One of the most influential and revered figures in German history will be the focus of a virtual January 31 program when the German American Heritage Center hosts Hildegard von Bingen: Power Woman of Medieval Times, with presenters Wolf and Linnea Koch speaking on the Benedictine abbess, writer, and composer whom Pope Bvenedict XVI named a Doctor of the Church for “her holiness of life and the originality of her teaching.”

On January 25, in a program hosted by the Davenport Public Library, Jonathan Turner – local author and current writer for WVIK and QuadCities.com – will explore our area's recent and long-ago pasts as highlighted in his 2016 book A Brief History of Bucktown: Davenport's Infamous District Transformed. And that adjective “infamous” will be the juicy subject of much of Turner's presentation, given that the event's title Davenport's Bucktown in 1903: “Worst Town in America.”

In 2014, rising mixed-martial-arts stars Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier met in Las Vegas, both hoping to pave their way to a world championship. Since then, McGregor has won titles in two weight classes, while Poirier secured an interim lightweight crown, both becoming UFC superstars in the process. And on January 23, the two kick off 2021 with what promises to be an epic rematch in UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2, a free event being televised in Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Rhythm Room.

With Wapsi River Center naturalist Becky Baugh leading what promises to be a fascinating presentation, the Davenport Public Library will host a virtual program for bird watchers of all ages in The Great Backyard Bird Count, a January 19 program offering information on an important annual event sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.