"Quarters One" Promo

"Quarters One" at the Rock Island Arsenal was finished in 1872.  It was the largest home in the U-S Federal inventory, second only to the White House.  While it's no longer an active residence it is in excellent shape and still in use as a gathering spot.  We'll show you places in Quarters One most folks don't get to see, and tell you tales many folks have never heard.  It's the topic of this week's edition of "Rock Island Arsenal: Inside the Gates" on WHBF TV CBS 4.  Full story airs Thursday night July 5th at 10 pm.

"Battle of the Bridge" (Rock Island Arsenal: Inside the Gates Series)

Battle of the Bridge, Rock Island Arsenal: Inside the Gates: It's the story of a bridge, a riverboat, and a shared page in history.

     Please click on the link to see the story. 
     Back in 1856, when the first Railroad Bridge to cross the Mississippi opened crossing from Rock Island, Illinois to Davenport, Iowa, it marked an amazing moment in American transportation history.  But the Railroad was in direct competition with Riverboats for business.  So not everyone was happy about it.
     So was there a conspiracy to destroy the bridge, nobody knows for sure, but it sure looks that way.
     Watch the story and see what you think.
     In next week's edition, our special WHBF TV series continues as the battle moves from the river to the courtroom and launches a man named Lincoln into the national spotlight.
     You can catch a new edition of "Rock Island Arsenal: Inside the Gates" every Thursday night at 10pm on CBS4 News.

1st RR Bridge Ever Built Across the Mississippi

Tomorrow night's episode of "Rock Island Arsenal:  Inside the Gates" features the 1st RR bridge to ever cross the Mississippi...but was there a conspiracy to destroy it?  You decide Thursday night on CBS4's Ten at Ten News.
By the way, longtime Quad Citians may recognize the name "Effie Afton" as the name of a riverboat restaurant which used to be docked at the site where Rock Island's current Schwiebert Park is located...a lot of folks may know it as the 'Jumer's Food Boat'...that boat according to the Effie Afton Restaurant webpage was originally called the "Mateur" but was later re-named the Effie Afton.  It's not the orginal Effie Afton.
The orginal Effie Afton was destroyed by fire and sank to the bottom of the Mississippi...the original Effie Afton's bell sits in the Rock Island Arsenal's Museum.
Find out why the Effie Afton, and the 1st RR Bridge built across the Mississippi share a page in history Thursday night on CBS4's Ten at Ten News, in this week's edition of "Rock Island Arsenal: Inside the Gates".

Arsenal Series to Debut on CBS4 on 6/14/12

"Rock Island Arsenal: Inside the Gates": A new CBS4 Thursday Night Series debuts this Thursday night (6/14/12) on 10 @ 10.  The first episode is on the Col. Davenport House. Photojournalist Mike Colon and I have been teaming up for months behind the scenes, finally it will debut! :)  Click on the promo above to see a preview of our first story.

First Trip to River Bandits and Modern Woodmen Park

Finally made it out to a Quad City River Bandits Game and Modern Woodmen Park during dinner break on Tuesday night.  It's like 5 minutes from the station. (Click the link below to see my --cell phone pics in a Facebook photo album).

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.431341083544630.101871.100000062277649&type=1

 This place is nestled with the the scenic Centennial Bridge on one side, the Mississippi River-barges, Riverboats, etc just beyond the center field fence with the Rock Island skyline in the background.  In left field there's a grass berm for folks to sit on with the Davenport skyline overhead.  Out front, there's active train tracks.  This place has so much character it's oozing with class.

The fragrances wafting around the lower concourse from the multiple vendors is mouthwatering.  The gift shop is well stocked with all sorts of souvenirs from the River Bandits (a Cardinals minor league team).  There's not a bad seat in the house.

On my trip I was able to get a cell phone pic with the Cardinals World Series Trophy....also on display the QC River Bandits 2011 Midwest League Championship Trophy.

Championship team (River Bandits), Championship Organization (Cardinals), Top Shelf Ball Park.

I give this place a 5 out of 5 for watching minor league baseball.  It's amazing. 

