- [Narrator] Wheelan-Pressley Funeral Home and Crematory, a proud supporter of WQPT, has been serving Quad City families since 1889.

They now have live stream capabilities for viewing your loved one's funeral or memorial service.

- [Narrator] At IHMVCU, we've always been here for you.

You are and always will be our top priority.

We care about your financial and physical health, and we are here.

IHMVCU is a proud supporter of WQPT.

- Living with COVID, we look at the fatigue and the facts.

Plus veterans have we got a deal for you in The Cities.

(uplifting music) Welcome to the start of another year with COVID and its variants.

We're seeing hospitalizations rise with both the Delta and Omicron variants spreading at the same time.

But we've learned so much more about the virus since just a year ago.

We've learned about the safeguards we need and the vaccines that are available.

Are we at the point now that we need to live with the virus from this point forward?

It's a question facing public health professionals across the country.

And we talk with Janet Hill of the Rock Island County Health Department.

Janet, these latest numbers, these large numbers of infections as well as hospitalizations come two years into this pandemic.

I mean, you sit there and go, "Is it over?

Is it ever gonna be over?"

And then another wave occurs.

- That's right, so we're in the middle of a holiday related surge.

We've had almost 4000 cases since December 1st, and more than 24,000 cases total.

The big difference this year, is that last year, we had 100 deaths in December alone.

And this year, well it's not good, it's not as bad, it's 35 deaths.

We know that Omicron is highly infectious more so than other variants.

But if you're vaccinated and boosted, the very likelihood that you're gonna get extremely sick is small.

- And right now one of the biggest issues of course, is testing.

I think a lot of people who wanted to get tested in order to visit with family and friends for the holidays.

Now perhaps people wanna get tested because they wanna get away from winter and go on vacations and holidays.

Is this seem to be a problem that you're, you see, we're gonna see all throughout January?

Is the lack of tests available for people who need them?

- So our healthcare and pharmacy partners have been, are testing more houses throughout this here in our region.

Other parts of the state and in Iowa, there are different ways to get test.

And our closest state testing sites are in Peoria and Rockford.

But they are now going to be open six days a week.

As far as a state testing site here we have not heard of any plans to open one.

- And let's be honest, I mean, that was one of those things that the Pritzker Administration put into place for these statewide testing locations.

And the fact that there's not one in the Quad Cities you had mentioned before, is also a point of frustration for people in Rock Island County.

- That's right, I think that the state looks at it as, we are in the same health care region as Peoria and they have put a testing site within our region.

- Yeah, that'd be like telling people in Chicago go to Kankakee, and that's not gonna happen.

Let's talk a little bit about what is going on in the Quad Cities right now, because we are seeing this spike.

It, but is it almost entirely Delta and a little Omicron?

Or are we seeing any Omicron yet?

- We don't know specifically, because each test would have to be genetically sequenced to find out which variant it is.

But we can't, what we do know is that people who are getting sick and do not need hospitalization have symptoms that are closer to, just a regular seasonal cold.

They may have a runny nose, they may have a cough, their throat might be sore.

It's the unvaccinated people who are getting extremely sick.

And that could be Omicron or it could be Delta.

We just know that they don't have protection against either.

- Well, I'm assuming that you've learned more about the Coronavirus that you've ever had hoped.

And now we're down to the Omicron variant, which seems to be less deadly than the Delta variant.

Which seemed to be what?

Less deadly than the original COVID-19.

Is that true?

I mean, is it that the variants are becoming more widespread but perhaps weaker?

- I think the main difference is that we have highly effective vaccines.

So we have about 60% in Rock Island County who are protected.

And when you are vaccinated, you are protected from more serious illness and death.

So it may not seem as, that it's as bad but it is very much as bad for the people who are not vaccinated.

- We've kind of reached that that point where the people who wanna get vaccinated have been vaccinated.

And you look at Rock Island County, and I think you pointed out about 60% of the population is vaccinated.

