We Care Weekend is in its 14th year, and much has changed in that time. AIDS went from being an epidemic in the United States to seemingly an afterthought in that time period, but even so, We Care has grown. The weekend in its first year raised $6,000 for the Quad Cities AIDS Coalition, and now it brings in $40,000 for AIDS Project Quad Cities.
MidAmerican Energy Company (MEC) sent notices to its customers on March 14, 2002, advising them of its intention to increase natural gas rates by an average of 4.3 percent, generating an additional $26.6 million for the company.
People who were hoping the Davenport Community School District board would have a revelation akin to Saul on the road to Damascus were sorely disappointed after the board's April 22 meeting. Instead of being blinded by the brilliance of sensible alternatives, the board replicated its 6-1 January vote to close Grant and Johnson elementary schools.
The State of Illinois is in the middle of its typical election-year budget stalemate, but the matter is made worse this year by a financial situation that begs for major budget cuts or a tax increase but will probably get neither.
The 2002 Iowa legislative session adjourned on April 12, ending two weeks early as predicted. Both sides of the aisle admit it was a grueling session, with many hard decisions to make due to the serious budget deficits facing Iowans.
An Iowa program that was the first of its type in the country is putting the finishing touches on a study of lending practices and predatory loans in the state, but the harder work still remains. Now, the Community Lender Partnership Initiative must use its research as a springboard to educate the public and encourage lenders to adopt more fair-lending practices.
The largest contingent of Quad Cities' private business and public sector leaders ever assembled flew to Washington, DC, last week and spent three days meeting face-to-face with all eight of our region's elected federal legislators.
In Rock Island County, the Democratic primary is almost always the toughest battle, with the general-election result nearly a foregone conclusion. There hasn't been a Republican sheriff in Rock Island County in 20 years, and that makes the March 19 primary for the office especially important.
The saga of the Davenport Community School District's decision to close Johnson and Grant elementary schools took several twists on Monday and Tuesday. At a hearing last week before an Iowa State Department of Education hearing panel, both the school district and parents who appealed the January closing decision agreed to a continuance so that the board could re-consider its vote.
Editor's note: This story went to press before the Davenport Community School District agreed to re-visit at its March 11 meeting the issue of closing Johnson and Grant schools. The hearing on the appeal was continued to April 5.

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