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

Tuesday, April 14th, 2026
	Davenport leaders updated on solar farm ordinance after almost year-long pause Davenport leaders were updated on the proposed solar farm ordinance that’s been paused for almost a year on Tuesday.
	Man missing after jumping into Rock River during police chase Anyone with information on his location is asked to contact the Dixon Police Department.
	Moline City Council discusses plans for solar farm The city attorney will meet with developers to discuss a lease on Monday.
	Voy 61 Drive-In Theatre announces 'Throwback Thursday & Food Truck Movie Nights' The weekly series kicks off with "Gremlins" on Thursday, April 16.
	Moline offers updates on river redevelopment project Over the next few months, engineers will take an in-depth look at the site.
	Rock Island School Board approves reappointments that previously faced contention Two Rock Island-Milan employees, whose hirings were hotly contested previously, got approved Tuesday night to continue in their positions through the 2026-27 school year.
	Man convicted in 2019 battery and robbery in Davenport absconds from work release center He failed to return to a Des Moines work release facility on Saturday and has been listed as having escaped.
	Iowa cattle farmers sending food to Nebraska as wildfires devastate ranchers As wildfires and prolonged drought batter Nebraska’s Sandhills, an eastern Iowa cattlemen’s group is sending critical supplies to help ranchers protect their herds.
	Programming Note: Wheel of Fortune to re-air overnight on KWQC A programming note for KWQC viewers.
	Moline Parks and Recreation Department to offer adaptive park pop-ups The Moline Parks and Recreation Department announced that adaptive park pop-ups will continue into spring 2026 and kick off with an open house night. According to a press release, during the open house, participants can try activities like arts and crafts, music and movement and simple outdoor summer games, while families and caregivers learn more [...]
	MAP: Fuel prices still on the rise in Iowa and Illinois Prices at the pump have seemingly eased in roughly half the country since last week.
	Cómo optimizar su atención médica para el Parkinson por la Dra. Sneha Mantri, MD, MS, FAAN (NAPS)—Si usted o un ser querido se encuentra entre los 10 millones de personas en todo el mundo que han sido diagnosticadas con la enfermedad de Parkinson (EP), hay algunos datos que debería conocer.¿Qué es la enfermedad de Parkinson (EP)?La EP es un trastorno cerebral progresivo que daña las neuronas que producen dopamina.Los síntomas incluyen temblores, rigidez, movimientos lentos y problemas como depresión o trastornos del sueño. Aunque no existe una cura, los tratamientos pueden ayudar a mejorar la calidad de vida. Los científicos creen que una combinación de factores genéticos y ambientales es la causa.¿Cómo pueden las personas con la enfermedad de Parkinson defender sus necesidades?Las citas médicas relacionadas con la EP pueden resultar abrumadoras. La Parkinson’s Foundation ofrece recursos para empoderar a las personas con la EP para que puedan enfocar sus citas en lo que más les importa:Página web en Parkinson.org/OptimizandoAtencionLínea de ayuda: 1-800-4PD-INFO (473 -4636), opción 3 para español.Hoja de trabajo: “Pasos para prepararse para una cita de Parkinson”, disponible en el sitio web de la Parkinson’s Foundation o en copia impresa. Puede ayudarle a orientar su reflexión sobre preocupaciones relacionadas con la EP que pueden afectar su vida, trabajo, familia, pasatiempos y seguridad.Webinar y podcast: También disponibles en el sitio web de la Parkinson’s Foundation, hay opciones para ver y escuchar. El webinar “Strategies for Meaningful Healthcare Visits” y el podcast “Make Every Minute Count” presentan sugerencias de expertos sobre la mejor manera de prepararse antes, durante y después de una visita con su médico.La Parkinson’s Foundation reconoce tres desafíos que pueden surgir durante las citas de atención médica relacionadas con la enfermedad de Parkinson:1. La duración limitada de la visita2. La falta de un enfoque compartido con el equipo de atención médica3. La complejidad de la atención y el tratamiento de la EPLas personas que viven con la EP pueden optimizar su atención medica para el Parkinson y ser un aliado activo en su atención mediante la autoevaluación, la educación y la defensa de sus necesidades. Aunque el equipo de atención médica puede tener muchos años de experiencia médica, cada persona aporta sus propias experiencias de vida y necesidades únicas.La Parkinson’s Foundation ofrece recursos para empoderar a las personas con la EP a cambiar su enfoque acerca de la atención de la EP mediante pasos sencillos antes, durante y entre las citas relacionadas con la EP.La preparación consciente y activa para una visita con su médico es un primer paso para convertirse en un aliado activo en su atención.Realice una autoevaluación integral para identificar cualquier problema relacionado con el bienestar emocional o social, la cognición, los desafíos en las tareas diarias y la seguridad.Durante la cita, asegúrese de expresar lo que más le importa. Lleve una lista de sus tres temas principales para la cita a cada visita.Lleve a una persona de confianza. Considere quién en su vida podría desempeñar este papel, más allá de un cónyuge o cuidador. Desde tener otro par de oídos para la conversación hasta ayudar a expresar una inquietud que es difícil de mencionar, el acompañante puede tener un gran impacto en los resultados de la visita.Entre visitas, concéntrese en lo que puede hacer para vivir bien con la EP. Revise las notas de la cita, haga seguimiento de su progreso y manténgase activo.La Dra. Mantri, MD, MS, FAAN es la directora médica en jefe de la Parkinson’s Foundation.Word Count 571
	Construction season ramps up across Quad Cities Road construction season is ramping up across the Quad Cities, with major projects underway on both sides of the Mississippi River.
	Police: Crews search Rock River near Dixon for nearly 12 hours after man jumps in to evade police The man was not located during the search, and police said they "are hoping he was able to make it safely to shore."
	Illinois Supreme Court amends rules to address legal deserts Chief Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr. and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced amendmentsto several Supreme Court Rules to address unmet legal needs in the state, according to a news release. “Legal deserts," a term commonly used to describe areas with a limited number of practicing attorneys, have cropped up across the country in largely [...]
	Hamilton Elementary gets a new principal next school year Doug Bodeen was appointed as Hamilton Elementary's next principal at a recent school board meeting.
	Niabi Zoo opening marks first full season since 2024 storm damage Niabi will open for the season on April 21. This year, visitors can enjoy a brand new exhibit called "Conservation in Action" and its virtual reality capabilities.
	Clinton’s Meadowview Pool could close without community help Clinton's Meadowview pool finds itself in rough shape treading water as the 2026 season approaches.
	Iowa bill would assist care after sexual assault A bill in Iowa to help pay for care after sexual assault is advancing. House File 705 would fund nonprofit sexual assault forensic exam centers to improve care and evidence collection for survivors. The SAFE Center of Iowa would offer medical and mental health services during recovery and provide confidential spaces for sexual assault, human [...]
	Inside Iowa Politics: How Republican pushes for change but continue GOP leadership Zach Lahn, a Republican from Belle Plaine running for governor, is pushing for changes as he hopes to continue Republican leadership in the state.
	Last Picture House hosts rare 35mm kung fu film festival It's one of only two theatres in Iowa that can show rare 35mm films. There will also be special snacks and live kung fu demonstrations at the festival, April 17-18.
	1986: Central Trust Savings Bank to be sold April 14, 1976 • The Eldridge City Council discussed a tentative schedule for street improvements. City engineer Richard VerBeke presented a schedule that would include resurfacing North 5th and North 7th streets from LeClaire Road to Donahue Street; adding curb and gutter on South 8th Street from LeClaire Road to Prairie Vista Drive and along Donahue Street west to North 5th Place; and sealcoating many other streets north of LeClaire Road. The project would be paid for through a special property tax assessment. • Local genealogists appealed to the Scott County Board of Supervisors, asking the county assume responsibility for maintaining abandoned cemeteries. Scharlott Blevins, a member of the Scott County Genealogical Society, brought a list of 87 cemeteries throughout the county in need of maintenance, including 14 she cited as being “badly neglected.” While Robert Gallagher, the county’s legal counsel, advised that the county does not have the power to levy taxes for cemetery care, county coordinator Warren Wood recommended a “letter of concern” be sent to all township trustees. • Five Long Grove women staged an old-fashioned quilting bee as they worked to finish a quilt commemorating the Bicentennial. More than 20 women, including Marge Hansen, Roma Nagle, Marge Casel, Viola Hixby and Mary Yegge, worked on the quilt, which was expected to be awarded in a drawing during the Long Grove Strawberry Festival in June. • Fred Hesse of Dixon was surprised by friends and neighbors who honored him on his 82nd birthday. He was born in Allens Grove Township on April 7, 1894, and had spent his entire life in the Donahue and Dixon areas. • The North Scott girls’ track team defeated Davenport Central, 86-57, and set four new school records. The team of Pat Jones, Cindi Strobbe, Lisa Strobbe and Linda Strobbe crushed the old record in the mile relay by more than four seconds, with a time of 4:20.6. Denise Arp broke her own record in the shot put, with a heave of 36’1½”. Karen Hamann set the school record in the discus, at 93’1½”, and Deb Carstens set a new standard in the high jump at 4’10”. April 16, 1986 • Jim Tank, president of Central Trust Savings Bank, was recommending the sale of the bank to Banks of Iowa Inc., a statewide banking corporation based in Des Moines. Tank was recommending the sale as the best alternative to financial problems caused by the “seriously depressed economy of the area.” While staff had worked to shore up CTSB’s eroding capital over the last year, significant losses from loans had handicapped the bank’s earning power. As a result, no dividends had been paid, and the bank’s holding company had been unable to service a stock loan. CTSB suffered a $721,000 loss in 1985. The potential sale would end 87 years of local bank ownership in Eldridge, although stockholders would have the final say. • The North Scott School Board was considering a districtwide AIDS policy, which would determine whether an affected child would be allowed to attend regular classes. “I expect that we’ll never have to deal with this, but we’ll be prepared if we ever have to,” said superintendent Doug Otto. The board took no action, opting to get more information before creating a policy. At the same meeting, Gene Schneckloth was appointed to fill a vacancy, created when Jack Hill resigned. • Teachers, parents and students were busy planning a Post Prom event, designed to be a safe alternative for students enjoying prom. Approximately 200 juniors and seniors responded to a survey saying they would be interested in such an event, and principal Craig Hintz said he hoped more would attend. There would be a DJ, movies, sporting events and casino-style games, with lots of prizes on offer. “According to national figures, 60% of prom-goers will attend a party that involves alcohol,” said Hintz. “I feel it’s our duty and responsibility to provide a non-alcohol alternative for our students.” • The North Scott girls’ tennis team picked up its first-ever victory over Davenport Assumption, 5-4, in the season opener. The team, which was coached by Jim Logan, included Tina Hintze, Shelley Hubbs, Marni Mast, Kristin Johnson, Lisa Johnson and Nancy Buss. April 18, 2001 • Many Princeton residents spent their Easter Sunday bracing for encroaching floodwaters from the Mississippi. Neighbors gathered to make sandbags in anticipation of what could potentially be the biggest flood since 1993. Most of the homes along River Drive were fortified, as well as a manhole cover, which was covered to prevent river water from getting in the sewer system. • Robert Wiese was named the Eldridge Lion of the Year. The award was presented by Mike McKenna. • Nine trumpeter swans were released in Scott County, two at Buena Vista Park near Dixon, and seven at the Princeton Wildlife Area. The release was facilitated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The birds had nearly gone extinct, and the goal of the trumpeter swan restoration program in Iowa was to establish a breeding and migratory population of 15 pairs by 2003. • The North Scott wrestling team won first place in the Rotary International/Mississippi Athletic Conference sportsmanship award, the fourth such award the school had received since the program began in 1999. • Nora Arp, a resident of Davenport Lutheran Home, was celebrating her 101st birthday. She was born April 20, 1900, in Sheridan Township and married Elmer Arp in 1923. April 20, 2011 • Longtime Walcott police officer Jeff Blake was named the town’s new chief of police. He replaced Jim Vaughn, who had been chief since July of 2009. He was chosen from a pool of nine applicants, and mayor Jim Couper said, “his devotion to Walcott and the police department made him the right choice.” • The Scott County Conservation Board reduced the number of deer tags it would issue for the hunt at Scott County Park to 50 tags with 50 hunters at the main park, and issue four archery tags for mentor hunting at the Wapsi Center. Conservation director Roger Kean said the deer harvest had been down for the last few years, with 30 deer harvested at Scott County Park and three at the Wapsi Center. • Lynsey Chapman was crowned Scott County Pork Queen, with Nicole Dierickx named Pork Princess. They were pictured with the 2010 queen and princess, Kelsey Chapman and Kelli Golinghorst. • Soccer is an all-weather sport, which the North Scott girls’ team proved during its home tournament. The two-day tournament was crammed into one day after rain washed out Friday’s events. On Saturday, they battled high winds, rain, 34-degree temperatures and, eventually, snow. The team, which was currently ranked No. 4 in the state, beat Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Prairie and Iowa City High. Abbie Cahill finished with three goals on the day. • The eighth-grade North Scott Lancers basketball team finished with a record of 68-4, having played in 15 tournaments, with 13 championships and two second-place finishes. They were also asked to compete at the Target Center in Minneapolis in July. Team members included Lucas Golinghorst, Matthew Sacia, Shane Polzin, Spencer Sommers, Trey Kilburg, Jack Kallenburger, Grant Graham, Tanner Greve, Cortez Seales, and Ricky Grimes. They were coached by Tom Sommers and Sarah Graham. April 14, 2021 • It was a special, and emotional Senior Night at Lancer Stadium for Marquan Quinn, as a group of North Scott moms stood in support of Quinn. His mother, Seretha, passed away due to Covid just before Christmas. The community supported with family with a GoFundMe. On Senior Night, as Quinn walked across the track with his dad, Felix, and sister, Shamara, a group of moms, including Cherie Henningsen, Rachel Fedderson, Tara Case, Ellen Oltman, Lori Matthaidess and Julie Duhachek, presented him with flowers and hugs. “When I saw all the moms right behind me, it was just really heart-warming and touching, and I appreciated it a lot,” said Quinn. “It was a special moment that I won’t forget.” • More than 300 people filled the gym at North Scott Junior High at a forum designed to discuss recent diversity lessons. While opinions were divided, most people at the forum agreed that the district had done a poor job communicating about the lessons and about reported racist bullying at the junior high. • Lancer Productions returned to the stage after a pandemic-induced yearlong hiatus with Disney’s “Descendants: The Musical.” Cast members included Elena Kook, Hannah Noonan, Kaedan Mickey, Cooper Frank, Tara Poinsett, Grace Hamann, Thomas McCarthy, Jill Dircks, Owen Popelka, Riley Greenwood, Lillian Kook, Eliot Morrow, Kaitlyn Wood, Ben Boddicker, Caleb Strom, Eddy Mohr, and Anna Hodge. • The North Scott boys’ track team was getting ready to make some noise in the conference. At the team’s home invitational, the 4x800 team stole the show, with Logan Soedt kicking into high gear in the anchor leg to pass Pleasant Valley and get the win. “That race was mind-blowing,” said his relay mate Will Dowda. “I had a mild heart attack when Logan got passed with 200 to go. I knew Logan could kick, but PV is pretty good at kicking as well. What Logan did was unreal. I was shocked.” It was Soedt’s 17th birthday, and he was surrounded by his teammates as he collapsed on the grass after the victory. “It felt pretty good to get a win,” he said. • A wet weekend ruined many people’s weekends, but not the ducks. That included a group that gathered in the damp parking lot at Grand Haven Retirement Community.