And correct me if I'm wrong, I think it's almost 70% statewide.

Why is Rock Island County lagging?

- Well, I think that you can look all across the country and look at places that have high vaccination rates and places that have lower vaccination rates.

In the Rock Island County we're kind of a mix of both.

I think that, more in the northeast, more in California, Oregon are high vaccination rates, and some places in the south are very low vaccination rates.

And Rock Island County is a mixed.

- Is it a minority thinks?

I know that you've reached out to the Hispanic community and the black community when it was the original shots.

And I think that you've been seeing a lag as far as boosters, among the minority communities.

Again, I mean, is there going to be another outreach or are you not seeing that?

- We are right now, our booster clinics are pretty full.

I mean, we have Tuesdays we do Moderna and Johnson and Johnson, and Friday, we do Pfizers.

And we are seeing a lot of people come through.

And our pharmacy and healthcare partners are also doing vaccinations.

The difference between now and when we were doing a lot of that outreach is that there was not as much available vaccine in the community.

And, now you can go to vaccines.gov, and find exactly what brand you need and exactly how far you're willing to travel to get it.

It's just more available now than it was in the earliest stages of this vaccination effort.

- We're also seeing more people though, if you think about it, 'cause I mean it's going down to the age group of five year olds on up.

When we're talking about the vaccination of the very young children and school aged kids.

What have you been seeing?

I mean, is there still an outreach there?

Or are the numbers of the youngsters getting the shots going well I guess?

- We're doing pretty well on getting the children five and older, vaccinated.

Just like at the beginning of the vaccination effort for adults, vaccine was not as readily available and is not without as many providers.

And so we're seeing supply and providers increase for children.

The State Department of Public Health really would like to see children be able to get vaccinated in their primary care physicians offices.

It's a little bit different vaccinating children than it is adults in a mass vaccination clinic.

Basically, if one child becomes upset, you can have a whole room of children becoming upset.

So the state really wants it to be a doctor's offices.

We do it here once a week at our offices on Fridays.

Right now we are doing on appointment based, from nine to four with a lunch from noon to one.

And appointments go live on our website at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays.

We are working on plans to make it a walk in clinic in the future, just like with our adult clinics.

- And it leads me really to the question in regards to schools right now is because the way COVID-19 was treated a year ago, was pretty much remote learning, shut down, be careful.

And now we're seeing schools reopening or well, I should say there are a lot of schools that are going remote in some of the larger cities like Milwaukee I know did it.

What role do you have with local school districts, as far as determining whether or not it's safe to go to school or not?

- We offer advice but we are not the person or the organization that makes any decisions.

We offer the advice that the State Department of Public Health and the CDC gives.

It's important to note that pretty much every child in a K through 12 School District is eligible for vaccination.

It's five and older.

And children are five when they go to kindergarten.

Now preschoolers we're not quite there yet.

But everyone in a K through 12 School District is eligible for vaccination.

- I think I've asked you this before is the politics I should have said that's been involved in this, especially when it comes to masks as well as any type of mandates.

Has that eased at all?

I mean, are people getting more used to the fact that, "Okay, we have to get this done, we better get it done."

- I think that people are starting to realize that their behaviors are not going to change or the results are not going to change if behavior doesn't change.

And that we know that masking works.

Last year, we had a virtually non existent flu season.

And while flu and COVID are very different diseases, they are both respiratory illnesses that are prevented by wearing a mask.

And we know that vaccination works for both of them.

So I think that people are starting to understand that their direct actions will have an impact on the greater pandemic.

- Yeah, I think also, the use of hand sanitizer was also a big issue last year, if you think about it.

It's like, I think people that had never even used hand sanitizers, were using it in great quantities.

Tell me about the flu season right now, because I know that it is popping up a little bit in Iowa, statewide.

What's going on in the Quad City area when it comes to flu?

- So this, the State of Illinois does not track by individual cases.

We know, there are several sites throughout the state.

