Early morning update: Primaries and potholes

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By Rick Rector | Wednesday, January 9, 2008 6:28 AM CST | () comments

Good morning, Quad-Cities. It’s 28 degrees out there -- 19 degrees factoring in the wind chill -- under fair skies. And it looks like we’ve got ourselves a horse race for president. New Hampshire primary winners Hillary Clinton and John McCain will carry big “mo,” as in momentum, into Tuesday’s Michigan primary. At stake in Michigan will be 30 Republican delegates, 0 Democratic delegates. Because Michigan broke party rules by moving up its primary, it has been stripped of half its GOP delegates and all its Democratic ones. Leaders of both state parties expect to regain the lost delegates at their respective conventions, but Barack Obama, John Edwards and Bill Richardson have pulled their names off the ballot.

Next stops: Nevada caucus on Jan. 19; South Carolina Republican primary on Jan. 19.

At stake in Nevada, 31 GOP delegates, 25 Democratic delegates; in South Carolina, 24 GOP delegates. The national party stripped 23 delegates from South Carolina because the state broke party rules when it moved its primary before Feb. 5.

Beware of potholes

December’s numerous snow and ice storms in the Quad-Cities have brought an early season bumper crop of potholes, many capable of blowing out a tire and bending a rim. (CLICK HERE to see related story.) A side effect of winter, potholes usually don’t start to rattle my teeth until late February or early March. Potholes are caused by water in the pores and cracks of pavement freezing and expanding. The repeated expansion breaks apart the pavement. As vehicles drive over the weakened areas, potholes are gouged from the concrete or asphalt surface. Street maintenance crews in the Quad-Cities repair potholes throughout the year and try to repair them in a timely manner.

The city of Moline is having a little fun by sponsoring a “pothole of the month” contest through March 31. Each month, the city will award a $50 gift certificate to the resident who reports the largest pothole in Moline. Residents may enter the contest by calling the Pothole Hotline at 309-797-0425, or by submitting their name, phone number, address and the location of the pothole by using the online service request on the CITY’S WEB SITE. http://www.moline.il.us/ Entries will be posted based upon the date and time the request is received. But just so others driving Quad-City streets won’t feel left out -- if you see a stretch of particularly rough street with potholes so numerous they look like bomb craters -- here’s where you can call to report potholes: Davenport: 326-7923; Bettendorf: 344-4088; Moline: 797-0425; Rock Island: 732-2200; East Moline: 752-1573. CLICK HERE to view our pothole map and plot your own nasty craters.

Area river flooding

A flood advisory is now in effect for the Wapsipinicon River in Clinton and Scott counties and the Iowa River in Louisa County. Recent rainfall, snowmelt and ice action have caused rapid rises and fluctuations in river levels.

Meanwhile, a flood warning remains in effect for the Rock River in Whiteside and Rock Island counties. At 3:30 a.m. the river level was 12.2 feet at Moline. Flood stage is 12.0 feet. This is affecting residents in the Friendship Farm area and has closed 1st Avenue N., or 256th Street N. in Barstow, Ill. The river is expected to continue rising to 12.6 feet by tomorrow morning then begin falling.

Today’s weather

Today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 42 degrees. The low will be around 32 degrees. Come Thursday, though, more snow could be in store for the Quad-Cities. Source: National Weather Service.

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Drop us an e-mail at newsroom@qctimes.com or give us a call at (563) 383-2235 if you see breaking news such as house fires, traffic accidents and congestion, road conditions, street closures, detours and water main breaks in the Quad-City region.

Time to throw out the Christmas tree

Moline is offering free Christmas tree disposal during the month of January. Christmas trees will be collected when placed with regular garbage on normal collection days. Residents should place their tree three feet from their garbage cart to allow for proper collection.

The city will also provide free brush/tree limb disposal during the month of January for those tree limbs that fell during the recent ice storm. Tree limbs will be collected when placed with regular garbage on normal collection days. City crews request that limbs be bundled no longer than 4 ft and no more than 1 ft in diameter, and placed at least three feet from garbage cart.

In Bettendorf, Christmas tree collection is scheduled through Friday on residents’ regular collection day. All ornaments, plastic wrap and tree stands must be removed, and trees should be left on curb by 7 a.m.

In Davenport, trees will be picked up for free through Friday. Put them out on your normal garbage collection day.

In Rock Island free Christmas tree collection will be through Jan 25. Christmas trees should be placed at the normal garbage set-out point on the citizen's normal garbage collection day.

In East Moline, Trees will be pickup for free from Jan. 14-18. Put them out on your normal garbage collection day.

Road work

Here is the latest road construction work in your area.

Henry County

-- Eastbound traffic is restricted to one lane on I-80 at Cleveland Road until December.

-- Drivers on Illinois 78 from 2 miles north of I-80 to Coal Creek should expect lane restrictions during road improvements until December.

Carroll County

-- Eastbound and westbound traffic on U.S. 52 and Illinois 64 from east of Savanna to east of Illinois 78 will be restricted to one lane and controlled by traffic signals until Dec. 1.