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

Saturday, July 4th, 2026
	Black Box Theatre, Moline, to present 'Grandma Gatewod Took a Walk' premiere The Black Box Theatre once again brings a premiere to the Quad Cities are with "Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk," a news release says. Written by Catherine Bush, it's the true story of Emma Gatewood. In 1955 at the age of 67. Emma Gatewood told her children she was “going for a walk” and set out [...]
	Third round of John Deere Classic kicks off The John Deere Classic enters it’s third round Saturday.
	Kiwanis summer flea market scheduled for Rock Island County Fairgrounds The Kiwanis Club of East Moline-Silvis will hold its summer flea market from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday, July 26, at Rock Island County Fairgrounds, 4200 Archer Drive, East Moline, a news release says. Donation is $3 at the gate. Proceeds will benefit the Children’s Therapy Center, Quad Cities food pantries, scholarships, UTHS Sports, [...]
	Special Weather Statement until SAT 6:15 AM CDT Strong Thunderstorms Bringing Gusty Winds and Localized Flooding Early Morning
	The Green Tree Hotel This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.It may have been the oldest hotel in North America. Unlike most hotels, it improved with age. For Upper Mississippi…
	'Cautiously optimistic': Swing voters describe their view of America at 250 As America turns 250, voters from our Swing Shift project talk about the state of the country. Their views ranged from "uncertain" and "concerned" to "excited" and "cautiously optimistic."
	Cape Verde's historic World Cup ride ends after pushing Argentina to the brink Cape Verde didn't win a match at the World Cup, and somehow, that didn't seem to matter. The African team's debut on this stage was unforgettable.
	Iran begins dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran began a dayslong funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of the war. He was 86.
Friday, July 3rd, 2026
	Reflections on America's 250th birthday NPR member station reporters across the U.S. asked people how they are thinking about their country on its semiquincentennial.
	Over 6,900 without power in Quad Cities More than 6,900 people are without power in the Quad Cities Friday night.
	Red, White and Boom! postponed due to weather concerns A new date for the fireworks show will be announced in the future.
	Lucas Glover builds a 2 stroke lead at JDC after bogey free first half of tournament Lucas Glover kept another clean card by holing a 12-foot par putt on his final hole for a 6-under 65 to take a two-shot lead Friday in the John Deere Classic.
	More than 9,000 people without power around the Quad Cities According to MidAmerican Energy, about 3,700 people have lost power on the Iowa side, along with another 4,100 in Illinois.
	Flash Flood Warning until FRI 10:45 PM CDT Flash Flood Warning in Effect Until 10:45 PM CDT for Central Scott and East Central Rock Island Counties
	Flash flooding impacts roads across Quad Cities Roads across the Quad Cities have been impacted by flash flooding Friday night.
	QCAIR packs supplies for Venezuelan earthquake victims Quad-City residents are stepping up to help survivors of twin earthquakes in Venezuela on June 24. Volunteers with The Quad Cities Alliance for Immigrants & Refugees (QCAIR) are packing up supplies including medical supplies, clothes, canned food, body bags, masks and gloves. The supplies will be taken to Chicago on Saturday, loaded onto a plane [...]
	Red, White and Boom cancelled, new date to be announced The fireworks will be rescheduled and a new date will be announced later.
	Over 6,800 without power in Quad Cities More than 6,800 people are without power in the Quad Cities Friday night.
	Lucas Glover builds a 2 stroke lead at JDC after bogey free first half of tournament Lucas Glover kept another clean card by holing a 12-foot par putt on his final hole for a 6-under 65 to take a two-shot lead Friday in the John Deere Classic.
	New PGA Tour format may change path for John Deere Classic golfers Senior golf insider, George McNeilly, joined News 8 to discuss the new 2-tiered system the PGA will start implementing in 2028 and its impact on the JDC field.
	Lucas Glover builds 2-shot lead at John Deere Classic Lucas Glover kept another clean card by holing a 12-foot par putt on his final hole for a 6-under 65 to take a two-shot lead Friday in the John Deere Classic. Glover started on No. 10 in the afternoon and did most of his damage of the back nine with five birdies, though equally important [...]
	Special Weather Statement until FRI 9:00 PM CDT Strong Thunderstorms Bringing Gusty Winds and Minor Flooding Until 9 PM CDT
	Severe Thunderstorm Warning until FRI 8:30 PM CDT Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Expect Strong Winds and Heavy Rain Until 8:30 PM CDT
	Red, White & Boom! postponed to Saturday due to weather The bistate fireworks show will take place on Saturday, July 4, at 9:30 p.m.
	Folds of Honor and lots of red, white and blue: How the JDC is celebrating the 4th The John Deere Classic and the Fourth of July go together like ketchup on a cheeseburger. It's a perfect match. This year is no different. In fact, there's a little more to celebrate with America's 250th birthday. "250 years is a long time and we're still here," said a golf fan at the John Deere [...]
	Whitey’s serves up exclusive John Deere Classic chipper at TPC Deere Run Only 700 of the lime and lemon chippers were made, and you can only get them at at this year's tournament.
	Red, White and Boom postponed Officials said the fireworks have been postponed until 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
	Special Weather Statement until FRI 8:00 PM CDT Strong Thunderstorms Bringing Gusty Winds and Localized Flooding This Evening
	AAA offering Tow to Go this holiday weekend The AAA Tow to Go program is available in Iowa from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday, according to a media release.
	Severe T'Storm Watch issued for Quad Cities during Red, White and Boom The National Weather Service has now issued a Severe T'Storm Watch for the Quad Cities and surrounding areas until 2 a.m. Strong winds are possible with storms this evening as they roll through the area from West to East.
	From concerts to the Savannah Bananas, John Deere Classic embracing new attractions JDC Tournament Director Andrew Lehman explains what it takes to bring new events and performers to the Classic, including securing the Savannah Bananas.
	Galva FFA seniors create lasting projects for school and community Two Galva High School seniors used FFA grants to create projects that continue to serve their school and community after the school year has ended.
	Four years of Folds of Honor Friday at the JDC The John Deere Classic and Folds of Honor have hosted Folds of Honor Friday at the tournament since 2023, an annual event aimed at raising scholarship funds for military and first responder families.
	2026 John Deere Classic: Heading out to Concerts on the Course this weekend? Here's what you need to know Country music artist Carrie Underwood and the band Old Dominion will play at TPC Deere Run once the final putt drops Saturday and Sunday.
	Keeping animals safe this Fourth of July. Here’s what you need to know Experts at Kings Harvest Rescue offer tips on how to keep pets safe during the 4th of July weekend.
	What's the economic impact of the John Deere Classic? Dave Herrell with Visit Quad Cities stopped by The Current to share the numbers behind one of our community's biggest events.
	Ulysses S. Grant Home reflects storied past of Galena Ulysses S. Grant wasn't born in Illinois. He was a native Ohioan, but his brief time in Galena meant a lot to many of its citizens. The Ulysses S. Grant Home, a home of his, lies in Galena, serving now as a museum. "The house itself was built in 1860, and the house was built [...]
	T'storm chances increasing for Red, White and Boom We're dealing with the chance for showers and storms late tonight and Saturday...and there's now a chance we have some storms forming around the Quad cities during Red, White and Boom Friday night! The chance for rain during the show is 30 to 40%! It'll be warm and muggy when you're watching the show, if [...]
	Our QC Crime Watch: Jury finds QC man guilty of murder in two deaths: Episode 71 Watch crime reporters Linda Cook and Sharon Wren talk about crime and courts in our area with the latest episode of the Our Quad Cities Crime Watch Podcast. In this episode Linda and Sharon discuss: updates on: To view, click the video above or watch on-the-go on Spotify. The QC Crime Watch Podcast \| Pod
	Exploring John Deere's connection to the JDC For nearly 30 years, Deere and Company has been the the title sponsor of the JDC.
	Toddler dies from injuries after I-80 rollover crash A 23-month-old toddler has died from their injuries after a rollover crash on I-80 Saturday, June 27.
