The following local students were named to the Dean's List at Clarke College, Dubuque, for the spring 2010 semester.

  • Sarah E. Christison of Bettendorf
  • Megan M. Chitty of Davenport
  • Kirk D. Garrison of Moline
  • Kaitlyn L. Tipsword of Moline
  • Lauren E. Murga of Rock Island

Jay Wagoner of Bettendorf was named to the Midwest Collegiate Conference Academic All-Conference list.  Jay is a student at Clarke College, Dubuque.

Sarah Dooley of Bettendorf was named to the Dean's List of Emory College, the undergraduate, liberal arts college of Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., for the 2010 spring semester.

Peter David Arnould Wood, a 2006 graduate of Assumption High School, was named to the Dean's List at Oklahoma State University for the Spring of 2010.

The following students were named to the William Penn University Spring 2010 President's List:

  • Etaf Elkhatib of Bettendorf
  • Sophia Farooqui of Bettendorf
  • Lisa Lacy of Davenport
  • Ivy Rostenbach of Davenport.
Maria Elena Ontiveros, Bettendorf, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison's School of Human Ecology, has earned the Dean's High Honors for the Spring of 2010.
Kaitlyn Wehr, Miss Blackhawk Valley's Outstanding Teen was named Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen at the state competition in Springfield, Illinois Sunday evening, May 29.  She was selected from a field of 14 contestants from over the state,  She also received the Community Service Award and the Scholastic Excellence Award.

Kaitlyn is the daughter of Denis and Lisa Wehr of Moline.  Her talent is jazz dance and her platform is "Model the Healthy Life."  She made her first appearance in Chatham, Illinois on Memorial Day.  She will compete in the national competition, Miss America's Outstanding Teen in Orlando in August.

Carolyn Wehr, Miss Blackhawk Valley's Pre-Teen was named second runner-up to Miss Illinois' Outstanding Pre-Teen.  She received the Academic Excellence award having the highest GPA of all the 14 contestants.  Sister to Kaitlyn, she is also the daughter of Denis and Lisa Wehr of Moline.

Miss Illinois' Outstanding Teen and Pre-Teen competitions are sister organizations to the Miss America Organization and provide scholarships to those girls ages 6 to 17 who compete.  For more information, contact Amalia Schwerdtmann by email at MissIlDir@missillinois.org or visit the Miss Illinois website www.missillinois.org.

The Miss Illinois competition will be held in St. Charles on June 17 to 19.

Enjoy a 44-mile ride along the Mississippi scenic river valley with the Muscatine Melon City Bicycle Club and the Quad-City Bicycle Club!!!! Help us make the MRT (Mississippi River Trail) the place to be! This ride begins and ends in Muscatine.

A special 44-mile Muscatine-Buffalo-Muscatine ride will be held on the same day as Ride the River, Father's Day, June 20th, 2010. This MRT event will help to highlight the need to complete the Iowa MRT section of the trail from Muscatine to Buffalo. Riding on Highway 22 dictates that our participants be avid cyclists, at least 18 years of age, and capable of riding 13 mph and up. The $10 fee includes a t-shirt and a midpoint pancake breakfast in Buffalo. There will be a SAG stop in Wildcat Den on the return leg. The group will depart from the downtown Muscatine riverfront bike path at 7 a.m. on June 20th. Register for the MRT Ride at the River Action website: www.riveraction.org.

You can learn more about the Mississippi River Trail up and down the Mississippi by going to www.mississippirivertrail.org.

Thanks for helping River Action promote the expansion of our wonderful Mississippi River Trail system.

For additional information about the Muscatine-Buffalo-Muscatine ride, contact Dean Mathias at 309-737-8429, Harper's Cycling and Fitness at 563-263-4043, or River Action at 563-322-2969.

Imaginations will soar at the Midwest Kites Fun Fly at the Quarter during River the River, June 20, 2010. Stop by to watch or participate in dual line and quad line kite flying lessons. Celebrate Ride the River's 26th year by joining us on Father's Day, June 20. New this year?a six mile Arsenal Island loop. Cross the river on the Celebration Belle Riverboat or the historic Arsenal Island Bridge. Bring all the kids because Kids Ride Free with a paying adult, sponsored by Trinity Regional Health Systems. Please note: Arsenal Island trails are open for just registered riders of this event. The Ride begins at the Freighthouse, Western and River Drive, Davenport.

Come join the fun with the whole family this Father's Day and carry on this 26 year tradition! Ride 16 miles or 60 miles; you can loop back at several places on the route. You'd be surprised how much you get out of Ride the River! Building memories, enjoying nature, learning Mississippi River history, getting hooked on biking and connecting with the family. With cool drinks, delicious food, a Kids Olympics, Nahant Marsh, Quad Cities Botantical Center and Putnam Museum activities, Ride the River is a great family activity. Register on-line at www.riveraction.org. Adult riders are $12 until June 18th and $15 after June 18th. For more information contact Linda at 563-322-RIDE, or 563-322-7433.


maurices, a leading national specialty store for savvy, fashion-conscious customers with a 20-something attitude, has named Sarah Troutwine as Store Manager at their NorthPark Mall location in Davenport. Ms. Troutwine is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the store, including sales performance, visual presentation, and personnel recruitment and training.

