavily on overtime, or operating with less backup when something goes wrong. What might once have been a manageable hiccup can ripple more quickly through schedules.Manufacturing research consistently shows that unplanned absences and concentrated workloads increase operational strain, particularly in environments where staffing is already tight, which increases the risk of safety incidents, especially in automotive.TeamSense analyzed BLS data showing manufacturing absence rates averaging 2.8% over a 12-month period, with warehousing even higher at 3.4%, compounding the impact when there is little margin to absorb disruption.The employment decline itself reflects a mix of forces rather than a single shock. Automakers spent much of 2024 and 2025 recalibrating electric-vehicle plans as EV demand lagged earlier forecasts. Reuters reported that major manufacturers, including General Motors and Ford, delayed EV production ramps and reduced shifts at some facilities, with effects cascading through parts suppliers.At the same time, automation continued to advance. The International Federation of Robotics reported that robot installations in the U.S. automotive sector rose more than 10% in 2024. Together, these trends point to an industry that has become more efficient but also more exposed. With fewer workers available, the cost of disruption rises, and the room for error narrows.In practice, some manufacturers are already seeing how reducing last-minute absences can ease pressure on remaining teams.At automotive supplier Martinrea, human resources manager Shanna Wilson said attendance consistency had a measurable impact in a short period of time:“We’ve seen a huge reduction in our turnover because our biggest driver for turnover has been a no call, no show. In just 45 days, we’ve seen a 50% reduction in no-call, no-shows.”More broadly, employers facing leaner staffing are focusing less on pushing output higher and more on preventing disruption. Workforce management research highlights the importance of earlier visibility into absences, faster coverage decisions, and clearer communication with frontline employees to reduce last-minute gaps that strain teams and disrupt productivity. Others emphasize reducing no-call, no-show incidents and improving attendance consistency as ways to stabilize schedules without increasing hours or headcount.What to watch for in 2026With fewer workers and limited slack, auto manufacturing may be more sensitive to everyday disruptions in 2026. A single absence, delayed shipment, or production hiccup could carry more weight than it once did. How the industry responds may determine whether lean operations remain efficient or begin to feel fragile.This story was produced by TeamSense and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	No injuries reported in semi tractor trailer crash at I-80 and Middle Road in Bettendorf The Bettendorf Fire Department was dispatched at about 1:37 a.m., and found a semi tractor trailer underneath the westbound I-80 overpass with the tractor portion on fire.
	1 dead, 2 injured in Whiteside County crash One person is dead and two others seriously injured after a two-vehicle crash in Whiteside County last night, according to a news release from the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department. The Whiteside County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a two-vehicle crash on Illinois Route 84 near Spring Valley Road on January 15 [...]
	Semi-truck goes down embankment on I-80, catches fire A semi-truck driver went on a wild ride early this morning on Interstate 80 near Middle Road. A news release from the Bettendorf Fire Department says crews were dispatched to a reported motor vehicle accident and possible semi-truck fire in the area of Interstate 80 and Middle Road on January 16 at about 1:37 a.m. [...]
	Trump struck deals with 16 drug companies. But they're still raising prices this year All 16 drug companies that inked deals with the Trump administration over the past few months still raised some of their prices for 2026.
	Sugar starts corroding your teeth within seconds: Here’s how to protect your pearly whites from decay Sugar starts corroding your teeth within seconds: Here’s how to protect your pearly whites from decayWhile you’re likely aware that eating too much sugar can cause cavities — that is, damage to your teeth — you might be less familiar with how bacteria use those sugars to build a sticky film called plaque on your teeth as soon as you take that first sweet bite.Writing in The Conversation, University of Florida oral biology professors Jacqueline Abranches and José Lemos explain what happens in your mouth the moment sugar passes your lips — and how to protect your teeth.An acid plungeWithin seconds of your first bite or sip of something sugary, the bacteria that make the human mouth their home start using those dietary sugars to grow and multiply. In the process of converting those sugars into energy, these bacteria produce large quantities of acids. As a result, just a minute or two after consuming high-sugar foods or drinks, the acidity of your mouth increases to levels that can dissolve enamel — that is, the minerals making up the surface of your teeth.Luckily, saliva comes to the rescue before these acids can start corroding the surface of your teeth. It washes away excess sugars while also neutralizing the acids in your mouth.Your mouth is also home to other bacteria that compete with cavity-causing bacteria for resources and space, fighting them off and restoring the acidity of your mouth to levels that aren’t harmful to teeth.However, frequent consumption of sweets and sugary drinks can overfeed harmful bacteria in a way that neither saliva nor helpful bacteria can overcome.An assault on enamelCavity-causing bacteria also use dietary sugars to make a sticky layer called a biofilm that acts like a fortress attached to the teeth. Biofilms are very hard to remove without mechanical force, such as from routinely brushing your teeth or cleaning at the dentist’s office.In addition, biofilms impose a physical barrier that restricts what crosses their border, such that saliva can no longer do its job of neutralizing acid as well. To make matters worse, while cavity-causing bacteria are able to survive in these acidic conditions, the good bacteria fighting them cannot.In these protected fortresses, cavity-causing bacteria are able to continue multiplying, keeping the acidity level of the mouth elevated and leading to further loss of tooth minerals until a cavity becomes visible or painful.How to protect your (sweet) teethBefore eating your next sugary treat, there are a few measures you can take to help keep the cavity-forming bacteria at bay and your teeth safe.First, try to reduce the amount of sugar you eat and consume your sugary food or drink during a meal. This way, the increased saliva production that occurs while eating can help wash away sugars and neutralize acids in your mouth.In addition, avoid snacking on sweets and sugary drinks throughout the day, especially those containing table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Continually exposing your mouth to sugar will keep its acidity level higher for longer periods of time.Finally, remember to brush regularly to remove as much dental plaque as possible. Daily flossing also helps remove plaque from areas that your toothbrush cannot reach.This story was produced by The Conversation and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Sugar starts corroding your teeth within seconds: Here’s how to protect your pearly whites from decay Sugar starts corroding your teeth within seconds: Here’s how to protect your pearly whites from decayWhile you’re likely aware that eating too much sugar can cause cavities — that is, damage to your teeth — you might be less familiar with how bacteria use those sugars to build a sticky film called plaque on your teeth as soon as you take that first sweet bite.Writing in The Conversation, University of Florida oral biology professors Jacqueline Abranches and José Lemos explain what happens in your mouth the moment sugar passes your lips — and how to protect your teeth.An acid plungeWithin seconds of your first bite or sip of something sugary, the bacteria that make the human mouth their home start using those dietary sugars to grow and multiply. In the process of converting those sugars into energy, these bacteria produce large quantities of acids. As a result, just a minute or two after consuming high-sugar foods or drinks, the acidity of your mouth increases to levels that can dissolve enamel — that is, the minerals making up the surface of your teeth.Luckily, saliva comes to the rescue before these acids can start corroding the surface of your teeth. It washes away excess sugars while also neutralizing the acids in your mouth.Your mouth is also home to other bacteria that compete with cavity-causing bacteria for resources and space, fighting them off and restoring the acidity of your mouth to levels that aren’t harmful to teeth.However, frequent consumption of sweets and sugary drinks can overfeed harmful bacteria in a way that neither saliva nor helpful bacteria can overcome.An assault on enamelCavity-causing bacteria also use dietary sugars to make a sticky layer called a biofilm that acts like a fortress attached to the teeth. Biofilms are very hard to remove without mechanical force, such as from routinely brushing your teeth or cleaning at the dentist’s office.In addition, biofilms impose a physical barrier that restricts what crosses their border, such that saliva can no longer do its job of neutralizing acid as well. To make matters worse, while cavity-causing bacteria are able to survive in these acidic conditions, the good bacteria fighting them cannot.In these protected fortresses, cavity-causing bacteria are able to continue multiplying, keeping the acidity level of the mouth elevated and leading to further loss of tooth minerals until a cavity becomes visible or painful.How to protect your (sweet) teethBefore eating your next sugary treat, there are a few measures you can take to help keep the cavity-forming bacteria at bay and your teeth safe.First, try to reduce the amount of sugar you eat and consume your sugary food or drink during a meal. This