	Longtime John Deere Classic volunteer helps media members and caddies get to TPC Deere Run Kathy "Mother" Quinn has worked for 11 years at the John Deere Classic.
	Check out big rigs and more at the Walcott Truckers Jamboree Fans of all ages can enjoy the ultimate trucking celebration making its way to the QCA at the world's largest truck stop! Lee Meier Joined Our Quad Cities News to talk about the Walcott Truckers Jamboree. For more information, click here.
	Illinois legislation to regulate cannabis market In Illinois, new legislation is designed to keep the cannabis market safe and growing. Senate Bill 3222 prohibits the sale of certain intoxicating hemp products to anyone under 21.Beginning in November, some products will be required to have child-proof packaging.Misleading marketing and packaging will be banned. The law also allows all Illinois cannabis retailers to [...]
	Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce fans gather for glimpse of top secret wedding Superfans and sleuths appear to have their hunches confirmed on Friday, as dozens of black cars dropped off elegantly dressed guests outside of Madison Square Garden in New York City. The wedding bash is expected to last into Saturday morning.
	After weeks of speculation, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce wed in New York Superfans and sleuths appear to have their hunches confirmed on Friday, as dozens of black cars dropped off elegantly dressed guests outside of Madison Square Garden in New York City. The wedding bash is expected to last into Saturday morning.
	After convictions for theft and abuse, Iowa nurse faces sanctions from licensing board After being convicted last year of 10 felonies including theft and dependent adult abuse, a central Iowa nurse is facing sanctions from the state’s Board of Nursing.
	A family steps in to save the dying casino town of Primm, Nevada Primm, Nev., a once-thriving casino town on the border with California, was on the verge of fading away for good. The family it was named for has stepped in and faces the challenge of reviving it.
	Iran plans dayslong funeral for Supreme Leader Khamenei after war death The country's theocracy hopes to see millions flood the streets of the capital beginning Saturday in scenes reminiscent to the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
	Proud to be American, but not quite sure why. Nearly half of the Americans surveyed in a new national poll do not know what America 250 commemorates.
	Nearly half of Americans surveyed don't know what America 250 commemorates A new national poll reveals a striking paradox in public sentiment ahead of America's 250th anniversary: a disconnect between Americans' strong patriotic pride and their lack of civic knowledge.
	Every dog has its day, but it's not the 4th of July Fireworks make scaredy-cats out of many canines.
	Inside Iowa Politics: Why Sen. Ernst says taxpayers won’t fund $300 billion Iran rebuild U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said that American taxpayers won't pay toward the $300 billion fund to rebuild Iran.
	Pets dead after late night Sterling apartment fire Two pets died in a late night fire in a multi-unit apartment building, according to a news release from the Sterling Fire Department. A 911 call that came in at about 11:12 p.m. reported a fire in a multi-story/multi-unit apartment building in the 500 block of Fifth Avenue. The Sterling Fire Department responded, with automatic [...]
	East Moline police find of parents young boy found wandering alone East Moline police are seeking public assistance to identify a child named LJ, found wandering near a Family Dollar parking lot on 15th Avenue.
	Toddler dies from their injuries in I-80 rollover crash on June 27 The Scott County Sheriff's Office said the toddler involved in an I-80 crash last weekend has died.
	Child dies after I-80 rollover near Walcott The investigation continues after a child died following a June 27 rollover crash on Interstate 80 near Walcott.
	Red, White & Boom! lights Up the Mississippi Friday The Quad Cities’ annual Red, White & Boom! celebration returns July 3 with fireworks over the Mississippi River and festivities at LeClaire Park, Schwiebert Riverfront Park and Modern Woodmen Park.
	‘Doing nothing was not an option’: NC Senate votes to crack down on hemp THC, CBD, and Delta-9 products line the shelves at Redhead Hemp on Nov. 13, 2025. Under the congressional ban, almost all are set to become illegal in 2026. (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline)On their last day before heading home for nearly a month, North Carolina senators voted to ban most cannabis products currently being sold in the state. The version of House Bill 328 the Senate approved would ban all intoxicating hemp products in North Carolina. Intoxicating hemp products are defined as any with a total THC content of more than 0.4 milligrams. THC is the compound responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. Hemp business owners have said that limit would ban nearly all products on the market. The bill would also ban the sale of any hemp consumables to anyone under 21, and ban xylazine and synthetic kratom, two other emerging substances that have prompted health concerns. Natural kratom sales would also be limited to people 21 and over. It’s the latest action in a back-and-forth between the state House and Senate over what regulatory scheme to impose on substances that have become extremely prevalent in the past few years. Highly potent kratom and hemp derivatives can be found on the shelves of nearly any gas station or vape shop in the state. State Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) speaks to members of the media in the Senate chamber on May 6, 2026. (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline) The House had already packed up when senators voted to pass the bill. But Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said the crisis posed by these substances was too pressing to wait until lawmakers return at the end of July. “The personal loss that has occurred across the state of North Carolina as a result of these products is such that we just could not and should not delay any further,” Berger told members of the media after session Thursday. “We have gotten to such a point where doing nothing was not an option.” The lack of regulation around hemp derivatives, which hit the market en masse after federal regulations allowed them to be sold in 2018, has sparked bipartisan concern, reflected in the 43-6 vote to pass the bill in the Senate. Sen. Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth) said on the floor that he supports the bill because the hemp industry is in dire need of regulation. “Some of these products that are sold in these stores, they come from other countries, they can’t even be sold in the country that they come from,” Lowe said. “I have no problem voting this bill at all, because I don’t think this stuff is safe.” The state’s child fatality task force reported in 2025 that there has been a 600% increase in emergency room visits for minors related to cannabis since 2019. Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin) cited the case of a 14-year-old hospitalized after purchasing an intoxicating hemp product when the House debated its own version of the bill last month. ‘We can’t really pivot’: North Carolina hemp stores, farms prepare to fight federal ban Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch (D-Wake) said she primarily supported the bill because of its restrictions on “gas station drugs that are really harming our constituents,” such as kratom, which has led to its own increase in health emergencies. She was more skeptical about its approach to hemp, raising concerns that it could ensnare non-intoxicating products that have legitimate medical uses. “What I hope that we can do is move forward, with regards to the next month that we’re not going to be here, to sit down, give them our ideas, see if they can incorporate it in a conference report that addresses a lot of North Carolina farmers who are growing hemp so that they don’t go bankrupt,” Batch said. The bill follows a federal ban on intoxicating hemp products that was enacted as part of the Farm Bill last year, but which has not yet taken effect. Hemp industry lobbyists have since rallied to overturn the ban before it takes effect in November. Those efforts appear to be paying off — in a letter to Congress last month, the Trump administration urged Congress to reverse itself and keep these hemp products legal. Berger said passing a ban at the state level ensures North Carolinians will be protected regardless of what the federal government does. “What we have put in place — or what we’re trying to put in place, hopefully the House will pass the conference report — is a ban on intoxicating hemp products. And if the feds decide that they don’t want to do that as we go forward, North Carolina would still have a ban on intoxicating products.” He left the door open to the relaxation of some restrictions in the future. “If there are folks that want to legalize marijuana, then they can introduce that bill, we will talk about that,” Berger said. “If there are folks that want a specific regulatory scheme of some sort on some of these things that would allow folks over 21 to purchase them, let them introduce a bill and let’s see about it.” The Senate version of the bill goes further than the House version, which would have set an age limit of 21 years old for hemp-derived consumables but otherwise left the market undisturbed, by banning a large swath of hemp-derived products currently being sold. The Senate also requires consumers to be 21 for the products that remain legal. Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick) speaks in favor of a ban on most hemp derivatives on the Senate floor on Thursday, July 2, 2026. (Photo: Brandon Kingdollar/NC Newsline) Even proponents of loosening restrictions on marijuana supported the bill. Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), the architect of the bill that nearly succeeded in legalizing medical marijuana in North Carolina, delivered a fiery rebuke of the hemp products being sold all across the state on Friday. “I’ve had the epiphany that the big players and the people who want to make the money can’t make the money they want to make, can’t prey upon the people whom they want to prey upon, in a regulated product way,” Rabon said. “So if that’s the case, we have to do away with all of it. There’s no other option.” The House will have the opportunity to take up the Senate’s version of the bill when they return to session on July 27. It is unclear whether they will agree to do so. Courtesy of NC Newsline
	Toddler dies from injuries after I-80 camper rollover A 23-month-old girl has died after being ejected during a camper rollover crash on Interstate 80 near Walcott, Scott County deputies reported.