About maurices

Established in 1931, maurices is wholly owned by dressbarn inc. (NASDAQ: DBRN). maurices is the leading small town specialty store for the savvy, fashion-conscious girl with a twenty-something attitude. Today, maurices operates over 740 stores in 44 states. maurices stands for fashion, quality, value and personalized customer service. Offering sizes 1-24, styles are inspired by the girl in everyone, in every size. For store information and to shop online visit maurices.com.

The Rock Island Beautification Commission is looking for the most beautiful yards in the city.

The 36th annual "Tell On Your Neighbor" residential beautification awards contest has opened nominations for the most attractive and best-kept lawns in Rock Island. Anyone can submit a nomination and they will be accepted through Friday, June 25th at 5:00 p.m. Nominations after this date will not be accepted.

This awards program recognizes residents who make the extra effort to beautify their yards beyond the norm. The Beautification Commission believes these citizens should be honored for their efforts and for encouraging others to keep well-groomed yards that are an asset to the city.

The Commission is looking for well-maintained yards with attractive, colorful displays of flowers, bushes and plants. The commission wishes to honor residents who take the time to show pride in their homes and neighborhoods. In the past 35 years, over 530 residents have been recognized. All winners will receive a certificate of recognition at a City Council meeting (date to be announced).   Award recipients after 2005 are not eligible.

The Beautification Commission is a group of Rock Island citizens appointed by the Mayor and City Council to encourage individuals and groups to beautify Rock Island.

Just five weeks after winning the Quad-City round of the Iowa Blues Challenge, the Steady Rollin' Blues Band emerged victorious from the final round of the Challenge in Des Moines on May 22. The prize package includes studio recording time and a slot on the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Fest for July 3 as well as money to help support the band's trip to Memphis next January, where they will represent Iowa in the International Blues Challenge.

Steady Rollin' is made up of seasoned pros that have been part of the Quad-Cities music scene for over 15 years. Their music is good to dance to and features different styles of blues from jazz to funk and R & B, Memphis to Chicago, with covers of artists like Tyrone Davis, Bobby Bland, and Marvin Sease. Craig Bentley is on guitar, Perry Hultgren on keyboards, Jimmy VanHyfte on drums, Tom Norman on bass, and Jimmie Lee Adams on vocals.

The Steady Rollin' Blues Band plays every Thursday night at Rascals in Moline, and they will open the IH Mississippi Valley BluesFest activities on the Bandshell on Saturday July 3 at 1:00pm.

Five bands from across the state competed in the final round of the Iowa Blues Challenge. Trouble No More, the Bob Pace Band featuring Steve E. George, Bella Soul Blues Revolution featuring Tina Haase Findlay, and Stoney Ground were the other performers that gave the Steady Rollin' Blues Band a run for their money. Steady Rollin' follows in a tradition that has seen the Quad-Cities entrants in the Iowa Blues Challenge walk away with the top prize, including the Avey Brothers Band in 2008 and 2009.

The Iowa Blues Challenge is produced by the Central Iowa Blues Society, with support from the Lizard Creek Blues Society and the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.

(Moline, IL) Skip-a-Long keeps tracks of their alumni and each year awards an academic scholarship to help a former student with college costs.  This year's winner is Nicole Johnston.  She was a student of Skip-a-Long from 1992 to 2002.  Nicole is planning on attending Black Hawk College and then Western Illinois University and is grateful for the $750.00 scholarship to pursue her dream of a career in criminal justice. "I can honestly say that going to Skip-a-Long made me the person I am today," says Nicole. "Everything I did there helped me learn about the basic traits a good person should have."

The Virgie Wells Educational Scholarship was established in 2004.  Since its inception, more than $5,000 has been given out to former students who plan on becoming full-time students at an accredited college or university.  The scholarship is open to any graduating senior of the Quad Cities high school who is a former Skip-a-Long student and is graduating from high school with a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher.

Virgie Wells was an advocate of higher education.  She was a teacher at Skip-a-Long for 30 years and touched the lives of many children and families.

Johnson will receive her scholarship at the June 2nd Skip-A-long board meeting. You can interview Johnson by calling her home 309-523-2873 or her cell 309-631-5823.

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You're invited to come out to St. Mark Ev. Lutheran Church and enjoy our Summer Concert Series.  The following performances are scheduled:

  • Organ Recital & Hat Show

June 13th at 3PM

Kirstin Synnesvedt

  • Piano Dedication Recital

July 11th at 3PM

Featuring St. Mark Choirs and Musicians

  • Organ Recital

August 1st at 3PM

Featuring Ellen Bowlin

Assisted by Lisa Crews, Flute, andMaureen Currier, Cello

All recitals are free and open to the public!  St. Mark is located at 2363 West Third Street in Davenport.  Please call 563-322-5318 or visit www.stmarkcares.org if you have any questions.

We are recruiting volunteers to help with our new and fun special events at the German American Heritage Center Museum! We are in need of volunteers who would like to help plan and/or coordinate these events. New events will include a German Festival, beer tastings, and German Christmas Gala. Please contact ach@gahc.org if you are interested!

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