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

Friday, June 5th, 2026
	QCA volunteer fire departments receive federal grants The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has awarded $495,000 in federal grants to 73 volunteer fire departments statewide to help them buy new equipment or pay for fire training. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service funds the Volunteer Fire Capacity (VFC) grant program. It provides matching funds to assist fire departments in buying [...]
	Iowans eligible for MLB’s Field of Dreams ticket lottery MLB opened registration for the Field of Dreams ticket lottery on Thursday, which is exclusively available to Iowa residents through June 11.
	Some Scott County roads impacted by hot mix asphalt projects Starting on Friday, June 5, several roadways in Scott County will have lane restrictions as crews perform hot mix asphalt patching projects. Flaggers and pilot cars will maintain traffic and drivers should be prepared to stop and expect traffic delays. Lane restrictions may occur Monday – Friday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and the [...]
	Clinton drafting development rules for all data center proposals The city is drafting new regulations to address resident concerns over utility, noise, and environmental impacts of a potential new data center.
	‘Die! Die! Die!’: New details revealed in Peoria stabbing murder A Peoria woman accused of stabbing another woman to death will have to wait another day to see if she stays in jail.
	Whirlpool ending second-shift production in Amana Whirpool says it will be ending second-shift production in Amana in July.
	Cedar Rapids looks to start feral cat program after scrapping plan volunteers called ‘not doable’ If you’ve ever spotted a stray cat wandering your neighborhood, you’re not alone.
	Davenport woman gets 20 years for trying to steal baby from home A Davenport woman who admitted to burglary and child stealing has been sentenced to consecutive prison terms totaling 20 years.
	South Africa rolls out game-changing HIV shot amid funding shortfalls A new twice-yearly HIV prevention injection could transform South Africa's fight against the epidemic — but U.S. aid cuts and limited doses threaten to slow its impact.
	FORC Side Thrill Ride offers challenging terrain FORC’s (Friends of Off-Road Cycling) Side Thrill Ride is the group’s most popular race event of the year. The ride will be on Sunday, June 14 at Sunderbruch Park, 4675 Telegraph Road in Davenport. The park was once voted as the “Number One Mountain Bike trail in Iowa” by Singletrack.” Click here for more information [...]
	Two Davenport men sentenced in 2025 downtown shooting case Two Davenport men avoided immediate prison time after pleading guilty in connection with a 2025 downtown shooting that struck a vehicle and apartment building.
	The U.S. adds 172,000 jobs as the labor market picks up steam U.S. employers added jobs for the third month in a row in May, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%. But wage gains softened and likely failed to keep pace with rising prices.
	Another round of storms tonight After waking up to a warm and wet Friday in the Quad Cities, things are looking to clear up for most of the afternoon. However, we are watching for a second round of some showers and potential thunderstorms for late into the evening with a slight risk of severe weather. One of the risks we [...]
	Reagan Mass Transit will expand to Whiteside County Reagan Mass Transit District, the Dixon-based provider of rural public transportation serving Lee County and Ogle County, has announced plans to expand its service area to include Whiteside County effective July 1. The mass transit district currently provides curb-to-curb rural transit services across Lee, Ogle, and rural Winnebago County, completing more than 91,000 passenger trips [...]
	Preservation Iowa gives one of 7 awards to Muscatine project Preservation Iowa has announced its annual Preservation at Its Best Awards to honor individuals, organizations, projects, and programs whose work demonstrates a commitment to excellence in historic preservation, a news release says. The awards, which include were presented as part of the 2026 Preserve Iowa Summit held in Ankeny, Iowa, on June 2-3. “Preservation Iowa, [...]
	Muscatine Chamber leader graduates from chamber institute The City of Muscatine and the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GMCCI) have announced that Brad Bark, president & CEO of GMCCI, has graduated from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management, earning the IOM Graduate Recognition, a news release says. This national designation reflects Bark’s completion of 96 credit hours [...]
	Broadway at the Adler Theatre, Davenport, announces upcoming season The Adler Theatre and Nederlander National Markets have announced the 2026-2027 Broadway at the Adler Theatre season, according to a news release. The season kicks off with the two-time Tony Award-winning hit musical SIX, a high-energy reimagining of "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" as global pop icons. Up next is the new musical "A [...]
	Man with 39 IDOC disciplinary tickets is deemed still dangerous by judge John C. Rumley Jr., 54, who has been incarcerated since he was 24 will remain in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
	Kewanee man charged with sex-related offenses Joseph A. Hardy, 19, is charged in one case with Class 1 felony soliciting child pornography and Class 3 felony unlawful possession of child pornography.
	The World Cup vs. bugs, germs and heat: Here's the game plan Despite a diminished federal presence, public health departments are preparing for common ailments that could afflict fans who gather for the event — and are keeping an eye on the Ebola outbreak, too.
	Senate Republicans pass immigration funding after overnight vote After a marathon 18-hour vote, the Senate has funded immigration enforcement. The GOP bill funds ICE and the Border Patrol for three years.
	Father Al This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.When it comes to saints, we Scandinavian Lutherans around Rock Island have a poor track record. We have only one—Saint…
	Popular frozen snacks recalled over salmonella concerns: Full list Several food items made with a recalled dry milk powder could be contaminated.
	Senate passes $70B immigration enforcement bill without limits on Trump settlement fund The Senate passed legislation to fund President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agencies early Friday morning, after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill.
	The quiz tracked Trump's wins and losses this week. Can you win bigly? Plus, Serena Williams, Peabo Bryson, Kalshi and United Airlines make an appearance. Have you been paying attention?
	NPR photojournalist David Gilkey, in remembrance David Gilkey, an NPR photojournalist who documented tragedy and hope, was killed in Afghanistan in 2016 along with NPR's Afghan interpreter and fellow journalist Zabihullah Tamanna.
	Most K-12 teachers say AI's impact on education will eclipse the internet or computers A new NPR/Ipsos poll shows many teachers are using AI to save time, but a majority are also worried the technology is making it harder for students to learn to think for themselves.
	Putin says Russia will bolster air defenses in response to Ukrainian drone attacks President Vladimir Putin says Russia will strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks, which have reached deep inside his country and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St. Petersburg.
Thursday, June 4th, 2026
	Muscatine fundraiser supporting local mental health services Empowering Mental Health Together will take place at Home Base Muscatine on Saturday, June 6 at 11 a.m.
	Muscatine fundraiser supporting mental health services in the community Empowering Mental Health Together will take place at Home Base Muscatine on Saturday, June 6 at 11 a.m.
	Galesburg getting $2 million to revamp Standish Park The one-block park sits between the Knox County Courthouse, Knox College and City Hall.
	Donahue man facing 20 sexual exploitation of a minor charges A Donahue man is facing 20 sexual exploitation of a minor charges after deputies say he created and told a teenager to create child sexual abuse material.
	Cook review: 'Pressure' builds as meteorologists - and war - heat up screen Just because you know the overall outcome doesn't mean the true World War II film "Pressure" won't leave you in suspense. Rather than being an action-packed film with scenes of warfare - which it does contain, especially at the end - this is the story of waging war and the delicate factors - including weather [...]
	Knight's Pizza: Detroit-style pizza gains popularity in the QCA Just a few short years ago, Caden Knight was working full time at Your Pie Pizza. He had just given up on college to focus on making delicious pies. "I have pizza sauce in my veins," said Knight. Last year, he decided to take a leap of faith and leave his full-time job to create [...]
	Illinois bill to regulate how kids use social media A bill to regulate how kids use social media is on Gov. JB Pritzker's desk. The Children's Social Media Safety Act (House Bill 5511) intends to prevent anyone younger than 18 from being exposed to harmful content and addictive features. The bill would require social media companies to confirm a user's age. It wouldn't prevent [...]
	Cook review: A24''s 'Backrooms' brings weirdness to a new dimension Bizarre, disturbing and fast-paced, "Backrooms" will appeal to fans of "Obsession" - in fact, in a genius move, a local drive-in is showing the two films as a double feature.. Director Kane Parsons has a field day with visual perspective, off-putting angles and the constant tension of something, or someone, possibly lurking around a corner. [...]
	19-year-old facing felony child sexual abuse, assault charges Joseph Hardy, 19, of Kewanee was arrested Tuesday after an investigation involving two victims.
	35th Avenue temporarily closed between New Liberty Rd/260th St in Scott County Beginning Thursday, June 4, 35th Avenue was closed to through traffic between Highway 130 (New Liberty Road) and 260th Street for a bridge replacement project in Scott County, according to a news release. The closure is expected to remain in place until Sept. 18,. Drivers are encouraged to use an alternate route and should expect [...]
	Climate change brings drought and flooding risks to Iowa While parts of Iowa continue to deal with drought conditions, experts say climate change is also leading to more intense rainfall events and flooding risks.
	Firefighters extinguish shed fire on Quad-Cities hospital campus Bettendorf crews extinguished a shed fire on the MercyOne Genesis campus Thursday afternoon. The cause of the 2 p.m. fire is under investigation.
	The Heart of the Story: Honored through music Our Quad Cities News is partnering with award-winning journalist Gary Metivier for The Heart of the Story. Each week, Gary showcases inspiring stories of everyday people doing cool stuff, enjoying their hobbies and living life to the fullest. Stories that feature the best of the human condition. Performers takes many stages with their craft, and [...]
	Second meeting of Knox County Courthouse Task Force set for June 11 The courthouse is nearly 140 years old and recently suffered a sewer collapse beneath the building.
	Moline officer rescues fawn from roadway As a police officer, not every call is an adrenaline dump of excitement but some are cuteness overload, according to a post on the Moline Police Department's Facebook page. On Thursday, Officer Aucutt was dispatched to a report of an injured fawn in the roadway near 41st Street and 15th Avenue. The fawn was walking [...]
	Republicans' sweeping election overhaul fails in the Senate The SAVE America Act, a far-reaching Republican election overhaul that President Trump said should be his congressional allies' top priority, has failed in the Senate.
	Muscatine shooting victim had just fulfilled childhood dream, fiancée says The fiancée of one of the six people killed in a shooting spree Monday is remembering a man who brought joy to everyone who knew him.