Perseveratorians: Best of Class 2012

Students from nearly 70 QCA Schools were at today's event (2 photos courtesy of Becki Rogers).

CBS4 Sports Director Jay Kidwell and I

 I was thrilled to emcee the Quad Cities 2012 Best of the Class Event today (5/2/12) at Davenport's beautiful Putnam Museum.  This is CBS4's tenth year sponsoring Best of the Class.  The top students and their families from nearly 70 QCA schools were there.

I had a chance to ad lib, just a little,  and coined a new word...I told the students they were not only Valedictorians but also "Perseveratorians", and that being a Perseveratorian is a character trait, not an award.  I told them in High School they had challenges to chase, face, and ace--and that they would experience those same things in life, and encouraged them to be Perseveratorians.

I said they hadn't probably heard the term, because I made it up, but they could feel free to use it.

Makes sense though doesn't it?  I think a lot of us are Perseveratorians: folks that persevere.  And who knows, maybe someday it will become a real word, in my mind, it already is.

Looking forward to Best in Class Event Today

Looking forward to emceeing the "Best of the Class" event today here in the Quad Cities at the beautiful Putnam Museum, and honoring the Valedictorians and their famiies from across our region!

$53 MILLION ALLEGEDLY EMBEZZLED FROM DIXON, IL

 DIXON, Ill. (AP) _ Federal prosecutors say in an indictment that
a former financial officer for the city of Dixon in northern
Illinois stole millions more than an initial investigation had
uncovered.
       Tuesday's indictment accuses Rita Crundwell of stealing more
than $53 million from the city since 1990. In an initial criminal
complaint filed upon her April 17 arrest, prosecutors had accused
her of siphoning $30 million in public funds to a secret account
she controlled.
       Crundwell is accused of using the money to fund her successful
horse-breeding operations and a lavish lifestyle that included
expensive jewelry and luxury vehicles.
       The former comptroller will be arraigned May 7 in U.S. District
Court in Rockford.
       The theft stunned the small city of 16,000 people.

      
       (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
        APNP 05-01-12 1544CDT<

CBS4 Team at the 2012 Spring Chaser 5k

Check out the WHBF CBS4 race team for the "6th Annual Steve's Old Time Tap Spring Chaser 5k".  There was a great turnout running through the streets of downtown historic Rock Island, Il.  The course was pretty flat...only one hill and it wasn't bad, in fact it was an awesome decline to send us toward the finish line.
Evening Meteorologist Andy McCray emceed the race again this year.  Morning Meteorologist Travis Michels and I each finished 4th in our respective age groups.  Although he finished way faster than I did, but then again he's way younger:)  He finished in like 23 minutes and something, I finished in like 27:20 or somewhere in that range.
I think there was around 500 folks signed up. 
It was chilly, mid-40's but no rain--thank goodness!
Since it was sponsored and named after a bar, there was free beer after the race, the problem is, we were all too cold to stand out there very long :)  Andy McCray, let me borrow his gloves so I could hold onto a beer cup, but still I was shaking like a leaf on a tree.  The beer was nice and cold--just like it should be, but so was I.
My goal is always just to cross the finish line...and as long as I do that I'm happy.
WHBF CBS4 was the media sponsor, so I'm a little biased but I would definitely run this one again.

OK--I'm gonna start giving the races I run a little rating on how much I liked it...hmmm, what should I use?  Since we're running, I'll use a ten toe rating scale:)  Ten toes is perfect--0 toes is not good.

Steve's Rating on Spring Chaser 2012:  9 chilly toes up!  Fun race!

Marking My First Post with a Photo

Thanks to CBS4 Chief Meteorologist Andy McCray for helping me get this set up...and for recording my first blog post by taking this photo.
Who would have thought an old news guy like me (age 47) could start a blog?  It's a great world!

My First Post!

Thanks for checking out my new blog "We've Also Learned"!

I'm planning to include bonus info that we aren't able to include in our newscasts at CBS4 as well as writing some columns about life in the news biz.
What do you most want to see?