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

Wednesday, May 6th, 2026
	Police say Australian women with alleged IS ties face charges on return from Syria The Australian government had been alerted Wednesday that four women and nine children had booked flights from Damascus to Australia, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said.
	City and Augustana College share plans for proposed Rock Island 550-acre land, water reserve Officials discussed the city’s partnership with Augustana students and faculty, who will help study the area’s ecosystem and gather community feedback to help create a long-term management plan for the wetlands.
Tuesday, May 5th, 2026
	Will gas prices soon cool drastically in Iowa and Illinois, other states? After spiking last week, double-digit dips could be coming soon.
	Alleman survives United Township in 2OT thriller, wins on second penalty shootout Alleman girls soccer defeated United Township in a thrilling double overtime and second penalty shootout.
	United Township defeats Moline 4-1 United Township baseball defeated Moline 4-1 at home.
	Davenport man accused of brandishing a firearm during road rage incident A 21-year-old Davenport man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly pointed a handgun at another person during what authorities are calling a road rage incident.
	Davenport man arrested after allegedly asking minor for nude photo over Instagram A Davenport man has been arrested for allegedly asking a 14-year-old girl to send him a nude photo of herself over the social media platform Instagram.
	Vance touts taxes, trade and American jobs during Iowa visit The vice president will visit Ex-Guard Industries with Republican Rep. Zach Nunn and deliver remarks.
	Iowa Democrats challenge Vance and Nunn over Burlington CNH plant closures Iowa Democrats challenge Vance and Nunn over Burlington CNH plant closures and GOP policies following the Vice President's recent visit to Iowa.
	US Marshals arrest Illinois man on Scott County sexual abuse warrant The U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Task Force arrested Miguel Rodriguez at his home in the Lake Holiday community near Sandwich, Illinois, on Tuesday.
	Anonymous $200,000 donation to the Muscatine Art Center helps cover funding cuts The center lost a significant portion of its funding while the City of Muscatine worked to make up a $700,000 budget shortfall.
	Vance touts taxes, tariffs and American jobs during Iowa visit The vice president will visit Ex-Guard Industries with Republican Rep. Zach Nunn and deliver remarks.
	Man charged with pointing gun at driver during road rage incident north of Stockton 21-year-old Traveon Hall is charged with assault while displaying a weapon in connection to the incident.
	Body recovered from Cedar River after man disappeared Monday night According to the Cedar Rapids Police Department, 33-year-old Dakota Freese was pulled under after wading into the river to recover fishing gear he'd dropped.
	Man charged with pointing gun at driver during road rage incident north of Stockton 21-year-old Traveon Hall is charged with assault while displaying a weapon in connection to the incident.
	Crews respond to large junkyard fire in Kewanee A plume of smoke could be seen from miles away.
	Rock Island holds meeting about proposal wetlands land and water reserve The next steps are to map out the wetland's habitats and understand how the health of the area has changed over the last 30 years.
	Taxes, tariffs and American jobs were top of mind during Vance’s Iowa visit The vice president will visit Ex-Guard Industries with Republican Rep. Zach Nunn and deliver remarks.
	New momentum in research offers hope for people living with lupus (BPT) - Since she was 8 years old, Nancy Mize Gonzalez dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. She practiced for hours a day every day, and it paid off. At 16, Gonzalez was accepted into a college music program to pursue her dreams."Everything was beautiful, and I was thriving," said Gonzalez. "But one morning I woke up, and my hands were stiff — fingers aching so much that it hurt to move them. Every single note was excruciating to play."At 18, Gonzalez's world changed as her doctors diagnosed her with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease.A condition that affects millionsGonzalez is not alone — as lupus affects millions of people worldwide."In lupus, the same immune system that helps us defend ourselves from infections mistakenly thinks that our own body is a harmful invader and attacks," said Dr. Roberto Caricchio, Myles J. McDonough chair in Rheumatology and chief of the Division of Rheumatology at UMass Chan Medical School. "Because lupus is systemic, it can attack any organ, such as the kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, and skin, as well as blood and joints. No one's experience is the same."Despite its prevalence, many people are unaware of what lupus is or how it impacts people with the condition. That's why this May, during Lupus Awareness Month, the Lupus Research Alliance, the world's largest private funder of lupus research, and dedicated members of the worldwide lupus community are celebrating "Hope in Action: The Future of Lupus" — increasing awareness, supporting those living with lupus, and raising funds to fuel research to treat and one day cure this debilitating autoimmune disease.Research breakthroughs provide hopeFor decades, lupus has been one of the most complex autoimmune diseases for researchers to understand and treat, largely because the disease affects each person differently and involves many immune pathways. For 50 years, there were no treatments specifically approved by the FDA for lupus.However, since 2011, scientific momentum has been building toward today's research renaissance. Four targeted therapies are now FDA-approved across systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis, and hundreds of clinical trials are currently underway investigating potential new treatments. Researchers are uncovering new insights into how lupus develops, identifying biomarkers for earlier detection, and advancing therapies designed to target the disease more precisely.One organization that has been at the forefront of lupus research over the past two decades is the Lupus Research Alliance. To drive discovery and development of next-generation lupus diagnostics and curative treatments, the Lupus Research Alliance funds the most innovative research, fosters scientific talent, and drives discovery toward better diagnostics, improved treatments and, ultimately, a cure for lupus.Since its inception, the Lupus Research Alliance has:Awarded more than 675 grants and invested over $284 million in lupus research grants.Funded or supported the only four new treatments developed specifically for lupus.Established Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance, which is involved in more than 25% of active lupus clinical trials.Launched Lupus Ventures, the world's only venture capital fund dedicated to lupus, its manifestations, and related autoimmune conditions.The Lupus Research Alliance's work and recent progress in lupus treatments have emboldened other organizations and individuals to do their part to raise awareness of the disease and support research. For instance, because of her desire to know more about her condition and to help others, Gonzalez switched careers.After pursuing her M.D./Ph.D. degrees at Texas A&M College of Medicine, she will soon start a neurosurgery residency in Houston. She is also an executive member of the Lupus Research Alliance Young Leaders Board."Back when I was first diagnosed, I asked my doctors, 'What's lupus? What does autoimmune mean? Will I get better? What's the cure?' I was always met with the same answer: 'We don't know. We need more research,'" said Gonzalez. "Eventually, you get tired of hearing that. So, I decided to go back to school, to become a doctor and be able to give other patients the answers I struggled to find."Everyone can do their partWhile curing lupus may not be a reality yet, there is hope on the horizon."This is an unprecedented time in lupus," said Dr. Caricchio, Vice Chair of the Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (LuCIN), overseen by the Lupus Research Alliance's clinical affiliate Lupus Therapeutics. "The next step is ensuring that these advances translate into real-world approaches and therapies that improve daily life for people living with lupus — slowing disease progression while minimizing side effects."Realizing that future requires collective work — and everyone can play a part. There are several ways to get involved — like donating to fuel new breakthroughs, taking part in research, and taking time to learn about lupus and raising awareness."With still only a handful of therapies ever approved for lupus, the next wave of breakthroughs could redefine treatment for millions worldwide — and we're right at that precipice," Albert T. Roy, president and CEO of the Lupus Research Alliance, said. "By working together, we have a real opportunity to bring people living with this disease closer to a cure."To learn more about lupus, support those living with the disease, and donate to fuel breakthroughs, visit LupusResearch.org.
	Mercado on 5th returns with food, vendors and live entertainment Mercado on Fifth will open for its 10th season in downtown Moline.
	City of Rock Island hosts informational meeting on proposed preservation area People in Rock Island got their first look at a proposed land and water reserve near the Milan Bottoms Tuesday night. Some faculty and students at Augustana College are conducting a study to see how the land should be treated. "It's a great place where if the students have the need, we can transform it [...]
	Rock Island police announce promotions for 2 veteran officers Lt. Timothy Muehler will be appointed as Rock Island's new deputy chief of police, and Officer Mario Mendoza will be promoted to the rank of police sergeant, according to a release.
	May events in the Quad Cities expected to generate $4.8M economic impact From golf championships to international handball tournaments, Visit Quad Cities said it takes a lot of work to bring such events to town. Here's how they do it.
	DeWitt teen accused of sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl The 19-year-old was arrested Saturday and booked into the Clinton County Jail. He was released from the jail after posting a $50,000 cash-only bond.
	Gas prices top $4 a gallon in Iowa Quad Cities as costs continue to climb Gas prices in the Iowa Quad Cities have topped $4 a gallon, marking a sharp weekly increase. See how Iowa prices compare to Illinois and the U.S. average.
	Trump-backed Ramaswamy wins Ohio governor primary, setting up a competitive Nov. race In Ohio, where a Democrat hasn't won an election for governor in 20 years, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton could be in for a tight race this fall.
	QCA shelter helps in nationwide beagle rescue King's Harvest Pet Rescue spent the day contributing to what's become a nationwide effort to house beagles rescued from Ridglan Farms, a biomedical research facility in Wisconsin. It's led by a Florida-based organization, Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Hundreds of volunteers and shelters - like Kings Harvest - have given the dogs a chance at a [...]
	Iowa congressional primary races take shape ahead of June election JD Vance campaigns for Rep. Zach Nunn as Iowa voters prepare to choose nominees for the upcoming primary elections across the state's four districts.
	Galesburg children's museum opens new experience that mimics Judy's Family Cafe Little Judy's Cafe at the Discovery Depot is a play-sized version of the real deal and gives kids a chance to make "the best pancakes" like the social media star.
	Annual MLK Jr. Food Drive returns to tackle food insecurity in the Quad Cities Between May 6-20, food donation boxes will be available all over the QCA, including many Hy-Vee stores and libraries. All of the food will stay local.
	No injuries reported after Kewanee junkyard fire No injuries were reported following a junkyard fire in Kewanee. The fire started around 2:00 p.m. May 5 when workers inside a building at Cernovich Auto & Truck Wrecking on E. 6th St. were removing equipment, causing a spark to light some fuel. Eight fire departments, including Tulon, Kewanee, Wyoming and Galva and other agencies [...]
	Davenport wastewater plant flood project gets nearly $3 million in federal funding The federal funding will help fortify a plant that treats wastewater for Davenport, Bettendorf, Riverdale and Panorama Park.
	$3M federal funds earmarked for Davenport flood mitigation, Miller-Meeks says Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks secured $3 million in federal funding to boost flood mitigation efforts and infrastructure in Davenport, Iowa.
	Willard Elementary selects interim principal for next year Willard Elementary School will have a new principal starting next year for its last year before retirement.
	Muscatine Art Center receives $200,000 anonymous donation The Muscatine Art Center received great financial news recently when an anonymous donor said they were making a $200,000 donation to make up for losing funding from the city. Mark Seaman, president of the Board of Trustees of the Muscatine Arts Center, spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to share the details of [...]
	Interim principal named for Willard Elementary School in Moline A new interim principal has been named for Willard Elementary School in Moline. According to a release, the Moline-Coal Valley School District announced the appointment of Jennifer Graves to the position for the 2026-2027 school year. Graves will succeed principal Doug Bodeen, who was appointed as principal of Hamilton Elementary School. Graves earned a Master [...]
