Michelle O'Neill

06/28/2025

Lee Enterprises (owner ) faces another lawsuit after settling a class action case in March.

Lee Enterprises has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle one lawsuit, and is now facing three additional lawsuits from employees.

05/28/2025

“The Black Squirrels of the Quad Cities”

www.whatsgoingonqc.com

Why these rare creatures are so common here…and why locals hardly notice.

Wait a minute….black squirrels aren’t normal?

That’s the reaction most Quad Citizens get the first time someone from out of town points one out. Around here, black squirrels are just part of the background…chasing each other across rooftops, darting between trees, and occasionally locking eyes with you like they know something you don’t. Most people who grew up here assume everyone has black squirrels. But the truth is, they’re actually pretty rare.

In most of the country, spotting a black squirrel is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it event. Nationally, they make up less than one percent of the squirrel population. But in the Quad Cities…especially Davenport and Rock Island…they’re everywhere.

Scientifically, black squirrels are just a melanistic version of the eastern gray squirrel. Same species, different look. A genetic mutation causes more melanin in their fur, turning them that deep, inky black. It’s rare in nature, but for whatever reason, the Quad Cities seem to be a stronghold for these little shadow creatures.

So how did we get them?

One of the most well-known local legends ties their origin to D.D. Palmer, the founder of chiropractic medicine and Palmer College in Davenport. According to campus lore, Palmer brought black squirrels to the area in the early 1900s to make the college grounds feel unique…or maybe even mystical. Some say he thought they were lucky. Others just think he liked their look. Either way, Palmer College has embraced them over the years, and black squirrels have become something of an unofficial mascot.

Another theory is that they migrated from Ontario, Canada, where black squirrels are more common, and simply adapted well to life in the Midwest. Urban settings like the Quad Cities…with their tree-lined streets, parks, and river bluffs….make ideal habitat. Fewer predators, more cover, and plenty of curious humans tossing bread crusts doesn’t hurt either.

Whatever the origin, they’ve become more than just a local oddity. They’re part of the culture. Some Quad Citizens say spotting a black squirrel means change is coming. Others believe it’s a sign you’re close to home. And like all good Midwestern folklore, there’s even a superstition: if you hit one with your car, don’t be surprised if the rest of your day goes downhill.

They’re quirky, mysterious, and maybe a little magical. And like a lot of things in the Quad Cities, they’re something we forget is unusual…until someone reminds us how unique it really is.

So the next time you see one perched on a fence or sprinting across your yard, pause for a second. Because while black squirrels might be totally normal here, almost everywhere else… they’re the stuff of legend.

05/17/2025

05/17/2025

05/12/2025

This earthquake happened in Myanmar in late March. It took a couple of views to see the land move beyond the gate.

Coords: 20°52'53.3"N 96°02'07.3"EFrom: https://www.facebook.com/htin.aung.33/videos/1041579804084512

05/10/2025

Today's front page:

04/13/2025

Go, Zach!

It all comes down to this at the Masters Tournament.

Round 4 tee times ⬇️

02/25/2025

Spring is almost here, Moline! ☀️ But with warmer weather comes the risk of flooding – are you prepared?

The City of Moline is proud to partner with River Action Quad Cities for a FREE Flood Preparedness Workshop!

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: This Saturday, March 1st, 10am–2pm
𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: Modern Woodmen Park (209 S Gaines St, Davenport, IA)

🔹 Get the Spring Flood Forecast
🔹 Explore flood proofing & defense system options
🔹 Uncover flood insurance facts & myths
🔹 Learn how to fill and place sandbags for flood defense
🔹 Access floodplain maps & city resources
🔹 Find out how to get involved in community flood response

Property owners are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable resource! Don't wait – prepare now for whatever spring may bring!

🔗 Learn more: https://riveraction.org/workshop

02/20/2025

Not sure "gangster" is the word I'd use, but it's a great piece of US history.

There are so many great stories in Black history, but this is about as gangster as it gets. On May 13, 1862 in Charleston, SC during the Civil War, Robert Smalls and some fellow slaves stole a cotton steamer ship on which Smalls was employed as a backup pilot. The men waited for the White pilot and his two officers to disembark for the evening. Once clear, Smalls commandeered the Confederate ship to a meeting point where he picked up his wife, children and other family members. Smalls hoisted the Confederate flag as a decoy and sailed out of Charleston Harbor. Once out of range of gunfire, he replaced the Confederate flag with a white flag, and surrendered the heavily armed boat to Union blockade ships.

In all, Robert Smalls delivered 17 black passengers (nine men, five women and three children) from slavery to freedom. But his story doesn't end there ... Smalls went on to fight in the war, piloting the very ship he stole and firing upon Confederate boats. After the war ended, Smalls was elected to the South Carolina state assembly and senate, and to five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from1874-1886. (source: Historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr.)

01/25/2025

The US DOT has granted a one-and-a-half-year extension to use $177 million in federal funds for the proposed passenger rail line connecting Moline and Chicago.