Gamblers frequenting the Isle of Capri Casino in Bettendorf fell again in 2011, continuing an 11-year decline.

Admissions to the riverboat casino totaled 1,145,848 during the fiscal year ended June 30, compared to 1,149,086 admissions during fiscal 2010.

While admissions declined, revenues for the Bettendorf casino increased slightly from $78.34 million in 2010 to $78.48 million in the latest fiscal year.

Developers of the Shoppes at Duck Creek in Bettendorf want to build a Pizza Ranch restaurant and close one of the two entrances off Lincoln Road serving the shopping area.

The city's Board of Adjustment approved a special use permit to allow a drive-up window for the restaurant, and the city's Planning and Zoning Commission approved the site plan for the restaurant Wednesday (6/15).

Isle Corporation, owner of Bettendorf's Isle of Capri Casino, earned 29 cents per share in its fourth quarter, helping the gambling firm finish fiscal 2011 in the black.

The Isle reported net income of $10.9 million for the fourth quarter ended April 24, compared to $4.9 million for the same period last year.

For fiscal 2011, the Isle reported net income of $4.5 million, compared to a loss of $3.3 for fiscal 2010. For the fiscal year, earnings per share totaled 13 cents, compared to a loss of 10 cents per share in fiscal 2010.

AARP Iowa sent a message to the state legislature today (5/31): a large majority of voters 50 and older oppose the bill which would allow MidAmerican Energy upfront rate increases to pay for a nuclear power plant.

And, the Iowa AARP warned, nearly 60 percent of those same registered voters would be less likely to vote for a legislator who would support such legislation.

The organization's poll was released as the legislature winds down its 2011 session in Des Moines.

Facing hefty fines from the State of Iowa, Muscatine's biggest air polluter promised Tuesday (5/24) to spend $100 million over the next five years to lower emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and fine particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns (PM 2.5).

Grain Processing Corporation officials said the company will build a new $75-million corn dryer and make $20 million in upgrades to its boilers to lower air pollution from the plant. Another $5 million is to be spent on controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

Muscatine County ranked 24th in the nation for areas most polluted by short-term fine particulate pollution, according to the 2011 "State of the Air Report" by the American Lung Association (ALA).

Muscatine was the only county in Iowa in the top 25, but both Scott and Clinton counties received "F" grades for short-term fine particulate pollution.

Lee Enterprises, owner of the Quad City Times, Monday (5/3) reported a $1.5 million (3 cents per share) loss for its second quarter and announced it was shelving a plan to issue notes and stock to refinance the company's more than $1 billion debt.

The newspaper chain headquartered in Davenport said "market conditions" had prompted it to withdraw plans to issue more than $1 billion in senior secured notes and 8.9 million additional common shares.

When residents along Valley Drive, Bettendorf, voiced concerns about zoning changes for a cement batch plant along Highway 67, the owners promised an enclosure would be built around the facility to limit any dust from the operations.

Vacancies on elected city boards and councils should not be delayed until the next municipal election, but can be placed on the next general election ballot, according to today's (4/13) ruling by the Iowa Court of Appeals.

The court decision reversed a Scott County District Court ruling which upheld the City of Bettendorf's practice to wait until the next municipal election to fill vacancies on the park board and city council.

Muscatine's largest environmental polluter -- Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) -- may finally face legal action for alleged air quality and wastewater violations, some dating back seven years.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is recommending the nine-member Environmental Protection Commission refer the violations to the Attorney General's Office "for appropriate legal action."

Commission members, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate for four-year terms, will consider the recommended legal action at its April 19 meeting in Des Moines.