	Alabama House, Senate committees approve bills that could alter primary elections Rep. A.J. McCampbell, D-Linden (left) questions Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile (foreground) about a bill that would allow new primary elections if the U.S. Supreme Court allows the state to redistrict on May 5, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)Two legislative committees Tuesday advanced bills that could lead to new primary dates in Alabama, if federal courts allow state to revert back to congressional and legislative maps previously ruled racially discriminatory. HB 1, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, would allow for a new special election if the U.S. Supreme Court lifts an injunction preventing the state from redrawing congressional maps before 2030. Secretary of State Wes Allen and Attorney General Steve Marshall sought to have the injunction removed last week after the U.S. Supreme Court significantly weakened a key part of the Voting Rights Act. “This allows us to have a special election using the plan that this legislative body passed in 2023 and was signed by the governor,” Pringle said to the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee. SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, would allow special elections in Senate Districts 25 and 26 outside Montgomery if the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturns a district court finding that the shape of those districts denied Black voters an opportunity to choose their own voters. If the Supreme Court overturns the 2030 injunction, the state would revert to a 2023 map approved by the Legislature that federal courts later ruled to be racially discriminatory. Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, drawn by a court, would be the most affected; the Black Voting Age Population (BVAP) would drop from 48.7% to 39.9%. That would likely make the district, currently represented by U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, Republican-leaning. Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, speaks to the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee about a bill to set new primary schedules if the U.S. Supreme Court allows the state to redistrict on May 5, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) If the orders are dissolved or overturned after the May 19 primaries or June 16th runoffs, those results would be nullified and new elections would take place. There would not be runoffs for the new primaries. HB 1 advanced out of the committee on a voice vote split across party lines. At a public hearing, no individuals spoke in support of the bill and GOP members of the committee said very little about it. Democrats have denounced the session as an attack on Black representation in Congress, and several in the House committee Tuesday criticized Republicans for trying to restore a map deemed discriminatory. “So because the map was racist then, the map just apparently won’t be racist now, if the Supreme Court changes their mind and allow a different opportunity, a different path forward,” said Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Prichard, during the meeting. Rep. A.J McCampbell, D-Linden, said the Legislature is using the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais to push for a new map and election. “The members of this body have elected to make this an issue in Alabama. That’s what has happened. It’s not, let’s not go there and say, because they changed the law that now we have got to go and do this. 2030 was still a fair option. We didn’t have to do this right now,” he said. Eliza Jane Franklin of Barbour County holds up a copy of “Witness to Injustice,” a book by David Frost Jr. about racial violence and the Civil Rights Movement in Eufala, Alabama while speaking to the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee on May 5, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Franklin spoke in opposition to a bill that would set new primary dates should the U.S. Supreme Court allow the state to use maps ruled racially discriminatory in the past. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Public commenters at the meeting also opposed passing the bill. “When districts are drawn unfairly, communities are divided, voices are diluted, and trust in our system begins to erode,” Agnes Lover, pastor at St. Paul AME Church in Montgomery, said to the committee. “People start to feel like their vote does not matter, like the outcome has already been decided before a single ballot is passed, and when people lose faith in their vote, they begin to disengage altogether.” Eliza Jane Franklin, founder of the Black Heritage Society of Eufaula who spoke against the legislation, said after the meeting, she felt like legislators had no regard for voters. “I’m saddened because we thought things had progressed,” she said. “We thought that maybe on the federal level, we have someone who is in office who is problematic, but on the state level we thought there was a change. And coming here today, I’m saddened to say there is no real change and we have to speak up about it.” The one-time special election would have to have its results certified by Aug. 26 and would cost the State General Fund $4.5 million to reimburse the counties in the affected districts for election expenses. Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, was critical of the funding that would go towards the election. “Every time I bring up mental illness, we’re told we don’t have the money,” she said. “Where are we getting the money from now to have a special election and to pay all these lawyer fees so we don’t see anything wrong by putting another burden on the general fund when we’re really not taking care of the business of the citizens of the state of Alabama.” Bracy said despite the bill advancing out of committee, there will still be a fight to stop it. “It’s not gonna go quietly, but I don’t know what people expect when you put a committee together of 15 people and you have four Black people on it fighting for the Black community in the state of Alabama,” he said. “I don’t know what other outcome people expect, but just know that our voices will not be silenced.” Democratic Sens. Vivian Davis Figures of Mobile, Kirk Hatcher of Montgomery, Bobby Singleton of Greensboro and Merika Coleman of Pleasant Grove speaking before a committee meeting on May 5, 2026, in the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama, on the second day of the special session addressing legislation on special primary elections for court-altered legislative districts. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) On the opposite side of the Statehouse, the Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee approved a bill setting a new primary election for two Montgomery-area Senate districts along party lines. Sens. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, and Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, who respectively represent Districts 25 and 26 have swapped districts for the 2026 election cycle because of a court-ordered map put in place in November. “SB 1 deals with a potential for a special election in essentially, Senate Districts 25 and 26 if the federal courts issue an order to vacate an injunction allowing the Legislature to use maps that we previously enacted for our own Senate districts,” Elliott said. The committee approved the legislation after a public hearing that consisted of only opponents, including Tabitha Isner, vice-chair of the Alabama Democratic Party and the party’s nominee for the court-ordered Senate District 26. “The number one issue that I faced thus far is helping voters to understand where is the district, because it changed in November,” Isner said. “Much effort and expense from taxpayers, and from people in this room, has been put into making sure that voters understand where District 26 is, and you want to pull out the rug from them again.” Isner said the bill was “about cheating the system.” “This is about disenfranchising voters, and it’s not just Black voters,” she said. “I’m a white Democrat, and I’m not alone. I deserve to have representation in this government too, and saying that we can disenfranchise Black folks by simply disenfranchising Democrats does not get you off the hook. Disenfranchisement is disenfranchisement. Either you respect all the people of this state who you represent, or you don’t.” Jerome Dees, policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, argued that the bill was unlawful because of a state constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2022 that prohibits changes to a general election within six months of an election. “Never mind that the current primary is already underway with absentee ballots sent that has already created confusion for voters, burdens election officials and risks undermining public confidence in our democratic process,” Dees said. “Alabama voters deserve certainty, clarity and stability, not an election system sustained on speculative outcomes.” Elliott said the bill will only affect primary elections, and the general election for both Senate districts will be on Nov. 3. Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, annotating legislation prior to a committee meeting on May 5, 2026, in the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama, on the second day of the special session addressing legislation on special primary elections for court-altered legislative districts. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) “This is not a general election. This is a primary election. And so words matter, and certainly the words of the Constitution matter,” Elliott said. “When we talk about a general election, we’re talking about a general election that’s typically held in November and specifically not held in May or any other part of the summer. It’s not applicable, because this is not a general election.” The bill uses a winner-takes-all primary election model with no runoff. Hatcher offered an amendment to add a runoff primary election. Currently, there are three Democratic candidates running for Senate District 25, including Hatcher. “What I’m after is, the bill is indicating no runoff in an election, and what I’m attempting to correct is that there would be a runoff,” Hatcher said. Elliott disapproved of the amendment and it failed. “I certainly understand the purposes of it, and I would say simply that the reason the language is in the bill as drafted is for a timing concern, admittedly a timing issue that the courts have put us in,” Elliott said. Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, criticized Elliott’s position that it is the courts’ fault that the Legislature is in a special session. “The court didn’t say that we had to come back and do a special session. It didn’t say that. The court didn’t say we have to spend all of this money, taxpayer dollars, to come here,” Coleman said. “The court actually drew neutral maps because you all chose not to. That’s what happened.” Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, offered an amendment to require public notice of the new primary election in order to avoid confusion caused by a new election. “We’re talking about people’s right to vote and having notice of where they vote, and what this bill is going to do is confuse a lot of people, as it has been stated already in this public hearing. So if that is your aim, then you definitely don’t want the amendment,” Figures said. “But if you want the people to know where they vote, then you would have no problem with this amendment.” The amendment failed, but Elliott said in an interview after the meeting that he would consider the amendment again if it was offered on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “We have plenty of opportunities to address that amendment, but I want to do so informed, measured and with good information on cost and resources and everything else that it’s going to take to implement that,” Elliott said. “I don’t necessarily have an objection to it. I just want to make sure that we have an opportunity to fully vet what she’s asking for there.” The full Senate will consider SB 2 when it meets on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. The House will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday to consider HB 1. Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Tuesday temps about 25° colder than Monday's - how long will it stay this way? We hit 83° on Monday afternoon...and we won't even get close to 80° for several days now. In fact, we don't even warm up to 70° for a few more days. Average for a high right now is right at 70°. Tuesday afternoon temps are about 25° cooler than what we had Monday. We do [...]
	Judy's Family Cafe and Discovery Depot Children's Museum team to bring more visitors to Galesburg Two big attractions in Galesburg are teaming up to help bring more visitors to the city. Judy's Family Cafe is bringing their viral name to the Discovery Depot Children's Museum. They held a ribbon cutting ceremony for Little Judy's, a mock restaurant for the kids. Little Judy's adds to the rest of the town square [...]
	PHOTO GALLERY: North Scott Educational Foundation Scholarships The North Scott Educational Foundation held its annual Scholarship Night Wednesday, April 29, celebrating 40 years of presenting financial awards to North Scott students. This year, a total of $230,950 was presented, amounting to 161 scholarships given to 112 seniors. In the Foundation’s 40-year history, more than 1,600 scholarships, totaling more than $2.5 million have been presented.
	Still unclear what the loud boom heard in Moline over the weekend was News 8 is working to find out what caused a loud boom in the Quad Cities that many reported Saturday night.
	Large fire breaks out at Kewanee junk yard Kewanee police officials said there are no evacuations or road closures in the surrounding area, but they are asking community members to avoid the area.
	Auxiliary lock at Locks and Dam 14 in Pleasant Valley to remain closed for the summer In past years, the Army Corps of Engineers has operated the lock on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
	Americans might love Cinco de Mayo, but few know what they’re celebrating Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo doesn’t mark Mexican Independence.
	International handball tournament coming to TBK Bank Sports Complex Joan Kranovich with Visit Quad Cities joined The Current on News 8 to discuss the tournament's economic impact, as well as some other events coming to our area.
	Man killed in April 16 Clinton house fire, suspect charged with arson News 8 has obtained an incident report from the April 16 fire that shows a 64-year-old man was killed as a result of the fire.
	Arc of the Quad Cities kicking off annual Martin Luther King Jr. food drive Once again, the drive is being held in partnership with the Quad Cities Disabilities Awareness Coalition.
	Still unclear what the loud boom heard in Moline over the weekend was News 8 is working to find out what caused a loud boom in the Quad Cities that many reported Saturday night.
	Take a swing at fighting crime at the Crime Stoppers Golf Outing You can take a swing at fighting crime and enjoy a great day on the golf course. Detective Jon Leach joined Our Quad Cities News with details on the Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities' John Bell Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, click here.
	Pennsylvania sues Character.AI over claims chatbot posed as doctor State officials allege a Character.AI bot claimed to be a licensed psychiatrist and provided a fake state medical license number.
	Crews respond to fire in Kewanee Kewanee police officials said there are no evacuations or road closures in the surrounding area, but they are asking community members to avoid the area.
	Two charged in connection with two-month car burglary string in Davenport and Bettendorf In a joint investigation, the departments arrested 26-year-old Kevin De'Andre Cooks and 20-year-old Karmelo Tayshun Cooke on Thursday, April 30.
	Scott Turow's latest real-life legal thriller: Suing Meta for copyright infringement Five major publishing houses and the bestselling author are suing Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg for allegedly training its Llama generative AI models on millions of copyrighted materials.
	Community input wanted as East Moline School Board begins search for next superintendent The East Moline School District 37 Board of Education has started its search for a new superintendent.
	Anonymous $200,000 donation to the Muscatine Art Center helps cover funding cuts The center lost a significant portion of its funding while the City of Muscatine worked to make up a $700,000 budget shortfall.
	Stolen AirPods tracked, leading to arrests in Quad-Cities burglary spree Police in Davenport tracked a pair of stolen AirPods to an apartment where investigators say they found more items reported stolen in both Davenport and Bettendorf.
	2 arrested following string of vehicle thefts in Davenport, Bettendorf Both police departments noted an increase in vehicle thefts and burglaries during March and April. Two men have been arrested in connection.
	Crews respond to fire in Kewanee Kewanee police officials said there are no evacuations or road closures in the surrounding area, but they are asking community members to avoid the area.
	Plume of smoke seen across Kewanee, Henry County A large plume of smoke can be seen across Henry County Tuesday afternoon.
	Two arrested by Davenport, Bettendorf Police on burglary, theft charges Two men from Davenport have been arrested after a joint investigation by the Davenport and Bettendorf Police Departments into a series of vehicle burglaries and other offenses taking place in the two cities throughout March and April. A news release from the departments said Bettendorf Police noted a significant increase in vehicle thefts and thefts [...]
	Kreator, May 18 Touring in support of this past January's Krushers of the World, the 16th studio album by the German thrash-metal outfit that debuted more than four decades ago, Kreator brings its latest North American tour to Davenport's Capitol Theatre on May 18, other recent smash hits for the band including Phantom Antichrist, Hate Über Allies, and 2017's chart-topping Gods of Violence.
	How the Davenport Police Department's Good Neighbor Project is strengthening our community In an effort to foster safety and connection, the Davenport Police Department is working with area partners through its Good Neighbor Project. Our Quad Cities News' Danielle Davis takes a look at how the partnerships are making a difference in our community. For more information, click here. To download the Good Neighborhood Project starter kit, [...]
	John Corabi & Friends, May 16 Touring in support of his 2026 album New Day, a long-awaited release that The Rockpit said "may just be the best we have heard from John so far," legendary hard-rock singer/guitarist John Corabi and several gifted musician friends perform a May 16 concert event at Moline venue Rascals Live, Corabi revered as the frontman of The Scream during 1989 and of Mötley Crüe (during Vince Neil's hiatus) between 1992 and 1996.
	Keenan TreVon, May 16 Hailed by Westword for his "catchy melodies and experimental production," R&B and soul singer/songwriter Keenan TreVon headlines a May 16 engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the Colorado native lauded for such recent songs as “3 Days,” “11PM in Aurora,” and “She Goes by Denver.”
	Fai Laci, May 20 Touring in support of the June 26 release of their album Elephant in the Room, the Boston-based alternative rockers of Fai Laci headline a May 20 engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the outfit praised by RIFF magazine for delivering "bold, in your face, balls-to-the-wall, good old-fashioned rock."