	2 pets killed, 3 residents treated after Sterling apartment fire Two pets were killed and three residents were treated on scene after an apartment fire on the 500 block of 5th Avenue in Sterling.
	4-year-old found wandering in East Moline Family Dollar parking lot East Moline police are asking for help locating the parents or guardians of a four-year-old found wandering in the Family Dollar parking lot on 15th Avenue.
	East Moline police search for parents after young boy found wandering alone East Moline police are seeking public assistance to identify a child named LJ, found wandering near a Family Dollar parking lot on 15th Avenue.
	'The SpongeBob Musical' brings underwater fun to QC Music Guild If nautical nonsense is something you wish, The SpongeBob Musical at Quad Cities Music Guild delivers. Performances will be on July 10-12, 16 -19 . Show times on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Quad Cities Music Guild is located at 1584 34th Avenue in Moline. Call the [...]
	City of Rock Island warns of fraudulent invoices The City of Rock Island is warning of fraudulent invoices targeting people named in public meeting agendas.
	'We are participants in an ongoing experiment': Historian roundtable discusses America at its semiquincentennial WVIK asked history professors and historians to join a roundtable to discuss America’s history as we commemorate 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. Topics include the founding, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the importance of understanding our shared history.
	Rising to the challenge for active-duty and retired soldiers at TPC Deere Run Since 2023, Folds of Honor has partnered with the John Deere Classic to offer scholarship opportunities to the families of veterans and active-duty service members.
	Riverside Riverslide pool fully open for holiday weekend after mechanical repair Moline's Riverside Riverslide is fully open for the holiday weekend with operational pool slides and a lazy river after staff resolved a mechanical issue.
	Special Weather Statement until FRI 11:30 AM CDT Thunderstorms with Gusty Winds Impacting Northern Illinois and Eastern Iowa Until 11:30 AM CDT
	After convictions for theft and abuse, Iowa nurse faces sanctions from licensing board The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing is responsible for overseeing Iowa's licensing boards. (Photo illustration via Getty Images; logo courtesy of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing) After being convicted last year of 10 felonies including theft and dependent adult abuse, a central Iowa nurse is facing sanctions from the state’s Board of Nursing. Registered nurse Holly Renee Carlson of Indianola is charged by the board with being convicted of a criminal offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the nursing profession, and failure to notify the board of a criminal conviction within 30 days. A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2026. Court records indicate that in December 2025, a Warren County jury found Carlson guilty of one count of ongoing criminal conduct, six counts of first-degree theft against an older individual, one count of second-degree theft against an older individual, and two counts of dependent adult abuse. According to prosecutors’ court filings, The Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Indianola Police Department launched an investigation into Carlson in 2024. Prosecutors alleged Carlson financially exploited her parents while also working as a “legal nurse consultant and case manager” for her own company, Carlson & Associates. Prior to 2019, prosecutors said, she had worked as a case manager for the Des Moines office of the Veterans Administration. According to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Carlson was granted power of attorney over the affairs of her mother and father in 2016. In 2019, her father entered Vintage Hills, an Indianola senior living facility, due to issues with dementia. In December of that year, Carlson allegedly submitted a change-of-beneficiary form to John Hancock Insurance, switching the beneficiary of her mother’s life insurance policy from her father to herself. When her mother passed away a few weeks later, Carlson submitted a claim for her mother’s life insurance and was paid $251,027.70, prosecutors alleged. According to MFCU investigators, Carlson also transferred the family farm, and all of its land, out of her mother’s name, preventing Vintage Hills from placing a lien on the property to collect money owed from the mother’s stay at the facility, and deposited loan proceeds into her own bank account rather than using the money to improve the farm. Investigators also alleged Carlson regularly withdrew money from her father’s bank account, and also sold two of his vehicles, without paying the bills for his care at Vintage Hills. “ln the end, after reviewing all of the bank records and various other records, it was determined that Carlson had financially exploited (her parents) for $456,829.09,” a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigator told prosecutors in a sworn affidavit. Court records show that after her conviction, Carlson was sentenced to three years of probation tied to a 25-year suspended prison sentence. Carlson referred the Iowa Capital Dispatch to her attorney, Trent Nelson, who declined to comment other than to say the criminal convictions are being appealed and the allegations against Carlson had nothing to do with her practice as a nurse. Other Iowa-licensed nurses facing charges recently disclosed by the board include: — Susan Louise Peden of Bondurant, an advanced registered nurse practitioner who is charged by the board with professional incompetence including a lack of knowledge, skill or ability to discharge her professional obligations; deviation from the standards of learning, education, or skill ordinarily possessed by a nurse; committing acts that might adversely affect a patient’s welfare; prescribing or distributing drugs in an unsafe manner, and prescribing or distributing drugs without assessing or evaluating the patient. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2026. According to the board, Peden, also known as Susan Louise Deo, has been an advanced registered nurse practitioner since May 2018. State records indicate the investigation into her conduct was initiated in 2024, the same year Peden founded Bondurant Dermatology. Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Peden for comment. — Nicolette Rae Lovitt of Coon Rapids, a registered nurse who is charged by the board with deviating from the standards of learning, education or skill ordinarily possessed by nurses; engaging in behavior that constitutes unethical conduct or practice harmful to the profession; and engaging in unethical conduct or practice harmful or detrimental to the public by violating professional boundaries. A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2026. Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Lovitt for comment. — Jaci M. Moore of Preston, a licensed practical nurse who is charged by the board with misappropriating or attempting to misappropriate medications or supplies of a patient or clinic; committing an act that might adversely affect a patient’s welfare; and failing to assess or evaluate a patient or client. A hearing on the charges is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2026. Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Moore for comment. Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Severe Thunderstorm Warning from FRI 9:38 AM CDT until FRI 10:15 AM CDT Severe Thunderstorms Bringing Damaging Winds and Hail This Morning
	Montanans support cigarette tax increase, poll says Photo illustration by Getty Images.Montanans support a $2-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax, according to a new poll. The poll said 77% of survey respondents support such an increase, and 59% “strongly” support it. Montana’s tax per pack is $1.70, compared to the average $2.05 in the United States, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Federal tax is $1.01 per pack. The poll was released last month by the Montana Kids vs. Big Tobacco coalition and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Jackie Semmens, American Heart Association’s Montana government relations director, said Montanans want policies that protect communities and “give kids a healthier future.” “Increasing tobacco and nicotine taxes is one of the clearest ways to improve health and save lives because higher prices reduce tobacco use, especially among young people who are most sensitive to cost,” Semmens said in a statement. A proposal for such an increase — roughly 185% — would meet headwinds. Bob Story, with the Montana Taxpayers Association, said such an increase might cause some people to quit. However, Story said only a small portion of the population smokes, and such a tax would be regressive. He said Montana already has a high tax on cigarettes, especially compared to neighboring states. The state tax is 57 cents in Idaho, 60 cents in Wyoming, 44 cents in North Dakota, and $1.53 in South Dakota, according to the Department of Revenue. Those states also have sales taxes, but Story said smokers could save money buying outside Montana. “That’s going to be a lot of incentive for people to look for other places to buy their smokes,” Story said. The poll found support for the cigarette tax increase was high across party lines, from 76% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats and 69% of independents. It also found Montana voters favor a cigarette tax increase as opposed to some other tax increases. By comparison, just 22% of respondents want to raise gas taxes, and 24% want to establish a statewide sales tax, according to the poll. Montana has collected less revenue from cigarette taxes over the years. It took in nearly $74 million in 2014, and in 2024, collected $49 million, according to the Department of Revenue. A Department of Revenue report notes the 2003 Montana Legislature increased the tax from 18 cents to 70 cents, and in 2004, voters approved an initiative that pushed the rate to its current level. The report noted the range of state cigarette taxes runs from 21 cents in parts of Missouri to $7 in parts of Illinois. The poll also found 70% of respondents agree with ending the sale of flavored tobacco products, including 70% of Republicans, 74% of Democrats and 64% of independents. “These findings show broad support for policies that can reduce tobacco use and keep nicotine products from reaching more young people,” said Heidi Low, regional advocacy director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement. Shawn O’Neal, with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said results for upping the cigarette tax are “not a huge surprise.” “But one thing that often gets missed is the financial toll tobacco use takes on the state’s healthcare system, including $511 million annually in healthcare costs and $87.2 million in Medicaid costs,” O’Neal said in an email. O’Neal also said Montana ties Louisiana as the second-highest rate of e-cigarette use in the nation. “Our kids are getting sucked into addiction well before they have any idea what it could do to them in their adult life,” O’Neal said. The statewide poll of 628 Montana voters was conducted March 9-16, 2026, by FM3 Research, according to a news release from the groups. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Courtesy of Daily Montanan
	John Deere Classic Day 2 kicks off The John Deere Classic continues Friday with the second day of the tournament.
