Channel Cat water taxi resumes operation

Friday, May 24th, 2013, 11:10am

The Channel Cat water taxi season opens Friday, May 24, 2013.

The Channel Cat takes passengers between four Quad Cities stops along the Mississippi River. Ports are in Moline, Illinois behind the iWireless Center at John Deere Commons and at the Celebration Belle Landing at 2501 East River Drive; at Isle of Capri Casino, 17^th Street and Isle Parkway in Bettendorf, Iowa and at the Lindsay Park Marina at 2100 East River Drive in the Village of East Davenport in Iowa.

Tickets for an all-day ride are available at Centre Station under the clock tower at John Deere Commons. Tickets cost $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 2 to 10 and free for children under two who are accompanied by an adult.

For more information and schedules for the Channel Cat water taxi, click here.

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Local counties added to FEMA disaster declaration

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013, 3:56pm

Residents of several local counties are now eligible for federal disaster assistance to recover from April flooding.

Get more photos, video and coverage of area flooding – click here.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved Governor Pat Quinn’s request to add another 14 counties to the list of Illinois locations included in the disaster declaration.

Previously, the declaration included Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry and Will counties. Counties now added to the disaster declaration are Bureau, Crawford, Henderson, Knox, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, Peoria, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell and Woodford.

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Granville school relates to Oklahoma tornado aftermath

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013, 3:18pm

Images of the Oklahoma tornado hit close to home for a Granville, Illinois, grade school. That’s because it was leveled by a tornado in 2004.

Learning begins at Putnam County Primary School. But time ended there on an April evening nine years ago.

“I don’t look at that clock very much,” said retired teacher Barb Ringenberg.

Time stopped at 5:46 that evening. That’s when a tornado silenced her classroom clock. The second grade teacher was the only person still at school.

Remarkably, she emerged unharmed.

“Just to see the damage it could cause and bring to us was life-changing,” she recalled.

The tornado’s wrath ripping apart the school while devastating Granville and Utica. Students, teachers and staffers relocated to cramped spaces in other nearby schools.

“The school, itself, you could see major damage,” remembered current principal Ronda Cross.

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Power outages in the Quad City area

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Sunday, May 19th, 2013, 8:57pm

According to MidAmerican Energy, thousands were without power before 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, 2013. By 10:10 p.m. many homes had power restored.

On the Illinois side of the river, about 700 in Coal Valley, less than 300 in Henry County, almost 100 in Moline, and about 250 people in Rock Island County are without power.

On the Iowa side, power outages in Davenport are down to about 45 from 1800 earlier in the evening.

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News 8 viewers storm-spotting

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Sunday, May 19th, 2013, 6:00pm

A whirl of severe weather moved generally north along the Mississippi River on Sunday, May 19, 2013. News 8 viewers kept us posted with what was going on outside their windows.

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A picture of storm clouds rolling in over Moline, Thursday May 19th, 2013 at 5:30pm.

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Tornado watch issued for Quad City area counties

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Sunday, May 19th, 2013, 3:54pm

Updated on May 19 at 5:09 p.m.- A News 8 viewer in Burlington, Iowa reported a thunderstorm and dime-sized hail that started around 5 p.m.

Original story published at 3:55 p.m. on May 19, 2013- According to StormTrack 8, a tornado watch has been issued for some Quad City area counties.

Illinois: Hancock, Henderson, Mercer, Rock Island.

Iowa: Cedar, Clinton, Des Moines, Henry, Jackson, Iowa, Jefferson, Johnson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren, Washington,

The watch is in effect until 10 p.m. Sunday, May 20.

StormTrack 8 also is forecasting a potential for showers and thunderstorms later in the day that have the potential to bring strong winds and hail.

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Geneseo church groundbreaking for several-million-dollar expansion project

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Sunday, May 19th, 2013, 2:58pm

A Geneseo church held a groundbreaking ceremony for a multi-million dollar expansion project.

A crowd of people sporting yellow hard-hats met at First Methodist Church in Geneseo, Illinois on Sunday, May 19, 2013. As they lifted a shovel-full of dirt the crowd celebrated the $4.4-million project.

Plans for the project include a 450-seat sanctuary, larger gathering space, and a state-of-the-art audio, video, and lightnig system.

“It’s been a church effort,” said member of the congregation, Rick McDaniel. “Everyone has been involved. We’ve had a lot of different insight meetings where people could have their input and it’s been fantastic.”

The congregation is looking forward to hosting larger events in the future.

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