way, the increased saliva production that occurs while eating can help wash away sugars and neutralize acids in your mouth.In addition, avoid snacking on sweets and sugary drinks throughout the day, especially those containing table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Continually exposing your mouth to sugar will keep its acidity level higher for longer periods of time.Finally, remember to brush regularly to remove as much dental plaque as possible. Daily flossing also helps remove plaque from areas that your toothbrush cannot reach.This story was produced by The Conversation and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	5 expert tips to help you be your own champion in 2026 (BPT) - Building good nutrition habits can be challenging at times, but if you're serious about showing up every day in 2026 with focus and energy, it's time to think about how your eating habits can support that goal.Take this new year as an opportunity to reset and fuel your body with wellness-boosting habits that help you feel your best, so you can do your best. To get you started, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner shares her simple, everyday tips to fuel like a champion all year long.Start your day with a balanced mealBefore you head out the door for a morning workout, a big meeting or to school drop off, make sure you've fueled up with a balanced breakfast. Consider having a meal that combines carbs, protein and a little healthy fat — such as toast with eggs and avocado or protein-packed pancakes — to help you show up strong and focused every day.Focus on protein and produce snacksWhen you need consistent energy throughout the day, a random snack won't do. Carefully choose snacks that combine protein and produce for an energizing boost between meals. Your snack doesn't have to be complicated. For example, a hard-cooked egg and apple slices are a perfect snack to get you through the afternoon rush.Prime your performanceWhether you're gearing up for a tough workout, leading an important presentation or diving into a high-focus project, the way you fuel your body beforehand can make all the difference. Enjoy a well-balanced meal two to three hours before the activity, or if you're short on time, opt for a lighter, nutrient-rich snack about 30-60 minutes in advance. Prioritize protein, complex carbs, and healthy fat to give your mind and muscles what they need to perform at their peak.Stay sharp with steady hydrationEven a 2% drop in hydration can mean slower thinking and sluggish muscles. Start your morning with a glass of water and keep a bottle nearby throughout the day to sip regularly. Boost hydration even further by pairing your water with hydrating, nutrient-dense foods like fresh fruit and leafy greens, which naturally contain water and essential electrolytes like potassium. Staying hydrated helps your body use nutrients more effectively and keeps you energized for whatever's ahead.Plan like a championTo work like a champion, you need to fuel like a champion. When life gets hectic, having nutritious meals and snacks prepped ahead of time can make all the difference in your daily energy.One superstar who knows how important it is to fuel up for success is 9-time gold medalist, world record holder and proud partner of Eggland's Best, Katie Ledecky. Her go-to energizing lunch is a protein-rich Eggland's Best egg dish paired with toast and fiber-rich veggies.If you want to fuel like a world-class swimmer, check out this recipe for Fitness Snack Packs. Created by Blatner, this simple snack box is perfect for any time hunger hits, so you can show up as your best self, whether you're chasing medals or just your daily to-do list.This snack uses Eggland's Best eggs because they contain more than double the Vitamin B12 compared to ordinary eggs, providing a natural energy boost. EB eggs also contain more than double the Omega-3s compared to ordinary eggs, which may help reduce muscle soreness and aid in recovery after strenuous exercise.Fitness Snack PacksPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 12 minutesYield: 4Ingredients• 8 Eggland's Best eggs, large• 2 cups fresh berries• 1 cup whole grain pretzels• 2 cheese sticks, cut into bite-size piecesInstructions1. In a medium pot, add water and bring to a boil.2. Reduce heat to a simmer, add eggs and simmer for 12 minutes.3. Drain the eggs, put them into an ice bath to stop the cooking and then peel.4. Line up four meal prep containers. To each add 2 hard-cooked eggs, 1/2 cup berries, 1/4 cup pretzels and 1/2 a cheese stick, cut into pieces.5. Store snack packs covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.Additional Notes:1. To save time, buy Eggland's Best hard-cooked eggs.2. Use your favorite berries or swap to 1 peeled clementine or mandarin orange.3. Swap pretzels with whole-grain crackers if you prefer.4. Use your favorite type of cheese stick, like mozzarella, cheddar or jack.Using these expert tips, you can get a great start on staying fueled and energized in 2026 and beyond. For more tips and recipes, visit EgglandsBest.com.Bonus Tip: Make sure to enter the "Eggland's Best Champion" Sweepstakes for a chance to win $5,000 toward fueling your inner champion, exclusive swag signed by Katie Ledecky and a 3-month supply of Eggland's Best eggs! Enter now daily through March 10 at EBFamilySweeps.com. No purchase necessary.
	Semi drives off I-80 east, catches fire after falling onto underpass Middle Road and I-80 westbound were shut down for a couple of hours but have reopened.
	Night to Shine in Rock Island seeks volunteers as guest spots reach capacity Night to Shine in Rock Island is fully booked for guests and urgently seeking volunteer buddies to ensure every attendee can enjoy the Feb. 13 prom‑style event at Heritage Church.
	3 Things to Know \| Quad Cities morning headlines for Jan. 16, 2026 Middle Road has reopened after a semi fell off the Interstate 80 overpass, and a Mercer County superintendent's case continues after a hearing on Thursday.
	AI tutors, with a little human help, offer ‘reliable’ instruction, study finds AI tutors, with a little human help, offer ‘reliable’ instruction, study findsAn AI-powered tutor, paired with a human helper and individual-level data on a student’s proficiency, can outperform a human alone, with near-flawless results, a new study suggests.The results could open a new front in the evolving discussion over how to use AI in schools — and how closely humans must watch it when it’s interacting with kids, The 74 reports.In a randomized controlled trial involving 165 British secondary school students, ages 13-15, the ed-tech startup Eedi.com put a small group of expert human tutors in charge of a large language model, or LLM, offered by Google’s LearnLM. As it tutored students on math problems via Eedi’s platform, it drafted replies when students needed help. Before the messages went out, the human tutors got a chance to revise each one to the point where they’d feel comfortable sending it themselves.Students didn’t know whether they were talking to a human or a chatbot, but they had longer conversations, on average, with the “supervised” AI/human combination than simply with a human tutor, said Bibi Groot, Eedi’s chief impact officer.In the end, students using the supervised AI tutor performed slightly better than those who chatted online via text with human tutors — they were able to solve new kinds of problems on subsequent topics successfully 66.2% of the time, compared to 60.7% with human tutors.The AI, researchers concluded, was “a reliable source” of instruction. Human tutors approved about three out of four drafted messages with few to no edits. Eedi Labs Students who got both human and AI tutoring were able to correct misconceptions and offer correct answers over 90% of the time, compared to just 65% of the time when they got a “static, pre-written” response to their questions.And the AI only “hallucinated,” or offered factual errors, 0.1% of the time — in 3,617 messages, that amounted to just five hallucinations. It didn’t produce any messages that gave the tutors pause over safety.The results suggest that “pedagogically fine-tuned” AI could play a role in delivering effective, individualized tutoring at scale, researchers said. Interestingly, students who received support from the AI were more likely to solve new kinds of problems on subsequent topics.The key to the AI’s success, said Groot, was that researchers gave it access to detailed, “extremely personalized” information about what topics students had covered over the previous 20 weeks. That included the topics they’d struggled with and those they’d mastered.“We know what topics they’re covering in the next 20 weeks — we know the curriculum. We know the other students in the classroom. We know whether they’re putting effort into their questions. We know whether they’re watching videos or not — we know so much about the student without passing any personally identifiable information to the AI.”That guided the AI’s strategy about whether students needed an extra push or just more support — something an “out-of-the-box, vanilla LLM” can’t do, she said.