For anyone who has spent time working to ensure that their garden or yard or home landscaping looked not only presentable but beautfiul, certain questions routinely pop up: When should I plant seeds for my flower bed, and is that the best time to plant seeds for my vegetable garden, too? How do I remove that tree stump from my backyard without removing my leg in the process? What's the deal with those damned weeds growing back in the same place year after year, and how do I make them stop? Answers to these and other outdoor questions will finally come via this weekend's Two State Forestry Conference & Expo.

Listening to Lisa Lockheart describe what's new at this year's Celtic Highland Games of the Quad Cities is a little overwhelming. Keep in mind: We're just talking about additions to the event (now in its seventh year), not the things that are staying the same.

When budget cuts hit Rock Island Clean & Beautiful, the organization did something unusual: It engaged the artistic community for a public-art project. Sure, the 20 artistic catfish that have been gracing various sites in the Quad Cities are a fundraiser, but they're also part of a larger vision to make the Quad Cities a more visually appealing place.

Progress on a new Western Illinois University campus on the Moline riverfront is at a standstill until officials can obtain the funding needed to do the initial architectural and engineering design required before construction can begin.