“It’s time to put to rest the notion that economic growth and environmental protection are incompatible," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson said today in a speech before the National Press Club in Washington.

If you've been thinking there have been more air quality alerts in recent months, you would right.

Air quality standards for fine particulate matter (particles less than 2.5 micrometers) in Iowa have been exceeded at 35 locations through Febuary 26, already surpassing the 34 exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards recorded during all of 2009.

And, the 35 exceedances don't include readings from last week when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued air quality alerts for east central Iowa because of high levels of PM 2.5.

High fine particulate pollution in eastern Iowa has prompted the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to issue an air quality alert for east central Iowa Thursday (3/4) and extending into late today (3/5).

According to NASA, this photo of Earth is the most detailed true-color image of the entire planet to date.

Click on the image for a larger version, or visit NASA's "Visible Earth" site for a larger, more detailed version of this photo and many other images of Earth taken from space.

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., owners of the Isle of Capri, Bettendorf, lost $11.4 million in the third quarter ended January 24, compared to a $48.3 million profit for the same period in 2009.

Revenues for the third quarter totaled $227 million, down from $302 million in the same 3-month period a year ago.

Thanks to the Internet and the Iowa Attorney General's office, Iowans can read for themselves the charges filed recently against the former director of the Iowa Film Office and two Minnesota film producers in connection with state tax credits.

CLICK HERE to download the complaint filed Feb. 8 against former Iowa Film Office Director Thomas Wheeler.

March arrived like a lamb today with mild temperatures and no wind, rain or snow. Snowfall is more than 20 inches above "normal" this winter. And, with no January or February thaw, the area still has more than a foot of snow on the ground as of March 1. Not surprisingly, flooding along the Mississippi River is predicted this spring.

A new database web site from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a fast and easy-to-use source to obtain detailed information on local air and water emissions and local businesses and industries operating under EPA permits.

The site (http://www.epa.gov/myenvironment) can be searched by industries, types of emissions and EPA programs.

Bettendorf forward Morgan Lintz shoots a freethrow during the first half of Tuesday night's (2/23) playoff game against Linn-Mar. The Bulldogs' season ended with a 58-40 loss to the unbeaten and top-ranked Lions. The Bulldogs finished the season 18-5. Meanwhile, the Pleasant Valley girls basketball team punched its ticket for next week's state tournament with an overtime victory over Iowa City West, 65-55.

Relocation of River Gulf Grain from Davenport to Bettendorf's riverfront has moved a step closer with approval of the project's site development plan Feb. 17 by the city's planning and zoning commission.