“They don’t know anything about what the teacher is teaching in the classroom,” Groot said. “They don’t know what misconceptions or what topics the students are struggling with and what they’ve already mastered, so they’re not able to dynamically change how they address the topic, as a human tutor would.”Human tutors, she said, generally have “a really good sense of where the student struggles, because they have some sort of ongoing relation with a student most of the time. An LLM tutor generally doesn’t.”All the same, even master tutors typically don’t go into a session knowing a student’s comprehensive history in a course, including their misconceptions about the material. “All of that is too much information for a human tutor to read up on and deal with while they’re having one conversation” with a student, Groot said.And they’re under pressure to respond quickly, “so that the student is not left waiting. And that’s quite an intensive experience for tutors that leads to a bit of cognitive overload,” she said. The AI doesn’t suffer from that. It needs less than a millisecond to read all of those contexts and come up with that first question.”Even with their personal connection to students, human tutors can’t be available 24/7. Groot said Eedi employs about 25 tutors across several time zones who are available to students from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, but to give students broader access would require hiring “an army of tutors,” she said.The new findings could encourage schools to use AI as a kind of “front line” tutor, with humans intervening when a student is “derailing the conversation, or they have such a persistent misconception that the AI can’t deal with it,” said Groot. “We think that would be an interesting way to collaborate between the AI and the human, because there is still a really important role for a human tutor. But our human tutors just cannot have conversations with thousands of students at once.”The new study, published on Nov. 25 on Eedi’s site and scheduled to appear in a peer-reviewed journal next year, differed in one important way from recent studies that looked at AI tutoring. Researchers at Stanford University in October 2024 examined AI-assisted human tutoring, in which tutors primarily drove the conversation. But in that case, the AI acted as a kind of assistant, providing suggestions behind the scenes. In the Eedi study, it was the other way around, with AI driving the conversation and humans overseeing it.Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at Arizona State University, said the study is important in and of itself, but also in the context of broader findings elsewhere suggesting that, with proper training and guidance, “AI can be an incredibly powerful tool — and certainly has a potential to take tutoring to scale in ways that we’ve never seen before.”Under controlled circumstances, she said, it’s also “outperforming humans — that’s really important.”Lake noted a June study from Harvard researchers that examined results from 194 undergraduates in a large physics class. They presented identical material in class and via an AI tutor and found that students learned “significantly more in less time” using the tutor. They also felt more engaged and motivated about the material.Liz Cohen, vice president of policy for 50CAN and author of the recent book “The Future of Tutoring: Lessons from 10,000 School District Tutoring Initiatives,” said the study provides “valuable evidence” about new kinds of tutoring.But one of its limitations, she said, is that it relied on 13-to-15-year-olds. “So immediately I have a lot of questions about if the findings are applicable for younger students, especially using a chat-based model,” which may not be a good one for such students.She also noted that there are many questions around student persistence with AI tutors, including what happens when students get frustrated or aren’t sufficiently engaged in the work?“I still mostly think that entirely AI tutoring programs are biased towards students who want to do the work or are interested in learning,” Cohen said, “and it’s pretty easy to see that students who aren’t bought in or are frustrated are going to give up more readily with an AI tutor.”She noted that her 12-year-old daughter has experienced problems persisting in an AI-powered math tutoring program. “She gets frustrated if she can’t get the answer and then she doesn’t want to do it anymore, so I think we need to figure out that piece of it.”This story was produced by The 74 and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	AI tutors, with a little human help, offer ‘reliable’ instruction, study finds AI tutors, with a little human help, offer ‘reliable’ instruction, study finds An AI-powered tutor, paired with a human helper and individual-level data on a student’s proficiency, can outperform a human alone, with near-flawless results, a new study suggests. The results could open a new front in the evolving discussion over how to use AI in schools — and how closely humans must watch it when it’s interacting with kids, The 74 reports. In a randomized controlled trial involving 165 British secondary school students, ages 13-15, the ed-tech startup Eedi.com put a small group of expert human tutors in charge of a large language model, or LLM, offered by Google’s LearnLM. As it tutored students on math problems via Eedi’s platform, it drafted replies when students needed help. Before the messages went out, the human tutors got a chance to revise each one to the point where they’d feel comfortable sending it themselves. Students didn’t know whether they were talking to a human or a chatbot, but they had longer conversations, on average, with the “supervised” AI/human combination than simply with a human tutor, said Bibi Groot, Eedi’s chief impact officer. In the end, students using the supervised AI tutor performed slightly better than those who chatted online via text with human tutors — they were able to solve new kinds of problems on subsequent topics successfully 66.2% of the time, compared to 60.7% with human tutors. The AI, researchers concluded, was “a reliable source” of instruction. Human tutors approved about three out of four drafted messages with few to no edits. Eedi Labs Students who got both human and AI tutoring were able to correct misconceptions and offer correct answers over 90% of the time, compared to just 65% of the time when they got a “static, pre-written” response to their questions. And the AI only “hallucinated,” or offered factual errors, 0.1% of the time — in 3,617 messages, that amounted to just five hallucinations. It didn’t produce any messages that gave the tutors pause over safety. The results suggest that “pedagogically fine-tuned” AI could play a role in delivering effective, individualized tutoring at scale, researchers said. Interestingly, students who received support from the AI were more likely to solve new kinds of problems on subsequent topics. The key to the AI’s success, said Groot, was that researchers gave it access to detailed, “extremely personalized” information about what topics students had covered over the previous 20 weeks. That included the topics they’d struggled with and those they’d mastered. “We know what topics they’re covering in the next 20 weeks — we know the curriculum. We know the other students in the classroom. We know whether they’re putting effort into their questions. We know whether they’re watching videos or not — we know so much about the student without passing any personally identifiable information to the AI.” That guided the AI’s strategy about whether students needed an extra push or just more support — something an “out-of-the-box, vanilla LLM” can’t do, she said. “They don’t know anything about what the teacher is teaching in the classroom,” Groot said. “They don’t know what misconceptions or what topics the students are struggling with and what they’ve already mastered, so they’re not able to dynamically change how they address the topic, as a human tutor would.” Human tutors, she said, generally have “a really good sense of where the student struggles, because they have some sort of ongoing relation with a student most of the time. An LLM tutor generally doesn’t.” All the same, even master tutors typically don’t go into a session knowing a student’s comprehensive history in a course, including their misconceptions about the material. “All of that is too much information for a human tutor to read up on and deal with while they’re having one conversation” with a student, Groot said. And they’re under pressure to respond quickly, “so that the student is not left waiting. And that’s quite an intensive experience for tutors that leads to a bit of cognitive overload,” she said. The AI doesn’t suffer from that. It needs less than a millisecond to read all of those contexts and come up with that first question.” Even with their personal connection to students, human tutors can’t be available 24/7. Groot said Eedi employs about 25 tutors across several time zones who are available to students from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, but to give students broader access would require hiring “an army of tutors,” she said. The new findings could encourage schools to use AI as a kind of “front line” tutor, with humans intervening when a student is “derailing the conversation, or they have such a persistent misconception that the AI can’t deal with it,” said Groot. “We think that would be an interesting way to collaborate between the AI and the human, because there is still a really important role for a human tutor. But our human tutors just cannot have conversations with thousands of students at once.” The new study, published on Nov. 25 on Eedi’s site and scheduled to appear in a peer-reviewed journal next year, differed in one important way from recent studies that looked at AI tutoring. Researchers at Stanford University in October 2024 examined AI-assisted human tutoring, in which tutors primarily drove the conversation. But in that case, the AI acted as a kind of assistant, providing suggestions behind the scenes. In the Eedi study, it was the other way around, with AI driving the conversation and humans overseeing it. Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at Arizona State University, said the study is important in and of itself, but also in the context of broader findings elsewhere suggesting that, with proper training and guidance, “AI can be an incredibly powerful tool — and certainly has a potential to take tutoring to scale in ways that we’ve never seen before.” Under controlled circumstances, she said, it’s also “outperforming humans — that’s really important.” Lake noted a June study from Harvard researchers that examined results from 194 undergraduates in a large physics class. They presented identical material in class and via an AI tutor and found that students learned “significantly more in less time” using the tutor. They also felt more engaged and motivated about the material. Liz Cohen, vice president of policy for 50CAN and author of the recent book “The Future of Tutoring: Lessons from 10,000 School District Tutoring Initiatives,” said the study provides “valuable evidence” about new kinds of tutoring. But one of its limitations, she said, is that it relied on 13-to-15-year-olds. “So immediately I have a lot of questions about if the findings are applicable for younger students, especially using a chat-based model,” which may not be a good one for such students. She also noted that there are many questions around student persistence with AI tutors, including what happens when students get frustrated or aren’t sufficiently engaged in the work? “I still mostly think that entirely AI tutoring programs are biased towards students who want to do the work or are interested in learning,” Cohen said, “and it’s pretty easy to see that students who aren’t bought in or are frustrated are going to give up more readily with an AI tutor.” She noted that her 12-year-old daughter has experienced problems persisting in an AI-powered math tutoring program. “She gets frustrated if she can’t get the answer and then she doesn’t want to do it anymore, so I think we need to figure out that piece of it.” This story was produced by The 74 and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Bitterly cold weekend ahead with a sprinkling of snow Two waves of snow moved through the Quad Cities overnight and this morning. More snow showers are possible later today. While it'll be mild today in the 30s to near 40°, it turns much colder this weekend into early next week. