We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 824
During the month of August Illinois Farm Bureau Served its members by: - A state appellate court sided with Illinois Farm Bureau and landowner groups, reversing the certification or the Grain Belt Express Project, a statewide high-voltage direct current transmission line. - Seven county Farm Bureaus hosted field days supported by IFB’s Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program, highlighting Illinois farmers’ contributions to goals in the State’s Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. - The 2024 Summe...
There’s a business I frequent on occasion that used to have a crash dummy sitting on the counter next to where you paid your bill. The dummy was wearing dark sunglasses, had a cigarette in his mouth, was wearing an orange t-shirt and a red MAGA hat. He didn’t say a word, but he spoke volumes. Sometimes, one can tell a lot about a company by checking out the paraphernalia around the business and reading the notes they have up on the wall. Another place I do business with, has Bible verses and ins...
Many years ago, when we found out the hard way that I was allergic to Morphine, I had my brush with death and was lying in an ICU bed in Freeport. Now, as a patient, I have always done what I was told – no matter how much it might hurt – so my ICU nurse, who. I knew personally and was a friend, used the joke for many years that she knew first-hand how “good in bed” I was. That nurse was LuAnn Jordan. For the longest time, my wife even teased that I like LuAnn more than I liked her, and used Lu...
Can you believe September is almost over? It is hard to believe, that is for sure. During the month of September, the Stephenson County Agriculture in the Classroom program will see roughly 1,200 students. Students have learned about apples, agriculture’s role in back to school and football. Students range from pre school to 5th grade. With the increase of students we are seeing on a monthly basis, we are trying something new. On Wednesday, October 2 we are inviting community members to help u...
At a recent series of town-hall-style events I hosted across the 45th Senate District, residents took advantage of the opportunity to voice their opinions on various topics. Events were held in Genoa (DeKalb County), Rockton (Winnebago County), Machesney Park (Winnebago County), Savanna (Carroll County), Freeport (Stephenson County), Elizabeth (Jo Daviess County), and Oregon (Ogle County). Local mayors, county board chairs, and other elected officials co-hosted these Community Connections...
People are an interesting lot. We live in a time where surveys are taken for just about everything. Most of the time when you buy something online, immediately after you send your order in, a survey arrives in your inbox asking a bunch of questions about your experience in making the purchase. Sometimes there are surveys on top of surveys. I remember reading about the marketing strategy for a certain laundry detergent. The company put together an impressive set of commercials in an effort to con...
What’s In A Name? A Rose, by any other name, would still smell just as sweet. OK, my apologies for going back into teacher mode during the unit on Shakespeare, but the reason for the quote popping into my head was because I was sitting at my desk late last night, spacing off, when it suddenly occurred to me just how many “names” I’ve got. I mean, my name is Dan Stevens, but when at the eye doctor this past week, they repeatedly called me “Daniel” – which I guess is in an attempt to not offend...
FYI - Humpty Dumpty was pushed. My wife and I had the opportunity to spend last weekend in Nashville, Tennessee with our daughter. We made arrangements to stay at an Airbnb. Before we booked, we read the comments section on their website and it was full of nothing but great comments and five-star ratings. Nonetheless, we were a bit skeptical. When we got there, everything was exactly as advertised. Our suite was an upstairs bungalow complete with snacks, water, juice, antiques, and homey-ness....
Every once in a while, we will be going through our normal routine when suddenly something comes up that sparks a memory in our hearts. For me, it just happened this past week when a girl I used to date back when I was living in New York City popped back into my head. Her name was Joan Labisi, and she was the best friend of the girl who did the books for the Wall Street head-hunting firm I was working for back in 1986 when I first moved to New York City after graduating college. Now, to be...
As the State Senator representing the 45th District in Northwest Illinois, it is important to me to seek input from my constituents on a regular basis. Several weeks ago I mailed a fall survey to households across the 45th Senate District. The survey was mailed without regard to political affiliation. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and others received it to ensure accurate results. While the results cannot be considered “scientific,” they do provide an excellent representation of how tho...
Now that Labor Day is past, summer is over. The fields are turning ripe unto harvest and many of the farmers have their corn silage chopped, bunked, bagged, and/or in the silo. School is underway again and time is marching on. On the calendar, the measure of a year is from January 1 to December 31. But in reality, a year is lived out from September to September. This is the time of year when we begin to panic a little because winter is just around the corner and we have so much we haven’t got do...
My daughters came up with a term whenever people would whine or complain, or come across acting like a wimp. “You big Nancy!” Living in a house full of girls, I’ve never had to call my manhood into question. I mean, yes, that was me putting on bracelets and a tiara when I played Pretty, Pretty, Princess during their Kindergarten years. And yes, I would pretend to be a flaming homosexual whenever I did one of my “Maurice” routines when I fixed them breakfast and sent them off to school. (Every Fr...
