•May 20, 2026•

Hamburgers are a staple of summer menus in millions of homes. Whether you’re hosting friends on Memorial Day weekend or simply looking for a hearty midweek meal, burgers and summertime cooking go hand in hand.

Hamburgers are a straightforward dish that are often prepared on a grill. But burgers also can be prepared on a stovetop, which can add a new flavor profile to this beloved summertime staple. Those looking to do just that can try this recipe for “Beef Burgers With Onions, Spinach, Ketchup, and Blue Cheese” from Lines+Angles. 

Beef Burgers with Onions, Spinach, Ketchup, and 

Blue Cheese

Makes 4 Servings

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

•May 20, 2026•

As the weather warms up and more people head outside, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is reminding everyone to leave young birds and other animals alone when they encounter them in the wild. Well-intentioned people may believe they’re helping nature by taking possession of young rabbits, fawn deer, baby birds, and other animals that appear to be orphaned or abandoned. However, in nearly all cases, human intervention does more to hurt animals than to help. Young birds and animals are still being fed and cared for by their parents, who usually stay away from nests and dens if humans are nearby. “The most helpful thing people can do for wildlife is to enjoy the animals through observation, not interference,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “If you really care about the animals, just leave them alone when you come across them in nature.” 

The Illinois Wildlife Code provides legal protection for wildlife. Keeping wild animals as pets or raising wild animals believed to have been abandoned is prohibited. Additionally, agency responses to incidents involving illegal captive wildlife can be costly and divert time from other important work. Most wild birds are protected by the Wildlife Code. This includes protection of eggs, nests, and feathers. Migratory birds are also protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. 

•May 20, 2026•

by Angela Hogan

R.N., MSPH Administrator, MCHD 

Parents want their children to stay healthy, in school, and ready to learn. One of the most effective ways to protect them and our communities is through routine childhood vaccinations. A recent update from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) shows encouraging news: Most Illinois children are up to date on their required school vaccinations. In fact, nearly all reported immunization rates met or exceeded the state’s 95% coverage goal. “Across Illinois, families, schools, and public health partners are working together to keep children protected from preventable illnesses,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. 

“The Immortal Thirty-two”

•May 20, 2026•

by Janet Roney

It’s been one hundred and ninety years since March 6, 1836, when Moultrie County’s Jonathan Lindley became the only Illinois man to die at the Alamo.

At age twenty-two, Jonathan had everything to live for. After coming to Texas in 1833 from Moultrie County, Illinois, with his father, Samuel Washington Lindley, he owned 80 acres of land, a small herd of cattle, some pigs, and a cozy little cabin near Gonzales where he and his sweetheart, Sarah, would soon start their married life. What more could a young man ask for? But Jonathan had been born with a strong sense of right and wrong, like his Whitley and Lindley grandfathers.

Texians were outraged when the Mexican “Napoleon of the West,” Santa Anna, jailed Stephen Austin after refusing his request to make Texas an independent Mexican state. He also stopped legal American immigrants and seized their weapons, even though he had been inviting them to settle in the land of “smiling prairies” for the previous decade. Soon, ready or not, the Texians wanted complete independence from Mexico.