Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell meets with the media AMES — Before Jessie Clemons’ senior year at Pleasant Valley High School there was a moment she considered cutting back her athletic workload Jessie and Alex Clemons grew up in Bettendorf playing every single sport imaginable together Alex (Right) is three years older than his twin siblings who finally learned to beat him in basketball after learning to spread out winning state championships in softball and basketball Playing three sports was a massive time commitment and the twins' mom acknowledged there could be benefits to reducing Jessie's sports calendar Melissa said she’d back whatever decision Jessie wanted to make she overheard a conversation not meant for her ‘You are so talented and if I was half as talented as you I would be so thankful’ and pointed out how proud he was of her and just how she needs to realize how talented she is and utilize it and not take it for granted,” Melissa said More: How Iowa State softball broke its conference wins record with three weeks left in the season Iowa State's Jessie Clemons records an out during a game against Iowa at Pearl Field in Iowa City on April 29 In part because of what her brother told her Jessie completed high school as a three-sport athlete Both the Clemons twins know what the other needs to hear and A mere 30 seconds separate older sister Jessie from Justin Jessie and Justin shared birthday parties (two cakes a Toyota Rav4 and a wall between their bedrooms although Jessie is a biology major while Justin is in marketing and finance “It's hard not to like her because of how much time we spent together,” Justin said pose for a photo at Pearl Field in Iowa City on Tuesday Jessie is a freshman infielder for the Iowa State softball team and Justin is a student manager for the Cyclones The twins played on the same baseball team until they turned 10 Jessie was a better player at that age than most of the boys Everyone on the team knew when she raised her hand to play a position Justin never minded sharing a team with his sister finding the other twin to celebrate was first priority “It wasn’t really brother-sister on the field it was best of friends,” dad Mark Clemons said “They definitely got along way better on the field than they did at home When they were teaming up against another team it was completely different than being at home competing against each other.” He found his footing and threw to first base where Jessie jumped for a catch and tagged a runner for a double play It ended the inning and was a critical sequence on the way to a tournament title Jessie Clemons is older than her twin brother Justin by 30 seconds Jessie said she doesn't know what she would do without him as he "Gives the best hugs." A common opponent in sports forced the twins together now a pitcher at South Dakota State University Jessie and Justin always teamed up against Alex They played every sport imaginable growing up: Wiffle ball Alex and Jessie decided to bike a marathon and circled their neighborhood 20-some times to do it a power box was second and a corner of their driveway was third A plywood square resting on a ladder served as a strike zone like if a ball hit on the roof counts as a home run or an out “The problem was we would always go with a majority vote and there were two of them and one of me,” Alex said Basketball is the first sport the twins started to beat their big brother in because they learned how to space out and pass “I think just Justin and I by ourselves we would be competing against each other and so we wouldn't get along as well we would work together and compete against him,” Jessie said After drawing softball scholarship offers from ISU and Drake She said she loves everything about Iowa: The people She always wanted to play college softball in Iowa and staying close to family was a big reason why “I didn't think I was ready to go to a college without Justin,” Jessie said Justin considered pursuing Division III baseball opportunities in college but ultimately decided against it When ISU softball coach Jamie Pinkerton asked Jessie what her twin brother was doing for college she said she was trying to convince him to come to ISU She added Justin worked the scoreboard at her softball games and recorded film for each of her basketball games Pinkerton asked if Justin would be interested in a job as a softball manager She went home and told her brother: "I got you a job." Iowa State's Jessie Clemons celebrates after the end of an inning during a game against Iowa at Pearl Field in Iowa City on April 29 Jessie and Justin are throwing it back to their 10U baseball days and teaming up Justin has traveled with the Cyclones to tournaments in California and Louisiana he sits behind home plate charting pitches “We're around them every day,” Justin said “These girls are so nice and make us feel like we're a part of the team We'll just do anything you can get your hands on to try and help out.”  when having family in her corner is important because the girls are around each other 24/7 and sometimes you’re around them a little too much,” Jessie said “So it’s really nice because Justin will be in his own room sometimes and I’ll go in and either I vent to him or we just sit there But what the Clemons twins have discovered is it's just as good to have someone there for the highlights Justin said he’s one of the few people who knows exactly