	For 15 years, Iowa’s prisons have asked for air conditioning. This year something is different. Exterior of Anamosa State Penitentiary, a maximum-security prison where one wing has air conditioning in cells and one does not. (Photo courtesy of Iowa Department of Corrections)As summer temperatures rise into the 90s, more than 1,000 Iowa prisoners and correctional officers are sweating it out without air conditioning. Prolonged heat waves behind bars can cause heat stroke and exacerbate chronic conditions like asthma, heart ailments and arthritis. Studies also show prisons without air conditioning are more violent. For years, the Iowa Department of Corrections has been asking lawmakers for funding to install air conditioning at the Anamosa State Penitentiary and the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility – prisons that regularly house more than 1,000 men each. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. The Iowa Legislature adjourned in May without approving the $8.1 million for the projects. But something is different this year. The Corrections Department has been selling farmland around state prisons and has nearly $8 million left after other repairs and renovations. Agency leaders won’t say whether they intend to spend the windfall on air conditioning, but advisers think they should. Trent Keller is chair of the Iowa Board of Corrections, which advises the Iowa Department of Corrections. (Submitted photo) “I think the most important thing is to make sure the staff and inmates’ health is the priority with the air conditioning,” said Trent Keller, of Waterloo, chair of the Iowa Board of Corrections. “I wouldn’t want to be in a place that is 80 to 90 degrees and all I’ve got is a small box fan to cool me down.” Hot and bothered Stifling cells, condensation puddles, poor sleep, trouble breathing – these are complaints from men who have been incarcerated at Anamosa and Mount Pleasant during periods like this week, when heat indices are over 100 degrees. “It’s been a persistent complaint we’ve gotten for years,” said Bert Dalmer, senior deputy ombudsman for the Iowa Office of Ombudsman. In 2025 alone, the office fielded six complaints – four from prisoners at Anamosa and two from Mount Pleasant – about lack of air conditioning. Mount Pleasant, with more than 1,000 prisoners June 30, does not have AC in most housing units. In Anamosa, one wing has air conditioning, but the bulk of the 1,200 prisoners there do not. Climate change is causing more extreme weather in Iowa, including more heat waves. While Iowa’s average summer daytime high temperatures haven’t changed much in recent decades, nighttime temperatures are hotter, likely linked to humidity, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported. Graphic showing observed and projected temperature change in Iowa from 1900 through 2011. Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Heat stress increases prison dangers Heat stress contributed to the 2024 death of a man held at an Illinois prison without air conditioning. When a prison nurse found Michael Broadway, 51, unresponsive at the Stateville Correctional Center June 19, 2024, she called 911, WTTW News reported. The dispatcher mistakenly thought Broadway had been outside. “No, he’s been in his cell, but it’s like 100 and something degrees in here,” the nurse said in the call recording obtained by the TV station. The Stateville prison was closed in 2025. Correctional officers not only have to endure the heat themselves, but they may face risks of increased assaults or other violence among offenders. In a study published in 2021, researchers found days with average temperatures of 80 degrees raised violent interactions among Mississippi inmates by 20%. To reach an 80-degree daily average, the daytime temperature often is over 90 degrees and nighttime temperature above 70 degrees. “There are people who say ‘Those inmates are in prison. They don’t deserve to have AC’,” said Todd Copley, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61, which represents Iowa correctional officers. “But walk a mile in their shoes and see how you feel. Their attitudes, their demeanor affects how the day in the life of a correctional officer goes.” Fifteen years of requests denied The Anamosa State Penitentiary was built in phases from 1875 to 1899 from limestone quarried at the nearby Stone City. The first offenders came to the prison well before Willis Carrier invented the first electrical air conditioning unit in 1902. Even today, only a handful of states have air conditioning for all incarcerated individuals, USA Today reported. The Iowa Department of Corrections has been asking lawmakers to fund air conditioning upgrades in the prisons for at least 15 years, according to a 2020 story in the Iowa Capital Dispatch. Gov. Kim Reynolds echoed the need this year by including $8.1 million in her budget for prison AC projects. The money would have come from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF). Lawmakers again did not approve the projects. Rep. Jacob Bossman, a Sioux City Republican who chairs the RIIF budget subcommittee, said his party has invested in prison projects that improve public safety and capacity. “So long as Iowa House Republicans remain in the majority, the comfort of convicted criminals will never take priority over the safety of law-abiding Iowans,” he said in a statement. “While funds to add AC are worth evaluating, funding decisions are ultimately about prioritizing the most urgent public safety and infrastructure needs.” Farmland sales provide funds State appropriations supply the vast majority of Iowa’s prison funding. But in 2023, a consultant suggested another source of one-time money. The Guidehouse Government Alignment Project recommended the Corrections Department and other state agencies sell farmland around their facilities. One of many limestone outbuildings on a farm owned by the Iowa Department of Corrections near the Anamosa State Penitentiary. One of these farms is on the National Register of Historic Places for the architecture of the buildings, which would not be sold under plans to sell the farmland. (Photo is part of the National Register application) For more than a century, prison farms in Iowa and other states supplied food for incarcerated people and taught inmates how to work the land. But as the average Iowa farm has ballooned in size and farm work has become more automated, prison labor is no longer used. So far, the Corrections Department has sold more than half of the 3,446 total farmland acres for about $18 million. Another 1,300 acres near Anamosa is expected to bring in another $10 million, the agency reported. The Corrections Department has spent $10.3 million so far on the following: $7.4 million to complete a kitchen and laundry project at Clarinda Correctional Facility $2.9 million to build or renovate offices for 4th Judicial District and 5th Judicial District corrections staff That leaves $7.7 million. When the Iowa Capital Dispatch asked Corrections Department officials whether that money could be spent on air conditioning, they replied in a June 3 email: “Infrastructure needs are determined and approved by Director (Beth) Skinner and Steve Dick, DOC Financial Manager, based on most imminent needs of the Department.” A new wrinkle in the prison funding picture is House File 2542, which requires some three-time felony offenders to spend at least seven years in prison. The “three strikes” bill is expected to increase Iowa’s prison population by 50% and require building three more prisons and expanding others at a total cost of $1.9 billion, the Legislative Services Agency reported. Larry Smith, a board member with Iowa Citizens for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE), speaks frequently at Board of Corrections meetings about air conditioning needs. He fears HF 2542 will push the cooling projects back down the priorities list, leaving inmates to continue to suffer sweltering conditions. “Common sense tells me they are going to use it for new prisons rather than upgrading old prisons,” he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLESUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	China resumes US soybean purchases, but future for farmers remains ‘daunting’ North Dakota farmer Tyler Stafslien stands in front of storage silos