Leon Daniel, as did others who reported from Vietnam during the 1960s, knew about war and death. So he was puzzled by the lack of corpses at the tip of the Neutral Zone between Saudi Arabia and Iraq on February 25, 1991.
• A report by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the GuideOne Foundation gave Iowa a C grade for its efforts to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking. Illinois received a slightly better grade, a C-plus.
The ambition of Buffalo Carp can be seen on its copyright page: "Buffalo Carp is a national literary magazine published by Quad City Arts." That's a tall order. While it's not difficult to attract entries from around the country, the challenge of a national focus - as opposed to showcasing local or regional writers - is drawing the quality necessary to make a splash in the literary community.
• The "Qualitative Assessment of Older Adults in Scott County, Iowa," a recently conducted survey, indicates that most seniors report they are active and independent and enjoy life. They are concerned about the high cost of health care, access to transportation, and loss of independence.
On election night, Bettendorf Mayor and Democratic candidate for Congress Ann Hutchinson declared that absentee ballots would determine the outcome of her race with Jim Nussle. It turned out she was wrong - Nussle won re-election with 57 percent of the vote, a margin of more than 28,000 ballots - but Hutchinson had good reason to make her statement.
• A number of controversial races apparently drove a record number of voters to the polls for the November 5 election, with 52,942 of the 112,073 registered voters (or 47 percent) in Scott County casting ballots.
• Four Davenport firefighters headed this past weekend to Deerfield Beach, Florida, to compete in the National Firefighters Combat Challenge. Darrel McKittrick, Gary Crookshanks, Ron Burchette, and Jim VanVlymen have competed in two challenges this year with times so good they have qualified for nationals twice.
"The best way to explain natural (bio-identical) hormone-replacement therapy is to compare it to the history of insulin," explained Lisa Ploehn, clinical pharmacy specialist and owner of Main at Locust Pharmacy in Davenport.
• By the time you read this, the roundabout at the intersection of 53rd Avenue and Middle Road will be completed and open to all traffic except 53rd Avenue west of Middle Road. The roundabout has been under construction for the past six months in conjunction with the approaches to the 53rd Avenue Bridge just east of Devils Glen Road.
• Bi-State Literacy board member Beth Oerman is planning to open a Reading Center at the Friendly House in Davenport that will be available to kids who attend activities and programs at the center, as well as students who attend Jefferson Elementary in that same neighborhood.

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