A thick layer of snow covers tree limbs along Duck Creek Parkway, Bettendorf. More than six inches of new snow blanketed the city Friday (12/28). The wet snow was transformed into snow forts and snowmen by area children, off from school for the holidays.

Sunlight reflects off the ice-coated berries and limbs of a tree. Recent freezing rain left trees, utility lines and cars coated with ice causing power outages and slippery streets.

Icicles form on the face and arms of the "Skipper" bronze sculpture along the Leach Park riverfront. The ice coating on city streets and highways canceled most activities and area school students were given a one-day vacation.

A new three-story condomium project takes shape along East Kimberly Road, Bettendorf, just south of Lincoln Road.

The autumn azure sky provides a perfect backdrop to the pink and yellow clouds created by the setting sun.

Two towboats await their turn to lock through Dam 15 in Davenport as they head south on the Mississippi River.

The Bettendorf High School Marching Band kicks off the 2007 Homecoming parade along Spruce Hills Drive Thursday (9/27). Both Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley High School celebrate homecoming this weekend with football games and homecoming dances. The Bulldogs, unbeaten and ranked number one in the 4A high school rankings, take on Muscatine, while Pleasant Valley faces Davenport West.

A blue heron takes flight, flying low across the Mississippi River. The heron, and white egrets, are commons sights along the riverfront, along with ducks and geese. For full information about the blue heron, visit the Audubon Society's web site by clicking here.

An Iowa Department of Transportation worker checks out the supporting ironwork of the east/southbound Interstate 74 Bridge between Bettendorf and Moline. The span has a 66 "sufficiency rating" in the Iowa DOT's bridge analysis, while the older west/northbound structure has only a 43 rating. The lowest rated bridge structure in Scott County is the Lincoln Road I-74 overpass in Bettendorf with a 33 rating. The overpass was struck by a semi-trailer truck carrying a tall load nearly a year ago, and one lane of the overpass remains blockaded. For the complete list of primary bridges in Iowa and their sufficiency ratings, click here.

Two people enjoy a warm September afternoon on the banks of the Mississippi River at Leach Park, Bettendorf. In the distance is downtown Davenport and across the river, Arsenal Island.