• Students from the Davenport Community School District and North Scott Schools pooled their talents and hard work to complete a multi-level, $300,000-plus house to help celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Student Built Home Program.
• According to a new report released by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) lacks the authority and resources to properly regulate the state's livestock operations under the federal Clean Water Act.
• The National Trust for Historic Preservation has awarded U.S. Representative Jim Leach (R-Iowa) its Civic Leadership Award. The honor recognizes outstanding contributions by an elected official, a government staff person, a public agency, or a not-for-profit organization at the local, state, or national level.
• Studies show that in crashes involving a motorcycle and another vehicle, the motorcyclist's right of way was violated two-thirds of the time. To make motorists more alert to others on roadways, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has declared May "Motorcycle Awareness Month.
• The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB) is now offering bicycle rentals from its offices in downtown Davenport (102 South Harrison Street) and downtown Moline (2021 River Drive). The hours for rentals from both offices are 8:30 a.
• The Family Museum of Arts & Science has achieved the highest recognition for a museum, accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM). Of the nation's nearly 16,000 museums, approximately 750 are currently accredited.
• The Quad Cities metropolitan area is listed as number six and Cedar Rapids number seven in a recently released national binge-drinking study. Binge drinking is defined as imbibing five or more alcoholic drinks over a few hours.
• A proposed state constitutional amendment specifying that marriage is between a man and a woman was narrowly defeated in the Iowa Senate. Lawmakers debated whether the resolution, which defines marriage as a union between only one man and one woman, was needed and rejected the amendment, 25-24, after a two-hour debate.
• State legislators led by the Republican majority have unveiled a $4.4-billion budget for Iowa that does not include a tax increase. The total budget represents a spending increase of $110 million over last year.
• Northwest Airlines has announced that beginning on May 1, it will be offering daily nonstop jet service between Moline and Memphis, Tennessee. Northwest will start with one flight daily and add a second daily flight on June 10.

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