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

Thursday, April 16th, 2026
	Moline continuing 'Adaptive Park Pop-Up' program for children with disabilities Children will be able to enjoy arts and crafts, music and other outdoor activities that are adapted to their needs.
	'DJ's Law,' honoring Tampico teen killed in March 2024 crash, heads to Illinois Senate The legislation would increase penalties for young drivers who violate passenger restrictions and are involved in a crash resulting in serious injury or death.
	Nearly 1 in 4 people seeking abortions out of state chose Illinois. Here’s why. In the center of the map’s biggest sea of red is Illinois, outlined in green — showing it’s a state with strong abortion access — surrounded by several states that ban or severely restrict abortion.
	River Action hosting Earth Day Cleanup in Davenport Join River Action for an Earth Day Cleanup at Indian Springs Park, near the Village of East Davenport, on Earth Day, April 22 from 9 – 11 a.m. Volunteers are advised to wear long pants, sturdy shoes and long sleeves and bring their own bug spray and water bottles. Cleanup materials will be provided and [...]
	Rock Island Library buildings closing for staff development Rock Island Public Library buildings will be closed all day on Thursday, April 23 for staff development meetings. Patrons will still be able to use online services and library book returns. The Rock Island Public Library Downtown, Southwest, and Watts-Midtown locations will re-open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Friday, April 24.
	Boiling milk and worrying about the Iran war: A New Year dawns in Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, Buddhists and Hindus marked their New Year on Tuesday while a war thousands of miles away is making itself felt.
	46-year-old teacher killed after vehicle crashes into home, starts fire A 46-year-old woman is dead after crashing her car into a home Wednesday afternoon.
	Safely dispose of medications at National Prescription Drug Take Back Day People nationwide can safely dispose of unused or expired medication as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a safe, convenient and anonymous way to dispose of unused or expired medications while raising awareness about the risks [...]
	UnityPoint Health to lay off 207 in IT, unclear if Quad-Cities jobs are affected The layoffs affect 207 people in IT across UnityPoint Health systems. It is unclear if any of these are Quad-Cities jobs.
	A complex set of negotiations to end Israel's overlapping wars Lebanon ceasefire part of complex web of Mideast negotiations, from Iran to Gaza
	Pope Leo takes aim at 'handful of tyrants' spending billions on war amid tensions with Trump Pope Leo XIV condemns "tyrants" fueling war with billions. His calls for global peace during his Africa trip come amid rising tensions with President Trump.
	Warren County Courthouse closed Apr. 16 after structural concerns prompt inspection The Warren County Courthouse is closed April 15-16 after structural concerns prompted an inspection. The building was constructed in 1894
	More work on Central Avenue, Bettendorf, starts next week There’s more work on the Central Avenue Resurfacing Project coming next week, according to a news release from the city. Work moves eastward on Central Avenue, starting Monday, April 20, as Iowa American Water continues the first part of the Central Avenue Resurfacing Project. This part involves replacing the water main in some spots from [...]
	RFK Jr. defends his health agenda and Trump's proposed budget cuts in hearing In his first appearance this year, the health secretary is taking questions on his record on health, including his controversial moves on vaccines.
	Iowa State to add women’s wrestling program, change up leadership Iowa State University will be adding a women’s wrestling program and moving around some of its leadership.
	Commission of Fine Arts votes to move ahead with Trump's proposed victory arch The seven-member body, whose ranks are composed of Trump appointees, was expected to approve the arch. The proposed monument strongly resembles Paris' Arc de Triomphe, but almost 100 feet taller.
	Lockdown lifted at MercyOne Genesis Davenport Officials told KWQC the hospital is on lockdown due to an event in the community.
	Burlington man charged with attempted murder after Davenport apartment shooting A Burlington man is charged with attempted murder after a shooting at a Davenport apartment complex.
	New Davenport speed cabinets ticket more than 200 people a day The city of Davenport added four speed cabinets to their Automatic Traffic Enforcement (ATE) program on February 2 of this year.
	Illinois Farm Bureau, congressional and gubernatorial representatives push for year-round sale of E-15; water quality expert claims it’ll harm environment and public health As the war with Iran continues driving up the costs for fossil fuels and fertilizer, bipartisan calls are growing for the year-round sale of E-15 to ease gas prices and boost farmer profits. An environmental advocate claims the year-round sale will increase air pollution. They also state the focus on corn and soybeans is deteriorating the state’s soil quality and adding nutrients to waterways, adding to a growing dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
	19-year-old facing 10 charges after Wednesday evening shooting in Davenport The shooting happened in the 1900 block of East 38th Street at 6:31 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15.
	Rock Island Arsenal will dedicate pergola to honor survivor families The Rock Island Arsenal Survivor Outreach Services (SOS) will host a ceremony to dedicate a project to honor surviving families at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the MIA/POW Memorial Site on Rodman Avenue, a news release says. The project was the vision of Holden Burns, a military family member, as his Eagle Scout project. [...]
	NPR receives $113 million in charitable gifts "My hope is that this commitment provides the stability and the spark NPR needs to innovate boldly and strengthen its national network," says Connie Ballmer, who gave $80 million of the $113 million.
	Man arrested in connection with shooting that left 1 in critical condition Travyzz Binion, 19, is charged with attempted murder, a Class B felony.
	Pay It Forward \| Kicking off success for kids across the Quad Cities Ismael Ojeda founded the Quad City Wolves soccer team to help kids of refugees have an expressive outlet, earning Ojeda the Pay It Forward award.
	Lane of I-80 east reopened after semi crash At 6:54 a.m. a KWQC crew could see a semi with damage blocking the left lane of eastbound I-80. Traffic was passing in the right lane.
	Cook review: 'Jay Kelly' is a wonderful character study of an aging actor "Jay Kelly," an excellent character study of an aging actor and those close to him, should have earned more recognition than it did at awards time. The titular character, played by George Clooney in one of his finest performances, is the story of an actor who looks back on his past with some regrets and [...]
	Brew, Bourbon, & Wine Bash returns for its 3rd year. The Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds hosts the 3rd Annual Brew, Bourbon, & Wine Bash. General Manager Shawn Loter explains what to expect this year.
	City of Moline launches summer early through an adaptive park program There are three open house sessions for families to attend and learn more about the adaptive park program.
	A Polymarket trader made $300,000 betting on Biden's pardons, a new analysis shows In the final hours of President Biden's term, an anonymous prediction market trader placed lucrative bets on who would be pardoned even as the odds were nearly zero.
	Fruitland Lions Club receives 2026 Tom Hendricks Community Service Award The award is named in recognition of Tom Hendricks’ decades of dedicated service and leadership in the Muscatine community.
	Muscatine-born Maid-Rite celebrates 100th anniversary this summer When Maid-Rite opened in 1926, a sandwich cost 10 cents.
	How seals' whiskers make them master underwater hunters Their sensitive facial hair may be the harbor seals superpower for tracking fish, scientists are learning.
	Quiet Thursday before another round of severe weather Between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon, three tornado and severe thunderstorm watches were issued for the Quad Cities. Quiet weather is expected today. It'll be warm today and Friday, but cooler weather is on the way. More severe weather is expected Friday afternoon into Friday night. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	Fruitland Lions Club honored with community service award The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, in partnership with Muscatine Charities, Inc., presented the 2026 Tom Hendricks Community Service Award to the Fruitland Lions Club during its annual meeting on April 9, a news release says. Established in 2016 by Muscatine Charities, Inc., the Tom Hendricks Community Service Awardhonors an outstanding nonprofit organization that leverages [...]
	Indonesia's capital of the future faces doubts in the present Indonesia is racing to build a new capital, promising a greener, futuristic city. But many citizens aren't convinced it will live up to the vision.
	Women's Potluck This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.This story is on the sad side—one of the tribal tales we pass on to our children in hopes of sending them into the…
	'Beef' is less rare in Season 2, but still well done The hit Netflix series brings in a new cast that includes Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, and even more beef.
	Your next flight could be more expensive as jet fuel costs soar Airlines are facing higher costs, and one airport group in Europe has warned of the risk of a "systemic jet fuel shortage" if traffic through the Strait of Hormuz doesn't normalize by the end of this month.
