Heavy rains, winds and the threat of tornadoes hit parts of Southern Illinois on Tuesday, causing some substantial damage.
Bicentennial STEM Fusion campaign to award 25 Illinois schools unique technology curriculum
April 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Elementary and middle schools across Illinois can apply before April 13
CHICAGO — The Governor’s Office of the Illinois Bicentennial is awarding 25 schools across the state a 3-year technology program as a signature legacy project of the Bicentennial Celebration. The highly renowned IMSA Fusion program presents a unique curriculum for middle school teachers to inspire 4th through 8th graders to study math and science and pursue careers in technology, medicine, education and business. The effort is a partnership with the Illinois Math and Science Academy.
The application deadline for schools is April 13. Applications can be submitted through http://bit.ly/FusionBicentennial.
Wintrust and Abbott are the presenting sponsors. All Bicentennial Office programs are privately financed. Additional funding for this campaign is provided by Boeing, Ingredion and Motorola.
IMSA Fusion is a teacher professional development and student STEM enrichment program. IMSA Fusion places a special emphasis on students who are historically underrepresented in those areas.
A five person school selection committee will review the applications. The committee includes: Emily Bastedo, Senior Advisor to the Governor; Dr. Kevin Pitts, Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education- University of Illinois; Ross Hemphill, Board Member- IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education; Jenna Daugherty, Divisional Vice President of Global Social Responsibility- Abbott; and Susana Meza, Vice President, Marketing- Wintrust Financial.
The schools will be chosen based on serving predominately underrepresented populations, commitments to embedding IMSA Fusion into the regular school day as an elective/encore/CTE course and requiring teachers to undertake 5 full days of professional development, and a sustainability plan to continue the IMSA Fusion after the 3-year award expires.
ABOUT ILLINOIS BICENTENNIAL
On Dec. 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state in the union. The Illinois Bicentennial is a yearlong celebration of what has been BORN, BUILT & GROWN in the state and a reminder of why we are #IllinoisProud. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the celebration by visiting www.illinois200.com.
Nancy Bundy – West Frankfort, IL
April 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Nancy Bundy, 80, of West Frankfort, Illinois, passed away Monday April 2, 2018 in her residence at 10:42a.m.
Nancy was born January 22, 1938 in West Frankfort, Illinois to Stanley and Lola (Shafer) Durst. She loved her family especially her grandchildren. Nancy was a member of First Christian Church – West Frankfort. She also was a member of the Lion’s Club and Knight’s Shield. Nancy was a retired Denning Township supervisor. She was a Kentucky Colonel.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Wendy Miner in 1979; parents; sisters, Jean Link and Donna Stone; special friends, Joanie Pugh and Kay Eader.
Nancy is survived by her son, George (Jean) Miner; grandchildren, Daniel Miner and Sarah (Brett) Bombick; great grandchildren, Matthew and Emily Miner.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00a.m. on Thursday April 5, 2018 at Union Funeral Home – West Frankfort, Illinois with Minister Brian Harris officiating. Burial will be in Tower Heights Cemetery – West Frankfort, Illinois. Visitation will be from 9:00-11:00a.m. prior to the service.
Memorials may be made to the Night’s Shield and will be accepted at the funeral home.
Condolences of sympathy may be made at www.unionfh.com.
Pastor Rick Warren: Heaven changes everything about how we live today
April 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
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Suburban lawmakers sponsor legislation combating those irritating robo-calls
April 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
SPRINGFIELD – Several suburban Republican senators are calling for legislative action on a bill that would put stricter consequences on those who are behind the bothersome robo-calls and scam calls, which seem to keep cell phones ringing non-stop.
Senate Bill 2573 was announced last week, aiming to address the growing problem of robo-calls throughout the state. Several suburban lawmakers came together to co-sponsor the legislation, noting that these types of fraudulent calls are an ongoing form of harassment for many throughout the state.
The legislation strengthens the Illinois Automated Dialers Act by making the act of “spoofing,” where callers disguise their real number by showing up as a different number from the recipient’s caller ID system, a separate violation. The bill also requires prior written consent before callers can use an auto-dialer to initiate a telemarketing call. Both of these changes would align Illinois law with federal law, and would also make the unlawful practices subject to enforcement by the Attorney General.
Estimates place the number of robo-calls per month at 2.4 billion in 2016—that’s up 1.5 billion from 2015. The increase is largely due to Internet-powered phone systems that have made it cheaper and easier to place these calls from anywhere in the world. In October, the Federal Communications Commission reported that telemarketing calls were the number one consumer complaint.
“When robo-calls are done legitimately, they can be a decent tool for commerce and information, but some people have developed practices that are both deceptive and extraordinarily bothersome,” said State Sen. Tom Rooney (R-Rolling Meadows). “Senate Bill 2573 is addressing a real need in our state to crack down on a known avenue for increased fraud, placing necessary barriers between scammers and the general public.”