	Days before primary, Jackson and Shah spar over outsider attack ads, abortion views Troy Jackson addresses attack ads against him at a press conference in Portland. (Photo by Eesha Pendharkar/Maine Morning Star)After months of mostly avoiding direct attacks, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Troy Jackson and Nirav Shah spent Thursday denouncing a pair of outside attack ads, though largely standing by the criticisms those ads raised about their opponent. Both ads were paid for by out-of-state political groups that have committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democratic primary. At back-to-back press conferences, Jackson and Shah denounced the negative turn the race has taken while making it clear they still believed each other’s records and campaigns were fair game for attack. The ad targeting Jackson, paid for by Washington, D.C.-based political action committee 314 Action, questioned the former Maine Senate president’s record on abortion rights, alleging his support for abortion access has shifted over time. The ad targeting Shah was funded by the Working Families Party, a progressive minor political party based in Brooklyn, and attacked the former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention director over his ties to outside interests and wealthy donors. “My aversion, and the tactics that I am particularly calling up, are these 10-second ads that are snippets and headlines rather than substance and fact,” Shah said at a press conference in Portland Thursday. “They are designed to scare, they are designed to divide, they are not designed to educate.” Jackson was more upset about what he called “outright lies” about his record on reproductive rights than the attack ads, which he said are to be expected because of the recent University of New Hampshire poll showing that he was practically tied with Shah for first place. “Mainers just can’t trust Troy Jackson on abortion,” the ad states, pointing to his 100% approval rating from a pro-life group earlier in his political career and his prior admission that he had struggled with the issue. The ad also makes the claim that Jackson “even stuck to his pro-life position after Roe v. Wade was overturned,” without acknowledging that he has since sponsored and supported several bills enshrining access to abortion, and has also received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Jackson said he has not tried to hide his previous votes, “but what I have been very clear is, for the last 10 years I have been right there, being the one that time after time held up abortion access for people in the state.” He also accused Shah and his backers of trying to distract from other campaign issues. “The same dark money, anti-labor special interest groups attacking me are backing Dr. Nirav Shah, because he represents, in my opinion, more of the same,” he said. “The same old rigged game that makes the rich, the well-connected, richer on the backs of working Mainers.” Shah and Jackson have been at odds with each other before. Jackson and two other allied candidates — Shenna Bellows and Hannah Pingree — denounced another ad supporting Shah that was partially paid for by pro-school choice group Education Reform Now, in addition to 314 Action. Reproductive rights records Nirav Shah addresses attack ads against him and other candidates on Thursday in Freeport. (Photo by Eesha Pendharkar/Maine Morning Star) Over the past decade, the former Senate president has mostly been a staunch supporter of abortion rights. He co-sponsored a 2023 law that allows patients to access abortion care later in pregnancy when it is deemed necessary by a medical professional. In 2022, he introduced legislation that became law that requires state-regulated insurance plans to cover prescription contraceptives. Pointing to those successes as well as his support for Maine’s recently enacted shield law protecting healthcare providers, Jackson said, “my record’s been sterling over the last 10 years.” “In fact, I’ve been the person that’s been fighting the hardest on these issues while he wasn’t even in the state of Maine,” he added, referring to Shah’s time working in the Biden administration. In their campaigns for governor, both Jackson and Shah have expressed support for enshrining reproductive rights in the state constitution. Jackson also said he plans to add funding for Planned Parenthood and other abortion healthcare providers directly into the state budget if elected. Shah recently announced a day one executive order that, among other things. will enforce Maine’s shield law that protects providers, publish a public reproductive health access guide, and review insurance barriers to reproductive care. Healthcare professionals defend candidates Dr. Emily Hill, a family medicine and palliative physician in Portland, spoke at the press event besides Jackson. She said that she’s “saddened in a race that has been cordial and kind that certain groups have to stoop to new lows that are outright false and spread misinformation about healthcare access and delivery here in our state.” “I know that we can trust Troy Jackson on abortion,” she said. During his press conference, Shah denounced the ad by 314 Action for its negative tactics, but said he still has questions about his opponent’s support of reproductive rights. He pointed to Jackson’s prior record, pointing to the 100% ratings he received from pro-life group Maine Right to Life in 2003 and 2010 and his votes for bills establishing fetal personhood and a 24-hour waiting period for abortions in 2011, in addition to his admission of “struggling with abortion” to Maine Public in 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision rolling back the federal right to abortion. “I think it’s a relevant inquiry as to where Sen. Jackson is with respect to abortion rights,” Shah said. “Until I was asked yesterday, I had not commented upon his record around reproductive health and reproductive freedom thus far, but this is a reasonable line of inquiry.” Eliza Lee, a Shah supporter and mental health professional, said at the event that she respects that Jackson “changed his opinion on abortion.” “I’m glad he came around, but I think it’s just all about voters having the full history, and being able to ask questions and have all the information that we deserve as voters, and especially as women, around abortion,” Lee said, who noted that she had a late-term abortion.“But I just always am a little skeptical when politicians switch, as a woman who has been through it personally.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Maine Morning Star
	Rat poison ban clears both chambers of RI General Assembly A rodenticide bait box seen on Atwells Avenue in Providence in May 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)A bill by Providence Democratic Rep. Rebecca Kislak to limit the availability of certain rodenticides statewide passed the House in a 56-8 floor vote Wednesday. While the bill would narrow the range of rat poisons available to consumers, Kislak assured her colleagues on the House floor that she is no lover of the rodents and is “perfectly happy to kill them.” “I am saying this as a peaceful vegan: Kill the rats,” Kislak said during Wednesday’s floor discussion. “But what we’re doing right now isn’t working. If these poisons actually work to kill the rats, we would not have so many rats, and instead, what they’re doing is killing the predators of the rats.” Kislak has submitted the legislation for several years in a row, spurred by the knowledge that owls, hawks and other predators that naturally prey upon rat populations can also die from the anti-clotting drugs used in rodenticides. Last year, Kislak’s bill died in committee, while a companion bill in the Senate by Sen. Melissa Murray, a Woonsocket Democrat, passed the Senate floor. This year, Murray once again submitted the companion bill, which unanimously passed the Senate on May 26. Now, each chamber needs to pass the other chamber’s bill before the legislation can head to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk. Larry Berman and Greg Paré — spokespeople for the House and Senate, respectively — said on Thursday afternoon that concurrence votes were not yet scheduled but “will happen in the coming days.” Rodenticides kill more than rodents. Providence lawmaker sponsors bill to ban their use. The legislation prohibits the sale of anticoagulants, starting with those developed before 1970 known as first-generation drugs that kill rats through prolonged internal bleeding. The well-established class of drugs are also known for their utility as human medicines like warfarin, or Coumadin. Along with chlorophacinone and diphacinone, warfarin is one of three first-generation anticoagulants OK’d for rat and mice control in the states. Should the legislation become law, first-generation anticoagulants would be banned for consumer sales in Rhode Island starting March 1, 2027. An explicit ban on newer, more potent second-generation anticoagulants — which were developed starting in the 1970s and are registered only for use by pest professionals — would be codified in state law starting Jan. 1, 2028. By Jan. 1, 2029, both first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides would be banned statewide — even for pest control companies, albeit with some exceptions for use in public health, agriculture, food production and certain types of facilities. Quotation I am saying this as a peaceful vegan: Kill the rats. – Rep. Rebecca Kislak, a Providence Democrat, on the pest control motivations behind her rodenticide-regulating bill The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes on its website that second-generation agents “pose greater risks to nontarget species that might feed on bait only once or that might feed upon animals that have eaten the bait.” That’s because these stronger drugs take fewer feedings to kill, but they also stay in a rodent’s body longer, making a poisoned rat toxic for a longer time — an unwelcome side effect for any unknowing creature that may feast on it. Municipalities could also participate in a voluntary pilot program that would help them test integrated pest management strategies, such as improving sanitation measures, natural predator populations, or other nonchemical methods of shrinking a city’s rat demographics. “When I first had this bill four or five years ago, I didn’t know how to spell rodenticide,” Kislak said on the House floor Wednesday. “I didn’t know about the different kinds of rat poison…I did think that rats are kind of gross, and I know they’re also living beings, and all living beings have value, and all of that.” But, Kislak continued, she now sees it this way: “It’s not killing the rats, it’s making them slower. It’s slowing them down. And then the beautiful raptors, who are their natural predators, are eating the rats, and it bioaccumulates.” A bald eagle with its young at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia and Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bill Buchanan/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region) ‘I’d like to kill the rats’ Horror stories about birds of prey presumed to have ingested these poisons popped up at committee hearings on Kislak’s bill, largely from Sheida Soleimani, founder and executive director of Congress of the Birds, a wildlife rehabilitation clinic in Providence and Chepachet. Kislak said on the House floor that Soleimani’s clinic rescued 246 raptors in 2025, many believed to have been likely poisoned by the rodenticides targeted in Kislak’s bill. The most vocal opponent of Kislak’s bill in the House came from Minority Whip and Burrillville Republican Rep. David Place. “We’re making a choice between animals and people, right?” Place asked his colleagues on the House floor. “We kill the rats because the rats are a threat to our health and safety.” Place then compared the debate to that on DDT, a pesticide which he said “saved lives” and “almost eliminated malaria across the world,” before environmental policies “made the decision to save the environment and sacrifice people’s lives.” “I’d like to kill the rats,” Place said. “They evolve, rats evolve, they get survival of the fittest.” The bill sponsor also fielded a question from Democratic Rep. Charlene Lima of Cranston — a city whose rat problem was so pronounced it played a starring role in the city’s 2024 mayoral debates. What would kill the rats instead, Lima wondered? Kislak said one option is birth control for rodents. “I really want to know how that’s going to work,” Lima replied. “Do the little rats go monthly to get their birth control filled at Walgreens?” Kislak replied that, instead of putting poison in the bait boxes, exterminators would place birth control meds instead. “They eat the birth control, and then they don’t reproduce,” Kislak said, noting such programs have had “mixed results” but have been “working pretty well in Arlington, Massachusetts.” Kislak offered some other ideas: “Good old-fashioned snap traps, making sure that garbage is closed.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
	East Moline Library offers free digital art classes for tweens, teens In June and July, the East Moline Public Library invites tweens and teens to free digital art classes, a news release says. The East Moline Public Library was awarded the Project Next Generation grant which gave thelibrary the opportunity to purchase a set of iPads for programming. The library will host digital art classes throughout [...]
	NM Health Care Authority announces $76M in federal rural healthcare funds New Mexico’s Health Care Authority on June 2, 2026, announced it was preparing to distribute $76 million in federal funding for rural healthcare it received from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (Getty Images)The New Mexico Health Care Authority on Wednesday announced it would soon distribute about one-third of the federal funding it recently received through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” to address shortfalls in rural healthcare in the state. The authority will provide $76.2 million to six “regional hub organizations” that help communities implement rural healthcare projects as part of its Health Horizons program. When fully implemented, the program aims to reduce long wait times, chronic disease risk factors and readmission rates to rural hospitals — all problems that plague roughly one-third of New Mexicans who live in rural areas. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX.The funding recipients won’t provide care directly, according to the Health Care Authority, but instead will try to increase virtual consultations, especially for specialty and maternal care, as well as expand the use of rotational clinics in areas lacking healthcare access.. New Mexico and all other states applied for and received funding from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” last November as part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Fund. The state received a little more than $211 million, which is the 13th highest amount in the country. The state’s application noted that 26 of New Mexico’s 33 counties are rural, and their residents tend to have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease than their urban counterparts, while often being forced to travel between 50 and 100 miles for basic healthcare services. Eight of 27 rural New Mexico hospitals risk closing, according to a 2025 analysis the application cited, with four facing “immediate risk [of closure] absent intervention.” Four other federally qualified health centers have closed in recent years, as well. The Healthy Horizons is one of five initiatives for which the state received federal funding. Others aim to increase the number of community health programs; train more healthcare workers; reduce financial strain on hospitals; and establish a rural health data-sharing platform. Despite the new wave of federal funding totaling $50 billion over the next five years, independent estimates show the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will cut rural Medicaid spending overall by $137 billion over the next decade, including $3.54 billion in New Mexico. Elisa Wrede, the HCA’s acting rural health director, was not available for an interview with Source NM this week, according to a spokesperson, though she said in a statement Wednesday that the Health Care Authority is “investing in regional partners who can bring providers, Tribal health programs, community organizations, public health leaders, and others together to improve access to care in practical ways.” Applications for the funding, which will be distributed to each regional hub based on healthcare need and readiness, are due by July 2, according to the authority. Recipients must use at least 90% of the funding to support local healthcare projects. Courtesy of Source New Mexico
	Bettendorf Public Library kicking off free summer concert series The concerts are on Thursday nights at Faye's Field, across from the library.
	Muscatine's Lighthouse owners retire after 26 years; permanent closure imminent The owners of the Lighthouse Grill and Bar in Muscatine say they plan to retire at the end of this season, which means the waterside restaurant and marina could close for good. The Lighthouse is one of only a few dockside spots left of its kind. "We've been here for 44 years, just a ma-and-pop [...]
	DROUGHT returning to Quad Cities area After a rainy April, the drought had disappeared around the Quad Cities. Now, it's back. May rainfall was well below normal and that has placed a large part of our area in an early drought situation. We do have the chance for some showers and storms early Friday, and that could combat some of the [...]
	Father launches QC Park Finder website to help families discover local parks From Maquoketa to Coal Valley and Port Byron to Walcott, you can look up different parks and even sort them by amenities. Plus, you can add parks not yet listed.
	Aledo's famous Rhubarb Festival runs Friday and Saturday Thousands of people will descend on the "Rhubarb Capital of Illinois" to get their hands on treats made from the tart and sour vegetable.
	Davenport parks director departing for position in Georgia Davenport's parks and recreation director, Chad Dyson, will depart the city June 10 for another position in Georgia.
	No injuries reported following Bettendorf fire Nearby medical buildings were deemed safe following a fire in Bettendorf. According to a release from the City of Bettendorf, the Bettendorf Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a structure fire in the 2200 block of 53rd Ave. June 4, 2026, at 2:05 p.m. Crews found a small shed fully engulfed in flames [...]
	Davenport Parks and Recreation director resigning City officials said Chad Dyson, who has worked in the department since 2018, will be taking a new job out of state after his departure.
	Clinton updates consideration of data-center development The City of Clinton has sent an update about a potential data-center development in an industrially zoned area of the community. According to the statement, the city remains in the preliminary fact-finding stage. No formal development application has been submitted, no site plan has been submitted, no development agreement has been presented, and no final [...]
	Former CEO of Addiction Recovery Care federally indicted Addiction Recovery Care building in Louisa, photographed June 27, 2024. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)To locate recovery services in Kentucky, visit https://findhelpnow.org/ky. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a 24/7 helpline for people in need of mental health or substance use support: 1-800-662-4357. Tim Robinson, former chief executive officer of Addiction Recovery Care, was indicted in federal court on Thursday on wire transmission and “monetary transaction in criminally derived property” in “unlawful activity” charges. The indictment, which was filed in the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky, says Robinson “knowingly, and with intent to defraud, devised and intended to devise a scheme to defraud and obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and concealment of material facts.” ARC said in a statement Thursday that Robinson “is stepping down as CEO” immediately and “Cassandra Webb will be stepping in as Interim Chief Executive Officer while remaining in her position as President & Chief Operating Officer of Addiction Recovery Care.” “ARC continues to operate normally. All facilities, programs and services remain open and fully operational. Our leadership team, employees, and clinical staff remain committed to delivering high-quality care and support to the individuals and families we serve,” the ARC statement said. “Our commitment to our clients, employees, and communities remains unchanged, and we will continue carrying out our mission of helping individuals find recovery, healing and hope.” They needed treatment. Kentucky company may have used them to commit fraud. The indictment says Robinson acted “in order to unlawfully enrich himself.” Robinson “shall forfeit to the United States any and all property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the violation.” the indictment states. In January, Angelica Capital Trust sued Addiction Recovery Care, Kentucky’s largest provider of addiction treatment, alleging it committed “massive fraud” in Medicaid and Medicare billing. In April, the Lexington Herald Leader and ProPublica reported an investigation into ARC’s transactions and its “alleged billing scheme.” According to the Thursday indictment, penalties can include imprisonment, fines of $250,000 and supervision, plus forfeiture and restitution. Read the indictment ARC indictment SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Kentucky Lantern
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted in Rock Island Co. for missing court date on drug charges Kyler Pickett-Williams, 25, is wanted by the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office for failure to appear in court.
	Crime Stoppers: 7 guns stolen in Rock Island Co. could be part of string of burglaries Seven stolen firearms are loose after a Taylor Ridge vehicle burglary that police believe may be linked to a wider crime spree across Moline.
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted by Iowa Dept. of Corrections for probation violation Authorities in Scott County and the Iowa Department of Corrections are searching for 29-year-old Cody Hinden on probation violations.
	Davenport City Council considers land purchase for future animal shelter The current agreement with the Humane Society of Scott County concludes at the end of the month. A proposed agreement would aid in the transition of service responsibilities. That includes up to one year of animal control services and up to three years of shelter services as the city mulls a new animal shelter on North Pine Street.
	Celebrate a jazz legend at the Bellson Music Fest Celebrate a legend from the QCA with world-class music and community spirit honoring jazz history. Melinda Jones joined Our Quad Cities News with details on the Bellson Music Fest. For more information, click here.
