Rauner looking to partner with world-renowned German vocational school
April 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Gov. Rauner advocates innovative apprenticeship models
NEUSTADT – Gov. Bruce Rauner, in a push for stronger apprenticeship programs in Illinois, met with company leaders, apprentices and students at the BBZ Neustadt am Rübenberge. The world-renowned vocational school and professional training center located in the Hannover region has been preparing students for the workforce for 150 years.
“I firmly believe that to strengthen Illinois’ economy we need to attract and retain skilled labor,” Rauner said. “In order to do that, we need to invest more in training and invest in our young people. Illinois has the talent and the innovative ideas that if cultivated have the potential to produce great things.”
Nearly half a million Germans enter the workforce through apprenticeship programs each year which many have noted is a major component in the country’s success in the manufacturing industry.
Rauner toured the school and learned about several of their models, including the Smart Factory Concept and strategic automotive innovation, which he hopes to incorporate into Illinois’ growing programs. To coincide with the governor’s meeting, Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti visited one of those programs: YouthBuild McLean County, an apprenticeship effort in Normal, IL that provides 85 young people with training in construction, healthcare and information technology.
“Apprenticeship programs like YouthBuild create a supportive environment for students to succeed in Illinois and become leaders,” Sanguinetti said. “It’s a great program that gives young people hands on training while they are giving back to their communities.”
For every four people who leave the trades, due to retirement, health or other reasons, only one new person is supplied by apprenticeship programs to enter the trades. The governor hopes by strengthening our apprenticeship programs we can reduce turnover, improve recruitment and create a pipeline of skilled employees.
Middle skill jobs make up the largest part of Illinois’ labor market. The demand is strong for middle skill jobs and they make up the largest part of Illinois’ labor market. By 2024, 50% of all job openings are expected to be middle-skill jobs. And community college graduates are a key component of a strong competitive workforce.
“I think there is no substitute for the real world experience and hands on application that apprenticeships provide,” said President Terry Wilkerson of Rend Lake College. “This experience reinforces the skill sets provided by the college in the classroom.”
“The relevance of apprenticeships is embodied in the contextualization of the classroom experience in the real world context of working, so what has been the theoretically becomes much more relevant,” said President Kenneth Ender of Harper College.
Pastor Rick Warren: Change Requires the Holy Spirit
April 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Change Requires the Holy Spirit
By Rick Warren — April 25, 2018
“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT).
You need more power than just willpower in your life. You need God’s power in your life.
The “fruit of the Spirit” are the qualities that God puts in your life when the Holy Spirit lives through you: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
How does God produce that fruit in your life? Not by your willpower. You don’t go out and say, “I’m going to be a more patient person!” That doesn’t work.
You try to say, “I’m going to be more patient. I’m going to be more loving.” It’s like tying some oranges on a eucalyptus tree and calling it an orange tree. It doesn’t work that way. Fruit can only come from the inside — the Holy Spirit living through you.
How does the Holy Spirit work in your life? The answer is gradually: “And the Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT, emphasis added).
When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes six hours. When God wants to make an oak tree, he takes 60 years. The question is: Do you want your life to be a mushroom or an oak tree?
You didn’t collect your hurts, habits, and hang-ups overnight. It took you a long time to get as messed up as you are! Someone approached me once and said, “Pastor Rick, I need you to solve my marriage problem.” I said, “How long have you been married?” Fifteen years. “How long have you had this problem?” Ten years.
And you want a five-second answer? It isn’t going to happen! You’ve got to peel that onion one layer at a time.
The Holy Spirit works within us to make us gradually more and more like him. Your character is the sum total of your habits. Your responsibility is to develop new habits that help you to change.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk About It
- What new fruit — representing recent spiritual growth — are you seeing in your life?
- What new habits do you want to develop so that the Holy Spirit can continually work in your life to make you more like Christ?
- Ask your small group or accountability partner to pray for you as the Holy Spirit develops these new habits in your life.
Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.
Saluki Men’s Golf tied for second place at MVC Championships after Day One
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Southern Illinois men’s golf team is tied for second place after 36 holes on a rainy first day of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships at Dalhousie Golf Club on Monday.
The Salukis (+30) are tied with Illinois State, but trail first-place Bradley (+11) by 19 strokes with one round remaining on Tuesday. Picked to finish fourth in the pre-tournament poll, the Braves are closing in on what would be their first-ever league title. The top three players on the leaderboard all hail from Bradley — Drake Bushong (+1), Michael Mounce (+2) and Ethan Brue (+3).
The 7,323-yard course, which had already absorbed a day of rain on Sunday, played especially long today due to a steady rain during the morning. After a brief respite, the rain picked up again during the final two hours of play.
“We’ve been dealing with these kind of conditions all year,” said SIU head coach Justin Fetcho. “It made the golf course play a little bit tougher because it was wet, there was no roll and we’re playing it long. It made making birdies more difficult and par a really good score.”
SIU has three players in the top 10 with Luke Gannon (+4) alone in fourth place, while Hunter York (+5) and Dirk Kuehler (+5) are tied for fifth. Gannon was Southern’s most consistent golfer with six birdies and 20 pars and no hole worse than a bogey. He had the team’s low round of the day with a 72 in a second round that featured three birdies on the last four holes. York and Kuehler also played well and are aiming for their first-career top-5 finishes.
“We had some good individual performance, but as a team, we didn’t quite put it all together,” Fetcho explained. “This is a golf course where anything can happen. There’s still 18 more holes to go. This is the style of course where if you’re playing under pressure and you hit a couple of loose shots, it can result in big numbers.”
Peyton Wilhoit (+17) entered the tournament as SIU’s season stroke leader and a favorite to win the title, but he got off to a tough start in the first round with triple bogeys on holes three and nine. He ended the day tied for 35th.
“He didn’t putt particularly well and sometimes that happens, you just don’t make putts,” Fetcho said. “He’s a good ball striker, so this golf course would typically set up well for him. He got off to a rough start, but he grinded and tried to fight. He’s been there for us all year.”
The final round begins tomorrow at 8 a.m. and Fetcho maintains his team can still catch the Braves.
“It can change in a heartbeat,” he said. “If we start pouring in some birdies, you never know what can happen. We have to go out there and leave it all on the line, play the best we can play and see where that leaves us.”
TEAM SCORES
1 Bradley University 298 289 587 +11
T2 Illinois State 309 297 606 +30
T2 Southern Illinois 307 299 606 +30
4 Missouri State 309 302 611 +35
5 Valparaiso Univ. 317 296 613 +37
6 Drake 304 310 614 +38
7 Evansville 324 308 632 +56
8 Loyola U.- Chicago 328 306 634 +58
9 Northern Iowa 323 316 639 +63
SIU SCORES
4 Luke Gannon (2) 76 72 148
T5 Dirk Kuehler (3) 75 74 149
T5 Hunter York (5) 75 74 149
T35 Peyton Wilhoit (1) 82 79 161
T37 Frankie Thomas (4) 81 81 162
Annual Free Fishing Days Kids Derby set for Crab Orchard Refuge
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
By Don Gasaway
The event is for kids 12 and under but it is one of the more pleasant experiences of the year. Annual Free Fishing Days Kids Derby at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in southern Illinois. The event on June 9, 2018 is staffed and sponsored by local merchants, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and local volunteers from Take Pride in America and Friends of Crab Orchard Refuge.
The only expense to families in attendance is the cost of gasoline to get to Prairie Creek Recreation Area. To get there exit Illinois Route 13 at Green Briar Road and go south to Campground Road. Follow Campground Road 1 ½ miles west to the Prairie Creek Recreation Area.
Participants may bring their own tackle or use the rods and reels provided. Bait is provided.
