Jonathan Turner
Jonathan Turner has three decades of varied Quad Cities journalism experience, and currently does freelance writing for not only WVIK, but QuadCities.com, River Cities Reader and Visit Quad Cities. He loves writing about music and the arts, as well as a multitude of other topics including features on interesting people, places, and organizations. A longtime piano player (who has been accompanist at Davenport's Zion Lutheran Church since 1999) with degrees in music from Oberlin College and Indiana University, he has a passion for accompanying musicals, singers, choirs, and instrumentalists. He even wrote his own musical ("Hard to Believe") based on The Book of Job, which premiered at Playcrafters in 2010. He wrote a 175-page book about downtown Davenport ("A Brief History of Bucktown"), which was published by The History Press in 2016, and a QC travel guide in 2022 ("100 Things To Do in the Quad Cities Before You Die"), published by Reedy Press. Turner was honored in 2009 to be among 24 arts journalists nationwide to take part in a 10-day fellowship offered by the National Endowment for the Arts in New York City on classical music and opera, based at Columbia University’s journalism school.
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The small Quad Cities area town of Aledo is getting lots of attention on the silver screen, thanks to two film projects from producer Christina Shaver. -
Backers of Rock Line Studios -- to be built at 5th Avenue between 20th and 22nd streets, just blocks from the Fresh Films offices at 428 19th St. – have raised about $9 million so far, for the long-planned $12-million project. It’s led by Fresh Films, an Emmy-nominated film production and training organization, founded in 2002 with national reach and headquartered in the QC, that creates kids and family film and TV shows while training young people for jobs in film and growing digital content. -
Composer Angel Lam has spanned the globe to premiere her pieces, and her latest orchestral work will have its world premiere this coming weekend by the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. -
The city of Moline is continuing to transform itself, according to an optimistic “State of the City” address given Monday morning, February 2nd, by Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati. -
Quad Cities Interfaith held a vigil and call to action regarding the federal government’s immigration crackdown and activities by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Friday night, January 30th, at Zion Lutheran Church, Davenport. -
On Jan. 20, 2026, Blackhawk Fire Protection District firefighter Ali Jasim jumped from the I-74 Bridge into the icy waters of the Mississippi River, ending his young life. Haley DeGreve, founder and CEO of the Gray Matters Collective, who has worked tirelessly for years as a suicide prevention advocate, wants to help be sure that never happens to another person. -
Unveiling a new “Magnificent Ten” task force for Rock Island, and purple-uniformed police officers are among 2026 goals for Mayor Ashley Harris. In his first “State of the City” address, held Thursday, January 29th, at Bally’s Quad Cities Casino and Hotel, the new mayor praised city accomplishments and addressed its challenges head on. -
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), who represents the 8th Congressional District in the Chicago area, discussed his proposed First Home Affordability Act on Wednesday at a roundtable in Moline Township Hall. -
In a very divisive, violent world, we could all use more peace, love and understanding, and Rock Island’s Rita Melissano is just the person to help provide them. -
Dozens of concerned Quad Cities residents filled St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Parish Hall, in downtown Davenport, for a Saturday morning meeting on how to prepare and respond to potential ICE activity in the area.