	Invasive pest that threatens livestock, pets found in Texas calf as Kansas tracks situation The New World screwworm is spread through fly larvae that enter open wounds in livestock, pets, wildlife and, more rarely, humans and birds. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)TOPEKA — Scientists identified a case of New World screwworm in a Texas calf, ramping up concerns nationwide about stopping the invasive parasite that can destroy livestock herds. The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health is educating state ranchers and others about the pest, which was previously eradicated in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. “NWS is not a contagious disease that spreads from animal to animal, but is the infestation of a parasitic fly,” a Kansas agriculture news release said. “NWS poses a direct economic threat to the livestock industry, but it is important to note that this does not impact food safety.” NWS affects livestock, pets, wildlife and, less commonly, people and birds, the release said. In Kansas, the agriculture department is educating veterinarians and livestock producers about the fly larvae that burrow into open wounds on warm-blooded animals and can be deadly if untreated. Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids questioned Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins Wednesday about steps the government is taking to prevent movement of NWS into the United States from Mexico. Rollins blamed illicit cartel movement of cattle and open border policies for the problem. The government has been fighting the proliferation of the screwworm for the past year as cases of NWS grew in Panama, Mexico and other countries, she said. “When we got here in 2024, the models predicted that it would be on our side of the border, nothing could stop it, by last summer,” Rollins said. “We deployed a significant amount of resources and personnel into Mexico as well as south Texas, where the real threat is, almost immediately while breaking ground and building facilities that will produce the sterile flies.” Male sterile flies are released into the wild and mate with the female flies, causing the population to die off. Rollins said with the current infestation, 400 million to 500 million sterile flies are needed each week and right now, they only produce 100 million sterile flies weekly. Because the country has been preparing, Rollins said the government expects the cases of NWS that show up in the United States to be manageable. “We do not believe this will be an infestation. We’ll be able to isolate each case,” she said. Justin Smith, Kansas Animal Health commissioner, said the confirmed Texas case is a “serious concern,” but echoed Rollins’ in saying the country has been preparing for at least a year. “NWS is a treatable condition, so early identification is critical to the health of the infested animals, which is why monitoring and reporting play a key role in managing this threat,” the state agriculture department release said. If cases of NWS reach Kansas, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recommends that ranchers stop or limit procedures that create wounds that make it easier for flies to enter, such as dehorning, branding or shearing. Courtesy of Kansas Reflector
	Quad City Back the Blue Flight supports law enforcement Active and retired law enforcement in the QCA are gearing up for their own honor flight. Greg Keller and Amy Larson spoke with Our Quad Cities News with details on the Quad City Back the Blue Flight. For more information, click here.
	Ski Bellevue kicks off new season on Saturday Ski Bellevue is one of only four ski show teams in Iowa and the only one to perform on the Mississippi. Brand new this year, there will be food trucks at the shows!
	Afterschool demand outpaces supply, advocates say, even as state scores high in access Students in the Sioux Falls School District play on a playground. (Courtesy of Sioux Falls School District)South Dakota parents who want afterschool care for their kids have better access to it than they do in nearly any other state, according to a national nonprofit organization, and the kids in those afterschool programs spend an outsized number of hours taking part. Even so, about two-thirds of the South Dakota kids who could be in afterschool care aren’t. Childcare advocates in South Dakota say the state’s rankings in the national report highlight both a growing need for programming outside of school hours and that programming’s value to taxpayers. Drops in absenteeism and improvements in academic performance for kids in an expanded afterschool program in Sioux Falls are promising, said Billy Mawhiney, director of the South Dakota Afterschool Network, but “the demand is still outgrowing the supply.” “Yes, we’re doing great things, and this is still happening,” Mawhiney said. “We still have more work to do.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. The network’s own report, titled “Practical Pathways for Supporting Working Families Through Out-of-School Time,” was released last week. Child care is “essential for working families” in South Dakota, the report says, because about 78% of kids in the state live in homes where all available parents work. What’s needed, it concludes, is more access to afterschool care, particularly in rural areas, as well as more mapping on where gaps in care may be and a coalition of pro-childcare lawmakers willing to stump for steady government funding. South Dakota’s standing The network leaned on data from a state-by-state “America After 3 p.m.” report from the Washington, D.C.-based Afterschool Alliance to build its own report and recommendations for the future of childcare in South Dakota. The D.C. group surveyed families and providers in every state. It found that around 22,000 of the 64,000 kids whose parents want after school or summer care in South Dakota are getting it, that the average cost of that care is $3,300 per year per kid, and that pay of less than $15 an hour for staff members contributes to high turnover at afterschool programs. The barriers to uptake were tied to the expense and access to quality programming. But the report also found that South Dakota fares better than most states in some ways. Weighing several factors, the nonprofit ranked the state third nationwide in afterschool program participation, behind Washington, D.C., and Hawaii. The state ranked fifth in access to programming, behind Washington, D.C., Kansas, New Mexico and Alaska. In Washington, D.C., the report says, high rankings for participation and access are both tied to municipal investment in afterschool programming. In Hawai’i, the scores are linked to the use of federal and state grants to expand programming and participation. Influence of four-day weeks South Dakota’s high ranking in participation wasn’t tied as closely to the raw number of kids participating. By that metric, South Dakota is above average, with 14% of the kids whose parents want afterschool programming participating in it at the time parents were surveyed. But the nonprofit’s methodology for participation also factors in the “dosage rate,” meaning the number of hours per week that kids are in afterschool care. In South Dakota, that figure is 7.7 hours a week. The national average is 5.3. That’s a unique path to a top 10 participation score, according to Nikki Yamashiro, research director for the Afterschool Alliance. But the dosage rate is meaningful, she said, as it offers nuance and acts as a nod to the significance of the amount of time kids spend with experienced caregivers. “When we think about ranking for participation, it’s not just someone who goes one hour a week,” Yamashiro said. “We wanted to include that in our calculation. Because South Dakota has such a high average for number of hours a week that kids participate compared to the other states, that’s what bumps it up.” That high number may be tied in part to four-day school weeks, the report says, based on the interviews with South Dakota afterschool advocates that helped guide its findings. For the 2024-25 school year, 45 of the state’s 159 public school districts had four-day weeks, according to the state Department of Education. That trend has pushed some school districts to open their doors to Friday afterschool programs run by outside entities. That, in turn, may have helped push the number of hours kids spend in afterschool programs. Survey finds many South Dakota parents unable to enroll children in afterschool programs The “America After 3 p.m.” report’s addendum on high-performing states cited the Burke School District, which got a $211,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development in 2024 to help launch an afterschool program that runs for a full-day on Fridays, when school is out. Kelsea Sutton, a banker who helped her county secure the startup grant, said the program is now self-sustaining and funded by parents’ tuition fees. “The school provides a free satellite location,” for the nonprofit child care center that staffs the afterschool program, Sutton said, “which has been essential to the partnership.” “It would not work if the school hadn’t been a good partner,” she said. Sutton noted that communities like hers didn’t have much choice but to expand out-of-school programming. The same has been true for childcare in smaller communities, she said, where businesses, cities and schools have cobbled together options to keep families working. Out-of-school care in Burke still costs more than many parents can afford, she said, and the staff still don’t make enough money. “What’s been going on for a really long time is that working moms are figuring it out in their communities, and just busting their asses to fundraise, go to board meetings, hire staff at poverty wages, all so that people can get to work,” Sutton said. “That’s what is continuing to happen.” Success story in Sioux Falls “America After 3 p.m.” links South Dakota’s high ranking for access to efforts by group’s like Mawhinney’s to map programs and connect parents to them. But it also pointed to a reworked afterschool program in the state’s largest city that’s grown the number of kids getting care. For years, the Sioux Falls School District operated an in-house afterschool program that competed with outside providers. Many of those providers would collect kids from the playground and truck them to their own buildings for afterschool care, making space in facilities used for younger kids all day long. In 2023, the school district disbanded its program and brought the largest of those nonprofit care providers into all 22 of its elementary schools. The afterschool programs, now called Community Learning Centers, are staffed by the providers, who no longer need to pay for transportation or find space in their own facilities for older kids. ‘We can’t exist without child care’: Rural towns use state funding to open local centers The school district offers its buildings, maintains a small team to manage enrollment and billing and shares information on individual student needs and in-school performance with the providers. The model expanded into middle schools in 2024. Middle school students nationwide are less likely to have access to afterschool care, the national report says. Additional funding also expanded access. Families can get subsidies for afterschool care from the state Department of Social Services if they make up to 209% of the federal poverty guidelines. For the Sioux Falls program, families with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible for scholarships, funded through a combination of funding from federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants and money from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. The federal funding also pays for additional tutoring time for students who struggle academically. But there’s only so much scholarship money, said Rebecca Wimmer, coordinator of community partnerships and afterschool programs for the Sioux Falls School District. Schools that serve more lower-income families tend to have openings in their afterschool programs — even as other schools have waiting lists. “We max out our budget every year, as far as scholarships go,” Wimmer said. “If we had more resources, we could certainly enroll more kids.” The current federal grants expire next year. The school district and its partner providers have separately applied for more, Wimmer said, but don’t know if they’ll get it. Hope for funding, and a corrections connection Because the schools hold both afterschool participation data and data on academic performance, Wimmer’s team has been able to crunch numbers and show improvements in those areas for the kids who stick around after the closing bell. Particularly when tutoring is directed in the areas where teachers say kids need it most, Wimmer said, “what we’re seeing is that these best practices are actually resulting in differences.” Wimmer hopes the district’s data encourages more collaborative models across the state, and can help draw in funding from municipal and philanthropic sources. Mawhiney, the afterschool network’s director, also sees the data as a way to reopen the funding conversation at the state level. Chronic absenteeism and low academic engagements are some of the most reliable markers for kids who wind up involved in the criminal justice system, he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The state’s decision to invest $650 million in a new men’s prison in Sioux Falls was wise for public safety, Mawhiney said, but he’d like to see the state invest in programs that help prevent kids from growing up and going there. “If we’re going to be honest, the kids that are in that category, where we’ll be covering that cost of incarceration later, are the kids who are not getting that afterschool care,” said Mawhiney. State Sen. Tim Reed, R-Brookings, sponsored a trio of bills in 2025 meant to expand access to childcare. One of them passed both the state Senate and House of Representatives, but failed to override a veto from Gov. Larry Rhoden. The others didn’t make it that far. Reed didn’t attempt to revive those bills this year, but said the need for both early childhood education and afterschool care remains. The next time the issue comes up, Reed said, he and the other lawmakers who support state funding need to point to data from Sioux Falls as proof of a return on investment. “It is the place to go, to talk about this in an upstream kind of way,” Reed said. “And then you actually start talking about it in terms of kids doing better in school.” Courtesy of South Dakota Searchlight
	Local father launches QC Park Finder website to help families discover area parks From Maquoketa to Coal Valley and Port Byron to Walcott, you can look up different parks and even sort them by amenities. Plus, you can add parks not yet listed.
	Firefighters extinguish shed fire on Genesis Hospital campus in Bettendorf Bettendorf crews extinguished a shed fire on the Genesis Hospital campus Thursday afternoon. The cause of the 2 p.m. fire is under investigation.
	Every Cochise County police agency will soon use the same iris scanners ICE deploys (Photo via Getty Images)Every law enforcement agency in Cochise County will soon be using the same iris-scanning technology as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This week, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office announced that, with the support of the Western States Sheriff’s Association, it and every municipal police department in the county would be adopting the biometric tech. “This is about accuracy, safety and accountability,” Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannells said in a statement. “By ensuring every law enforcement agency in Cochise County is connected to the same secure biometric identification system we are protecting our deputies, our partner agencies and the public by making sure the right person is identified every time.” The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to questions about how the technology will be deployed and if ICE or other federal agencies will also have access to its data. Earlier this year, the company that makes the software Cochise County law enforcement will be using landed a lucrative sole-source contract with ICE for the exact same technology. Massachusetts based BI² Technologies’ $10 million ICE contract is for the Inmate Recognition and Identification System, or I.R.I.S., software. The company claims to already have a database of upwards of a million scans of irises, and even has a mobile platform that purports to allow police officers to use their cellphones to scan the irises of people they encounter in order to verify their identities. ICE has been purchasing the mobile units for their deportation efforts, according to reporting by 404 Media. The contract also states that ICE intends to allow “agents and 287(g) partners to quickly authenticate the identity of subjects during field operations.” A 287(g) agreement is one in which local sheriffs or police departments can partner with ICE to train officers to identify and flag people who may be eligible for deportation during routine traffic stops or jail bookings, even if charges against them haven’t been proven. Cochise County entered into a 287(g) contract in August 2025. Shortly after President Donald Trump was elected to a second term in 2024, the company hired lobbyists from a firm with connections to Trump’s second administration. Ballard Partners was opened in part by Susie Wiles, who is now Trump’s chief of staff, and former Attorney General Pam Bondi used to work there, according to reporting by the Project on Government Oversight Investigates. POGO Investigates also found that BI² Technologies offered border sheriffs free use of the IRIS technology for three years during the first Trump administration, and an investor in the company attempted to get a meeting between the CEO and an advisor to Trump’s first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, according to The Intercept. While Dannels has touted the technology as a way to ensure “accuracy” and “safety,” historical uses of biometric technology have shown that it is not as foolproof as proponents say. In 2012, researchers showed that iris scanners could be tricked with synthetic irises. A 2012 National Institute of Standards and Technology report also found that the miss rate for the technology can be between 2.5% to 20%. While the technology has often been touted as the most secure way to identify an individual, it has been proven to be able to be bypassed or have errors. Prior to its use by American police agencies, the technology was used by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The biometric data in Afghanistan was abandoned during the United States’ withdrawal, leading to not just biometric data but data connecting individuals to family members, work history and more in the hands of the Taliban. In 2022, a military biometric device was sold on eBay with the information still on it. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Arizona Mirror
	Weakened public health powers raise outbreak risks Some jurisdictions have weakened their public health authorities in response to criticism of lockdowns, school closures, mask mandates, vaccine requirements and other COVID-era restrictions.