	Earth Tongue, May 21 Touring in support of their recently released album Dungeon Vision that New Noise magazine deemed “easily one of the best heavy, riffy albums of the year,” the New Zealand-based alt-rockers of Earth Tongue headline a May 21 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, their latest also hailed by Tinnitist as a recording that "pulses with human energy, fuzz guitars, bone-battering drums, and hauntingly tuneful vocals."
	“A Wicked Evening with Louise Dearman,” May 16 With the National Touring production of Wicked having played to sold-out crowds at the Prairie Alliance Theater in Peoria, Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre has its own hugely enjoyable, similarly themed performance in store with the May 16 national tour of A Wicked Evening with Louise Dearman, a showcase for the British talent who made history as the first (and, to date, only) actress to play both of that musical's lead roles, Glinda and Elphaba, full time under contract.
	“Kenny & Dolly: Real Love,” May 16 On May 16, the magic of country music will come alive at Maquoketa's Ohnward Fine Arts Center, the touring presentation Kenny & Dolly: Real Love boasting the talents of two award-winning tribute artists who embody the charm, vocals, and onstage chemistry of the original duo of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.
	Ballet Folklórica del Rio Grande, May 15 Appearing as the final guests in Quad City Arts' 2025-26 Visiting Artist series, a residency that finds the talents leading educational workshops from May 11 through 15, the dancers' area tenure concludes with a Friday-night performance by Ballet Folklórica del Rio Grande, who will demonstrate their astounding athletic prowess and and grace in a full-length program at East Moline's United Township High School.
	Vice President JD Vance visits Iowa manufacturing facility The vice president will visit Ex-Guard Industries with Republican Rep. Zach Nunn and deliver remarks.
	“Shaped by Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States,” May 16 through November 1 Over the past 250 years, German immigrants and their descendants, particularly in the Midwest, have helped develop, challenge, and improve the United States. The German American Heritage Center will consequently celebrate their history and accomplishments in Shaped by Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States, on display in the Davenport venue from May 16 through November 1.
	2026 Rock Island Arsenal Armed Forces Day Celebration, May 15 and 16 On May 15 and 16, the Rock Island Arsenal invites the public from the greater Quad Cities and beyond to join in the fun and tribute of the annual Armed Forces Day Celebration, a two-day event boasting live music, races, wrestling, food trucks, military displays, fireworks, and more at your island home for military history and heritage.
	Dave Losso, May 17 Headlining a joyously untraditional night of comedy at the Raccoon Motel, touring standup sensation Dave Losso takes over the downtown-Davenport stage on May 14, the funnyman's Stand Up! Records album A Careless Whisper of a Man having reached number two on the iTunes comedy chart and number four on Amazon's chart.
	Automation is coming for business admin, and that’s a good thing: Why entity management tech is becoming standard practice Automation is coming for business admin, and that’s a good thing: Why entity management tech is becoming standard practiceAs businesses continue modernizing their operations in 2026, digital entity management platforms are replacing spreadsheets, paper records, and manual compliance tracking, signaling a broader shift toward automated business governance.Few conversations about business modernization begin with corporate recordkeeping. But they probably should. For decades, the administrative infrastructure holding most businesses together was treated as overhead rather than strategy.That assumption is shifting, and the companies moving fastest are recognizing that how they manage governance, compliance, and corporate structure is becoming a core part of how modern organizations maintain stability, InCorp reports.The Hidden Administrative Burden of Running a BusinessCorporate administration rarely fails all at once. Rather, it tends to wear down through routine work that pulls focus, fragments information, and makes even essential records harder to track with confidence.Much of that pressure still plays out across spreadsheets, email threads, and paper-based files that were never designed to function as governance infrastructure, creating gaps where information can be missed or recorded inconsistently.That strain is reflected in U.S. Chamber of Commerce findings from Q4 2025, where 47% of small businesses say they spend too much time on regulatory compliance, and 73% report that recordkeeping alone demands a significant share of their time each year.The burden extends beyond time into day-to-day execution. In 2023, Adobe found that 48% of workers struggle to locate documents quickly, while nearly half describe their filing systems as confusing or ineffective.Tom Sullivan of the U.S. Chamber noted that these requirements are “complex, time-consuming, and often prevent small business owners from focusing on running and growing their businesses.” InCorp Why Traditional Entity Management Methods Are Breaking DownThe pressure those systems face has grown considerably as businesses expand. A company managing a single entity in one state can track compliance obligations manually with reasonable confidence. But that changes quickly with each new subsidiary, acquisition, or geographic expansion.The pressure those systems face has grown considerably as businesses expand. A company managing a single entity in one state can track compliance obligations manually with reasonable confidence. But that changes quickly with each new subsidiary, acquisition, or geographic expansion.The Opus estimates this deterioration occurs at a rate of roughly 25% per year as of [date].Regulatory requirements have also multiplied across states and countries, making it harder for any manual system to keep up. Thomson Reuters research from 2018 shows compliance officers consistently rank ongoing regulatory change as their single biggest challenge, and that pressure only intensifies as a business operates across more jurisdictions.When records are scattered across disconnected systems, the gaps that were once manageable can become serious liabilities. InCorp The Rise of Digital Entity Management PlatformsAs companies expand across multiple states, the complexity of maintaining compliance increases exponentially, not linearly. What we’re seeing in 2026 is a shift from reactive compliance toward proactive governance infrastructure. Businesses that centralize their entity management and automate routine filings are not only reducing risk but also gaining operational clarity that supports faster, more confident decision-making. Entity management is becoming a core part of how businesses support and manage growth at scale.In response to those pressures, organizations are increasingly treating entity management as core governance infrastructure rather than a background administrative task.Digital entity management platforms now provide a centralized environment for storing corporate records, tracking compliance obligations across jurisdictions, and maintaining visibility into ownership structures as organizations expand.Where documents once lived across email threads and filing cabinets, these systems consolidate them into a single secure repository with role-based access for internal teams and outside advisors.Henrique Canarim, vice president and assistant corporate secretary at Leidos, described the broader significance of this shift, noting that entity management “should be seen as a strategic enabler, not just a compliance requirement,” and that a well-structured entity framework helps position companies to pursue opportunities more efficiently as they grow.Governance technology providers have built platforms around this same premise, supporting the transition away from reactive recordkeeping toward systems designed to help organizations maintain consistent visibility and audit readiness across their corporate structures.Automation and AI in Business AdministrationBuilding that kind of infrastructure requires more than centralized storage. And the platforms gaining traction today are also changing how compliance work actually gets done, moving it away from manual tracking and toward automated processes that run in the background.Filing deadlines trigger automatic reminders before windows close, and documents that once required manual searching can now be located in seconds through indexed, searchable repositories.AI-assisted tools are beginning to change that calculation, helping teams surface relevant documents faster and flag compliance gaps before they become problems. The effect is less about replacing human judgment and more about making sure routine work no longer crowds it out. InCorp Why 2026 Marks a Turning Point for Administrative TechAdoption of these tools is accelerating for reasons that go beyond any single operational need. The broader push toward digital transformation has fundamentally changed what organizations expect from their governance infrastructure, and cloud-based tools have followed naturally from that.A Tata Consultancy survey found that 59% of chief information officers now consider cloud technologies essential for innovation, a figure that reflects how far cloud adoption has traveled across the enterprise.Organizations that once guarded sensitive records behind physical systems have moved that same information into secure cloud platforms, where records stay accessible, consistent, and easier to manage across the business. Distributed teams have sharpened that need considerably.When the people responsible for governance and recordkeeping are spread across cities or time zones, a centralized digital system stops being a convenience and starts being a necessity. And regulatory scrutiny has added another layer to all of this.Across industries, the margin for informal processes has narrowed, and organizations are finding that the systems they once relied on no longer meet the level of oversight being asked of them.That pressure has pushed digital administrative infrastructure past the point of being evaluated as an upgrade over older systems. For a growing number of organizations, it has simply become the expectation.What This Means for the Future of Business OperationsOrganizations that have made this transition are already seeing a change in how their teams work. When compliance tracking runs automatically, and records are always current, the people managing governance spend less time maintaining systems and more time making decisions. That reallocation matters more than it might appear.For years, administrative work has quietly consumed capacity that organizations needed elsewhere, and the cost of that rarely showed up in any single line item. It accumulated in missed opportunities, delayed decisions, and teams stretched too thin to think strategically.Governance is becoming more data-driven and more transparent, and compliance is moving from something organizations react to toward something they stay ahead of. Entity management technology is following the same path that accounting software traveled decades ago, moving from a specialized tool to a standard part of how businesses operate.This story was produced by InCorp and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Virtual Illinois Libraries Presents: “Babel-On with R.F. Kuang,” May 19 With her 2025 novel Katabasis lauded by the New York Times Book Review as a work that "shines with devastatingly real characters and absorbing world building," a bestselling, award-winning takes part in the May 19 virtual conversation Babel-On with R.F. Kuang, a thoughtful and entertaining look into the author's process hosted by Illinois Libraries Present, and offered through the Rock Island and Silvis Public Libraries.
	Tuesday’s adoptable pet: Meet Gwen Gwen has a lot of puppy energy. McRae said Gwen would be great for an active family that wants to take her places.
	North Scott Press — May 6, 2026
	Midwives saved his mom's life -- and inspired him to pursue the profession May 5 is International Day of the Midwife. This year's theme is "one million more" — reflecting a shortage of midwives.
	Celebrating 40 years of scholarships The North Scott Educational Foundation held its annual Scholarship Night Wednesday, April 29, celebrating 40 years of presenting financial awards to North Scott students. This year, a total of $230,950 was presented, amounting to 161 scholarships given to 112 seniors. In the Foundation’s 40-year history, more than 1,600 scholarships, totaling more than $2.5 million have been presented. As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, an additional $40,000 was given out through the Elmer “Happy” and Evelyn Schlunsen Scholarship Fund. This ensured every student who completed an application this year received some form of scholarship. In addition to the additional $40,000 in Schlunsen scholarships, new scholarships this year included the Diana Vollbeer Memorial Scholarship and the Diana Vollbeer Community Scholarship, the Princeton Presbyterian Church Scholarship, the Grell Family Scholarship, the Enyeart Family Scholarship, the Double Barrel Drinkery Scholarship, the Marvin Feist Family Scholarship, the Stephens Music Scholarship, the Ann C. Kuehl Memorial Scholarship and the Jim Schneider Memorial Scholarship. As part of the ceremony, attendees and scholarship winners viewed a video featuring the very first NSEF scholarship recipient, Sara Stephens Kotrba, who received the lone $500 scholarship presented in 1986. She said her NSEF scholarship was “a lot of money back then, and it still is a lot of money. And it made a big dent in the bottom line of my college bill.” She attended Northern Illinois University to study music. While at North Scott, Kotrba was an All-State French horn player and played in the Quad City Youth Symphony. She described herself as a “band geek.” She was also president of the Student Congress and maintained a 4.0 GPA. Kotrba now lives in Eagan, Minn., and is a piano teacher. She and her husband Bill have two college-age children who received scholarships from a foundation similar to the NSEF in Eagan. Kotrba said she now also has the perspective as a parent of how important educational foundations can be. “I was very grateful for the generosity of the local businesses and individuals who had contributed to the fund.” She also said she was able to see first-hand how receiving the scholarships made her children feel, and she thought back to when she received the NSEF scholarship. “The scholarships made them feel as though their efforts were seen and appreciated. And I reflected back to my own experience in receiving an award. “I believe what made the biggest impact on me was that it made me feel like someone noticed all my hard work and had given me some credit. A lot of credit. What the money actually meant was, ‘You are seen and appreciated.’” Kotrba said that, although the financial impact of scholarships is important, “I think of equal importance for me as that 18-year-old who had worked her tail off for four years was the feeling of being seen. My efforts, dedication, sacrifices and contributions were acknowledged and appreciated. “This might be the biggest impact of the North Scott Educational Foundation: the way the gift of money makes students feel. They are valued as graduates of the North Scott School District.” More information on the NSEF, including more on how to endow a scholarship, is available at north-scott.k12.ia.us/district/north-scott-educational-foundation.