I’ve been a pastor now for about 31 years and we’ve had a lot of unique experiences along the way - mostly at weddings but a few have happened at other events too. For instance, there was one time when a couple were visiting family in Missouri and the husband passed away unexpectedly. His wishes were to be cremated, so his wife had him cremated in Missouri and she brought his ashes back to Illinois. But when she arrived in Illinois, the funeral home called and said they had given her the wro...
“Starting at defensive tackle for Lena-Winslow … Ian Cool” Hearing opposing PA announcers butcher a kid’s name – it was Ian “Keuhl” pronounced “Keel” – still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up in anger. Why does it tick me off and get under my skin? Well, you see for four years I was the Public Address Announcer at DePauw University. And the first lesson I learned from our Athletic Director was – “Don’t butcher the names!” It was part of my job to meet with someone – anyone – fro...
In a remarkable turn of events last week, Republicans and Democrats were aligned on supporting police and using fences and walls to keep people outside of spaces where they’re not supposed to be. No, pigs weren’t flying, and the underworld had not frozen over. Last week, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was hosted in Chicago. When it came to protecting the Democratic elite, no expense or protective measure was spared. The Democratic bigwigs and the locations where they were meeting and...
A joke I heard this week: The wedding day was fast approaching. Everything was ready, and nothing could dampen the bride's excitement, not even her parents' nasty divorce. Her mother finally found the perfect dress to wear and would be the best-dressed mother of the bride - ever! A week later, the bride-to-be was horrified to learn her new young stepmother had purchased the same dress. She asked her to exchange it, but she refused, "Absolutely not! I'm going to wear this dress. I'll look like a...
Fall Sports is dominating Dan’s time, so we let him off the hook and are printing an old column of his – we hope you enjoy. “Stevens, you need to do a story on the Blackhawk/Warren football co-op, they’re pretty good.” “I already did. In fact, I’ve done several.” The conversation is not unique, and happens often – but not between me and some reader who doesn’t subscribe to the paper. No, that typical conversation happens on a regular basis between me and my business partner – Terry Whalen! “Do...
With schools heading back to session it is time that both the Carroll and Stephenson County Farm Bureaus say goodbye to our summer office team members. Regan Scidmore, summer office assistant for Carroll County will head to the University of Illinois, and Aaliyah Whitney, summer intern with Stephenson County, will head back to Highland Community College. Each county was fortunate to have these individuals as part of our team this summer. We thank them for their dedication to our members and the...
When I was in high school, my shop teacher taught drafting, wood-working, small engines, and welding. I took all those classes at different times. One time, a friend of mine backed his dark blue, 1974 Pontiac GTO car into the shop, and another friend lifted a small engine in need of repair out of his trunk and set it on the floor and closed the trunk lid. At that moment, the friend driving the car, tromped down on the gas pedal and burned rubber from the shop floor, out the door, and into the...
I realize that I usually tend to look at some rather “unorthodox” topics in this column, but my Mother had always asked that I stop with the bathroom humor and prove to everyone that the education my parents paid for actually did some good. So, in her honor, I think maybe it’s time we look into some deep and philosophical issues regarding the human condition. Do you think that in ‘Hamlet,’ Shakespeare was exploring existentialism and projecting his own concerns about his role in the universe...
Most of us know the process of how a bill becomes a law. While that process directs the flow of bills that are filed, just how do thousands of policy ideas each year become bills in the first place? As of this writing, just under 3,000 Senate and House bills have been filed this year alone. Generally, these policy ideas come from one of four places. Many good bills are the result of a constituent who contacts their elected Senator or State Representative with an issue that cannot be resolved...
What is the difference between a true democracy and a constitutional republic? By definition, a republic is a representative form of government that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution, and a democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority. Although these forms of government are often confused, they are quite different. In a democracy, the people periodically, by majority, vote at the poll to select rulers. The rulers then have absolute power by...
We all need that certain “get away” - you know, the place where we go to recharge our batteries, reward ourselves for getting through another year of working, and go somewhere far from the daily grind to get away from it all. For me - that’s Vegas - and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my four days - even if the temperatures out there were 115 degrees each day. But I realized something - while I truly love going places - New York, Vegas, Cruises, etc - what I really hate is getting there. Here...
One of my favorite things about late summer is the availability of delicious fresh sweet corn. Some of you may remember from past columns that corn is one of my favorite foods, and I especially love fresh sweet corn. With that in mind I wanted to share a few facts on corn. There are three primary kinds of corn. Sweet Corn: This is the kind we eat. You may even grow it in your own garden. Field Corn: Field corn is also known as dent or feed corn. It is hard on the outside and starchy in the...
Open Letter To Stephenson County From Sheriff Stovall Like many of you, I have viewed the body-worn camera footage that was released yesterday afternoon from the senseless and tragic murder of Sonya Massey, and I want to make it clear that I am thoroughly disturbed by the horrific actions of former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson both during and after the shooting. This incident was investigated by the Illinois State Police, and as a result of that investigation, a Grand Jury has indicted former Deputy Sean Grayson for three c...
