Gretchen Teske
@peskyteske
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Business reporter for @QCTimes and @Dispatch_Argus; chicken tender connoisseur; liscensed kazoo player; God is love. 🏳️🌈 she/her
Quad Cities
Joined October 2009
My family got a letter today that my mom’s eye tissues were successfully transplanted and two people can now see because of her. Please consider being an organ donor. It changes lives. #BeARealHero #DonateLife.
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Passed out uniforms to my lacrosse kids tonight and casually tossed a 22 to one of the new kids. “I’m going to be just like Caitlin Clark!”. Visibility in women’s sports is crucial. Kids are watching, and kids are dreaming.
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And now. What you have been waiting for. Wold hired a contractor who came back with a quote, but Wold said it was too high. Friday the contractor told workers, "Get away. You’re going to die.” . Byline shared w/ the incredible @K_5mydearwatson .
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BREAKING: A development official called 911 just more than 24 hours before the building at 324 Main Street collapsed. Davenport Fire spent less than five minutes on the scene.
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The contractor in the story shared these with me yesterday. He said these were taken hours before the building fell Sunday night.
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PETS SAVED: responders just came out with two carriers, animals were inside. Two more responders went inside to rescue more
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Ryan Shaffer, the contractor who warned this would happen, is aware people think he should have done more. This was his response on the @qctimes Facebook page today.
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Officials are inside city hall and not coming out. The presser is being held across the street.
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HAPPENING NOW: Protestors have set up in front of davenport city hall demanding answers.
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Here's a tear-jerker for you. Our intern, Elizabeth Pruitt, moved into 324 Main Street on Saturday. By Sunday, she'd lost all of her belongings. And for a while, she thought she'd lose her cat, too.
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LIVE: Davenport mayor said 5 are unaccounted for and two are possibly still inside.
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ALSO IN THIS STORY: .-Who else is involved?.-City issues citation.-What other buildings does Wold own?.-Building History.-What did apartments cost?.
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RESIGNED: Trishna Pradhan, the city’s building inspector, resigned yesterday.
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After the #Davenport building collapse, property owner Andrew Wold has been fined by the city. What's he owe? $300 and an additional $95 for court fees. Source: Tony Watt//@qctimes via court records.
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Brandon Colvin’s aunt is pleading for officials to find her nephew. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
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Branden Colvin is still unaccounted for. His family camped out City Hall all night. His son slept at the fence in front of candles and five crosses set up in honor of the five unaccounted for.
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Scenes from the site of the #Davenport building collapse this morning. Three men stayed over night and multiple candles are lit. It’s 7:39 am.
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BREAKING: The bodies of all three men have been recovered. “This is an active investigation so details will be released when we can provide additional information.” -Chief Bladel
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About a month ago I wrote a story about fifth graders who were inspired to begin playing basketball because of Caitlin Clark. Today one of those girls sent me a story she wrote for school about the salary difference between the leagues. The future is female.
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Overnight DPD put up blue tarp to block the view from where advocates have been camped out. It’s 7:36am, 74 degrees.
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In 2020 a construction company worked on the wall at 324 Main Street in #Davenport. That company is Alliance Contracting LLC. And it's owned by Andrew Wold.
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Crowds have gathered in downtown Davenport this morning. The city confirmed the building will come down today.
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As usual, all is quiet at the front of the building. In the bottom right was Envied, a vintage clothing store. Darien Collins, 24, just opened the store in March. He spent 18 months collecting clothes before he was able to open. No one, not even biz owners, are allowed back in.
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The State of Iowa is closed at this time. All roads lead to your couch. Thank you for your cooperation.
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All animals are safe!!!!!.
It’s official: 6 cats, 2 snakes and 1 lizard have been recovered from the building. Humane Society says from first look they all look alright, but will be checked over and reunited with their owners soon.
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It’s 8:43 am. The crowd has grown and walked closer to PD. Water and food are being passed out.
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The #Davenport council just approved a $64k expenditure for the renewal of a city records management system. A citizen asked if this was the same one that caused the glitch the city cited last week as the reason 324 Main Street's inspection passed. Council stayed silent.
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Crowd in downtown Davenport has slowly dissipated. Police are continuing to put up barriers to block access from the building.
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Amy Anderson can’t find her cousin, Ryan Hitchcock. Police have confirmed to her that he’s inside. She told me tonight, “there’s no chance he survives this.”.
Firefighters rescued Lisa Brooks out of a fourth-story window after more than a day since the Davenport apartment building partially collapsed.
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Incredible reporting from @TomLoewy. Branden Colvin is unaccounted for and his son, Branden Junior, is holding on to every thread of hope he can reach.