	Reconstruction project to begin next week on portion of Bettendorf’s Middle Road Reconstruction work on a busy roadway will start up next week and go into the summer months.
	Davenport man wins $50K in lottery Dominic Michael won the top prize of $50,000 in "$50,000 Super Crossword" game.
	Help EveryChild keep kids safe with the Celebrate Every Child Gala April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and EveryChild is working to raise awareness and put an end to childhood abuse here in the QCA and beond. Nicole Mann joined Our Quad Cities News with details on the Celebrate Every Child Gala. For more information, click here.
	Moline Parks and Recreation to host ‘Adaptive Park Pop-Ups’ to create inclusive play for all kids The Moline Parks and Recreation Department is excited to announce that the inclusive community program, Adaptive Park Pop-Ups, will continue into the spring.
	DISH Network’s unreasonable demands keep KWQC off its service It’s now been more than a month since DISH Network pulled KWQC and all other television stations owned by Gray Media off its service.
	Moline to begin annual fire hydrant flushing on April 20 The flushing will take approximately five weeks to complete across the entire city.
	Davenport man wins $50,000 in Iowa Lottery game A Davenport man was surprised even more than you’d expect about winning a jackpot from the Iowa Lottery. “I thought I’d won $5,000 and I thought, ‘Well heck, that’s a great deal!’” said Dominic Michael on Monday as he claimed his prize at the lottery’s Cedar Rapids regional office. He took his $50,000 Super Crossword [...]
	MidAmerican Energy preps for this week's storms Several rounds of severe weather are expected in the QCA this week, giving residents time to prepare. Geoff Greenwood, Media Relations Manager with MidAmerican Energy, spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to talk about how the utility company is preparing for this week’s severe weather and what residents should be doing. Greenwood said [...]
	Brandon Lake, April 25 A six-time Grammy Award winner, 15-time GMA Dove Award winner, and 13-time ASCAP Christian Music Award winner – emerging victorious on every single one of his nominations between 2021 and 2024 – Brandon Lake headlines an April 25 concert event at Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK, his list of chart-topping Billboard singles including Gratitude,” “That's Who I Praise,” and “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
	Avatar, April 29 Touring in support of their fall release Don't Go in the Forest that MetalTalk raved "will blow your socks off," the heavy-metal rockers and Swedish Billboard charters of Avatar return to East Moline venue The Rust Belt on April 29, their latest album imspiring SputnikMusic to state, "These guys are tireless creative workers of heavy metal, and I sincerely hope they’re living the dream in full, because they deserve it."
	Man charged in Davenport church burglary with nearly $21K stolen A man faces charges after police say nearly $21,000 in cash and silver was stolen from a Davenport church during a burglary Monday evening.
	Shut Up & Rock with Pop Evil & I-Rock 93.5, April 25 With the band's 2025 album What Remains hailed by The Rock Pit as a "faultless collection" that's "Just what you'd hope for," the alternative-metal and post-grunge talents of Pop Evil return to East Moline venue The Rust Belt on April 25, headlining this spring's I-Rock 83.5-sponsored Shut Up & Rock event with additional sets by Sierra Pilot, Kamenar, and The Forty Twos.
	Kashmir: The Led Zeppelin Tribute Show, April 24 The thrilling discography of one of the most popular and successful rock outfits of all time will be celebrated at The Rust Belt on April 24 when the East Moline venue presents the touring sensation Kashmir: The Led Zeppelin Tribute Show, an event sure to boast exhilarating renditions of “Whole Lotta Love,” “Immigrant Song,” and of course, the immortal “Stairway to Heaven.”
	LIVE BLOG: Strong to severe storms expected Tuesday afternoon The Storm Predication Center has put the area at a Level 3 (Enhanced) risk, which means there could be damaging winds, lighting and periods of heavy rain.
	2 men arrested, charged after Kewanee police respond to report of criminal damage The investigation is ongoing.
	Nova Singers: “Duruflé Requiem,” April 25 and 26 Wrapping up their 40th season by combining with the Galesburg Community Chorus, the professional vocal ensemble Nova Singers will perform the Duruflé Requiem, this extraordinary major work with organ and professional orchestra enjoying performances at Galesburg's First Lutheran Church On April 25 and Davenport's St. Paul Lutheran Church on April 26.
	Stick Men, April 25 Boasting combined professional experience that has led to sales of more than 100 million records worldwide, the powerhouse progressive rock trio Stick Men brings their exhilarating talents to Moline's Rascals Live on April 25, the super-group of legendary musicians Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, and Markus Reuter dedicated to bringing unparalleled musicianship and innovation to every performance.
	Ringo Deathstarr, April 30 Hailed by AllMusic as "shoegaze revivalists from Texas who play it pretty straight, but aren't afraid to add extra noise to the mix," the Texas-based noise-pop and alternative-rock artists of Ringo Deathstarr bring their current tour to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on April 30, their most recent, self-titled album lauded by Post-Trash as a work that "condenses everything special about the shoegaze purveyors into one complete package."
	En Esch, April 27 A lauded German musician noted for his performances with bands KMFDM, Pigface, Slick Idiot, and <PIG>, Nicklaus Schandelmaier – better known by his stage moniker En Esch – headlines an April 27 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, his 2024 solo recording Dance Hall Putsch, according to Chaos Control Digizine, proving that the artist "continues to create hard, highly danceable electronic music that incorporates a variety of different styles."
	For young people looking to take over Illinois farms, the costs can be steep Expensive equipment and high cost of land make it difficult for young farmers to start farming.
	Siri Lorece, April 25 Delivering an immersive night of soul, sound, and storytelling, multi-hyphenate Siri Lorece will be the showcased performer at Rock Island's RIBCO on April 25, Broadway World raving that the artist's performances "combine music, storytelling, and atmosphere to create a unique connection with the audience, inviting you to dance the night away!"
	Common Chord moving floors within Redstone Building Common Chord announced it will be moving from the second floor to the newly renovated first-floor space within the Redstone Building.
	Ron White, April 25 One of America's most popular comedians brings his latest touring event to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on April 25, with Blue Collar Comedy Tour and Netflix comedy Tires star Ron White sharing the humorous observations and quick-witted routines that have earned him three Grammy Award nominations and comedy-album sales of more than 10 million to date.
	Death Notice: Pamela Williams Pamela Sue Williams, 77, of Eldridge, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 24, at Rock Island National Cemetery. Those wishing to attend her service should meet at the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf by 10:30 a.m. for a procession to the cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House. Online condolences may be made at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com. A full obituary will appear in the April 22 edition of The NSP.
	“So You Think You Can Belly Dance,” April 25 An exhilarating stage spectacle featuring colorful props, LED lights, drum solos, and more, So You Think You Can Belly Dance will, on April 25, treat audiences to a live competition featuring a customized belly dance solo taught by Belly Diva Samantha, this event at Davenport's Capitol Theatre guaranteeing a fun night out to sip on cocktails, grab some appetizers, and enjoy a show like no other.
	Adoptable pet: Meet Rodney Rodney is a 2-month-old domestic shorthair tabby.
	Boil order issued for some Milan residents Some Milan residents are under a boil order.
	Tornado Watch issued for Quad Cities - Tuesday, April 14th As expected, the NWS has now issued a Tornado Watch for the Quad Cities and areas North of I-80 for Tuesday evening. Thunderstorms will rapidly develop this afternoon and evening. The most dangerous storms look most likely along HWY 20, North of the QC. Severe weather is possible though along HWY 30 and Interstate 80 [...]
	River Action's 24th-Annual Fish & Fire Fundraiser Dinner, April 30 A celebration of the individuals and organizations that best represent the spirit of true river action in regard to our mighty Mississippi, River Action's Fish & Fire Fundraiser Dinner enters its 24th year with an April 30 event at Bettendorf's Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center, the evening's events including a social hour, silent auction, plated dinner and dessert, live auction, and the presentation of the annual Eddy Awards.
	“The Holocaust by Bullets: The Twisted Path to Auschwitz,” April 26 Taking place as part of the venue's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series on April 26, the German American Heritage Center's The Holocaust by Bullets: The Twisted Path to Auschwitz will demonstrate how, on June 22, 1941, the German military invaded the Soviet Union in the largest military assault in history – code-named Operation Barbarossa – with four elite SS mobile killing units called Einsatzgruppen.
	Boil order issued for part of Milan A news release from the Village of Milan says a boil order is in effect for residents south of 33rd Avenue West in the 600 block due to a water main break. This includes residents in the Shadow Wood Court addition on West 8th Street Court. All water for drinking and cooking should be boiled [...]
	“Turkiye Beyond the Headlines: Culture, Food, & Everyday Life,” April 28 With the event co-presented by the World Affairs Council of the Quad Cities (WACQC) and the Bettendorf Public Library, the special lecture presentation Turkiye Beyond the Headlines: Culture, Food, and Everyday Life will be held at the library on April 28, this fascinating program offered by the married team of Yasemin and Seref Onder.
	PHOTO GALLERY: 'The Addams Family'
	Justice Department says Biden DOJ weaponized law to go after anti-abortion activists The Trump administration has said that enforcement of the FACE Act by the Biden DOJ represents "the prototypical example" of the weaponization of the law against conservatives.
	“Beetlejuice,” April 28 through 30 A Broadway hit praised by Variety for its "off-the-wall humor, endless visuals and aural delights, [and] tuneful music and wicked lyrics," the stage-musical version of Beetlejuice enjoys an April 28 through 30 run at Davenport's Adler Theatre, this ticklish adaptation of the Oscar-winning Tim Burton smash also hailed by Entertainment Weekly as "a feast for the eyes and the soul."
	“Fiddler on the Roof,” April 29 through June 27 From April 29 through June 27, audiences are invited to cheer a rousing “L'chaim!” when Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse presents the eagerly awaited return of Fiddler on the Roof, a new staging of the beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.
	5 big questions to help you understand the current state of student loans 5 big questions to help you understand the current state of student loansWashington is sending confusing and even contradictory signals to people with student loans. New repayment plans, reversals on wage garnishment for people in default and trouble getting staffers on the phone to clear up problems are adding to the lack of clarity.Last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency set up to help consumers, received more complaints about student loans than in any year in the history of the bureau. A quarter of those complaints were about delays in service or information, so if you’re not sure what’s going on, you’re not alone.No one has all of the answers, but The Hechinger Report will tell you what’s known right now (and what’s not). (These answers only apply to federal undergraduate student loans. Graduate-school or Parent PLUS loans are going through separate changes.)1. Did President Donald Trump make changes to student loans?Yes, the Trump administration and Congress made changes last year that will affect borrowers this year.Three income-driven repayment plans will be phased out, including some of the most generous ones. That includes Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), which allows some borrowers to have their loans cleared after only 10 years with minimal regular payments; Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), and Pay As You Earn (PAYE).The Education Department has not yet set a deadline, but if you’re in one of those plans, you will need to enroll in one of two different plans within the next couple of years, and possibly sooner. One option is the existing Income-Based Repayment plan (IBR), which requires borrowers who took out loans after 2014 to pay 10% of their income for 20 years. The other is the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), under which borrowers must pay a percentage of their monthly income based on overall earnings for 30 years before they qualify for loan forgiveness. RAP, which also ensures that borrowers who make regular payments won’t see their balances grow, will be available sometime in July 2026.The Trump administration also wants to change which employers may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The structure remains, but a new rule could narrow the definition of the kinds of jobs that qualify for loan forgiveness. The proposed rule raises concerns that borrowers working for groups that assist immigrants or transgender youth, for example, could be disqualified from loan forgiveness.2. Did President Trump freeze student loans?No, President Trump did not freeze student loans. The administration did decide to pause its previously announced plan to garnish wages and seize the tax refunds of borrowers who are in default, at least temporarily. The decision came after advocates expressed concern that the millions of borrowers currently in default could be thrown into severe economic hardship. The administration says it will make “significant improvements to our broken student loan system” before proceeding, but did not give a timeline.3. Is there still student loan forgiveness?Yes, there is still loan forgiveness, but the Trump administration has tightened the rules and it will likely take longer and cost more before your loans are forgiven (unless you are in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which hasn’t been altered). Large-scale student loan forgiveness programs pushed by the Biden administration have either been ended by the Trump administration or struck down by the Supreme Court.4. How long do you have to pay off student loans?The amount of time you have to pay your loans depends on your plan; most income-based repayment plans range between 20 and 30 years, while standard plans take 10 years, although you can always pay them off more quickly by increasing the size of the payments. Borrowers facing financial hardships, health issues, military deployment or other situations listed here can apply for deferment or forbearance (economic and unemployment-related deferments will be eliminated and long-term forbearances will be capped starting in July). Both allow you to stop payments for a period of time, but interest will continue to accrue if you go into forbearance. Sometimes switching to an income-driven plan, if you’re not already on one, can be cheaper than pausing your payments altogether.5. Is there a way to pay off student loans quickly?The main way to pay off student loans more quickly is by paying more than the minimum payment required (unless you’re in an income-driven repayment plan, in which case it depends on how much you owe and how quickly you will get to forgiveness). Some people also use their bonuses or tax refunds to pay down their total. Sometimes consolidating your loans can work in your favor, but it’s usually not a good idea to take out additional loans or overload your credit card since those interest rates are often much higher and more unpredictable.This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education, and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	“A Soldier's Play,” April 24 through May 3 Hailed by Newsweek as "a work of great resonance and integrity," Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning military drama A Soldier's Play will make its area debut at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre April 24 through May 3, this thoughtful and nerve-racking drama also praised by the New York Times for its "authentic and exciting pulse."
