Throughout American history the role of progressive religion in the promotion of social justice has been of significant importance.

Religious institutions have historically acted as the conscience of the nation. During the nation’s early years, people of faith spearheaded the abolitionist movement and the eventual demise of the “peculiar institution” of slavery.


The fight for woman’s suffrage arose out of the Protestant church’s promotion of a “muscular Christianity.” Rooted in the Social Gospel, it influenced the ideal of female muscular prowess. The right to vote was eventually established with the adoption of the 19th Amendment.

Religiously progressive women and men of faith fought for justice and equality among the recently arrived immigrants crowding into America’s cities at the turn of the 20th century. In this context, the nation began its slow movement toward equitable social security for all.

UnityPoint Health (formerly Trinity Terrace Park) hasn't given up on the idea of using its hospital fronting Interstate 74 to trumpet its "top 100" hospital ranking by a health care analytics firm.

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Editor's Note: The Board of Adjustment at its 5/8 meeting voted unanimously to deny the variance for the larger permanent hospital signs.

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Last month, the hospital filed and then withdrew a variance application to permit the hospital to mount two "temporary banners" on its building touting its ranking by Truven Health Analytics. The hospital needed the variances because of the larger-than-allowed size of the banners and the plan to keep the "temporary" banners up for a year. Temporary banners are normally only permitted for 60 days by city ordinance.

The hospital is now asking for permission from the city's Board of Adjustment for two additional permanent on-premise signs which would have almost three times the square footage of the sign currently on the building exterior fronting I-74. The board is scheduled to hear the request at its Thursday (5/8) meeting.

A new American Lung Association's (ALA) "State of the Air" report ranks Muscatine County 23rd worst in the United States for fine particulate pollution, affecting an estimated 34,000 residents who are at-risk from the air pollution because of health conditions such as asthma, COPD, cardio vascular disease and diabetes.

The ALA report tracks with a just released Iowa Department of Natural Resources' (IDNR) air quality report for 2013 that seven National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) exceedances were recorded for fine particulate pollution and 67 exceedances for sulfur dioxide in Muscatine County.

During 2013, five exceedances of ambient air quality standards for fine particulate pollution were recorded in Davenport and one in Clinton.

The 15 fine particulate (PM 2.5) exceedances recorded statewide last year, compared with five during 2012. Four of the five fine particulate exceedances in Iowa during 2012 were in Muscatine (Muscatine High East Campus), and one in Emmetsburg.

Two "Meet at the Creek - Caring for the Duck Creek Watershed" programs are scheduled Tuesday (April 29) and Thursday (May 1) to provide the public with information on how to work together to improve water quality in Duck Creek and other creeks within the Duck Creek Watershed.

The first session Tuesday will be at 6:30 p.m. at Marquette Park, 3200 N. Marquette St., Davenport. The meeting Thursday will be at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park (Middle Park, east of 23rd St.), 1645 23rd St.

The company that promised to build a factory to manufacture LED lights and bring 100 jobs from China to Bettendorf has only managed to hire five part-time employees, has yet to begin construction of a building for which the city approved a 10-year TIF (tax increment financing) incentive three years ago, and is six payments behind on a loan from the Bi-State Regional Commission's Revolving Loan Fund.

LEDS America also has been put on notice by Eastern Iowa Community College job training officials that no more funds will be reimbursed for employee training until the project achieves more consistent progress.

LEDS America (which also operates as LED-O Holding, LLC) was approved to receive $130,000 in job training funds a year ago for customized training for 15 employees at an average wage of $17 per hour, plus health, life, dental, vacation benefits and holiday pay.

The Bi-State Regional Commission wants your feedback on transportation and regional economic development issues facing the greater Quad Cities region.

The planning commission this week launched a discussion forum – Moving Forward, Starting Today: The Bi-State Region, IA/IL – which allows residents to submit comments and provide feedback on a variety of transportation and economic development questions and issues.

You can share your thoughts as well as read the ideas from other residents on local transportation and economic development initiatives.

UnityPoint Hospital – formerly Trinity at Terrace Park – wants to take Bettendorf's ordinance allowing temporary advertising banners to a whole new level.

The hospital would use its building essentially as a two-sided billboard for a year if the Bettendorf Board of Adjustment gives its approval to variances of the city's mobile sign ordinance. The variances will be considered by the board at its Thursday (April 10) meeting.

(Editor Note: The UnityPoint Hospital variance was removed from the Board of Adjustment April agenda at the request of the hospital.)

The hospital wants to mount two 300-square-foot banners on the two sides of its building facing Interstate 74. City ordinance limits a company to one banner, 32 square feet in size. The hospital also wants to keep the "temporary" banners up for a year. City ordinance limits the display of such banners to 60 days.

Bettendorf's 5th Ward alderman recently resigned from the city council, and two ward residents – Patty Herzberg and Scott Webster – have announced their intention to seek to fill the vacancy if a special election is held.

The Bettendorf City Council has discussed whether to hold a special election July 1, or fill the vacancy temporarily with an appointment. A decision on whether to schedule a special election is expected at the council's next meeting April 15.

Herzberg currently serves on the Bettendorf Public Library Board of Trustees and Webster ran unsuccessfully for the 5th ward seat in 2011.

Even with a competitive 3.354 percent net interest cost, the City of Bettendorf's latest $20.8 million general obligation bond issue will cost taxpayers more than $8 million in interest over the next 20 years.

The bond proceeds will be used to pay for capital improvement projects approved by the city council including $3 million for paving Forest Grove Road, $1.85 million for paving Hopewell Avenue, $1.55 million for repaving and widening of Utica Ridge Road, $1.4 million for new recreation trails along Crow Creek and Highway 67, $1.2 million for street reconstruction of portions of Summit Hills, Olympia Drive, Shadowbrook Drive, Central Avenue and Halcyon Drive, downtown and park improvements and a new roundabout at Middle and Crow Creek Road.

City Administrator Decker Ploehn and the city's bond counsel, Springsted, Inc., told city council members at Tuesday's (4/1) meeting they were very pleased the bidding attracted nine bond underwriting firms and that the interest rate from the low bidder was within a thousandth of what the bond consul had been expecting prior to the city's recent downgrade by Moody's Investor Service.

Citing Bettendorf's high debt burden, Moody's Investor Service Thursday (3/27) downgraded the city's bond rating from Aa1 to Aa2. The lower rating is expected to result in higher interest on the more than $20 million in general obligation bonds slated to be issued next month.

The agency in its rating rationale said the city was in a "sound financial position supported by prudent fiscal management and flexibility to adjust tax levels," but added the lower rating "reflects challenges tied to the city's elevated debt burden, high fixed cost ratio and moderate exposure to two underfunded cost-sharing retirement systems."

Moody's also said the city could move its rating back up with "moderation of the city's high direct debt burden," which will reach $133 million after completion of this spring's general obligation bond issuance. The city's debt will reach 86 percent of the maximum debt allowed by the state after the new bonds are issued.