Heavy rains and flooding has forced more than three dozen communities in north central and northeast Iowa to release untreated sewage into nearby streams and rivers, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

Resident living near those communities with private wells for drinking water are being cautioned by the IDNR about using those sources.

The rain and the resulting flooding caused overflows to a total of 37 wastewater treatment plants, forcing the facilities to bypass treatment to prevent backups of sewage into homes and businesses.

As Davenport and Bettendorf complete the third year of a court-ordered sewer system improvement program, dumping of raw sewage into the Mississippi River remains an issue during summer months after heavy rains.

However, there are signs the effort to seal leaky sewer lines and fix blockages in riverfront interceptors is reducing the volume of raw and partially treated sewage that is pumped into the river.

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. – owner of Bettendorf's Isle of Capri Casino – announced this morning (9/19) it had reached an agreement to be acquired by Eldorado Resorts of Reno, Nevada in a stock and cash transaction valued at $1.7 billion.

Eldorado would acquire all the outstanding Isle stock for $23 per share, or 1.638 shares of Eldorado common stock for each share of Isle stock. The $1.7 billion value includes the assumption of the Isle's $929 million of long-term debt.

The public will now have until the end of September to comment on Alcoa's request to increase by 24 percent the amount of oil/grease, chromium, zinc, cyanide and other suspended solids it is allowed to discharge into the Mississippi River each month.

The higher volumes of chemicals contained in wastewater from the Riverdale plant are generated by the recently completed expansion of the facility to serve the automotive aluminum market.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) ordered the notice be republished because of a mix-up in wording in some of the initial notices. The result was another 30-day period for the public to submit comments on the proposed change. Citizens can submit comments until Sept. 30 by email to: linda.hoehn@alcoa.com, or in writing to the company at 4879 State St., Bettendorf, IA 52722.

First quarter revenues at the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. – owner of Bettendorf's Isle of Capri gambling operation – fell 2.4 percent in the first quarter, but the St. Louis-based firm managed to post a $10.3 million profit, 25 cents per share, for the three-month period ended July 24.

Revenues at the gambling firm totaled $240.9 million for the first quarter, compared to $246.9 million for the same period a year ago.

The vision of gleaming glass office towers nestled in a landscaped park-like campus surrounding Bettendorf's Interstate 80/Middle Road gateway is succumbing to the reality that residential subdivisions remain the city's bread-and-butter development.

Davenport-based Lee Enterprises announced the sale this morning (8/22) of its Provo, Utah daily newspaper and online news site to Ogden Newspapers, Inc., a privately owned West Virginia company which owns more than 40 daily newspapers, has majority ownership in the Pittsburg Pirates baseball team, and publishes Mother Earth News and Unte Reader magazines.

Alcoa's Davenport Works wants to increase the amount of pollutants it can discharge into the Mississippi River by 24 percent to accommodate higher quantities of oil/grease, chromium, zinc, cyanide and other suspended solids generated by expansion of the Riverdale plant to serve the automotive aluminum market.

The company is seeking modification of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The permit revisions, if approved, would allow the plant to discharge a combined average of 548 pounds of pollutants each day into the river. That's an average of 106 pounds per day more than the plant's current permitted discharge.

Based on the plant's 312 production days each year, the change would permit the plant to dispose of an additional 33,000 pounds of those pollutants into the river annually.

Roadway reconstruction related to the new Interstate 74 Bridge may be a puzzle now to motorists in downtown Bettendorf, but an even more significant street reconfiguration may be on the horizon – conversion of the Grant and State Street one-ways to two-way traffic.

The city council Tuesday (Aug. 2) approved hiring a traffic consultant for $100,000 to conduct an analysis of the two downtown one-ways with an eye toward making them into two-way streets.

Third quarter earnings at Lee Enterprises, Inc. have increased compared with the same period a year ago despite a nearly 5 percent drop in net revenues at the Davenport-based media company.

The company Thursday (8/4) reported earnings of $4.4 million, 8 cents per share, for the three-months ended June 26, compared with $2.14 million, 3 cents per share, for the same quarter in 2015.