Worms are the most popular bait among the young set. They catch almost any kind of fish. Worms are not difficult to thread on a hook. Adult assistance for fishing techniques and in baiting a hook is available if required.
The first 100 children to register at the site receive a free T-shirt. Other awards are for the biggest fish, smallest fish and most fish in each of the age categories. Fishing began at 8:00 A.M. and continues until noon when the participants are treated to a free lunch and the awards are announced.
The idea is for the youngsters to have a positive experience. Then they will want to return. They might even bring an adult with them.
For more information about this event, contact the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Visitor Center at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. The telephone number is 618-997-3344. The center is located at 8588 Route 148, Marion, Illinois 62959.
For more information on lodging accommodations as well as outdoor activities in Williamson County, or to receive a free color Fishing Guide, contact VisitSI at 1602 Sioux Drive, Marion, IL 62959. Call 800-GEESE-99 or email info@VisitSI.com. Current information is also available online at www.VisitSI.com.
Pastor Rick Warren: Change Requires Making Choices
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Change Requires Making Choices
By Rick Warren — April 23, 2018
“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT).
It’s not enough to want to change. It’s not enough to desire to change. It’s not even enough to say, “I have a dream of changing.” Dreams are worthless unless you wake up and act on them. You’re not going to change until you choose to change.
How are you going to be different in six months? Are you going to be emotionally stronger? Are you going to be mentally sharper? Are you going to be physically healthier? Are you going to be spiritually deeper?
It isn’t going to happen automatically. You aren’t just going to get healthier by accident in any category of your life. A lot of times we think we’re waiting on God to change us. You’re not waiting on God. God is waiting on you.
There is no growth in your life without change. And there is no change without loss. You’ve got to let go of some old stuff. And there is no loss without pain.
Maybe you are stuck right now because you haven’t learned how to let go. That’s a choice. Ephesians 4:22 says, “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception” (NLT).
You might see your hurts, habits, and hang-ups as biological or sociological. Some of them are from your circumstances or your chromosomes. But it doesn’t really matter where they come from. You need to deal with them. Genetics may explain your inclinations, but it doesn’t excuse your sin.
Here’s the good news: Once you become a believer, you have a new power in you that is greater than those old tendencies. That power is the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2:12-13 says, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (NIV).
Does that mean you are supposed to be afraid of God? Of course not! Be afraid that you’ll miss God’s best and waste your life. Be afraid that you will go your entire life and never know God’s purpose.
The secret to changing your life is not willpower. It’s God giving you the will and the power through the Holy Spirit to do what needs to be done.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk About It
- What do you think it means to “work out” your salvation?
- How have you experienced the Holy Spirit’s power in your life?
- How is God helping you deal with hurts, habits, and hang-ups that may have biological or sociological roots?
Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.
Gov. Rauner and Illinois contingent visits Continental Tire world headquarters in Germany
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Governor Rauner visits Continental Tire world headquarters in Germany
HANOVER, Germany — Gov. Bruce Rauner visited the world headquarters of Continental Tire in Hanover, Germany on Monday to meet with company leaders and discuss support for their growing operation in Illinois. Continental is one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world and the fourth-largest tire manufacturer, and it is the state’s largest private sector employer south of Peoria.
“Continental Tire has built a significant manufacturing presence in Illinois, and they are a valued investor in our economy,” Gov. Rauner said. “They are making high quality products and providing high quality jobs across the state. We are proud to be a part of their world-class operation and Illinois stands ready to support their continued growth and success.”
Back in Illinois, in conjunction with the governor’s headquarters visit, Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti met with company officials at the Continental Tire the Americas (CTA) plant in Mt. Vernon to discuss the importance of foreign direct investment and international trade.
“Our location, workforce, and transportation infrastructure make us an ideal candidate for foreign investment,” Lt. Gov. Sanguinetti said. “It is important that we continue to grow our manufacturing sector. The governor and I are working hard so that companies like Continental locate and thrive here, bringing with them more jobs and opportunity.”