	3 things to know about naval blockades as U.S. begins patrols in the Strait of Hormuz The White House says it wants to choke off Iran's oil export revenue. But experts say that blockades are often unpredictable and difficult to enforce.
	Russian missiles and drones bombard Ukraine in hourslong attack Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that stretched for hours killing at least 16 people.
	French government seeking release of 86-year-old French widow detained by ICE The French government is pressing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release the 86-year-old French widow of a military veteran from immigration custody in Louisiana after she was detained earlier this month.
	Bukele signs reforms allowing life prison sentences for people as young as 12 The reforms signed by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele would apply to people convicted of committing or being an accomplice to crimes including homicide, femicide, rape and gang membership.
Wednesday, April 15th, 2026
	North defeats Central 5-0 Davenport North boys soccer topped Davenport Central 5-0 at Brady Street Stadium.
	Tavion Banks declares for 2026 NBA Draft, enters transfer portal Tavion Banks has declared for the 2026 NBA draft and entered the transfer portal as he waits to see if he is granted a fifth year of eligibility.
	Illinois forward David Mirkovic to return for sophomore season Freshman forward David Mirkovic will return to the Fighting Illini for his sophomore season, he announced on a Twitch stream.
	Part of Route 84 reopens after mudslides The road reopened at 10:45 p.m., officials said.
	Slipshod investigation of famous Florida eagle’s death ruffles feathers F-23 took over as the reigning female in the nest when the original female, Harriet, disappeared in 2023. But then, in February, tragedy struck again. (Photo by Barbara Henry)Florida is truly a land of mystery. Often, things aren’t what they seem. You may wind up with more questions than answers. Why do we call that one Florida Keys span “Seven Mile Bridge” when it’s only six miles and change? Why do we sometimes see rain on one side of the road and not the other? Why is it, when our legislators all gather in Tallahassee, their collective IQ drops by 50 points? I heard about another Florida mystery the other day, this one involving a well-known eagle. In 2012, a family in Fort Myers mounted a camera on a tree, pointed it at a nest and launched the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam. Now they’ve got four cameras and even night vision for when the sun goes down. You can tune in any time of the day or night. In the 14 years since the feed first went live, people all over the world have become hooked on this avian version of “The Truman Show.” The livestream has been “bringing in 150 million viewers regularly to watch the daily activities of the two adult eagles as they repair their nest, fly in to feed two hungry youngsters and keep a watchful eye on what’s happening,” the Fort Myers News Press reported three years ago. The feed’s sponsor, Dick Pritchett Real Estate, calls this “the world’s first live-streamed nature 360 immersive cam.” Fans of this kind of unfiltered reality programming — far more wholesome than anything starring the Kardashians — have stuck with the show through hurricanes, aerial battles, domestic drama, sorrow, and triumph. Jack E. Davis and eagle via UF “That’s one of the best eagle cams in the country,” said Jack E. Davis, a University of Florida professor who wrote “The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America’s Bird.” Now there’s been a new tragedy. Amid nesting season, one of the eagles died. Outrage has erupted among eagle-cam fans over how Florida wildlife officials have handled the death. I got an earful from several. Nature photographer Barbara Henry, who’s been snapping pictures of these eagles for more than a decade, told me she’s fielded angry calls from as far away as Germany. “This whole thing.” she said, “was just bungled from the very beginning.” Eagle eyed Florida man They’re not as flashy as our flamboyant flamingos or roseate spoonbills, but Florida has a lot of eagles — and eagle lore. At one point in the 1960s, Florida was the state with the most eagles. We were also the place where one eagle-eyed volunteer realized they were in trouble. Charles Broley in an eagle’s nest, via Florida State Archives Charles Broley, a retired Canadian banker, bought a home in Tampa, and, beginning in 1938, became the nation’s most prolific distributor of bird bands for tracking eagles. Broley would scale a rope ladder to the nests to slip bands on little eaglets, even when the nests were 90 feet high. Eventually he figured out that the population was dropping. Broley concluded that DDT — a widely used pesticide in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s — was to blame. The pesticide was poisoning the fish that the birds ate and ruining their eggs. He was one of the first to sound the alarm, and wound up being cited by Rachel Carson in her landmark 1962 book, “Silent Spring.” After DDT was banned in 1972, scientists took healthy eggs from Florida eagle nests and transplanted the offspring to nests in other states where eagles had disappeared. Eagle statue in Alachua County via Jack E. Davis “Florida played an integral role in repopulating eagles’ nests across the southern states,” Davis told me. He’s such a fan of the birds, he arranged for an 850-pound steel statue of a nesting eagle pair in Alachua County as a salute. By 2007, eagles had recovered sufficiently to be taken off the endangered list in the lower 48 states. They’re still protected from unlicensed killing, wounding, capturing, or disturbing under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and the Florida Eagle Rule. Katie Gill Warner via Audubon Florida These days, 700 volunteers for Audubon’s Eagle Watch program keep tabs on 1,300 eagle nests across 53 counties in Florida, according to Katie Gill Warner, director of Audubon’s Center for Birds of Prey. “We now have the highest population of nesting pairs of eagles, next to Minnesota and Alaska,” she told me. One such pair became the first stars of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam. Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet In 2006, the original eagle pair to star on the eagle cam built a nest 60 feet up in a pine about a mile from the Caloosahatchee River. Six years later, the Pritchett cameras made them stars. The birds were such an all-American pair, they were named Ozzie and Harriet. The names came from the blandly pleasant couple who starred in a long-running TV show that launched the musical career of Ricky Nelson. Then, in 2015, the nature show took a dark turn. Another, younger male turned up and fought Ozzie for Harriet’s affections. Ozzie got his butt kicked. Rescued by wildlife rehabbers, Ozzie spent 97 days recovering. After his release, he flew back to the nest for a rematch. This time he got beaten so badly that he died. The new mate was designated M-15 for the year in which he appeared. He and Harriet settled into avian domestic bliss, laying eggs, hatching them, and teaching their young to fly. Harriet took charge. Ginnie Pritchett McSpadden via screen grab “She was the boss,” livestream co-founder Ginnie Pritchett McSpadden told the News Press. “She just always was teaching (M-15) because he was much younger than her.” Then, in 2023, with two new chicks in the nest, Harriet abruptly vanished. She flew away from the nest and never returned. “The animal icon’s sudden disappearance has rocked the community, as well the nation,” the News Press reported. “Social media sites and Harriet fan-pages once filled with digital memorabilia of the eagle are now asking where she could be and what’s next for her family.” M-15 finished raising their two fledglings alone that year. But then he attracted a new mate, who became known as F-23. For three years, they experienced a peaceful relationship. Then, at the end of February, someone found F-23 dead. M-15 and F-23 in the nest, via Southwest Florida Eagle Cam on X (formerly Twitter) Another bird down The Pritchett eagle-cam team announced the news on its Facebook page. “After receiving several credible reports of a deceased eagle found less than two miles from the nest, we are presuming that F-23 has passed,” they wrote. “Loss in the wild is never easy to witness. It is a sobering reminder that nature, while beautiful, can also be unforgiving.” But it wasn’t nature that killed F-23. It was a human. The question is how. “We have heard she was hit by a car. We have heard that she was shot,” one of the frustrated eagle-cam fans told me. “The eagles are supposed to be protected. Why has there not been an investigation as to the cause of F-23‘s death? We have emailed and called several agencies, and no one will get back to us.” The death of legally protected wildlife in Florida falls under the purview of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The “conservation” part of the name seems misleading to me, given that this is the agency that just ignored science to hold a bear hunt. Here’s what eagle-cam fans thought the FWC would do: Confirm the dead bird was F-23. Send it to a laboratory for a necropsy, the animal version of an autopsy. Identify the cause of death. If it’s poaching, pursue the killer. As for the body, ship it to a federal facility that provides eagle feathers to Native American tribes for ceremonial purposes. Here’s what the FWC did: None of that. In fact, it seemed reluctant to even get involved. Hazel Sky runs a Facebook fan page devoted to the eagle cam. She has 87,000 followers there. She was drawn into the controversy by the person who found F-23. “The landowner contacted me approximately