Tuesday, December 1 5, 201 5 The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus D6 Rain, temperatures break Q-C records Mystery Norcross proposal fizzles Plan to develop Rl site no longer on the table; city still will buy land BY ERIC TIMM0NS etimmonsqconline.com The heavy rain is expected to cause minor flooding on the Rock River, according to NWS meteorologist John Haase. The Rock River at Joslin will rise to about 2 feet above flood stage and in Moline will reach about 1 foot above flood level. Mr. Haase said El Nino is responsible for the warm temperatures and heavy rain. He said warmer-than-usual temperatures should continue throughout the winter.
"Any time you have a strong El Nino it's pretty likely looking at past records that you have above-normal temperatures, and this is what's occurring right now," he said. El Nino occurs when warm air in the Pacific Ocean near South America travels north and affects weather throughout the U.S., Mr. Haase said. Temperatures will fall this week, dipping down to about 30 degrees by Friday, but soon will return to the 40s or 50s, Mr. Haase said.
"That's the thing about El Nino, even if you get a little cold air, it's only brief and you're back up to warm temps again," Mr. Haase said. Precipitation is unlikely this week, but intense rainstorms are expected at the beginning or middle of next week, Mr. Haase said. BY TYLER LANGAN tlanganqconline.com Unseasonable weather and heavy rain in the Quad-Cities broke long-standing records Sunday In Moline, 1.23 inches of rain fell, breaking a record set in 1892, when 1.1 inches fell, according to the National Weather Service.
The warmest low and high temperatures for Dec. 13 also were recorded, with a low temperature of 59 degrees, shattering the previous record of 40 degrees, set in 1928. The high temperature of 65 degrees topped the 1975 record of 63 degrees. Slumberland donates mattresses Man wanted in Chorus Line assault arrested in Mississippi A suspect wanted for his role in an October assault at the Chorus Line was arrested on Monday in Mississippi. U.S.
marshals arrested Trenton Shelton in Clarksdale, Miss. Mr. Shelton with his two brothers allegedly assaulted Joshua Sutton, 39, of Davenport, outside of the Chorus Line Gentleman's Show Club on Oct, 1 5, according to a news release from the Davenport Police Department. Mr. Sutton suffered life-threatening head injuries and is in a long-term health care facility.
Mr. Shelton's brothers, Juan Shelton, 31, and Kam-den Shelton, 24, both of Davenport, were arrested on Oct. 16, according to the news release. All three are charged with willful injury. Trenton Shelton will be transported to the Scott County Jail, Davenport police Capt.
Brent Biggs said. Davenport police worked with the Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force to locate Mr. Shelton. Tyler Langan tlanganqconline.com Kewanee man already jailed for meth faces more charges New charges were filed Monday against a Kewanee man already in jail on methamphetamine-related charges. Heath A.
Petty, 24, was charged in Henry County Circuit Court with Class felony methamphetamine delivery, Class felony possession of between 1 00 and 400 grams meth, Class 1 felony unlawful delivery of cocaine, two counts Class 3 felony possession of a weapon by a felon, five counts Class 4 felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the circuit clerk's file, the drug charges involve, in addition to meth and cocaine, hydrocodone, clonazepam, diazepam and loraz-epam. The weapons counts involve the alleged possession of a revolver and two rounds. All charges refer to activity on Dec. 3.
Mr. Petty was in custody on $500,000 bond on lesser methamphetamine charges filed Dec 3 alleging activity on Nov. 25. Mr. Petty waived his preliminary hearing Monday on those charges.
Judge Terry Patton set his bond at an additional $500,000 and scheduled a Dec. 28 preliminary hearing on the new Lisa Hammer rlhammer15gmail.com Motor home driver pleads guilty to his seventh DUI The driver of a motor home spotted at Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park pleaded guilty in Henry County Circuit Court on Monday to Class felony driving underthe influence. Michael L. Murphy, 48, of Kewanee, entered the plea. Court records indicate he has six previous DUI convictions.
Judge Jeffrey O'Connor accepted his plea, which capped prison time at 10 years, and a Feb. 29 sentencing was set. Mr. Murphy was arrested June 21 after the sheriff's department received a report of a Dodge Coachman motor home driving all over the road on Illinois 78. Deputy Josh Verscheure said he found the motor home at a picnic area at the state park.
Mr. Murphy showed signs of intoxication, said Deputy Verscheure, who also reported finding open alcohol behind the seat and whiskey in the glove box. Later tests showed Mr. Murphy had a blood alcohol content of .323 four times the legal limit. There were two passengers, but the fact one was a 12-year-old combined with Mr.
Murphy's blood alcohol level means he will have to pay a $25,000 mandatory minimum fine and perform 200 hours of public service benefiting children after his release. Lisa Hammer rlhammer15gmail.com Former church secretary pleads guilty to Galva, Woodhull thefts A former church secretary pleaded guilty in Henry County Circuit Court on Monday to Class 2 felony theft from St. John Catholic Church in Galva and St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Woodhull. Terri L.
Boone, 41, of Woodhull, entered an open guilty plea which was accepted by Judge Jeffrey O'Connor. A presentence report will be prepared before the March 10 sentencing. The thefts happened between October 2014 and Jan. 5, 201 5.Two felony theft charges were filed March 1 the second was dropped in exchange for her plea. The thefts were investigated by Henry County Sheriff's Department Sgt.
Sue Cervantez, who found unauthorized purchases from Amazon and withdrawals from an ATM in Woodhull. In all, there were about 106 transactions totaling more than $27,000. Public defender James Cosby showed the judge a check for $28,378.29 that Ms. Boone was providing to the circuit court for the purpose of restitution. LisaHammerrlhammer15gmail.com Posada is Wednesday in Moline Posada, a Christmas festival originating in Latin America that dramatizes the search of Joseph and Mary for lodging, is planned from 6 to 9 p.m.