holding grain and soybeans. The tariff war with China forced Stafslien to store more of his soybeans in the 2025 harvest season. (Photo by Gabrielle Nelson/Buffalo’s Fire)Crops are in the ground, the weather is cooperating, soybean prices are up slightly from 2025, and China — the biggest buyer of U.S. soybean exports — is once again placing orders after a trade agreement ended the country’s purchasing freeze last fall. But while morale is higher among soybean farmers as the 2026 growing season gets under way, the cost to plant crops remains high, and U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows there is still a long way to go before China’s purchases reach pre-trade war levels. “There have been some positive movements in trade relations with China, specifically with soybeans, that have caused markets to improve over last year,” said Stefan Maupin, executive director of the Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council. “However, we are definitely not where we were in years past. For most farmers out there, the big question in front of them is, will it get back?” Soybeans are a major agricultural product nationwide, covering about 10% of all U.S. farmland. Roughly 40% of U.S. soybeans are exported, and in recent years, around half of exported beans went to China. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); China stopped purchasing U.S. soybeans in 2025 during tariff negotiations with the Trump administration, leaning instead on soybeans from South American trade partners. China ultimately agreed to purchase 12 million metric tons of soybeans in 2025 and at least 25 million metric tons each year through 2028. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden said he is confident that China will meet those numbers. “They have the entire marketing period to meet the 25 million metric ton commitment for this year,” Vaden told Brownfield, an agriculture-focused news outlet. The current marketing period runs from September 2025 to September 2026. Exports to China from January through March were up 57% compared to last year, USDA data shows. That’s explained by an increase in sales to China during the off-season in response to the trade agreement, said Andrew Muhammad, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Tennessee. In other words, China is now buying the soybeans that U.S. producers stored in fall 2025, when China halted its usual buys. Typically, China purchases most of its American soybeans in the fall, turning instead to Brazil and Argentina for soybeans during the South American harvest season in the spring. “But if we look at the accumulated total for the actual marketing year, going back to September, exports to China are still lagging what we did in years past,” Muhammad said. From the start of September through March, China accounted for less than 30% of U.S. soybean exports — about half of their volume in previous years. “We won’t really know until the end of this year whether or not China is able to keep up with these commitments,” Muhammad said. Asked about China’s total soybean purchases lagging behind previous years, a USDA spokesperson stated that President Donald Trump “has made clear he will hold China to its commitments.” “President Trump executed another historic deal with China after the previous administration refused to hold them accountable to its future purchase of American soybeans, sorghum, beef, and other commodities,” the spokesperson stated. Long-term outlook still ‘daunting’ “The farmers and everybody with whom they do business feel better about that positive movement in the negotiations, but they’re not naive,” Maupin said of Tennessee soybean farmers. “They know … there is that potential that (China) will not fully buy what they have committed to buying.” What really matters is whether commodity traders believe that China will fulfill those commitments, Maupin said. Market prices are currently stronger this year, but “the jury is still out on that.” And despite improved prices compared to 2025, University of Tennessee data predicts that the price of soybeans at average yields still won’t be high enough for farmers to break even. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “(Farmers) are now in their third year of the question, how much money will they lose on this crop?” Maupin said. The University of Tennessee estimated total losses of nearly $110 million for soybean farmers last year, on top of multimillion-dollar losses in 2024. Those who are still farming this year likely made “major adjustments” to try to lower their expenses and input costs as much as possible to weather the financial hardships of the last two years, Maupin said, but trying to just break even is not sustainable, particularly when many farmers depend on financing tied to their property and equipment. Government stockpiles and growing global markets Muhammad said this type of trade deal also means governments are involved in agricultural markets. “When you say to China, ‘We need you to buy so many soybeans,’ the only reason they could pull that off is because we’re not talking about capitalistic market purchases, we’re just talking about government stockpiling,” Muhammad said. While the trade deal may appeal to U.S. producers, “once tensions die down, they’ll just start using what they’ve stockpiled. It almost comes across as a Band-Aid for a much more serious problem … the trade tensions between the U.S. and China,” he said. Agricultural economist encourages careful optimism amid trade changes and federal assistance Vaden said Trump sets targets in his trade deals, making outcomes measurable. The USDA did not respond to questions about the long-term effectiveness of trade targets. Maupin said China has been known to stockpile goods and then cease purchasing or put excess goods back out on the world market. It’s this market instability that encourages farmers to develop relationships with other countries and find domestic uses for soybeans, Maupin said. Commodity farmers pay a percentage of the sale price of their products — called “checkoff dollars” — toward research and new market development. Vaden said that while China is an “important market” for the U.S., Canada and Mexico buy more U.S. agricultural products overall. “We’re not just focused on China,” he said. “We’re focused on our larger trading partners here in North America, as well as the many other markets that we need to open, because ultimately this is a game of addition. If we focus too much on any one country, we’re not keeping our eye on the overall ball, which is increasing sales worldwide.” Maupin said representatives from the European Union visited Tennessee last growing season to see if the state’s soybean production meets their sustainability goals. Their feedback was positive, Maupin said. The U.S. is also looking to develop relationships with nations that could use soybean meal to feed livestock, or as a protein source for human consumption. The country has exported more soybeans to Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and Japan since September, partially offsetting the decrease in sales to China, Muhammad said. “At the end of the day, worldwide, the demand for soybeans as an ingredient, mostly in animal feed, remains high, whether it’s in China or Mexico, the EU, or Egypt,” Maupin said. This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation. Courtesy of South Dakota Searchlight
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	Davenport LULAC responds to Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship Davenport LULAC leaders are sharing their response to the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to uphold birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
	Muscatine restaurant getting a fresh start after its building is structurally compromised Jibaro Restaurant has been closed for weeks, but another restaurant down the block is offering up its space.
	MercyOne Genesis expands maternal and newborn care with foundation grant A MercyOne Genesis Foundation grant is funding new newborn care equipment in Silvis and maternal healthcare carts at the East Davenport hospital.
	Davenport man pleads guilty in assault case involving vehicle A plea agreement will dismiss attempted murder charges against a Davenport man accused of trying to hit two people with his SUV.