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	The pirouette to the street: The rise of the ballet sneaker The pirouette to the street: The rise of the ballet sneakerIn the world of footwear, the pendulum of style rarely rests in the middle. After years of dominance by “maximalist” chunky soles and tech-heavy silhouettes, 2025 marked a sharp pivot toward the dance floor. Enter the ballet sneaker—a hybrid “sneakerina” that blends the athletic DNA of a trainer with the grace of a dance slipper.What began as a niche “balletcore” aesthetic has transformed into a dominant market force. According to Google Trends, the shift has been quantifiable: Search interest for “ballet sneakers” saw a 211% increase between the start of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.This momentum reached its highest points during the spring season and again during Black Friday sales. Sneakers.com examines the rising trend of ballet sneakers.The Anatomy of the SneakerinaThe trend is defined by a move toward a low-profile, grounded aesthetic. The substantial, multi-layered midsoles that dominated the last decade are being replaced by streamlined, ultra-slim outsoles, often wrapping up the heel in a nod to both martial arts and heritage-driving shoes. The slim suede trend rose during the holiday gifting period as shoppers looked for premium, textured versions of these minimalist shapes. Here are some key characteristics.Elasticated Straps: replacing or complementing traditional laces for a secure, slip-on feel.Ribbon Lacing: often extending up the ankle to mimic traditional dance attire.Satin and Mesh: utilizing lightweight materials that prioritize breathability and a soft, slipper-like texture.Almond Toes: a softer, more tapered alternative to the aggressive, rounded toe-boxes of standard performance trainers.The Silhouettes Defining the Trend1. The Martial Arts Influence: adidas Taekwondo and Taekwondo MeiThe adidas Taekwondo and its lace-up sister, the Taekwondo Mei, were the catalysts for this movement. Originally designed for precision on the mat, their glove-like fit and slip-on nature made them the ultimate “off-duty dancer” shoe.2. The Split-Toe Pioneer: Nike Air Rift and Air Rift BalletThe Nike Air Rift has long been the “if you know, you know” choice for avant-garde fans. Its split-toe “tabi” design and minimal strap system naturally align with the ballet aesthetic. In early 2026, Nike leaned further into this with the Air Rift Ballet, which strips away the chunky outdoor sole in favor of a flat, flexible bottom—adding satin-finished straps that mimic a dancer's ribbons.3. The Motorsport Pivot: Puma Speedcat and Speedcat BalletThe Puma Speedcat originally found fame in the world of F1 driving, but its thin, flexible sole made it the perfect candidate for a ballet makeover. The Puma Speedcat Ballet merged these worlds, adding dainty satin finishes and softer lines to a shoe once meant for the pedal.4. The Designer Collaboration: Salomon RX Marie-JeanneProving that “gorpcore” can be “coquette,” the Salomon RX Marie-Jeanne (often seen in collaboration with Sandy Liang) took the tech-heavy outdoor brand and stripped it down. Featuring a Mary Jane strap and a technical mesh upper, it remains one of the hardest-to-get silhouettes in this category.5. The Hybrid Icon: adidas Samba JaneBuilding on the momentum of the world's most popular sneakers, the Samba Jane replaces the traditional lacing system of the Samba with a buckle strap. It offers the familiarity of the Samba's “T-toe” design with the unmistakable shape of a classic Mary Jane flat.6. High-Fashion Entrants: Nike x KNWLS Air Max MuseNike officially entered the “high-fashion ballet” space through a collaboration with London label KNWLS. The Air Max Muse Ballet has a high-pointed toe and ribbon-style lacing that wraps around the upper, blending the bulk of an Air Max unit with the delicacy of a stage slipper.2026 Predictions: What’s Next for the ‘Sneakerina’?As the trend matures, 2026 is seeing a shift toward “performance-ballet” hybrids and high-fashion luxury takes.The Jordan Pointe: Unveiled in early January 2026, Jordan Brand is officially entering the space with the Jordan Pointe (IB8597-400). This silhouette marks a radical departure for the Jumpman, using a sculpted, arched midsole designed to echo the posture of a dancer en pointe. The standout feature is a modular lacing system with wide, blue satin ribbons designed to wrap around the ankle. These sneakers will debut in a “Hyper Royal” colorway this April.The Return of the Ribbon: Expect to see the DIY “ribbon swap” trend become a standard feature on retail releases. More models will have hidden eyestays specifically made for ankle-wrapping ribbons, allowing for a customizable level of “balletcore.”Why the Trend is StayingThe longevity of the ballet sneaker lies in its versatility. It offers a unique middle ground for consumers—providing a silhouette that is refined enough to pair with dresses or tailoring, yet functional enough for the rigors of a daily city commute. As we move through 2026, expect to see more brands experiment with “wedge” variations and technical materials like waterproof GORE-TEX in these slimline shapes to increase their year-round utility.This story was produced by Sneakers.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The pirouette to the street: The rise of the ballet sneaker The pirouette to the street: The rise of the ballet sneakerIn the world of footwear, the pendulum of style rarely rests in the middle. After years of dominance by “maximalist” chunky soles and tech-heavy silhouettes, 2025 marked a sharp pivot toward the dance floor. Enter the ballet sneaker—a hybrid “sneakerina” that blends the athletic DNA of a trainer with the grace of a dance slipper.What began as a niche “balletcore” aesthetic has transformed into a dominant market force. According to Google Trends, the shift has been quantifiable: Search interest for “ballet sneakers” saw a 211% increase between the start of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.This momentum reached its highest points during the spring season and again during Black Friday sales. Sneakers.com examines the rising trend of ballet sneakers.The Anatomy of the SneakerinaThe trend is defined by a move toward a low-profile, grounded aesthetic. The substantial, multi-layered midsoles that dominated the last decade are being replaced by streamlined, ultra-slim outsoles, often wrapping up the heel in a nod to both martial arts and heritage-driving shoes. The slim suede trend rose during the holiday gifting period as shoppers looked for premium, textured versions of these minimalist shapes. Here are some key characteristics.Elasticated Straps: replacing or complementing traditional laces for a secure, slip-on feel.Ribbon Lacing: often extending up the ankle to mimic traditional dance attire.Satin and Mesh: utilizing lightweight materials that prioritize breathability and a soft, slipper-like texture.Almond Toes: a softer, more tapered alternative to the aggressive, rounded toe-boxes of standard performance trainers.The Silhouettes Defining the Trend1. The Martial Arts Influence: adidas Taekwondo and Taekwondo MeiThe adidas Taekwondo and its lace-up sister, the Taekwondo Mei, were the catalysts for this movement. Originally designed for precision on the mat, their glove-like fit and slip-on nature made them the ultimate “off-duty dancer” shoe.2. The Split-Toe Pioneer: Nike Air Rift and Air Rift BalletThe Nike Air Rift has long been the “if you know, you know” choice for avant-garde fans. Its split-toe “tabi” design and minimal strap system naturally align with the ballet aesthetic. In early 2026, Nike leaned further into this with the Air Rift Ballet, which strips away the chunky outdoor sole in favor of a flat, flexible bottom—adding satin-finished straps that mimic a dancer's ribbons.3. The Motorsport Pivot: Puma Speedcat and Speedcat BalletThe Puma Speedcat originally found fame in the world of F1 driving, but its thin, flexible sole made it the perfect candidate for a ballet makeover. The Puma Speedcat Ballet merged these worlds, adding dainty satin finishes and softer lines to a shoe once meant for the pedal.4. The Designer Collaboration: Salomon RX Marie-JeanneProving that “gorpcore” can be “coquette,” the Salomon RX Marie-Jeanne (often seen in collaboration with Sandy Liang) took the tech-heavy outdoor brand and stripped it down. Featuring a Mary Jane strap and a technical mesh upper, it remains one of the hardest-to-get silhouettes in this category.5. The Hybrid Icon: adidas Samba JaneBuilding on the momentum of the world's most popular sneakers, the Samba Jane replaces the traditional lacing system of the Samba with a buckle strap. It offers the familiarity of the Samba's “T-toe” design with the unmistakable shape of a classic Mary Jane flat.6. High-Fashion Entrants: Nike x KNWLS Air Max MuseNike officially entered the “high-fashion ballet” space through a collaboration with London label KNWLS. The Air Max Muse Ballet has a high-pointed toe and ribbon-style lacing that wraps around the upper, blending the bulk of an Air Max unit with the delicacy of a stage slipper.2026 Predictions: What’s Next for the ‘Sneakerina’?As the trend matures, 2026 is seeing a shift toward “performance-ballet” hybrids and high-fashion luxury takes.The Jordan Pointe: Unveiled in early January 2026, Jordan Brand is officially entering the space with the Jordan Pointe (IB8597-400). This silhouette marks a radical departure for the Jumpman, using a sculpted, arched midsole designed to echo the posture of a dancer en pointe. The standout feature is a modular lacing system with wide, blue satin ribbons designed to wrap around the ankle. These sneakers will debut in a “Hyper Royal” colorway this April.The Return of the Ribbon: Expect to see the DIY “ribbon swap” trend become a standard feature on retail releases. More models will have hidden eyestays specifically made for ankle-wrapping ribbons, allowing for a customizable level of “balletcore.”Why the Trend is StayingThe longevity of the ballet sneaker lies in its versatility. It offers a unique middle ground for consumers—providing a silhouette that is refined enough to pair with dresses or tailoring, yet functional enough for the rigors of a daily city commute. As we move through 2026, expect to see more brands experiment with “wedge” variations and technical materials like waterproof GORE-TEX in these slimline shapes to increase their year-round utility.This story was produced by Sneakers.