	A legacy of generous giving Elmer “Happy” and Evelyn Schlunsen gave an incredible legacy to the North Scott Educational Foundation. What began as a gift of $20,000 in stock to the Foundation in 2006, grew exponentially over the years and eventually culminated in a bequest of more than $1.9 million following Evelyn’s death. This year, the Foundation was able to present an additional $40,000 in scholarships to North Scott seniors, ensuring that every student who submitted a completed application received an award. But who were Elmer and Evelyn Schlunsen? Although they never had any children of their own, the Schlunsens were believers in community and education. That’s part of what drove Evelyn to make her initial gift. Elmer was born in 1912 in Cedar County and was employed as a bulk agent for Standard Oil for 27 years. Among his customers were area farmers as well as the nascent North Scott School District. Elmer, also known as “Happy,” delivered fuel to the school district from its formation in 1956 until his retirement 10 years later. He also worked for seven years at an Iowa Liquor Store. Meanwhile, Evelyn was born in 1917 on a farm in Muscatine County. Orphaned by the age of nine, she was raised by her sister and brother-in-law on their farm near Stockton. She achieved small fame in 1933, when she was honored as the 10 millionth visitor to the Chicago World’s Fair. She graduated from Davenport High School in 1935 and went to work as a teacher in one-room schoolhouses in Liberty and Cleona townships. Shortly before her high school graduation, she met Happy at a dance. “I was dancing with someone else and our eyes met,” she told The NSP in 2017. They were married Jan. 14, 1939, at the Blackhawk Hotel in Davenport and set up house in Eldridge. Their first home was on West Franklin Street, the building that now houses the 2 Sisters shop. Evelyn walked to work at her job as a switchboard operator at the telephone company, located at the east side of the intersection of West Franklin and North Second streets (now Folkinart Gallery). Happy was also a volunteer firefighter. After Happy’s retirement, the couple moved to Davenport, and later to Mesa, Ariz., in 1973. They traveled extensively, and summered in Rexburg, Idaho, for 18 years. But Happy suffered a stroke in 1995, and the couple returned to Davenport to be closer to family. Happy passed away on Jan. 6, 1998. Evelyn remained in Scott County, eventually moving for the final time to Silvercrest Garner Farms in Davenport. She maintained an active lifestyle and played cards with friends every day. Evelyn’s first gift to the Foundation was in 2006, $20,000 in stock. She set up an endowment that would allow for annual scholarships, with the promise that the Foundation would receive a gift after she passed away. “Happy took pride in delivering fuel to the buses and other district vehicles from the time the district was formed in 1956 until his retirement 10 years later,” Evelyn told The NSP in 2006. “Although we did not have children of our own, we always recognized the importance of education to be successful in this complex world. Many people do not get the opportunity to further their education due to rapidly increasing costs.” Evelyn took pride in presenting the scholarships every year, although she did temporarily pause giving in the 2010s after a student failed to send her a thank-you note. She continued to come to Eldridge to make the presentation until after she turned 100. She very much enjoyed making the presentations to students. Former Foundation board member Scott Campbell got to know Evelyn very well over the years. “She was just this neat old, young, lady, and very involved. She always let the Foundation pick (the recipients), but I can remember going out to her apartment in Davenport and talking to her about the kids. Every year, Jim (Tank), Diana (Vollbeer), Evelyn and I would have lunch at The Outing Club just to talk. And she’d get all gussied up to come and have lunch and talk about it.” Evelyn also kept a scrapbook that includes letters from Foundation members, as well as thank-you notes and senior photos from the recipients. Some families even sent her Christmas cards after their student received a scholarship. “It was very important to her,” said Campbell. “And there was a time that she got mad because there was one student who did not send her a thank-you. So, she quit giving for a year or two. It really hurt her that she didn’t get a written thank-you.” Evelyn Schlunsen passed away on Sept. 30, 2024, at Silvercrest at the age of 107. After Evelyn’s death, the Foundation received its promised gift, but board members were stunned by her generosity. “Every time we would talk on the phone, she would say, ‘It’s going to be more when I die,’” Campbell said. “I don’t think anybody, including me or even Jim Tank, probably had any idea how much that ‘more’ was.” Initially, they received a check for approximately $43,000. But as her estate was settled last summer, board members learned Evelyn’s total bequest came out to more than $1.9 million. Just after the estate was finally closed this year, the board received another few thousand dollars, bringing the total gift to nearly $2 million. As that gift is invested and continues to grow, it will ensure students in the North Scott School District will continue to benefit for years to come. Evelyn also bequeathed funds to the Eldridge Park Board and Long Grove Civic League for improvements in those communities, which will include new shelters and permanent restrooms at several parks in Eldridge. “She was just a very giving person,” said Campbell. “I always enjoyed every phone call I got from her. She was very sweet. North Scott is so, so lucky to have someone like that do what she did. And it’s a pretty humble story. Hap was the Standard Oil guy, and his whole thing was just driving around to the farmers. They lived a very unpretentious life here in Eldridge and they just invested very wisely in stocks, and that’s why we’ve got what we have today.”
	“An Introduction to Germany's Imperial Rhine: Part II,” May 17 With the second part of presenter Richard Baldner's program, guests of Davenport's German American Heritage Center will be treated to An Introduction to Germany's Imperial Rhine on May 17, a fascinating exploration of Western Europe's second-longest river interpreted and illustrated within the context of historic imperial Germany, and delivered as part of the venue's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series.
	Giving the gift of education The beginnings were humble. The results have been immeasurable. This year, the North Scott Educational Foundation celebrated 40 years of presenting scholarships to graduating seniors, handing out 161 scholarships to 112 students totaling $230,950. The Foundation has certainly come a long way from its earliest days, when it could only afford to hand out a single scholarship. But since 1986, the Foundation has now handed out more than 1,600 scholarships worth more than $2.5 million. Scott Campbell served on the Foundation board from 1991 until his retirement last year, making him the longest serving board member in the Foundation’s history. “What a blessing it is for our community to have the Foundation,” he said. “The number of lives that have been touched is just immeasurable.” Campbell served on the scholarship committee from his start on the board. “It’s just been a tremendous blessing for me to be able to evaluate the students and go through the process of choosing scholarships. And to see how many we give out today, it’s just awesome. There’s a lot of deserving kids. I know there are people who would not have been able to go to college without a North Scott Educational Foundation scholarship.” Planting the seeds The first seeds for what would become the North Scott Educational Foundation were sewn in the early 1980s. An ad hoc committee that included school board members Kathy Porter, Rex Masterson and Jim Tank was formed in March of 1984 to study forming a non-profit educational foundation. At that time, the stated purpose was to raise funds for the schools, in a manner similar to a university development office. In a memo to the school board recommending the formation of a foundation, then-superintendent Dr. Robert “Bear” Stevens wrote, “The foundation structure is separate from the governing structure of the school district, which gives it the ability to independently argue the financial case for the district. The foundation structure is a time-tested vehicle for mobilizing community support and providing a forum for active participation. The foundation signals a commitment to an active program that can appeal to potential donors.” By the end of 1984, the committee moved forward with plans to form a foundation, now with the express stated purpose of providing scholarships for seniors, as well as staff development programs and educational programs not offered by the district. The first official meeting of the board of trustees was held in October. The 12 original trustees represented every area of the district and were chosen by a school board committee. They included: Chris Rembold of Long Grove; Karen Collins of rural Davenport; Jack Darland of Eldridge; Jeanette Keppy of Eldridge; Dotty Seyfried of rural Walcott; Rev. Gordon Bohlmann of Eldridge; David McLaughlin of Princeton; Jim Tank of Eldridge; Clarence “Butch” Richlen of Dixon; William Flenker of rural Long Grove; Harland Rohlk of Donahue; and Gene Schneckloth of rural Eldridge. “At the inception of the Foundation, the founding members wanted to look at representation from the entire district, and all of the cities and towns that encompass the whole school district to make sure there was a voice and ears and acknowledgement from the district as a whole, not just the central location,” said current NSEF co-president Leah Lahann-Allen. “And although that’s not a strict part of our by-laws, that’s always kind of in the back of our mind – where is the representation coming from and is there a voice for the whole district.” Superintendent Doug Otto, who took over leadership of the district at the start of the 1984-1985 school year, said, “To me, the big advantage of a foundation is that there are many people who do want to see a personal gift go toward education. “It is an organization that’s there for those people that really do believe in providing additional funds for the district.” Just getting started Butch Richlen said fundraising was slow going in the early days. “It was a little difficult. We were just starting, and it was the thought of, well, this is just another organization. “We said, in our first meetings, that we would not hold any benefits to interfere with anything with North Scott High School and their fundraisers. And we didn’t. We advertised and got money that way.” Slowly but surely, funds began to come in. The Foundation awarded its first scholarship of $500 to Sara Stephens in the spring of 1986, with Harland Rohlk making the presentation. The following year, the NSEF gave out two scholarships, worth $200 and $300, and by 1992, it was able to present four $500 scholarships and a $300 award. Behind the scenes, board members were starting to build relationships with community members to solicit donations. Richlen said Jim Tank was a force on the board from its earliest days. “You talk about somebody that worked his rear off,” said Richlen. “He did so much for that Foundation. “I would say he’s the father of the Foundation.” Tank was a longtime banker, working for years at Central Trust & Savings Bank in Eldridge. When CTSB was bought out, Tank later went to work for Northwestern Mutual. One of the earliest relationships Tank formed with regards to the Foundation was with Alfred and Helen Arp. The Arps, who farmed in the Eldridge area, had a long relationship with Tank, going back to when he was with CTSB. In 1986, Tank and Alfred Arp had a conversation that would change the Foundation’s path. They discussed ways Arp could give back to the community, and Tank suggested the NSEF. This lit a spark in Arp, and he made a substantial donation, although he asked that he remain anonymous until after his death. Alfred Arp died on Feb. 7, 1992, and in his will, he left a mutual fund, then valued at more than $320,000 to the Foundation, which would continue to be invested. Tank told the school board that, if the fund continued to earn about 6% interest annually, there would be at least $20,000 available for scholarships per year. Tank also further explained Arp’s gift to the school board. “Although he and Helen had no children, he has always been very interested in young people and their future. Further, he always regretted not having a more formal education of his own, although he was obviously a very intelligent person, with excellent business judgement through the years and a great deal of common sense. “My suggesting that he may do something in a substantial way for young people in this community seemed exciting to him, and leaving a bequest to North Scott for scholarships to needy students to further their education is something he decided to do.” Ruth Arp-Pollard, a longtime friend of the Arps, also explained that Alfred had been unable to attend high school and had often wondered what might have happened if he’d been able to further his education. Campbell agreed with Richlen about Tank’s impact. “Without Jim Tank, this Foundation would not be where we’re at today. We wouldn’t have the Arp Scholarship; we wouldn’t have the Zabel Scholarship; we wouldn’t have the Mickey McArthur Scholarship. We definitely wouldn’t have the Evelyn Schlunsen Scholarship.” It was also thanks to Tank and Evelyn Schlunsen that the NSEF reached a major milestone in 2014, giving out its “Millionth Dollar Scholarship,” a one-time, $7,500 award presented to Abby Nass. Schlunsen gave an additional $5,000 that year, combined with $2,500 from the NSEF endowment. While it took 33 years for the Foundation to reach the $1 million mark for giving, it took less than half that time to produce the second million in awards. The visionaries Campbell said Tank had a passion for North Scott and Eldridge, and the Tank family has a long and storied history in the North Scott area thanks to their connection with CTSB. “Jim was the lifeblood of the Foundation,” said Campbell. “He was not hesitant about talking to people. One of the benefits for him, after he left the bank, he went to work at Northwestern, and he helped people with estate planning and that type of thing. So, it was natural for him to mention to people, have you thought about this, have you thought about that?” Tank also cultivated relationships with residents like Mickey McArthur, who helped create the Bear Stevens Scholarship, and later a scholarship in his own name. Tank also was a major driving force in the donation that would eventually become the Elmer “Happy” and Evelyn Schlunsen Scholarships (see separate story). Diana Vollbeer was another major driving force for the Foundation. “For as influential as Jim was in cultivating the financial part of the Foundation, Diana was truly the one that took it to the next level,” said Campbell. Vollbeer was president of the Foundation board when Campbell joined in 1991, and they served together for more than 20 years. “I had a great relationship with her,” Campbell said. “She was very giving, very organized, and just did a great job of making the Foundation run smoother. She thought of things people wouldn’t think about and she had a vision. She never got paid for it, but it was almost a full-time job for her. It was truly a passion, and the Foundation would not be where it’s at today without her. “The running joke was, who’s going to take over when Diana decides to walk away? Who’s going to do this? Because they knew no one would be able to. She handpicked Debbie Shannon to be her replacement. And Debbie did a wonderful job of filling Diana’s shoes. No one was totally going to fill her shoes, and Debbie would be the first person to say that, but Debbie just kept us on the same path that Diana would have wanted us to stay on.” Lahann-Allen describes Tank and Vollbeer as founding fathers of the Foundation. “They really had a communal aspect to their foresight and the future, and making North Scott – not only the community, but this strong Foundation and a school district that promotes the growth and sustainability of our community for years.” “I think as Leah and I have dived into the work and have had the opportunity to look back at the documents and the work that was done originally, those early leaders were very visionary,” said current NSEF co-president Shelli Engelbrecht. “They started small. I mean, to think that it was just one scholarship, and it was a group of people who just had a common goal, a common belief in the importance of this work.” Working for the students As the Foundation continued to grow throughout the rest of the 1990s and into the 2000s, it also began to see more memorial scholarships formed. “Tragedy always makes people think differently,” said Campbell. “And when you lose people, it’s a great way to honor the memory of somebody. That’s what a lot of our scholarships ended up being. And, unfortunately, there was a time when North Scott had a tremendous amount of tragedy. It was a very dignified way to honor someone’s memory by starting a scholarship. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.” Butch Richlen and his wife formed a scholarship in honor of their son, Mike, who was killed in a work-related accident in 1989. Like other donors, they keep a scrapbook of the recipients that includes thank-you notes and senior photos. But through tragedy, and the expansion of the Foundation’s work, more people began to see the benefits to the students, and that encouraged more donations. Lahann-Allen said there are many reasons people choose to give to the Foundation, and the organization is starting to get more donations from alumni now, too – “those that want to give back, that have been successful in their careers and want to give back to the community where they began.” Her family also endowed a scholarship in memory of her father, Barry, a longtime educator who also served as principal at Alan Shepard Elementary School for many years. “It was just very fitting and appropriate for me to continue that legacy and my parents’ passion for education,” she said. Barry Lahann was also a longtime member of the Foundation board. “We are a way that individuals, families, businesses, organizations can have an impact,” said Engelbrecht. “We’ve received community support from different businesses that may make a one-time donation or support a scholarship and find a way to have a greater impact than what they’re already doing. I think we are slowly becoming more recognized as a place where that can happen.” Continuing the good work Richlen said the board’s members go a long way towards the Foundation’s success. “The thing that makes it so unique is, nobody gets paid. And they all work their butts off to do it.” He said the board is changing rapidly right now. One of the major changes to the scholarship process this year was a move to computerized evaluations from all paper forms. In recent years, the Foundation has also moved from written essays to video essays for all students, although some community scholarships still require additional written essays. “The board is pretty set on what they want to accomplish,” said Richlen. “And we’ve always been that way. We’ve always gotten people on there that do that.” Campbell said there’s also an exciting energy to this board. “With Shelli and Leah, both of them being North Scott grads, it’s just really awesome. They’ve brought a whole new energy. It’s the next generation, and it was time for the next generation to do that. “It was really difficult for me to decide to resign from the Foundation, because I loved it, and I loved leading the scholarship committee. I loved that process. I really loved the connection that I had with the kids, and I really vacillated back and forth what to do. But when I decided to run for mayor, something had to give and unfortunately, that was it.” While Campbell still gets called on from time to time for his institutional knowledge, he said the Foundation is in “such good hands” right now. “If I didn’t feel that way, I probably wouldn’t have walked away, but it is in such good hands. “There are wonderful, wonderful people on that board,” he said. “They have a real heart and a passion for what they do. Serving on the board is truly an honor, when you think about the number of lives that it touches.” “I think we have a great group of people who have such an appreciation for the Foundation, and we are meeting that with being open to change,” said Engelbrecht. “Being open to the fact that the Foundation has grown and post-high school education and training look very different than they did when the Foundation started. I think everyone comes to the board already willing to serve in some way, and I think it’s the unique backgrounds all coming together for that common purpose, appreciating the history that came before us, with the idea of, let’s continue, but let’s also figure out how we can make it even better. What else can we do to continue the legacies and how can we continue to grow? “I think we just have a great group of people right now that come together in that way, and we each bring something different to the table, and it all works. That’s just a little piece of the beauty of what’s happening right now in the Foundation.” Campbell said the board is sound, both financially and in terms of the people on the board right now. “It is set up for the long haul. There will always be a North Scott Educational Foundation because of that. But I am just so impressed with the leadership that they have now, and the people that are on that board. I believe they are all dedicated. They’re all on it for the right reasons; not just to put a feather in their cap. It’s all because they believe in the Foundation and they believe that they really want to help kids. “And with those three things, with the financial stability, with the wonderful leadership that they have, and with this new generation of young leaders, I think the sky is just the limit for the Foundation.” And the current leadership said there are still changes that will need to be made to ensure the success of the nearly $5 million endowment the Foundation currently holds. “It’s changed immensely over the last two years, with basically doubling our assets,” said Lahann-Allen. “The future does need to continue to change, whether it be just a different way of looking at operations. I think we’re going to have to do that in order to manage these funds effectively. And I think we’re going to have to look at our options for future growth.” “We recognize that with an increased endowment, increased scholarships, comes more work,” said Engelbrecht. “And even though we currently have a full board of directors, we donate a tremendous amount of time to make all this work. I think we have to continue to look at ways to get our name out there. We want to continue to grow, and we want to continue to impact as many people as possible. And just be open to whatever will make that happen in the most efficient way possible.” Campbell calls the Foundation North Scott’s best kept secret. “I don’t think North Scott realizes how lucky they are because they have an organization like this. And for Jim Tank and Butch Richlen and the people back in the 80s to have this vision, and for them to think where it’s at today – I don’t think any of them had any idea where we’d be at.” Lahann-Allen said the Foundation also makes North Scott a stronger community. “I think about the families that raise their kids here in North Scott and then how powerful this Foundation is. It just makes it a great place to work and live and raise a family. It’s a piece of a bigger puzzle, but it makes North Scott a pretty cool place to live.” She also said the gift of being able to give back to the students drives the board year after year. “The power of sitting in that auditorium on awards night is so impactful. To the board, to me. And that’s what I reflect on, and it’s kind of what carries you through the year. It’s just a cool event to be a part of, and you see how many lives you touch, and you look at how much money is dispersed in the community that supports it. I think that’s what gives fire to the board and passion to the board.” “I was very, very proud to be a part of starting it,” said Richlen. “And I’m still proud. I think I could walk into that board and sit down and listen to what they have to say and be proud to have been part of it.” “To think that it started in such a humble place and has grown,” said Engelbrecht. “I would love for the founders to see what it has grown into, because I just can’t imagine that they would have had any idea, really, of the growth and impact their work has had.”
	2026 Bishop Hill Civil War Day, May 16 To honor America’s 250th birthday this year, the Bishop Hill Heritage Association will be hosting a variety of activities that look at various aspects of early U.S. history in the 2026 Bishop Hill Civil War Day, the May 16 events including an artillery demonstration, a speech by Union General John Logan, a Civil War music concert, an evening Civil War-era Ball, and, of course, a staged battle.
	“The Last to Fall from Hero Street,” May 21 Presented as part of the library's long-running Community Connections series, a May 21 screening of The Last to Fall from Hero Street will find local Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films sharing their moving documentary at the Bettendorf Public Library, this fifth work in the Rundles' acclaimed Hero Street series followed by a question-and-answer session with the area talents.
	Stew Gillmor: Lancer, Hawkeye, Champion On a state champion per capita basis, Donahue has a case to be called the wrestling capital of Iowa. Home of the John Glenn Patriots, this town of not many more than 300 people certainly punches above its weight. Of North Scott’s seven individual state gold medalists, five of them called Donahue home: Dave Kluever, Sean Stender, Mitch Bowman, Wyatt Wriedt, and Stew Gillmor. “There’s a certain amount of tradition from that town,” said Gillmor, who won the third North Scott individual championship in 2007, after Kluever in 1971 and Stender in 2000. “It’s just happenstance the way it’s worked out. It’s neat to have that little area have so much success in the history of the wrestling program.” Kluever and Stender are already in North Scott’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Bowman and Wriedt’s time will come. This year, it is Gillmor who earns his rightful spot among the Lancer legends. “It was a very pleasant surprise,” Gillmor said of learning of his induction. “When you look back at the culmination of what you’ve done for your home area, your community, to be honored like that makes you step back. It’s pretty humbling. “Donahue and North Scott are places that I’m always going to consider home. When you are honored by your peers and your hometown like this, it means the world.” Gillmor was a two-sport athlete as a kid, but baseball yielded to wrestling by the time he entered high school. Both Stew and his younger brother Walt grew up on the mats, and both found success at the youth level. Stew qualified for the AAU state tournament five times, medaled three times, and won it in his eighth-grade season, 2003. One year later, Walt joined him as an AAU state champion. “I started (wrestling) in kindergarten. We took it slow. Each year, we got a little bit better and liked it more and more,” Gillmor said. “When I got into high school, I knew it was what I wanted to do. There was a good chance to get to the next level, to college, in my mind.” Gillmor had the right man for the job to teach him the ways of the grappler. Dan Mashek was his head coach for all four years of high school. “I remember when we got word we were getting Dan Mashek — I wasn’t quite in high school yet — I remember my dad telling me it was a really big deal,” Gillmor said. “He was fantastic. When you understand everything he did at Don Bosco, and what he built North Scott into, you felt like you were being led by somebody who was top-notch.” After a rough start to his freshman season, Gillmor rounded into form after Christmas break. He went on to win the first of his four Mississippi Athletic Conference championships. To this day, Gillmor is the only Lancer to win MAC gold all four years. The biggest factor in the adjustment to and early success at the high school, he says, was improvements in his technique. “When you go from middle school to high school age kids, and those upperclassmen are bigger and stronger than you, learning how to deal with that was big,” Gillmor said. “The whole experience, the weight cuts, training with better guys. Once you have a taste of success, you start to have more belief.” Later that season, Gillmor qualified for the first of his four state tournaments. When Gillmor graduated, only he and Greg Green wrestled at Des Moines’ big dance all four years of high school. The next winter, in his sophomore season, Gillmor won his first of three medals at the state tournament. It was another feat he and only one other Lancer — Sean Stender — had accomplished by the mid-2000s. Gillmor placed eighth at that state tournament. “In a weird way, it was bittersweet. I had an unfortunate loss on the consolation side, and I thought I could have climbed higher,” he said. “On one hand, it’s a sense of accomplishment. On the other, a sense of disappointment that I could have finished better. Sometimes, those setbacks lay the groundwork for what’s to come in the future. It drives you.” Each year of high school, Gillmor bumped up one weight class: 130, 135, 140 and 145. And each season, he got one step closer to his ultimate goal. In his junior season, Gillmor reached the championship semifinals for the first time. There, against Phil Sexton of Cedar Rapids Prairie, somebody Gillmor had beaten every single time they ever wrestled, the Lancer lost a 5-4 decision. This loss quashed Gillmor’s title run and ended a multiyear-long dream. “After my freshman year, my goal was to become North Scott’s first two-time state champion,” Gillmor said. “It was very heartbreaking losing that match… Losing that goal as well hurt a lot. You feel like you’re on the cusp, and to have a loss like that really stings.” In 2007, it was now or never. Gillmor actually took more losses in his senior year than in his junior year. However, Gillmor felt fresher and in better shape heading into February. “Maybe the peak was happening at a better time,” he said. In the first round at state, ranked fourth at 145 pounds, Gillmor got tested right away. He won a 15-10 barnburner of a decision. “It woke me up. It kind of scared me,” Gillmor said. “It was a wrestler I was very familiar with. I don’t think I was in danger of losing, but it was much closer and wilder than what I was expecting… Coming out of that match, gutting it out, blowing my lungs out, it got all those nerves out of me.” His quarterfinal was a straightforward 11-1 major decision win. It led into a semifinal match against Daniel Twito of Cedar Falls, and a hurdle Gillmor had yet to clear. “I remember all through my high school years, Daniel Twito was always around my weight. It seemed like we wrestled a fair amount my senior year. I had lost a few times to him in close matches,” Gillmor said. “He was a very defensive wrestler. I knew if I could get a takedown and maybe some points, make him become the aggressor, I could win more comfortably.” Gillmor put Twito on the back foot immediately by winning a scramble and earning back points. Gillmor got in control of the match and ground out a 7-3 decision. It meant one final match as a Lancer. Six more minutes. For all the marbles. “Thankfully, Coach Mashek, being the legend he is and having the experience he did, was able to talk to me. With his guidance, he helped me prepare,” Gillmor said. His opponent in the Class 3A 145-pound final was Sioux City North’s Blaze Gill. One year ago, at this same tournament, Gillmor beat Gill twice — once in the championship first round and again in the consolation semifinals. “Mentally, I felt like I was the better wrestler. I knew how to wrestle him,” Gillmor said. “If I wrestled the way I wanted to, got to my offense, I felt like I could control the match. “When you get to the finals, sometimes crazy things can happen. It doesn’t always go to plan. I felt like I controlled him, except for giving up that escape at the end of the first period.” The Lancer senior still led 2-1 after two minutes. Gill won the flip, deferred, and Gillmor chose bottom. He escaped with 25 seconds left in the period, and was awarded points for a takedown after the buzzer sounded. “Scoring there at the end of the period, making it 5-1, I wasn’t counting my chickens, but it felt really good with the way that sequence went,” Gillmor said. Gill chose bottom position to start the third. He escaped almost immediately, but Gillmor kept the rest of the period on the feet. Both wrestlers put their hands on their heads as the final whistle blew. Gillmor put both arms into the air, pointed them into the stands, and got his right arm raised as a champion. “It was the culmination of everything I’ve done,” Gillmor said. “Even from childhood growing up, you think of those moments. To have it happen, it’s just satisfying. I was over the moon. “Being Dan Mashek’s last state champion was cool. It’s something I think about from time to time. Being able to celebrate that with him, I feel like I ended the right way.” 145 wins as a Lancer tied Gillmor for second-most in school history at the time of his graduation. All of his accolades, achievements and abilities earned him a spot on the University of Iowa’s men’s wrestling team. “Growing up in Iowa, and seeing the (Dan) Gable years, that’s a very high pedestal. You don’t think you can get there,” Gillmor said. “My goal was to wrestle at Division I, but I thought Iowa was out of reach. When they recruited me, it was a no-brainer. The pull of being an Iowa kid, even if you’re not the most decorated recruit or a long shot to see time, that pull is there.” Gillmor was a three-year letterwinner at Iowa, and compiled 21 wins in the gold singlet. His freshman year roommate was Lancer teammate Brodie Ambrose. In 2010, Walt joined the team. Stew and Walt became the 38th set of brothers to wrestle together as Hawkeyes. However, the best outcome of attending Iowa, Gillmor said, had nothing to do with wrestling. In Iowa City, Gillmor met his wife, Christi. Together, they have three children aged four and younger. The Gillmors put down roots in Marion, IA, but they will travel to Eldridge to see Stew’s old stomping grounds. They will reminisce on a wrestling program that has grown leaps and bounds since Gillmor’s days. At times in the 1990s and early 2000s, North Scott might only see one or two state qualifiers — sometimes none. In recent seasons, the Lancers have been qualifying close to a dozen wrestlers with state podium placers becoming an annual occurrence. “You love to see your hometown have continued success. There is a bar that has been set,” Gillmor said. “If guys aren’t making those runs, you are shocked. There is a standard to North Scott wrestling that has been established. “We’ve never recruited anybody. It’s always homegrown kids from the district. We have a great youth program set up. It feels like we’ve done it the right way.”