	'A deception, a false promise, and a misrepresentation' \| Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird files amended petition in TikTok lawsuit The biggest addition to the petition is the state alleging TikTok misled Iowa consumers on whether their data could be accessed by the Chinese government.
	“A Year with Frog & Toad,” April 24 through May 3 Hailed by the New York Times as a family musical "that knows exactly what it's doing" and "works perfectly," the Tony-nominated A Year with Frog & Toad enjoys an April 24 through May 3 run in the Studio Theatre at Davenport's St. Ambrose University, this stage charmer by Reale brothers Robert (music) and Willie (book and lyrics) based on the beloved Frog and Toad children's stories written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel.
	“The Swiss Family Robinson,” April 25 through May 3 Inspired by Johann Wyss' classic adventure tale and boasting a cast of exciting student actors, a brand-new take on The Swiss Family Robinson enjoys an April 25 through May 3 run courtesy of the talents at Davenport Junior Theatre, this high-energy production written specifically for the Quad Cities company by Junior Theatre alum and St. Ambrose University graduate Brooke Galván.
	Art History Talk: The Work of Félix Gonzalaz-Torres, April 30 With the event inviting visitors to reflect on themes central to the artist's practice – including the joyful celebration of LGBTQ identity, acknowledgment of ongoing challenges to the community’s rights, and the enduring impact of the AIDS epidemic – a special Art History Talk on the works of Felix Gonzalez-Torres will be held at Davenport's Figge Art Museum on April 30, the program held in conjunction with the venue's current housing of the exhibit "Untitled" (L.A.).
	Tornado Watch likely to be issued soon for Quad Cities area The NWS Storm Prediction Center is monitoring our area for a Tornado Watch...and there's a 95% chance they issue one soon. Severe storms with the potential for damaging tornadoes and very large hail will likely be forming over the next few hours. They'll be moving West to East and will plow through our area this [...]
	Last Picture House hosts rare 35mm kung fu film festival It's one of only two theatres in Iowa that can show rare 35mm films. There will also be special snacks and live kung fu demonstrations at the festival, April 17-18.
	Michigan measles outbreak shows high cost of stopping even a small number of infections from spreading Michigan measles outbreak shows high cost of stopping even a small number of infections from spreadingThe small measles outbreak that health officials are combating in Michigan began last month with an unvaccinated young woman returning home from visiting Florida, a state where there have been more than 140 cases this year.Her first symptoms around March 7 seemed like a cold. By the time the telltale measles rash appeared a few days later, she had exposed her family and scores of other people in public settings, according to health officials in Washtenaw County, near Detroit.The Michigan outbreak is one of 17 new outbreaks nationwide reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since January. There have been 1,671 confirmed cases of measles reported this year across 32 states, according to CDC data.Most of this year’s cases (94%) have involved outbreaks. Some — like those in Texas and Florida — involve more than 100 infections. In a few, cases have surged into the hundreds, as is the case in the outbreak in Utah, which is still growing, and the outbreak in South Carolina, which appears to be ending.Many of the outbreaks are small — just a few cases. But as public health officials in Washtenaw County, Michigan, are learning, the resources required to keep them that way can be enormous.Staffing costs for managing a handful of measles cases: $45,000“We’re still at seven cases,” Beth Ann Hamilton, communications coordinator for the Washtenaw County Health Department, told Healthbeat this week. “We’re definitely not out of the woods yet.”Meanwhile, another measles case announced on April 2 in neighboring Monroe County has state health officials concerned that measles may be silently spreading in the community. No definitive link has been established to the cases in Washtenaw County, but the timing and location of the new case are concerning, officials at the state health department said.Because of this risk, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is recommending young children receive their first measles shot early — at 6 to 11 months of age.Yet even with just a handful of known measles cases, the containment workload is already taking its toll.At the Washtenaw County Health Department, measles control is taking priority over many other health department services as staff have been needed to help track down and counsel hundreds of exposed people, test them for immunity to measles when they don’t have vaccination records, and monitor those in quarantine.“Seven cases may not seem like a lot, but it is, and it’s hundreds and hundreds of contacts that our staff have to follow up on and monitor,” Jimena Loveluck, the department’s health officer, told the Washtenaw County Board of Health on March 27.“We’re not able to get other work done,” she said. “We just don’t have the capacity to respond and then continue all our regular level of services. The expense also is tremendous.”Exposures have occurred at a popular mall in Ann Arbor, a community college, a hospital, urgent care clinics, several stores, and a restaurant.Investigating and managing the exposures of just the initial three or four cases cost $45,000 in staff time, Ruth Kraut, the department’s deputy health officer, told the board. Other health department staff noted that $100,000 in funding from the state to help with the outbreak had been largely spent.“It’s been a huge effort,” Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, the department’s medical director, told the board. “We get lists of students or patients or whatnot. We don’t have much information to go by other than their name and date of birth. So that basically means our team of nurses and other folks calling everybody to verify their immunization status.”Because two doses of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is 97% effective at preventing the disease, public health officials are mostly trying to identify those who aren’t protected so they can be advised to quarantine at home and not spread the disease to others.But people often don’t remember whether they’ve been vaccinated or don’t have access to their immunization records, Marquez said. So then they need to come to the health department clinic to have a blood test to check to see if they have measles immunity from past vaccination or infection.The result is that the health department’s clinic is largely focused on measles and vaccine response, he said, and communicable disease efforts are being limited to measles and other high-risk cases.Like forest fires, measles outbreaks are ‘sending out sparks’A significant challenge for public health officials is that it’s difficult to know which small measles outbreaks can be quickly and easily contained, and which ones will spread to hundreds of people.Dr. William Moss, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and director of the school’s International Vaccine Access Center, compared the measles landscape across the United States to a map of forest fires.“You’ve got these bigger outbreaks, they’re kind of sending out sparks,” Moss said. “If that spark lands in a county or a community with high vaccine coverage, you don’t get much spread. And so you see one of these small outbreaks. But if it does land in a community with a large number of individuals who are under vaccinated or unvaccinated, then you get these larger outbreaks.”It would be helpful to overlay measles cases onto maps with detailed vaccination coverage data, he said. But sources of vaccination data are limited and fragmented, and while school vaccination data can be helpful, it doesn’t include information about adults in the community.“We and many other groups have been trying to develop ways to predict or forecast, as best we can, where the hotspots are. It’s just very difficult with measles,” Moss said.Moss said that to know how easily measles will spread requires having detailed information about the coverage levels of vaccination and immunity within very localized communities where people socialize. But such data isn’t readily available, he said.The places Moss and his team are watching closely are those where cases have been increasing the most in the past few weeks. That includes Hudspeth County, Texas, where the Johns Hopkins U.S. Measles Tracker has tallied 31 cases in recent weeks, and several counties in Utah, which are in the midst of a surge in their outbreak. Many of the cases in Hudspeth County, Texas, involve a federal detention facility.Since it began last year, Utah’s measles outbreak has sickened 559 people, 362 since January. South Carolina’s measles outbreak, the largest in the United States in decades, has had 997 known cases since October — more than 660 of them since January.The good news: South Carolina health officials haven’t had a measles case reported to them in more than two weeks. If that trend continues for 42 consecutive days — which is two incubation cycles for the measles virus — that outbreak will be declared over after April 26.As of early March, the South Carolina Department of Public Health told Healthbeat it had spent $1.6 million on its response to the outbreak.This story was produced by Healthbeat and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	North Scott Press — April 15, 2026
	Iowa’s largest film festival just got bigger The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary by expanding to eight days, firmly securing its spot as Iowa’s largest — and longest — film festival. This year features over 200 films, including a documentary about the opera singer Simon Estes.
	Meet the family They’re creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky, and altogether ooky, but this isn’t your parents’ “Addams Family.” Lancer Productions presents the musical comedy this weekend and next in the North Scott Fine Arts Auditorium. Wednesday Addams is all grown up and has fallen in love. She breaks the shocking news to her family that her boyfriend, Lucas, is … from Ohio. Moreover, the couple want their parents to meet. She begs the family to give her “one normal night.” Wednesday also confides in her father, Gomez, that she and Lucas are engaged and asks him to keep this a secret from her mother. Though Gomez agrees, this puts him in an awkward position, because through their marriage, he has never, ever, lied or kept a secret from Morticia. Meanwhile, Wednesday’s brother, Pugsley, becomes upset when he realizes now that Wednesday has a boyfriend, she won’t have time to spend with him. Uncle Fester longs for his own love, which he fears can never be. When Lucas and his family arrive, the Addams Family attempts to be on its best behavior. But Lucas’ parents, Mal and Alice, are hiding their own secrets, and the night quickly goes awry. So, Uncle Fester enlists the help of the Addams’ ancient ancestors to ensure love prevails. Director Ashley Becher said Lancer Productions has been eyeing doing “The Addams Family” for a while, but this year, they knew they would be able to bring together the perfect cast. And that cast is having fun with this show. They said the most fun part has been the family aspect. “We all have the same humor,” said Brayden Serrano, who plays Gomez. “It wouldn’t be the same without everyone in this,” said Charlotte Madden (Morticia). “It’s such a crazy dynamic. It’s so perfect,” agreed Natalie Sierk (Wednesday). With the popularity of the “Addams Family” movies and TV show, as well as Netflix’s “Wednesday” series, cast members are also well aware of the fondness many people in the audience will bring to this show. “It’s such a big responsibility, but it is an honor to be able to portray it in our own way,” said Sierk. “It’s beautiful; we’ve kind of incorporated some of the modern aspects into this,” said Grady Kirst (Uncle Fester). That includes a rendition of the viral Wednesday dance and some other TikTok favorites. The musical is also an opportunity to bring together old and new faces. This year, that includes Emily Stutting (Grandma) and Alexander Simmons (Lurch). While Stutting, a senior, made her debut in “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” as a Cheshire Cat, this is Simmons’ first show with Lancer Productions. “I went into it completely scared,” said Simmons. “I knew that everyone was going to be amazing, but I was still really nervous, because I didn’t completely know what to expect. And then I came here, and right away, everyone was so amazing. I’m always asking the craziest questions, and still, all of these people here just welcomed me in and answer all of my questions, no matter how weird they might be. And it’s just been really amazing to be a part of this. I’m really thankful.” “Just being here with everybody, we have so much fun together,” said Stutting. “Everybody has the same humor and there’s so many inside jokes. When I first got here, I was like, I don’t know about all these, but now I’m learning them, and it’s just like a family.” And that feeling of family is what the cast hopes the audience takes away from the show. “You have to have your family; that’s so important,” said Madden. “Whether it’s blood or chosen,” said Sierk. “And you don’t find your people until you’re really you,” said Serrano. “We welcome the Beinekes in, even though they’re not what we think is traditional, and vice versa with them,” said Madden. “I was talking to my mom about the show, and I was talking about the ‘define normal’ line, and she said, ‘You need to define your own normal, because everyone’s normal is different,’” said Kirst. “It reminds me of my family,” said Simmons. “My family might not be this dysfunctional, but it’s just a constant reminder that families are messy. It’s not something that comes easy, but it’s just something that needs to be cherished so much, because it’s not something that everyone has. Not everyone has a family like this, and you just need to be thankful for what you’ve been given.” The cast includes: Brayden Serrano (Gomez Addams); Charlotte Madden (Morticia Addams); Grady Kirst (Uncle Fester); Emily Stutting (Grandma); Natalie Sierk (Wednesday Addams); Bella Suarez (Pugsley Addams); Alexander Simmons (Lurch); Ben Lightle (Mal Beineke); Taylar Vondal (Alice Beinke); Jack McCarthy (Lucas Beineke). The Ancestors include: Marlayna Cockshoot, Charli Conner, Nora Davis, Bryton Dougherty, Ashton Goodwin, Ben Hill, Madi Hillmann, Riley Johnson, Pacey Kane, Kaitlyn Knepper, Katelyn Kuesel, Hayden Lacher, Brooklyn Lacher, Cael Mess, Sophia Nelson, Jane Nichols, Katelyn Peck, Emme Plett, Riley Plymale, Addalie Reese, Ella Siokos, Ezekiel Skyles, Mason Smeltzer, Kaden Timmerman, Micah Webb, Zach Wiese, Addyson Yanke and Emma Zrostlik. “The Addams Family” is directed by Ashley Becher, with student assistant director Mya Kelsey. Bobby Becher is music director. The show is produced by Stacie Kintigh. Emily Hintze is in charge of marketing and public relations. Choreography is by Ashley Becher, with additional pointe choreography by Emme Plett. The technical director is Josh Tipsword, with student technical director Taylor Crain. Stage manager is Madi Brus, assisted by Alliana Ray. The lighting designer is Hannah Nelson, assisted by Kallen Rohlf. The light board operator is Kallen Rohlf, and the spotlight operator is Samantha Mussack. The sound designer/operator is Kora Thiessen, and the sound board operator is Bella Riley. The stage crew includes Ella Dierickx and Michael Hames. The properties masters are Haidyn Koberg, and Parker Herrington. The costume and wig and hair design lead is Renae Mohr. The hair, makeup and costume crew includes Charli Conner, Eva Wyatt and Emma Reif. The scenic designer was Josh Tipsword. The set construction crew included: Hannah Nelson, Taylor Crain, Samantha Mussack, Kallen Rohlf, Alliana Ray, Ella Dierickx, Parker Herrington, Emma Reif, Michael Hames, Emma Zrostlik, Madilyn Brus, Eva Wyatt, Eleanor White, Charli Conner, Noah Siokos, Natalie Yanke, Mya Kelsey, Rafael Formigoni, Alexander Simmons, Addyson Yanke, Allana Sosnowski, Grady Kirst, Hayden Lacher, Layla Talbert, Natalie Sierk, Kaitlyn Knepper, Charlotte Madden, Benjamin Hill, Charlotte Mendenhall, Sophia Frahm, Nora Davis, Brayden Serrano, Haidyn Koberg, Kora Thiessen. The paint crew included Emma Zrostlik, Haidyn Koberg, Mya Kelsey and Parker Herrington. This year’s Soda Poppers include: Sophia Frahm, Elly Matheson, Charlotte Mendenhall, Camilla Miller, Makayla Miller, Reilly Nienhaus, Will Noonan, Elena Skadal, and Cooper Stevens. Performances are Friday, April 17 and 24, and Saturday, April 18 and 25, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 19 and 26, at 2 p.m. in the North Scott Fine Arts Auditorium. Tickets are $15 at the door and at tix.nshslp.com, with a credit card fee if applicable. Dinner theatre performances are April 24 and 25, with doors for dinner opening at 5 p.m. Tickets for dinner are $20 each in addition to the show ticket and must be purchased in advance at tix.nshslp.com. “The Addams Family” contains some strong language and adult humor. Viewer discretion is advised.