And we know that in our region that includes Peoria that cases are starting to rise a little bit, we are not to where we were pre 2019.

But the flu is out there and we know what prevents it.

We know vaccination prevents serious illness and we know that basic public health guidance of washing your hands, staying home when you're sick, cleaning your surfaces will help keep the flu at bay this year, too.

- I think a lot of people were caught off guard in the opposite direction last year, when there was almost no influenza in the area.

I mean, how unique was that?

- It was historic and to me, it proves just what I said that masking works.

Flu is a respiratory illness, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness.

And because of public health interventions it basically didn't exist last year.

- Let's talk and I always end with this.

Let's talk about the health department and your staff.

Besides COVID-19, besides the flu, what are you guys working on?

And what type of messages in other areas of healthcare are you trying to get across right now?

So because of the pandemic, we have seen fewer children coming in for regular childhood vaccinations, that's just, not just here, our health department we offer.

We do offer those vaccinations, but they're not going into their primary care physician either.

And we know that vaccination works to prevent these illnesses that people haven't seen in generations because they have been vaccinated.

So we're working to get people to understand that the pandemic is a part of our daily life but we need to consider other parts of health also.

People need to get their children tested for lead.

Lead is a danger in a community that has older housing stock like we do here in the Quad Cities.

And getting your child tested for lead and getting the risk removed from your home is something that must continue each pandemic or not.

- What do you think about 2022, once we get through this, as you say holiday surge?

I don't know, you're as frustrated as everyone else is in regards to talking to COVID-19.

You're very kind to talk to me about it once again.

But what do you see for 2022 if you had that crystal ball?

- I think as long as we get people to take the vaccine and take the booster and follow public health guidance, we will get through this.

It cannot go on forever, we cannot let it go on forever and that means that you need to take personal action to help you, your family and your community.

- Janet Hill of the Rock Island County Health Department.

In a moment amazing opportunities for veterans now being offered.

But first, we kick off the new year with new ideas for you and your friends and family, when you wanna go out and about here's Laura Adams.

- [Laura] This is out about for January 6th through 13th.

Bald Eagle Days continue at the QCCA Expo Center through January 9th or check out the new home of the American Doll and Toy Museum in Rock Island.

Their open house takes place the 8th from 11 to six.

While the Quad City Rollers present a Roller Derby Bootcamp in Eldridge.

A seven week session to cover all the basic skills of roller derby.

Space is limited to 15, so sign up now.

On the entertainment front, there's Tomfoolery on Tremont at the Renwick Mansion.

Featuring Ran Barnaclo on January 9th.

Circa '21 opens the hysterically funny comedy, "The Play That Goes Wrong," that runs through mid March.

While the Brunner Theater Center on the campus of Augustana present "Medea" running the 13th through the 15th.

Or join Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Principal Oboist Andrew Parker for an intimate evening of music at the Figge Art Museum, the 8th at 7:30.

Plus there's more comedy with Joe Gatto of the TV show, "Impractical Jokers" at Rhythm City Casino the 13th at eight.

And Viva La Divas delivers unforgettable production numbers at the Circa '21 Speakeasy, January 7th at eight.

And you can always catch hockey at the Tax Layer Center.

Visit our area museums or take classes at a variety of locations throughout the Quad Cities and surrounding areas.

For more information visit wqpt.org.

(uplifting music) - Thank you Laura.

Each week we bring you local musicians who wanna share their own original material.

The drummer who goes by the name Dead Ginger has been creating music he says, identifies with his inner soul.

He joined us at the stage of the Black Box Theater in Moline.

Here's Dead Ginger with "Clarity To Chaos."

("Clarity To Chaos") Dead Ginger with "Clarity To Chaos" performed at Moline's Black Box Theater.

Iowa has embarked on a mission to find good homes and good jobs for military veterans.

It's a belief that the people who serve their country have a good possibility of serving as good neighbors and good co workers.