“The number of calls the average person receives is just outrageous and can become quite burdensome,” said State Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles). “This legislation makes it easier for the Attorney General to crack down on violators of the Illinois Automated Dialers Act. What these callers are doing is wrong and borders along the lines of harassment. I think this is a case where good government needs to step in to combat this growing problem.”
“Now, more than ever, callers are able to easily afford these mass phone calls, and the low cost of auto-dialers is allowing them to makes thousands of calls daily, putting so many people at risk of falling for their deceitful tactics,” said State Sen. Michael Connelly (R-Naperville). “This is good legislation that protects Illinois’ most vulnerable citizens.”
Franklin County Farm Bureau News
April 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Gay Bowlin, Manager
Last week my father-in-law went to be with the Lord and my heart is broken – he always enjoyed reading my articles and I am dedicated this article to Alva “Bud” Bowlin. Forever loved and forever missed.
WOW! The weather has been really uncooperative all over the state – at least three inches of snow in Bloomington area, about four inches of rain in our area and even tornado watches. Not sure when planting will begin but you can be sure that when the farmers are able to get in the fields that they will be going full force. Once again that means that they will be on the roadways and I really want you to watch out for them. Their equipment is MUCH larger than yours and there are many places that are blind spots for them.
China imposed tariffs on a range of U.S. goods, following through on a promise to retaliate against the Trump administration’s penalties on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum.
~ Farm Bureau opposes any U.S. policy that restricts agricultural exports. The administration’s trade policy represents an open invitation for one of our biggest trading partners – in this case China – to retaliate.
~We export more than 25 percent of our pork. China’s retaliatory 25 percent tariff on U.S. pork will reduce our exports to China and damage farm profitability at an already difficult time for farmers.
~ For a pig farmer, the difference right now between making money and losing money is exports. Without huge markets like China, pig farmers lose money.
~ The timing is never good for a trade fight, and here’s why: o Farmers have endured four years in a row of declining net farm income
~ USDA projects that farm income in 2018 could be the lowest in 12 years
~ Exports represent our biggest demand driver right now and defending our markets tops the list of our members’ concerns.
~ China is a key market for U.S. pork. In 2017, the U.S. exported more than $660 million in pork products to China. China is the United States’ third-largest international market by volume and the fourth-largest by value.
~ Agriculture has a positive trade balance of $21 billion. It is a bright spot on our nation’s overall balance of trade. We must do all we can to halt the spread of this trade war.
~ In addition to our agricultural exports, this is also about American jobs. Any time American agriculture takes a hit, all the jobs that rely on – or stem from – the ag sector also take a hit. This includes everyone from equipment sales and service providers to those working in the financial sector.
The Young Leaders Pork Loin sale was a huge success – thank you to everyone who ordered and to Mike Thomas who, once again, did an amazing job of smoking 60 loins. All proceeds go toward the Young Leaders Scholarship which is due this Thursday, April 5th by 4 p.m. If you have any questions please call the office at 435-3616.
This past Friday I was honored by the Benton Elks with the Distinguished Citizenship Award – I only mention this because the reason that I was given this award was because of the work that I do with the Franklin County Farm Bureau. I felt humbled in receiving this award and very proud at the same time that there are those out there who are aware of everything that the Farm Bureau is doing.
Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.
Franklin County Farm Bureau News
April 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Gay Bowlin, Manager
Last week my father-in-law went to be with the Lord and my heart is broken – he always enjoyed reading my articles and I am dedicated this article to Alva “Bud” Bowlin. Forever loved and forever missed.
WOW! The weather has been really uncooperative all over the state – at least three inches of snow in Bloomington area, about four inches of rain in our area and even tornado watches. Not sure when planting will begin but you can be sure that when the farmers are able to get in the fields that they will be going full force. Once again that means that they will be on the roadways and I really want you to watch out for them. Their equipment is MUCH larger than yours and there are many places that are blind spots for them.
China imposed tariffs on a range of U.S. goods, following through on a promise to retaliate against the Trump administration’s penalties on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum.
~ Farm Bureau opposes any U.S. policy that restricts agricultural exports. The administration’s trade policy represents an open invitation for one of our biggest trading partners – in this case China – to retaliate.
~We export more than 25 percent of our pork. China’s retaliatory 25 percent tariff on U.S. pork will reduce our exports to China and damage farm profitability at an already difficult time for farmers.
~ For a pig farmer, the difference right now between making money and losing money is exports. Without huge markets like China, pig farmers lose money.