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How does mold remediation work in a residential property? How does mold remediation work in a residential property?Mold may be microscopically small, but its impact on your home and health can be monumental.Often prevalent in hard-to-see places and damp areas of your house, mold can spread quickly once it takes hold. After you have identified a mold infestation in your home, you must take the necessary steps to remove it, treat the affected surfaces and prevent it from returning. One of the best ways to do this is through a process called mold remediation.This guide by Rhode Island Restoration provides an in-depth look at what you need to know about the mold remediation process, including the steps involved when hiring a specialist.What Is Mold?Mold is a microorganism and type of fungus that can spread easily in moist conditions and grows primarily on organic materials, such as wood, food and paper.Mold grows when microscopic particles or spores land on moist organic materials, germinate and grow into multicellular structures called hyphae and mycelia.In natural environments, mold plays an important role in the ecosystem, breaking down dead organic matter and returning essential nutrients to the soil. Some types of mold are even used in the production of certain foods, such as cheese and soy sauce, to create distinctive flavors. When present in buildings and homes, however, this natural decomposer poses a threat to structural integrity and health.How to Identify Mold in Your Home Rhode Island Restoration It is important to recognize the signs of mold in order to catch the infestation quickly and prevent it from escalating.You can identify mold in your home in a few different ways:Visual signs: These include material discoloration, stains, water damage, condensation, fuzzy spots of color and peeling wallpaper or paint.Smell: Mold tends to have a musty or earthy odor, which can help you identify it before you can see it.Allergic reactions: If someone in your household is persistently sneezing, coughing or suffering from other allergy symptoms with no apparent cause, mold could be the culprit.Dampness: If any surfaces feel damp, such as flooring, walls, cabinetry or upholstery, your home’s humidity levels are likely high enough to encourage mold growth.If you suspect your home might have a mold infestation, there are some common mold-prone places you can check:Areas with high moisture: Closely inspect your bathrooms, sinks and basements, as well as spaces around sinks or pipework.Beneath or behind surfaces: Mold often grows in hidden spots, such as underneath carpets, behind curtains, below bath mats and behind wallpaper.What Is Mold Remediation?Mold remediation is a comprehensive restoration process that involves identifying the mold’s source, removing it and taking steps to prevent it from recurring.This extensive process includes multiple steps, including mold assessment, isolation, removal and abatement. Remediation does more than eliminate the presence of mold — it helps you identify the cause of mold growth and understand the measures required to ensure it does not come back once removed.Generally, mold remediation must be completed by certified, licensed and experienced professionals, usually a restoration or remediation company. For affected areas that exceed 10 square feet, it is challenging to treat and contain mold contamination without specialized equipment and experience. Additionally, most insurance companies do not cover DIY remediation — in order to benefit from qualifying coverage, you need to enlist the support of professional contractors.Why Is Mold Remediation Important?Residential mold remediation is a crucial process if your home has a mold infestation. Many types of mold and exposure to their spores can cause damage to both your health and the structural integrity, safety and appearance of your home.To reduce the risks posed to your health and home, mold must be effectively eliminated from your house and prevented from recurring.What Are the Health Effects of Mold Exposure?Depending on the type of mold, the severity of its growth and the health of the individuals involved, mold can cause a wide range of health issues, ranging from mild to potentially life-threatening.The related health effects can be separated by mold type — allergenic, pathogenic and toxigenic molds.AllergenicAllergenic molds are the most common type of mold. They primarily affect those who are immunocompromised, have existing allergies or suffer from asthma.Examples of allergenic molds are:PenicilliumCladosporiumAlternariaHealth issues associated with allergenic molds include:Typical allergy symptoms: These include itchy or watery eyes, sneezing and a runny or stuffy nose.Worsening of asthma symptoms: Exposure to mold spores can increase shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing and wheezing.General discomfort: Common general symptoms include fatigue and headaches.PathogenicPathogenic molds can cause more serious health issues for humans, even for individuals in perfectly good health.Examples of pathogenic molds are:Cryptococcus neoformansSome species of AspergillusHistoplasma capsulatumHealth issues associated with pathogenic molds include:Infections: Types of infections include fungal and lung infections, ranging from mild to severe.Diseases: Exposure to pathogenic molds can lead to chronic lung conditions, like bronchitis and pneumonia.General issues: Pathogenic molds can cause fatigue and malaise, both of which can impact an individual’s day-to-day life.ToxigenicToxigenic mold is the most dangerous type because it can create by-products called mycotoxins, which can trigger a toxic response in animals and humans alike.Examples of toxigenic molds are:FusariumStachybotrys chartarum, commonly referred to as black moldHealth issues associated with toxigenic molds range from mild to life-threatening, and include:Respiratory issues: These range from shortness of breath and coughing to severe lung damage.Neurological problems: Mycotoxins can cause headaches, dizziness, memory loss and more extreme neurological disorders.Irritation: Areas of possible irritation include the skin and eyes.Immune system suppression: Exposure to toxigenic molds can weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to illness.Other issues: More general health issues include nausea, vomiting and fatigue.The Mold Remediation Process Rhode Island Restoration There are multiple stages involved in the mold remediation process, each with a specific purpose and an important part to play in ensuring your personal safety and that of your home.Inspection and AssessmentThe initial phase of the mold remediation process has three distinct goals — identify the type of mold, establish its source and understand the severity and extent of mold growth.There are multiple processes involved in this first phase:Visual inspection: Your chosen contractor will complete a visual inspection of your home to locate any visible signs of mold, excess moisture and water damage.Moisture detection: Remediation experts use specialized tools, like moisture meters, to check the moisture content in walls, floors and other materials, even if they appear dry on the surface.Air quality testing: In extreme cases, or if an individual has certain health concerns, your contractor will measure the air quality and determine the airborne mold spore count.At this stage, it is important to start documenting every step of the process and ensure you have contacted your insurance company to claim qualifying coverage.IsolationThe second phase of the mold remediation process is all about controlling the spread of spores during their removal. When the removal process begins, the mold infestation will be disturbed, which risks more spores being released into the air. Containing the affected area is crucial to ensuring nearby spaces do not become contaminated during the next phases of remediation.Isolating the affected areas of your home includes the following steps:Use a HEPA-filtered negative air machine: This specialized device uses a fan to pull the air from the affected area or room and redirect it outside the property, using tubing or ducts. This helps initiate the removal of mold spores from the air, and will likely remain in situ until the end of the remediation process.Install physical barriers: Generally made from heavy plastic, physical barriers must be used to isolate the affected area from the rest of the house. This includes covering and sealing all doorways, HVAC systems, electrical outlets and light fixtures to prevent the spread of mold spores.Once these steps have been completed, the isolated area should have negative air pressure. This means that the air pressure within the isolated area is lower than that of the surrounding spaces, and any new airborne particles