A series of pumps stand along Bettendorf's riverfront ready for use when heavy rain seeps into the Davenport and Bettendorf sewer system and creates peak flows the Davenport treatment plant is unable to handle. That's when the equipment begins pumping untreated sewage (diluted with the rain water) into storm water pipes that discharge into the Mississippi River.

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Native prairie grass plantings, a grove of oak trees, a "marketplace court" with sail-covered pavilion, a large open area with small berms, pathways of permeable pavers, a rain garden and themed perennial gardens are planned for the vacant lot adjacent to the city's library and family museum.

A federal program to bring high speed internet service to rural America will likely drive out many local private businesses now serving those very communities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded millions of dollars to private firms across the country with the aim of boosting the speeds of Internet connections available in rural areas.

Bettendorf city officials want to begin charging for preparing and copying public records requested by citizens.

State law allows cities to charge a "reasonable" fee for complying with public record requests, and City Administrator Decker Ploehn told alderman the proposed ordinance is needed because of an increase in the number of requests for public records.

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. lost nearly $2.7 million during the first quarter, with the poor financial news Tuesday (August 31) prompting a 24 percent drop in the company's stock price.

The Isle operates four casinos in Iowa, including "riverboats" in Bettendorf and Davenport. The quarterly loss would have been even higher, $4.5 million, without a one-time income tax benefit of $1.9 million.

The company's stock was trading at $8.91 per share August 30, and fell to a low of $6.75 after the earnings release August 31. The stock was trading at $6.79 as of Friday (Sept. 3).

Facing added expenses with a new elementary school and declining state aid, the Pleasant Valley School Board has told LeClaire officials it is "fully opposed" to expanding a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) area in the city.

"While the current proposed TIF expansion in LeClaire does not extend a TIF expiration date, it is the district's understanding that it does add approximately $750,000 of valuation to a TIF area," the district wrote in a statement to the city of LeClaire.

Sivyer Steel in Bettendorf has promised to remove the huge pile of used foundry sand at its facility along the Mississippi River over the next four years, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

The sand, used in the molds to make castings, has accumulated on the riverfront despite Iowa regulations requiring no more than a six-month quantity to be stored on the plant property.

Last week while riding my bike along the swollen Mississippi, my mind took me back to the architect selection process for the Figge Art Museum. One of the reasons David Chipperfield was chosen was he’d designed several projects alongside rivers, most notably (at that point*) the River and Rowing Museum by the Thames near Henley.

Republican Roby Smith spent more than $37,000 on the hotly contested June party primary, leaving him with an apparent $2,700 debt headed into this fall's general election campaign for the Iowa District 41 Senate seat.

Smith defeated Republican incumbent David Hartsuch 2,487 (52%) to 2,307 (48%) in the June 8 primary.