	Epstein survivor, advocates hold human trafficking awareness event in Topeka International Public Policy Institute director and survivor advocate Sharon Sullivan speaks with survivor and advocate Lisa Phillips on a panel June 2, 2026. (Photo by Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)TOPEKA — As survivor and advocate Lisa Phillips shared her story of sexual abuse by financier Jeffrey Epstein to a large crowd, she asked the audience to “bear with her” as she spoke. A crowd member shouted from their seat that she was in a safe space. Phillips spoke alongside other anti-human trafficking advocates during a conversation about trafficking and support for survivors at Washburn on Tuesday night. “We all have survivor stories in us,” Phillips said. “The people who endure unimaginable things and still choose to keep going. There’s so much strength. That’s the place I want survivors to get to.” Phillips is a former model who was sexually abused by Epstein in her early 20s while working for a modeling agency for which Epstein recommended her. Phillips now says it was one of his first grooming tactics. She was sexually assaulted by Epstein on his private island, with the abuse continuing for multiple years until Phillips moved across the country. Phillips did not speak publicly about the abuse until after the businessman’s death in 2019. “Every conversation was another layer, and with every layer came another realization,” Phillips said. “How many opportunities weren’t opportunities at all? How many introductions were actually transactions?” Phillips is now an advocate for survivors, lobbying lawmakers in the United States and United Kingdom to release all files connected to Epstein and co-conspirators. Lisa Phillips hugs a community member after speaking at a trafficking awareness event in Topeka. (Photo by Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector) Organizer and sponsor Dennis Taylor began the event by saying he was pleased with the large turnout. Taylor and his wife, Karen, saw Phillips on TV and immediately knew they wanted her to visit Kansas. The panel featured Phillips, as well as Center for Safety and Empowerment Director Christina Chavez and professor and director of Washburn Children and Family Law Gillian Chadwick. The panel was moderated by International Public Policy Institute director and survivor advocate Sharon Sullivan. “We have got to work with our survivors in our community and state to make things better,” Sullivan said. “In Topeka, we’re doing a good job. We’re getting better.” Phillips, who calls fellow Epstein victims “survivor sisters,” said when she began telling her own story in 2019, she went looking for “people to care,” saying it was the decision of her life to come forward. “We realized that we probably won’t ever get justice, but we can hold people accountable and have hearings,” Phillips said. “We can do everything we can. We’re owning our stories.” Questions to the panel covered children’s online safety, believing survivors and how trafficking can look different. Members also discussed concerns about children’s access to the online world through social media games such as Roblox. “It’s so important that we continue to talk to our friends, our kids, our families, about online safety. The internet’s not going anywhere,” Chavez said. “The internet is part of their life, so we have to teach ourselves and each other how to be safe.” Phillips said that even though she has three sons, she emphasizes the importance of safety at a young age. “I talk to my boys to try to get them to understand what’s going on,” said Phillips. “But I also don’t want to scare them too much. There is no way to kind of prevent these things without context.” Courtesy of Kansas Reflector
	Ski Bellevue kicks off new season on Saturday, June 6 Ski Bellevue is one of only four ski show teams in Iowa and the only one to perform on the Mississippi. Brand new this year, there will be food trucks at the shows!
	Nursing home takes regulators to court over resident’s eviction Sunny View Care Center in Ankeny has filed a lawsuit challenging the state's position that it improperly evicted a resident from the facility for using marijuana. (Photo via Google Earth)An Iowa nursing home is challenging the state’s position that it unfairly evicted a resident from the facility for using marijuana. In a lawsuit filed recently in Polk County District Court, Ankeny Health Care Enterprises, which operates the 91-resident Sunny View Care Center in Ankeny, says it evicted, or involuntary discharged, a resident of the home earlier this year. The company alleges that on Jan. 16, 2026, the woman used marijuana at the care center and had no legal basis to possess or use or the drug. When confronted, the lawsuit contends, the woman admitted to the illicit drug use. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. On Jan. 18, 2026, the woman was transported to a hospital for treatment of a urinary tract infection, the home claims. Two days later, Sunny View initiated an emergency involuntary discharge, and the woman filed an appeal, hoping to remain in the facility. After a Jan. 30, 2026, hearing before an administrative law judge, a proposed decision was issued in the resident’s favor. Sunny View appealed, and on April 2, 2026, interim director of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, Aaron Baack, issued a final decision in the matter, reversing the emergency discharge Sunny View had initiated. According to the lawsuit, Baack found the discharge was unwarranted in two respects: the notice given to the resident informing her of the planned discharge was defective, and the woman’s alleged one-time use of marijuana was insufficient to support the conclusion that an emergency transfer was warranted to protect the health, safety or well-being of other residents and staff. Sunny View is now taking DIAL to court over the matter, arguing Baack’s decision is not supported by substantial evidence in the record and that the decision is wholly irrational. Sunny View is asking a Polk County judge to reverse DIAL’s decision that the emergency involuntary discharge was invalid. In its formal response to Sunny View’s court petition, DIAL has stated that its decision “speaks for itself” and asserted that Sunny View has failed to state a claim upon which any relief may be granted by the court. A court hearing on the matter is scheduled for Aug. 21, 2026. Inspectors: Woman ‘stuck’ at hospital State inspection reports indicate the resident is afflicted with progressive neurological conditions, multiple sclerosis, anxiety disorder, depression and functional quadriplegia. According to the state inspectors’ reports, the woman’s written care plan at Sunny View referenced chronic pain due to muscle spasms caused by her multiple sclerosis, and the fact that she at times used “medical marijuana” off site. Inspectors reported that in September 2025, a marijuana pen used for vaping was found in the resident’s bag and the resident admitted to the charge nurse she had given another resident “a few hits” on the device. According to the inspectors, in January 2026, while the resident was hospitalized for treatment for her urinary tract infection, the facility’s administrator and director of nursing went to the hospital and hand-delivered the woman her emergency discharge notice from Sunny View, saying only they had “a letter” for her. Inspectors visited the woman in the hospital on Feb. 10, 2026, at which the time the woman reportedly indicated she was “just stuck” at the hospital with nowhere to go because the home refused to take her back despite the administrative law judge ruling in her favor. The inspectors alleged the woman said she was “devastated” by the planned discharge and was scared and anxious about her future. She said she cried each time she read the discharge notice, inspectors reported. Sunny View was cited, but not fined, for failing to complete a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of a resident for readmission to the facility, and for failing to have the appropriate documentation in the medical record prior to issuing an involuntary discharge notice. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	NTSB says United jet was too slow and too low in Newark landing accident Federal investigators say the captain flying the United 767 from Italy was too slow and too low before landing last month at Newark, N.J. The jet struck a light pole, damaging a truck on the turnpike.
	Cops ‘n Kids book drive ensures ‘something for everyone as they come to library’ The 2026 Cops 'n Kids book drive is collecting children's books on Friday at Brady Street to stock the Lincoln Center’s free library.
	As Drake rules the charts, the 'song of the summer' race heats up No discussion of the midyear pop charts would be complete without a breakdown of contenders for the honorific "song of the summer."
	In rush to meet federal deadline, Minnesota cuts funding to 60% of providers in 13 Medicaid programs The Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building in St. Paul, MN Thursday Jan. 15, 2026. (Photo by Alyssa Chen/Minnesota Reformer)The Minnesota Department of Human Services cut off funding to more than 3,000 care providers across 13 Medicaid services in its sweeping “revalidation” effort — a four-month screening of roughly 5,500 providers made in response to heightened federal scrutiny over fraud in Minnesota’s social services. Providers that had payments terminated range from smaller businesses serving a few dozen people to well-established companies such as Dungarvin, a national, decades-old human service organization with over 2,000 impacted Minnesota clients. The state faced a May 31 deadline from the Trump administration to screen providers by reviewing their documents and conducting unannounced site visits, after which it cut off providers that still had in-process revalidations. Providers and their advocates say the process was rushed and has left legitimate providers unable to get paid for delivering services to vulnerable Minnesotans. While they are able to appeal the funding cuts, some say they’ll struggle to stay in business that long. Out of thousands of organizations cut off from funding, just 59 were referred to DHS’ Office of Inspector General for further investigation. The 13 Medicaid programs include personal care assistance, better known as PCA, services to help children with autism and services to transport people on Medicaid to their appointments, among other kinds of services. The programs, along with a housing service that was shut down, were deemed “high-risk” to fraud, waste and abuse by the state in October. It’s not the first time providers of the “high-risk” services have been caught, en masse, in the Walz administration’s anti-fraud dragnet: The state’s Department of Human Services abruptly delayed all payments to providers of those services in December, which providers said put their businesses and clients at risk. Payments came back after a few weeks, but advocates say that some smaller providers, who operate on thin margins, are still struggling from the financial impacts of the now-permanent two-week delay in payment. The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on the state’s Medicaid program since then, repeatedly threatening to cut billions in federal Medicaid funding, purportedly to put pressure on the state to clean up fraud in the high-risk programs. In February, Minnesota agreed to a May 31 deadline to “revalidate” roughly 5,500 providers in the high-risk Medicaid services — a massive undertaking usually done gradually over 3 to 5 years. Providers are now going through another ordeal not unlike the December payment pause, where many legitimate providers are getting cut off from payments that may eventually resume after an appeals process, though it’s unclear when. Tight timeline for an ‘unprecedented’ effort Then-DHS Deputy Commissioner John Connolly called the effort to revalidate providers all at once “unprecedented” when it was announced in February. The agency had to recruit state employees, some from other agencies such as the state’s pollution control agency, to conduct site visits. Such a large undertaking, which DHS committed to doing in roughly four months, may have been too much for the agency to handle. Out of the 5,583 providers of the 13 Medicaid services required to revalidate, DHS confirmed in a Thursday press release that only 2,061 — less than 2 in 5 — are able to continue providing services without interruption. Out of the remaining providers, which were all disenrolled, 2,491 were cut “due to submissions of incomplete paperwork and documentation.” In a Thursday video call with providers, a DHS employee said that the agency sent termination letters for revalidations that were not completed by the May 31 deadline. That appears to include cases in which DHS did not review applications in time. In the call, the message with the most likes came from Carrie Guida, the executive director of a group home provider in Cass and Crow Wing counties: “I think it is very disingenuous for DHS to post a new release that they ‘finished a comprehensive top-to-bottom review … on time on May 31’ when clearly they have not. Many providers were terminated simply because DHS ran out of time to complete this process in its entirety.” Guida gave the Reformer screenshots showing that her business, Pine River Group Home, has had a revalidation “pending review” since March 2. On May 31, Pine River Group Home received a termination notice from DHS saying that it had failed to revalidate. “We didn’t fail to revalidate. They failed to process our revalidation request,” Guida said. Pine River Group Home got a termination letter on May 31 after its revalidation was pending review for over 2 months. (Letter from Minnesota Department of Human Services) Other providers say they were terminated because of bureaucratic minutiae and misunderstandings — not evidence of potential fraud. For instance, Sam Major’s mental health services business, Apollo Counseling, was terminated for purportedly failing to disclose the company’s COO as a managing employee. Major told the state employee who conducted a site visit about his COO, who is a contractor not an employee, and asked if she should be listed as a managing employee. The state employee didn’t know, Major said, so he guessed he should leave the COO off. He found out he guessed wrong nearly two months later when he received a termination letter from DHS. “There aren’t clear standards that anyone can point to and say, ‘This is why I terminated you,’” Major said. “This is all vibes.” Sam Major’s business, Apollo Counseling, was terminated after he failed to disclose a contractor as a managing employee. Major said he asked about the contractor during DHS’ site visit. (Letter from Minnesota Department of Human Services) In another case, a provider was cut off because of an apparent glitch in the state’s web portal. Josh Berg, an outspoken provider advocate and the director of services at assisted independent living provider Accessible Space, said that several of his organization’s board members, who had been listed in the screening portal for years, were somehow deactivated when he added a new one. An Accessible Space site was terminated due to what Josh Berg, the organization’s director of services, described to be a technical error. Berg said all four board members had been listed in the state’s web portal for years. (Letter from Minnesota Department of Human Services) Minnesota didn’t ask for an extension, fearing political backlash The state has told providers they can appeal their terminations within 60 days, but Guida and other providers say two months without payments puts their businesses in jeopardy. “I’m moving some emergency cash around to cover payroll next week — I don’t have 60 days worth,” Guida said. More than 800 providers have appealed their terminations, the DHS spokesperson said. Matthew Bergeron, the lawyer and lobbyist for the Residential Providers Association of Minnesota, said that he suspects that the 60-day appeal process is a way for DHS “to get more time without drawing the ire of the feds.” “I think they just hit a hard deadline, and with the federal oversight of that process, anything where not every ‘i’ was dotted and ‘t’ was crossed resulted in termination,” Bergeron said, adding that he expects “probably the overwhelming majority” of providers to be reinstated after appealing. The federal government offered DHS the option to request more time in its March letter. A DHS spokesperson said in an email the agency didn’t because it’s “working to safeguard the $2 billion in threatened cuts by the federal government.” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz “communicated from the start that he felt the department was not moving fast enough,” the DHS spokesperson said. Sue Schettle, the CEO of the Association of Residential Resources Minnesota, said DHS leadership also told her that they didn’t ask for an extension earlier because they thought they wouldn’t need it. State officials have said that the federal funding freezes could deliver a serious blow to the state’s budget, health facilities and Medicaid enrollees. Medical Assistance, which is what Minnesota calls its Medicaid program, cost $18 billion in 2024, with 60% paid by the federal government. Berg said that he is “extremely frustrated” that the state didn’t ask for an extension in spite of the possible political ramifications. “What I feel is missing from our agency, from the administration, is nobody’s fighting for Minnesota right now,” Berg said. Courtesy of Minnesota Reformer