how hard his sister has worked to get to ISU Knowing that makes sharing in Jessie’s first college home run against California and four-hit game against No Twins Justin and Jessie Clemons played on the same baseball team until they were 10 years old They combined to turn a double play on the way to a state tournament championship Jessie is an outfielder on Iowa State's softball team and Justin is a team manager Just like when they were 10 and turning a difficult double play to win a state tournament the Clemons twins are still here for each other “We've been through just a lot of changes and Justin is there to always ground me I don't know what I would do without him.” Ben Hutchens is an Iowa State University beat writer for the Lee Enterprises network. Follow him on X or send him an email at Ben.Hutchens@lee.net Email notifications are only sent once a day The Cyclones have won seven of the series' past eight games 9-6 Big 12) is coming off a series win at No It is the first road series win over a ranked oppo… Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Bettendorf schools have appointed two new elementary school principals for the 2025-26 school year Heidi Burchard and Stephanie Graap will take over as the principals of Neil Armstrong and Grant Wood Elementary School both principals will officially assume their new roles this summer in preparation for the new school year incoming principal of Neil Armstrong Elementary School Burchard is an instructional coach for Davenport Community School District having started her career in education as a first-grade teacher According to a Bettendorf schools news release she is passionate about early learning and instructional innovation and looks forward to integrating new technology promoting social-emotional health education and boosting academic achievement at Neil Armstrong Following principal Kevin Turner's resignation in February, Burchard will be Neil Armstrong's third principal in the last five years. Turner's resignation earned a 4-3 vote from the school board and his departure led some parents and community members to voice concerns about turnover was recently hired as the new principal of Whittier Elementary School in Clinton incoming principal of Grant Wood Elementary School Graap also comes to Bettendorf schools from Davenport now serving as a literacy coach and a teacher-in-charge she aims to lead with a "reflective and inclusive" philosophy and create a school culture where all students and staff feel safe She also emphasizes the importance of strong communication with stakeholders "We are thrilled to welcome both Heidi and Stephanie to our leadership team," Bettendorf Superintendent Michelle Morse said "Their unique strengths and shared commitment to student success will help propel our district forward We look forward to the positive impact they will make in their schools and across our district community." a 1st grader at Neil Armstrong Elementary in Bettendorf plays on the playground during recess dressed as a police officer listens to her teacher at Neil Armstrong Elementary in Bettendorf while dressed as a artist does school work at Neil Armstrong Elementary in Bettendorf while dressed as a fireman plays on the playground during recess dressed as a hunter listens to her teacher at Neil Armstrong Elementary in Bettendorf while dressed as a astronaut Students dressed up on for school in clothes of future jobs they hope to have when they are older plays on the playground during recess dressed as a teacher listens to her teacher at Neil Armstrong Elementary in Bettendorf while dressed as a orthopedic specialist listens to his teacher at Neil Armstrong Elementary in Bettendorf while dressed as a fireman listens to her teacher at Neil Armstrong Elementary in Bettendorf while dressed as a forensic anthropologist listens to her teacher at Neil Armstrong Elementary in Bettendorf while dressed as a veterinarian Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox He described a "toxic workplace environment" fostered by new district leaders in his resignation letter The lab now features additional welding booths with ventilation and dust-collection systems The East Moline Police Department said they determined the threat was not credible following an investigation presented at the fourteenth annual Academic and Research Symposium at Concordia Nebraska on April 28 which takes place in the Dunklau Center for Math includes both poster and oral presentations throughout the late afternoon and evening Professor of Mathematics Dr Brian Albright has been coordinating the event for the past four years The symposium gives students the opportunity to present original research and significant projects they've worked on over the course of the semester in an interdisciplinary setting majors from history and psychology to biology and English and others were represented at the event A total of 62 students gave 38 poster and 23 oral presentations on topics ranging from chiropractic care to football recruiting the event concluded with a keynote speech by speaker Lyman Stone a senior fellow and director of the Pronatalism Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies Stone's presentation was entitled "What Tomorrow May Bring: Evidence from the Lutheran Religious Life Survey Revealing How the LCMS is Changing." Student presenters included (listed alphabetically by last name): Michael Helke River Cities Reader #1032 -... by River Cities Reader You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.