Residents will have a chance to meet and hear from candidates running for the two Iowa House seats in the November election at a forum Thursday, Oct. 18, hosted by the Iowa Quad City Rotary Club at the Bettendorf Public Library, 2900 Learning Campus Drive.

The forum begins at 7 p.m. and will be moderated by Quad City Times Editorial Page Editor Mark Rudolfi. Democrat Maria Bribriesco, a retired attorney, is challenging Republican Linda Miller in House District 94. Republican Mark Nelson, a real estate appraiser, is running against incumbent Democrat Phyllis Thede, an employee of the Davenport School District.

MidAmerican Energy's two-year $115-million surcharge to recover added environmental and coal fuel costs has received approval from the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB).

Electric customers of the state's largest utility have been paying a portion of the higher rates since last March under an interim rate increase provided under IUB rules.

The settlement, issued Monday by the IUB, allows MidAmerican to collect $38.7 million in electric revenue in 2012, and $76 million in electric revenue in 2013.

A new Culver's Restaurant is coming soon to Bettendorf's Cumberland Square, Spruce Hills Drive and 18th Street.

The building at 2312 Spruce Hills Drive, next to Valley Bank, has been vacant for more than three years after the Fazoli's Italian Restaurant there closed.

The Quad City Times will begin charging for online content beginning September 20, a move expected since its parent company Lee Enterprises began switching to the paywall model at its other newspaper properties more than a year ago.

Unlimited online subscriptions to qctimes.com will be $5.95 per month, while current newspaper subscribers will pay $1.95 per month for unlimited access to the online site.

The Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. – owner of Bettendorf's riverboat casino – reported first quarter earnings of 17 cents per share, up from a loss of 6 cents per share for the same period a year ago.

Net revenues for the three-month period ended July 29 were $236 million, up nearly 4 percent from $228 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2011. Net income for the first quarter was $6.7 million, compared with a loss of $2.3 million a year ago.

Berkshire Hathaway's ownership of both MidAmerican Energy and BNSF Railway have complicated the examination of the utility's electric rate adjustment request before the Iowa Utilities Board.

One of the primary reasons for the two-year $115-million rate adjustment requested by MidAmerican is to offset anticipated increases in coal fuel and coal transportation expenses for its Iowa electric generating plants.

Bettendorf and Davenport would agree to make an estimated $160 million in sewer system upgrades over the next 20 years under a proposed consent order with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

The agreement, currently under review by both cities, would address so-called sewage "bypass" flows at the Davenport treatment plant, which is one-quarter owned by Bettendorf.

During periods of heavy rain, water infiltrates sewer lines, creating flows which the plant can't handle and resulting in the dumping of partially treated sewage into the Mississippi River.

The city of Bettendorf's debt now exceeds 80 percent of the state-allowed limit, far more than city officials projected less than a year ago.

During last year's mayoral election, the city debt was the most discussed issue. Alderman Greg Adamson even called for a special budget presentation by City Administrator Decker Ploehn and City Finance Director Carol Barnes to refute campaign flyers raising questions about the ballooning municipal debt.

National air quality standards have been exceeded 26 times so far this year in Muscatine, including three days when sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution reached levels considered unhealthy for all residents and dangerous for sensitive populations (the very young, the elderly and those with asthma).

Terms of the management agreement between the Isle of Capri casino and the city of Bettendorf have been modified by city officials without city council approval, including a clause which has allowed the casino to forego paying hundreds of thousands of dollars into a joint city/casino capital improvement fund.