three days after they found her on the property as they were concerned about the (in)actions of the Florida wildlife commission,” Sky told me via email. Sky and other fans bombarded the FWC with angry emails and calls. “After increasing public pressure, six days after her disappearance, FWC released a preliminary statement saying that they collected her remains and performed a necropsy that showed extensive internal injuries that they credited to a potential vehicle strike,” Sky told me. Except that wasn’t true. The story changes To begin with, the FWC insisted that there was no way to tell whether the dead bird was F-23, because the bird had never been banded. The FWC insisted there was absolutely no way to tell whether it was one of the most photographed, recorded, and observed animals in the world. Barbara Henry via subject The agency did not bother to consult with Barbara Henry or any of the other nature photographers who’d snapped multiple pictures of F-23, Henry told me. Then, in later FWC statements, the agency acknowledged there had been no necropsy after all. Instead, the agency said, officers who responded to the report of a downed eagle simply examined the carcass and concluded that it had been killed by a car. This despite “reports of a sound of a gunshot by local photographers at the nest site and by the landowner where the eagle was found, shortly after F-23 flew away from the nest,” Sky told me. Everyone’s also skeptical of the roadkill finding, she said, because “her body was found at least 40+ feet from the road behind a chain link fence” in a yard that the eagles often frequented over the years. “She could not have made it that far after the impact with the car.” You might think a photo of the body would help settle this. Turns out the FWC took only one. It looks more like evidence for what didn’t happen than evidence for what did. The photo “shows no external sign of a collision,” Sky told me. “Her wings are intact; her body is intact. There’s only blood coming from her nose and beak. There’s also a puncture wound on her neck that looks like a small caliber bullet hole.” You don’t have to be a frequent viewer of TV’s “Forensic Files” to question the FWC’s investigative techniques. F-23, found dead. (Photo by the FWC) The real endangered species Then there’s question of what became of the body. One thing is clear: It was not sent to the National Eagle Repository, a federal facility established in Colorado in the 1970s to provide Native Americans with the remains and feathers of golden and bald eagles for religious purposes. Initially the FWC “stated that the National Repository was full so F-23’s remains will be cremated.” Sky said. But then the story changed again. “Due to the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Florida, FWC guidelines for handling bird carcasses prioritize protecting people and wildlife, even when there are no apparent signs of illness,” the FWC said in a new statement that was sent out to everyone who inquired (including me). “Testing to confirm the presence of HPAI in Florida wildlife is conducted by approved laboratories using samples collected during necropsies by the FWC and its partners,” the FWC statement said. Except there was no necropsy, remember? “Because laboratory capacity is limited, the FWC prioritizes which cases undergo further examination based on factors such as evidence of illness, potential violations, or broader wildlife health concerns,” the FWC statement says. “A necropsy was not warranted in this case because the eagle did not exhibit signs of illness or have injuries suggesting there was illegal activity.” In other words, because the dead bird didn’t look sick, they wouldn’t bother to check on whether it really was sick. But because of the chance that it COULD be sick, they didn’t send it to Colorado. “Following the assessment, the carcass was deposited on a nearby wildlife management area,” the FWC statement said. “The FWC provides eagle carcasses to the National Eagle Repository only after a negative HPAI test to minimize the risk to people and wildlife.” So, it wasn’t cremated or donated. It was just tossed out in the woods somewhere, never to be recovered. “That sounds suspect,” Davis said when I told him what happened to F-23. “There are plenty of centers they could have sent the body to in order to be analyzed.” Unlike the eagle-cam fans, I hesitate to call the FWC folks incompetents and liars. In years past, the FWC would spend an impressive amount of time on an elaborate investigation to nab gator poachers. Nowadays, though, the FWC’s priority is not wildlife. It’s immigration. Or maybe the basic problem is that the FWC doesn’t look down on fabrication the way it used to. Its sitting chairman was OK with prevarication under oath to a legislative committee. And an FWC supervisor recently got dinged by a judge for lying. Whatever the reason, it seems to me that the real endangered species these days is the truth. Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	A Colorado hospital profits from resolving language barriers Without qualified interpreters at doctors' offices, non-English speakers can face bad — even fatal — health outcomes. A hospital in rural Colorado is training its existing bilingual staff to address the service gap.
	Iowa 80 Trucking Museum breaks ground on expansion Construction on the 25,000 square foot expansion is expected to be completed this fall.
	Driver killed when vehicle crashes into rural DeWitt home and catches fire Clinton County Sheriff's deputies were sent to the 2700 block of 190th St., DeWitt, at 4:10 p.m.
	Weather improving late Wednesday night in the Quad Cities After some stormy weather through the evening, things are looking better late Wednesday night. What's left of the storms is moving East of our area... Thursday looks good with sunshine and highs in the 70s! It doesn't stay that way for long though, Friday ushers in another chance for severe storms in the Quad Cities.
	Local veteran, Iowa lawmaker urge federal passage of Major Richard Star Act In February, the Iowa House passed a resolution urging passage of the federal legislation.
	Teen rescues injured student as storm chaos erupts While running for cover, he sprang into action, help fifth grader Clayton Lloyd from Waco who was struggling on crutches to get to the nearby restroom for shelter from the possible tornado.
	Work starts on 'lumber'-ing giants in Clinton Standing tall, three 20-foot Dambo Trolls will make their impression in Clinton next month. Until then, volunteers are working to bring the statues "to life." "To be here today it feels really special to be kind of seeing the behind-the-scenes aspect," said Emily Peterson, a volunteer working on the project. Peterson and her family are [...]
	1 person shot in Davenport on Wednesday night The victim was brought to a hospital by private vehicle while police officers were investigating a report of gunshots on the 1900 block of E. 38th Street.
	Sterling property owner charged with criminal housing management Two apartments were condemned due to several "life-safety issues," police said, including pest/rodent infestation and no working smoke or carbon monoxide detectors.
	Local veteran, Iowa lawmaker urge federal passage of Major Richard Start Act In February, the Iowa House passed a resolution urging passage of the federal legislation.
	1 person dead after vehicle strikes home in DeWitt According to the Clinton County Sheriff's Office, a vehicle crashed into a home in rural DeWitt, causing a fire. The driver was unable to exit the vehicle and died.
	Power line downed in Davenport following severe storms Traffic was closed off between Central Park Avenue and Lombard Street.
	Route 84 closed off north of Savanna due to downed tree The tree fell on a part of Route 84 near the Mississippi Palisades State Park.
	1 person dead after vehicle strikes home in DeWitt According to the Clinton County Sheriff's Office, a vehicle crashed into a home in rural DeWitt, causing a fire. The driver was unable to exit the vehicle and died.
	1 dead after vehicle crashes into home, starts fire A person is dead after a vehicle crashed into a home, starting a fire Wednesday afternoon.
	Driver dead after car crashes in QCA home, starts fire A driver died after a vehicle crashed into a DeWitt home. According to a release, deputies with the Clinton County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the 2700 block of 190th St. on April 15, 2026, at approximately 4:10 p.m. for a reported motor vehicle crash into a residence. The vehicle caught fire from the accident, [...]
	Iowa bill for HPV and hepatitis B vaccines advances A bill in Iowa would require parental consent for minors to get vaccinated for HPV (human papillomavirus) and hepatitis B. Iowa already requires parental consent for all other vaccines. HPV and hepatitis B vaccines are exempt because they deal with sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Senate File 304 would remove that exemption. The bill passed [...]
	Illinois bill may help lower cost of early childhood education A bill in Illinois may help lower the cost of early childhood education. Senate Bill 2717 focuses on increasing tax credits. One idea would give families $1,500 in tax credits for each child they have in preschool. Another proposal would give early childhood educators a $1,000 refundable tax credit. Some say keeping early childhood teachers [...]
	Severe t'storms approaching Quad Cities - 7:45 pm update Radar shows a line of strong to severe t'storms approaching the Quad Cities Wednesday night. These storms are producing wind up to 60 mph and some hail as well. Storms are set to arrive in parts of the Quad Cities around 8:30. The storms are showing some signs of rotation, so a Tornado Warning is [...]