can be easily controlled and redirected.Removal and CleaningDuring this key stage of the remediation process, all affected materials are removed or thoroughly cleaned to eliminate as much mold as possible.The processes involved in this stage include:Removal of all necessary materials: The materials that will need to be removed are primarily porous materials, as mold embeds deeply under their surfaces and is incredibly difficult to eradicate completely. Common porous materials include drywall, insulation, carpets, upholstered furniture, tiled ceilings and other fabrics, such as curtains.Deep cleaning remaining surfaces: Many affected hard and nonporous materials may not have to be discarded. After being HEPA vacuumed, surfaces will be scrubbed and cleaned using specialized antimicrobial solutions, biocides, fungicides and more, until they are as mold-free as possible.Antimicrobial coating: To complete the cleaning process, contractors usually cover all freshly cleaned surfaces with an antimicrobial agent or cleaner to seal them and prevent future mold contamination.Air PurificationOnce all surfaces have had time to dry after the cleaning stage, the contractor will likely swap out your HEPA-filtered negative air machines for one or multiple HEPA-filtered air scrubbers.HEPA-filtered air scrubbers draw air from the contaminated area, pull it through a filter and recycle it. They release the filtered air back into the space and repeat the process until as many of the mold spores as possible are trapped in the filter.This process can take anywhere from 24 hours to several days, depending on the size of the affected area and the extent of contamination.Post-Remediation InspectionA post-remediation inspection is vital to ensure the process has been successful and prevent mold from returning after remediation. Usually, this inspection is carried out by an independent mold inspector with no financial affiliation to the contractor or team that completed the remediation.The inspection can be split into three stages:Visual inspection: The inspector will visually assess the treated area to determine whether any visible signs of mold or water damage remain.Moisture content assessment: This step is crucial, as it ensures the area and salvaged materials are adequately dry to prevent the future formation of mold or recurrence of the infestation.Air sampling: The inspector will compare the air within the affected area to the air outside the building, using samples that have been taken at the same time. These air samples determine whether the airborne mold spore count in the affected area has been decreased enough to meet clearance standards.If the post-remediation inspector is happy with the results of all three assessments, the mold remediation process is considered complete, and the affected area is deemed safe to reconstruct or move back into.ReconstructionOnce you have clearance from mold remediation experts and the inspector, you can begin the reconstruction process.Reconstructing your home after a mold infestation requires careful planning, and involves:Obtaining a professional assessment: Before starting reconstruction, consult with a structural engineer or professional reconstruction contractor to ensure you understand the scale of the required work, and that your reconstruction meets safety standards and building regulations.Applying for permits: Building permits may be required for larger projects that involve major repairs or work on the building’s structure.Using high-quality materials: Although the remediation process will limit any chances of recurrence, it is advisable to opt for nonporous and mold-resistant materials where possible.Reinforcing structures: The mold infestation and remediation processes may have weakened the structural integrity of certain areas, and it is vital to reinforce these structures to improve the safety of your home.Updating insulation: Insulation may have been removed or damaged and should be replaced with mold-resistant insulation materials.Reducing humidity: Reducing the humidity in your home to 30%-60% can decrease mold growth. You can do this by installing dehumidifiers, seeking dehumidification services, using exhaust fans when cooking or redirecting ventilation systems to the outside.Improving ventilation: If any HVAC systems were affected, or if the mold was partly affected by a lack of ventilation, improve your home’s ventilation to reduce the risk of infestation recurrence.Redecorating: All replaced walls and ceilings will require some finishing touches to make sure they match the aesthetic of the surrounding areas.Protect Your Home and Household With Mold RemediationMold infestations can be detrimental to your home and health, and without proper remediation, the problem is likely to worsen and recur. While your mold problem may not seem serious, not all mold is visible, and most insurance companies do not cover DIY mold remediation attempts.Mold remediation is the most effective way to eliminate mold from your home and prevent it from returning. It involves thorough removal and cleaning processes, and incorporates preventive measures that enable you and your family to feel safe in your home once the remediation is complete.This story was produced by Rhode Island Restoration and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Crews fight semi-truck fire under I-80 overpass Middle Road and I-80 westbound were shut down for a couple of hours but have reopened.
	The weight of winter: 5 tips for dealing with wet, heavy snow The weight of winter: 5 tips for dealing with wet, heavy snowDespite the disputed (and largely refuted) notion that the Inuit people of Alaska have dozens of different words for the white stuff that falls from the sky when moisture freezes, if you live in the northern U.S. you know there really isn’t just one kind of snow. There’s the powdery variety, which skiers and snowboarders love. Toward the end of winter, you get that gray, slushy mess that’s no one’s favorite. And then, occasionally, there’s wet, heavy snow that’s great for building snowmen — but bad for backs and building.According to the Weather Channel, this last type of snow is so heavy because it has a low snow-to-liquid ratio — meaning that there’s a lot of water compared to the volume of snow. It usually forms during early- or late-winter storms when the temperatures are warmer as the snow falls, allowing flakes to melt. This makes it the perfect consistency for packing snowballs. But if you’re trying to remove that wet, heavy snow from your roof or driveway, it can quickly become troublesome.HomeServe shares a few tips and tricks to keep in your back pocket this winter:Shovel SafelyYou may not think of shoveling as a strenuous activity, but it can be. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the hard work of scraping and throwing snow can put some individuals at risk for a heart attack. It can also aggravate or produce lower back pain. Plus, there’s always the risk of slips and falls.Because wet snow is so heavy, you have to exert even more force while shoveling. To avoid injury, the Cleveland Clinic recommends taking frequent breaks, working with others and staying hydrated while you shovel.Choose the Right SnowblowerThe name “snowblower” implies that the device can easily manipulate snow. But wet snow is hard to move — even for a piece of machinery. Landscaping-tool reviewers advise clearing the snow as soon as it falls, lubing the chute where the snow shoots out of the machine with silicone spray or ski wax, and working slowly. However, the most important thing is having the right kind of snowblower.With single-stage snowblowers, the auger both picks up and expels the snow. For that reason, they’re best for shallow snowfalls and lighter types of snow. A two-stage snowblower is going to be a better buy if you often have to remove deep or heavy snow. This style has an auger that pulls snow up and an impeller that throws snow off to the side.Look Out for IceAccording to AccuWeather, wet snow — due to its high water content — is also likely to accumulate an ice layer underneath. So, in addition to shoveling or blowing snow off your driveway, you might also need to de-ice. Sprinkle kitty litter, sand, salt or a store-bought ice melt on areas where you drive or walk.Remember Your RoofYour roof is strong, but it’s only designed to hold so much weight. The New Jersey Roofing Network says most roofs can hold 20 pounds per square foot of snow before they become stressed. Your roof may be able to handle up to four feet of the light, powdery variety. But because wet snow is so much heavier — by roughly three times — your roof may experience stress under one to two feet of snow. Signs of an overloaded roof include creaking and cracking sounds, warping and water stains on the ceiling.Avoid climbing up on the roof, where it may be slippery. Instead, use a roof rake to clear as much snow as you can.If it’s really coming down out there, you may also want to keep an eye on your deck. Most decks can withstand about 40 to 60 pounds of snow per square foot, depending on the building codes in your area.Prep for Power OutagesHeavy snow can accumulate on all kinds of surfaces. Trees may bend or break under the weight, taking out power lines if they fall. In this case, you may be without power until the line can be repaired. Ideally, you would have prepared for an outage before the storm starts, but here are a few things you can do if the lights are already out:Make sure you have an adequate supply of food and water for you and your family for several days.Keep your pipes from freezing by insulating or circulating warm air around them. Make sure you know where your water shutoff valve is so you can turn off the water supply if your pipes do freeze.If you have a generator, now’s the time to turn it on. Keep your major appliances running and heat sources on.No generator? Use an indoor propane heater or wood stove to keep warm. Avoid opening doors and windows to keep the heat locked in.This story was produced by HomeServe and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Resignations, hirings from United Township School District in January See the following personnel items are from the Jan. 12 agenda of the United Township Board of Education in East Moline.