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It’s 8:34 am. People are calling for the protest to move toward the police. DPD are now carrying Billy clubs. They did not have these 30 minutes ago.
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Bystanders continue to look on as crews build reinforcement structures. It’s 9:08 pm. 76 degrees.
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“Where’s Ryan? Where’s Brandon?” . There are no city officials on scene. It’s 7:55 am.
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Quanishia White-Berry was inside when the #Davenport building came down. Rescue crews performed an emergency amputation INSIDE the wreckage. Full story from @K_5mydearwatson. This is a must-read.
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A petition has been started, asking for #Davenport Mayor Mike Matson to resign. It will be downtown until Wednesday . There will be a march on Wednesday before the city council meeting at 5:30.
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Davenport Crime Scene Unit has arrived. It’s 11:05 am. 86 degrees
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LAWSUIT: Two women have filed a lawsuit against Davenport Hotel LLC citing negligence. We can only assume this is the first of many. Via Twitter-less Tony Watt//@qctimes .
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Officials just confirmed an investigation is under way but they have not determined if any criminal offenses have occurred. The owner is confirmed as Andrew Wold.
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Overheard another journalist say she felt the crowd was overwhelmingly Iowa fans because the neutral site is closer to their school. It's an 8 hours drive from Iowa City to Cleveland. Gamecock fans only had to travel one hour more.
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The added tarp is not stopping protestors from putting up signs.
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324 Main collapsed one week ago today. Last night, family of one of the missing men was notified that his remains were found.
Branden Colvin Sr.'s family was notified Saturday that his remains had been found at the building which collapsed a week ago.
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Cynthia Nixon got to thank her wife, on live television. What a time we live in. #TonyAwards2017.
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@lindsayschoon @K_5mydearwatson He wanted to stabilize and do the whole building. He implied wold wanted to do the cheapest options and make it look nice.
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What took search and rescue so long? DFD Chief said today the building was unstable for the first 24-36 hours and crews needed to wait for it to settle. Iowa has two task force divisions. Both arrived last night and began a search.
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THEN THERE WERE 3: DPD confirmed two of the five have been located. Still missing are Brandon Colvin, Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien. His DOB is 12-24-62.
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Candles are being lit currently as protestors unite again. It’s been more than 72 hours since the building fell.
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A small pile of bricks has fallen from the building at 307 Harrison Street. The building is next door to 324 Main Street.
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Interrupting my coverage for an important palate cleanser:
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Yesterday @TomLoewy spoke with the families of the victims. Daniel Prien's daughter told him she learned of his death via the press conference. She says law enforcement never called.
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Candles are being set out. Bystanders are praying next to a small pile of trinkets left to remember the victims.
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“No Justice, no peace. Why’d you let them sign the lease?”
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Protest is now mobile. A fight almost broke out between a man walking and one driving a semi. “Save people not property.”
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DPD has moved up toward the crowd as a chant has broken out. “Find them first.”
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Matson cut the presser after about three questions, saying he needed to meet with the governor. It’s unclear if she’s here in the city. Homeland Security is on scene now.
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I’m finally headed home. My dog needs a treat and I need a beer! As usual, I’ll be back tomorrow morning to check in.
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Very somber day in the Times newsroom. Nobody loved this paper the way Batts did. There were plenty of days we would walk into the building together at 8 a.m., despite the fact that he'd only clocked out a few hours before. He is already incredibly missed.
Words are difficult to find this morning. Steve Batterson, a sports reporter at the Quad-City Times for 38+ years, died Tuesday afternoon. He was a consummate pro, a workhorse, a great teammate and such a kind-hearted man. He loved his job and did it very well. Rest easy, Batts.
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The family of Brandon Colvin Sr. has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. They allege he, "remained alive under the rubble potentially for days, until he later died.”.Via @TomLoewy .
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Late last night the Davenport PD released this poster with details about the three missing after the #Davenport building collapse:
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I’ve been told a vigil for Branden Colvin Sr. will be held tonight at 8 pm. Tomorrow morning the city will hold a press conference at 10 am. I will be present for both.
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Interviewed a 91-year old cancer survivor today. Me: What have you been doing since your surgery?.Her: I've become a big fan of Whitey's ice cream because I'm supposed to be gaining weight.
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@JMeyersonRoss Yes!!! She belongs to my co worker!!!! She was prayed about and sent good vibes. So thankful she’s safe!.
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Dinner time at the protest site. People have brought in chairs, tents and lots of food. It’s 4:21 pm, 89 degrees. About 50 people are here.
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Look closely in the doorway, there are rescuers inside. They are seemingly focused on something in the corner.
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An important reminder that reporters are human, too. Disagreements are part of the job, harassment is not. Kudos to Chris for putting his mental health first.