(Did you know we publish a new Real Astrology and RCR Crossword every week?)  Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.$24 goes to postage and handling We publish a monthly printed tabloid size magazine available for free throughout the Quad Cities at over 300 locations The Reader provides keys to the Quad Cities' culture in print and online with exhaustive event calendars and coverage of arts cartoons and crosswords are also published in print monthly Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application passed away peacefully at home on Thursday Services to celebrate Zach’s life will be 1:00 p.m Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory under the direction of Cremation Society of the Quad Cities Memorials may be made to Hudson Strong Foundation (www.hudsonstrongfoundation.org) which works to support Iowa families whose kids are fighting cancer the son of Daniel and Jodi (Weiher) Maxwell He was currently a 10th grader at Pleasant Valley High School Zach’s faith was a cornerstone of his life He was a proud member of Coram Deo Bible Church where his positive attitude and belief in God helped guide him through life’s challenges He loved spending time with his friends and family He had a special connection with the outdoors hunting — recently taking down his first deer — and 4-wheeling through mud holes but his dream car was the Porsche 911 — in any color but orange Zach's courageous spirit shined through in everything he did He said that God gave him cancer so he could bring others closer to the Lord He firmly believed that it was his honor to do so both of Bettendorf; his three beloved siblings Donovan and Donna Maxwell of Pleasant Hill both of Bemidji; paternal aunts and uncles and Dawn (James) Bootsma of Pleasant Hill; and many cousins and friends including Collin Weiher and courage inspired everyone who knew him and countless memories that will live on in the hearts of those who loved him good and faithful servant." — Matthew 25:21 Condolences may be shared at CremationQC.com Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Allyssa Marie Bryant of Bettendorf passed away January 13 Celebration of Life will be held at 6:00 PM 2025 at Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home Visitation will be held from 4:00 PM until the time of service at the funeral home Memorials may be made to the family to be used for her daughter Ayla daughter of James Bryant and Rodell Hitchcock She was blessed to gain her daddy Jay Morgart in July of 2007 If you were ever blessed enough to bask in that light you know how music was a huge part of it as she would sing Her trips with family and friends took her to places of warmth and sunshine – she is back there now She loved working out and participating in sports as well.. softball – anything she could do to run taking pictures of the simple beauty she saw in nature Above all she loved her “Baby Girl” Those left to honor her memory include her daughter Ayla; Ayla’s father Tyreese Johnson; Parents Rodell (Jay) Morgart and James Bryant; siblings Raquel (Carlos) Hora Aiden Lee and Katarina Milosevic; Grandparents Pamela Mottet and Ron (Julia) Hitchcock; Great-Grandmother Joan Jess; Special Aunts Jean She was preceded in death by her Great-Grandfather Donald Jess and Aunt Julie Allyssa’s Mom requests that you come to her Celebration of Life in your BRIGHTEST attire with your NIKE shoes – no creases and laced right Everyone is invited to join for a reception/party of life at Anthony’s Restaurant and Pub (in the American Legion on 35th Street Davenport) immediately following the service Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBETTENDORF Iowa (KWQC) - Bettendorf’s Police Chief Keith Kimball is receiving congratulations from the community on his retirement Wednesday Chief Kimball officially retired after serving with the Bettendorf Police Department for 35 years Chief Kimball was sworn into office on January 15 1990 and worked his way through the ranks from third shift patrol to a D.A.R.E officer to the first-ever school resource officer at Bettendorf High School in 1994 he was promoted to Sergeant in the Investigative Services Bureau and eventually oversaw it Kimball was promoted to Captain in 2012 and then to Chief in 2018 “I would like to thank the city for taking a chance on me 35 years ago,” Chief Kimball said there was nowhere else that I think anybody could better achieve their goals of being a police officer and understanding the true meaning of serving the community.” and many community members attended the ceremony inside council chambers Back in February, city council approved the promotion of Lieutenant Doug Scott to serve as the new police chief after conducting an internal search Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC) - The City of Bettendorf is considering plans to build a new, $27M police station to accommodate for the city’s rapid growth towards their northern border The proposed site is on city-owned land next to the Bettendorf Public Works Annex along Devils Glen Road at Bettendorf’s Committee of the Whole meeting the council unanimously agreed to move a resolution onto Tuesday night’s consent agenda would allow city staff to issue an informational letter and survey to residents to ask for their opinions on the construction of a new police station The city is