Bettendorf is in the midst of revising its stormwater management ordinances, but if the initial draft is any indication there won't be any requirement for developers to retain a specific amount of topsoil on each new home site.

The draft ordinance – scheduled for discussion at next week's (April 19) committee-of-the-whole meeting – lists many suggested "water quality practices" intended to capture and treat rainfall events of up to 1.25 inches (90 percent of all eastern Iowa rain events) on-site.

The owners of the troubled Cricket Hollow Zoo have appealed the federal court ruling issued Feb. 11 which ordered removal of the zoo's lemurs and tigers because of inadequate veterinary care and sanitation for the endangered animals.

Owners Tom and Pamela Sellner, of Manchester, filed the notice of appeal with the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis March 9. The appeal seeks to reverse the lower court decision, halt the removal of endangered animals from the zoo and lift the court's order prohibiting the Sellners from adding endangered animals to their roadside zoo.

A recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling is expected to toughen the state's open meetings law, finding a county administrator should be counted the same as an elected official in determining whether a majority of board members were present at private meetings since she was acting as an "agent" for other board members not in attendance.

Many public bodies – including the Bettendorf and Davenport City Councils – have in the past intentionally held less-than-majority meetings to circumvent the state's open meeting law and avoid 24-hour public notice and public inclusion in the sessions.

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. posted higher earnings for its third quarter ended January 24 despite a 2.5 percent drop in overall revenues.

The gambling firm, owner of the Bettendorf Isle of Capri casino riverboat, reported third quarter earnings of $6.6 million, or 16 cents per share, compared with $5.4 million, or 13 cents per share, for the same period a year ago.

Urban sprawl may have a negative connotation among the general public, but it is easy to understand why Bettendorf city officials love the spreading residential subdivisions filling up former cornfields north of 53rd Avenue.

The steady growth of new homes in north Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley – plus the escalating value of existing residential property in the city – generate healthy annual increases for city coffers to fund the ever-increasing cost of additional employees, higher salaries, health and retirement benefits and debt service.

Cricket Hollow Zoo has been ordered to transfer its lemurs and tigers to a licensed U.S. Department of Agricultural facility under a federal district court ruling issued Thursday (2/11).

The judge ruled that the endangered animals at the troubled roadside zoo were harmed by the failure of its owners to provide adequate veterinary care and sanitation.

Lee Enterprises, Inc. stock today (2/4) fell to a new 52-week low – $1.15 per share – after reporting first quarter operating revenues declined 5 percent compared with a year ago.

The company's first quarter includes the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, typically the best advertising period for newspapers, and the results apparently disappointed investors. Shares of the Davenport-based media firm, owner of the Quad City Times, dropped more than 10 cents per share in heavy trading after the company announced its earnings.

Toxic chemicals released to the environment by metro Quad Cities area industries fell by nearly 20 percent in 2014, according to a new report issued Thursday (1/21) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The top five facilities by total disposal or releases to the environment were: Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., Joslin; Nichols Aluminum's casting plant, Davenport; Lafarge North America (now Continental Cement), Buffalo; John Deere Harvester Works, East Moline; and Alcoa's Davenport Works, Bettendorf.

The Isle of Capri Casino, Inc. President and CEO Virginia McDowell will step down April 27 after nine years at the helm of the St. Louis-based gambling firm.

Eric L. Hausler, currently chief financial officer, will succeed McDowell as chief executive officer, and Arnold L. Block, currently chief operating officer at the Isle, will become president and chief operating officer.

McDowell will retire from the company. According to the company SEC filing January 14, her decision to retire from the board of directors "is not because of any disagreement with the company."