	Niabi Zoo opening marks first full season since 2024 storm damage Niabi will open for the season on April 21. This year, visitors can enjoy a brand new exhibit called "Conservation in Action" and its virtual reality capabilities.
	Veteran editor, investigative journalist to lead Quad-City Times newsroom She is joining the Quad-City Times from the top news editor role at The Times of Northwest Indiana, a sister paper within Lee Enterprises.
	AI transforms a clerk's work Veteran Long Grove city clerk Rose Guyer has an assistant built from scratch. She hand-picked its skills and invented its personality. She decides how it thinks, and for how long. It is a digital “agent”—an artificial intelligence program designed to act on its own, carrying out complex tasks with as little instruction as possible. Guyer has designed her agent as a “financial analyst” for Long Grove. The analyst is just one example of how Guyer has spent the last year rebuilding her workflow with AI. What began as an email assistant now helps her review city finances, draft reports and develop her own accounting program for other small-town clerks and administrators. Consider a nine-page memorandum Guyer sent to the McCausland city council, outlining how they could rein in their high tax rate and rebuild reserve funds embezzled by a former clerk. Guyer used AI to draft the memo after she had spent several months as the city’s interim clerk, and knew where the city could recalibrate. Guyer began by providing her agent with a flood of McCausland city documents—past budgets, receipts, and fund balances. Then she asked it questions about city spending on recreation, which she believed the council would have to trim. What was the trend in the city’s recreational spending over time? What percentage did it make up of the whole budget? How did McCausland spending compare to other, similar cities? Those questions provided Guyer with the raw information she could take to the council to make the case for a drop in spending. Then she asked AI to take another step, she said: “Analyze my train of thought for errors in how I'm thinking. How will the council perceive what I'm saying? How can I make this sound professional, not accusational?” “I need it to look at all the angles, because I'm not always capable of doing that,” Guyer said. Guyer knew the outlines of the McCausland memo before she began to draft it. “But in order to organize my thoughts, and to present that information to other people, that takes time—and that's something that it's skilled at doing, and skilled at doing it quickly,” she explained. “When it's doing that quickly, then I'm able to shift and focus on making the information more accurate,” she added. She said that careful review of AI reports and summaries is essential. “It’s not like it's just creating something and I'm trusting it and putting it out there,” she explained. “You still have to analyze it regularly for accuracy. Nothing it’s creating am I just accepting as truth.” Designing agents Guyer controls every aspect of her digital financial analyst. She provides a short, written description of its role and several more complex skills. The agent refers to these as references, or instructions, as it carries out the task she has asked it to do. For example, the description and skills might tell the agent what it means to “analyze” financial data or “compare” it to data from another city. Guyer also determines how much time the agent spends thinking through the questions she asks, by restricting how many “tokens” it can spend. Tokens are a kind of digital currency: the more an agent spends, the more data it can process, consider and produce. The analyst has access to all public city data, Guyer said. “Every year's financial report that I've ever had. All of our exams, all of our audits. Every budget, every year end report, month end report. Every council report that I've given.” When Guyer spoke with The North Scott Press last Thursday, she had just fed her financial analyst agent reams of data on the municipal water utility, organizing the data and figures she would take to the city’s living financial advisor for discussions about next year’s rate. Visitors to the Long Grove city website may have noticed a new help window that can respond to questions about taxes, council meetings and city service. That is a second agent designed by Guyer, with a different set of skills and a tight cap on the number of tokens it can spend. Guyer runs her financial analyst on Claude, an AI model designed for research. The public-facing web assistant runs on ChatGPT, which requires less computing power to carry out simple tasks. Further functions AI serves as more than just a part-time analyst, Guyer said. When she needs to post a notice of a snow day or plow day, she generates a friendly graphic. When she has a legal question, she asks AI for guidance before confirming its answers with the city attorney. Long Grove recently began to integrate its planning and zoning ordinances with the full city code. The rewrite and reformat would cost $7,000, attorneys told the city. So Guyer turned to AI, which performed the work for free. The new body of ordinances still went to the city attorney for review, Guyer said. Building her own software For years, Guyer has used custom-built spreadsheets to track and model city spending in Long Grove. When McCausland hired her to review their books, she realized how little accounting varied from small city to small city. “We all have the same needs, regardless of our size. We all the same reporting requirements. We all have very similar structures,” Guyer explained. “Government fund accounting doesn't really change.” That planted the seed of Guyer’s latest project: an accounting software built with the needs of small cities and inexperienced clerks in mind. AI coding tools have allowed her to “develop a proof of concept that lets me know this can work.” “It will work,” Guyer said. “I just have to convince other people.” The software includes all the basic functions of government fund accounting for small municipalities: accounts payable, bank reconciliation, a general ledger and receipts manager. But it has other functions, too, like a digital timeclock for city employees. “I pay another company to do our employee timecard,” Guyer said of Long Grove. “Why can't my software do that?” Now it can. The software also includes a dedicated “auditor document portal,” where clerks can upload all the documents—like timecards, fund balances and affidavits of publication—that an audit requires for review. As much as she can, Guyer has tried “to build in the internal control processes.” For instance, the software prompts users to itemize credit card bills. In Eldridge, failure to itemize hid months of theft. Every window in Guyer’s program includes standard operating procedures running in a column down the left-hand side. She hopes to make it user friendly for small cities and their small or part-time staffs, which struggle to use municipal accounting software designed for large, experienced administrations. Guyer wants to have the software ready for use by the start of the 2026–27 fiscal year in July. “What I would like to do is beta test it in the communities I currently work for, run it alongside what's already existing to determine accuracy, and then roll out with a few communities with some discounted subscriptions,” she explained. She is now recruiting a software developer to engineer the code required to plumb the proof of concept she has built with AI. Moving forward, she has large ambitions for the program. “My goal, personally and professionally, is to create a software that will handle every single task of a city of the city's operations,” she explained. “From customer service, answering calls, to the bot on the website, to public information requests, to meter reading, to controls and monitors at a sewer or water plant, to analyzing electrical information.” But those functions await. For now she admits, “I need to keep my scope small.”
	North Scott students hear triumph over tragedy North Scott students learned a moving lesson about finding beauty in tragedy on Friday. Orchestra members at the junior high and high school heard a presentation on the program Violins of Hope, featuring a violin that will be on display at the Putnam Museum through the end of April. Violins of Hope was founded by Ammon Weinstein, who worked as a luthier in Israel until his death in 2024. A luthier is a craftsman who builds and repairs stringed instruments. Weinstein apprenticed under his father, Moshe, who was born in Poland but moved to Tel Aviv in 1938. As the Holocaust broke out, many Jewish violinists, whose instruments had been made in Germany, began to break or burn their instruments in protest. Some told Moshe that they would destroy their instruments unless he bought them. So, he began a violin collection. At the same time, all of Moshe’s relatives who remained in Europe died in the Holocaust. In the 1980s, Ammon Weinstein received a violin from a young man. He learned the instrument belonged to the man’s grandfather, who had been at Auschwitz. When Weinstein opened the violin to begin repairing it, he discovered it was full of black powder — ashes from the crematoriums at the death camp. Weinstein began collecting string instruments connected with the Holocaust in 1996. He repaired them and also learned the stories behind them. In 1999, he gave a speech in Germany about the collection, the first step in what would become the Violins of Hope project. Today, the collection includes more than 60 instruments, mostly violins, and tours the world. The instruments are used in concerts and educational displays, all with the intent of sharing the stories of those who perished during the Holocaust. The collection is now managed by Weinstein’s son, Avshalom, who works as a luthier in Turkey. Avshalom accompanied the collection to Iowa, where pieces are displayed at the Putnam Museum, Figge Museum and German American Heritage Society in Davenport; Danville Station Library & Museum, the Loper Learning Center at Muscatine Community College; the Iowa Jewish Historical Society in Des Moines; and the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. On Friday, North Scott students got to see and hear one of these violins. Retired teacher Chris Green, who worked for years with students in the North Scott History Day program, now serves as chair of the Holocaust Education Committee of the Quad Cities. She said Allan Ross, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, has been working to bring Violins of Hope to the area for about eight years. At the junior high, the orchestra students listened quietly and intently as Green told them about the Violins of Hope project in the context of the Holocaust. “When you try to wipe something out, there’s always that hope that you can also keep it to continue,” said Green. “That there will be people left over that will be able to tell the stories. And if the people can’t, Violins of Hope are showing how instruments can tell the stories.” Green told the students more about how the Nazis also used music as a weapon during the Holocaust. As the Jewish people were forced out of their homes, they took only what they could carry, and violins were easily portable. When they arrived at the camps, the Nazis forced some of these musicians to play in orchestras, which gave the illusion that these were only work camps and that the situation would not be so bad. But the musicians also had to play in all weather, at all hours, and whenever the Nazis commanded it, including at parties for officers. The students watched a video, where they got to hear about the Violins of Hope in Ammon Weinstein’s own words, as well as his wife, Assaela, and son, Avshalom. “The Nazis are not anymore. The violins – they are,” said Weinstein. “And the violins are playing, and when they are playing it is a victory. And when it is victory, you cannot take it away.” The violin the students heard belonged to a Jewish man from Italy named Gualtiero Morpurgo. His family had been established in northern Italy for 500 years, but as Mussolini joined Hitler in trying to purge the Jews from Europe, life quickly changed. Morpurgo’s mother gave him the violin, which was made in 1888, when he was young. “Music will help you in desperate moments of life,” she told him. “Do not give up. Sooner or later, it will prove me right.” His mother was sent to Auschwitz on the first train car out of Italy, where she died. Morpurgo was sent to a forced labor camp. He survived and continued to play the violin until he was 97 years old. His family donated the instrument to Violins of Hope. “The thing that I think about, not even playing it, but just having it in our presence, is that this piece of wood that was constructed, it brought joy through misery, and it brought peace through pain,” orchestra teacher Linda Dargene told the students. “And it was a true living source of joy through some pretty horrific times. And to know that it’s still here … as the video said, every note played on it is a victory for those that were victims during that time. “Knowing that we can still play it now, 80 some years later, and it still can bring that victory and that understanding of what happened during that time. It’s very substantial for us as musicians. Because as I’ve said before, this is just a piece of paper until we can make it live, until we bring it presence and cause that emotion. So, when we play for you today, think about what this violin actually means and what it stands for, because it’s not just an instrument, is it?” Dargene joined orchestra teacher Benjamin Lorentzen in playing a duet for the students — the theme from “Schindler’s List” — with Lorentzen drawing his bow across the Morpurgo violin. “It’s a very nice violin,” Lorentzen said after the piece. “You’ll get to see that it’s got some battle scars here. I see there’s a lot of work that’s been done. The violin that I generally play on is my great-grandfather’s, so when I play it, it’s got some sentimental value, and that one’s a lot of fun to play on. This violin … it’s special to play it for sure, in a much heavier way. There’s just so much history.” The students passed the violin around the room gingerly. The room was quiet as they examined it, running their fingers across the wood and gently plucking the strings. A few wiped away tears. Once the instrument made its way back to Lorentzen, he carefully wiped it with a soft cloth. Dargene reminded the students of the historical importance in another context, as the North Scott orchestra program prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. “To have a violin with so much history, in a district where orchestra is pretty new compared to other districts in Iowa, it’s a good reminder to us that there can be new beginnings at any point, at any stage.” Green said music is important, culturally, to the Jewish people, especially at important life markers. It is central to weddings and to funerals, in particular. After class, a few students lingered, and Dargene’s daughter played a quick scale before handing the violin back to her mother. Dargene and Lorentzen studied it further, noting where the work had been done. As Dargene took her own turn with the violin, she noted that her high school students earlier in the day had been similarly somber during the presentation. “It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.” “I think it’s important, and that’s one of the gifts from this program, is that kids can see what’s being done. We can do better, and we can honor it,” said Green. “What we want is for people not to forget, because we don’t want this to happen again.” Violins of Hope will be on display in the Quad Cities until April 30. Featured events include a performance by Ballet Quad Cities on April 16 at 6 p.m. at the Figge Art Museum; a concert with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra on April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Figge; and the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities’ Yom HaShoah annual Holocaust remembrance, which will be held April 19 at 7 p.m. at the Rogalski Center on the campus of St. Ambrose University. More information is available at violinsofhopeiowa.com.
	Derelict hotel comes down on River Drive Princeton’s derelict hotel, 514 S. River Drive, came down Friday, April 10, five months after site owners promised demolition and redevelopment. Crews cleared rubble from the site Saturday morning. Owner Dennis Campbell said "it just takes time... to get all the permitting done right." “I appreciate the patience of everybody that’s been a part of it," he added. Campbell said in November that his family had first hoped to restore the building and its historic limestone front, but that structural damage made that impossible. His daughter, Julia Looney, said in the fall that they had “discussed possibilities of a few commercial spaces on the first floor, and maybe some residential spaces above... Hopefully to preserve the historic, aesthetic value of the original hotel.”