	How to choose the right corporate credit card for employees How to choose the right corporate credit card for employeesCorporate credit cards give your team the purchasing power they need while keeping your finance department in control. Instead of chasing down reimbursement requests or worrying about rogue spending, you can get real-time visibility, built-in controls, and automated expense tracking, all tied to a single payment platform, Ramp reports.Whether you're issuing your first batch of employee cards or rethinking your current program, choosing the right corporate card can save your team hours of manual work each month and reduce out-of-policy spend.What is a corporate credit card?A corporate credit card is a company-issued payment card that employees use for authorized work expenses such as travel, office supplies, software subscriptions, and client entertainment. Unlike personal or small business credit cards, the company, not the employee, is typically liable for repayment.Corporate cards come with features designed specifically for finance teams: granular spend controls, automated expense tracking, real-time transaction visibility, and rewards programs that put cash back into your business. They eliminate the need for employees to front their own money and wait weeks for reimbursement.How corporate cards workYour company applies for a corporate card program, issues cards to employees, and pays the bill directly. Here's how the process typically works:Application: Your company applies using business revenue, cash flow, and credit history, not individual employee credit scores.Card issuance: Finance distributes physical or virtual cards to approved employees based on role and need.Spending controls: Admins set per-card limits, category restrictions, and merchant blocks for each cardholder.Expense tracking: Transactions auto-categorize and sync to your accounting software as they happen.Payment: Your company pays the card issuer directly, so employees never need to file for reimbursement.This setup gives your finance team centralized oversight while giving employees the autonomy to make purchases without jumping through hoops.Corporate cards vs. business credit cardsThese two card types serve different needs, and the distinction matters when you're choosing the right fit for your company.Corporate cards are built for mid-market and enterprise companies that need to issue cards at scale with tight controls. Business credit cards are designed for smaller companies and often require the owner to personally guarantee the balance. Ramp If you're managing more than a handful of cardholders and need per-employee controls, a corporate card is likely the better choice. If you're a smaller operation with a few employees making occasional purchases, a business credit card may be sufficient.Best corporate credit cards for employeesNot all corporate cards are created equal. The right one depends on your company's size, spending patterns, and how much automation you need from your expense management workflow.Benefits of corporate expense cards for employeesCorporate cards aren't just a convenience. They help solve real operational challenges for both finance teams and employees. By reducing out-of-pocket spending and simplifying expense tracking, corporate cards make it easier for employees to follow company spending policies and submit accurate expense information. This can lead to stronger policy compliance, better visibility into company spend, and less administrative work for finance teams.Eliminate out-of-pocket expenses and reimbursementsCorporate cards let team members make authorized purchases without fronting personal funds, and they eliminate the paperwork and wait times associated with reimbursement cycles.Set granular spending controls by employeeCorporate cards that offer spend controls help companies know where spend is going before it happens and give finance leaders peace of mind that cardholder expenses remain in-policy.Spend controls available with modern cards include the ability to:Set card spend limits at the daily, monthly, or per-transaction level.Prevent big-ticket charges above a set threshold.Block entire merchant categories or specific vendors.Adjust limits in real time as roles or projects change.Decentralizing oversight saves time and empowers employees without adding risk.Track spending in real timeYou don't have to wait for month-end statements to understand where your money is going. Corporate cards with real-time tracking let you see transactions as they happen, catch policy violations immediately, and make faster decisions about budget adjustments.Automate receipt capture and expense categorizationCompanies that issue corporate cards can save money because they can use fewer tools to manage employee expenses. That tech stack consolidation is especially valuable when budgets are tight.Transactions auto-categorize based on merchant data, and receipt matching reduces the manual data entry that bogs down your accounting team.Simplify accounting software integrationCorporate cards with expense management capabilities sync directly to platforms such as QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite. That means accurate, up-to-date financials without the extra legwork of manual reconciliation.Protect employee personal creditCorporate liability means your employees' credit scores aren't affected by company spending. Most corporate cards don't require a personal guarantee, so your team can make work purchases without any effect on their personal financial standing.How to choose a business corporate credit cardWith several strong options on the market, the right card depends on your specific needs. Here are the key factors to evaluate.Spending limits and controlsCan you set individual limits per employee? Can you restrict purchases by category or merchant? The more granular the controls, the less time you'll spend policing spend after the fact.Accounting software integrationsCheck whether the card syncs natively with your accounting platform. Compatibility with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, or Sage can save your team hours of manual reconciliation each month.Rewards and cashback structureCompare flat-rate cashback against category bonuses. If your spending is concentrated in a few categories, such as travel or software, a category-based card might earn more. If your spending is spread across many vendors, flat-rate cashback is simpler and often more predictable.Fee structure and annual costsReview annual fees, foreign transaction fees, and per-employee card fees. Some corporate cards charge nothing; others charge per user or per card. Factor these costs into your total cost of ownership.Liability modelUnderstand who's on the hook for charges. Corporate liability means the company pays; individual liability means the employee pays and gets reimbursed; joint liability splits responsibility. Most true corporate cards offer corporate liability, but it's worth confirming before you sign up.Employee cardholder experienceA card is only useful if employees actually use it correctly. Evaluate the mobile app, receipt submission process, and how quickly you can issue new cards. If onboarding a new cardholder takes days instead of seconds, that friction adds up.Common challenges with company credit cards for employeesCorporate cards solve a lot of problems, but they're not without friction. Here are the most common pain points finance teams run into.Receipt tracking and policy complianceEmployees forget receipts, submit incomplete documentation, or ignore expense policies altogether. Missing receipts create audit risks and slow down reconciliation. Automated receipt capture and real-time policy reminders help, but they require the right platform.Preventing fraud and card misuseUnauthorized personal purchases, duplicate charges, and friendly fraud are real risks. Real-time transaction alerts and merchant-level controls reduce exposure, but you also need clear policies and consequences to deter misuse.Scaling your corporate card programIssuing cards to new hires, adjusting limits for role changes, and offboarding departing employees all require attention. Manual processes break down quickly as your team grows. Look for platforms that let you automate card issuance, adjust controls in bulk, and deactivate cards instantly.Best practices for managing business corporate cardsA corporate card program is only as good as the processes around it. These six steps will help you run a tighter program.1. Create a clear corporate card policyDocument what's allowed and what's not. Specify approved expense categories, spending limits, receipt requirements, and consequences for misuse. A written policy removes ambiguity and gives you something to point to when issues arise.2. Set role-based spending limitsNot every employee needs the same budget. Sales reps traveling weekly need higher limits than office staff ordering supplies. Assign limits based on job function and adjust as roles evolve.3. Enable real-time transaction alertsNotify both finance and cardholders when purchases happen. Real-time alerts let you catch issues before they snowball into month-end surprises.4. Automate receipt capture and matchingUse a platform with a mobile app that lets employees photograph receipts on the spot. Auto-matching receipts to transactions eliminates the most tedious part of expense. management.5. Review spending reports weekly or monthlyRegular reviews help you catch anomalies, identify savings opportunities, and confirm policy compliance. Don't wait for quarter-end to look at the data.6. Train employees on proper card usageDon't assume employees know the rules. Provide onboarding training when you issue a card and send periodic reminders about policy updates. A five-minute walkthrough up front prevents hours of cleanup later.Who is liable for corporate credit card purchases?Liability is one of the most important and most misunderstood aspects of corporate cards. There are three models to know. Corporate liabilityThe company assumes full responsibility for all charges on the card. This is the most common model for corporate cards. Employees aren't personally liable, and their credit isn't affected.Individual liabilityThe employee is responsible for charges and must submit expenses for reimbursement from the company. This model is less common with true corporate cards, but it still exists in some programs.Joint liabilityBoth the company and the employee share responsibility. The company typically pays for approved business expenses, while the employee may be liable for personal or policy-violating charges.This story was produced by Ramp and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	New York City reshapes mass transit system to handle World Cup, NBA finals crowds New York transit officials are preparing to handle up to 100,000 extra travelers a day as fans arrive in New York and New Jersey for FIFA World Cup matches.
	Children suing WV over troubled foster care system win appeal, suit will move forward (Greenleaf123/Getty Images)Foster children suing West Virginia officials over the state’s troubled child welfare system will have another chance to pursue legal action following a successful appeal. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday reversed and remanded a decision last year made by U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin dismissing the lawsuit meant to improve West Virginia’s long-troubled foster care system. “Now is the time to get back to work and effectuate real change. The children of West Virginia deserve better,” said Richard Walters, a partner with Shaffer & Shaffer who is representing children in the case. The 2019 class-action lawsuit brought by foster children sought to address pervasive issues, including a shortage of Child Protective Services workers and safe homes for children. Kids were left to linger in the system for years with no plans for permanent homes or ending up in abusive group homes, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit also alleges that the state violated the constitutional rights of thousands of children in foster care. A Better Childhood, a New-York-based nonprofit legal firm, and West Virginia attorneys representing the children hoped to force the state to improve foster care and wanted to put a monitor in place to enforce the proposed changes. In his 2025 dismissal, Goodwin didn’t refute the lawsuit’s allegations against the state but said, “This court cannot take over the foster care system of West Virginia.” The judge said, “The blame squarely lies with the West Virginia state government.” The appeals court ruled that Goodwin erred in ruling that federal courts did not have power to grant relief for systemic issues in foster care. Circuit Judge Henry F. Floyd, writing for the court, stated “federal courts not only have the authority, but also a duty, to remedy systemic constitutional rights violations.” The case will now head back to the district court with guidelines to follow the appeals court decision and continue to hear this case to final judgment. “The dismissal from the district court was an inexplicable interruption to much-needed reform efforts,” said Marcia Lowry, executive director of A Better Childhood, in a news release. “The state continues to ignore desperately needed changes to protect the vulnerable foster children of this state. When the court dismissed the case, we were only months away from the trial. Since the Legislature and the leaders of the agency have again failed to take action to protect these children, we look forward to getting to trial as quickly as possible to seek relief from the court.” The lawsuit was originally filed against previous Gov. Jim Justice and former foster care officials then continued under Gov. Patrick Morrisey. It was previously thrown out in 2021 then revived by an appeals court in 2022. In 2023, U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston recused himself from the case after Mountain State Spotlight, a nonprofit newsroom, pointed out ethical concerns regarding Johnston’s communication with lawmakers and the former Department of Health and Human Resources about legislation impacting foster care and possibly the lawsuit. The next year, a federal judge ordered sanctions against the state after finding that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources failed to preserve foster care leaders’ emails and other electronic communications related to the case. The sanctions were proposed to cost $172,000. Walters said they were pleased with the Fourth Circuit’s decision that the District Court can grant relief for children that he and other lawyers requested in 2019. “Both the District Court and the Fourth Circuit agree that children in the custody of the state’s foster care system have suffered far too long,” he said. There are more than 5,900 children in West Virginia’s foster care system. Courtesy of West Virginia Watch
	Man charged with fleeing Sterling police after report of battery Sterling police are searching for Damion J. Richmond, 25, after a domestic battery incident involving his pregnant girlfriend. Call police with tips.
	Steps to apply for a small business grant Steps to apply for a small business grantGrant programs exist because organizations believe in the power of small businesses to strengthen communities and drive innovation. Whether offered by federal, state, or private entities, these opportunities are designed to help businesses like yours succeed. This step-by-step guide from Fifth Third will guide you through the process of applying for a small business grant when your business needs funding for expenses, upgrades, or growth.Key takeaways:Small business grants are a powerful funding option because they provide money that doesn’t need to be repaid, unlike small business financing (loans) or investor capital.Grants are competitive and purpose-driven, often designed to support businesses that align with specific missions, industries, or community goals.Eligibility varies by program, with factors like business size, location, industry, ownership type, and intended use of funds playing a role.Applying for a grant requires preparation, including identifying your funding needs, researching opportunities, gathering documentation, and crafting a compelling proposal.Running a small business means juggling a lot with covering day-to-day expenses, planning for upgrades, or preparing for growth. Extra funding can make all the difference, and one of the most appealing options is a small business grant.What is a small business grant?A small business grant is funding provided by government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or private companies to help businesses grow and succeed, without the obligation to pay it back. Unlike small business financing (loans) or investor capital, which require repayment with interest, grants are essentially free money. That’s what makes them so competitive; organizations want to invest in businesses that align with their mission, whether that’s supporting local communities, driving innovation, or boosting specific industries.Grants can cover a wide range of needs, from everyday operating expenses to technology upgrades or expansion projects. However, each grant program has its own eligibility requirements and application process, so it’s important to research carefully and plan ahead.Am I eligible for a small business grant?Not every business qualifies for every grant. Eligibility requirements vary widely depending on the organization offering the funding and the purpose of the grant. Common factors include:Business size: Many grants are designed for small businesses, which typically means fewer than 500 employees.Location: Some grants focus on specific states, cities, or regions to support local economic growth.Industry: Certain programs target businesses in sectors like technology, healthcare, or sustainability.Ownership type: Grants may prioritize businesses owned by underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, as well as women- or veteran-owned businesses.Purpose of the grant: Funding might be earmarked for equipment upgrades, hiring, research, or community impact projects.Before applying, review the eligibility criteria carefully to ensure your business is a good fit.How to get a small business grantSecuring a small business grant takes preparation, research, and attention to detail. The process typically involves finding the right grant for your business, confirming eligibility, gathering documentation, and submitting a strong application that demonstrates impact. While grants can provide valuable funding, they’re competitive and often time-consuming, so having a clear plan and backup financing options is essential. Here are the steps to follow.Identify your funding needsBefore you start searching for grants, take time to clarify why you need the funding. Are you looking to cover operating expenses, purchase new equipment, hire staff, expand your business, or invest in innovation? Knowing your purpose will help you match with the right opportunities and craft a stronger application.Understanding your needs upfront ensures you focus on grants that align with your objectives and positions your business for success from the start.Research available grants and requirementsOnce you know your funding needs, it’s time to find grants that fit your business. Start by exploring programs at every level:Federal grants: Search federal programs designed to support small businesses through the official database.Small business resources: Use the Small Business Administration’s website for guidance, tools, and listings of grants tailored specifically for small business owners.State and local grants: Check your state’s economic development website and local business organizations for regional programs.Private grants: Many corporations and nonprofits offer grants to support small businesses in specific industries or communities.Each grant has its own requirements, such as eligibility criteria, documentation, and deadlines. Review them carefully before applying.Gather documentationMost grant applications require detailed supporting materials, so it’s important to prepare these in advance.Common documents include:A business plan outlining your goals and strategy.Financial statements that show your company’s performance.Tax returns for verification of income and compliance.Proof of registration or incorporation to confirm your business status.Personal and business credit history for financial credibility.Having these documents ready will streamline the application process and demonstrate that your business is organized and prepared for funding.Tip: Keep digital copies of all documents organized in a secure folder. This makes it easier to upload files quickly and meet tight deadlines.Write a grant proposalIf the application requires a written proposal, make it clear, compelling, and aligned with the grantor’s objectives. Outline your business mission and goals, explain exactly how you’ll use the grant funds, and describe the expected outcomes, such as growth, innovation, or community impact. Finally, show why your business is a strong fit for the grant program by connecting your purpose to the grantor’s mission.Tip: Keep your proposal concise but persuasive. Use data and examples to demonstrate the real impact the funding will have.How to apply for a small business grantOnce you’ve completed your research and prepared your documentation, it’s time to submit your application. Follow the instructions carefully, grant programs often have strict guidelines for formatting, required documents, and deadlines. Double-check everything before you submit to avoid delays or disqualification.Track your applicationSubmitting your grant application is just the beginning. Many programs take weeks or even months to review submissions, so staying organized is key. Keep a record of the grants you’ve applied for, note deadlines for follow-up, and monitor your email for any requests for additional information.Tip: Create a simple tracking system, whether it’s a spreadsheet or a project management tool to log application dates, status updates, and next steps. This helps you stay on top of multiple opportunities and respond quickly when needed.This story was produced by Fifth Third and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Rock Island Library launches “Plant a Seed, Read” summer with kickoff at Botanical Center Rock Island Public Library is launching its summer programming with a June 4 kickoff at the Quad City Botanical Center, opening a season of more than 100 free events, hands‑on activities and a community reading challenge aimed at logging 750,000 minutes.