Manufacturing is the third largest industry in Illinois, which is the fifth largest manufacturing state in the U.S. by output. Nearly 12,507 manufacturing firms call Illinois home, and together they employ more than 570,000 workers.
CTA employs 3,500 employees in Mt. Vernon as well as an additional 400 in Deer Park in suburban Chicago. The company recently added capacity for retread rubber production at its Mount Vernon facility, which will expedite delivery times of ContiTread premium retread products to North American customers. The ContiTread line offers a retread solution that “looks like new, runs like new,” to cut down on cost and extend the life of the tire, as part of Continental’s ContiLifeCycle cradle-to-grave approach to tire management. Prior to the addition, ContiLifeCycle licensed retread partners were supplied pre-cured tread rubber from a plant in Mexico.
The governor’s office provided a list of those accompanying him on the European trip:
State of Illinois and Intersect Illinois Team
- The Honorable Bruce Rauner, Governor of the State of Illinois
- Major General Richard J. Hayes Jr., The Adjutant General of Illinois (Poland)
- Mark Peterson, President and CEO, Intersect Illinois
- Sean McCarthy, Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Erik Brejla, Assistant Deputy Director, Foreign Direct Investment, State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Kelly Nicholl, Chief Marketing Officer, Intersect Illinois
- Sharon Stead, Managing Director, State of Illinois Europe Office
- Jacquelyn Reineke, Communications and Media Relations, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Team Illinois Partners
- Jason Anderson, Economic Development Director, City of Rochelle
- Greg Baise, President and CEO, Illinois Manufacturers Association
- John Carpenter, President and CEO, Choose DuPage (Germany)
- Kevin Considine, President and CEO, Lake County Partners
- Mark Denzler, Chief Operating Officer, Illinois Manufacturers Association
- Kenneth Ender, President, Harper College
- Matt Gambs, Senior Vice President, Wintrust Financial; Board, Illinois Chamber
- The Honorable Piotr Janicki, Consul General of Poland to the Midwest (Poland)
- Anna Morzy, Former President, Polish American Leadership (Poland)
- Rabbi Yehiel E. Poupko, Rabbinic Scholar, Jewish United Fund (Poland)
- Ed Seidel, Vice President, Economic Development and Innovation, University of Illinois System (Germany)
- Mark Tomkins, President and CEO, German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest (Germany)
- Terry Wilkerson, President, Rend Lake Community College
- Andria Winters, Senior Director-Business Services, CBRE (Germany)
Illinois’ public pension system less funded than all but two states
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Illinois’ public pension system less funded than all but two states
From Illinois News Network
A new report paints a dismal financial picture for Illinois’ public pension systems.
The Pew Charitable Trusts analyzed the pension funding gap for each state as of fiscal year 2016, the most recent year for which comprehensive data were available. The study indicates Illinois is 36 percent funded for future obligations, putting the state near the bottom of the rankings.
“Only Kentucky and New Jersey are worse,” said David Draine, senior researcher with Pew Charitable Trusts. “This is going to be a major budget challenge, not only in the near term but in years ahead. States like Illinois have long had substantial unfunded liabilities from past decisions to treat these benefits on a pay-as-you go basis.
“Illinois has failed to make its full pension payments for many, many years,” Biggs said. “They’ve used various actuarial and accounting tricks to make it seem like they were contributing more than they actually were. The less you fund in the past, the higher the contributions become going forward, and they’re in a position where often they can’t afford to pay them.”
According to the Pew report, Illinois’ public pension systems had about $78 billion in assets against $219 billion in liabilities.
“Illinois passed a constitutional amendment making it unconstitutional to cut pension benefits,” Biggs said. “Now they’re trying to fix their pensions and they discover they can’t make these changes because the courts won’t allow them. There is a long history of bad policy and bad decisions when it comes to public sector pensions.”
