June 18, 1981: Jerry Cavanaugh of Quint Cities Cablevision reported to the Eldridge City Council that cable television services was anticipated to become available to residents by August. He said the service would be up and running in Long Grove in October.

We give you flowers so your home may always know beauty, Bread so your home may never know hunger, Salt so it may always have flavor, A candle so your home will never know darkness And sugar, so that life will always be sweet.

I have always believed our lives are fueled by stories. Stories engage us. We share them, tell them, read them, write them, watch them, and listen to them. They are all around us, and everyone has their own to tell. But most importantly, stories offer us perspective.

Scott County Democrats, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, just completed a brief 14-day effort cultivating a staggering 6,211 eligible Scott County Iowa voters’ signatures to petition for a special election for the position of county auditor. The auditor is the office in charge of overseeing all elections in Scott County, and the person whose integrity is responsible for preserving our most basic democratic principle, our right to vote.  The only other reported attempts to force a special election in Scott County resulted in collecting just over 3,500 signatures in more than a month's time.     

Among many post-pandemic challenges facing communities across the nation, Scott County has two somewhat unique problems that require our immediate and focused attention.

"What does the Democratic party have for their party platform? Here are a few things that I’m told are a part of their beliefs: defund the police, higher taxes, open borders, gun control, censorship of some people on social media ..."

"Senators Grassley and Ernst, your oath of office was to the country and the constitution, not to your party or the former president ..."

"Our survival through reconciliation depends on whether we are able to engage in conversations about the past treatment and present attitudes toward non-white Americans ..."

"Please remember: our country possesses an amazing capacity for self-renewal and a genius for self-correction. America is still the one and only; the place where dreams come true ..."

Erin Gentz's "Our Past" column informs that it was 25 years ago we lost NSP founder Bob Parrott, at age 66.

A Celebration of Life service for Susan Carol Woodford, 78, of Princeton, will be held from 2-5 p.m. Friday, July 2, at Boll's Community Center, Princeton. The Runge Mortuary, Davenport, is assisting the family with arrangements.

A Celebration of Life service for Orville Leonard Elmshaeuser, 87, a resident of Grand Haven, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 19, at Park View Lutheran Church. Burial will be at a later date in St. John's Cemetery, Ogallala, Neb. Cremation rites have been accorded.

Burial for Warren Gries, 73, of Long Grove, will be Monday, June 21, at Rock Island National Cemetery. The Runge Mortuary, Davenport, is assisting the family with arrangements.

A celebration of life service for Marilyn M. Lamp, 87, of Fairview, Iowa, will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 27, at the Walcott American Legion. Burial will be in the Walcott Cemetery at noon.

A funeral mass for Dorothy Irene "Dottie' Bayles, 79, of Maquoketa, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 19, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Maquoketa. Burial will be in Summit Cemetery, rural Davenport. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Friday, June 18, at Dawson Funeral Services, Maquoketa, where the rosary will be recited at 3:30 p.m.

Debbie and Ron Wallace of Long Grove will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 19.

Katelyn Tharp of Eldridge and Christopher Wolfram of Davenport are engaged to be married.

Brian and Alyssa Gluesing of Eldridge are the parents of a daughter born at 2:19 p.m. June 4, 2021, at Genesis East Medical Center, Davenport.

Barbara E. Schroeder, 80, of Eldridge, passed away on Thursday, June 10, 2021, at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf.

A funeral service for Eleanor Esther "Ellie" Niemann, 83, of Walcott, will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 21, at Calvary United Methodist Church, Walcott. Burial will be in Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday, June 20, from 3-5 p.m. at the Bentley Funeral Home, Durant.

Amy Meyer and Jesse Martinez, both of Onalaska, Wis., are engaged to be married.

Mark Allen Peters, 48, son of Eldon and Marietta (Holtz) Peters, passed away on June 1, 2021, at his home. Per his wishes, cremation rites have been accorded. A memorial service was held at 12 noon on Sunday, June 6, at Weerts Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.weertsfh.com.    

Deanna Mae Steinmann, 84, was called to heaven Monday morning, May 24, 2021. Deanna married Bradford E. Steinmann Jan. 10, 1955, in Wilton. Deanna and Brad made their home in Walcott, moving to Florida in the early 1980s. Deanna was born to Orey and Mabel Schumaker on March 1, 1937.

Shirley Ann Mirfield, 90, of Long Grove, passed away on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. A visitation was held from 4:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, at Park View Lutheran Church. A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 9 (today), at Park View Lutheran Church. Shirley will be laid to rest in Davenport Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to Habitat for Humanity, Handicap Development Center, or Park View Lutheran Church Quilters. Online condolences may be expressed at www.rungemortuary.com.

Susan K. Wulf, 75, of Davenport, and formerly of Blue Grass, was called to the Lord on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.