	2002 Softball: At last, state champions There is a saying in life that nothing is perfect. The 2002 North Scott softball team is as close as it gets. 55 wins and one defeat. Conference champions. Regional champions. State champions. The top-ranked team in Class 3A the entire summer fulfilled its destiny and ended a four-year-long journey to the top of the mountain. It was a team filled to the brim with all-state talent: Anne Wylie and Angie Hartwig in the circle, Mindy Heidgerken and Lindsey Schneckloth roaming the outfield, and Allison Erichsen, Lisa Kirby and Nikki Ferden holding down the infield. There were the Suiter’s, Kendra and Brittany; the Glunz’s, Natalie and Kara; and the Schnack’s, Leslie and Michelle. With Eden Olsen, Courtney Pennel, Ashley Schwarz, Sarah Kilen and Stephanie Leibold complementing the roster, and coaches Lori Osterberg, Lea Rains, Jay Chelf, Christy Dalton and Nancy Shannon watching over them, it made for the summer of a lifetime. “I remember the intensity and excitement surrounding the games,” Anne (Wylie) Armstrong said. “I remember how well our team played together. The camaraderie and trust we had in each other was truly special. That’s not always the case for all teams, and I think that’s what helped us be successful.” For this group, this summer, there was no other option but to win a state championship. The previous four seasons, North Scott qualified for the state tournament and finished fourth, third, second and second. “Coach Osterberg had a poster that said, ‘I hate second place,’” Kendra (Suiter) Brink recalls. “That was kind of our motto going in. Our coaches helped prepare us and challenge us, and they believed in us.” This was Osterberg’s first year as head coach, taking over for the legendary Dennis Johnson. Osterberg played on North Scott’s 1993 state championship softball team under Johnson. “The transition was seamless,” Armstrong said, who played for Johnson the previous two seasons. “She played under Johnson, and she knew his style and approach. Coach Chelf, too. They both knew how to push us and challenge us individually and as a team.” “To have (Osterberg) as a coach, you are kind of star-struck,” Brink said. “She’s a genuine, kind-hearted, wonderful leader and a person on and off the field. We all looked up to her and knew she had incredible experience. She puts us up at a higher level and set high expectations for all of us. We wanted to be better because of her leadership.” In addition to a first-year head coach, this North Scott team only had two senior players: Armstrong and first baseman Lisa Kirby. Their leadership of the team played a significant role in the success of the season. “They were the best,” Allison (Erichsen) Huffman said. “You couldn’t tell what grade anybody was in. We meshed so well together. The coaches, the whole team, on and off the field, we worked so well together.” From day one, the Lancers were the team to beat. And they started the season on a 15-game win streak. The one and only blemish on the resume came from a doubleheader nightcap loss to Burlington, 3-0, in one of the first conference games of the season. The Lancers had defeated the Grayhounds 8-0 in the first game of the set. “That was just a dumb loss. Why did we lose that game?” Armstrong joked. “It’s one that we should have beaten them.” Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. Without the prospect of an undefeated season looming over their heads, the Lancers were able to focus on their sole mission. “Otherwise, you start building up that pressure of having to keep (a perfect record),” Natalie (Glunz) Amhof said. “Whereas if you lose one, it’s not as big of a deal. We are still in it to win it.” For the remaining 33 regular-season games, the Lancers ran rampant. The North Scott offense averaged 7.21 runs per game. Armstrong and Hartwig were untouchable in the circle, throwing 26 shutouts during the regular season. The team finished 16-1 in Mississippi Athletic Conference play and won the conference title for the third time in four seasons. In regional play, the Lancers breezed past Dubuque Senior 10-0, but had to sneak by Dubuque Wahlert 2-1 to get back to state. In Fort Dodge, the Lancers had the difficult assignment of playing the hometown Dodgers in the quarterfinal. The result was one of the most memorable days in program history. North Scott and Fort Dodge were deadlocked for most of the game, and it took the teams into extra innings tied at two. Uncharacteristic errors from the Lancer defense allowed the Dodgers to score twice in the top of the eighth, putting North Scott’s tournament on life support. “When we were trailing, I do remember having a conversation in the dugout: ‘We are not losing this game. We will not lose this game,’” Armstrong said. “I usually didn’t get particularly intense, but I do remember that moment. We were not going out in the quarterfinals. We are not letting this go. And that’s really what we did. We battled, and battled, and we would not let up.” North Scott was down to its final out in the eighth inning when Leslie Schnack blooped a single into the outfield between three Dodger defenders. She advanced to second base on the play. With Kirby at third base, Schnack represented the tying run. The next batter, Schneckloth, smacked a base hit to center field and tied the game at four. It took until the 12th inning to break the tie. Heidgerken became the hero, walking off Fort Dodge with an RBI single. “At the state tournament, you let it all out. I don’t care if there’s two outs and nobody on and you’re down two runs. You make it happen some way,” Osterberg said after that game. “We stayed focused. We never stopped believing. When you pop up and everyone’s packing their bags, and the ball drops, you know you’re meant to win the game.” Heidgerken was later named the Class 3A all-tournament team captain. During the state tournament, she drove in three runs, had three hits, including a double and a triple, and scored two runs herself. To boot, she was later named a first-team all-conference and first-team all-state selection as North Scott’s center fielder. “She was awesome to play with in the outfield,” said Amhof, the team’s starting right fielder. “She was a great leader out there. She could cover ground like nobody I’ve ever played with. She was center field, but she probably covered about 75 percent of the outfield.” In the semifinals, North Scott found a familiar foe in Bettendorf. The Lancers welcomed facing the Bulldogs, who had not defeated the scarlet and silver in softball since 1979. “It’s a school that we play all the time. You have to keep up the pace and keep winning,” Huffman said. “It’s hard to go out of town and play a team you play all the time. But it’s also not as difficult knowing their hitters and how they play the game.” This year was no different than the previous 23. North Scott defeated Bettendorf 6-1, featuring a dominant outing from Armstrong in the circle. She threw five shutout innings, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out two. Hartwig came in relief in the sixth inning and put up a zero. Kilen finished the Bulldogs in the seventh, sending North Scott to its third consecutive title game. There, it met sixth-ranked West Des Moines Dowling. It didn’t take long for déjà vu to settle in for North Scott. The Maroons no-hit the Lancers through four innings and led 2-0 at the halfway point. North Scott was not going to waste another championship opportunity. “I remember feeling this level of confidence that we were going to win this game. It fueled us to keep fighting,” Armstrong said. “I recall this sense in the dugout of ‘we got this.’ However long it takes. I knew we were facing a very good opponent, and we had a lot of respect for them. But we were going to make this happen.” That the Lancers did. A four-run sixth-inning rally flipped the scoreboard in North Scott’s favor. Ferden, Heidgerken, Kirby and Schneckloth all reached and circled the bases. The lineup card turned over, and the Lancers were now in the driver’s seat. Dowling put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but could not convert. The Lancers started to feel it. “In the seventh inning, we had two outs,” Huffman said, “and I remember looking at Eden, who was our shortstop at the time. We just kind of pointed at each other. Like, once we get this out, that’s it. We’re going to win.” A groundout to Huffman at second base got the Lancers their long-awaited 21st out. “Just overjoyed,” Brink said. “Tears, laughter and relief all at once.” “I remember the dogpile,” Amhof said. “I remember crying. Every photo I have from that game, everyone is in tears. It was very exciting.” Armstrong provided context: “I remember the previous two years we had tears of sadness for losing. That final year, it was tears of joy. That was a neat experience. The hugs and the jumping and all of that was an incredible experience because of how tough all those games were leading up to that and how hard we had to battle to get that win.” The Lancers celebrated the way champions do — jumping into the hotel pool and riding back into town on top of a firetruck. A Clydesdale-drawn wagon gave the other players a ride through town. It’s the type of celebration only the most supportive and loving of communities could give. “All I knew was going to North Scott schools. Living in different places and being able to reflect on that — what a blessing to live in such a great community that really supported the softball team,” Armstrong said. “I probably didn’t have the appreciation for it at the time. Now, looking back, I can say that was really neat. “To have a community that supported us game after game, they were there and they supported us. They brought energy to the games. They supported us when we went to state. They supported us when we lost two years in a row. The community aspect of it was really special. I appreciate that now more than I did at the time.” What has not been lost, either, is the institution that softball is in Eldridge and its surrounding towns. There were state championships before 2002, and the success has not stopped in present day. The current crop of Lancer softball players has qualified for four straight state softball tournaments, and they played in the championship game in 2023. “I remember going to the softball games when I was a girl,” Armstrong said. “I grew up idolizing those players. That is what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to play at that stage. I love that the community has continued to draw people and inspire girls to work hard, inspire them to accomplish those goals. “It’s a unique community to be able to provide that support. I love that it’s continued to be a strong program and keep that legacy going… Johnson was a huge part of that. He got it going, and I’m so thankful that it’s continued.”
	“Dawn of the Dead,” May 15 Presented by Time Travelers VHS Cinema and the Latchkey Movie Club, one of the most iconic zombie films of all time, if not the most, enjoys a May 15 screening at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox, George A. Miller's 1978 horror classic Dawn of the Dead famously hailed by Rober Ebert with a four-star review and his certainty that it was “one of the best horror films ever made.”
	Gas prices on the rise in the QCA and beyond The price of diesel, meanwhile, is more than $5.64 as of Monday, nearly 20 cents higher than a week ago, according to AAA.
