The number of entries in this year's River Cities' Reader short-fiction contest jumped to over 120, up more than 25 percent from last year. There was one significant rule change - the word limit was cut from 250 to 200 - but that didn't seem to affect the quality of entries.
• First Lady Laura Bush has designated Rock Island as one of 20 new "Preserve America" communities. The official designation was announced March 18 and was delivered last week by U.S. Representative Lane Evans (D-Rock Island) to Rock Island Mayor Mark Schweibert during a ceremony at city hall.
Dave Ziedelis, vice president and general manager of the Swing of the Quad Cities baseball team, concedes that there's a "certain level of skepticism" when it comes to the renovated John O'Donnell Stadium. People think the Swing - the new name of the team that was known as the River Bandits last year - might be overselling the stadium and all its amenities.
• The Quad Cities metropolitan area is listed as number six and Cedar Rapids number seven in a recently released national binge-drinking study. Binge drinking is defined as imbibing five or more alcoholic drinks over a few hours.

Green Grocers

The Rock Island Country Market is an anomaly. While new grocery stores tend to be between 60,000 and 70,000 square feet and located in population centers and along major roadways, this 30,000-square-foot store is tucked away on Rock Island's 24th Street, more residential than commercial.
• A proposed state constitutional amendment specifying that marriage is between a man and a woman was narrowly defeated in the Iowa Senate. Lawmakers debated whether the resolution, which defines marriage as a union between only one man and one woman, was needed and rejected the amendment, 25-24, after a two-hour debate.
• State legislators led by the Republican majority have unveiled a $4.4-billion budget for Iowa that does not include a tax increase. The total budget represents a spending increase of $110 million over last year.

Casino Wars

On Monday, the Rock Island City Council passed a development agreement with Jumer's Casino Rock Island that paves the way for a $90-million project that would shift the casino's gambling operations from the city's riverfront to the intersection of Interstate 280 and Highway 92.
• Northwest Airlines has announced that beginning on May 1, it will be offering daily nonstop jet service between Moline and Memphis, Tennessee. Northwest will start with one flight daily and add a second daily flight on June 10.
With political discourse defined by (and often limited to) spin and sound bites, it seems a particularly appropriate time to celebrate the presence of C-SPAN, the not-for-profit corporation that provides America (and the world) with coverage of U.

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