	QCA fire departments receive grants for small equipment The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has announced the recipients of the 2026 Small Equipment Grant Program. A total of $6 million was awarded to 260 fire departments/districts and EMS providers statewide. The program was created to provide grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance [...]
	The caregiving protection paradox: When supporting family means sacrificing protection The caregiving protection paradox: When supporting family means sacrificing protectionThe sandwich generation—middle-aged adults simultaneously supporting children and aging parents—may be America’s new financial backbone. Today, 29% of caregivers are part of the sandwich generation. Among caregivers under age 50, AARP survey data shows that number rises to 47%. These caregivers are often their family’s financial safety net, bridging the gap for multiple generations. And with longer life expectancies, rising eldercare costs, and delayed financial independence for younger generations, this generation is increasingly taking on greater financial responsibility over a longer period of time. Amidst the pressures of being financial anchors for their families, caregivers often sacrifice their own financial health. According to U.S. News, the average caregiver spends 10%-25% of their yearly income on caregiving-related expenses. And when it’s time for budget cuts, life insurance is often one of the first items on the chopping block. For those without coverage, inflated caregiving costs may prevent them from purchasing a policy altogether. In fact, LIMRA research shows that 36% of consumers haven’t purchased life insurance because of competing financial priorities. The result is what is called the caregiving protection paradox. Caregivers can easily become consumed by their responsibilities, causing them to neglect their own care and become exposed to financial vulnerability. As Everly Life explores in this article, this financial strain may be widening the gap between caregivers and having adequate life insurance coverage.Why Caregivers Dismiss Having Enough Life Insurance CoverageCaregiving reshapes household budgeting. Caregiving costs can largely dictate the household budget. For example, monthly medical supplies average between $200-$400 per month, and specialized transport services can cost as much as $100 per ride. These expenses can override funds that might otherwise be allotted to life insurance coverage. Present caregiving demands are the focus, not future risks. Caregivers may solely focus on their role as providers and neglect that they need protection, too. They can become so overwhelmed by their daily responsibilities that they don’t have the mental capacity or time to worry about getting life insurance coverage. Life insurance coverage doesn’t feel urgent. Caregivers are constantly managing short-term and urgent demands. With these daily demands, life insurance coverage can seem less important than other items on the to-do list.What Happens When the Caregiver Isn't ProtectedFor the sandwich generation, reducing financial burden often means putting their long-term financial wellness, including life insurance coverage, on the backburner. But when a caregiver deprioritizes life insurance coverage, this decision can have long-term effects on them and their family members.The potential for financial instability increases.Caregivers are often the primary earners and financial decision-makers for their families—so their income is critical for maintaining a normal standard of living. Without adequate life insurance coverage, the loss of that income can leave surviving family members left to cover everyday expenses, like childcare, healthcare, or eldercare costs. A 2022 LIMRA survey found 4 in 10 families would face financial hardship within six months if the primary earner passed away; 1 in 5 families say that it would occur within just one month.That indicates that the likelihood of family members being able to sustain in the caregiver’s absence is relatively low.The financial burden becomes heavier for the next caregiver.Caregiving needs won’t disappear because the caregiver passes away. More than likely, the financial and logistical responsibilities are given to other family members. When an uninsured or underinsured caregiver passes away, they can leave a heavy financial burden for their successor. Adult children, spouses, or siblings may need to reduce work hours, acquire debt, or use retirement savings to fill the gap.Short-term savings can have long-term financial setbacks.According to a 2021 AARP report, 1 in 3 caregivers reach into their personal savings to cover costs, so it’s understandable that strict budgeting might be a priority. While the decision to delay or forgo life insurance coverage may provide temporary financial relief, it could be a costly choice down the road. Life insurance premiums are usually lower when purchased at a younger age since most people are healthier in their youth. When you ignore getting the right coverage now, securing affordable coverage may become more difficult later.A Shift in the Protection Conversation for CaregiversResearch shows that 42% of U.S. adults lack sufficient life insurance. For caregivers, the barrier to coverage is often lower disposable income and competing financial priorities. And while the sandwich generation’s circumstances might not change tomorrow, insurers and financial advisors can help close the caregiving-related protection gaps today through: Employer-sponsored benefits tailored to caregivers. Simplified or more affordable coverage options. Financial planning that integrates eldercare realities. Caregivers are responsible for holding multiple generations together financially while often being amongst the least financially protected themselves. A new conversation around life insurance coverage might just be the next step towards ensuring the sandwich generation has enough coverage.This story was produced by Everly Life and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Take two for McKee campaign ad, now free of sex and drug joke. What the experts say of the cleanup. An initial graphic in Gov. Dan McKee's campaign ad (left) has been replaced with a new version that does not contain references to sex and drugs (right). (Screenshots courtesy of WPRI-TV 12 and YouTube)Gov. Dan McKee’s reelection campaign replaced a commercial with a new version Wednesday, wiped clean of off-color sex and drugs references in a split-second shot of a health insurance card graphic. McKee’s campaign spent another $66,804 to air the revised, 30-second ad 161 more times on local TV networks through June 8, according to filings with the Federal Communications Commission. Gov. Dan McKee’s revised campaign ad was posted on YouTube Wednesday. But the blunder, first flagged by Providence Journal reporter Kathy Gregg in a social media post on Sunday with a story published on Monday, hangs heavy over McKee’s reelection prospects, already marked by low approval in public polling and questions of competency raised by his opponents. “Details matter on every aspect of a campaign,” said Mike Raia, former communications director for Gov. Gina Raimondo, who now runs his own public relations firm in Providence. “It’s not just about getting the facts right for an ad, it’s about pitching yourself to voters. The voters deserve and demand that you’re being intellectually honest and serious with them.” Foulkes’ healthcare record front and center in McKee’s inaugural campaign commercial McKee’s campaign insists the initial ad, which flashed a graphic of a health insurance card listing the cardholder’s gender as “sex: yes” with a reference to a street drug, was unintentional. The commercial debuted on May 27, with $65,000 spent to air the ad 174 times across local networks. It was also posted on YouTube, but has since been removed. Sophie Mestas, a campaign spokesperson, said the graphic “slipped through review” by campaign staffers in an emailed response. The split-second image of the partially-covered Aetna insurance card in McKee’s campaign ad is easy to miss. The joke gained public attention after a longtime political observer tipped off the Providence Journal to the raunchy text, prompting reporters’ questions. Details on the observer’s identity or how they noticed were unavailable. Even Helena Buonanno Foulkes, McKee’s Democratic challenger and the subject of his campaign attack ad, did not notice the gaffe until the Journal story ran on Monday, Angelika Pelligrino, a campaign spokesperson, said in an email. But that doesn’t absolve McKee’s campaign from bearing responsibility for the mistake. “Having the types of checks and controls and quality assurance to ensure you’re putting out something that is reflective of the seriousness of the role you are asking people to trust you with is essential,” Raia said. The Foulkes’ campaign offered a harsher take. “In his rush to attack Helena and try to save his sinking campaign, McKee lied about the facts in every claim in the ad and aired an ad with sex and drug related jokes,” Pelligrino said in a statement Tuesday. “His campaign is not ready for prime time and he does not deserve an unprecedented third term.” The blame game It’s unlikely McKee’s campaign created the image in question. That work is typically done by an outside production agency, which uses a script from campaign staffers to come up with the accompanying visuals, according to a half-dozen campaign consultants and political strategists interviewed by Rhode Island Current, all of whom did not want their names used. AL Media, the Chicago-based political communications firm that produced the ad according to FCC filings, also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The same agency also produced McKee’s popular 2022 campaign ad, “Motha,” starring his then-94-year-old mom, Willa McKee. But, it is the campaign’s responsibility to screen the ad before it airs, checking for factual accuracy and that the images align with the message, consultants agreed. That’s how Raimondo staffers caught images of Iceland in a state tourism video days before its public release in March 2016. The mistake made the final cut anyway. Perhaps more problematic than the error has been McKee’s campaign’s response. The initial ad was still available on YouTube as recently as Tuesday. And, the campaign never apologized, instead doubling down on the attacks against Foulkes for her tenure at CVS. “A corrected version of the ad is live, but the facts are unchanged: Helena Foulkes raised insulin prices and pushed to cut Medicaid, while Governor McKee capped insulin costs and expanded coverage for Rhode Islanders,” Mestas said in an emailed statement Tuesday. Daniel Sheinin, a marketing professor in the University of Rhode Island College of Business, was unimpressed. “It’s a really bad look,” Sheinin said. “If they continue to have these kinds of non-responses, it will impact his reputation negatively.” Sheinin, who has studied the rise of AI in brand marketing, could not tell from watching the initial commercial whether AI was used. Which was not surprising to him, given the increasingly sophisticated and pervasive role AI plays in media. To Sheinin, the question of whether McKee’s campaign vendor used AI in its commercial is beside the point. “I don’t think it matters to anyone anymore what the source of the creation was,” he said. “AI is in the zeitgeist.” But, he added, “that doesn’t mean they’re not holding brands responsible for what is in the communications. If the brand’s name is on it, it’s their responsibility.” A separate Foulkes commercial which debuted on local TV stations May 29 reframes her resume in healthcare around protections for residents, indirectly jabbing at McKee by promising to prevent another Washington Bridge “fiasco.” The sitting governor’s six years in office have brought high-profile mishaps, from the structural failure of the westbound highway bridge in late 2023 to a cyberattack on the state public benefits system one year later, compromising the personal information of more than 644,000 people. A botched rollout of state government software this year has led to a series of payroll problems for government workers and temporarily prevented the state from successfully collecting federal Medicaid reimbursements. “You’re allowed one mistake,” Sheinin said. “For McKee, they really have to be much more proactive now at checking and double-checking every communication that is sent out. They can’t make another mistake.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. 3:33 pmThis story has been updated to add that the original graphic in Gov. Dan McKee's campaign ad was originally flagged on a social media post by Providence Journal reporter Kathy Gregg. Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
	Runestad proposes one-year moratorium on data centers, urging caution and scrutiny Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runestad at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island, Mich., on May 28, 2026. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)Citing resident concerns on the impact of data centers in Michigan, state Sen. Jim Runestad has proposed a one-year pause, halting all data center projects as lawmakers and business leaders work to better understand their impacts. The White Lake Republican and Michigan Republican Party chair introduced Senate Bills 1018–1020 with Sen. Ruth Johnson (R-Holly) as a co-sponsor. The bills state that the legislation would serve as a pause to gather information about any potential rate hikes, environmental harms or other consequences, rather than an outright ban. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “My legislation advises caution,” Runestad said in a statement. “It is foolish for lawmakers to allow untested, potentially dangerous projects in our communities without proper scrutiny and thorough diligence.” Runestad and Johnson’s bill package comes as the state is seeing a large proliferation of AI data centers, and just days after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a massive, controversial OpenAI-Oracle data center in Saline Township. Where’s a folder when you need one? Runestad is now raising concerns about the loss of farmland and harm to local communities and cited recent polling commissioned by the Detroit Regional Chamber which found Michigan voters were in broad support of regulations on data centers, including requirements for data centers to bear all the costs for their electrical service, bans on state local governments from offering tax incentives and agreeing to non-disclosure agreements with data center developers, and clean energy requirements. “This moratorium will provide the necessary timeframe for lawmakers to listen to the public and put sensible regulations in place,” Runestad said. Runestad’s bills mirror a package introduced by state Reps. Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy), Joseph Fox (R-Fremont) and Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City) in the Republican-led House. Although concerns about data centers in the politically divided Legislature have transcended party lines, both packages are facing headwinds early in the legislative process. Runestad’s bills were referred to the Senate Government Operations Committee, where legislation is often sent to die, while the House package was referred to an analogous committee within the lower chamber. Courtesy of Michigan Advance
	KY gov announces foster care, Medicaid reimbursement, other program cuts The Kentucky State Capitol on April 15, 2026. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd)Several social service programs in Kentucky are about to see cuts and reductions, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday. Beshear, a Democrat, blamed the cuts on the two-year state budget passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly this year. “I repeatedly warned the General Assembly about the painful impacts that would be felt from their budget cuts or failure to increase funding for services that cost more every year, or where there are more families that now qualify,” Beshear said during his weekly press conference. “Sadly, action was not taken to correct the most concerning areas. Now the state is forced to bear the outcome of these short-sighted decisions and the chronic defunding from the federal government.” Dr. Steven Stack, the secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for the Beshear Administration, said several sectors will be impacted. ‘Scary, stressful time,’ says Beshear with nutrition aid for 1 in 8 Kentuckians in doubt “Anyone who is purchasing gasoline or groceries knows that costs have gone up,” Stack said. “Those same costs have certainly impacted the cost of providing medical care, the cost of providing foster care services, foster parent support, foster home support, the cost for providing meals through our nutrition programs. Those costs have gone up, but our funding has gone down, and in some areas gone down quite significantly.” He did not go into full details and dollar amounts, but announced these general cuts and reductions: Most providers in the Medicaid program will see rate reductions starting in fiscal year 2027. Reductions will not be uniform, and more details will be released “in the very near future.” There is not enough money to sustain the senior meal program. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) will see “additional reductions.” Last October, the Beshear administration reduced cash payments that low income Kentuckians can get through the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP), which come from TANF. Foster care providers will see some reductions in rate payments, though it’s unclear what that will look like. Stack said, “actions will have to be taken regarding the foster care network, regarding the foster homes and the rates that they receive for payments, as well as a number of special programs that are put in place to help support foster children to overcome the adversities they face and to help them have their best opportunity to thrive again.” There is not enough funding to maintain the number of social workers the state has. Behavioral Health services will be impacted but it’s unclear how. “None of these are things that we want to do,” Stack said. “And we really regret that the budget given to us by the General Assembly makes these actions necessary.” House Speaker David Osborne speaks with reporters on Day 1 of the 2026 legislative session. Jan. 6, 2026. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, called Beshear’s announcement a “cruel and unnecessary blow to agencies that serve our state’s most vulnerable and I urge him to reconsider his decision.” “We gave the governor and his administration the flexibility to use existing state funding to protect priority services like those for vulnerable Kentuckians when making reductions. We also directed the administration to prioritize state spending and seek savings by addressing outdated and ineffective programs, as well as services already provided by other agencies or the private sector,” Osborne said in a statement. “Instead of doing so, he makes abundantly clear what he and his administration choose to prioritize. After all, he consistently finds the funding needed to expand state government when he wants to — including a Pre-K for All initiative that failed to receive support because he failed to produce an actual plan. The fact is, his priorities and actions simply do not reflect the state’s needs.” Dustin Isaacs, a spokesman for Senate Republicans, said in a statement that “We will continue to monitor the situation as more information becomes available, but would not have additional comment at this time.” “It appears the Beshear administration is still assessing what discretionary decisions it will make,” he said. “At this point, lawmakers have not been provided with specific details—or information regarding how those decisions are being made.” ‘A Kentucky problem’ Norma Hatfield on March 9, 2026 (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) Norma Hatfield, a longtime state-wide kinship care advocate and kinship caregiver, acknowledged “real funding challenges at both the federal and state levels” but questioned if leaders have done everything possible to “mitigate the impact” of those challenges. “I have heard a lot about who is to blame. What I haven’t heard enough about is what was done to prevent these outcomes in the first place,” Hatfield said. “Were all options explored? Were priorities reevaluated? Did everyone in positions of authority do everything they could to protect vulnerable Kentuckians before announcing reductions?” She called on Kentucky leaders to engage in “less finger-pointing and more problem-solving.” “This isn’t a Republican problem or a Democratic problem,” Hatfield said. “It’s a Kentucky problem. Kids sleeping in office buildings, seniors depending on meal programs and families struggling to get by should never become collateral damage in political battles.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Kentucky Lantern