	Aaron Huber: The family tradition continues Athletic Hall of Fame genes run in the Huber family. A photo of Barry Huber, an all-state baseball player in 1983, hangs in the halls of Maquoketa Valley High School. His daughter, Shari Huber, was inducted into North Scott’s Hall of Fame two years ago for her softball prowess. Now, one of Barry’s sons gets a turn in the spotlight. Whether he was on the court, the gridiron, or the diamond, Aaron Huber was front and center and in big, bold letters in opponents’ scouting reports. Huber is a two-time Mississippi Athletic Conference Player of the Year, a two-time all-state honoree, and is a record-holder in multiple sports at North Scott. Part of the Class of 2011, Huber did not have to wait long to hear his name called. “My sister got in a couple of years ago, so I wanted to catch her,” Huber joked. “I figured it was coming eventually; I was excited that it was earlier. My son is born now, so he can be a part of it. “It means a lot. It’s something I strived for from a young age. I saw my dad get inducted into the Hall of Fame at Maquoketa Valley. I remember being little and seeing how cool that was. Seeing all the pictures, different names, and striving for that, to finally have it come to life is really special.” As kids, Shari, Aaron and youngest brother Eric played every sport under the sun. Shari told The NSP two years ago that “everything was competitive. It was usually not for fun. We were always keeping score.” This year, Aaron went one step further: “It still is that way.” Both credited their dad and their siblings for helping foster a love for sports. “My dad coached us in everything,” Aaron Huber said. “He was running around coming to everyone’s games. If my brother had a game, my sister and I were playing catch on the side. If I had a game, they were doing the same thing. It was constantly running around with each other and competing against each other.” Whether it was organized leagues or backyard brawls, the Hubers all got after it. “It was usually my sister and I versus my dad and my brother,” Huber said. “My sister is not the tallest person, so by about sixth grade, I was physically able to compete with her more.” Huber’s high school career started taking shape in his sophomore basketball season, where he appeared in all 23 games and was the team’s fourth-leading scorer. Huber credits head coach Shamus Budde for unlocking his full potential that season, paving a path for future success. “I have great memories playing for Coach Budde. He definitely helped me a lot with believing in myself,” Huber said. “I’m typically a shy person and not confident. Coming in my sophomore year, Coach Budde knew I had it in me and he brought it out of me, whether I liked it or not.” By his senior year, Huber made the first-team all-conference list and finished with 660 career points. Huber got to play both basketball and baseball with Eric, who is the younger brother by two years. “(Eric) says my stats are padded because I used the better bats,” Aaron joked. “Being on the same teams are something I’ll never forget. “I loved summer baseball. Playing baseball with my friends, being competitive, we had some great seasons.” Padded stats or not, it takes serious skill to rack up the numbers Huber did on the dirt. As a senior slugger, Huber earned MAC Player of the Year honors. At the time, he was just the second Lancer to do so. Huber batted .462, clubbed 11 home runs and drove in 62 runs, the latter of which still stands as a school record. He was second-team all-state as a shortstop and helped lead the Lancers to a 26-win season and the second-most conference wins in program history. Huber made even more history on the football field in his senior campaign, both as an individual and for the North Scott program as a whole. With Huber as their star running back, the 2010 Lancers won the first playoff game in team history. North Scott defeated Iowa City West in a 31-0 rout, with Huber rushing 29 times for 145 yards and three touchdowns. This victory also marked just the third time in team history that North Scott football won nine games in a season. “We had a really strong team,” Huber said. “We had a great offensive line: Dylan Gorsh, Robert Copley, Grayson Schmidt, Travis Dierickx and others. Yeah, we were a very strong team. I would say we should have made it further. We wanted to go further than (the second round), but it was definitely the first stepping stone.” Huber was first-team all-state and the conference player of the year that fall. He rushed for 1,301 yards at 6.3 yards per carry, and 20 touchdowns. He still owns school records in touchdowns in a game (five), touchdowns in a career (34) and total points scored in a career (210). In Huber’s freshman season, Kevin Tippet took over as head coach of the football program. While Huber did not play on varsity until his junior year, Tippet was always in his ear. “He was also my homeroom teacher in high school, so I’d get coached every day,” Huber said. “Playing for Coach Tippet was great. He had lots of energy, lots of excitement, and big goals. We got to be the team that won the first playoff game in history. We broke that glass ceiling.” Surprisingly, Huber did not get much attention from football or baseball college recruiters. However, the basketball coaches were all over him. Sometimes, multiple coaches would be in attendance for his games. The biggest decision point was which school to pick. He settled on Luther College, where Shari was slowly becoming a Norse legend. “She was part of the reason I want to Luther,” Huber said. “I’d go to her softball games, and she’d come to my basketball games. It was more exciting going to those softball games.” At Luther, the Norse won the American Rivers Conference championship in 2013, and Huber was named team captain his senior season. Huber is still local, working in leadership positions for Happy Joe’s Pizza in Davenport as a Controller. He even brought some pies to the Lancer football team last season and attempted a rousing speech. “As you can tell, I’m not the greatest speech giver,” he joked. Since his graduation, both the Lancer football and basketball teams have won state championships and are consistent threats at state tournaments. It’s no surprise, he says, given the leadership and environment the teams have. “It’s great to see the success and how it’s grown,” Huber said. “And not just the programs but the facilities too. The LAB (Lancer Athletic Building), all that is cool to see. I wish I had that when I was there. “Coach Tippet, Coach Budde, they are great coaches. And now with Coach (Tony) Stewart too, I don’t see a reason why he can’t continue on that great success.”
	NPR went looking for Polymarket's Panama headquarters. It's elusive The hugely popular prediction market was shut down by U.S. regulators in 2022 and re-opened in Panama, where it has benefited from tax and legal benefits for years.
	Tattoo artist leaving her mark in downtown Rock Island Appointment bookings at the Alchemist Art Studio have been steady in its first month. Owner Grace DeVrieze is seeking artists to decorate the studio located at 1623 2nd Avenue in downtown Rock Island.
	“Master Class,” May 15 through 24 Hailed by the New York Times as "rich, vivid, satisfying theatre," Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning Master Class makes its long-awaited area debut at Moline's Black Box Theatre May 15 through 24, this opera-themed comedy a show that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, "will be talked about for years to come whenever people point to theatre experiences that genuinely deserve to be labeled by the overused word ‘great.’”
	Evan Hundley Swalla: A splash of success The bylaws of the North Scott Hall of Fame state that athletes only gain eligibility 10 years after their graduation. This winter, as part of the Class of 2015, Evan (Hundley) Swalla’s name appeared on the shortlist. Suffice it to say, there was not much need for deliberation. She was a first-ballot, no doubt about it, selection. Swalla makes history as the first swimmer to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. A three-time relay state champion and the main cog in a state championship team leaves little debate about her place in Lancer lore. “It’s pretty exciting. It’s a surprise; it was not anything on my radar,” Swalla said on learning of her induction, and admitting she wasn’t sure the day would ever come. “It is an honor to be recognized. Knowing that we don’t have a big history of swimming, I was one of the first to trailblaze that with Pleasant Valley. “There were people like Kelli Gollinghorst who had done it before. We had people going over there to swim. When we won senior year, I thought maybe someday just because I was able to have a lot of success in a sport that we didn’t have at our school.” From an early age, Swalla knew that swimming was her sport. As an eight-year-old, she placed first in the 8U division at the Iowa State Swimming Championships, and she was second in overall high points. Swalla swam with the Bettendorf Dolphins club team, which eventually merged with the Pleasant Valley Stingray club team to become the present-day Piranhas. By the time she entered high school, swimming and school had turned Swalla’s parents into full-time chauffeurs. “I swam year-round from basically the time I was 12 years old. My parents put a lot of miles on the car,” Swalla said. “My dad would take me to practice in the mornings. My mom would come pick me up and drive me back to the junior high. I’d go to school, get picked back up, go back to Pleasant Valley and Bettendorf to swim on my club team. “The best thing, when we started doing it for school, was we had a good group from North Scott that was doing it. Lauren Goeser was one of my best friends. Her twin sister, Courtney, also swam. We had a foreign exchange student from Spain, Andrea (Saez Yague), and she did it one season.” Not only did Swalla have friends from North Scott in the pool, but she also had supporters from North Scott in the stands. Even if it meant cheering for Pleasant Valley, members of the North Scott administration consistently showed up. “I just really appreciate the opportunity North Scott gave and how supportive they were,” Swalla said. “We had Joe Stutting, Shane Knoche, Jason Schroder; they all came to our senior day, and they would all come to a meet every year. They’d recognize us when we had full school assemblies. They were really supportive of us even though we weren’t representing North Scott.” There was a lot to cheer about with those Pleasant Valley swim teams. Swalla qualified for 16 state events in high school, four each year, all of which were freestyle individual and relay events of varying distances. She placed in the top five in all but one, taking home 15 medals from state meets. “I was always the long axis strokes, freestyle and backstroke,” Swalla said. “I was more of a distance swimmer, middle distance to distance, growing up. When I moved into college, I became more of a sprinter just as I started lifting more.” As a Spartan freshman, Swalla took home three bronze medals from the state meet. In her sophomore season, she won gold twice on the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay, the latter of which set a state record. That relay team featured Swalla and Gabbie Stecker, a future swimmer at the University of Illinois, who was one of Swalla’s best friends. In her junior season, Swalla finished as the runner-up in the individual 200-yard freestyle, marking her best state finish in a non-relay event. It set the stage for a magical and history-making senior campaign when Swalla led the Spartans to Pleasant Valley’s first state swimming team title in school history. Swalla had a hand in a team-high 105 points as top-ranked Pleasant Valley made good on its top-dog status. The Spartans dethroned four-time defending champion Ames, 301-293. “It was awesome. Everybody jumped in the pool. We pushed our coaches in. It’s one of my favorite memories,” Swalla said. The meet could not have started any worse for Pleasant Valley. The team was celebrating a state record in the first event, the 200-yard individual medley, when word came down that it had been disqualified for an early start on the final leg. “I remember hearing that call, and I had to get up and swim (my first event),” Swalla said. “I was like, ‘Alright, the pressure is on.’” Swalla went on to place third in the individual 100 and 200-yard freestyle events. She helped the Spartans win the 200-yard freestyle relay, too. The state championship came down to the final event, one of Swalla’s, the 400-yard freestyle relay. She swam a 51.76-second split and climbed out of the Marshalltown YMCA pool a state champion. “To start the meet off with that, and still finish it out, definitely made it more worthwhile knowing we were able to overcome some adversity,” Swalla said. “Knowing the team we put together, it would have been devastating expecting to win going into it and lose on a disqualification. “(Winning Pleasant Valley’s first state championship) adds to the history and the memory of it. Not being from Pleasant Valley, it probably meant more to my teammates. I would have loved to win one for North Scott. It’s cool that I was able to be a part of it.” Swalla still helped unlock core memories wearing the scarlet and silver on the basketball court. A two-time first-team all-MAC selection and a two-time all-state honoree, Swalla was a feared post player for the North Scott girls’ basketball team. She averaged double-digit points and more than two blocks per game in her sophomore and junior seasons. Despite being a better swimmer than basketball player, Swalla said she enjoyed the sport of basketball more. “It’s just a more exciting sport,” she said. “I love the team aspect of basketball. In swimming, you have relays but you’re only in the water one at a time. The unpredictability of basketball and really not knowing if you’re going to win or lose was much more exciting to me.” Swalla said her best skills on the court involved playing defense, blocking shots, and getting into foul trouble. She left the scoring to teammates like Rachel Edmundson, Karly Soy and Karli Rucker. However, in her 2014 junior season, a put-back bucket by Swalla made for one of the all-time Lancer basketball moments. Under first-year head coach TJ Case, the Lancers shocked Cedar Rapids Xavier in the regional final. Swalla’s only basket of the game sent the Lancers to state for the first time since 2003. “Yeah, I can remember exactly what happened. I watched that video a thousand times,” Swalla joked. “It was my fault we were in that situation. I got fouled on our previous offensive possession, and I missed the front end of my one-and-one. They went down and hit a three. I was feeling terrible. “(Case) drew up this play. I don’t even think we did the play he drew up. Karly Soy tried to make something happen. She drove in on that right side and put up a shot. As a post, you’re taught to go to the opposite side to draw the defense away. It also puts you in a good position to get the rebound. I happened to be in the perfect spot, and I put it back up. Made it right before time expired. After that, it’s all just a blur.” Late in her senior campaign, Swalla fractured her left pinky finger in a practice and missed the rest of the season. “I had already committed to Iowa State for swimming, so I knew that was the last time I was going to play basketball seriously. We were holding out hope that if we made it to state, with a couple week break, I could come back in some kind of brace,” Swalla said. Swalla did get to end her career on the court when she, Soy and Edmundson played in the annual Iowa/Illinois Senior All-Star Game. “I did get to play basketball one last time. That gave me some closure on the sport,” Swalla said. “It would have been tough if I had never played another game again.” In the fall of 2015, Swalla’s career moved into the Big 12 Conference as a Cyclone. Swalla balanced swimming 20 hours per week with her industrial engineer career track. At the Big 12 conference meet in her senior season, Swalla and the Cyclones set two school records in the 200-yard medley and the 400-yard freestyle. While the 400 record fell a few years ago, the 200 record still stands. Swalla ranks top 20 in the school individual record books for 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, and she was named the Big 12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year in April 2019. “I think we had six of us start freshman year, and only two of us made it. To make it to senior year is not all that common,” Swalla said. “Just being able to make it through all four years, improve all four years and to keep my passion for the sport all four years was a highlight.” While at Iowa State, Swalla met her husband, Hank, who has his own North Scott connection. Hank wrestled at Ames High School and was coached by Drew Kelly for two seasons before Kelly went from Little Cyclone to Lancer. It is connections like those, with special people in their lives, that will make this welcome back celebration so sweet. “It’s fun to look back and, you know, we were able to do some cool things. To do it at two schools, make friends at both schools, that’s what I look back on the fondest,” Swalla said. “It’s the people I was able to meet. Winning the state meet, I remember the people I did it with and not necessarily the fact that it happened. “I have nothing but fond memories of all the people who were there along the way. The friends I made, all the support from the school, overall, I had such a great experience at North Scott.”