	City of Clinton moves closer to new agreement with Clinton Humane Society The future of animal control in Clinton has been uncertain since the city ended its contract with the Clinton Humane Society in October. At Tuesday's committee of the whole meeting, council members got one step closer to approving a new agreement with the Humane Society. Celeste Robbins is a former volunteer and Humane Society board [...]
	One person wounded in Davenport shooting Wednesday evening Officers were sent to the 1900 block of East 38th Street at 6:31 p.m. to investigate a disturbance with possible shots fired.
	Traffic Alert: Part of Route 84 closed due to mudslide The road is closed south of the Mississippi Palisades State Park officials told KWQC.
	Davenport shooting results in precautionary lock-down at medical center A Davenport shooting resulted in a precautionary medical center lock-down shortly after 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to police and a medical center spokesperson. Davenport police responded to the 1900 block of East 38th Street for a report of a disturbance with possible gunfire, according to a news release from the Davenport Police Department. While officers responded, [...]
	Advocates ‘thrilled’ by state decision to cap spending on diabetes drug Jardiance Vincent DeMarco, president of Maryland Health Care for All, celebrates the governor's approval last year of a bill that would expand the reach of the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which supporters say could help Marylanders save on prescription drug costs. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)Health care advocates on Wednesday hailed recent steps to limit how much state health plans will pay for a popular a Type 2 diabetes drug, a move that could save state and local governments an estimated $320,000 a year. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to the recently approved state budget of $70.8 billion, but it’s the first step toward millions in potential savings as the Prescription Drug Affordability Board take up more high-cost drugs to negotiate lower costs in the future, advocates say. “It is a tremendous step forward,” said Vincent DeMarco, president of Maryland Health Care for All, after an event celebrating the board’s recent decision to set an “upper payment limit” on a high-cost drug – a goal it’s been working toward for about seven years. “Basically, we’re thrilled,” DeMarco said. “We wish it had been sooner.” On Monday, the board agreed to place a limit on how much the state is willing to pay for Jardiance, a brand name for the drug empagliflozin, used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and other conditions, on state health plans. Maryland board moves to set ceiling on what state will pay for Jardiance, Farxiga The proposed rule setting the upper payment limit is subject to a 30-day public comment period, after which it can take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. It’s the first time the board has agreed to lower the cost of a prescription drug since it was created through 2019 legislation. “We pass many bills in the General assembly, hundreds of them every session,” House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) said at Wednesday’s news conference at the Episcopal Diocese Center in Baltimore. “The creation of the Prescription Drug Affordability Board is the one that I am most proud of.” Peña-Melnyk was the lead sponsor of the 2019 bill that created the board. Also at the press conference was Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Montgomery), who defended the bill on the House floor in 2019, and who last year championed a bill to expand PDAB’s authority. The board was slow to launch due in part to a veto from then-Gov. Larry Hogan (R) amid pandemic-induced economic uncertainty in 2020 that delayed the board’s formation. After Gov. Wes Moore (D) allocated funding for the board’s operation in 2023, it went through lengthy rule-making to create the “cost review” process for targeted drugs. In 2024, the board selected six drugs to undergo the cost review and determined that Jardiance and another Type 2 diabetes drug, Farxiga, were “unaffordable” and subject to cost reduction efforts. The board was planning to set a payment limit on Farxiga, but held off after the recent approval of a generic alternative. “I think it shows that the PDAB is not a knee-jerk operation,” DeMarco said. “When facts change, they will adapt to it.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE That said, the decision to hold off on Farxiga could push back an expansion of PDAB’s authority granted under the 2025 law. It would allow the use of upper payment limits on those drugs for all Marylanders, not just those on state plans, but that can only occur a year after the board has successfully implemented upper payment limits on two drugs. If the board is able to place a payment limit on a second drug with the same launch date as the Jardiance limit, then the earliest the board’s authority would expand to all state plans is 2028. Steve Ports Consulting, commissioned by Maryland Health Care for All, estimates that the $320,000 in Jardiance savings for state health plans could balloon to between $9 million and $16 million a year once expanded out to all Maryland health plans. A future target for cost reduction efforts is Ozempic, the brand name for semaglutide, the popular weight-loss drug that was developed for Type 2 diabetes. The consulting group estimates that cost reduction efforts on Ozempic would save $5.8 million a year just on the state health plan — expanded statewide, it could save $113 million to $165 million a year.” Lawmakers appreciate progress on effort to lower drug costs, but want to see more But savings to the state have yet to be seen, and critics of the board are uncertain if Marylanders will see savings in their health care costs as a result of its actions. Others worry that the board’s actions will reduce access to life-saving drugs and cause supply issues. The Maryland Tech Council released a statement warning that setting payment limits introduces significant uncertainty into Maryland’s life sciences economy, and urging the board to focus more on other ways to reduce costs. “While tech incubators, centers of innovation, universities and elected officials are working hard to increase the state’s competitiveness, Maryland’s unelected PDAB is putting Maryland’s future as a life sciences leader at risk,” according to the council’s statement, released Monday. “Policies that may alter reimbursement structures or limit market viability can have a chilling effect on investment particularly for early-stage and mid-sized firms that drive much of Maryland’s innovation economy.” But advocates and lawmakers supporting the board still see the potential to bring down the rising cost of health care. “This is very difficult to do, and there’s a lot of opposition from Big Pharma that we have to overcome, and of course the delays by Hogan,” DeMarco said Wednesday afternoon. “We all would have wanted this to happen sooner. But considering the obstacles, we’re thrilled to be here, and soon Marylanders will be seeing the savings and the benefits.” Courtesy of Maryland Matters
	1 person shot in Davenport on Wednesday night The victim was brought to a hospital by private vehicle while police officers were investigating a report of gunshots on the 1900 block of E. 38th Street.
	Severe Thunderstorm Warning until WED 8:45 PM CDT Severe Thunderstorms with High Winds and Hail Expected Until 8:45 PM CDT
	MercyOne Genesis Davenport on lockdown Officials told KWQC the hospital is on lockdown due to an event in the community.
	Severe Thunderstorm Warning from WED 7:51 PM CDT until WED 8:45 PM CDT Severe Thunderstorms with Strong Winds and Hail Expected Until 8:45 PM CDT
	Tighter enforcement of English proficiency for truck drivers sparks debate Increased enforcement of English rules for truck drivers is raising safety concerns, but federal data linking language barriers to crashes remains unclear.
	Sen. Grassley responds to President Trump’s gas price warning Sen. Chuck Grassley said President Donald Trump's warning about gas prices could be an effort to avoid "underperforming" later.
