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Quad Cities drivers seeing a spike in gas prices

As Memorial Day approaches, drivers are seeing a spike in gas prices.

Gas prices are rising because two large refineries near Chicago have been shut down for maintenance. It is expected they will be back up and running after Memorial Day, according to a report by the Times-Republican.

According to AAA, Iowa drivers are paying about $3.67 per gallon of regular gas.

The average for Illinois drivers is $3.99 per gallon.

The national average is $3.61.

First Day of the IAHSAA Track & Field State Meet

Iowa high schools met at Drake University in Des Moines for day one of the IAHSAA state track meet.

According to IAHSAA’s results website, Pleasant Valley senior, Chloe Miller took third place in the Class 4A discus. Miller threw 41.51-meters.

Freshman, Kelli DeGeorge from Pleasant Valley won the Class 4A high jump clearing 5-feet, 4-inches.

The Class 4A girls’ 4×100-meter relay took second place, about 4-seconds behind the first place team from Waukee.

Quad City area girls took over the Class 4A 400 meter dash. From Davenport North, senior Alisha Jones took first with a time of 55.90 seconds. Sophomore Kaley Ciluffo from Pleasant Valley, senior Mahnee Watts from Bettendorf, and Larkin Chapman from Muscatine took second, third, and fourth respectively.

Meet the Niabi Zoo binturong

Niabi Zoo director Marc Heinzman introduces us to a binturong, commonly called a bear-cat.

State Farm: Illinois was second worst in the nation for dog bites

The city of Galesburg will hold a public hearing Thursday night to talk about its animal ordinance and discuss how it can decrease dog bites.

Over the past three years, Galesburg’s dog bite numbers have both increased and decreased from year to year. In 2010, the city recorded 75 dog bites. In 2011, it recorded 64, but in 2012, the city recorded 79 of them.

The task force is meeting two months after a pitbull killed seven year-old Ryan Maxwell. Last Wednesday, the city held its first public meeting to deal with the dog bite situation and animal control issue.

New numbers also came out Wednesday from State Farm Insurance. It says that Illinois is the second worst state in the nation when it comes to dog bites. State Farm took in 337 dog bite claims in Illinois in 2012.

I-80 bridge construction to last through October

Construction that began on the I-80 bridge on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 is scheduled to last through mid-October.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, Eagle Painting and Maintenance will be painting and cleaning sections of the structural steel on the bridge.

The outside lane on the bridge heading westbound from Illinois to Iowa will be closed. The contractor is using that lane to access the underside of the bridge. The open westbound lane will be restricted to a width of 12-feet, 6-inches. Wide loads will be detoured to I-280.

Eastbound traffic will not have any lane closures.

U.S. Cellular and Mediacom service down

Updated at 9:47 p.m., Wednesday, May 15- On U.S. Cellular’s Facebook page, customers were saying they were regaining service around 9:30 p.m.

Original story published at 6:43 p.m., Wednesday, May 15- U.S. Cellular and Mediacom customers were reporting their services not working on Wednesday evening.

According to a spokesperson from the U.S. Cellular retail store in Moline, Illinois, a fiber optic cable has been cut, affecting phone service.

Mediacom Cable said customers in Waterloo, Dubuque, and Iowa City, Iowa and Lena, Illinois and surrounding areas may be experiencing trouble with their services. The estimated time of repair is 1 a.m.

Some drivers may now renew licenses online

Iowa residents will have the option to renew their driver’s licenses online.

A new law signed Wendesday, May 15, 2013 by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad says that drivers who meet certain qualifications can renew their license electronically.

Drivers must file a vision report and may not renew electronically twice in a row.

The new law is effective immediately.