	Popular potato chips recalled over salmonella concerns: FDA Utz Quality Foods is issuing a voluntary recall for certain varieties of potato chips sold nationwide, the FDA announced on Monday.
	Three set to join North Scott Hall of Excellence next week The North Scott Hall of Excellence returns this year and welcomes three new members. Kathy Shannon Henningsen (Class of 1968), Dustin Henningsen (Class of 1994) and Sara Boeding (Class of 2004) will be inducted during a ceremony on Wednesday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the North Scott Fine Arts Auditorium. This will be part of the annual Academic Honors Aud and National Honor Society induction night. Kathy Henningsen is well-known as a volunteer in the community. She helped form the Southern Wapsi Girls Softball League more than 50 years ago and tirelessly worked with the organization over the years as a coach and on the board. This was one of the earliest opportunities for young girls to play organized sports in Scott County. One of the diamonds in Long Grove is named in her honor. A former special education teacher at Alan Shepard, she has also been a longtime volunteer for Special Olympics and she and her husband Harvey have also worked to design adaptive equipment for the North Scott special education classes. She is also heavily involved at St. Ann’s Catholic Church and was a constant presence in The Pit for 27 years, serving at the scorer’s table until her retirement this winter. Following his graduation from North Scott, Dustin Henningsen served in the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Japan on the USS Dubuque. After four years in Japan, he went to work for the Iowa State Patrol as a state trooper. During his time with the ISP, he worked on a tactical team, as a fatality investigator and an academy drill instructor. He spent 14 years in Keokuk County and then returned to Scott County, where he worked undercover as a vehicle theft investigator. He later transferred to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and is a special agent homicide investigator. He frequently volunteers for career events at North Scott, including the sophomore career fair and speaking to forensics classes. Sara Boeding had an illustrious academic career at North Scott and was one of eight students in the nation to be accepted into the National Academy of Arts, Science and Engineering (NAASE) at the University of Iowa. She graduated as a valedictorian and received a National Merit Scholarship. Boeding continued at the University of Iowa, where she graduated with a degree in psychology, minoring in Spanish. She went on to receive a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina. She put that degree to work and is now employed at the VA Hospital in Durham, N.C., where she helps veterans living with conditions such as PTSD and depression. She also serves as the assistant division chief of specialty outpatient mental health, which involves program management of the trauma recovery program, women’s health program, substance use disorder program and post-9/11 program. Boeding also has expertise in couples’ therapy and co-authored a book on cognitive behavior couples’ therapy for therapists. In that capacity, she has provided workshops and consultation in the U.S. and England for professionals learning to become couples’ therapists. Profiles of all three inductees will appear in the May 13 NSP. The North Scott Hall of Excellence was founded in 2001 as a companion to the North Scott athletic Hall of Fame. To be inducted into the Hall of Excellence, nominees must be graduated from North Scott High School for a minimum of 10 years and must have fulfilled at least one of the following criteria: • Demonstrated academic excellence • Demonstrated outstanding success in their career • Demonstrated significant accomplishments in business or professional life • Made a significant contribution to the community or society • Demonstrated distinguished human service Any community member may make a nomination. Nominees who were not accepted for induction this year may still be considered for induction in the future. The Hall of Excellence committee is also looking to replenish its membership. Any community member may serve. Interested individuals may contact North Scott High School associate principal Aaron Schwartz at aaron.schwartz@north-scott.k12.ia.us or 563-285-3277.
	Big changes coming to Chamber of Commerce There are big changes on the horizon for the Eldridge-North Scott Chamber of Commerce, as executive director Tabbitha Kramer and member engagement coordinator Heather Khoury both announced Friday they’ll be leaving to pursue other endeavors. However, they want to be clear: the Chamber has never been in better shape. And they’ve already got Kramer’s successor lined up. As the announcement of Kramer and Khoury’s departures went out, they also announced Deanna Jensen-Valliere will be joining the Chamber staff. Valliere, a 12-year resident of Eldridge, has more than 20 years’ experience in the tourism and chamber of commerce industry, including several years with the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. She’s also active in the North Scott community and is serving as the president of North Scott Rotary this year. Kramer served as Chamber director for eight years, but following her departure on May 29, she’ll officially take on the role of deputy city clerk for the City of Eldridge. Khoury, who has been with the Chamber for six years, will be retiring, and her last day will be June 5, coinciding with the annual Chamber Golf Outing at Glynns Creek. Khoury and Kramer said the timing of their departures was entirely coincidental. “Heather and I had talked about how our lives are changing. My kids are getting a little bit older, and I just felt like it was time for a change,” said Kramer. “We’re a really, really good team, and I’ve always kind of said, ‘I don’t want to be here without her,’” added Khoury. “She didn’t want to be here without me.” Khoury has also had a lot of big changes in her life recently. Both of her daughters are now in college. She and her husband also moved to Rock Island a little more than a year ago, and Hany Khoury was appointed as a judge in Illinois. “It’s kind of a haul to supposedly have a part-time job and be driving an hour a day. My parents are elderly, and my kids are coming home from college for the summer – I don’t know how much longer that will be happening.” For as fun as working at the Chamber is, it can also be stressful with only a two person staff. But even so, Kramer and Khoury both said they have had an amazing experience. “We still love the Chamber,” said Kramer. “Nothing went wrong with the Chamber,” agreed Khoury. “The Chamber is in the best shape.” They said the board is “amazing,” and the Chamber remains in sound financial shape, with more members and promotions than ever. “We just didn’t want it to appear that we’re both leaving at the same time, so something must be wrong,” said Khoury. “It was just an unfortunate, the stars aligned moment. “We were both very upset about the prospect of us both leaving,” she said. “It took me a long time to decide. It took (Tabbitha) a long time to decide.” But the stars also aligned to bring Valliere on board, as she just recently left the Quad Cities Chamber. After learning that, Khoury put in a call. Valliere said she got chills when she learned about the opportunity. “She loves this community. She has plenty of experience,” said Khoury. “We got her in here last week and started training her.” “She’s taking everything in stride,” added Kramer. “That was fast, too.” “We sat in here on Friday, and they were like, ‘When can you start?’” said Valliere. “It’s interesting. You talk about the planets aligning – I was not actively looking for something,” she said. “I knew it was going to have to be the right fit for me at this stage of my life. And I think that was part of the chills. I can’t think of a better place to be. I can walk down the street to my house.” “We’ve already had a lot of fun,” said Khoury. “We’re learning a lot. We’re throwing a lot of stuff at her, but she fits right in.” Just days after starting at the Chamber, Valliere has already been thrown into the deep end, as the busy summer season begins. Following the Golf Outing on June 5, there will be the Summer Concert Series in June, July and August, and the Eldridge Summer Festival and Moonlight Chase July 10-11. The concerts have already been booked, with The Blackstones on June 17; The Tailfins on July 15; and Class of ’82 on Aug. 23. All concerts will be held from 6-9 p.m. at Sheridan Meadows, and classic car cruises are also planned for each date. “We’re trying to get as much knocked out and basically be able to hand her a clipboard and a checklist, so she can hit the ground running,” said Khoury. “We’re throwing a lot at her and she’s running with it,” she said. “And it seems like everybody we have told about the changes, and we’ve said that it’s Deanna is coming on board, they’re like ‘Oh, I love Deanna.’ “Everybody has jumped on board. She’s a perfect fit. They love her; they know her. It just couldn’t have worked out any better.” While Kramer begins her job with the city, she’ll also still be doing some part-time work at the Chamber, and Khoury said she’ll also be coming in for a couple of hours a few days a week until Valliere is completely oriented. “We know she’s going to do great, but we’re still going to be around to support her,” said Kramer. As they prepare to leave the Chamber, Kramer and Khoury said they’ve appreciated having the opportunity to build relationships with their members and the community. “Also, we felt very acknowledged and appreciated,” said Khoury. “Because we took a lot of ownership,” said Kramer. “We did. It felt like it was our own business,” agreed Khoury. “People are just very nice to us, and appreciative of the hard work in pulling off events,” she continued. “Often, events just happen, and you don’t know who runs them or how they happen … And our members are great. We’ve made a lot of friends.” Among the many friends they’ve made is Heather Link, a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Bettendorf, and a longtime Chamber member. “Tabbitha and Heather have provided outstanding leadership to the North Scott Chamber over the past several years,” Link said. “Their genuine commitment to local businesses and to the success of the Eldridge community has been evident in everything they have done. As a Chamber member and resident, I have greatly appreciated their thoughtful approach to community engagement and their ongoing efforts to create meaningful opportunities that support both businesses and residents. “They are ethical, dedicated, and hardworking professionals whose contributions will be sincerely missed. I am grateful for their tireless service and the positive impact they have made, and I wish them both the very best in their future endeavors.” Looking forward to the future The Chamber is also actively looking to hire a second staff person. “It’s got to be the right fit. Ideally, somebody that Deanna feels really comfortable with,” said Khoury. “It’s got to be this,” said Kramer, gesturing between herself and Khoury. The ideal candidate, Khoury said, would be someone who already loves the community, has great customer service skills and the ability to multitask. Creativity and sales experience is a plus, as are forward thinking ideas about how to help local businesses. Interested individuals should send their resume to info@northscottchamber.com. “That person is out there,” said Khoury. “Hopefully local, so that they know the community, they’re involved in the community, and they’re invested in the community.” Khoury has big plans for retirement – including a bit of summer travel, which she hasn’t been able to do much during her time at the Chamber due to the timing of the Eldridge Summer Festival. She also has plans for working around her new home in Rock Island, spending time with family and reconnecting with old friends. As for Kramer, she’s looking forward to her new job with the city, saying, “They also seem very excited, because we’ve worked hand in hand with the city on so many things. Local people always think we’re part of the city – which we’re not. And they’ve been really flexible with me, making sure the transition goes smoothly. They’ve been really good.” City administrator Nevada Lemke confirmed they’re pleased to welcome Kramer to City Hall. “We are excited to have this new role for the City of Eldridge and look forward to what it means for succession planning and ensuring that we are preparing the city for future stability, consistency, and responsible fiscal management. “We are equally excited to have Tabbitha join us as the first to fulfill this newly created position. We believe her skillset and background will serve her well in this role and that she will be a great fit for our team. We’ve witnessed her strength in building relationships within the community throughout her time as the Eldridge-North Scott Chamber executive director and we believe that is a valuable asset that she will bring with her to the city.” Valliere said she’s excited about serving the community she loves, and as well as small, local business owners. “Local is extremely important to me. I’m going to try to find whatever I’m looking for locally before I do something else. “And I’m not going to lie – I love the fact that I can walk to and from work. That’s pretty awesome.”
	Cinco de Mayo food deals: How to get free burritos, tacos and more Here are 25 restaurants offering Cinco de Mayo food deals.
	A legal scholar and 'Backtalker' defends critical race theory -- a term she helped coin Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw helped name two contested ideas in U.S. politics — intersectionality and critical race theory. Her memoir chronicles the personal and legal framework for her thinking.
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	Walcott's Coach Johns dies—but football field will carry name forward Longtime Walcott football coach and athletic director Dennis Johns died last Tuesday, just two weeks after the Davenport school district announced Walcott K–8 football field would be renamed in his honor. The beloved “Coach Johns” was 90. “Our father was deeply touched by the naming of the field and scoreboard and appreciative of the recognition and acknowledgment that it represents,” daughter Lisa Teatsworth wrote on behalf of the family. Davenport Schools athletic director Dave Shovlain said Johns was “a true inspiration to any future educator.” “He was a staple in the Walcott community, and a tremendous coach and teacher as well,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to have someone like Coach Johns that’s been part of our program.” “To some who heard his stories, it seemed like Walcott won every game in every sport, was always the underdog, and won by sheer courage, resilience, mental toughness, game smarts, and teamwork,” Teatsworth recalled. “He wasn’t just a coach at Walcott; he was the school and community’s number-one fan.” Davenport Schools plan to install a new sign scoreboard at Dennis Johns Field. Superintendent TJ Schneckloth, a graduate of Johns’ football program, told Walcott City Council in April they hoped to have renderings soon. Johns worked at Walcott K–8 from 1962 to 1998. He coached the football team for 35 years, and also pitched in as coach of track and field and wwthe boys’ and girls’ basketball team. “He started the tackle football program, and a lot of the kids he coached went on and won state championships with Davenport schools,” Shovlain said. “As a family, we are grateful for Superintendent Schneckloth’s support of this endeavor, the Davenport Community Schools Board of Education’s concurrence, and the former students and players from the Walcott school community who rallied to make it all happen,” Teatsworth wrote.

Wednesday, May 6th, 2026

Tuesday, May 5th, 2026