	Walcott council adopts new meeting room policy The Walcott Fire Department dropped a request to charge community groups for use of its meeting room. The city council approved a new meeting room policy Monday, April 6 that guarantees several Walcott organizations can use the meeting room during and after city hours, free of charge. Members of the fire department told the council earlier this year that guests had damaged the room and amenities like silverware had slowly disappeared. The new policy specifies that guests are responsible for “leaving the room clean and orderly” and “reporting any damage immediately.” Organizations approved for use include: • Walcott Day Committee • Walcott Hearts & Hands Foundation • Walcott Historical Society • Walcott Lions Club • Walcott Women • Walcott Unified Fund • Walcott Volunteer Firefighters Association • Walcott Youth Athletics Associations (boys & girls townball) Other organizations may use the facility during city hours, pending approval by the clerk. Members of the fire department may use the room for personal events with the approval of the fire chief. Firefighter Ben McKibbin also informed the council that the department had received free recruitment banners and yard signs from the Iowa Firefighters Association. The council gave the department permission to place the banners and signs across town. They also approved road closures for the department’s annual steak fry May 16. Tax hearing, budget changes The council heard few comments at its required tax levy hearing 5:30 Monday. Walcott city taxes are set to rise next year, from $9.85 to $10.46 per $1,000 in taxable property value. City Clerk Lisa Rickertsen told the council April 6 that the budget for next year would also include a 5% rate increase for city sewer and water utilities. The city will begin several major projects next year, including construction of a new, $1.4 million well and a $300,000 reconstruction of a culvert on Cedar Lane. Walcott expects a string of further projects to follow in the proceeding years. They include refurbishment of the city water tower, required sewer improvements, and reconstruction of 60th Avenue. The council set their annual budget hearing for April 20 at 6 p.m., during their regular meeting. Rickertsen also informed the council that she had decreased budgeted expenditures on property insurance for next year’s budget. A recent bill showed that liability rates had largely fallen this year, she reported. Other news In other business, the council: • Approved a low bid of $9,750 from Needham Excavating to install a sanitary sewer manhole cover at Cedar Lane and Main Street Drive. • Amended the route of the Iron Addicts May 23 5K to avoid several street closure near graduation parties planned for the evening. • Approved the sale of a 2013 Ford Explorer retiring from the police department, at a high bid $3,850. • Amended the police vehicle reserve fund to a vehicle and equipment reserve fund, following discussion at a February 3 work session.
	County to purchase new side-by-sides for sheriff's office Supervisors approved the purchase of two Polaris Ranger side-by-side vehicles for the sheriff’s office last week. The Polaris Ranger XP1000s will replace a pair of 2009 Honda vehicles currently in use. Sheriff Tim Lane said they had trouble finding replacement parts for the old vehicles. Lane added that Rangers are a standard model for law enforcement and fire department operations. Delivered, they will cost the county a combined $46,758.92. Supervisors also agreed to a $36,639 extension of the county contract with Novatime, its current time and attendance software vendor, which will carry through the end of the year. Supervisors approved a $1.2 million, ten-year contract with alternative vendor TimeClock Plus in January. IT director Matt Hirst said it should begin next year following negotiations. In other business, supervisors agreed to waive a conflict of interest reported by law firm Ahlers & Cooney, which occasionally represents the county in labor negotiations with employees. Ahlers & Cooney may soon represent nursing students who could be employed at the county jail. Supervisors opted in to a class-action lawsuit against Takeda Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of troubled diabetes drug Actos. They also approved routine board and commission appointments and liquor license renewals.
	Casino gaming revenue comes up short County tax revenues on casino gaming appear unlikely to meet hopeful budget figures for 2025–26. Scott County expected $850,000 in gaming revenue this fiscal year, an uptick over $812,247 collected last year. But figures provided at the start of April show an aggregate 3.45% shortfall in to-date revenues from Scott County’s two casinos. If the trend holds through the end of June, Scott County would collect just $820,000 this year—$30,000 less than expected. Expected to-date revenue at Isle in Bettendorf is down 2.16%. Revenue at Rhythm City in Davenport is down 4.35%. An $820,000 take this year would still mark the first rise in county gaming revenue since the postpandemic high of $932,485 in 2021–22. Iowa legalized sports betting in May 2019, and required online bettors to register at the casino. The pandemic depressed gaming revenue that year, which rocketed up to $900,191 in 2020–21 from $683,200 in 2018–2019. At the start of 2021, Iowa dropped rules that required bettors to register in person. Revenues fell to $899,565 in 2022–23, $834,869 in 2023–24, and $812,247 in 2024–25.
	How to increase revenue with marketing How to increase revenue with marketingOne of the main goals of any business (if not the main goal) is to drive revenue. And not just to drive it — to maximize it. Of course, that leaves the question of how you do that. And there are multiple answers — one answer is to offer high-quality products or services, and another is to budget correctly.But one of the most important ways to drive revenue is to optimize your digital marketing. You might already have heard that, but maybe it only left you with more questions — specifically, the question of how to increase revenue with marketing.That’s the question WebFX will be answering in this article. Here are eight different revenue marketing strategies you can use to boost your overall revenue strategy.Let’s dive into some advice for growing your revenue through your marketing efforts.1. Expand your reachOne of the most effective ways to earn more revenue is to simply market to more people. If you’re not earning as much as you’d like, part of the issue could be that you’ve limited your range too much. You can try expanding to target new demographics or geographic locations.Of course, don’t expand your audience haphazardly. You should base your audience targeting on hard data. Look at your existing customer base to see if there are any demographics or locations you might be missing with your marketing. If so, create some campaigns to target them.This targeted approach to audience expansion aligns with proven revenue marketing best practices for sustainable growth.2. Retarget customersExpanding your audience can help you gain a larger number of new customers, but there’s also a lot of value in marketing to existing or former customers.Those customers are already familiar with your business, and they’ve bought from you at least once, increasing the odds that they’ll do so again. Basically, it’s easier to convert existing customers than new ones. That allows you to streamline your marketing efforts, earning more revenue from fewer (and shorter) campaigns.Of course, exactly how you go about this depends on your industry. If you sell flat screen TVs — something people probably don’t buy on a repeat basis — this strategy won’t work as well. On the other hand, if you offer a subscription service, all you have to do is convince existing clients to stay subscribed.3. Expand your marketing channelsOne mistake many businesses make with their revenue strategy is that they market on too few channels. It’s ideal to use a variety of digital marketing strategies together. That’s not to say you should bite off more than you can chew, of course. But marketing on at least a few different channels is a great way to increase revenue.So, which channels should you market on? Well, in addition to optimizing your website to rank in organic search results, you should try channels like:Paid search advertisingDisplay advertising on third-party websitesEmail marketingSocial media marketingThe more channels you market on, the larger your audience will become, and the more revenue you’ll drive. This is often a more effective way of increasing revenue through marketing than simply targeting new demographics.4. Reoptimize your pricing strategySometimes, your pricing is the reason your revenue isn’t high enough. If people are discouraged by the cost of your products or services, maybe rethink how you present that cost. For example, if you offer payment plan options, maybe frame it as “X payments of $Y” instead of just listing the total price as one giant number.If you provide a subscription service, meanwhile, you could consider emphasizing the value your customers get for the price. For instance, you might provide a table breaking down all of the specific deliverables included in the total price. You could also use comparison tables to show the difference between your pricing and that of more expensive competitors.Another option is to offer free shipping and see if that encourages more sales. If all else fails, though, there’s always the possibility your offerings are simply too expensive, in which case you may have to change the pricing itself.5. Offer sales and discountsEven if you don’t choose to revitalize your long-term pricing strategy, you can still lower prices on a short-term basis. Offering sales, discounts, coupons, and so on is one of the most effective revenue marketing strategies, which is why so many businesses tend to do it.It’s up to you how frequent or extensive these sales and discounts are. However, one thing you definitely want to do is promote them. A sale won’t do much if nobody knows it’s happening in the first place. Use your website, social media, and email marketing to let your customers know that your offerings are on sale.6. Personalize your marketing effortsAnother great way of increasing revenue through marketing is personalization. Put yourself in a customer’s shoes for a moment. Imagine you get two emails from two different businesses. The first one addresses you by name and promotes products based on your personal interests. The other is a generic email that could be intended for anyone.Which one will impact you more? Probably the first one. Personalized marketing is better at engaging users’ interest, making them more likely to convert. One of the best ways to increase personalization is to segment your audience into different groups based on their location, behavior on your site, and so on.Then you simply create different marketing campaigns that are targeted to different groups. That allows you to make those campaigns more specific, as opposed to trying to make marketing materials that cater to your entire audience equally.7. Conduct customer surveysIf you want to know how to increase revenue with marketing, you need to understand your audience. One of the best ways to learn more about them is to simply ask them for information. You can do that through customer surveys, which you can send out through channels like email.There are different types of surveys you can send out. You can ask your audience about their experience with your website, their opinion of your products or services, and how likely they are to recommend your business to a friend. Those are just a few examples.All of these questions, however, give you more insight into your audience’s interests and opinions, making it easier to market to them effectively and drive more sales and revenue.8. Analyze your dataFinally, your revenue strategy won’t be very successful unless you monitor it and learn from it as you go. You’ll want to track data related to how customers behave, which marketing channels are the most successful, which offerings are the most popular, and so on.When you analyze this data, you’ll be able to see which areas of your marketing strategy are working well, and which ones need to be reoptimized. You can then improve your campaigns based on what you learn.By continuing to do this over time, you’ll make your marketing strategy more and more effective at driving sales, which will lead to much more revenue in the long term.This story was produced by WebFX and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Specialist to lead special needs planning workshop for Quad-Cities families this week The session will be led by Hannah Magrum, a chartered special needs consultant and Thrivent Financial advisor, who specializes in special needs planning.
	Solar project advances to bid, may grow in scope Princeton City Council will have spent about $10,000 with engineers by the time it hears bids on a solar array that would power the city sewer plant. And cost estimates for the array rose last week, when the latest utility bills show that the plant has upped its electricity usage in recent months. Most members of the council heard about increased power needs and the $10,000 engineering estimate—of which $6,000 has already been spent—for the first time Thursday, April 9. Undaunted, they voted 5–0 to continue with the project, setting a required public hearing for April 23. Councilwoman Lori Maher told the council that she expected the project would yield savings as soon as 2030, when potential electricity bills would exceed fixed debt service payments. She modeled savings with an interest rate of 6% and an annual rise in electricity costs at 4%, with a longer debt service period for a more expensive project. She also assumed a project cost of $250–300,000. A project of that size and cost would not meet the full energy needs of the city sewer plant, engineers said Thursday. An expanded project could be “less than $350,000, but I'm not comfortable making any promises, especially with the state of the economy,” an engineer told the council. Mayor Travis Volrath pointed out that the council can expect savings to hold steady so long as rising project costs are driven by a need for more energy. Princeton must break ground on the array before July to guarantee a 30% federal rebate designed to encourage solar development. DNR awards $45K for church work The council accepted a $45,500 grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources derelict building program to repair damage to the roof of the former Princeton Presbyterian Church, now owned by the city. Members of the council have proposed transforming the building into a community center. The council has identified leaks in the roof surrounding the belltower and steeple. City grant writer Angie Bloomfield said the $45,500 grant must be matched “dollar for dollar” by city spending. The grant will cover expenses from engineering through construction and environmental reporting, she said. The city council cut its planned spending on community spaces from $50,000 to $6,000 last month, part of an effort to trim the city budget and hold tax rates constant. Parks and Recreation hopes to form nonprofit The Princeton Parks and Recreation Board hopes to separate from the city and pursue new funding opportunities as a nonprofit called the Community Partnership, its members announced Thrusday. Betsy Wolfe, vice chair of the park board, explained the request Thursday. “As our work has expanded, we recognize an opportunity to increase our effectiveness by transitioning into an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3),” she said. City boards cannot apply for community development grants available to nonprofits. “This transition is not intended to reduce our relationship” with the city, Wolfe said. “It's to strengthen everything, and to get more money.” “Upon approval, we intend to continue working in collaboration with the city to support our parks and community improvement efforts,” she added. The board currently organizes events and fundraisers to benefit city parks, but does not oversee their day-to-day maintenance, which is carried out by the Princeton Public Works crew. Princeton City Council raised several questions about the decision to separate. Councilman Kevin Kernan noted that the park board was created by city ordinance, and could only be dissolved by city ordinance. If the current board left to form a nonprofit, the city would likely have to appoint a new park board, he said. Wolfe said whether to eliminate the park board entirely was at the city’s discretion. Kernan also noted that the request had precedent: proponents of a bike trail through Princeton formed a similar nonprofit, separate from the park board, to promote and fundraise. Councilman Keith Youngers noted that other civic nonprofits, such as the one founded to operate the Princeton Days festival, had dissolved after failing to meet the financial reporting requirements of a 501(c)(3). Volrath asked City Attorney Candy Pastrnak to investigate whether the creation of a new nonprofit in place of the park board would complicate city insurance policies. The council will reconsider the request at a future meeting. Changes to the dump Princeton will restrict the city dump at the end of Chestnut Street to residents and their yard waste only, the council agreed. The council mov the restrictions after reports that rubble from roadwork in LeClaire had been brought to the dump. Some rubble came from beneath a former gas station and along old sewer lines, Volrath reported. The dump lies within the wellhead protection area of the only functioning municipal well. The council asked Pastrnak to draft an ordinance setting a first-time violation fine at $2,500. The fine will double on each following offense. “You might as well make it enough that it’s going to deter,” Volrath said. The council will proceed with the first required reading of the ordinance at their next meeting, April 23. The council also plans to install cameras to monitor activity at the dump. Other business In other news, the council: • Renewed liquor licenses for Casey’s, Three 33, and Go Fish. • Heard a proposal from Matt Shapiro to restructure ownership a drainage area that divides his properties near 1005 2nd Street. He was referred to the city Planning and Zoning commission.
	Moline Police detective Michael Griffin named Criminal Investigator of the Year Detective Michael Griffin of the Moline Police Department has been named the 2026 Criminal Investigator of the Year by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Griffin’s leadership and perseverance in the nearly 30-year investigation into the disappearance and murder of 11-year-old Trudy Appleby show [...]