	Neglected for years, child services funding formulas are badly outdated, lawmakers told Clark and Washoe counties receive an annual block grant from the state based on a formula that was approved and capped by lawmakers in 2011. It went into effect the following year and has never been increased. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)Funding for child welfare services in Nevada has stagnated and rising inflation is making it more difficult for county agencies to provide support, state lawmakers were told Tuesday. Clark and Washoe counties rely on an annual state block grant as a main source of funding for the services. The amount of that funding has been capped since 2012. If the state adjusted the block grant funding for inflation it would take Clark County’s block funding base from roughly $42 million – the rate it’s been for more than a decade – to $63.1 million, Joanna Jacob, the government affairs manager with Clark County, told state lawmakers. “We know we can’t walk into the Legislature and say we need a 48% increase,” Jacob said. “I’m just illustrating a lot of what I think you are feeling, what our families are feeling, and what everybody is feeling. Inflation is increasing, and everybody is struggling with this. Along with that comes some increased pressures on us in delivering programs.” Local and state officials along with nonprofits briefed the interim committee on Health and Human Services Tuesday on issues within the child welfare system, and outlined policy recommendations to consider in the 2027 Legislative Session. Among the various recommendations was revamping Nevada’s funding structure for the state’s three child welfare agencies. Looming over the conversation was the implementation of the massive tax and spending bill Congress passed at the urging of Donald Trump last July that authorized sweeping cuts to some of the biggest public safety nets, including Medicaid. The bulk of those cuts take effect in 2027, and Nevada is estimated to lose about $590 million annually in federal funding for the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. “Listen, I hear you and I think that there is a case in point in terms of whether we should re-examine how the block grants are administered and how we fund child welfare services in our state,” said Democratic State Sen. Fabian Doñate. “All of us know that H.R. 1 is coming, and there’s not enough money for everyone.” Nevada is one of two states with a state-county hybrid child welfare administrative structure – Wisconsin is the other state. While the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services administers child welfare services, the most populous counties, Clark and Washoe, operate its child welfare system. The state operates the services in the 15 rural counties. Clark and Washoe counties receive an annual block grant from the state based on a formula that was approved and capped by lawmakers in 2011. It went into effect the following year and has never been increased. “If you look at today’s dollar compared to 2012, if you index that to inflation, you would need $1.48 in every one of today’s dollars to match,” said Cadence Matijevich Government Affairs Liaison for Washoe County. Washoe County has the same problem. The county received $14.3 million in block grant funding under the state cap since 2011. If the block grant was adjusted for inflation they should receive roughly $22 million. Officials for both counties noted the projections presented to state lawmakers identify a slight bump in block grant funding in fiscal year 2025 but explained it was due to the 2023 Legislature approving a foster rate increase. While the numbers indicate a “bump,” Jacob, the Clark County official, said those dollars “pass through to the families and the kids that we serve” as part of the foster rate increase. Administering those dollars to families increases Clark County’s workload, leading to “approximately $6 million in additional costs … related to staffing and workload that we’ve had to implement” the policy, Jacob said. The state has passed a number of policies since 2011 designed to improve the child welfare system, including modifying reporting requirements and expanding kinship guardianship eligibility. Those policy changes often haven’t included more dollars allocated to child welfare, Jacob added. “There have been some real policy changes put into place by the Nevada Legislature, and it’s not a criticism,” Jacob said. “I think a lot of these policies, these bills, were positive ones for the families and the kids that we serve, but they did not come with resources to the counties to implement it.” After the state block grant, the second largest funding source for child welfare comes from federal Title IV-E funding under the Social Security Act. Matijevich said the formula for that funding is also effectively restricting the provision of child welfare services. To qualify for funding, there must be a court finding that the removal from the child’s family was necessary and documentation showing a child was placed in a licensed or approved setting. The qualifications also require proof of the income and assets of the child’s foster family or guardian. The threshold was set in 1996 and hasn’t been updated, Matijevich said. “For a household of three with one working adult who makes $12 an hour, under the 1996 standard, that adult can work no more than 118 hours per month before their income surpasses that 1996 threshold,” Matijevich said. “If the threshold were raised to the current poverty standard, that same adult could work full time making $26.33 an hour before their income would surpass the maximum.” Courtesy of Nevada Current
	More storms with heavy downpours An "Extreme Heat Warning" remains in effect through Friday evening for our southern hometowns. Some relief is on the way! While there will be dry hours today and tomorrow, showers and storms with heavy rain are in the Fourth of July weekend forecast. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	Just gave birth or are about to? Share your story and questions about costs The costs of having a baby in the U.S. can be hard to predict and budget for. We want to hear your stories and questions about how to navigate the system.
	From school boards to community voices: Five standout stories from the QC education beat These five stories informed readers, sparked conversations and documented change across the Quad-Cities. Here's why they stood out.
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	Former Bettendorf council member honored to be parade grand marshal Greg Adamson has served in the U.S. Army, as a Bettendorf police officer and city council member and a Scott County supervisor.
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	Former USAID head grieves its closure while hoping for its future Former USAID administrator reflects on a year since USAID's shutdown and the new direction of US foreign aid.
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	David Hoffmann chose family over football, and a path to success Before building a business empire, Lee Enterprises Chairman David Hoffmann nearly took a very different path. A football scholarship, a difficult choice and a young romance helped shape the future billionaire's life.
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	WV fireworks tax brings in millions for veterans, but new Beckley VA stalled without federal money Big Poppy’s Fireworks, an Arkansas-based company, has high-powered fireworks for sale in Charleston, West Virginia, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Amelia Ferrell Knisely/West Virginia Watch)The hotter the weather, the more fireworks Noah McNamee says he sells in the parking lot of a grocery store in Kanawha County. He expects hundreds of customers to buy high-flying fireworks ahead of the historic weekend as residents celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. “For the 250 (celebration), you need to go all out and absolutely just buy what you can,” said McNamee, who works for Big Poppy’s Fireworks, an Arkansas company with a sales tent in Charleston, West Virginia. “You’re not gonna get another 250.” The big tent is filled with sparklers for kids and colorful boxes of powerful fireworks, with boxes labeled “Maximum Insanity” and “Barely Legal.” The Tank Busters box of high-powered fireworks is available at Big Poppy’s Fireworks tent in Charleston, West Virginia. (Photo by Amelia Ferrell Knisely/West Virginia Watch) McNamee said the “Tank Busters” box is the most popular seller of the high-powered fireworks, which state lawmakers legalized a decade ago. The camo-print box of 42 breaks and 24 60g cansisters blast into 24 colorful effects high in the sky. It runs for $284.99 plus state and local taxes and a 12% fireworks safety tax that lawmakers added onto the bill legalizing powerful fireworks. “When it goes up, it explodes three times in the air per one canister,” McNamee said. “That’s my best seller. I’ve already sold out of this five times.” Seventy-five percent of the fireworks safety tax revenue goes to fund the state’s volunteer fire departments and veterans’ facilities, including specifically for the construction of a veterans nursing home in Beckley that was supposed to be completed in 2025. Today, the lot is still empty due to funding hold ups on the federal level. “Conversations eventually moved to potential revenue going to support the construction of the VA nursing home in Beckley,” recalled former state Senator Daniel Hall, R-Wyoming, who advocated for the fireworks bill. “Hopefully, one day we can make that a reality for the veterans in Southern West Virginia.” In 2016, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed off on the sale of high-flying fireworks to adults. West Virginia residents previously had to travel to neighboring states to purchase the professional-grade fireworks. Only sparklers and novelty-grade fireworks had been available in the state. Sen. Daniel Hall, R-Wyoming in 2015. (West Virginia Legislative Photography) “We were losing out on sales and revenue here,” Hall said. The fireworks tax brought in $1,596,818 in 2025, according to the state Tax Division. Over the years, the tax only brought in half of the amount state officials predicted would be generated. The state Department of Veteran Assistance currently has $7 million in funds from the fireworks tax for the state’s veterans’ homes, including the future facility in Beckley. “We’re hopeful that at some point the federal government will come through with the funding, so we can start building the facility,” said state Department of Veterans Assistance Secretary Ryan Kennedy. “Veterans, unfortunately, oftentimes have health problems that are related to their service,” he continued. Then-Gov. Jim Justice attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Charles Calvin Rogers Veterans Nursing Facility in Beckley, West Virginia, on Oct. 23, 2023. (Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Office of Gov. Jim Justice) Beckley VA hospital stalled, price tag increasing West Virginia’s only VA hospital is in Clarksburg. State senators passed a bill in 2014 mandating the construction of a new veterans’ facility in Beckley. “ … An aging veterans’ population which suffers from wartime disabilities and illnesses are, or will be, in need of skilled nursing care,” the measure said. Seven years later, then-Gov. Jim Justice earmarked millions of dollars in the budget bill that would serve as a match for federal grant dollars to build the facility. Justice and state officials broke ground on the Charles Calvin Rogers Veterans Nursing Facility in Beckley in 2023. An architect was hired to design a state-of-the-art facility to serve 90 