November 5, 2014

by Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

As I write this, the election has not yet been held.

I have been traveling the state, invited by audiences large and small (mostly small) to discuss my co-authored book on “Fixing Illinois.” At each stop, I ask those in attendance if Illinois can indeed be fixed?

Some say it cannot be fixed, yet more say that the state can be fixed but that it will take a long time. I agree with the latter folks.

The economy of Illinois has, for years, been growing more slowly than that of the nation and even that of our neighboring states. Read More

October 29, 2014

This letter is in response to Mr. Doan’s letter to the editor (the October 15th issue) regarding the proposed 1% sales tax hike in Moultrie County that would go to help maintain our school facilities.  Mr. Doan brought up many good points about the proposal. Though I’m not sure I would call it a “no brainer,” I would say that I agree with him that this tax is a good thing for our school and ultimately our community.  I believe Mr. Doan did a nice job of explaining why the tax would not hurt local businesses, but I would like to expound on why it is needed and how it will help our communities.   Read More

October 22, 2014

by William C Bailey
Professor, Western Illinois University

It was an email, sent by a student from Oquawka, which brought into focus an on-going issue that could affect Illinois food consumers. Oquawka, by the way, is the home of the first monument to an elephant in Illinois, and, perhaps, the United States. Taylorville and Showman’s Rest, in Forest Park, also have elephant monuments.

The student, recalling that I like to read labels on the food I purchase, alerted me to a label she recently saw. The label, on imported soymilk, advertised it contained no Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Read More

October 22, 2014

By Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

We should always be careful about amending the Illinois Constitution because if problems arise later, the document is very difficult to change.

Voters will face two proposed amendments on the November ballot. Both sound like motherhood and apple pie provisos, yet a constitutional law expert thinks both are flawed and should be rejected. Read More

October 15, 2014

By Tyler Harvey
Mo-Do Farm Bureau Manager

I have to say I am glad I am not asked to give reports on the weather. The temperatures the last two weeks of September were as good for drying the crops as it could get; however it seems Mother Nature has officially turned on the faucet here in the last week or two. Going around both Moultrie and Douglas counties, I can tell many crops have been taken out, but for the crops still in the field, I hope drier weather will be on the horizon. Read More