	District hands out Lancer Pride Awards Monday It was a full house, at least for a little while, at Monday’s North Scott School Board meeting, as board members handed out three Lancer Pride Awards. A group of bus driver Deb Batchelor’s young riders turned out to celebrate her at the meeting, bringing gifts, flowers and lots of hugs. “She is such a blessing to everyone who rides her bus, and to everyone who knows her,” said board member Joni Dittmer during the presentation. “She greets them every single morning with a wonderful smile and such care and concern, and it starts their day off so positively. “Miss Debbie celebrates everything big and small … we love Miss Debbie so much, and she deserves all the recognition for the positive difference she makes in the North Scott School District. She’s a wonderful representative of North Scott schools and shows so much love and kindness every single day.” As the young students filed up to greet Batchelor, Dittmer asked what they thought of Miss Debbie. “She’s amazing,” they said in unison. A visibly moved Batchelor thanked district transportation director Derek Hamilton for hiring her. “This is the best part-time job I’ve ever had. And I would do anything for these kids … I love them all.” Also honored were high school English teacher Emily Hintze and choir director Lori Potts. Hintze has been a teacher at the high school for 13 years and also teaches public speaking classes. Outside of the classroom, she works with Lancer Productions and coaches the speech team, which recently completed its season at All-State. She also leads international travel opportunities with fellow English teacher Jen Sambdman. They have already brought students to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Greece, and this summer, they will bring North Scott students to Asia, with a trip to Japan. “I’m really grateful that I get to work with a lot of amazing people and have a lot of creativity to do what’s right for students and get to see them grow and learn and thrive, both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. And I’m really happy that North Scott offers so many opportunities for the kids and that I get to be a part of it,” said Hintze. She also put in a plug for North Scott’s upcoming spring musical. “Please get your tickets for ‘The Addams Family.’ Opening night is this Friday.” Board member Morgan Dunn asked Hintze what her favorite travel opportunity has been so far. “I also take kids to internationals for theater, which is in the booming metropolis of Bloomington, Ind., which is great every single time,” said Hintze. “I really liked our big trip to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. That was fantastic. We had a pretty large group that was a lot of really amazing kids. Greece and Italy was fun because it was a smaller group, and so I got to know those five kids really well. Japan, we’re all trying something new. So, it’s just really exciting to see them see something new for the first time.” Potts has been the choir director at the high school for 32 years. She oversees three curricular and two extracurricular choirs, with enrollment averaging 160 students yearly. The choirs also regularly have between 14 and 25 students accepted into the All-State Choir. Most recently, she directed North Scott Singers at the American Choral Directors’ Midwestern Conference in Milwaukee, Wis., where they received a standing ovation from an audience that included choir directors from 10 states. “You make such a great impact on the kids and create that love of music for all those kids,” said board member Carrie Keppy. Board member Frank Wood also noted that Potts had an impact on his granddaughter, Kaitlyn, who was an All-State singer and minored in music at Drake University. Elementary ELA curriculum The board approved a new English Language Arts curriculum for kindergarten through sixth grade. District curriculum director Nicole Litterer gave a presentation on the new curriculum through Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt. Kindergarten through fifth grade will use a curriculum called IntoReading, while sixth graders will use IntoLiterature. Litterer said one of the main factors teachers and instructional coaches looked at as they piloted the program was ensuring students received a guaranteed viable curriculum. “Meaning, basically, that no matter what building your student is in, what classroom your student is in, we can be assured that your student is going to have an equitable, similar experience. Not that the teacher is going to teach it exactly the same, but they’ll have that same basic foundational experience.” Other goals included improving student growth and supporting all teachers with planning and instruction. Litterer said the pilot team had been drawn to the HMH curriculum because it offers both full classroom learning as well as small group activities. The program promises to build knowledge, language and foundational skills, and improve reading, vocabulary, grammar and writing. Litterer added the HMH curriculum also offers ways students can build on their learning year over year, with connecting concepts across grades. There are also aspects of social studies and science built into the curriculum, too. With the board’s approval, the new materials can be ordered. All the classroom materials and implementation support will cost $811,446.14. The K-6 team will also meet for approximately four hours in April and four hours in May for planning, pacing, and goal setting. As for the junior high and high school curricula, superintendent Joe Stutting said a meeting was planned with those teachers on Tuesday for further discussion. There is still ongoing debate about whether these teachers will adopt a formal curriculum or be allowed to write their own, although an HMH pilot program was held at these levels. Stutting said he expected the board would receive a recommendation about the junior high and high school curricula at the next board meeting on April 27. Meanwhile, Litterer said the K-12 science teams are also meeting now to understand and implement the new Iowa Core standards set by the legislature. They are starting to review potential curriculum materials. The K-12 social studies teams are expected to start meeting this month to begin the same process. Financial business District director of business affairs Jill Van Roekel presented $479,120.79 in bills for approval. Highlights included $3,315.03 to the Scott County Auditor’s Office for fees associated with the March 3 special PPEL election; $2,941.45 to Mediaquest Signs for parts for the digital sign outside the high school; and $8,790 to Chumbley Commercial Concrete LLC for concrete work at the Neil Armstrong playground. The board also approved the budget for the 2026-2027 school year. Other business In other business, the board approved the purchase of a new exhaust hood for the culinary classroom at the Regional Innovation Center from Crawford Company at a total cost of $76,162. The board also approved the purchase of 26.33 acres of land within the borders of the North Scott School District near the BettPlex at a total cost of $1,711,450, or $65,000 per acre. “For that area, this is a really good price,” said Stutting. This represents the last project out of funds from the Vision 2025 bond. While there are no plans for the land at this time, Stutting said making the purchase now could help the district plan for the future. “It may be 20 years, who knows. The district may not end up using it and sell the property someday. This is just getting us in a position in case a population really grows out there in our district. There’s land that we own to build some type of school building out there if we needed to.” The district will continue the hiring process for principals at Ed White and Alan Shepard this week, with interviews scheduled for Thursday. Stutting said he is also working to get interviews scheduled for the director of business affairs position in late April. The board held an exempt session, followed by a closed session pursuant to Chapter 21.5(1)(i) of Iowa Code, “To evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance, or discharge is being considered when a closed session is necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individual’s reputation, and that individual requests a closed session.” No action was taken following the closed session.
	The Iran war created a global natural gas shortage — a windfall for U.S. companies With Qatar's liquefied natural gas still offline, U.S. companies see an opening and are bringing in new investments.
	A special day for special athletes Athletes from across eastern Iowa participated in the Special Olympic track and field events Saturday. A full day of activities began with opening ceremonies in the gym at North Scott Junior High before moving over to Lancer Stadium.
	Run for Veterans dashes through Walcott Runners gathered for one-mile and 5K races for the Quad City Veterans Outreach Center in Walcott Saturday. Participants ranged from veteran to civilian, old to young, two-legged to four -legged to stroller-bound. Afterwards, runners and guests gathered for a meal at the Walcott Legion. —Noah Glasgow
	School board gets an update on school safety protocols Efforts to keep North Scott students safe at school continue every single day, and the North Scott School Board heard an update from the district’s safety committee Monday. Aaron Schwartz, associate principal at the high school, led the presentation, which also included comments from district communications director Michelle Skadal and junior high assistant principal Stephanie Fahrenkrog. The safety committee is currently made up of a group of 44 people, including teachers, support staff, administrators, first responders and members of the community. It meets quarterly, although there are sub-groups that work throughout the year as needs arise. Each building has its own safety team. “Our goal, every single day, is to send 100% of our students and our staff home safely to their loved ones,” said Schwartz. “And I think, when I speak for my safety team, that is a goal we all take very personally.” Schwartz said that the first step in keeping each building safe starts with yearly trainings, which include informed fire drills, tornado drills, ALICE training and bus safety training. The district has also added several additional trainings, including Stop the Bleed for trauma incidents, training staff in CPR and first aid, and Project ADAM, which provides training for AED devices for cardiac incidents. Schwartz credited high school nurse Wendy Peterson with bringing Project ADAM training to the committee’s attention. New efforts include rolling out a Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which will work to create consistent terminology across the district during emergency situations. Looking ahead to the 2026-2027 school year, the committee plans to implement a Standard Reunification Method (SRM), which will ensure students and families can be reunited in the event of a major emergency situation. The SRP and the SRM are both being implemented using resources from the I Love U Guys Foundation, which works with more than 78,000 school districts and other agencies and organizations around the world to deal with crisis response. “They are a great proponent of school safety,” said Schwartz. “They have a ton of resources and they’re kind of the standard. And so, we, as a district, are going to make sure we’re up to that standard.” Schwartz also spoke about changes to the anonymous reporting system. The district formerly used a program called P3, but has switched to a program called SaySomething, which is offered through the Sandy Hook Promise program. Students can anonymously report situations they are concerned about, and SaySomething is monitored 24/7 by representatives of Sandy Hook Promise. “If any report comes in, it is seen immediately,” said Schwartz. “It doesn’t matter if it’s two in the afternoon or two in the morning. If there is a life safety event, they have the ability to contact our administration, our police. They have all of those direct contacts and take care of it immediately. So, we are addressing needs as they happen.” Schwartz said when SaySomething was rolled out at the beginning of this school year, all students in grades 6-12 received age-appropriate training on the program. Skadal discussed after-action reviews, which are done any time there is a safety situation at any of the buildings. She said the second administrators are notified of an incident, a timeline begins. “From there, we’re measuring the times that it takes to communicate to all our stakeholders.” After every safety incident, a team meets within days to review the entire situation. “After the incident happens and the timeline is assessed, we all look at that timeline and add things that help us look at the big picture,” said Skadal. “What could we have done better? How do we make this next step if there’s something else that happens similarly?” Skadal also has records of all communications that she’s sent out since she began as communications director last school year. The team can also review these to see if there have been repeat incidents, and how the district handled the situation then. All of this helps the district identify if there are communication gaps and how it can work to fix these. “We’re always looking at those gaps and trying to figure out the best way and the fastest way to communicate, not only to our students and staff, but also to the parents and everyone else that’s involved in our community,” said Skadal. To that end, she’s also working on creating an emergency preparedness glossary that can be sent to all stakeholders and families that might be impacted by a safety situation. This glossary has also been informed by resources from the I Love U Guys Foundation. Skadal is also a member of the Scott County Public Information Officers group. This initiative began about a year ago, although a similar group met in the years prior to the pandemic. It includes PIOs from the North Scott, Pleasant Valley, Davenport and Bettendorf school districts, the cities of Bettendorf and Davenport, the Scott County Health Department and Medic EMS, and UnityPoint Trinity, Community Health Care and MercyOne Genesis. Skadal and Schwartz are also undertaking FEMA training in strategic communications and public information efforts this week. Skadal has already completed training in incident command systems. Meanwhile, the district is working to also shore up technologies within the schools, including adding or upgrading approximately 104 cameras. “When I started at North Scott, I believe we had 16 cameras at the high school,” said Schwartz. The district is also upgrading from single position to four-point cameras, which can get an image in multiple directions. These cameras also have improved quality. The district is also in the early stages of testing an integrated software on the cameras. While the software is not so advanced as to include facial recognition, it can identify characteristics, such as the prompt “blue car,” or “a person wearing a blue sweatshirt and black pants.” This can help people with access to the cameras attempt to track people within the building or on the property. It also helps narrow down where administration or the school resource officer can be looking, since there are currently about 86 cameras just at the high school. Fahrenkrog said, in addition to communications, the safety committee is also working to ensure that students are feeling equipped within their buildings. She said that while grades 7-12 already had a lot of materials in place for things like ALICE drills, there was a gap at the elementary level. A sub-group of the safety committee worked to create age-appropriate training for younger students that can be taught at grades PK-1, 2-3, and 4-6. “We’ve done a lot of work with that to make sure that our teachers feel comfortable and confident with what they’re delivering to the students, so that, in the event there is an emergency, they’re equipped and have that knowledge,” said Fahrenkrog. She said that the safety committee has also had a lot of conversations about classroom safety during the school day, as doors are locked during class time. While it is easier at the junior high and high school levels to get up and unlock the door when someone needs to come in, this is difficult at the elementary level without disrupting classes. So, at the elementary schools, a door accessory called a Lock Blok was installed on each classroom door. Fahrenkrog said currently, about 80% of elementary teachers are using the Lock Blok successfully, although the goal is 100% to create consistency across all buildings. Fahrenkrog said currently, the biggest gap that the safety committee is working on is the reunification process. While a review has been ongoing, the committee is ready to start rolling out the SRM and will begin training administrators in June. Once the administrators are trained, there will be additional discussion and tabletop exercises before the rest of the staff are trained over the summer, including small-scale exercises, with an eye towards implementation in August. The committee will then continue to refine the SRM through the 2026-2027 school year and beyond. Schwartz said work is also ongoing with the district’s emergency operations plan, including increased stakeholder education and awareness. “And with all the students here, I want to be very clear that you guys are stakeholders in this,” he told the 18 students present as a requirement of their government class. Board members, and superintendent Joe Stutting, discussed the reunification plan. Schwartz said the reunification location is typically not shared writ large with families. Board member Molly Bergfeld complimented the communication methods the district has been using, especially explaining new terminology for safety events. “You guys have done a really great job. I felt like the last two or three times, the communication was spot-on. It was, ‘This is what we’re going through. This is what this means’ … you laid it all out there, what it means and what the protocol is and what the reasons are. Good job.” Bergfeld also shared that a few months ago, board members received an email from a parent, sharing how the safety trainings had affected their child. The student is now in college and was faced with a safety incident at school. They were able to help their classmates safely through the stressful time using lessons they had learned through their time at North Scott. “Thanks to all of you for the time,” said board president Tracy Lindaman. “It’s unfortunate that we have to think about these things, but that’s where we’re at in today’s world.”
