(City-Only Costs and Returns, 10-Year Perspective) Purpose This policy brief examines the return on investment (ROI to the City of Rock Island) from two comparable potential public policy choices: Subsidizing Sunset Marina , a recreational amenity serving approximately 200 boats . Investing in rapid housing stabilization  for approximately 200 people  experiencing homelessness. This brief is not an argument against Sunset Marina. The marina is a beautiful, distinctive riverfr

January 10, 2025 By Annika O’Melia annika@rockislandline.com (updated to say Illinois Attorney General's Office, not State's Attorney's Office) An Illinois Attorney General's Office letter urging Rock Island to rescind its Social Service License Ordinance is forthcoming, according to Illinois State Representative Gregg Johnson. A source with direct knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity, said Johnson informed Rock Island city leaders—including Mayor Ashley Harris an

Moral injury  is the harm that occurs when a person is forced to witness, participate in, or live alongside actions that violate their deepest moral beliefs — especially when those actions are carried out by systems that are supposed to protect people. It is not burnout. It is not compassion fatigue. It is the wound that forms when systems fail to take responsibility for foreseeable harm, leaving individuals to witness outcomes they have no realistic power to prevent. The gif

What disability integration taught me in 6th grade — and how Rock Island keeps her spirit In sixth grade at Eugene Field Elementary School, I had the job of grinding a classmate’s food so he could eat lunch with the rest of us. Born with a severe form of cerebral palsy, he needed help eating, and our school invited his peers—children—to step into that role. I can still feel the small hand-crank grinder in my palms, see the food softening as I worked, and remember lifting the

When I crossed the threshold of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at 9 p.m. last night, the Project NOW coordinator counted me as part of the unhoused community. I had slipped in behind Marshall and one of our unhoused friends as they guided a blind senior citizen—unsteady on his feet—toward his cot. They supported him with such gentleness, one on each side, easing him down and helping him orient to the unfamiliar room. I bent down and tucked his belongings beneath

This weekend, a 58-hour emergency shelter will open in Rock Island — a partnership between the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Project NOW, Inc. The MLK Center will host the shelter inside its beautiful community facility, and Project NOW will provide financial backing, operational support, and professional expertise. The Third Place QC will help coordinate meals throughout the weekend. Opening Friday at 9 p.m. and concluding at 7 a.m. Monday, the shelter will und

This past week, a Rock Island woman died inside an abandoned building in Moline, Illinois. Friends affectionately called her “Mama" and described her as warm and loving. After this article was first published, her daughter reached out and asked that her mother’s name be removed for now, as the family is still reeling from the loss and awaiting information from authorities. I have honored that request and will refer to her as Mama moving forward. The news of her death traveled

An article about the historic Argus building in Rock Island, IL

An article discusses universal healthcare as human infrastructure and crucial to capitalism.

A satire on the use of religion and the founding fathers to exert social control on a minority of people.

“The Scourged Back” shows the scarred back of escaped slave Peter Gordon in Louisiana, 1863. (McPherson & Oliver/National Gallery of Art)...

The Rock Island City Council has introduced a new Social Services License Ordinance  that will reshape how our community responds to homelessness. At first glance, it may look like regulation, but beneath the legal language lies a shift in values that risks undermining the very character of Rock Island. You can read a copy of the ordinance here: Here are five reasons why this ordinance is deeply concerning. 1. Rock Island Will Become the Most Restrictive City in Illinois for

John Rawls America finds itself in a period of deep polarization. Headlines lurch from one controversy to the next, while social media...

As promised, I am going to release three different users' Chat GPT responses to the following prompt: PROMPT: You are an expert in urban...

As promised, I am going to release three different users Chat GPT responses to the following prompt: PROMPT: You are an expert in urban...

As promised, I am going to release three different users' Chat GPT responses to the following prompt: PROMPT: You are an expert in urban...

The current formats available to community members to discuss collective issues often exacerbate division, fail to build community, and...

An article on the current state of the Century Woods TIF

Helping the public understand a TIF and the proposed TIF in Rock Island.