By Dave Dahl LEROY – A program to promote ethanol and biofuels brought U.S. agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) to McLean County Tuesday. They visited the Casey’s General Store in Le Roy to discuss another $100 million for petroleum dealers to use and promote the next-generation fuels. “As we demand…… MORE
By USDA SPRINGFIELD – There were 5.7 days suitable for field work during the week ending August 21, 2022. Statewide, the average temperature was 71.3 degrees, 2.5 degrees below normal. Precipitation averaged 0.89 inches, 0.11 inches above normal. Topsoil moisture supply was rated 7 percent very short, 20 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 5…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Fairgoers had a chance to put on some virtual reality goggles which are supposed to imitate the effects of having a .08 percent blood alcohol level. That’s too drunk to drive. Participants then attempted tasks which are seemingly simple – if you are sober. “Fatalities are up on…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – You know that there are plenty of calories summoning you to the vendors at the Illinois State Fair, and the Golden Abe awards – the winners voted on by fairgoers – have formally recognized the favorites for the past few years. Behold the 2022 grand prize winner: fried key lime…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB and First Lady MK Pritzker reprised their routine as the two final bidders for the grand champion steer at the Sale of Champions at the Illinois State Fair. The first lady again prevailed, tying her own 2021 record with a $105,000 bid. It’s a prize that will partly…… MORE
By USDA SPRINGFIELD – There were 5.6 days suitable for field work during the week ending August 14, 2022. Topsoil moisture supply was rated 7 percent very short, 16 percent short, 64 percent adequate, and 13 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supply was rated 9 percent very short, 12 percent short, 71 percent adequate and 8…… MORE
By USDA SPRINGFIELD – Corn: Planted area is estimated at 10.7 million acres, down 3 percent from last year. Harvested area, forecast at 10.45 million acres, is down 4 percent from 2021. Based on August 1 conditions, the Illinois corn yield is forecast at 203 bushels per acre, up 1 bushel from 2021. Production is…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – In his final months of his final year (the 24th) as Illinois secretary of state, Jesse White was called upon to perform an important duty: serve as grand marshal of the Illinois State Fair Twilight Parade, which was Thursday, the opening day of the fair. The Jesse White Tumblers made…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The state’s annual showcase of agriculture – the Illinois State Fair – is now open. At Thursday’s ribbon-cutting, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton – tasked with, among other things, heading up a rural affairs commission – talked about the state’s top industry. “All year we have been looking forward to this…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – You can color Gov. JB Pritzker “gobsmacked,” and when was the last time you heard a governor use that word? He reacted to Wednesday’s unveiling of the 101st edition of the butter cow, an Illinois State Fair staple. Sculptor Sarah Pratt of Iowa has finished her sixth creation for the…… MORE
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…