Since this summer, Scott County has been declared a home base Iowa community, partnering the city, the county, the Quad Cities Chamber, and area colleges and employers in an effort to find veterans good homes and good jobs.

What's happened since the launch earlier this year?

We talked with Emily Codling, who's the talent manager for the Quad Cities Chamber.

Emily, the Home Base Iowa Community Program has been around now what?

For a couple months now in the Quad Cities.

What exactly does it offer?

- Yeah, so the Home Base Iowa Program encourages our military veterans and their spouses and their families to make Iowa their home after serving.

They do this through both job services and relocation resources.

So the Home Base Iowa website helps veterans and their transitioning service members find jobs and resources throughout the state.

But then also the chamber what we're doing is we're administrating the incentive program that is being offered by both Scott County in the City of Davenport.

So there's home purchase incentives for veterans that are moving into the county or into the city for the first time.

And then the county is also offering some interview travel reimbursements for those that have to come into the county to interview.

- That's a huge issue because I mean, as we know in Iowa, there's always been this flight of people that left the university or whatever.

I mean, this is kinda trying to counteract that, right?

Trying to get people into Iowa to find a home and to stay.

- Absolutely, yeah.

One of the Chamber's, big things that we're working on is talent attraction.

It's a big key strategy to building a successful region here.

As, and we realize that that trend's provided great skills and experience needed by the employers in our region.

So we're just trying to encourage them to come here and make Iowa their home and build some roots here.

- Well, and let's be honest right now getting a job I mean for employers, it's so competitive.

It, does this somehow give the Quad City area and Iowa a little bit more of a competitive edge or are other states doing similar programs?

- Yeah, I mean, the Home Base Iowa is, the State of Iowa is one of the few that I do know that's, that has a big robust program in a statewide like this.

Illinois does also have some programs that they're offering for employers as far as tax breaks and things like that goes.

But this incentive to really bring people and move people to the State of Iowa is something that's, is pretty unique.

And, yeah, like you said, it, workforce is something that we all are dealing with on a daily basis.

And it isn't just a local issue, it is a state issue, it is a national issue.

And, we just, the truth is we have more job openings than individuals available.

And the Quad Cities is competing with everyone else to attract this talent.

- So does this actually help like a veteran?

For a veteran who lives in the Illinois Quad Cities I mean, they could just cross the river and get these benefits.

- Right, yes, yeah.

And one of the big things too, is the job search option on the Home Base Iowa website.

And Illinois businesses can also participate in that as well.

So they can post as a Home Base Iowa business, and they can look at the resumes of the veterans, and yeah, and encourage them to move here as well.

- Well, and it's not an insignificant tax break, either.

It can be up to $8,500.

- Yeah, so they are, there's a couple different things that are being offered.

There is the $5,000 grant that's given through the State of Iowa, and that's the Military Home Ownership Assistance Program.

And that's done through the Iowa Finance Authority.

And that's something that's done at the time of closing.

So that's something that the veteran will work with their lender on, when they are getting ready to purchase the home.

And then the other incentives that are being offered locally, we have a $1,500 home purchase incentive through Scott County, and then a $1,500 home purchase incentive through the City of Davenport.

So if you're moving into the county for the first time, you'll get that incentive and you can move into the City of Davenport for the first time you get that incentive.

So if you're, yeah coming in from out of the state or out of the county, and you move into Davenport, you can get up to $3,000 just in a home purchase incentive.

That you just get after, and I can obviously send all the information to any veteran that's interested in finding out kinda how all the details of that works.

And then yeah, as I mentioned earlier, there is also the job interview incentive.

So if you have to travel into Scott County to apply for a job, there's up to $250 per visit, up to two times that you can get for a hotel and meal cost reimbursement, investments while you're traveling here as well.

- Well, you really unveiled this in August, what have you seen since then?

- There is a lot of people that are excited for it and learning more.

Not a tone of participation yet, we've had two veterans take advantage of the county incentive.

But we're really hoping now that we're starting to get the information out there, people are learning more about it.