	Smiley unveils proposed FY2027 Providence budget with lowest spending growth in at least five years Providence Mayor Brett Smiley prepares to speak to reporters in a City Hall conference room after unveiling his proposed fiscal 2027 budget in the City Council chambers Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s fiscal year 2027 budget aims to continue his administration’s regimen of restraint. The $635.7 million proposal boasts no property tax increase and represents a 1.75% increase over last year — the lowest year-over-year spending increase in at least five years, and among the lowest in the past decade, according to city officials at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon ahead of Smiley’s public premiere of the budget later that day. “It’s not easy to balance the city’s budget every year,” Smiley told reporters after his public budget address Wednesday, acknowledging that the city’s discretionary spending shrinks every year, while its ongoing obligations rise. “So yes, I think it will continue to be difficult. It’s always difficult,” Smiley said. Still, this year was not like last, when Smiley pitched his budget for fiscal year 2026 as an example of strength under pressure. The city had to maneuver around a multimillion dollar hole in its municipal coffers carved out by a court settlement with the Rhode Island Department of Education, which took over the city’s schools in 2019. To allocate additional city funds under the settlement, Smiley had to petition state lawmakers to enable the city to increase its overall levy, or tax revenue, beyond the state’s annual limit. That led to tax hikes for most property owners in the city, excepting some large commercial owners. “It is fair and reasonable that the school department’s expenses go up just like ours do, just like households, budgets go up, and so last year represented sort of a catch up payment for many years that had been in dispute,” Smiley said. He added that the payments should be “modest but predictable” going forward, so that “the taxpayers of Providence never need to deal with a shortfall like that.” The lack of a budget crunch like the one felt by municipal officials last year does not mean the city finds itself in a cheerier financial context overall. Speaking on his proposed budget in the City Council chambers Wednesday, Smiley said the capital city is still flanked by troubling forces both local and national, from the city’s well-documented housing affordability crisis to a wider milieu of inflation, the challenges of aging infrastructure, and vanishing pandemic aid. Smiley puts faith in General Assembly in unveiling $624.1M fiscal 2026 budget In his 3,549-word speech, Smiley named President Donald Trump four times and spent a few hundred words’ worth of his prepared remarks hammering blame on the feds for actions he said have worsened food insecurity, education, immigration and climate programs. “Closing the budget gap in a year with historic inflation, high interest rates and aging infrastructure without increasing the cost of living on our taxpayers did not happen by accident,” Smiley said. “It took examining the budgets of every department to find ways to cut back without reducing investments in the services our neighbors need like trash pick-up and road repairs.” This year’s budget lacks the dramatic school settlement saga as its foundation, although the proposed spending plan for fiscal year 2027 still makes room for the ongoing fiscal commitment required by that November 2024 court decision. Smiley is proposing $2.65 million more for the city’s public schools, an increase in line with the settlement’s two-year demand to raise funding so that it’s aligned with the city’s statutory requirements under state law. Providence public schools remain under state control. A zookeeper on the wishlist Outside forces notwithstanding, all the fiscal restraint in the proposed fiscal 2027 budget is not just for the love of asceticism. Providence now spends most of its money on fixed costs — like salaries, employee benefits, debt service and schools — which eat up 96.6% of the fiscal 2027 spending plan. Discretionary costs, now allocated at less than 4%, were allotted about twice that amount just a decade ago, city officials said. “It’s one of the reasons that this job requires both a mayor with experience in leading a difficult budget setup like this, and a strong team of skilled professionals who know what they’re doing that can work with a $640 million budget, 95% of which is fixed,” Smiley told reporters after his address. Smiley has often pursued a technocratic approach to governance, and his proposed budget this year employs a few feats of mathleticism to keep the city’s ledgers balanced without inflicting tax pain on residents. Among the mechanics informing this year’s budget, as pointed out by city officials Wednesday: Higher assumptions for the tax collection rate. City officials said the proposal’s 2% increase in tax levy revenue, or about $8.6 million, amounts to a change in the assumed collection rate, or how much tax the city expects to collect. The assumed rate would go to 94.75% in the proposed fiscal 2027 plan, up from 93.5% last year. Tax stabilization agreements falling away. The city projects a $4.3 million drop in tax stabilization agreement revenue, which officials said is tied in part to uncollectible revenue from Roger Williams Medical Center, whose ownership situation only stabilized last month after The Centurion Foundation completed its long-delayed purchase of the hospital and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital. Simultaneously, other tax stabilization agreements are expiring and those properties will revert to a regular tax rate, thereby increasing revenue elsewhere. City officials said they are generally not seeking to renew these arrangements. Shrinking Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) support. Smiley’s administration has taken pride in years past on its ability to strike PILOT agreements with the city’s many large nonprofits, such as Brown University and Brown University Health, but the administration is also bracing for a 7% reduction in foregone PILOT revenue it expects to receive from the state this year, as Providence is required to adopt a lower commercial tax rate under state law. The mayor recently expressed his desire for the state to increase its PILOT contributions to municipalities. Smiley told reporters he also expects to negotiate a PILOT agreement with Roger Williams Medical Center once it is fully converted to nonprofit status with its new owner. Savings on property and contract costs. The city expects to save $1.38 million in rental costs after purchasing 444 Westminster St., a.k.a. The Joseph A Doorley Jr. Municipal Building, used for a variety of administrative functions and municipal services. Another $1.4 million in savings comes from recently renegotiated speed and red light camera contracts with a new vendor. Better recycling and efficiency measures have led to a $500,000 reduction in landfill fees, city officials said. While the school settlement formed an unavoidable roadblock for last year’s budget, the City Council’s rent stabilization plan — Providence’s policy fight du jour — did not make it into the mayor’s budget. The City Council is expected to take up the measure for a second vote on Thursday, and Smiley has previously promised he will veto the ordinance if it should pass, but the 15-member City Council could then override that veto with 10 votes. Closing the budget gap in a year with historic inflation, high interest rates and aging infrastructure without increasing the cost of living on our taxpayers did not happen by accident. It took examining the budgets of every department to find ways to cut back without reducing investments in the services our neighbors need like trash pick-up and road repairs. – Providence Mayor Brett Smiley Whatever the outcome, Smiley’s budget officials said the enforcement bureaucracy which the ordinance would create is not a part of his budget design for the upcoming year — there is no money allocated for the “hypothetical.” Should the ordinance become effective, city officials will have to determine how to fund the prescribed staffing model, which includes a five-member Residential Rent Regulation Board. Speaking of staffing: Smiley’s proposed budget asks for 11 full-time positions, which would be offset by three eliminated roles. Two of the cut positions were vacant jobs in the planning department. The third role to be axed, however, would necessitate a layoff of one employee in the city’s economic development department. Employees who would join the city’s ranks include: A manager of fiscal operations for public safety, with a salary of $104,149. One police dispatcher and one fire dispatcher, allocated a combined total of $196,636. One code enforcement inspector and one clerk, whose duties would include responding to PVD311 complaints, with their salaries budgeted at $137,457. Two custodians and one maintenance person to help with city buildings, with their combined salaries allotted $145,163. One project manager and one associate engineer, budgeted at $160,585, to comply with a recent ordinance overseeing rules for utility companies performing work in the public way. Finally, at $62,237 a year sans benefits, would be a new zookeeper at Roger Williams Park Zoo. The new hire would not be a head zookeeper, city officials clarified, of which the zoo has six, but would join 32 more entry-level zookeepers. Smiley’s proposal will spend the coming months getting vetted, reviewed and revised before a final budget is approved and signed, usually by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Several of the housing-related initiatives, officials said, need to be funded through property sales — specifically, the sale of the Humboldt fire station and the old Asa Messer school— would also require council approval before that money could actually be transferred into programs. Smiley’s proposed budget is now available on the city’s website. But wait, there’s more… Among other highlights in Mayor Brett Smiley’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget: $2.04 million for housing initiatives, spread across a slate of efforts including $1 million for a new rent relief fund, $500,000 for eviction defense, $500,000 for Smiley’s revolving rent fund to help with code repairs, plus smaller sums for landlord-tenant education and acute emergency needs. $272,000 to continue digitizing inspection records dating back to 1915. $77,000 in winter-storm investments, including general improved equipment rental for things like plow trucks. $50,000 for a cultural festivals fund. $17,700 for a property-alert system meant to flag suspicious deed changes. As a response to the Brown University shooting in December 2025, $138,991 would go toward new emergency response gear for police and EMS to better prepare police special response units and fire stations for active incident or active shooter situations. (The special response units would be allocated $90,000 and EMS would be allocated $48,991.) Smiley is also submitting an updated Capital Improvement Plan for capital spending through fiscal year 2031 that would put a $25 million bond on the ballot this November to support public works, planning, and parks. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