	Doctor fights sanctions, saying he’ll be ‘run out of practice’ by Iowa board The Iowa Board of Medicine regulates the state's medical profession as part of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. (Photo by Getty Images, board seal courtesy the State of Iowa) A former central Iowa physician who allegedly admitted using cocaine daily before entering treatment is arguing in court that efforts to suspend his license threaten his livelihood and would be “the kiss of death” for his medical practice in California. According to the Iowa Board of Medicine, Dr. Chad Becker, who once practiced at UnityPoint Health’s Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, admitted routinely consuming an excessive amount of drugs and/or alcohol prior to 2022, resulting in a referral to the Iowa Physician Health Program for treatment. According to the board, Becker ultimately chose not to comply with the program’s requirements and so the issue of his substance abuse was referred back to the board in November 2022. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. In February 2026, the board ruled a license suspension of 90 days was warranted, as was an $8,000 civil penalty. Becker is now seeking judicial review of that suspension as well as the board’s subsequent refusal to grant him a new hearing on the matter. In court papers filed Wednesday, Becker said he is currently working as a full-time emergency room physician in California. He stated that after the Iowa board’s disciplinary action was reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, which tracks physician discipline across all 50 states, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration became involved and a DEA investigator demanded he sign a “voluntary surrender” of his DEA registration to handle controlled substances. “They claimed that it was because my DEA registration had not been ‘retired’ after my Iowa medical license had expired,” Becker said in a sworn affidavit. He said he has refused to sign the document, and the DEA is now “reconsidering the situation” due to his demand for a hearing on the matter. Quotation I do not understand why the Iowa Board of Medicine seems so adamant in interfering with my practice in California ... I could lose my career over this. – Dr. Chad Becker “I could lose my career over this,” Becker told the court in his affidavit. “I am sure my career would have been over if I had a lifetime NPDB report that said the federal DEA and the Department of Justice had revoked my DEA registration for ‘admitted’ violations of federal narcotics laws.” He said his current employer, after learning of the report to the NPDB, “invoked an immediate review of my employment situation,” but has agreed to temporarily delay taking any credentialing or privileging action “to see where this process goes.” Becker said his “employer group” has applied for privileges at a hospital but has been notified that the hospital “is now in a deep review of my application for privileges due to the NPDB report.” Becker is asking the court “to at least temporarily void” the medical board’s report to the National Practitioner Data Bank pending further orders of the court. “I do not understand why the Iowa Board of Medicine seems so adamant in interfering with my practice in California when they know there were serious issues with the way the whole matter was handled over all these years in Iowa over the complaints by my long-time ex-girlfriend and my ex-wife,” Becker told the court. “It would be horrible if I am run out of practice due to these preliminary notices and actions.” Board charges resulted in suspension The dispute centers on the March 2025 action by the board in which Becker was charged with two counts of misconduct: substance abuse and committing a practice harmful or detrimental to the public. The board alleged Becker’s substance abuse had created a risk of harm to the public and that it did, in fact, create the “actual harm of providing care while impaired.” Initially, the board alleged Becker’s substance abuse created the “actual harm of providing care while impaired,” although it later reversed itself on that point. Becker then entered rehabilitation, according to the board, and began working as a physician in California. It was during his treatment there, the board alleges, that Becker acknowledged he had been using cocaine daily, along with other substances. At a hearing on his disciplinary charges, the Iowa board presented evidence that Becker admitted to hallucinating while at work and to needing fluids prior to work shifts. Becker countered that using fluids to minimize his hangovers “just showed he was not impaired while working,” according to the board’s summary of the hearing evidence. In a brief filed with the court last week, the Iowa Board of Medicine contends that “Becker’s addiction was uncontrolled in that it was escalating without any treatment and routinely fed by use within 24 hours of a shift. Dr. Becker did not have a couple of momentary slips during the course to post-rehabilitation maintenance care; he was slowly sliding into the proverbial pit of addiction having never even made it to rehabilitation in the first instance.” A hearing on the matter is expected to be held June 5, 2026, according to court records. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Aledo prepares for thousands of rhubarb fans at 34th annual festival this weekend Aledo is preparing to welcome thousands of guests this weekend for its free, 34th annual rhubarb festival featuring food, music, and trolley tours.
	$2 M grant helps Galesburg improve Standish Park A $2 million grant will help Galesburg update and improve a 153-year-old park, according to a news release from the city. The city, in partnership with Knox College, announced that it has been awarded a $2 million state grant to update and improve Standish Park. The park is located in the downtown area and is [...]
	How does a medical expense reimbursement plan work with fully insured health plans? How does a medical expense reimbursement plan work with fully insured health plans?Rising healthcare costs are a challenge for both employers and employees. In 2023 alone, total healthcare spending reached $4.9 trillion in the United States. While a fully insured health plan can offer comprehensive coverage, it doesn’t provide a means to navigate the increasing costs. Employers are also often at the mercy of insurers’ premium prices.Partnering a fully insured health plan with a medical expense reimbursement plan (MERP) is a great solution. You can structure a MERP in different ways depending on your goals, preferences, and business size. It offers more breathing room to choose a more suitable insurance plan if your current one no longer serves you. The Difference Card explains what a MERP is, how it works, and how it can integrate well with your insurance.Key TakeawaysThere are many reasons to offer a MERP with your fully insured health plan:A MERP can integrate with different types of traditional health plans, but you must structure it accordingly.Integrating a MERP with the traditional group plan reduces employees' out-of-pocket expenses while enabling employers to opt for insurance with lower premiums.Employers improve healthcare spending through reimbursement limits without sacrificing coverage.A MERP's customizability enables employers to adjust plans annually based on employee spending habits.What Is a Fully Insured Health Plan?A fully insured health plan is a group health plan you get from commercial insurers. As an employer, you pay the insurance premiums to a carrier, which takes on the financial risk of providing coverage. It is the insurers, not your company, who pay for employees’ medical claims. Simply paying premiums can lead to predictable healthcare spending while offering comprehensive coverage to your employees.The premium rates are fixed annually, often based on the number of enrolled employees. Employees will have to pay the required out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles and copays, for covered medical expenses. However, insurers don’t refund premiums even if your employees don’t purchase any healthcare products or services.Offering a fully insured health plan is the traditional way to provide employee coverage. However, it’s not the most flexible method, considering it lacks customization. These plans are often compared against self-insured health plans, which use employer funding to pay for claims. Self-insured plans typically allow you to structure plans uniquely, unlike a group plan that offers a one-size-fits-all approach.What Is a MERP and How Does It Work?A MERP is an employer-sponsored benefit and a type of health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) that helps employees pay for covered medical expenses. Employers reimburse employees for their healthcare spending, subject to claim approvals. Specific coverage and reimbursement limits depend on the plan design. You can offer the plan as a stand-alone or provide it alongside a traditional group health plan.A MERP can reduce healthcare spending for employers and employees without sacrificing coverage. You can design the plan based on your budget, and employer contributions are tax-deductible. Just make sure the plan complies with applicable regulations, such as the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Affordable Care Act (ACA), and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). For instance, a MERP often follows Section 105 of the IRC, which enables employers to enjoy tax-free reimbursement of insurance and medical expenses.How Does a MERP Integrate With a Fully Insured Health Plan?A MERP can be structured in different ways. To integrate it with a fully insured health plan, you must design the plan accordingly. A MERP is often paired with a high-deductible health plan (HDHP), which is a traditional insurance plan with a higher deductible but lower monthly premiums. The MERP helps employees pay for the HDHP’s higher out-of-pocket expenses while saving employers on premium costs.You can also offer a MERP alongside other fully insured health plans, such as:Health maintenance organization (HMO)Preferred provider organization (PPO)Exclusive provider organization (EPO)Point of service (POS)Regardless of which traditional plan you offer, the MERP functions the same way — it helps employees pay for expenses their insurance doesn’t cover. For instance, you may offer a MERP alongside an HMO plan. An HMO plan limits coverage to specific healthcare providers and generally won’t cover out-of-network services, except for emergencies. Employees can use the MERP funds for nonemergency out-of-network provider payments, which they would otherwise have to fully cover.How Is a MERP Different From a Health Savings Account?A health savings account (HSA) is a personal savings account that lets employees set aside pretax dollars for doctor’s office visits, prescriptions, and other medical expenses. Employers can also contribute to the account. The funds can be rolled over from year to year. The IRS sets contribution limits annually, and they remain the same whether both employers and employees contribute or not. The 2026 contribution limit is:$4,400 for individual contributions.$8,750 for family contributions.Like a MERP, an HSA comes with tax advantages. Contributions reduce taxable income while enabling tax-free growth, as the fund serves as an investment. Employees can only use the funds for eligible medical expenses. Otherwise, they’ll be charged income tax plus 20% of the withdrawn amount as a penalty.HSA funds belong to the employee, and they keep them even if they leave your company. You can partner the HSA with an HDHP, which is an HSA-eligible plan, to help employees pay for out-of-pocket expenses. However, employees can open an HSA even if you don’t provide an HSA-eligible plan. They can also open more than one HSA, provided they meet the contribution limits.In contrast, a MERP has no contribution limits. You, as the employer, set the limits. A MERP can also serve as an alternative to a traditional group health coverage, depending on the plan design, unlike an HSA. Both the HSA and MERP require proof of medical expenses due to their eligibility requirements. The IRS sets the HSA eligibility requirements.MERP Reimbursement ProcessHere’s how a MERP’s reimbursement process works:You design the plan: As an employer, you must outline the eligible expenses, annual reimbursement limits, and claim submission rules. For instance, you may cover doctor’s office visits, insurance premiums, and prescription medications. You can adjust the reimbursement limits annually based on your budget and employees’ spending patterns.Employees enroll in the account while you provide funding: Once the plan is designed, employees can enroll in the MERP while you start providing the funding. The funds become available on the plan’s first date.Employees pay for covered medical expenses: Employees pay for healthcare expenses up front. They must keep the documentation that serves as proof of payment, which could include receipts or explanations of benefits.You review claims for reimbursement: You'll review the claims to ensure they meet the plan requirements. Then, you reimburse the approved claims directly to the employees, which could be through a check or direct deposit.Third-party administrators can make the entire process easier by managing the MERP benefits administration for you.MERP Types The Difference Card Whether you can partner a MERP with a fully insured health plan depends on the plan’s structure. Before you design a plan, consider the following MERP types:1. Integrated MERPAn integrated MERP supplements a group health insurance plan. It covers expenses not fully reimbursed by the insurance carrier, such as high deductibles and copayments. It’s a good option if you’re looking to mitigate rising premium costs while maintaining comprehensive coverage.2. Stand-Alone MERPA stand-alone MERP is not partnered with any other health plan, which means the plan must comply with certain federal regulations, such as the ACA. The ACA requires companies with 50 or more full-time employees to offer affordable minimum essential coverage. This MERP is ideal for companies transitioning away from group health plans.3. Individual Coverage HRAThe individual coverage HRA (ICHRA) enables you to reimburse employees for individual insurance premiums and covered medical expenses. The employees must have their own individual health plans, such as those they can get from the Marketplace. This option is suitable for companies looking to offer an alternative to group health plans. Employees can opt out if they prefer traditional group health coverage.You can offer an ICHRA if you have at least one employee who is not self-employed or is not the spouse of a self-employed owner. You can also offer the plan to all employees or limit it to specific employee classes, as defined by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury. You cannot make up your own employee classes. Examples of employee classes include:Full-time, part-time, or seasonal employees.Salaried or non-salaried employees.Employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement.Employees who have yet to satisfy a waiting period.You may offer the ICHRA to one employee class, then offer a traditional group health plan to another. For instance, you may offer a group health plan to your full-time employees, while offering ICHRA to your part-time employees. Size requirements apply. Employees who belong to the same class cannot choose between an ICHRA and a group health plan. You also cannot combine ICHRA with the group plan.4. Qualified Small Employer HRAA qualified small employer HRA (QSEHRA) is a MERP you can offer if you have fewer than 50 full-time employees. You can vary the reimbursement amounts based on the age and number of covered employees, but the same terms must apply to all full-time employees. You also cannot offer a group health plan alongside a QSEHRA.Unlike other MERP types, a QSEHRA comes with contribution limits set by the IRS. For 2026, the limits include:$6,450 for covered employees.$13,100 for covered employees and households.As an employer, you can decide how much to contribute, provided it's within the contribution limits. You can also roll over the funds annually for the period the employee remains with your company.Benefits of Integrating a MERP With a Fully Insured Health Plan The Difference Card Using MERP as a stand-alone benefit already presents many advantages regarding navigating healthcare spending. However, these benefits improve when partnered with a fully insured health plan. Here’s how:Introduces flexibility and customization: Since a MERP is customizable, you can structure the plan based on your budget — unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional health insurance plans.Increases tax advantages: Reimbursements count as business expenses under the IRC Section 162. You can enjoy a lower taxable income and reduce your overall tax liability. Reimbursements are also not subject to Social Security or unemployment taxes. You reduce the amount you need to pay in payroll tax contributions.Lowers an employee’s out-of-pocket expenses: In 2023, out-of-pocket spending cost $1,514 per person. Since MERP funds reimburse out-of-pocket expenses, employees can reduce their healthcare spending, which can encourage them to seek the care they need before conditions potentially worsen. Long-term, chronic health conditions can exacerbate spending, while also negatively impacting an employee’s well-being and productivity.Improves healthcare spending transparency: With a MERP, you can access comprehensive claims data and identify healthcare spending patterns. This information can help you create wellness plans that address health-related issues that may be contributing to absences.Frequently Asked QuestionsA few follow-up questions can come up while you learn more about how MERP works. Here are the common questions other employers ask:Is MERP Worth It?Offering a MERP is often worth it, considering the flexibility and savings it can provide. However, you must consider potential drawbacks and company priorities. For instance, offering a MERP makes an HDHP ineligible for an HSA. But without a MERP, you and your employees may struggle to navigate rising healthcare expenses.Offering a fully insured health plan alone limits you to the conditions posed by insurance carriers. High deductibles can impact employee satisfaction, but higher premiums eat into your company’s bottom line. Integrating a MERP with your group plan balances everyone’s needs and expectations. You can limit healthcare spending based on plan rules, while employees get to keep comprehensive coverage.What Can I Use My MERP Card For?A MERP card is a debit card provided by some third-party administrators who manage the claims process. Covered employees use the card to pay for healthcare expenses up front, whether they’re purchasing medications in a pharmacy or swiping payments at a doctor’s office. It’s an efficient way to use your provided funds while keeping track of employees’ healthcare spending.What Is the 80/20 Rule in Healthcare?The 80/20 rule in healthcare generally pertains to the spending requirement for insurance companies when managing premium payments. It states that at least 80% of the funds should go toward healthcare spending and quality improvement activities, while 20% can go toward overhead, administrative, and marketing costs. This rule is sometimes called the medical loss ratio.If the insurer doesn’t meet the 80% requirement for the year, you should get back some of the premium you’ve paid, which can be through a:Rebate checkLump sum depositReduction in your next premium paymentReduce Healthcare Spending Without Sacrificing CoverageAs an employer, it can be challenging to navigate the rising healthcare costs without reducing coverage. However, a MERP makes this possible with its customizable features and tax advantages. You need to apply specific plan designs to integrate the MERP with a fully insured health plan. For instance, you can provide an integrated MERP or ICHRA. You must also ensure compliance with relevant regulations, such as the IRC.The claims process is simple — employees provide proof of payments for eligible expenses, which you review for compliance. Working with a third-party administrator makes the process even simpler by reviewing the claims for you and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. This benefit can be most suited for small businesses that have yet to budget for a traditional group health plan. Larger businesses can enjoy it as an alternative offer for specific employee types.This story was produced by The Difference Card and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Numerous Central Illinois fire departments receive grant from state fire marshal The Small Equipment Grant Program provides grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment.
