The Iowa Values Fund, a taxpayer financed venture capital program to retain and create jobs, provided the state legislature and citizens with a status report on its activities in June. The report is available by CLICKING HERE to download. In addition to the usual claims about the number of jobs created and retained, the report also lists those firms which are "on schedule," "behind schedule," and those "referred to collections." The report includes Values Fund awards, as well as all business development grants by the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED).

Betsy Justis and Scott Tinsman will be sworn in and assume their duties as new members of the Bettendorf School Board tonight (Sept. 18).

Justis and Tinsman won election to the board in last week's school board contest, defeating incumbents Tom Luton and Paul Castro. Tinsman received 744 votes, Justis 691, Castro 659 and Luton 599. Luton and Castro, both retired teachers in the school district, were seeking their third 3-year term on the board.

Tinsman is a business owner and lifelong resident of Bettendorf. Justis works for Heartland JA and has lived in the community 15 years. Tinsman and his wife, Beth, have three boys, one attending elementary school, one at Middle School and one in high school. Justis and her husband Randy, have two girls, one in elementary and one in Middle School.

In Pleasant Valley, Joanne Messman, Heather Witters and Daniel Schurr were elected to three-year terms on the board in uncontested races.

The Iowa and Illinois Departments of Transporation have selected a "basket handle true arch" design for a proposed new Interstate 74 Bridge between Bettendorf and Moline. The public comments on four designs favored a cable-stayed bridge, but transportation officials said the twin basket handle bridge would allow for more efficient deck replacement and more flexibility for traffic and construction staging. The bridge replacement and revamping of the I-74 corridor through Bettendorf and Moline is expected to cost more $670 million. The animation above provides four views of the proposed basket handle bridge design along with a photo (taken last January) of the current twin suspension bridge across the Mississippi River. The new bridge would have three lanes, versus the current two, in each direction, along with additional width for shoulders and a bike/pedestrian crossing.

Bettendorf's defense shutout the Assumption Knights 22-0 in a showdown of unbeaten and top-ranked teams Thursday (Sept. 13) at Brady Street Stadium.

After a scoreless first half, the Bulldogs scored early in the third quarter when receiver Colin Sandeman caught a 51-yard touchdown pass.

Later in the third, an errant punt snap over the head of the Assumption punter resulted in a safety.

The Bulldog running game wore down the Assumption defense in the second half, and halfback Jake Eikenberry scored twice on runs of 7 and 10 yards to ice the victory.

Bettendorf, ranked first in the state 4A poll, has not yet given up a point this season, moving to 3-0 in the MAC. Assumption was third in last week's state 4A football rankings.

After a lopsided 61-0 win against Davenport North last week (above), Bettendorf takes its 2-0 record and number one state 4A ranking on the road against Davenport Assumption Thursday (Sept. 14) at Brady Street Stadium. Assumption also is undefeated and is ranked third in the state football poll.

A border of wildflowers provides a colorful border between the parking lot and the Crow Creek Park baseball complex.

The sun sets on the Crow Creek Park baseball complex off Tanglefoot Lane, Bettendorf. The shortening days and cooler evenings signal the turning of the season from summer to fall. Only a few players remain at the ballparks as high school football kicks off this week in the Mississippi Athletic Conference.

The bronze sculpture "Skipper" on the Bettendorf riverfront readies a stone to toss into the Mississippi River just downstream of the Interstate 74 Bridge.

Gamblers visiting the Isle of Capri riverboat casino fell to a five-year low in 2006 while gambling revenues at the Bettendorf riverboat declined below its 2002-03 level, according to the most recent annual report by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.


For fiscal 2005-06 ending July 31, the Isle of Capri had 1,612,809 admissions with adjusted gross revenue of $98.7 million. That compares to 1,797,773 admissions and revenues of $97.9 million in 2001-02.

Admission data for the past five years shows a steady drop at the Isle of Capri, falling more than 10 percent from the 2001-02 level. Gambling revenues at the Isle peaked at $105 million in 2003-04 and have declined the past two years. Revenues during the last fiscal year were off more than 6 percent from the 2003-04 high.

Reflecting the overall decline in revenues, the gambling taxes paid to the City of Bettendorf in 2005-06 were down 6 percent from 2003-04. The city received $527,080 in gambling tax revenue in 2003-04, compared to $493,436 in the most recent fiscal year. Scott County saw the same drop in gambling taxes as the city.

Meanwhile, the state's gambling take increased slightly compared to 2003-04. The state received $19.94 million from the Isle of Capri in 2003-04, compared to $20 million in the most recent fiscal year. The state tax paid by the boat was virtually the same, but the regulatory fee was $100,000 higher last year, compared to 2003-04.

The Isle of Capri's other Quad Cities gambling boat, The Rhythm City Casino in Davenport, showed similar declines in attendance falling from a high of 1,575,669 admissions in 2001-02 to 1,355,165 in 2005-06. Revenues at the Rhythm City peaked in 2004-05 at $78.2 million and declined to $77.3 million in the latest 12-month period.

Bettendorf riverboat casino admissions (adj. gross revenue)


2005-06 - 1,612,809 ($98.7 million)

2004-05 - 1,750,797 ($103.9 million)

2003-04 - 1,764,844 ($105.4 million)

2002-03 - 1,759,816 ($99.6 million)

2001-02 - 1,797,773 ($97.9 million)

2000-01 - 1,870,810 ($93.5 million)

1999-00 - 2,018,936 ($89.4 million)

1998-99 - 1,944,630 ($84.9 million)

1997-98 - 1,717,663 ($73.8 million)

1996-97 - 1,778,387 ($67 million)

1995-96 - 1,443,113 ($55.7 million)


Note: The figures for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 are for operation of the Lady Luck Casino (predecessor to the Isle of Capri Casino Riverboat). Source: Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

A backhoe removes concrete paving from the north end of the Hy-Vee Food Store along Devils Glen, Bettendorf. A new Hy-Vee store will be built on the site, just south of the Luther Towers (in background), to replace the current Glenroads Hy-Vee.