	Cook review: 'Charlie the Wonderdog' is super fun for families "Charlie the Wonderdog" is super fun for kids and their families ... especially if that family includes a dog. This is the tale of a boy, Danny, and his dog, Charlie (voice of Owen Wilson,) a golden retriever. Charlie starts out as an ordinary pup - a darling doggo with an extremely boop-able nose. The [...]
	Why Contracts Should Be a Company’s #1 Focus in 2026 (BPT) - Personal New Year's resolutions usually come with gym membership and ambitious habits. For companies, they show up in spreadsheets, a mix of optimism, logic and recalculated risk. As 2026 approaches, one critical business workflow deserves more attention than annual forecasts usually give it.Contracts.Contracts are a medium of trust between a company and its key stakeholders, representing the business' risk, revenue and reputation. This means managing them is as important as it is complex. In technical terms, contract lifecycle management (CLM) governs how every commercial agreement is created, negotiated, signed, tracked and fulfilled.However, managing contracts from start to finish is a time-consuming and complex process, if not managed properly.According to the report, "The Race is On: Navigating Uncertainty Through CCM Resilience" by World Commerce & Contracting (WorldCC) in collaboration with Sirion, a leader in the CLM space, and produced by the Commerce & Contract Management Institute (CCM Institute), 70%-80% of organizations lack clear accountability for the quality and integrity of the contracting process. Without clear accountability or ownership of the contracting process, enterprises leave themselves vulnerable to risk, compromising transparency and ultimately trust.Future-focused enterprises that are seeking to upgrade their existing CLM platforms and keep pace with a changing industry in 2026 would do well to embrace intelligent contracting run by next-generation technology: Agentic AI.The Gap in Enterprise ContractingCLM was meant to bring structure to commercial agreements. Instead, it became a process where teams endured long approval cycles, scattered ownership, repetitive redlining and more routing than reasoning.While many companies know that contract management is a critical aspect of business success, there is a significant gap between knowing and doing. The Sirion-WCC research also highlights that even though 88% of executives understand that Contract and Commercial Management (CCM) excellence matters, it's often deferred because of its complexity. These aren't edge cases. This is the baseline experience of global contracting.AI automation has helped contracts move along, but it has not always helped the documents get sharper. That's because the real bottleneck in contracting isn't motion — it's in output quality.Output is where intelligent contracting powered by governed, agentic AI really shines. This isn't simply AI that drafts. It's an agent that, through the clauses, maps them to policy, and explains the risk like a reviewer would, minus the swivel-chair chaos.Sirion's founder and CEO Ajay Agrawal brings home the point. "Most of what is sold today as 'AI for contracts' still starts and ends with a text generator." He adds, "It can draft, summarize or spot keywords, but it doesn't reason. It can't tell you why a clause is risky, or how that risk maps to a company's playbook."Knowing how to spot risks is critical when contracts and clauses are at play, especially when external factors, like mergers and acquisitions or political forces such as tariffs, create an impact on agreements across the globe.To truly lead a business into the future, the need of the hour is AI that is trained by lawyers and engineers to understand an enterprise's needs; helping with better reasoning and working with higher efficiency and accuracy, where every clause, negotiation and decision can be traced, explained and trusted.The Future of Contracting Is Not Just Autonomous. It's Accountable. Accountability is the name of the game for contract management in 2026. CLM platforms must deliver more than just contracting efficiency solely based on saving time through automation. Governable AI for CLM must offer risk management and ownership over the contracting process.For enterprises seeking to improve their contracting, their CLM resolutions list would look similar to these goals below:1. Set a real target to shorten contract timelines without increasing rework.2. Evaluate AI by the quality of its logic, not just speed.3. Lock core risk positions into governed playbooks.4. Surface revenue, compliance and clause collisions before negotiation begins.5. Shift to issue-based review, not serial document edits.6. Create one place for commitments across legal, procurement, sales and finance.7. Ensure that every change has a reasoning and playbook reference.8. Prioritize CLM platforms that pause when confidence is low.9. Make contracts a common, enterprise-wide language for risk and revenue.10. Track defensibility and insight, not just completion."2026 will be the year enterprises start asking harder questions, primary among them, 'Can I trust this AI to act on my behalf?' The answer will not come from bigger models or faster demos, but from systems that know their limits," said Agrawal. "Governed agents will become the standard layer between human judgment and machine action: They'll understand policy, explain every recommendation and decline to operate when the data isn't defensible."To learn more about agentic AI's potential for CLM in 2026, visit Sirion.AI.
	WQUD Vintage Radio celebrates 10 years on the air The station focuses on "the way radio used to be," with a lineup of live DJs and community connection.
	Bettendorf officials shut down portions of Middle Road, Interstate 80 for semi crash Video was captured by a nearby resident around 2 a.m. showing the truck in flames. First responders had the roadway blocked for a short time to remove the semi.
	When Every Ounce Matters: Baby Blake's Journey to Health (BPT) - Laura and her husband thought they were prepared for parenthood. She was a nurse; he was a former nuclear engineer turned financial advisor. They were eagerly anticipating the arrival of their daughter Blake, but nothing could have prepared them for what happened when Laura went into labor about four months early at just 24 weeks.Blake arrived weighing only 1 pound, immediately requiring intensive medical support in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Like many families facing premature birth, Laura and her husband found themselves navigating a world of medical decisions they never imagined having to make.In the early weeks, Blake seemed to be improving. She was receiving Laura's breastmilk supplemented with what the hospital called "human milk fortifiers" — although Laura would later learn these fortifiers were actually made from cow milk, not human milk.When everything changedAt about six weeks, Blake's condition took a frightening turn. Her belly became round and stiff, and she stopped having bowel movements. When Laura and her husband arrived at the hospital the next morning, the care team delivered devastating news: Blake had developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially fatal intestinal disease.That diagnosis marked the beginning of the most challenging period of their NICU journey. Blake faced three surgeries for her NEC, each performed at her bedside because she wasn't stable enough to be moved to an operating room.Despite her nursing background, Laura found herself overwhelmed and helpless, so she focused on how to best advocate for her baby.Learning about better nutrition optionsAs Blake recovered from her multiple surgeries and the care team began discussing nutrition again, Laura did her own research. She discovered that there are two very different types of fortifiers available for premature babies: one made from cow milk, and one made from breastmilk.Laura learned that most products labeled "human milk fortifiers" are made from cow milk and that in the U.S., only Prolacta Bioscience made fortifiers from 100% donor breastmilk. For fragile preemies like Blake, this difference mattered significantly. Studies show that preemies receiving breastmilk-based fortifiers have a significantly lower risk of developing NEC compared to those fed cow milk-based products.Fighting for changeWhen Laura brought up breastmilk-based fortifiers with Blake's care team, she was told the hospital didn't carry them. Laura recalled the hospital's first concern was cost, but she pushed back: "What about the chances of her getting a cow milk-based fortifier and having a recurrence of NEC? Where does cost factor in for that?"Laura continued to advocate firmly for her daughter, until both a neonatologist and dietitian successfully pushed the hospital for the products. This ultimately made Blake the hospital's first preemie to receive breastmilk-based fortifiers. Since her complicated journey with NEC, the hospital changed its standard feeding protocol so that any preemie at risk of NEC receives human milk-based nutrition free from cow milk.Finding hope in darkness"I had zero hope," Laura shared, recalling the darkest days in the NICU. "However, even when she couldn't tolerate breastmilk or formula, just knowing that a breastmilk-based fortifier was another option was a light that hadn't been there before."Imagine the relief and joy felt by Blake's parents when she was finally able to go home after 127 days in the NICU! Her story demonstrates the power of parental advocacy and the importance of having access to optimal nutrition options for premature babies.Hospitals nationwide can order Prolacta's breastmilk-based fortifiers for overnight delivery, even if they don't routinely offer them. When your little one is fighting to grow strong enough to go home, every nutritional decision matters. Educational resources are available to help support parents. Knowing your options helps ensure your baby gets the nutrition they need to grow strong and thrive.Any views, opinions, findings, assertions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are solely those of the individual. The content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice.