	A visit to Liberty Press I drove from Eldridge out to West Liberty several weeks ago for a serious look at the Liberty Press. I had stood in its doorway with several mesmerized children for a letterpress printing demonstration at Christmastime. A few months later and I thought a sustained look backwards at little lead characters might prove a tonic for weeks spent slouching towards artificial this and digital that. Liberty Press is “a working print shop,” proprietor Steve Alt told me, with several hundred typefaces and a half-dozen functioning presses carefully cleaned and revivified. We “don’t use the M-word,” he said. “The M-word is museum.” Liberty Press is a working print shop in the narrow sense that it is functional. Alt has spent 37 years as an industrial engineer at Collins Aerospace and ties his printer’s smock on days off. He prints envelopes, posters and advertisements for the Muscatine County Fair and the Midwest Old Threshers. At Christmas, he printed 8,000 tickets for the North Pole Express of Mount Pleasant, discretely numbered and labeled with the appropriate coach. Poinsettia or Candy Cane, for instance. “I love everything mechanical,” Alt said. The presses are his “real love.” He restored his first in 2000. When Model Printers of the Quad Cities closed shortly before the pandemic, he asked if they were holding on to any old letterpress type or presses. “I walked upstairs. On the second floor—it was a humongous building—the whole second floor was filled full of letterpress stuff. Hadn't been touched since the 1980s.” Alt carted it to West Liberty and began the ongoing process of restoring presses, typefaces, cabinets, pendant lamps and more to their original condition. “This print shop and all the stuff in here—you're going to have to travel hours away, states away, to find another shop this size, with this much stuff,” he said. He is an inveterate collector by his own admission. Alt carries out his occasional printwork on several presses. The oldest, from 1879, is powered by treadle, common into the first decades of the 20th century. The newest, from 1962, was one of the last such presses ever produced. On his “workhorse,” a Heidelberg Platen Press from Germany, an arm swings blank paper like the sail of a windmill into the printing mechanism, and then swings them out, over and over again. The other presses must be fed by hand. Liberty Press holds a miraculous diversity of typefaces, when you consider that each has multiple lead blocks for every letter, number and punctuation mark, in uppercase and lowercase as apposite, and in as many as a dozen point sizes. A full case of Gaudi, from six-point to 32-point, takes the space of a large filing cabinet and may number a thousand pieces of type. Not every typeface has Gaudi’s range. Buster Brown, among the rarest in the Liberty Press collection, was manufactured exclusively for use in the shoe business. “You could only get this typeface if you were a shoe salesman,” Alt explained. “And then you're supposed to take this to your whoever's doing your business cards or newspaper stuff, and then you're supposed to get it back.” Buster Brown is exclusively uppercase, simple and with a childish spirit. You might set the title page of Little House on the Prairie in Buster Brown. “A lot of times when the when the shoe store closed up, nobody knew what this was, and they threw it away,” Alt said. “So this became extremely rare, extremely expensive.” His set is all a single point size. Alt knows that “what's keeping letterpress still alive today is the art part—the old guys call it the artsy-fartsy group.” In the heyday of the business, a letterpress shop would print business cards and receipts, blank parking tickets. “I got a couple plates in there that show that show all your teeth, all your spine. So, doctor's office stuff.” He has saved several lead plates for Levi’s blue jean advertisements. What Alt calls the “letterpress world” was once completely ordinary, which is how several of its terms fell into ordinary usage. Mind your p’s and q’s refers to the fact that, since every piece of lead type is inverted, p’s looked like q’s and q’s like p’s to typesetters. “Lowercase” and “uppercase” refer to the location of different letters in a case of type. My Luddite sensibilities have grown slightly more obvious in this column in recent weeks. (Not that anyone should be surprised to discover it: I work for a print newspaper.) I expected Liberty Press to flatter this sensibility, but instead it reminded me of its limits. I think an aversion to digital this and artificial that amounts to a dislike for the muck of my own life. But for another generation, the printing press was the muck of theirs: they stained their hands with ink the way mine cramp at the keyboard. Technology changes, dissatisfaction persists. Alt prepared and printed a small card for me: “Advocate,” it reads in large, shadowed letters, “West Liberty Durant Wilton” in small type below. This was just the memento I had secretly wished for. Out of sentimentality—a wish to reduce the past to something small and charming, an anchor against present anxieties. But history does not like such treatment. It would much rather be recognized in its full glory: in the swinging arms, spinning motors, polished cabinets, and tens of thousands of pieces of type.
	Moline starts hydrant flushing April 20 The City of Moline Utilities Department will start flushing about 2,500 fire hydrants as part of its annual hydrant flushing program on Monday, April 20. Crews will work across the city over about five weeks, moving through 24 zones at a rate of about one zone per day, weather permitting. Work will take place between [...]
	We need mandatory prison time for Iowa's tax thieves If you steal from taxpayers, you should go to prison. It’s as simple as that. But in Iowa, that’s not what happens. Public dollars meant for schools, roads, and public safety have been taken by people in positions of trust — sometimes tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. And too often, the people responsible walk away with little more than a slap on the wrist. That’s not justice. And it’s not fair to the Iowans who play by the rules and pay their taxes. These insiders aren’t drunk every week or month in the moments when they write themselves extra paychecks. They’ve soberly calculated their risks, and decided to help themselves to your money. They see the headlines of no jail time. When that happens, it sends the wrong message — that some people can break the rules and get away with it. That kind of system erodes trust in government and undermines the rules everyone else follows every day. The punishment has to be certain enough to stop the crime before it happens. Right now, it often isn’t. That’s why I’ve pushed for a clear, common-sense standard: if you steal more than $10,000 in taxpayer dollars, you should face mandatory prison time. No exceptions. No loopholes. And if you steal from taxpayers, you shouldn’t continue to benefit from them — meaning we should ban anyone convicted of fraud from doing business with the state, and strip them of taxpayer-funded benefits like retirement and health care. Why should you reap taxpayer funded benefits after breaking the trust of taxpayers? It isn’t complicated. It’s basic accountability. I’ve proposed this policy every year since becoming State Auditor. And every year, insiders in the legislature have shut it down. I think Iowans deserve to know why. This is about fairness—and about preventing crime in the first place. When consequences are clear and certain, fewer people will take the risk. That’s not theory; it’s what I saw firsthand. Before serving as State Auditor, I spent seven years as Iowa’s chief public corruption prosecutor, where I locked up scammers, taxpayer abusers, thieves, and violent criminals to protect Iowa’s communities. I’ve spent my tenure as State Auditor uncovering record amounts of misspent money and protecting Iowa taxpayers from waste, fraud, and abuse. I’ve seen up close how this works, and I know the justice system only does its job when the punishment fits the crime and people know the law will actually be enforced. The cases I saw weren’t accidents or misunderstandings. They were choices. People betting they could take public money without facing serious consequences. And too often, they were right. We can change that. A justice system works best when the rules are clear, the penalties are real, and everyone is held to the same standard — no matter who they are or what position they hold. Stealing from taxpayers is a serious crime. It should be treated that way. If we want to restore trust in government, protect public dollars, and send a clear message that corruption won’t be tolerated in Iowa, we need to start holding people accountable. No excuses. No special treatment. Just accountability — for all.
	Flavor Meets Function: How Busy Families Can Balance Time, Taste and Nutrition (Feature Impact) In those precious few minutes between waking up and heading out the door or arriving home from school pickup, the pantry is a common destination. Seeking a grab-and-go lunch, sending your student off with a bite of protein or searching for an afternoon snack can leave you scanning the shelves for a go-to solution. With snackers increasingly mindful about what they put in their bodies, you’re not alone if you’re looking for a snacking shakeup – in fact, in a recent survey conducted by Bumble Bee Seafoods and FleishmanHillard’s TRUE Global Intelligence, 50% of Americans agreed it’s hard to find snacks that meet all their needs. According to the survey, people are looking for foods that offer: “Bang for their buck” (78%) Affordability (61%) Protein packed (51%) Meet specific dietary goals (48%) Easy to eat on the go (35%) Among all factors, however, 70% said great taste is most important, proving flavor remains the single biggest driver of snacking decisions. In response to demand for powerhouse snacks that do it all while tasting amazing, Bumble Bee Snackers easy-open, single-serve cans are shaking up snack time with a variety of bold flavors that are perfect for any time, place, budget or craving. The various unique flavors can be eaten right from the can and are perfect for snacking occasions, from zesty Lemon Pepper to bold and savory Hickory Smoke, tastebud-tingling Sweet Heat, spicy Thai Chili and nostalgic Tuna Salad while traditionalists can opt for classic Chunk Light Tuna. “Snacking has evolved,” said Dana Kowal, senior director brand marketing and corporate affairs at Bumble Bee Seafoods. “People want it all: bold flavor, real protein and grab-and-go simplicity – and they want it at a price that makes sense.” The 3-ounce cans are premixed and can be enjoyed straight from the can, paired with crackers or veggies, or tossed in salads, sandwiches or wraps. To turn them into quick, family-friendly dinners or make-ahead lunches, consider these adorably colorful and crave-worthy Rainbow Tuna Bowls balanced with sweet mango, creamy avocado, crisp radish and spicy tuna. For a perfect addition to your game day spread, these Bang Bang Tuna Sliders are spicy, creamy, crunchy and easier to make than they look with just a few ingredients and fun flavor. Tuna is topped with a layer of coleslaw and spicy mayo to solve those afternoon hunger pangs whether you’re in the office or enjoying the comforts of home. When dinnertime calls for a busy-season meal that’s light yet filling, Garden Farro Tuna Salad is a must-save recipe to add to your rotation. It’s bright, herbaceous and offers easy experimentation – simply swap similar ingredients based on what’s fresh and in-season or make it all your own with your family’s favorite produce. To find more snacking solutions that are packed with flavor while saving time and money, visit BumbleBee.com. Rainbow Tuna Bowls Servings: 2 2 cups cooked sushi rice 2 radishes, sliced 1 can Bumble Bee Snackers Sweet Heat Tuna 1 mango, cubed 3 tablespoons shelled edamame 1 avocado, sliced 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion furikake, for serving Sriracha, for serving In two shallow bowls, layer rice on bottom then evenly divide radish, tuna, mango, edamame, avocado, cabbage and scallion. Sprinkle with furikake and Sriracha. Bang Bang Tuna Sliders Servings: 2 8 ounces tri-color shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix) 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 cup mayo 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce 1 can Bumble Bee Snackers Thai Chili Tuna, included whole chili minced and reserved 4 slider buns In small bowl, mix cabbage, lime juice, oil and salt. In another small bowl, mix mayo, chili sauce and minced chili from tuna can. On bottom of each bun, evenly divide layer of coleslaw followed by tuna. Drizzle sauce over top, to taste. Cap with top bun and serve. Garden Farro Tuna Salad Servings: 4 2 quarts salted water 1 cup pearled farro 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, basil or mint 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 can Bumble Bee Snackers Tuna Salad 6 small radishes or 1 cucumber, sliced 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts freshly ground black pepper, to taste crumbled feta or goat cheese, for serving (optional) In medium pot over high heat, bring water to boil. Add farro, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain; do not rinse. In large bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, herbs, honey and salt. Stir in cooked farro to evenly coat; set aside or refrigerate to cool. Once farro is chilled or at room temperature, fold in tuna, radish or cucumber and tomato. Sprinkle with nuts and black pepper, to taste. Serve with cheese, if desired.
	Republicans deliver public safety without compromise Iowa has proven something many states are still struggling to figure out: you don’t have to choose between public safety, accountability, and rehabilitation. You can have all three. Iowa’s results didn’t happen by accident. They are the product of leadership from Republican majorities in the House and Senate, alongside the Governor and Attorney General, focused on getting public safety right. Violent crime is roughly a third below the national average. Property crime is about 25 percent lower. Both have declined over the past decade. That success comes from a clear philosophy: support law enforcement, enforce consequences, and create pathways for people to turn their lives around. That balance starts with sentencing. Iowa takes a targeted approach. Violent and repeat offenders are held accountable and kept off the streets. At the same time, nonviolent offenders are given opportunities to reenter society successfully. That means smart sentencing reforms paired with real investments in job training, substance abuse treatment, and supervision. Rehabilitation only works when it’s paired with accountability and Republicans understand that. Serious crimes like murder, human trafficking, assaults on law enforcement, and organized retail theft carry serious consequences. Republicans have strengthened penalties for coordinated theft and looting, making clear that the lawlessness seen in other parts of the country has no place here. And let’s be honest about that contrast. Across the country, we’ve seen what happens when leaders experiment with soft-on-crime policies, weaken penalties, and undermine law enforcement. Crime rises, communities suffer, and more innocent lives are lost. Iowa has chosen a different path. We back the blue. Iowa has increased pay and benefits for law enforcement, improved training, and created incentives to recruit officers to serve our communities. We’ve also strengthened protections for those who wear the badge, including stricter standards for individuals charged with violent crimes against law enforcement. That support matters. Especially now, as law enforcement officers across the country face growing hostility. In some cases, they have been unfairly targeted by liberals simply for doing their jobs. In Iowa, we send a different message: we respect you, we support you, and we have your back. Public safety also means staying ahead of emerging threats. Iowa has taken aggressive steps to address organized retail crime and repeat offenders, giving law enforcement the tools they need to stop crime before it spreads. And as the fentanyl crisis devastates communities nationwide, we have increased penalties for those who traffic this deadly drug into our state. But a strong justice system is not just about enforcement. It requires a solid foundation. That’s why Iowa has invested in correctional officers, law enforcement training, victim services, and the courts themselves. A system that works depends on the people who carry it out every day, and Iowa has made those investments a priority. The result is a model that works. Unlike states led by Democrats that have lurched from one extreme to another, Iowa has stayed grounded. We haven’t defunded our police or turned a blind eye to crime. Instead, we’ve built a system that is firm but fair. Tough where it needs to be, and compassionate where it should be. Public safety isn’t achieved through slogans or political experiments. It comes from steady leadership, clear priorities, and the willingness to stand behind the people who keep our communities safe. Iowa’s approach didn’t happen by chance. It reflects years of leadership focused on supporting law enforcement and enforcing consequences. That kind of progress isn’t guaranteed. It depends on who is making the decisions. If Iowa elects Democrats this fall, make no mistake, we will move toward the same policies we’ve seen in other states, where penalties are weakened and law enforcement is sidelined, and the results will follow. Iowans should be clear-eyed about that choice.
	'Draconian' measures making their way through legislature According to Albert Einstein: “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” True Enough. But what if that library is controlled by those with a political agenda? People blinded by the certainty of their own beliefs. People who presume opinions contrary to their own shouldn’t even be considered by others. How valuable is that library? In a world overwhelmed by Internet access, it’s odd that anyone would believe they can control the flow of ideas. Even odder they believe themselves qualified, much less entitled, to make such decisions. Now, Republican legislators in Des Moines have muscled SF2532 through the Senate. This bill would eliminate the ability of local governments to create local health departments. Don’t ask me why. Maybe anti-vaxxers? Anyway, now they’ve added a completely unrelated amendment, H-8260. Among other draconian aims, H-8260 mandates every library review every item in its collection against ambiguous content standards. It would also require librarians police access to “age-appropriate” material by minors and provide annual notice to all parents and guardians about their children›s reading choices. Moreover, H-8260 strips control of library operations from local community boards and forces city councils and county boards to add library governance to their workload, further politicizing the issues. The amendment comes with no actionable guidelines and no funding for the additional costs and staff required. It is a needless and blatantly partisan, unfunded mandate. In the meantime, where are we on plugging the growing $1+ BILLION budget shortfall? Our jaw-dropping cancer rates? Property tax reform? Public Education funding?