to 120 veterans, including those in need of specialized care for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Quotation It’s all been a godsend for us to be able to do these kinds of upgrades for veterans and really deliver the kind of service they deserve. – Ryan Kennedy, secretary of the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance “The Beckley fund, it has about $23.5 million in it right now, which is our state match we’ll need whenever the federal money shows up,” Kennedy said. The Beckley VA facility has been marked as a priority project within the VA’s State Home Construction Grant Program under the Trump administration, but the federal money still has’t been released to West Virginia after years of waiting. The project was initially expected to cost $44 million. Kennedy said that due to inflation increasing costs, he anticipated money from the fireworks fund will be necessary to pay for the project when it happens. Money from the fireworks has been used for maintenance and improvements at the Clarksburg VA and the West Virginia Veterans Home in Barboursville. “It’s all been a godsend for us to be able to do these kinds of upgrades for veterans and really deliver the kind of service they deserve,” Kennedy said. Noah McNamee sells fireworks for Big Poppy’s Fireworks, an Arkansas-based company, in Charleston, West Virginia, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Amelia Ferrell Knisely/West Virginia Watch) Fireworks tax revenue falls short of initial estimates State tax officials in 2016 had estimated that the fireworks tax would bring $2.8 million a year while lawmakers worked to legalize high-powered fireworks sales. Yearly revenue from the tax hasn’t matched that, state records show. The fireworks tax generated around $7.8 million in revenue from 2021-2025 — around half of projected revenue. The state Treasurer’s Office handles the distribution of fireworks tax revenue to VFDs. “Over the last four quarters, the Treasurer’s Office has distributed a little over $36 million to qualifying VFDs,” said Carrie Smith, communications director for the Treasurer’s Office. About $6 million of that annually comes from excess lottery funds, she said. “The overwhelming majority of the other $30 million comes from insurance premium surcharges. A very little bit comes from firework tax revenue,” Smith said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of West Virginia Watch
	NJ strengthens enforcement over group homes for people with disabilities New Jersey has new tools to hold accountable group homes for people with disabilities, including $25,000 fines for injuries from abuse or neglect. (Photo by Hal Brown/New Jersey Monitor)New Jersey officials now have much sharper tools to protect people with disabilities from abuse and neglect in group homes, thanks to a law that took effect July 1 allowing for state penalties of up to $25,000. The law requires the state to issue a warning the first time a residential program for people with disabilities is caught causing abuse or institutional neglect, like failing to train and ensure staff is providing for residents’ needs. Additional offenses prompt a $10,000 fine, or $25,000 if it causes a resident an injury that can’t be treated with basic first aid. Fines will be deposited in a revolving fund in the Department of Human Services, which oversees disability programs, and can be used for quality improvements initiatives, administrative costs, and regulatory actions related to the law. About 30,000 people with disabilities live in private or group homes, the department said. Jonathan Seifried, an assistant commissioner at the department’s developmental disabilities division, said the law addresses accountability and, through the fund, fuels improvement. “Our goal is a system that consistently delivers safe, high-quality services for the people who depend on them,” he said in a press release. Signed by former Gov. Phil Murphy in January, the new law follows news reports that documented abuse and neglect at group homes for people with disabilities and found flaws in the state’s oversight process. Abuse has been an ongoing concern for the New Jersey ombudsman for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families. Abuse and neglect are “rampant,” according to the office’s most recent annual report from 2024, issued by then-ombudsman Paul Aronsohn. While some provider agencies do all they can to prevent harm, he said, other agencies “are not as vigilant or serious, and frankly, our State government does not do enough to prevent or stop the abuse and neglect.” Under the new law, the state can also issue penalties of $10,000 to facilities that repeatedly fail to conduct criminal background checks on employees when required, don’t follow the protocol when staff members test positive for drugs, don’t properly investigate a reported incident, or don’t follow a state-mandated plan for reform. It also updates the list of employees who must report abuse or neglect. Kaylee McGuire, the deputy human services commissioner who oversees disability programs, said the law allows the state to hold repeat offenders more accountable. “It is one important component of our broader, comprehensive strategy to improve and sustain high‑quality services, combining strong consequences for violations with proven approaches that support continuous quality improvement,” she said. In April the state announced appointments to an advisory committee whose 13 members will examine select cases involving deaths of adults with disabilities who suffered abuse or neglect and recommend improvements for the system. “By combining stronger accountability with ongoing collaboration among individuals, families, advocates, experts, and providers, we are shaping a system that learns from experience, responds to challenges, and remains focused on ensuring every individual receives safe, high-quality supports with dignity and respect,” said Stephen Cha, the human services commissioner. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Smorgasbord This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.It's a tired cliché to say that life is like a road, full of bends, hills, forks and potholes. Or that we are like…
	Decades after asbestos exposure, WV workers still paying price for fragmented lung cancer records West Virginians die of cancer at a higher rate than the rest of the United States. (Getty Images)Much like other states, the story of West Virginia is deeply intertwined with the industries that have driven the nation’s growth. For generations, its residents mined coal, manufactured chemicals, generated electricity, built infrastructure and even answered the call to defend the country. Yet what most of the public did not know is that the legacy of these works extends beyond paychecks, products and economic advancement. In many cases, it also comes with occupational hazards whose consequences may take years — or even decades — to manifest. And nowhere is that reality more evident than in the crisis involving asbestos, a natural mineral previously referred to as a “miracle material” but later revealed to be carcinogenic, capable of causing chronic conditions such as lung cancer. Although this danger is now well-established, the repercussions of past exposure continue to surface, considering their lengthy latency period. Worse, as these diagnoses emerge, they even expose a troubling gap in occupational health policy: the essential records that could elucidate the magnitude of this issue often fade long before the disease emerges. West Virginia’s industrial and military history leaving a lasting asbestos burden Practically, the asbestos burden in West Virginia is rooted in the very industries that helped shape its economic and civic identity. As early as the 1800s, this natural mineral was already widely adopted in power generation, chemical production, construction, transportation and various sectors because of its extraordinary durability and resistance to heat. Even the military took note of its advantages — employing it in facilities like the Air National Guard base in Charleston to enhance operational capabilities. Unfortunately, this heavy reliance has led countless service members and industrial workers to encounter asbestos at a time when its hazards were largely unknown. For nearly 110,000 veterans in West Virginia, the risk is more acute, especially as a substantial portion of them later transitioned into civilian jobs where the mineral was indispensable for too long. More disconcertingly, the consequences of that grim history became measurable. Between 1999 and 2017, West Virginia alone witnessed how more than 3,000 of its locals faced their tragic demise due to asbestos-related illnesses. Of these, lung cancer — a debilitating disease that can take up to 40 years to manifest — was among the deadliest, as it took as many as 2,076 lives during the same period. More broadly, these outcomes reflect a national pattern that developed under similar occupational conditions. Data, in fact, indicate that from 1940 to 1979, an estimated 27 million American workers were exposed to asbestos, potentially contributing to 20.2% spike in mortality rate between 1990 and 2019. Even this year, experts anticipate tallying approximately 230,000 new lung cancer cases, with numerous diagnoses arising from an extended exposure to asbestos. Why comprehensive records matter for asbestos-exposed veterans and workers In reality, the pressing issue for workers and veterans lies not just in the pervasiveness of the asbestos contamination — it also emphasizes the absence of recordkeeping systems that can efficiently track its gravity. Although employers, regulators, government agencies and other stakeholders have consistently collated records, such documentation primarily intends to meet immediate employment as well as regulatory compliance rather than to preserve essential historical data for related diseases that may manifest decades later. As a result, when asbestos-linked lung cancer is eventually diagnosed, the critical papers necessary to trace exposure sources are usually fragmented, incomplete or entirely lost. And this gap is especially critical for veterans, whose exposure often begins during military service and extends into civilian jobs where the mineral remained widely used for years. Yet notwithstanding the reality of cumulative risks, no comprehensive framework exists to preserve and connect those histories over time. Even as some policies — like the Honoring Our PACT Act — represent an important acknowledgment of toxic exposure among service members, they nevertheless fail to address the broader challenge of documenting civilian exposures that typically follow. What is needed now is a durable system that treats occupational exposure histories as long-term public health records rather than temporary employment documents. By integrating military and civilian exposure records into a centralized framework, the country can ultimately make sure that the passage of time does not eliminate the evidence crucial to understanding the true legacy of asbestos exposure. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of West Virginia Watch