proposing to build the new police station because the current one in Downtown Bettendorf is too small not centrally located and lacks proper security The new police station the city is proposing to build near the Bettendorf Public Works Annex would include features like: City officials said that they’ve explored several other options to update the existing police station like considering moving city hall and expanding police operations into the current space but ultimately this would have been more expensive and not solved the location issue Bettendorf’s Assistant City Administrator Jeff Reiter said being able to send out a survey to residents asking for their feedback on the project will help the city gauge what’s important to its residents “Our ultimate goal is really to see what we think is important to residents and it really gives them the opportunity for their voice to be heard Our goal I think is to get a police station that supports the growing police department The city has come out over the last couple of years and they’ve provided us input on needing more police officers we believe it is time to look at a new police station to support our growing police department.” the next steps will include mailing out the survey to residents who will have until May 5 to complete it There will also be a QR Code where the survey can be completed online Other methods of returning the survey include dropping it off at city hall or mailing it back in city officials said they will plan to have two public informational meetings for the community to ask questions on the proposed police station The informational meetings will be held on April 28 and April 30 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m Moving forward with the survey would just be the beginning as paying for the new police station will require 60% of Bettendorf voters to approve a bond referendum that would allow the city to take out a loan Financing assumes general obligations bonds are repaid over 20 years at a true interest cost of 4.8% To see a potential tax impact on your property visit www.bettendorf.org/MyAddress TV6 will continue to provide information both on-air and online as it becomes available Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for James McGrath Cremation will be accorded following services Visitation will be from 10am until time of services Saturday at the church a son of David and Marie (Heffron) McGrath Following graduation from Iowa State University he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from St He was then united in marriage to Catherine “Corky” Donohoe on September 2 Jim had worked in sales for commercial office furniture He then worked at Home Depot until his health declined.  Jim grew up on the family farm and developed a love of the land and growing things that stayed with him his entire life He took meticulous care of his lawn and had the best yard in the neighborhood.  He was grounded in his faith and was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes where he also taught CCD He was a 3rd Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and his dogs and his infectious laugh made you want to laugh right along with him Jim also enjoyed antiquing and watching the Cubs Those left to honor his memory include his wife Corky; daughter Elizabeth McGrath of Bettendorf; son Michael McGrath of St Louis; sister Celine (Bill) Moran of Kansas City MO; and brothers David (Penny) McGrath of Des Moines and Pat (Rose) McGrath of Indianola; and many nieces and nephews Online remembrances may be expressed at www.hmdfuneralhome.com.  A private family service will be held at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf Gene was employed in sales for I-Wireless and in earlier years He enjoyed watching and coaching his son’s athletic activities during their school years was an avid fan of NASCAR and was an accomplished woodworker Those left to honor his memory include his sons Gene was preceded in death by his brothers Robert and Christopher; and by his parents Cook Hospice House surrounded by his family A memorial visitation will take place on Tuesday at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home cremation rites have taken place and burial will take place at a later date in St Bridget’s or for an educational fund for his grandchildren Paul Edwin Braddock was born on October 17 He graduated from Bettendorf High School in 1978 and attended Scott Community College to learn the welding trade Paul worked for General Electric as a welder before joining the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1991 working at Lock and Dam 14 until he retired in 2021 snowmobiling and competing in motocross and softball Paul cherished his grandsons and wouldn’t miss their activities He was a great NASCAR fan and most recently rooted for “the Polack” Brad Keselowski Those left to honor his memory are his wife Burlington; grandsons: Blake and Tyler Cullen; step grandchildren: Julie and Kaitlyn; siblings: Bill (Sharon) Braddock there will be visitation for family and friends for Michael John Wigans We will gather at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Mike passed away at Mercy One Genesis on Friday He graduated from Newton High School in 1984 and attended the University of Iowa where he received his Doctorate in Chemical Engineering He worked in IT for the National Weather Service in Davenport John Vianney Catholic Church in Bettendorf on February 29 He was a member of H.O.G (the Harley Owners Group) especially his 1969 Camaro and his jukebox He loved spending time with his family and his dogs He was preceded in death by his grandparents Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com of natural causes at The Vistas in Bettendorf with kindness and care from the St Croix Hospice team and Vista nursing staff to Marie Reich Wiese Ruefer in Davenport and graduated from Davenport High School in 1954 Dave preceded Joanie in death on January 9 Isabella Tallman and Olivia Bull; 4 great-grandchildren Taylor (Haley) Trumbo Kayden Trumbo and Spencer Nguyen; 1 great-great grandchild Brody Trumbo; 3 nieces; 4 nephews; 3 sister-in- laws.  