	Sexual violence is a public health crisis, it’s time we treated it like one Survivors of sexual violence need to know that theirs is not a private burden, but a public health crisis, write Katie Curran O'Malley and Michelle Daugherty Siri, one that we all have a stake in. (Photo by MTStock Studio/Getty iStock)Every survivor’s path is different. For one person, the hardest step may be walking into a hospital. For another, it may be telling a friend the truth for the first time. For someone else, it may come years later — when a memory resurfaces, a question returns or the past asks to be faced again on terms they did not choose. What survivors need in those moments is care, dignity and choices. They need a community that treats what happened to them not as a private burden, but as a public health crisis — with the same urgency and collective responsibility we have brought to other preventable harms. We have done this before. In the early 1980s, about half of all traffic fatalities in America were alcohol-related. Then Candy Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving after her daughter was killed by a repeat offender. Over the next generation, alcohol-impaired fatalities fell by more than 50% — not because we only prosecuted drunk drivers, but because we combined enforcement with prevention, public awareness, policy reform and a shift in social norms that made looking the other way less acceptable. Sexual violence demands the same clarity. About one in five women has experienced rape or attempted rape. About one in six men has experienced contact sexual violence. At least one in four girls and one in 20 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Your opinion matters Maryland Matters welcomes guest commentary submissions at editor@marylandmatters.org. We suggest a 750-word limit and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions. We do not accept columns that are endorsements of candidates, and no longer accept submissions from public officials or political candidates. Opinion pieces must be signed by at least one individual using their real name. We do not accept columns signed by an organization. Commentary writers must include a short bio and a photo for their bylines. Views of writers are their own. The harm reaches far beyond the act itself — into physical health, mental health, economic security and family stability. Yet only about one in three survivors ever reports to law enforcement. Treating this solely as a criminal justice matter fosters the very disbelief, underreporting, and repeated harm we are trying to prevent. A public health approach means something different. It means collaboration: forensic nurses, advocates, clinicians, attorneys, law enforcement, social workers and community volunteers each playing essential roles. No single institution can do it alone. It means outreach to survivors — including those whose experiences stretch back years or decades — handled with extraordinary care and respect for each person’s choices. And it means understanding what trauma-informed care actually requires. Sexual violence and intimate partner abuse strip away control — safety, autonomy, the power to make decisions about one’s own life. Healing begins when that control is returned. That means allowing survivors to set their pace, their readiness, and their right to decide whether, when and how to engage. Even well-intentioned contact can reopen wounds if it is not handled with sensitivity. The measure of good outreach is not speed. It is trust. We have both spent our careers at the intersection of law and advocacy. We have sat next to survivors in courtrooms and crisis centers, and we know the justice system plays an important role. But we have also seen how it falls short. One woman, years ago, was obtaining a protective order against an abusive husband. Before the final hearing, she returned home for documents. He was there. He tied her up and doused the house in kerosene. She is alive today not only because of a court order, but because she had told a friend — and they had a plan: a code word, a text, a call to 911 that arrived in time. That is the power of community. Not policy in the abstract, but an actual person who picks up the phone, who holds a hand, who listens and hears the truth. You do not need a law degree or medical training to be part of this. Learn the signs of abuse. Teach your children about consent. Support the organizations across Maryland that serve survivors. Show up at events like GBMC’s Walk A Mile in Their Shoes on April 17, where hundreds of Marylanders will walk one mile alongside survivors and in support of free, confidential, trauma-informed care. And if you do nothing else: believe survivors. Not as a slogan, but as a practice — in your home, your workplace, your community. That means listening without judgment. It also means ensuring institutions do not dismiss, do not bill and do not treat survivors as case numbers. When survivors are believed by the people around them and by the systems meant to serve them, they seek help sooner, they heal, and the culture begins to change. It is never too late to seek help, and it is never too late to heal. Let us walk together. Courtesy of Maryland Matters
	Stricter abortion ban advances in SC Senate, months after previous plan rejected Sens. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg; Billy Garrett, R-Greenwood; Margie Bright Matthews, D-Walterboro; and Danny Verdin, R-Laurens during a Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee meeting in Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Photo by Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette)COLUMBIA — Six months after senators rejected what would have been the nation’s strictest abortion ban, another panel of South Carolina senators advanced a bill that would still prohibit abortions from the beginning of a pregnancy but impose less severe penalties. A subcommittee with a different composition of senators rejected a harsher version in November. But in a vote of 4-2 along party lines Wednesday, a panel advanced Sen. Richard Cash’s latest attempt to ban abortions without exceptions for rape or incest, or for fatal fetal anomalies. Four Republicans and one Democrat on the panel were absent Wednesday. The full Medical Affairs Committee, which is chaired by a co-sponsor of the bill, is expected to debate the bill Thursday. What happens beyond that is unclear. Just four weeks remain in the regular legislative session. Debate on the state budget will consume senators’ time in the chamber next week. And Senate GOP leaders indicated in January there’s little appetite for another protracted abortion debate this year. The six-week ban that took effect in August 2023 followed months of contentious debate and multiple court fights. Even after the state Supreme Court upheld a second law, challenges about the ban’s timing continued until last May. What the bill does Like the bill rejected six months ago, the proposal advanced Wednesday would ban abortion from the onset of pregnancy — as soon as it’s medically detectable — and criminalize women for getting an abortion. The previously proposed punishment helped defeat that measure. It would’ve subjected women to up to 30 years in prison. Under Cash’s latest bill, the woman could be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison and a $1,000 fine. The doctor who performs the abortion could be sent to prison for up to 20 years. The bill still uses the threat of lawsuits to help with enforcement. Family members, to include the biological father and his parents, could sue whoever aided the abortion. His latest bill still makes it a crime to take someone under 18 out of state for an abortion without consent of the girl’s parents. But it deleted the prohibition on simply telling someone where they can get an abortion. Senators reject SC abortion ban proposal touted as strictest nationwide Included is much of a proposal the House passed earlier this year restricting access to mifepristone and misoprostol, two drugs used to induce abortions, by rescheduling them as Schedule IV drugs. The Senate has yet to take up that bill from the House. Cash, a father of eight, has made banning abortions his central mission since he was first elected to the Senate in 2017. Despite wanting a total abortion ban without exceptions, the Anderson Republican proposed the less strict version of the bill in hopes of getting enough support to pass, he said. “I’m working within the political system, whereby if a bill is defeated because of a penalty, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever to go for a stronger penalty,” Cash said Tuesday. One senator’s story One of the primary reasons for Cash’s bill, he said, was to stop women from getting abortions when they don’t need them. Sen. Margie Bright Matthews called the assertion that women are getting abortions as a form of birth control “the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.” Women don’t get abortions because they’re fun, the Walterboro Democrat said. They get abortions because they feel they have no other option. She has experienced that personally, she said. “I know for sure that I am the only one up here that knows what it feels like to be pregnant and single and wondering, ‘What in the hell am I going to do?’” Matthews said. Matthews, who is also the only woman on the 17-member Medical Affairs Committee, learned she was pregnant the same day she learned she had been accepted to law school at the University of South Carolina in 1985, she said Wednesday. After much thought and prayer, Matthews decided to keep the baby, but that was her own decision and no one else’s, she said. Anti-abortion groups split over proposal that could make SC’s ban the strictest nationwide “I’m really the one that is pro-life, because when I had an opportunity, I chose to go into that house and tell my daddy that I was pregnant,” Matthews said through tears. “That was the hardest thing in the world to do.” Matthews had support from her family and community, she said. As she raised her child while putting herself through law school, Washington Street United Methodist Church watched her then-1-year-old daughter without asking for payment, she said. When Rev. Alston Lippert, a pastor at the church a half-mile from the Statehouse, spoke against the bill, Matthews thanked her for all the church had done to support her during her daughter’s childhood. Other women may not have that same support, she added. Although Matthews was scared for her future when she got pregnant as a senior in college, a 16-year-old girl with unsupportive parents would likely be even more afraid and unable to raise a child. That’s not to mention survivors of rape and incest impregnated by an abuser, Matthews said. Since the bill has no exceptions for crime victims, “even if you’re raped, you need to have that child and learn how to love on it,” Matthews said. “That tells me you care less about that woman and her children that she might be leaving in the house,” Matthews continued, addressing fellow senators. “You care less about her having psychological or psychiatric problems than you care about your one mantra. That is not of God.” Two extremes Removing the exceptions and adding punishments for the child’s mother also concerned Sen. Josh Kimbrell, who echoed worries from GOP senators last fall. Kimbrell, who wasn’t on the panel that voted in November, said he doesn’t oppose something stricter than the existing six-week ban. But he couldn’t support punishing a woman seeking an abortion or removing the exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies. And yet, the Spartanburg Republican voted to advance the bill. “I don’t want to arrest some 16-yr-old girl who’s concerned and worried, she made a mistake, and she’s going to go to jail,” said Kimbrell, who’s running for governor. He said he also worried attempts to regulate people crossing state lines went too far. He emphasized that he didn’t fall into either end of the extremes but, like most people in the state, had opinions somewhere in between banning any abortion for any reason and allowing them to take place unregulated. SC Republicans advance bill that targets telehealth abortions Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, about 20 people testified about the bill over two hours Tuesday. Of them, 14 opposed the bill, repeating concerns they’ve said before that women would seek unsafe ways of getting abortions, doctors would decline to treat medical conditions for fear of punishment and drugs used in emergencies, including stopping hemorrhaging during miscarriages, might become harder to obtain. “Let’s be honest about what (the bill) does,” said former Sen. Katrina Shealy of Lexington, who lost her seat after opposing what ultimately became law in 2023. “It places government squarely into some of the most personal, complicated decisions a woman and her family will ever face.” Even anti-abortion advocates opposed the bill, saying it didn’t go far enough. Representatives of anti-abortion groups Equal Protection SC, Personhood SC and Christians for Personhood called for legislators to treat abortion as murder under the law. That clearly doesn’t have enough support to pass, considering a bill doing just that failed last year, Cash said. He would rather do something than continue to press for a bill that kept failing, he told Mark Corral, director of Equal Protection SC. The bill is an attempt to mirror what was state law before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide through the second trimester. “Right now, a pregnant woman has complete immunity to kill her unborn child,” Cash said. “This bill reverts to at least the historic precedent. Wouldn’t you agree that this is more just?” The bill is on the agenda of Thursday’s 9 a.m. meeting of the full Senate Medical Affairs Committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette
	Davenport’s Redstone Room to move down to ground level by late summer By late August, concertgoers at Common Chord’s Redstone Room will enter a reworked venue on the ground floor in the historic Redstone Building at 2nd and Main streets, Davenport
	Clinton County network disruption under investigation Clinton County officials said a network disruption has taken some systems offline, including internet access. The cause remains under investigation.
