•February 10, 20201•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

The headline is a window into a story.
It’s also one of newspapering’s most interesting (and fun) challenges. How do you convey the nuance of a story in just a few words? How do you alert people that an Anthropologie store is moving into Metropolis, all in a one-column hed (which is newspaper jargon for “head,” which is short for “headline”)?
We have a bunch of award-winning headline writers on staff who constantly amaze me. But sometimes even they get stumped.
Neil Holdway, who heads up our night copy desk operation, wrote me an overnight note about a particular challenge: “So we struggled with my panel headline on the Illinois vaccination rate, where I said ‘1 in 12 Illinoisans have their first dose.’ Looks OK at first, but really, should it be “1 in 12 has ...’? And then you have ‘their’ to deal with.” Read More

•February 10, 20201•
Capitol News Illinois

The state administered 64,469 COVID-19 vaccinations statewide over the weekend following a single-day record for vaccinations on Friday. As of Monday, Feb. 8, the state has issued over 1.3 million doses, with 2.3 percent of the population having been fully vaccinated.

Illinois has ranked near the bottom of all 50 states in vaccines administered thus far, according to a New York Times database, leading some state lawmakers to call for increased transparency and a more effective process for allowing eligible residents to receive vaccines.
On Monday, Senator Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, announced that the Senate Health Committee will hold a special hearing on Thursday regarding the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is the greatest line of defense we have against the pandemic,” Morrison said in a Monday news release. “Unfortunately, many people across the state who are eligible for the vaccine haven’t been able to get their dose – and that’s disheartening.”
The release said that the hearing has been scheduled amid “hundreds of questions and concerns from constituents” regarding the rollout of the vaccine, citing a “confusing” scheduling process.
“I hope this hearing will lead us toward a path of greater efficiency,” Morrison said in the release.
The virtual hearing, scheduled for noon on Thursday, will feature Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, as well as representatives from the Chicago and Sangamon County Health Departments. Read More

•February 10, 20201•
Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator, U of I Extension

I think winter is officially here! I actually enjoy the snow and watching the birds at my feeders. I feel that this is usually the time to slow down a little, reflect and regroup, and especially this year more than ever. I found a great article by Extension Program Coordinator Wendy Ferguson on the Extension blog “Naturalist News” about storytelling and some recommended reads in the areas of nature, environment and stewardship. I thought this would be a good time to share it with all of you. Wendy writes:
Welcome to winter. During this cold and snowy time, many American Indian cultures use the time for traditional storytelling. Storytelling serves two main purposes, entertainment and education. And the really good stories do both. Hearing a story or reading a book is like receiving a gift from the storyteller or author.  In Native American cultures, a gift of tobacco is offered to the storyteller before the story begins as a sign of respect. The storyteller will often take the tobacco outside and place it on the earth as an offering to the spirits of the story. So in these months dedicated to storytelling here are a few authors worth reading, no tobacco needed. Read More