	Historic property tax bill advances through Senate After spending Easter weekend with our families, the thirteenth week of session was busy as we worked through several important issues in the Iowa Senate. One of the major bills debated this week was House File 2254, which requires the Board of Regents to develop a policy prohibiting the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics from including noncompete clauses in contracts with physicians. The bill applies to employment contracts between UIHC and advanced registered nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, registered nurses, and physicians that are entered into, extended, or renewed on or after the bill’s effective date. This is a huge win for rural hospitals, our health care workforce, and Iowans seeking care. We have passed several pieces of legislation in recent years to support our health care workforce, and this bill continues that effort. We also had encouraging news related to education this week. According to the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa’s high school graduation rate increased to 88.8 percent in 2025, the highest rate in five years. This represents an increase from 88.3 percent for the class of 2024. About 35,116 students graduated in 2025, nearly 1,000 more than the previous year. This is the first time since 2020 that the rate has exceeded pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the rate was also 88.3 percent. We have worked on several policies to ensure students are learning the essentials they need to succeed both in school and after graduation, and we are proud to see Iowa’s graduation rates improving. After months of discussion and preparation, the Iowa Senate also passed a historic property tax overhaul this week to provide real relief for Iowans, reform Iowa’s property tax system, and restore our infrastructure. This proposal reflects a vision for a system that is simpler, fairer, and more transparent for Iowa taxpayers. Property tax reform was a priority from the very first day of session, and we were proud to bring this bill forward for a vote. Senate File 2472 provides a 50 percent discount on taxable value for every Iowan who owns a home. It increases the discount to 60 percent when homeowners reach age 60 and adds an additional ten percent each decade after that. To provide more relief, the bill also automatically lowers levies when property inflation rises above 2 percent. The proposal modernizes Iowa’s property tax system by eliminating the variable rollback system and allowing all public notices to be posted online, making the process more transparent and stable for taxpayers. As we gathered feedback throughout the summer and fall, we also heard about the importance of maintaining services in our cities and towns. The bill includes flexibility measures that allow local entities to raise the local option sales tax to 1.25 cents to support public safety while lowering reliance on property taxes. Senate File 2472 also includes a fuel tax index to ensure additional funding for Iowa’s roads and bridges. Iowa currently faces significant infrastructure challenges, and cities and counties have raised concerns about maintaining roads that are essential to economic growth. This proposal ensures fuel taxes cannot increase more than one cent per year and cannot increase more than three consecutive years. The legislature also retains the authority to reduce the fuel tax at any time. These funds are constitutionally protected for infrastructure, with more than 53 percent directed to city, secondary, and farm to market roads. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out.
	School choice should belong to the parents With Iowa’s adoption of school choice, those that oppose this common sense use of our tax money want to continue the monopoly of only public schools receiving funding. Education in Iowa is funded by property tax, which amounts to 58% of all collected taxes. In order to be an accredited school, all schools must meet academic standards set by the state to advance and graduate. To take all property owner taxes to only fund public school education is pure discrimination of all private and religious schools meeting the same education standards. The voucher program takes the per student funding and gives it to the parents to decide where they want to invest in their child’s education. The state is not funding private or religious schools, the parents are. In a series called “Issues in Education,” Milton Friedman points out that the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled on this issue of parents using a voucher program. Those that oppose school choice, to a person, only talk about the funding that will be denied to public schools, while all schools will receive the same funding per student. No one ever asks why parents are leaving public schools. I would think the answer to that question would be more important than any perceived loss of funding. In a front-page story in the Feb. 4-18 Epoch Times by Aaron Gifford, titled “Why Public Schools Have More Staff and Fewer Students,” he investigates where public schools spend the majority of their funds, and it is not for teachers. The myth that public schools are underfunded is revealed in places like Chicago and Baltimore, where the per student spending is more than $10,000 more than Iowa but the results are near complete failure. With the decades of public school monopoly on public funding, a person would think the results would be obviously better. Results like graduation rates, dropout rates, acceptance to a four-year college, etc., are not better at many of these schools, and colleges and universities have had to offer remedial classes to get some students ready to go into the college classes. My wife and I both graduated from public schools, and our children graduated from public schools. We really liked these schools and still do like them. Our children received a good education at these public schools, and they are still good schools. To sum it up, it should be the parents’ choice of where the best results will be for their children. Lonnie D. Spengler New Liberty
	Signs of dementia are becoming apparent If you have a parent or sibling with Alzheimer’s, your risk of developing the disease nearly doubles compared to those without a family history.(alz.org) Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump, had Alzheimer’s and lived with dementia for almost a decade. According to Donald’s niece, Mary, in her book Too Much and Never Enough, the Trump Organization set up a “pretend office” for Fred in his last years to keep him calm and busy. Fred Trump III, Donald’s nephew, has noted concerning similarities in Donald’s recent behavior. Some family members have compared the mental decline in Donald Trump to what they observed in Fred Sr. Fred’s cousin, John Walter, had dementia, and Donald’s late sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, reportedly showed similar symptoms before her death. Dr. Vin Gupta, NBC’s medical expert, says Donald shows signs of dementia, such as erratic behavior, confusion, illogical thinking, and word-finding difficulty. Several psychologists have raised similar concerns and warned of malignant narcissism. Both note that the repeated cognitive testing Donald Trump cites may suggest monitoring for declining mental health rather than fitness. In my view, Trump’s strange and profane Easter post, along with several previous Truth Social posts, may not have been written by Donald. I believe it is possible that Vice President Vance or Stephen Miller, along with Pete Hegseth, may actually be running the White House, and I wonder what will happen to Donald when his decline becomes so apparent that he becomes a handicap to whoever is in charge. I also believe this year’s election will be undermined by this administration’s private police force, ICE, and MEGA politicians addicted to the illusion of power. Information here gathered from the National Institute of Health, People.com, express.co.uk, thedailybeast.com, Wikipedia.org, health.harvard.edu, and pbs.org. More sources can be found by searching the comments listed in this letter. James Turley Eldridge
	Travelogue highlights beauty of European religious buildings Travel with Connie Koehn on Tuesday, April 21, 3 p.m. at the DeWitt Operahouse to enjoy the “Beauty of Europe’s Churches, Monasteries and Convents.” The presentation will focus on the various elements that add beauty to these buildings, looking at those elements from the top down and the inside out. Examples will span many centuries of buildings from the catacombs in Salzburg, Austria, to several 20th century structures. The emphasis will be on the visual, not a lot of facts and figures, and will include examples from above the Arctic Circle to Greece and from Spain to Russia. And it’s Pie Day! Doors open at 2 p.m. and every effort will be made to present the Travelogue on the day scheduled, however if inclement weather requires a cancellation, the information will be posted at the theater or contact Monica 563-370-9394 or Lori 563-212-2991. If Central DeWitt Community Schools are canceled or scheduled to be released early by 1 p.m., Travelogue will also be canceled. A $5 donation is suggested. The proceeds support local community projects such as the Referral Center, DeWitt Library, DeWitt Fire Department, KidSight, Diabetes Awareness, Camp Courageous and Camp Hertko Hollow.
	Dress for Success Quad Cities to host open house Dress for Success Quad Cities will host a community open house on Thursday, April 16, from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 423 E. 32nd St. in Davenport. This all-day event will give guests an opportunity to learn more about the organization’s mission to empower individuals to achieve economic independence. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the Dress for Success Quad Cities team; learn about programs available to support individuals on their career journeys; tour the facility; and learn more about volunteer and giving opportunities. Light refreshments will be served throughout, and guests may stop by all day. Dress for Success Quad Cities helps individuals thrive in work and life by providing assistance with professional attire, career and life development tools, and a network of support. “We are excited to open our doors to the community and share more about the work we do,” said Mikael Gibson, the agency’s new executive director. “This is a great opportunity for individuals to connect with our mission and see firsthand how they can support and get involved.” For more information, please visit dressforsuccessqc.org.
	A history-making, record-breaking week It’s like they never even left. Two full weeks without a meet had no adverse effects on the North Scott girls’ track team. The Lancers went right back to their winning ways, taking first place at the Jesse Day Relays last Thursday and a runner-up finish at the Assumption Invitational on Saturday, returning right to form despite consistently poor weather throughout all of April. A second school-record break this spring was the cherry on top of an incredible 72 hours. “Other than the rain, it was a lot of fun,” Lancer coach Troy Matthaidess joked. “That’s the going trend this year. If we have a track meet, it’s going to rain. “Going into Thursday, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. We went 14 calendar days between meets. You always wonder if we’re doing enough in practice. We got off to a great start with our field events. Hopped on the track for the sprint medley. Just, what a way to start.” After last year’s state meet, Matthaidess said his sprint medley girls ‘can taste the school record’ after running 1:50.59 in the Blue Oval. Three of the girls from that state relay, juniors Olivia Graham, Sophi Schneckloth, and Micayla Ramirez, joined with sophomore Emmalia Ranson to run 1:49.80, breaking the school record by two-thirds of a second. The previous mark of 1:50.47 was set in 2019 by Savanna Bruck, Brooke Kruse, Brooke Corson and Sydney Fuller. “When us coaches time things at a meet, it’s unofficial. When I stopped my watch, I looked down and thought, ‘Oh boy, that’s quicker than I was anticipating,’” Matthaidess said. “You wait for the result to come through, and there it was.” North Scott was neck-and-neck with Dubuque Wahlert (1:50.90) and Bettendorf (1:51.37), but Schneckloth was able to separate just enough at the end of her 400-meter leg. “Sophi was with a group of three when she got the baton, and even through the cut. The teams we were racing against are good in that particular event. Even throughout the race, you could tell that they were in a pretty good spot,” Matthaidess said. The sprint medley was far from the only win on Thursday. North Scott put up 124 team points to win its second Jesse Day Relays in three years. Ramirez won the 100-meter dash and tied her career-best mark of 12.37 seconds. Ramirez anchored the 4x200-meter relay with Graham, senior Natalie Nwatchock and junior Kamilah Eller, winning in 1:48.65. The connective tissue in North Scott’s other three winning events was freshman Kaylee Ervin, matching Ramirez’s three gold medal total on the night. Ervin won the long jump at 16 feet 6.50 inches and had roles on the winning distance medley and 4x100-meter relay teams. Less than 48 hours later, Ervin rebroke her personal record in the long jump at 16 feet 11 inches. Since 2022, only Sydney Skarich has a better long jump result for the North Scott girls’ track program. “Coach (Paula Nemmers) Skarich was talking about that consistency piece and trying to maintain your steps early in the season. This week Coach Skarich backed them up so they can gain a bit more speed, and I think you’re seeing the result of that,” Matthaidess said. “That goes into making sure that your steps are consistent, so you can back up and get more speed down the runway.” Ervin ran the distance medley with Schneckloth, freshman Briahh Davis, as well as junior Kendall Behm, who placed third in the long jump at Jesse Day. The 4x100 team consisted of a majority of underclassmen, with Eller as the elder statesman, Ranson as the sophomore, and Ervin and Davis as the freshmen. “When we go back to the depth discussion, we know what Micayla is going to give us. She sets that bar pretty high. Olivia is the same way. Now, we have these other depth pieces that allow us to move some people around, and at the same time we’re not losing a step necessarily in those other races,” Matthaidess said. “That’s the fun part about being a coach. When you have those depth pieces, it opens things up.” North Scott only won one event, Ervin in the long jump, at Saturday’s Assumption Invitational. Still, the Lancers put up 99 team points to place second, only behind Pleasant Valley’s 119 total. This meet was a continuation of success for senior Adalynn Johnson in the shot put. Johnson set a monster PR at the Jesse Day Relays at 37 feet 10 inches, taking third place. She ended up in second place at Assumption, throwing 35 feet 10 inches. Her 37-foot mark is the farthest North Scott girls’ shot put throw since Jorie Hanenburg broke 42 feet in 2023. “(Johnson) started throwing the shot this year and has really been working on that form with Coach (Dawn) Rheingans,” Matthaidess said. “The weather wasn’t good on Saturday; they were basically throwing into a lake. Following up (her PR) with 35’ 10” on Saturday, she’s starting to put it together meet-after-meet. I think she’s only thrown in four total meets in her life. That’s really exciting.” The field events continue to be good for the Lancers. Nwatchock set a personal record in the high jump at 5 feet 5 inches, which was good for second place on Saturday. “She set a PR at 5-5 on Saturday, and she got 5-4 on Thursday. Hopefully now it’s in her mind that she can continue to do this, that it’s the new norm. She continues to operate there with confidence,” Matthaidess said. As North Scott looks ahead to this week, the final week to qualify for the Drake Relays, the team hopes to send a large contingent to Des Moines. Junior Alyssa Schroeder hit a Blue Standard in the high jump, and the sprint medley team currently sits at 14th, which is well inside the top 24 cut line. The 4x200-meter relay is currently in, but very much on the bubble in 20th place. The 4x100 team will qualify because the Drake Relays takes the top 96 relays in this event. The shuttle hurdle relay takes the top 16 teams, so North Scott’s 20th-place time would need to tick down to qualify. North Scott will have opportunities in Clinton and Davenport this week to improve those times.“Ultimately, we want to try and put every person in their best chance for success, whether that’s Drake Relays success or a PR,” Matthaidess said. “We always want to put together events and lineups that we think can compete. That’s how we’re looking at handling these lineups.” 2026 Girls Drake Blue Standards 100-meter dash: 12.35s 400-meter dash: 57.05s 800-meter run: 2:15.40 1500-meter run: 4:42.50 3000-meter run: 10:13.00 100-meter hurdles: 15.10s 400-meter hurdles: 1:04.50 400-meter Wheelchair: 1:30.00 4x100-meter relay: 50.50s 4x200-meter relay: 1:44.50 4x400-meter relay: 4:01.50 4x800-meter relay: 9:31.00 Shutte hurdle relay: 1:05.00 800-meter medley: 1:49.00 High Jump: 5-06 Long Jump: 18-00 Discus: 140-00 Shot Put: 42-00
	Wolfs to celebrate 60 years of marriage April 16 Dennis and Launa Wolf of Walcott are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. They were married April 16, 1966, at First Presbyterian Church, Moline. The couple has farmed all their married life in the Walcott area. Dennis also retired from Brinks Inc. in 2015. Launa worked as a custodian at the Walcott Church and cooked at the Walcott School cafeteria, retiring in 2012. Their children are Renae (Mark) Christopher, Monica Lucas (Josh) and Denise (Blair) Hatten. They have three grandchildren, Jessica (Andrew) Jager, Clint (Laura) Kauffman and Michael Christopher, and three great-grandchildren, Sawyer Kauffman, and Noah and Grace Jager.

Tuesday, April 14th, 2026