	In bloom: Here’s how to protect plants from frost Plant nursery employee has tips and advice to prepare spring plants for cold weather.
	LIVE BLOG: Strong to severe storms Wednesday evening The First Alert Weather Team is tracking strong to severe storms with threats of damaging wind and hail, possible spin-up tornadoes Wednesday evening.
	Grain bin, debris blown onto football field during Tuesday's storms in Wayland, Iowa The storm broke out during a boys' soccer game on Tuesday night. Thankfully, everyone was able to take shelter, and no injuries were reported.
	Illinois bill could help family farms stay intact An Illinois bill could help young farmers break into the industry. The Family Farm Preservation Act (Senate Bill 2921 and House Bill 4600) would make changes to the Illinois estate tax. The move would raise the tax exemption from $4 million to $6 million. Supporters say the tax is too high for families trying to [...]
	Central Iowa farmers waiting for dryer climate for planting Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig said the rain may be slowing progress with planting, but it's helping to recharge the soil's moisture.
	21 Moline student athletes taking their game to the college level Two of the future collegiate athletes will compete at the Division One level.
	Whiting Foundation names its 10 emerging authors of 2026 The annual Whiting Award for Emerging Writers comes with $50,000 to support each winner's work. It's one of the largest prizes granted to promising new authors.
	Hammond-Henry Hospital adds outbuilding to support staff, operations Hammond-Henry Hospital in Geneseo is adding a new outbuilding aimed at improving day-to-day operations while supporting staff and reducing long-term costs.
	Former SC chief justice elected to SC State’s board over Freedom Caucus-led opposition Left to right, Douglas Twitty and former South Carolina Chief Justice Don Beatty, shake hands in the state House balcony Wednesday, April 15, 2026, after Beatty beat out Twitty for a seat on the governing board of South Carolina State University. (Photo by Jessica Holdman/SC Daily Gazette)COLUMBIA — Former South Carolina Chief Justice Don Beatty overcame criticism that he’s a Democrat to win a seat on the governing board of his alma mater. The General Assembly elected the state’s retired top judge to the South Carolina State University Board of Trustees in a closer-than-usual vote Wednesday. With 150 legislators attending the joint assembly, the winner needed at least 76 votes (a simple majority). Beatty cleared that threshold by 10 votes. The 86-64 vote followed an unsuccessful attempt by the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus to toss out the slate of candidates and start over. Beatty ultimately beat out retired Army Lt. Col. Douglas Twitty, a Fort Mill businessman. Both Beatty and Twitty are alumni of South Carolina’s only public, historically Black university — two decades apart. Beatty was in the Class of 1974, and Twitty was Class of 1995. Beatty went on to attend the University of South Carolina in 1979 for law school after spending two years as an officer in the Army. But it was Beatty’s time as a Democrat in the state House and decisions he made while on the state’s high court that were the source of opposition, said Rep. Jordan Pace, who chairs the Freedom Caucus. The hardline caucus didn’t know much about Twitty, beyond his 26 years of military service, which included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he earned a Bronze Star, the Goose Creek Republican told the SC Daily Gazette. “But mostly he wasn’t Don Beatty,” Pace said. During candidates’ screening last month before a legislative panel, no one asked Beatty or Twitty about their party affiliation, according to the transcript. Beatty was elected to the House as a Democrat for two terms starting in 1991. Legislators elected him directly from the Statehouse to a seat on the Circuit Cout in 1995 (before state law required legislators to leave and sit out a year before seeking election to a judicial seat). In 2007, the Legislature elected him the second Black justice on the state Supreme Court since Reconstruction. He eventually rose to the pinnacle of the state’s legal system as chief justice in 2016. Then, in 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overthrew Roe v. Wade, which left questions over the legality of abortions to legislators and South Carolina’s high court. The General Assembly twice passed a law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The state Supreme Court threw out the first law in January 2023 on a 3-2 split vote, with Beatty in the majority. Eight months later, justices upheld the second law 4-1, with Beatty the lone vote to strike it down again. He was also the lone justice voting days later to reconsider the ruling. That dissenting opinion outright encouraged a new lawsuit challenging the ban’s timing. Last May, the justices ruled unanimously that the ban is effective at six weeks. “Neither candidate was a strong conservative option,” Pace said. “We have a Republican supermajority in both chambers. The candidates should reflect the population of the state, values wise.” Asked about the outcome of the race, Twitty declined to comment to the SC Daily Gazette. As for Beatty, he summed up his hopes for his alma mater in one word: “progress.” “My roots run deep at SC State,” Beatty told the screening panel in March, adding that three of his siblings also graduated from the college in Orangeburg. “I have a deep and passionate love for that institution. And I have to give it credit for making me, excuse me, the person that I am today,” he told the panel, noting the governing board lacks a lawyer. “I want to lend whatever talents that I might have for the future and continued growth of that institution.” Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette
	ChatGPT for farmers? Illinois research project centers around CropWizard Research out of the University of Illinois is creating an artificial intelligence platform for farmers. "Nobody writes on a typewriter anymore, because we have a word processor, and these tools are just like that: they help you do things faster and better," says Vikram Adve, Professor of Computer Science and project lead of CropWizard. AIFARMS [...]
