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."

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study says $271 billion is needed to maintain and improve the nation’s wastewater infrastructure, including leaking pipes that carry wastewater to treatment plants, sewage treatment plant technology, and management of stormwater runoff.

Heavy rain in November and December prompted yet another series of "sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) events" in Bettendorf, resulting in more than 17 million gallons of untreated sewage and storm water being pumped into the Mississippi River.

With the additional sewage bypasses in the last two months of the year, Bettendorf operated pumps along the riverfront a total of 15 days during 2015 and dumped a total of more than 46 million gallons of the storm water and raw sewage into the river.

While awaiting a U.S. District Court ruling seeking removal of endangered animals from Cricket Hollow Zoo near Manchester, animal rights advocates have filed a motion to add more evidence in support of their case.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and plaintiffs Tracey and Lisa Kuehl filed the motion Dec. 18 asking U.S. District Court Chief Magistrate Judge Jon Stuart Scoles to admit U.S. Agricultural Department inspection reports on the zoo from last July and September.

The motion to allow the two USDA inspections reports from July and September into evidence was approved by Judge Scoles in an order filed Wednesday (12/30).

Lee Enterprises reported higher fourth quarter earnings today (12/10) compared with a year ago thanks primarily to lower operating expenses that offset a 4.3 percent decline in revenue for the three-month period.

For the fourth quarter ended Sept. 27, Lee reported earnings of 18 cents ($10.13 million) compared with 6 cents per share ($3.38 million) for the same quarter last year. For the fiscal year, earnings totaled 44 cents per share ($24.3 million) compared with 13 cents per share ($7.67 million) a year ago.

Isle of Capri Casino, Inc. officials reported second quarter earnings of $11.45 million (28 cents per share) Wednesday (12/2), but its stock got hammered as investors apparently were concerned with weak casino revenues, particularly at the company's St. Charles, Louisiana operation.

The Isle's stock lost more than 19 percent of its value, more than $3.70 per share, in morning trading after the company reported its second quarter numbers. The stock had more than doubled in value since the first of the year, from $8.45 per share January 1 to $21.43 per share November 5.

The tax dispute between the city of Bettendorf and the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. would be resolved under a development agreement deal expected to be approved tonight (11/17) by the city council.

The Isle has been seeking to lower the assessed value of its riverfront property to $45 million from the current $85 million. An appraiser hired by the city valued the Isle's two hotels and riverboat casino at $55 million. The county review board in June rejected the Isle's tax appeal, but the casino operator then filed suit in Scott County District Court.