Des Moines TV meteorologist quits after receiving death threat for telling viewers how climate change affects weather patterns. “It's mentally exhausting and at times I have NOT been ok,” he says.
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Great info. Basically: Wold is the sole owner of Davenport Hotel, LLC. He also owns Andrew Wold Investments, LLC. A registered agent with that company is Robert H. Gallagher. Confusion has abounded, but this Gallagher is the father of the Bettendorf Mayor, Robert S.
I've seen a few people saying Davenport Mayor Mike Matson is a partial owner of the collapsed building and I can't find any proof of this. Thread: . The building is owned by Davenport Hotel LLC, which is owned by Andrew Wold and he bought it in 2021.
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The front of city hall is now a camp site. A pop up tent is in front with about 20 chairs. Food is being passed out and piles of water and Gatorade are stacked up. Bags of garbage hang off the fence. The area is as clean as it can be.
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Hard to see but a drone is flying around the building. It’s believed to be owned by engineering firm Shive Hattery.
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Jim Morris with the state fire Marshall is visibly upset and has taken several pauses. He’s asking the public to understand they want to go back in but need to do it in a safe manor. “There’s a lot of things that we have to factor.”
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Elisha McGowan thought her new apartment was a dream come true. When the city condemned the Andrew Wold-owned building, that was just the beginning of the nightmare. Last week, she saw her furniture for sale on Facebook marketplace. Via @TomLoewy .
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Matson says he can’t say whether the city could have prevented this because nobody can predict a building collapse.
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A small crowd has made its way back downtown. The roof seems to have caved further overnight. Volunteers are coming in with chairs. The city has not made a statement yet today. It’s 12:37 pm, 89 degrees.
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Garbage truck- 0.Davenport’s truck eating bridge- 1. By my count this is the bridge’s second meal of the year.
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If your mom is still here, tell her you like her haircut. Tell her those new shoes make her look skinny. Tell her all the things I can’t tell my mom today. Tell her how much you love her. And that you always will.
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#TeamTimes. So thankful for these people. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to the @qctimes as we continue coverage this week. And, of course, a happy 29th to @TomLoewy.
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On the other side of the city, business owners got quite the shock when the city condemned a building in Davenport’s East Village. Who owns the building? Andrew Wold.
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You asked, and we found the answer. Why was the status of that final inspection on the city’s website changed from passed Monday to failed Tuesday? Officials told @K_5mydearwatson it was a “glitch” that the city is working to correct.
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Lunch break is wrapping up. Many are seeking shade while others continue to demand workers “move the bricks” in search of the two unaccounted for. It’s 1:13 pm, 88 degrees.
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Please keep in mind his “clumsy and awkward” comment was to tell Caitlin as long as she turned her heart motion to him, they would be fine. Women deserve better. I can’t even fathom this. Even journalists need to be held accountable.
Today in my uniquely oafish way, while welcoming @CaitlinClark22 to Indy, I formed my hands into her signature 🫶. My comment afterward was clumsy and awkward. I sincerely apologize. Please know my heart (literally and figuratively) was well-intentioned. I will do better.
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Scenes from downtown #Davenport this morning. The candles from last nights vigil remain and more utility trucks are on scene. Crews behind the fence are still working. It’s 8:23am, 65 degrees.
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A group of advocates has assembled in front of city hall. Many of them have red paint on their hands as a sign of protest.
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Hearing a lot of things standing in the crowd tonight but the common theme is the word “we.” . “We are missing three.”.“We are missing Ryan, Branden and Daniel.”.“We want accountability.”. The #Davenport community is out tonight. It’s 7:37 pm, 79 degrees. About 100 ppl present.
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Branden Colvin’s cousin, Mike Collier, offers a prayer before the vigil begins. Branden Junior is in the red T-shirt.
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The City of Davenport will host a press conference at 10 am. I will be there to tweet, but please refer to the city/pds Facebook pages for the live stream.
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A resident asked for his alderperson, Maria Dickman (2), to resign. She smiled, nodded her head, and said, "OK.". A resident now called her out for smirking throughout the meeting. Her expression hasn't changed.
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The cat and snakes have made it down from the fifth floor.
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Andrew Wold was expecing nearly $900,000 in historic tax credits for another Davenport building he owns. The Iowa Economic Development Authority said due to pending litigation, we take that back. Via @K_5mydearwatson//@qctimes .
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My whole life I just wanted the chance to watch women’s sports. Last weekend it finally happened. And little girls everywhere will never have to worry about that again.
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Crowds are now uniting in chants. Brandon Colvin and Ryan Hitchcock are still unaccounted for.
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