	Stein calls for full Medicaid funding during Black maternal health event Black Maternal Health Week Proclamation signing at Executive Mansion, April 15, 2026. (Photo: Ahmed Jallow/NC Newsline)Gov. Josh Stein stood with advocates at the Executive Mansion on Wednesday to mark Black Maternal Health Week, and used the event to call on the General Assembly to close a $319 million Medicaid funding gap when they return to Raleigh next week. “If we do not fully fund Medicaid soon, health care for millions of North Carolinians could be in jeopardy, and the entire health care system weakens,” Stein said. The event brought together lawmakers and advocates who highlighted persistent racial disparities in maternal health outcomes that are impacting not just black women in North Carolina, but across the country. Stein noted that Black women are twice as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related complications in North Carolina, regardless of their income or education. “While there is no single solution, strengthening Medicaid and our healthcare system is essential,” Stein said. Health officials and advocates said many pregnancy-related deaths could be prevented with earlier intervention, better access to care and stronger coordination across the health system. Advocates also highlighted community-based services aimed at filling gaps in care, including doula support, mental health services, transportation assistance and nutrition support. NC has plenty of doctors and nurses to deliver babies, but rural counties still go without Sen. Natalie Murdock (D-Durham) said the state has made some progress, including extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months. “But we still need a budget to fully fund Medicaid to keep those gains,” Murdock said. Murdock also said she plans to reintroduce the “MOMnibus Act,” a proposal specifically addressing disparities affecting Black mothers, in the upcoming session. She has introduced similar bills in the past three years, but none has made progress through the legislature. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is among the worst in the world, and it’s worse for Black women. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women in the United States. More than 80 percent of maternal deaths are preventable, according to data collected from Maternal Mortality Review Committees. MMRCs are multidisciplinary teams that convene at the state or local level to review deaths during or within one year of the end of pregnancy. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of NC Newsline
	NJ health officials spar with Hudson County hospital system State health officials and the owner of the former Christ Hospital in Jersey City are sparring over the owner’s claim that it wants to reopen the facility in some capacity. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)New Jersey health officials are waging a public battle with a Hudson County hospital system that they say improperly closed a Jersey City hospital that first opened in 1872. The operators of Heights University Hospital, once known as Christ Hospital, claimed this week they want to reopen the facility or move services to another location in Jersey City, a move health officials said was an attempt to circumvent state regulations governing hospital closures. The dispute landed in court on Wednesday, when the hospital system won an injunction to halt a Department of Health public meeting about the hospital’s shutdown. Gov. Sherrill’s plan to overhaul school mental health services draws criticism This all comes as Jersey City’s leadership and its residents say the city needs more high-quality, reliable health care facilities. “Jersey City is a large — some would say the largest — city in our state, and its people deserve access to hospital care. At a time when federal policies have already reduced access to healthcare, New Jersey should be doing better,” Debbie White, president of labor union Health Professionals & Allied Employees, which represented the hospital’s nurses, said in a statement Wednesday. Heights University closed its emergency room in mid-March after suspending admissions and other services last fall in a way that state health officials said violated New Jersey law. Officials with Hudson Regional Health, the hospital system that operated Heights University, have said repeatedly that they had no choice but to shutter the facility because it lacked modern amenities, failed to attract enough well-insured patients, and had cost them $61 million last year alone. Hudson Regional also operates hospitals in Bayonne, Hoboken, and Secaucus, facilities they said would have been at risk if losses in Jersey City continued. But on Monday, Hudson Regional told state health officials they had changed their mind and wanted to back out of the ongoing process the state uses to evaluate hospital closure called certificate of need. Attorney Alexis Goldberger, who represents Heights University Hospital, wrote in Monday’s letter that the hospital’s operators were exploring options to relocate to an “alternative site” and is in talks with the shuttered hospital’s landlord — the hospital leases the land it is on — and Jersey City officials about a constructing a new facility. “Heights has determined that closure of the Facility is not an option inasmuch as it would effectively preclude it from fulfilling its charitable purpose and disenfranchise an inordinate number of patients who depend on Heights for their care,” she wrote. Hudson Regional spokesman Vijay Chaudhuri declined to say what had changed financially. Nathaniel Styer, a spokesman for Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, denied that Hudson Regional engaged with the city about relocating the hospital “or any other serious alternative proposal for the facility.” The Department of Health, which fined the hospital $128,000 last fall for not following the state’s closure process, told Goldberger in a letter on Tuesday that a decision to restart care at Heights University would require state approval and public input. The hospital system cannot avoid the state’s legal process for closing Heights University by suggesting a relocation might be possible, wrote Michael Kennedy, an attorney representing the Department of Health. “Simply put, an already closed hospital cannot simply ‘relocate’ as if it had continued operations,” Kennedy wrote. Hudson Regional Health took over operation of the Palisades Avenue hospital after its previous owners, CarePoint, filed for bankruptcy in 2024. Hudson Regional has since invested more than $300 million in its hospital system, according to Goldberger’s letter, which also says the state’s charity care system underfunded Heights University. State health officials characterize the situation differently, noting that the hospital received an extra $10 million in taxpayer funds in 2024 to remain open during the bankruptcy proceeding and $2 million last fall to help it meet payroll, in addition to advances on annual charity care funding. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Smoke plumes from DeWitt building Crews are on-scene after a vehicle crashed into a home.
	‘Credit card chaos’? Financial institutions bet big on repeal of first-of-its-kind Illinois law The ads — funded by the Electronic Payments Coalition of banks, credit unions and card companies — argue that Illinois lawmakers must repeal the state’s first-in-the-nation Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, slated to take effect July 1.
	Moline's pay-what-you-can yoga studio marks second anniversary It's been two years since Sanctuary Studios opened its doors. They're seeing more attendees than ever before and say the model is building community every day.
	UNC-Wilmington seeks approval for four-year medical school The southeastern region of the state faces a significant shortage of physicians, and that leads to patients facing longer wait times for care, an overreliance on emergency departments and higher levels of hospitalizations. (File photo: States Newsroom)University of North Carolina at Wilmington Chancellor Aswani Volety told members of the UNC System’s Board of Governors Wednesday that the time is right for his university to add an accredited four-year medical school with a three-year accelerated track. University of North Carolina at Wilmington Chancellor Aswani Volety (Photo: UNC-Wilmington) The southeastern region of the state faces a significant shortage of physicians, and that leads to patients facing longer wait times for care, an overreliance on emergency departments and higher levels of hospitalizations. “By 2030, North Carolina is projected to have a deficit of over 7,700 physician positions. This is on top of a growing state and aging demographics,” Volety told the board’s planning committee. “And despite being a fast-growing state, North Carolina ranks 40 out of 50th in medical students per capita.” Six of the seven existing medical schools in North Carolina are located between I-77 and I-95. The closest medical program to Wilmington, at Eastern Carolina University, is over two hours away. “Imagine taking an individual with deep roots in the community. They go to medical school in a place like Wilmington, they do their residency there. The odds of returning go up to 80%, as has been the case in other states,” said Volety. “So that is an approach we should be taking.” At this point, UNC-Wilmington is just seeking authorization to begin the planning process. But on Wednesday, the idea received a strong endorsement from veteran state Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne). “It’s not just going to benefit just our region. It’s going to benefit the entire state – and frankly, the entire eastern seaboard of our country,” said Bell. “It’s incredible what we can do when public and private and communities come together.” Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne) (Photo: UNC livestream) Bell said he could personally relate to the physician shortage in rural eastern North Carolina, noting that he travels an hour and 25 minutes to see his own primary care doctor. Volety said it has been more than 50 years since North Carolina launched a public medical school, and during that time, the state’s population has doubled to more than 11 million people. The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University was established in 1974. Board of Governors member Reginald Holley praised the chancellor for bringing his vision to UNC system leaders. “I also would attempt to speak for the men and women who are invisible, who don’t have the opportunity to sit around this table. Men and women of low income, men and women who hardly have the kind of access to the healthcare that we all enjoy,” said Holley. “What a time it will be for these men and women, if such a vision were to come to fruition in southeastern North Carolina. What a difference it would make.” Rural hospital system asks NC lawmakers for help in the face of federal cuts The UNC System Board of Governors could give UNC-Wilmington the green light to move forward at its May meeting. Volety pledged that he was prepared to secure a nine-figure gift towards the project. “We already are working and have commitments from any number of healthcare organizations for clinical partnerships, clinical placements, residencies, so on and so forth,” said Volety. “The goal is to make sure that this proposal is fiscally responsible, and more importantly, sustainable.” Volety predicted it would be a seven-year to eight-year process before the region would start to see the graduates. “The need is there. The shortage is significant,” said Volety. “The best time to tackle any problem like this was yesterday. The second best time to do it is today.” Courtesy of NC Newsline
	Quad Cities River Bandits game against Cedar Rapids Kernels postponed due to rain The game will be made up on Thursday.

Thursday, April 16th, 2026

Wednesday, April 15th, 2026