~ The timing is never good for a trade fight, and here’s why: o Farmers have endured four years in a row of declining net farm income
~ USDA projects that farm income in 2018 could be the lowest in 12 years
~ Exports represent our biggest demand driver right now and defending our markets tops the list of our members’ concerns.
~ China is a key market for U.S. pork. In 2017, the U.S. exported more than $660 million in pork products to China. China is the United States’ third-largest international market by volume and the fourth-largest by value.
~ Agriculture has a positive trade balance of $21 billion. It is a bright spot on our nation’s overall balance of trade. We must do all we can to halt the spread of this trade war.
~ In addition to our agricultural exports, this is also about American jobs. Any time American agriculture takes a hit, all the jobs that rely on – or stem from – the ag sector also take a hit. This includes everyone from equipment sales and service providers to those working in the financial sector.
The Young Leaders Pork Loin sale was a huge success – thank you to everyone who ordered and to Mike Thomas who, once again, did an amazing job of smoking 60 loins. All proceeds go toward the Young Leaders Scholarship which is due this Thursday, April 5th by 4 p.m. If you have any questions please call the office at 435-3616.
This past Friday I was honored by the Benton Elks with the Distinguished Citizenship Award – I only mention this because the reason that I was given this award was because of the work that I do with the Franklin County Farm Bureau. I felt humbled in receiving this award and very proud at the same time that there are those out there who are aware of everything that the Farm Bureau is doing.
Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.
Illinois to spend $194 million on railroad crossing safety projects
April 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Illinois will spend $194 million over the next five years on projects intended to make railroad crossings in the state safer.
Court ruling on union pay to cost Illinois $400 million, could mean tax hike
April 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
A judgment against Illinois for not paying union members’ automatic raises is going to put lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner under even greater pressure to work out a balanced budget.
Saluki Athletics team up with Mid-America Transplant during National Donate Life Month
April 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
The Salukis will “Go Green” this April. Saluki Athletics is excited to partner with Mid-America Transplant on two Green Up Games during National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation while honoring and celebrating organ and tissue donors, donor families, and transplant recipients.
The Green Up Games will be held:
- Sunday, April 15: Softball vs. Indiana State
- Tuesday, April 24: Baseball vs. Southeast Missouri State
The three-year partnership will be featured during National Donate Life Month, which highlights local, regional and national activities to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those that have saved lives through the gift of donation. At each Green Up Game, fans will have the opportunity to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation and register their decision to be a donor at the “Green Up” games. Mid-America Transplant is coordinating a pre-game ceremony dedicated to honoring organ and tissue donors.
“This is an exciting, new partnership for our organization,” Mid-America Transplant President and CEO Diane Brockmeier said. “For many years, Carbondale and the communities of southern Illinois have shown remarkable generosity to help others through organ and tissue donation. With the support of the Southern Illinois University Department of Athletics, we will be able to continue honoring organ and tissue donors, while also educating the public on the lifesaving benefits of donation.”
The baseball and softball teams will wear Donate Life-themed uniforms during the Green Up Game. The Donate Life shades of green and blue represent ongoing efforts to increase the number of people registered as organ, eye, and tissue donors.
“This is a cause that is very near and dear to both Jen Sewell and I,” SIU softball head coach Kerri Blaylock said. “We we’re very, very excited to do this. Jenny Jansen, one of our players, her mother donated a kidney to a boy in St. Louis a couple years ago. We all feel like it’s a very important game for a very important cause. We’re definitely glad to do this.”
“We’re happy to use our platform to bring awareness to this important issue,” SIU baseball head coach Ken Henderson said. “Organ donation affects so many people, and we hope these games will raise awareness for the cause and appreciation for donors.”
Mid-America Transplant is eager to partner with the Southern Illinois University Department of Athletics to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation. More than 115,000 people are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant nationwide after a year in which a record 34,768 organ transplants were performed in the United States. Mid-America Transplant contributed to the 2017 record by facilitating the recovery of an organizational record 718 lifesaving organs from 223 selfless, heroic organ donors.
About Mid-America Transplant
Mid-America Transplant enables adults and children to receive lifesaving gifts through organ and tissue donations. For more than 40 years, it has facilitated and coordinated organ and tissue donation, and now serves 84 counties covering eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and northeast Arkansas that together are home to 4.7 million people. It saves lives by providing expert and compassionate care for organ and tissue donors, recipients and families, and transforms the clinical processes required to recover and transplant organs and tissues. Mid-America Transplant was the first such organization in the U.S. to use an in-house operating room for organ recovery and pioneered innovative models of increasing donor registry enrollment to provide more organs and tissues to those in need. It is federally designated as one of 58 such organizations in the U.S., and is the first organ procurement organization to be recognized as a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence and a three-time recipient of the Missouri Quality Award.