	Musco Sports Center in Muscatine launches new website Features include real-time scheduling and online registration for leagues, tournaments and sports camps.
	This hospice has a bold new mission: saving lives A hospice in Uganda asked itself: Can we do more than ease the pain of dying? Can we actually prevent deaths from cervical and breast cancer?
	2025 sees eight homes built in Geneseo; North State Street project timeline moved up Building inspector Rick Mills brings an annual report on construction in Geneseo to the city council every January.
	“Dry Homes for Warm Hearts” to gift free basement waterproofing to a local community hero The community can submit nominations from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28.
	East Moline landfill introduces natural gas converter, turning methane into useable fuel The new facility is expected to avoid more than 27,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions each year.
	Woman enters into plea agreement in Scott County court in child sex abuse case She pleaded guilty to three counts of child endangerment during a hearing this week in Scott County District Court.
	Rock Island County Forest Preserve awarded $200,000 Illinois Bicycle Path Grant The Rock Island County Forest Preserve District has been awarded a $200,000 Illinois Bicycle Path Grant to continue much-needed improvements to the Great River Trail, a heavily used and scenic corridor along Route 84 that connects communities, natural areas and destinations throughout the region, according to a news release. The grant is a 50/50 matching [...]
	Scott, Muscatine county GOPs to hold gubernatorial poll at February caucuses Scott and Muscatine County Republicans can hear from GOP candidates for governor in Eldridge on Jan. 22 and can express their preference Feb. 2 ahead of the June primary.
	Canada agrees to cut tariff on Chinese EVs in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products Breaking with the United States, Canada has agreed to cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday.
	See ‘Voices of Light' at the Burlington Capitol Theater Burlington Civic Music and the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra will be joining together to present "Voices of Light" at 7p.m. Saturday, February 7th. It will be at the Burlington Capitol Theater, 211 N 3rd St, Burlington. The performance will pair the 1928 silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" with a live performance of [...]
	Brown vs. the Sheriff This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.In 1837, a party of some twenty emigrants arrived in the small community of Bellevue, Iowa, county seat of newly formed…
	What do eggs, Grok and Greenland have in common? They're all quiz-worthy! Are you? See if you can get a perfect score for once.
	'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' is 'Game of Thrones' for the haters There are no dragons, no maps and no internecine family trees in this Game of Thrones prequel about an underdog knight and his would-be squire.
	House Republicans are investigating Jan. 6. NPR fact-checked the first hearing A Republican-led congressional subcommittee is leading a new investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Do their claims add up?
	A South Korean court sentences Yoon to 5 years in prison on charges related to martial law decree A South Korean court has sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison, the first verdict in eight criminal trials for allegations that include his 2024 martial law decree.
	Diet supplement powder sold in Iowa and Illinois recalled for salmonella: CDC An FDA investigation is continuing and additional products could be contaminated, the agency said.
	Nationwide chocolate recall expands to include more bars that could be contaminated A nationwide recall of chocolate has expanded to include eight products that may be contaminated with salmonella.
	Venezuela's Machado says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump during their meeting Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday even as he has questioned her credibility to take over her country after the U.S. ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.
Thursday, January 15th, 2026
	Phone scammers impersonate Scott County Sheriff’s Office Local law enforcement has seen an uptick in these scams in Scott County impersonating law enforcement.
	SouthPark Mall owners miss nearly $400,000 in property tax payments The Rock Island County Treasurer says SouthPark Mall’s owner missed four tax payments in 2025. Buyers stepped in to cover the debt, but the future remains uncertain.
	WQUD Vintage Radio celebrates 10 years on the air The station focuses on "the way radio used to be," with a lineup of live DJs and community connection.
	SouthPark Mall owners miss nearly $400,000 in property tax payments The Rock Island County Treasurer says SouthPark Mall’s owner missed four tax payments in 2025. Buyers stepped in to cover the debt, but the future remains uncertain.
	Federal spending bill includes $33M for western Illinois infrastructure The legislation allocates $33 million for water, sewer and river infrastructure to Illinois' 17th Congressional District.
	Scott County MEDIC ambulances will have new colors The Scott County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday night to change the county's ambulance design from white to yellow. Another change will be to the logo. The MEDIC ambulances now will have the words "MEDIC Scott County" on them. The new design will be phased in over time. The new design will replace the [...]
	How new USPS policies may affect Illinois mail-in voting County clerks from across Illinois are warning voters about changes to mailing in ballots for upcoming elections. The concerned clerks say new U.S. Postal Service policies could lead to ballots being postmarked later than expected, which could impact whether votes are counted or not. County clerks raised their concerns at a conference in East Peoria. [...]
	QCA Dave & Buster's opens January 19 After the weekend, Davenport will have its newest restaurant/bar/arcade. Dave & Buster's is set to host its grand opening on Monday, January 19. Their arrival was first talked about in September 2024, when Dave & Buster's applied for a liquor license in Davenport. Now the opening is just days away at their location on Elmore [...]
	Traffic Alert: I-80 West reopens near West Branch area I-80 West has reopened after being blocked near the West Branch area Thursday night.
	Traffic Alert: I-80 West blocked near West Branch area I-80 West is blocked near the West Branch area Thursday night.
	Galva faces millions in lost state funding, delays projects as staffing shrinks Galva has lost more than $2 million in state funding since 2012, forcing staff reductions through attrition and delaying projects, city leaders say.
	‘This is just not how you treat a child,’ Doctor sounds off on Mary Davis Home The Mary Davis Home faces harsh criticism for an expert for confinement and mental health practices that he believes could send kids don't a path they won't recover from.
	Police: Reward for unsolved suspicious death increases to $5,000 Rock Island Police said on April 29, 2015, Sam Davis was found dead in the river along the bike path. His bike was also found.
	Winters could be cut in half if current warming trends continue Climate experts from the University of New Hampshire say from the 1960s through the 1980s, winters typically lasted about four months. They say if current trends continue, future winters could be cut in half.
	Illinois wage inequities improve slightly, persist despite transparency efforts: report A 2021 amendment to the Equal Pay Act mandates certain Illinois businesses to report biannual wage and demographic data to the Department of Labor.
	Blue Grass man charged with trying to hypnotize, entice minors enters into plea agreement A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 11.
	Special Weather Statement until THU 10:00 PM CST Light Snow Leading to Slick Roads This Evening
	Galva faces millions in lost state funding, delays projects as staffing shrinks Galva has lost more than $2 million in state funding since 2012, forcing staff reductions through attrition and delaying projects, city leaders say.

Friday, January 16th, 2026

Thursday, January 15th, 2026