That will get a little bit more and then obviously, the wintertime is not the time people are buying a lot of homes anyways.

We're hoping to see some uptick in spring when new home purchases go up.

- Well, you're really actively involved in job recruitment and helping employers in the Quad City area find workers.

And we're looking at like Sterilite and Deere and now Amazon this year.

What is the qualities he's looking for?

I mean, what kind of training is needed now or retraining?

- Yeah, I mean, we know that there is just, we pretty much need everything.

I think everyone can say that.

We know, John Deere needs welders, Genesis needs health care workers.

We have needs in tech, in hospitality, logistics.

There's a lot of things that we do need.

John Deere was instrumental in this program's expansion into our region.

The first two veterans that we had come in, both were from John Deere, and they were here through this Department of Defense's Skill Bridge Program.

Which is a program, that's also really great program that John Deere is a part of.

That gives transitioning service members the ability to work and learn new skills during their final six months of service.

But yeah, there, we have a lot of different needs for a lot of different jobs, that's for sure.

- And you got a lot of different ways of training because I know you've got the schools of higher learning actively involved, whether it's Eastern Iowa Community Colleges or St. Ambrose as well.

- Yeah, so both Eastern Iowa and St. Ambrose are considered Certified Higher Academic Military Partners, which is CHAMPs.

And so both of them offer veteran resources and a lot of the transitional and financial assistance that the veterans need.

So yeah, anyone that wants any more information on those they can reach out to the veteran service offices at those schools.

- And we've been talking about veterans.

I mean, is it more than just veterans?

Is it the veterans families?

Is it spouses?

How does this work as, how do you define a veteran, I guess?

- Yeah, so the financial incentives are for the veterans.

They do have, to be the ones purchasing the homes, but obviously their families benefit from them buying a house.

They do need to show some proof of honorable discharge to apply.

So that is something that you need.

But on the Home Base Iowa website, the job search is available to both veterans and their spouses.

So both of them can benefit from that.

There's also a lot of local veteran resources such as those that like Iowa works that offer a lot of those services to both veterans and all their families.

- I gotta tell you the truth, all I did was Google search, what Home Base Iowa.

And that website is amazing, and what it shows for the possibility of veterans.

Not only is there a listing of all these jobs in all these different cities, but also all of the other benefits, like you said, CHAMPs which is the higher education program, and the tax breaks as well.

I would say if you're a veteran, you gotta go to that website.

- Yeah, absolutely.

And for those that are outside the region, yeah just, it gives you that chance to see that Iowa is actively looking and hiring these veterans.

And it's a great place for them to move and have their next chapter of their lives after their services have ended.

- Well, and Emily let's look at 2022 because I think in nationwide, they said November more people left their jobs than ever it's.

It's historic.

- It's all right, yeah.

- How people are trying to move on to either jobs that they want to do, that they felt trapped in other jobs, or that they feel they're better qualified.

Is 2022 gonna be a transformational year when it comes to jobs?

- I do think a lot of people are realizing that they wanna have a meaningful job in something that they care about.

And I do think that 2020 is gonna be a year that, you'll see a lot of people making transitions.

And instead of the great recession, it's the great reshuffling, I think is what some people are using now.

And yeah, and I do think that this is gonna be a great opportunity for people to find out what they really wanna do.

And, hopefully they can find that in here in the Quad Cities.

- Emily Codling, talent manager for the Quad Cities Chamber.

On the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile device, and streaming on your computer, thanks for taking some time to join us as we talk about the issues on The Cities.

(tranquil music) - [Narrator] Wheelan-Pressley Funeral Home and Crematory, a proud supporter of WQPT, has been serving Quad City families since 1889.

They now have live stream capabilities for viewing your loved one's funeral or memorial service.

- [Narrator] At IHMVCU, we've always been here for you.

You are and always will be our top priority.

We care about your financial and physical health and we are here.

IHMVCU is a proud supporter of WQPT.