More than a year after Windstream (formerly Iowa Telecom) was awarded more than $17 million to build high-speed Internet connections to serve rural Iowans and create jobs in rural communities, none of the funds have been spent and not a single job created.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announced the job stimulus grants in August 2010, and Windstream was targeted to receive more than $120 million, including $12 million for work in rural Iowa.

LeClaire voters may get a voice on whether the city should issue bonds to pay for the construction of a new downtown parking lot and purchase of technology equipment.

More than 225 eligible voters signed petitions seeking the referendum, Tom Kamp, spokesman for the group, said. The petitions were submitted Friday, Oct. 14 and would require the city to hold a referendum on the issuance of $408,000 of bonds.

Sivyer Steel in Bettendorf has agreed to fines of $54,786 after a March 2010 inspection by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found violations of federal hazardous waste regulations.

According to the consent agreement with the EPA, Sivyer was operating as a "conditionally exempt small quantity generator," creating less than 220 pounds of waste per month at its plant.

Subsequent to the inspection, Sivyer shipped nearly 8,000 pounds of hazardous waste from its facility at 225 S. 33rd St. for remediation.

According to the consent order, Sivyer:

As part of a plan to refinance its nearly $1 billion in debt, Lee Enterprises will give lenders 13 percent (6.744 million shares) of its common stock.

The deal announced Sept. 8 would give Lee more time to repay its long-term debt, largely the result of acquiring the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2005.

Lenders who will get the ownership share and a boost in interest on the refinanced debt include Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC, Franklin Templeton/Mutual Quest Fund and Monarch Master Funding Ltd.

The owners of Hawkeye Paving Corp. are seeking a special use permit to allow construction of a concrete recycling plant at 6001 State Street, Bettendorf.

A special use permit for the facility will be considered by the city Board of Adjustment at its meeting Thursday (9/8). The vacant site, currently owned by James Mahler of Bettendorf, is zoned general industrial (I-2).

Lee Enterprises -- owner of the Quad City Times -- rolled out paywalls for its Montana and Wyoming online newspaper sites August 1.

Even print newspaper subscribers will face charges for online access after a limit of between 15 to 20 page views a month. The charge for print subscribers ($1.95 to $2.95 per month) would be less than online only subscribers ($5 to $6.95 per month).

The online news sites' homepage, obituaries, ad content, calendars, photo galleries, classifieds and videos would not count toward the page view limits.

Isle of Capri Casinos -- owner of Bettendorf's riverboat casino -- posted a $2.6 million first quarter loss and blamed the negative results on Mississippi River flooding that impacted five of its gambling boats.

The loss of 6 cents per share compares to a loss of 8 cents per share ($2.8 million) during the first quarter of 2010.

Isle officials in its news release August 25 estimated the impact of flooding on its earnings was more than $7 million and stated the company will be seeking reimbursement of property damage and business interruption costs from its insurance carriers.

A five-year comparison of MidAmerican Energy financials shows a steady decline in profits, but the privately owned utility still earned a healthy 11.03 percent return on equity from its Iowa electric operations last year.

The utility has avoided seeking an electric rate increase since 1996 and has agreed not to increase rates through 2013 under a deal with the Iowa Utility Board (IUB).

The Wall Street Journal is reporting Lee Enterprises (owner of the Quad City Times) is asking its lenders to exchange senior debt for debt with higher interest rates and later maturity.

The plan, according to the Journal, would give Lee more time to refinance its more than $1 billion in debt which comes due in April 2012.

Under the exchange, creditors Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Monarch Alternative Capital, could end up owning about 13 percent of Lee, according to the Journal.

A used car firm -- which gained reluctant approval to relocate to a highly visible site in downtown Bettendorf -- has moved to the new location without completing any of the landscaping which was part of the development's site plan.

Premier Picks Auto Sales was forced to leave its location in the 1400 block of State Street because of the new Interstate 74 Bridge and related downtown street improvements.