Editorial: What this election means for American jobs

October 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment

A basic question confronts voters each Election Day: What kind of country do you want for yourself and your children?

Here’s a link to the editorial at the Chicago Tribune.

Filed Under: Columns

Study: More children placed with relatives in Illinois foster care system

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

PEORIA — The number of minors in Illinois’ foster care system inched upward over the last few years, while the number of licensed adults caring for non-related foster children significantly dropped, according to a national study released this week.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Filed Under: Breaking News

Sessions bound for Chicago to speak to anti-crime group

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

CHICAGO (AP) — Attorney General Jeff Sessions will deliver a speech in Chicago on the heels of a Trump administration decision to oppose a proposed plan to overhaul Chicago police under close court supervision.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Filed Under: Breaking News

“Families First Adventures” series premieres

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

October 21 at The People’s House

Art in Illinois exhibit is focal point of four-part Governor’s Mansion series

 

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Governor’s Mansion Association has announced the upcoming schedule for their complimentary “Families First Adventures” series on the third Sunday of each month from October through January. Art of Illinois family tours are designed for families with children ages 3-12 to encourage children and adults to enjoy art exhibitions together at the Governor’s Mansion located at 410 E. Jackson Street.

The upcoming schedule is as follows:

October 21 – “The Nature of Art”

November 18 – “Listening to Visual Art”

December 16 – “Sculpture Safari”

January 20 – “Art Investigation”

Reservations are required and can be made by calling (217) 782-6450. No large bags will be allowed on the Mansion grounds. Photography of the exhibits will not be permitted.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity for families to experience these unique art exhibits together,” said First Lady Diana Rauner, Chair of the Illinois Governor’s Mansion Association, a not-for-profit organization. “Each month will showcase a different theme and exhibits, making this a fun family-friendly outing children can enjoy all season long.”

Then Art of Illinois exhibit features more than 100 works of fine and decorative art as well as industrial arts dating back 750 years. Pieces in the collection are on loan from museums and organizations across Illinois, including the Chicago History Museum, the Illinois State Museum’s Legacy Collection, and the Peoria Riverfront Museum, among others.

Art of Illinois was made possible by the support of private individuals, corporations and foundations, including grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency & the Terra Foundation for American Art as part of its Art Design Chicago initiative.

Filed Under: Breaking News

Illinois smart state initiatives save money, improve service

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Rauner cites digital technology advances as he opens NGA Smarter States conference

 CHICAGO —Illinois is using advanced digital technologies to give taxpayers better service at lower costs. The result is a “smarter state,” one with more efficient government operations, lower ongoing costs, and savings of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Gov. Bruce Rauner struck this “more for less” theme here today at the opening of the National Governors Association’s (NGA) Smarter States, Smarter Communities Learning Lab. The Lab is a three-day conference for state officials from all over the country to learn how to deploy smart technologies and advanced data analytics to improve state government operations.

“Illinois is at the forefront of the smart state movement,” Rauner said. “We see technology advances as opportunities to foster economic development and support our job creators by delivering service that is efficient, timely, and accessible by modern digital standards. The NGA’s Learning Lab gives us a chance to share our experiences with other states and find out what we can learn from each other. It’s a great program.”

The Smarter States, Smarter Communities Learning Lab is hosted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, a bipartisan organization that works with the nation’s governors on pressing policy issues. The Learning Lab will take place from October 17-19 at the Ambassador Hotel in Chicago.

“NGA is pleased to recognize Illinois as the first “smart state” that is working to share their lessons learned with others through the NGA Smarter States, Smarter Communities initiative,” said Sue Gander, Director, Environment, Energy & Transportation Division, NGA Center for Best Practices. “Governors have a great opportunity to enhance the quality of life for their citizens and improve economic development by harnessing the power of advanced communications networks, data analytics, smart transportation and energy technologies. This first cohort of five states will help demonstrate how to advance a “smart for all” vision.”

Promoting innovation within government has been a priority for Rauner since the beginning of his administration. In 2016, an executive order established the Department of Innovation and Technology, which consolidated Illinois’ I.T. functions into one agency. Since then, the cybersecurity operations center has strengthened protections for confidential records and has trained more than 46,000 state employees in cybersecurity.

Rauner also has promoted increasing online access to government information and services. The administration’s “Going Mobile” strategy has increased mobile service deliveries from 3 percent to 45 percent in the last year and has produced more than 40 mobile apps to streamline access to information. Ninety percent of state licenses are now available online, lowering application times by 22 percent and reducing costs of paper and postage by $600,000 a year. Additionally, 96 percent of the state’s school districts now have access to high-speed internet, up from 71 percent in 2015.

Modernized state technology is reducing cyber risk and saving money. Eighty-one percent of state agencies have migrated to the Illinois.gov platform, reducing the costs and security risks associated with maintaining multiple domains. Meanwhile, 420 different human resources, grant management, and financial reporting systems are being consolidated into one integrated platform. This enterprise resource plan will save taxpayers between $139 million and $300 million annually once it is fully implemented.

“The Department of Innovation and Technology has played an important role in making Illinois government more efficient and effective,” said Acting Secretary Kirk Lonbom. “The state’s collaboration with the NGA and other states from around the country will help us achieve our mission of cutting costs, improving service delivery, and providing value to Illinois taxpayers.”

Filed Under: Breaking News

Cardinals talking with Ankiel about a reunion as he prepares for comeback try

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has already had at least one conversation with former Cardinals pitcher and outfielder Rick Ankiel about his plans to come out of retirement and pursue a job as a reliever. In the coming weeks, Mozeliak intends to “touch base” and determine if common interest exists for a reunion.

Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Filed Under: Sports

NBC Sports Chicago to carry the LIVE announcement for every first round match-up on Saturday, October 20

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

COVERAGE OF THE “IHSA FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAIRING SHOW” ON OCTOBER 20

 

NBC Sports Chicago to carry the LIVE announcement for every first round match-up on Saturday, October 20 beginning at 8:00 PM CT;

to also be streamed live on NBCSportsChicago.com, Facebook Live, & accessible via the NEW “MyTeams by NBC Sports” app!

Bloomington, IL/Chicago, IL  — The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoff Pairing Show presented by Wintrust returns to NBC Sports Chicago for its eighth season in 2018. NBC Sports Chicago – THE Home of the #AuthenticFan – will air the show live on NBC Sports Chicago+ on Saturday, October 20 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM CT. Viewers are urged to visit NBC Sports Chicago’s “Channel Finder” page (NBCSportsChicago.com/channel-finder) for the exact NBC Sports Chicago+ channel locations in their area.

The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show, which will reveal the brackets and first round match-ups of all 256 playoff qualifiers across eight classes, can also be viewed via Live stream beginning at 8:00 PM on Saturday at NBCSportsChicago.com/WatchLive, on Facebook Live (Facebook.com/NBCSChicago), and will also be accessible for viewing to authenticated NBC Sports Chicago subscribers via the brand new MyTeams by NBC Sports app (NOTE: MyTeams is available on iOS and Android devices, at no cost, to fans anywhere in the U.S. and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store).

“The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show’ continues to be one of the most highly-anticipated events in the state of Illinois and we couldn’t be prouder to once again showcase two-straight hours of live, interactive coverage across all platforms on Saturday night,” said Kevin Cross, Vice President of Content for NBC Sports Chicago.

NBC Sports Chicago anchor Leila Rahimi hosts the show and will be joined by a panel of experts on-set, including long-time IHSA TV announcer Dave Bernhard and Illinois high school football bracketologist Steve Soucie. IHSA TV veteran Camron Smith will breakdown each class with media members from around the state, including NBC Sports Chicago prep football expert “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran. Viewers are encouraged to interact with the show and ask questions to be answered during the program by utilizing the Twitter hashtag #IHSAbrackets.

The program will once again feature highlights, coaches interviews and media analysis from all over the state. In addition, NBC Sports Chicago will be gathering teams & fan reaction moments throughout the “Land of Lincoln” on Saturday from numerous school playoff pairing parties taking place that evening.

“This is one of the most anticipated nights of the year on the IHSA calendar,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “Student-athletes, coaches and communities around the state have put their hearts into the last nine weeks, and for 256 teams, it’s an amazing chance to celebrate their accomplishments, while looking ahead to the path to the IHSA Football State Finals. We appreciate the time and effort that our partners at NBC Sports Chicago put into making this night so special.”

The IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show kicks off NBC Sports Chicago’s playoff coverage of IHSA Football, which culminates with all eight state title games being televised and streamed by NBC Sports Chicago on Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 23-24), live from Memorial Stadium on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign.

Filed Under: Sports

Column: The Manny Machado issue: Do the Cubs want to spend $300M on a guy who won’t always hustle and plays dirty?

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Quick, someone tell Manny Machado that playing dirty and refusing to hustle is no way to go through baseball.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

Filed Under: Sports

Democrats waging an uncivil war of mob rule against the GOP

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Hillary Clinton recently said that “civility can start” if Democrats “are fortunate enough to win back the House and or the Senate.” In other words, when she and her friends on the left get their way, they’ll play nice.

Here’s a link to the editorial at Fox News.

Filed Under: Columns

Your Daily Prayer: A Prayer to Know God’s Will for Your Life

October 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment

A Prayer to Know God’s Will for Your Life – Your Daily Prayer

Your Daily Prayer Devotional Banner

A Prayer to Know God’s Will for Your Life
Rachel-Claire Cockrell

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Whenever I want something so badly that I can’t trust my own heart, I ask God for a Brick Wall. We tend to seek God’s will in a way that implies we need to take action, but what if it’s inaction that puts us on the path God asks of us? Not all decisions are black or white, good or bad. Sometimes something that appears good can be placed in front of us, but not all good things are part of God’s plan for our lives.

Let me be clear, there is no “magic prayer” that can keep us from making the wrong decision. I would also like to clarify that this is something that helps me when I am faced with a decision and my own desires are preventing me from thinking clearly or even caring if what I want is in God’s plan for me.

God knows what he’s doing. Sometimes I forget, but he has a plan. I struggle with figuring out what that plan is most of the time, but one step I will never leave out is the Brick Wall Prayer. God knows my heart. He knows what I desire. He wouldn’t withhold something out of spite. He has plans to “prosper [me] and not to harm [me], to give [me] a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). I challenge you to take this prayer, mold it to fit your own life, and see how it changes your perspective.

The Brick Wall Prayer (A Prayer to Know God’s Will)

God, you know me better than I know myself. You know my fears and my desires. You know how much I want this. You know how much I will be devastated if this doesn’t happen. I know you love me. I know you have a plan for me. Please, Lord, don’t let my desires blind me to your will. If this is not within your plan for me, throw up a Brick Wall. Give me an obstacle I cannot get past. Help me follow your will, Father. Give me peace about whatever is to come. If this falls through, I will know it is your hand.

Thank you for loving me, 
Amen.

prayer-know-gods-plan

Editor’s Note: Portions of this devotional were taken from Rachel-Claire Cockrell’s article,  A Prayer to Know God’s Will for Your Life. You can read that piece in full here.

Filed Under: Columns
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