	This Fourth of July, patriotism includes honoring our immigrant neighbors At its best, the U.S. is seen as allowing individuals the freedom to live the life they want. (Getty Images)The 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence is a time to consider what it means to be patriotic. Immigration has always been part of our country’s history, and that history is filled with moving stories about why immigrants chose to move to this country. Like many Kentuckians living in an increasingly diverse state these days, I have immigrants who are neighbors, members of my church and friends of my kids. While immigration is a heated and polarizing political debate when you turn on cable news, the dreams and hopes of immigrants are ones familiar to all of us, and I seldom feel more patriotic than when I talk with them about why they chose to make the U.S. their home. What I hear most is how much social and economic opportunity is available to people in the U.S., and how much immigrants want to contribute to America’s success. And despite so much of the current narrative around immigration, that’s exactly what the data shows. Immigration is responsible for 70% the net population growth in Kentucky since 2020. That increase is especially helpful at a time when deaths now exceed births in Kentucky for the first time in recorded history, as an aging baby boomer generation begins to pass away. The reality is that our workforce would be much smaller without the contributions that immigrants make. If Kentucky immigrants weren’t on the job, there would be 112,700 fewer workers aged 25-54 (our “prime age” labor force) than there are now, and we would have fewer prime age workers than we did in 2000. That would mean fewer goods and services produced and less tax revenue for public services we all need. Not only would our workforce be smaller without immigrants, but key sectors would see critical shortages that could result in higher prices for all of us. Working immigrants comprise 12% of construction workers and restaurant cooks. They make up 10% of our landscaping workers, 16% of physicians, 20% of maids and housekeepers, and 24% of Kentucky’s software engineers. Each year, over 6,000 temporary migrants come to Kentucky on H-2A visas to farm the grains, produce, meat and dairy that feeds America. In addition, 13% of main street businesses that interface with the public on a regular basis are owned by immigrants who in turn create jobs for everyone in the commonwealth. Every day, in every sector of our economy, immigrants are producing the goods and services we all benefit from. Apart from the economic contributions, immigrants make our communities a more vibrant and enriching place to live. And according to the conservative Cato Institute, having immigrants live nearby makes us safer, too. Despite these advantages, current federal policies are focused on ridding the country of current immigrants and cutting off as much legal immigration as it can. Besides the well-documented, and oft-rogue, ramp-up of deportations by ICE and CBP (including here in Kentucky), the White House has done its level-best to make life more difficult for the lawfully-abiding immigrants who live here now and to roll out an unwelcome mat for those trying to enter through the “front door” with overly restrictive immigration policies. Congress, through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed a year ago, went further by removing various supports like health care and food assistance to lawfully-residing immigrants (like refugees) who once used those benefits to get a stable footing and keep contributing to the economy. Every country can and should set the rules for how many new residents it can welcome each year from other countries. It is an internationally recognized right of our country to secure our borders and control the traffic in and out. These questions are not up for debate. What we should consider, however, is not just the costs of allowing immigrants to join us in the Great Experiment, but the benefits, too. As our family and friends, immigrant and native alike, celebrate a historic anniversary, our patriotism should continue to include honoring our immigrant neighbors and the many ways they contribute to our country’s greatness. Courtesy of Kentucky Lantern
	Virginia’s reproductive rights amendment faces legal challenges over procedural step, language Attendees of the Virginia March For Life on April 22, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)A legal challenge to Virginia’s pending reproductive rights amendment is headed toward a hearing later this month, with potential implications for two other pending constitutional amendments. At the center of Bansley v. Nardo is an argument that the clerk of the House of Delegates, Paul Nardo, failed to send copies of the amendment to circuit court clerks across the state — a longtime requirement in Virginia’s multi-year constitutional amendment process. The requirement was intended to increase public awareness of pending referendums by prompting clerks to post amendment language outside courthouses. In modern times, lawmakers argued that information is readily available online and through news organizations, which is why they removed the requirement earlier this year through House Bill 1384. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed the measure in February when she advanced the constitutional amendments. Before appearing on statewide ballots, the amendments had to pass the legislature in two separate sessions with a House election in between. The clerk postings would have been an additional procedural step. Because HB 1384 was signed after Virginia’s pending constitutional amendments initially passed and after they passed a second time, Bedford County Supervisor Charla Bansley argues the process should be invalidated. Lawsuit claims violation of constitutional amendment process, but new law may invalidate that charge Nardo, the lead defendant in the case, otherwise would have been required to send copies to all 133 circuit court clerks in Virginia. Court filings from Bansley’s attorneys with Liberty Counsel argue she has standing to sue because of ”flagrant violations of the processes in place at the time the proposed constitutional amendment was considered and approved by the General Assembly.” “Virginia citizens have the right to a transparent, orderly constitutional change, and any misstep undermines the integrity of the amendment process and can interfere with the will of the voters,” Liberty Counsel founder Matt Staver said in a statement. At a hearing later this month in Bedford County, a judge could determine whether the case should proceed, whether Nardo’s request to move the case to Richmond should be granted and whether a group called Virginians For Reproductive Freedom can join as co-defendants. An after-the-fact test Legal historian Lauren MacIvor Thompson said the case reminds her of how the Comstock Act has resurfaced in anti-abortion debates in recent years. The “zombie law,” as she described it, dates to the 19th century and prohibited the mailing of pornography and abortifacients. The federal law was largely dormant until local governments in Virginia and elsewhere began citing it in ordinances aimed at banning the mailing of abortion medication. It is also central to a Louisiana case that could lead to a national ban on mailing abortion pills if the U.S. Supreme Court revisits the issue later this year. “We have these laws on books that are relics from a completely different time and a completely different historic context,” Thompson said. How a 19th century law, central to a national telehealth abortion case, could impact Virginia In Bansley v. Nardo, the now-repealed Virginia statute is not nearly as old as the Comstock Act. It dates to 1971, the last time Virginia broadly rewrote its constitution. Defending the repeal earlier this year, Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, called the requirement a “holdover.” House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, disagreed, saying “passing a post-facto law, I think, is wrong on its face.” If a court sides with Bansley and strikes down the amendment on a procedural technicality, Thompson said the “cascading effects” could be significant. For example, she noted that “people can be pro-contraception but still anti-abortion,” referring to the amendment’s protections for contraception, fertility treatments and abortion access. If one falls, do the others? Virginia also has pending constitutional amendments to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions who have completed their sentences and to protect same-sex marriage. Thompson said a voter planning to oppose the reproductive rights amendment could still support one or both of the others. Virginians for Reproductive Freedom campaign manager Han Jones said lawmakers ultimately advanced the amendments so voters — not courts — could decide them. Although the other amendments advanced alongside the reproductive rights proposal, their fate is not necessarily tied together. Still, a ruling in Bansley’s favor could open the door to similar challenges. Randolph-Macon College political science professor Lauren Bell said judges typically rule on a case-by-case basis, limiting decisions to the dispute before them. If the reproductive amendment were struck down and someone sought to challenge the other two, Bell said they could file separate lawsuits citing the Bansley case. A judge could also choose to rule more broadly in the Bansley case. “Judges do sometimes issue decisions that go beyond the scope of the issues in the case,” she said. A matter of words While the next steps in the effort to strike down the amendment may become clearer soon, a separate legal challenge is also moving forward. A Bluefield Town Council member and a child psychologist are being represented by the legal arm of the Family Foundation, a conservative advocacy group that hosts Virginia’s annual March For Life rally. Josh Hetzler, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said his clients are not seeking to block the amendment. Instead, they argue the ballot language is “deceptive” unless it is rewritten before early voting begins Sep. 18. Ballot language: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to protect the freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care; protect doctors, nurses, and patients from being punished for these decisions; and allow for restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient’s health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive?” After an early June hearing in Tazewell — where the case originated, along with the lawsuit that ultimately struck down Virginia’s redistricting amendment earlier this year — Jones said Virginians For Reproductive Freedom is waiting to hear if they can intervene as a defendant in that case as well. Requests for comment from the Family Foundation were not returned before publication. Ohio faced a similar dispute ahead of its 2023 reproductive rights amendment, and the ballot language was ultimately changed. Voters still approved the amendment. “It is not surprising that voters have turned out to vote for these things, even in purple or redder states,” Jones said. Outside the courtroom, campaigns supporting or opposing the amendment are expected to ramp up. Jones’ organization sponsored an advertising campaign last year highlighting the amendment’s long path to the ballot and had identified lawmakers who supported it during the 2025 House of Delegates elections. Meanwhile, Women Speak Out Virginia — a partner organization of national anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life — organized door-knocking efforts in swing districts last year centered on the amendment. “We know what these groups are, we know what they want,” Jones said of groups opposing the amendment. “We’re confident these cases will not stand and that voters are going to be able to make their voices heard this November.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Virginia Mercury
	LIST: What's open for the 4th of July this year? Forgot the hot dogs and fireworks? Need a snack on the road?

Saturday, July 4th, 2026

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