•November 23, 2022•
Trends come and go, and that impermanence can make it hard to predict how certain times of year, including the holiday season, will play out. However, one notable trend in regard to the holiday season that has seemingly withstood the test of time is the popularity of Black Friday among holiday shoppers. But even that dynamic has shifted in the digital age. Though Black Friday remains a big day for retailers, in 2021 consumers spent more on Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) than they did on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). According to the Adobe Digital Economy Index, consumers spent $10.7 billion on Cyber Monday in 2021. That’s nearly $2 billion more than consumers spent on Black Friday, when retailers made $8.9 billion in sales. GG229233

•November 23, 2022•
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) has launched the 2022 “Operation Rising Spirit,” campaign encouraging service organizations, schools, communities, and individuals to write letters of appreciation and support to veterans residing at the state veterans’ homes in Anna, Chicago, LaSalle, Manteno, and Quincy. Read More

•November 23, 2022•
In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, Lake Land College students signed 10 new apprenticeship agreements with four local businesses including Hydro-Gear in Sullivan, KC Summers Auto Group in Mattoon, North American Lighting in Paris and Quad Graphics Marketing LLC in Effingham at a signing event on campus Wednesday, November 16.
These agreements are in addition to several already existing apprenticeship agreements with local businesses such as The Equity in Effingham and 3Sisters Logistics in Teutopolis. Read More

•November 23, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

It’s been many years since I’ve played Scrabble.
“Hey, do you feel like beating the pants off me at Scrabble?” is not generally something I’m asked by friends or family members. I’m not sure why.
Games of chance, mixed with strategy, better describes our field of play.
I remember perhaps the last time my sister and I engaged in battle I played the word “ka.”
It was disputed. This was decades ago. We didn’t have a Scrabble dictionary, and we didn’t have Google, either.
Turns out, Jenny, “ka” IS in the Scrabble dictionary. I know, because in doing some research I looked it up.
Nanny-nanny-foo-foo!
I apologize for my lapse into middle school taunting. Sort of. Read More