	First-time Genesius Guild director excited for new opportunities Cameron Ulrich is thrilled to be making his Quad Cities theater debut, in Genesius Guild’s first 2026 show, for many reasons.
	Beyond the Badge 2026: Nominate an officer making a difference In memory of the late Detective Richard “Rick” Ryckeghem, we're looking to honor another officer going above and beyond the call of duty.
	Why 62% of Americans lower their eco-values on vacation Why 62% of Americans lower their eco-values on vacationMost Americans like to think of themselves as the kinds of people who carry a reusable bottle and skip the plastic straw without thinking about it. For a lot of them, that's even true most days.Then comes the airport. With Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start of the summer travel season, tens of millions of Americans are about to test how portable their values really are over the months ahead.According to a 2026 SmartLifeCo survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, 62% of American travelers openly admit they hold themselves to a lower environmental standard on vacation than at home. It's a conscious, almost cheerful suspension of the rules, and the people most likely to do it are often the same ones who care most about the planet the rest of the year.Public concern about plastic waste and tourism's environmental footprint has never been higher. Travelers say they want hotels to do better, support bans on single-use plastics, and feel genuinely guilty when they get home. But somewhere between the TSA and the hotel lobby, the values quietly check out.Key Findings62% of respondents say they hold themselves to a lower environmental standard on vacation than at home. 24.7% buy a single-use plastic water bottle every day of a trip, even where tap water is safe. 46.7% estimate they generate 25%-50% more single-use plastic on vacation than at home. 43.1% of Gen Z travelers say their sustainable habits slip within 48 hours of check-in. 86% agree hotels and travel companies should do more to help travelers make sustainable choices. 55.5% support charging extra for single-use items at hotels and airports. 33% say they feel relieved to return home to their greener routines. Travelers Know There's a Gap, But They've Made Peace With ItFor years, the travel industry has built marketing campaigns around a clear consumer signal: Travelers say they want sustainability. A 2025 Booking.com report put that number above 80%, with 93% saying they want to make more sustainable travel choices. SmartLifeCo The SmartLifeCo survey doesn't contradict that, but it does add a wrinkle. More than 3 in 5 (62.3%) respondents acknowledge there's a real gap between their eco values at home and what they actually do on vacation. Just 14.5% call that gap "uncomfortable." The rest have made their peace.A finding buried near the end of the survey may be the most sophisticated of the bunch: 14.8% of respondents say personal guilt doesn't fix systemic problems. It's a small number, but it captures the argument the entire dataset is making. Travelers know what they're doing. They feel a little bad about it. They've concluded that math doesn't work without help from somewhere else.The Education Paradox: The More You Know, the Worse You Behave SmartLifeCo One of the most counterintuitive patterns in the data is this: The more educated the traveler, the more likely they are to break their own eco-rules on vacation. Fewer than 3 in 10 (28.8%) postgraduate respondents strongly agree that vacation is a guilt-free zone, the highest of any education group. About 1 in 5 (19%) postgrads say they generate dramatically more plastic on vacation than at home, also the highest. And 49.5% of postgrads, along with 49.2% of bachelor's degree holders, say the system is to blame for their behavior.Higher-income, higher-education travelers tend to travel more often, stay longer, fly internationally, and spend more on the kind of convenience services that come wrapped in plastic. Millennials, who lead on both top single-use offenses (56.1% on plastic bottles, 48.8% on toiletries), are also in their peak hotel-stay years and the most likely to be traveling with young kids. The travelers with the most awareness also have the most exposure, the most rationalization frameworks, and the most disposable income to spend their way out of inconvenience. Nearly 1 in 4 Travelers Buys a Plastic Bottle Every Day on Vacation SmartLifeCo The reusable water bottle was supposed to be the gateway habit, the cheap and easy switch that proved sustainability could scale. On vacation, it's losing. Nearly a quarter of respondents buy a single-use plastic water bottle every day they're on the road. Another 42.5% buy them a few times per trip. Combined, that's 67.2% of respondents reaching for a disposable bottle on most trips.The scale becomes visible the moment you zoom out. Before Los Angeles International Airport banned single-use plastic water bottle sales in June 2023, LAX was selling more than 24,000 plastic water bottles every day, over 9 million in 2019 alone, according to an EcoWatch report. One airport, one product. SFO became the first major U.S. airport to ban them in 2019, with the policy later expanding to other beverages. The infrastructure is changing in pockets. Traveler behavior is changing more slowly than the policy is.Parents Are the Group Convenience Hits Hardest SmartLifeCo Fewer than 3 in 10 (28.3%) parents traveling with children under 18 buy disposable water bottles daily, nearly 4 points above the national average of 24.7%. One in 6 (16.7%) say they generate dramatically more plastic on vacation than at home, more than 5 points above the overall rate. Caregiving load and convenience pressure scale together. The reusable bottle is easy to commit to until someone smaller than the bottle is asking for a snack at the gate.That's a familiar tension to anyone who has tried to keep a family on the road and on a schedule. It's also a market opportunity that the industry has been slow to take seriously. Family-focused hotels and airports built around making the sustainable option the easy one would land directly on the cohort generating the most excess waste.Gen Z Feels the Worst and Slips the Fastest SmartLifeCo If one demographic carries the contradiction at its sharpest, it's Gen Z. They are, by their own admission, the generation most bothered by vacation waste. Nearly a third (30.8%) say it weighs on them often. They're also the fastest to slip. About 1 in 6 (16.2%) say "all bets are off" the moment they check in, and another 26.9% abandon their habits within the first day or two. That's 43.1% off the wagon within 48 hours.Gen Z is also the most likely generation to buy a plastic water bottle daily on the road (30.8%), the most likely to support surcharges on single-use plastics (66.1%), and the most likely to come home feeling relieved to be back to their greener routines (37.7%). They're a generation that believes the system is broken, doubts they can beat it on their own, and is willing to back policies that change it.Hotel Toiletries Are Where Most Travelers Cave SmartLifeCo Ask a traveler where their values fall apart on vacation, and the answer is often the same: plastic-wrapped hotel toiletries. Nearly half (46%) of respondents reach for them on trips, even though most wouldn't touch the same products at home. Among Millennials, that number climbs to 48.8%. The same pattern shows up in smaller items travelers don't think twice about (disposable floss picks, single-use razors, mini toothpaste tubes), products designed for one trip and a landfill. The industry has been moving. According to reporting by The Washington Times, New York's ban on single-use hotel toiletries under 12 ounces took effect Jan. 1, 2025, for hotels with more than 50 rooms, following California's existing law, with Washington's set to take effect in 2027. Marriott completed its switch by the end of 2023, with 95% of its properties on pump bottles, a transition the company estimates prevents around 500 million small bath bottles from going to landfills each year. Hilton completed its toiletry transition the same year. The travelers who feel guilty about those tiny bottles are, in increasing numbers, no longer being given the choice. The shift is also showing up in smaller product categories. Brands are reformulating travel-friendly oral care staples like eco-friendly floss picks to remove the trade-off between convenience and waste, the exact friction the survey identifies as the main barrier. That's the model travelers say they want. At least 2 in 5 (43.8%) say making sustainable options the default rather than the opt-in would do more to change their behavior than anything else. Among Gen Z, it's 50.8%. In practice, "default" looks like the things travelers don't have to think about: no plastic straw unless requested, no daily towel change unless the card is left out, no minibar plastics when a refill station is on the floor, no plastic water bottle when the hotel hands out a reusable at check-in. The most-cited fix is also the one that asks the least of the traveler. The Waste Has to Go Somewhere SmartLifeCo The data on vacation waste reads like an abstraction until you see where it ends up. Nearly half (46.7%) of respondents estimate they generate 25%-50% more single-use plastic on vacation than at home. Another 11.3% say they generate dramatically more, double or triple their normal amount. Among postgraduate respondents, that figure climbs to 19%.That plastic has to land somewhere. Cruise tourism, the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry, is also where the vacation guilt gap is most visible: A typical large cruise ship carrying 3,000 passengers generates 8 tons of solid waste in a single week, with passengers producing up to 7.7 pounds of waste per day. Cruise ships make up roughly 1% of the world's fleet but account for about 24% of all waste generated by ships. National parks have spent years sounding the alarm about overflowing trash and overstretched maintenance crews. The waste is invisible to the traveler generating it. It is very visible to the people who live where the trip ends.Travelers Want the Industry to Make the Choice for Them SmartLifeCo Asked who should lead on sustainable travel, 86% of respondents agree that hotels and travel companies should do more. Among Gen Z, 27.7% strongly agree, the highest of any generation. Among Baby Boomers, only 18.5%. The generational divide here isn't about whether sustainability matters. It's about who's expected to fix it.The most telling number: 40% of travelers say their most common rationalization is "I'd be more sustainable if hotels and airports made it easier." Among postgraduates, it's 49.5%. Among the highest earners, 48.6%. The most environmentally aware travelers are also the most likely to hand off the responsibility.The policy travelers most often back also carries the sharpest equity problem. More than half (55.5%) support surcharges on single-use items at hotels and airports, but 45.4% of travelers earning under $25,000 oppose them. The fastest fix would land hardest on the travelers with the least flexibility. Coming Home as a Quiet Form of Relief SmartLifeCo The most revealing finding in the survey may be this: 33% of respondents say they feel relieved to return home to their greener routines after a vacation. Gen Z leads at 37.7%. Among travelers earning under $25,000, it's 35%. These are people whose sense of themselves as eco-conscious gets disrupted for a week, and who feel something like relief when they can be that person again.Emotion alone doesn't move behavior, though. Asked how they'd respond to learning more about tourism's environmental impact, just 25.3% said it would be a wake-up call, prompting real change. Another 30% said they'd feel guilty and probably change nothing. The argument the data keeps returning to is that awareness is high, motivation exists, but the friction of acting on it alone is still too high for most travelers to clear without help from the industry.The Vacation Guilt Gap isn't a story about bad people. It's a story about the limits of personal virtue inside a system built for convenience. Americans aren't lying when they say they care about the planet. Most of them really do. They're telling the truth about something harder: Caring, on its own, doesn't survive a layover or a kid asking for a snack in plastic packaging.The data points in one direction. Travelers want the industry to do the heavy lifting. They want sustainability built into the trip rather than being asked of them at every turn. The places already doing it, from airports without plastic bottles to hotels without tiny shampoos to states writing new rules, are showing what the next decade of travel could look like. The trajectory is becoming readable: regulatory pressure ahead of voluntary change, default-design replacing opt-in choice, and surcharges likely as the next policy frontier after toiletry bans. Whether the rest of the industry meets travelers where they already are is the open question.MethodologyTo understand how Americans approach sustainability while traveling, SmartLifeCo surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who travel at least occasionally. Participants answered a series of questions about their eco-conscious habits at home, how those habits change on vacation, the single-use items they reach for on trips, and their views on industry responsibility for sustainable travel. Responses were analyzed by age, gender, household income, education level, and parental status to identify trends and generational disparities. The survey was conducted via Pollfish in May 2026. This story was produced by SmartLifeCo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	“West Side Story,” June 12 through 21 One of the most exhilarating stage musicals ever created, and composed by two of the most stunning musical talents in American history, West Side Story enjoys a June 12 through 21 run at Moline's Spotlight Theatre, its list of unforgettable show tunes including “Something's Coming.” “Maria,” “I Feel Pretty,” “Tonight,” “Somewhere,” and “America.”
	14-year-old killed in Poweshiek County train derailment Both directions of the road are blocked from the crash.

Friday, June 5th, 2026

Thursday, June 4th, 2026