Joanie was preceded in death by her mother stepfather Alvin Ruefer and brother Nade (Jean) Wiese.  In addition to her unwavering devotion to her family and friends Joanie enjoyed an ice-cold Pepsi along with gardening and had previously worked at Dolches Bakery in the old Bettendorf Plaza helped a dear friend in her home daycare in Bettendorf and worked at the Cumberland Square Hardees on Spruce Hills Drive where she retired after 16 years in 1994 A Memorial Mass for Joan will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m 2025 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Jude Children's Research Hospital @ stjude.org or Shriners Hospitals for Children @ donate.lovetotherescue.org in Joanie's honor Iowa passed away unexpectedly at her home on Saturday A service to celebrate her life will be held at 1:00 P.M in Bettendorf where she was a devoted member January 21st following a family committal service at the Rock Island National Cemetery McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home of Bettendorf is assisting the family with arrangements the beloved daughter of Richard and Sally (Don Carlos) Elliott She was a 1981 graduate of Bettendorf High School where she was active in the band and the show choir She continued her education at the University of Iowa where she graduated in 1985 earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in education Marcia was united in marriage to Jeffery K While Jeff was stationed in Germany with the U.S Marcia taught elementary school there and continued to teach part-time and tutor after they returned to the United States Marcia was a devoted Christian who cherished her faith deeply She loved her Hope Church family and dedicated herself to serving with the kids’ ministries singing and participating in many other church activities Her kindness and commitment touched the lives of many Those left to honor her memory include her husband Sean Elliott (Makayla) Haynes and Jason Kent Haynes Richard and Sally Elliott of Bettendorf; her sister Kathy (Alan) Posey of Bettendorf; along with many special and beloved friends Condolences may be expressed to the family by viewing her obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com  A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m 2024 at Christ the King Chapel on the campus of St Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements Memorials may be made to Empowering Abilities Ambrose University Scholarship or a favorite charity University Hospital School and graduated from Bettendorf High School Steven helped coach Bettendorf Football and recruiting for Iowa Football and Julie (John) Salkeld; nephew and nieces Stephanie (Albert) Schinstock and their children; McKayla Mary Therese Gehrmann (Levin Leesemann) and John Salkeld III; good friends Tony VanHorn and many Bettendorf and Iowa former and current football players.  Steven was accompanied by some of his good friends to special football events for many years at the University of Iowa where they enjoyed the kindness and hospitality of the Hawkeye football family grandparents Robert and Julia McCarron and Arion and Mary Lampe and good friends Duane Ungs and Parker Quail are reunited with Steven in Heaven A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. until the time of the services on Friday at the church the daughter of Frank & Nellie (Hansen) Hackett She was a graduate of Clinton High School and Clinton Business College It was there that Jeanne won a state-wide typing contest loving family and always showed wonderful personal charm and grace from this background She became best friends with her sister Carol - they were always extremely close.  They moved to Iowa City where Brian was working on finishing his degree at the U of I Jeanne worked for the U of I at University Hall and then later at the Veterans Administration Many friends were made in this time as Jeanne was always a receptive and welcome personality to others they moved to Bettendorf in February of 1966 where they are today Jeff and Mark to whom Jeanne has always been a loving mother She acted as room mother in the school system for a time and always attended her sons’ activities with Brian Both sons were in the BHS football program and Jeannie took great interest in all of their activities Jeanne was employed with Von Maur at both the former Duck Creek and Northpark Mall locations for 14 years She had also earned her license in real estate in earlier years.  Jeanne and Brian enjoyed their Caribbean cruises and traveling to Las Vegas and Tunica Jeanne was preceded in death by her brother Online condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Jeanne’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com