That leaves some key questions in front of lawmakers.
“Particularly given the legal protections around pension benefits, finding a solution is going to be a financial question,” Draine said. “Where do you raise new revenues or where do you spend less in other places to find the resources to fill in this funding gap? And then what do you do going forward to make sure you don’t get in this trouble again.”
If the state can’t find a solution in Springfield, Biggs said the state shouldn’t expect any help from Washington to fill the gap.
“I think it’s very unlikely the federal government is going to bail out a state like Illinois,” Biggs said, “because it’s been known for decades Illinois has been a bad steward of its pensions. The interpretation in Washington D.C. will be: If anyone deserves to be hurt by the pensions, it’s Illinois, because they’ve refused to do the things they need to do.”
Overall, state plans across the country disclosed assets of $2.6 trillion to cover total pension liabilities of $4 trillion. Congress recently passed a law to allow Puerto Rico to restructure its debt and pension obligations, but Biggs warns against such a similar option for states.
“I’m involved right now with the restructuring of debt and pensions in Puerto Rico,” Biggs said. “It is a very difficult, very complicated, and very disruptive process. Illinois would be very, very wise to try to fix its pensions and not go anywhere near bankruptcy.”
Rauner says recent trip to Germany and Poland could result in economic development for Southern Illinois
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s current trip to Germany and Poland could result in economic development for Southern Illinois, the governor said Monday morning.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.
Franklin County Farm Bureau News
April 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Gay Bowlin, Manager
I just read an article this past weekend in another regional paper that stated that everyone should run in and get your FOID Card renewed. This is a true statement but you CANNOT get your card renewed unless it is less than 60 days before the renewal date. EX: If you FOID card expires on June 1, then by all means come on in – if it expires on July 1 then you MUST wait until after May 1 – if your card expires on October 1 – you may renew after August 1. So please mark on your calendar when to come in because if you come in too early you will just be sent back out to come again later.
Do you have a farm that has been in your family for many years? The Centennial Farms program honors generations of farmers who have worked to maintain family farms in Illinois. To qualify for Centennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 100 years. A lineal descendant is a person in the direct line of descent, such as a child or a grandchild. A collateral descendant is not a direct descendant, but is otherwise closely related, such as a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or cousin.
To qualify for Sesquicentennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 150 years.
To qualify for Bicentennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 200 years.
If you qualify for any of these and need more information please go to the Illinois Department of Agriculture and go under the Assistance tab – you will find the Application on line or if you need my help please call the office at 618/435-3616.
Are you thinking that when the weather breaks you will be so glad to finally get your garden put out? That thought is going through a lot of minds – both for individual gardeners and for the farmers in the county as well. Not sure exactly when that will happen as we have had more rain this week.
When thinking about an individual garden have you ever thought about a raised bed garden? If you live in an apartment or if your soil is just not that productive – then this might be your perfect solution. Raised beds seem to be the newest craze and I can’t think of a better one. You can make it as large as you would like or you can make several smaller ones to separate the veggies and/or flowers. If you need more information please call the office and we can give you the information to get your started.
Melissa Lamczyk, Ag in the Classroom Coordinator, has been very busy taking incubators to schools for hatching chicken eggs and even one classroom is going to try their hand a hatching duck eggs. This is a 21 day process for chickens and 28 for ducks. This is one of the kids favorite learning activities and I must admit it is mine too. Melissa will always bring them into the office before taking them on to their forever home. Stand by – I will have pictures in a couple of weeks.
I am sure that you have not seen any farmers in the fields lately – the wet fields have kept their equipment stationary and they are really getting antsy to get the fields in order to get crops planted. Rumor has it that there will be more soybean acres planted this year throughout the state – not exactly sure what Franklin County Farmers are planning on putting out but you can bet as soon as the weather clears up they will be on the ball and working late. START SEEING FARMERS!!! This makes everyone safer on the roadways.
Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.