Wednesday at Palomares Social Justice Center, 1 33 4th Moline. The event, which will include tamales, pozole and ponche, is dedicated to Jessie Perez and the elderly of the area, with a special thanks to Latinos Unidos at Augustana College in Rock Island. A rosary is planned at 6 p.m., along with a Christmas card contest for children. Rehearsal of the Posadas song is planned at 6:30 p.m. before a walk through the Floreciente neighborhood starts at 7 p.m.
The group will return to Palomares. For more details, call 309-751-7050. Bethany to host blood drive Bethany for Children Families will partner with the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center to host a blood drive noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Bethany Gymnasium at 1 830 6th Ave, Moline. Walk-ins are welcome; to schedule an appointment, contact Joscelyn Stone at 309-736-6644 or The blood drive is sponsored by several downtown Moline organizations and businesses.
A ft''' V1 i if i ROCK ISLAND A proposal to redevelop the former NorcrossServus Rubber plant in Rock Island has fallen through. In September, the city council agreed to spend $274,779 to buy the former Norcross plant at 1136 2nd St. and seven other associated vacant parcels on the city's west side. Aldermen approved the purchase after city officials reported a deal was being negotiated with a developer who would buy the site from Rock Island later for a new project. Neither the name of the developer nor the nature of the proposal ever was disclosed publicly.
But at Monday's council meeting, city manager Thomas Thomas revealed the potential development deal was no longer on the table. City officials had not yet closed on buying the eight properties. Mr. Thomas brought the proposal back to the council Monday so aldermen could reconsider their original vote. He also said that, even though the original deal fell through, he believed it was in the city's interest to buy the properties and market them to developers.
In a 5-2 vote, aldermen backed Mr. Thomas and voted to buy the eight properties, which cover about 18 acres combined. Aids. PJ Foley, 3rd Ward, and Chuck Austin, 7th Ward, voted against it. The properties, offered to the city by Rock Island County, were on the market as part of the county's annual tax auction.
Jeff Eder, the city's economic development director, said the properties had been owned by investors based in Sweden and Kentucky who had allowed the taxes on the properties to lapse until they were taken over by the county. Aid. Austin said he opposed the purchase because it reminded him of similar deals by the city that did not produce good results. He said he would prefer to see a private developer buy the sites. "Very simply, I see this as a speculation, and the last time we did a speculation project on Jumer's Crossing, we kind of got burned," Aid.
Austin said. Jumer's Crossing was the name of a failed development project by city officials on a Big Island site purchased for $1 million. The development ran aground after a legal challenge from local residents and other opponents. Aid. Kate Hotle, 5th Ward, said she shared some of Aid.
Austin's concerns about the Norcross properties. However, she said, she would not like to see a developer with bad intentions buy the properties at a discount rate and let them decline further. Similarly, Aid. Ivory Clark, 1st Ward, said the city should buy the properties to clean them up and send a message that the council won't tolerate blight. Mr.
Eder said there remains a chance the initial developer may return with an altered plan. More than 200 jobs were lost in 2011 when the former Norcross plant was closed and production was moved to China. By that time, the plant was owned by Honeywell International which had bought out Norcross Safety. Before that, Norcross had bought Servus Rubber. Todd Mizenet tmizeneriqconliiie.com Ben Cleaveland, Bethany for Children Families associate director of community services, helps to unload new mattresses donated by Slumberland Furniture Stores of Davenport and Moline on Monday at Bethany's offices in Moline.
The donation of 48 new twin-size mattresses is part of Slumberland Furniture's annual Making Homes for the Holidays program. Bethany for Children Families will identify people needing the beds and distribute them. UT approves higher tax levy tion of the tax bill. District comptroller Tracy DeClerck said the figures are different from those reported in November because Rock Island County officials requested that the bond portion of the levy be removed because of the district's plan to issue bonds soon. The county will adjust the levy once the district issues the bonds, according to the board report.
Officials said the levy increase is caused by the expiration of a tax-increment-financing district in Hampton and by the school district's obligations in several of its funds. Because the increase is more than 5 percent, the district held a public hearing Monday night. No one attended. BY ANTHONY WATT awattqconline.com EAST MOLINE The United Township High School District board on Monday unanimously approved a new tax levy that is higher than last year's. With about $503 million in taxable property, district officials are asking for a $1.93 tax rate per $100 of assessed valuation, compared to the $1.88 tax rate used to generate UT's 2014 property tax revenue, according to a board report.
The rate is expected to generate about $8.7 million, roughly $470,000 more than last year. For the owner of a home valued at $100,000, it would mean a $15.83 increase in the UT por Hampton renews security pact for 1-80 stop port and license renewal with Date Technologies for $1,800. Approved brake replacement on a police vehicle for $645. Heard Police Chief Terry Engle announce Tamera Fox has been appointed an investigator for the department. He cited her performance on recent cases and time and cost savings to the department.
tigate repairing or replacing a heating unit at the Heritage Center, which was damaged in a small gas explosion. Village clerk Mike Toalson was directed to explore the possibility of insurance coverage to offset the cost of the repairreplacement. Mayor Kevin Irby and Trustee Matt King will be consulted for final approval. In other business, trustees: Approved the annual sup BY CHRIS HICKS chris.hicks96iayahoo.com HAMPTON Village trustees on Monday approved renewing an intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for security at the Interstate 80 overlook. The cost will be $7,590, the same as last year.
Also on Monday, trustees directed Scott McKay to inves.