•February 15, 2023•
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, and Illinois community colleges across the state are celebrating their valuable role in preparing the workforce for in-demand jobs. CTE programs offered at community colleges provide students with hands-on training and real-world experience in a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.
Lake Land College offers more than 100 career and technical majors in high demand fields. Students who graduate from these short-term and degree programs launch start their careers with little to no debt with life-sustaining wages.
In addition, Lake Land is proud to be working with many industry partners to grow highly skilled employees from within the community. The college has 12 registered apprenticeships this spring and in the past year the Center for Business and Industry served 1,840 students and 23 companies with customized training programs. Read More
Category Archives: News Briefs
Is There An Illinois Dialect, and Is It Worth Protecting?
•February 15, 2023•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
Do you speak Illinoisan?
More to the point, do you speak Chicagoan?
Heck, I could just as easily ask whether you speak North Sidese or South Sidese.
Perhaps it’s the 59 years I’ve spent listening to and speaking to Illinoisans, but during a brief conversation I can safely guess whether you spent much of your life north or south of the Loop. I can even tell most Minnesotans from North Dakotans, which is a rare skill.
So I am of a mind that there is no such thing as an Illinois dialect. It’s too broad. I know people from northern, central and southern Illinois, and we barely sound like we’re from the same country.
I grew up in Arlington Heights, but this column’s editor, Michelle Holdway, hails from downstate Herrin. And she has kept her southern twang for decades since moving to the Chicago area. Read More
Remember When? 2-15-2023
25 Years Ago This Week
Russell Moore accepted the position of sergeant in the public safety department at Lake Land College, and former Lovington resident, Laura Brandenburg was appointed as secretary to Admissions and Records.
During Senior Night for the Sullivan boys basketball team, the seniors stepped up and carried the team to a 70-50 victory over Clinton. Sullivan improved to 15-6 overall and remained in a three-way tie for first place in the Okaw Valley Conference at 10-2. Read More
Cub Scout Pack 39 Pinewood Derby

Photo furnished
Cub Scout Pack 39 Pinewood Derby
Cub Scout Pack 39 held their Pinewood Derby on January 24. Winners were first place: James Conlin, second place: Evan Young, third place: Jack Bertetto and fourth place: Mason Scroggins. Pictured from left to right are Mason Scroggins, James Conlin, Jack Bertetto and Evan Young (in back).
Why ‘Monosemy’ Can Mean Only One Thing
•February 8, 2023•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
One of the great things about English is its malleability.
A sentence can take on a different meaning when you apply emphasis in different places.
The same word can hold different meanings in different contexts.
We bend, shape and recombine the same words to form different thoughts.
And that’s because it’s a whole lot easier to find a word with multiple meanings than a word with a singular one.
Can you imagine how much the Broca’s area of your frontal lobe would have to occupy in your noggin if every word had just one meaning?
What’s the point of having an air fryer and a pressure cooker cluttering up your kitchen when you can have a single machine that functions as both? Read More
Laker Visit Day
•February 8, 2023•
Lake Land College will host Laker Visit Day from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 20 in the Luther Student Center, giving potential students the opportunity to learn about The Laker Advantage and how it can guide them on the path to success. Read More
Don’t Miss a Beat Regarding Women’s Heart Health
•February 8, 2023•
Heart disease might be seen as something that predominantly affects men, but women are not immune to this potentially deadly condition. In fact, doctors and healthcare professionals advise women to take serious heed of heart disease, which claims more female lives than breast cancer, other cancers, respiratory disease, and Alzheimer’s disease combined.
The American Heart Association indicates that more women are now aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death among females than they were 20 years ago. While just 30 percent of women recognized that in 1997, that figure had risen to 56 percent by 2012. However, the AHA reports that only 42 percent of women aged 35 and older are concerned about heart disease. Initiatives like Go Red for Women in February help shed light on the threat posed by heart disease. Read More
Vander Burgh Farms LLC Joins Association
•February 8, 2023•
Vander Burgh Farms LLC, Bethany, Illinois, is a new member of the American Angus Association®, reports Mark McCully, CEO of the national breed organization headquartered in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
The American Angus Association, with more than 22,000 active adult and junior members, is the largest beef breed association in the world. Its computerized records include detailed information on over 19 million registered Angus. Read More
OSFM Stresses Safety During Burn Awareness Week
•February 8, 2023•
National Burn Awareness Week February 5-11, is an initiative of the American Burn Association. During this time, burn, fire, and life safety educators increase public awareness on the frequency, devastation, and causes of burn injuries as well as consistent and authoritative measures to prevent these injuries and how to best care for those who are injured.
The theme for National Burn Awareness Week 2023 is “Hot Liquids Burn Like Fire!” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 276,086 people received medical care for treatment of unintentional burn injuries in 2020, with 3,028 deaths from fire and smoke inhalation. Of 87 hospitals reporting to the American Burn Association registry, 91,875 people were treated for burn-related injuries, with 32% of those being for scalds. Read More
Pritzker Announces End of State COVID-19 Disaster Proclamation
•February 8, 2023•
Governor JB Pritzker announced the state’s public health emergency will end on May 11, 2023, aligning the state with the federal government’s decision to end the national public health emergency. Ensuring Illinois’ and the federal government’s health emergencies were linked brought in additional federal funding and expanded healthcare access for residents across the state.
“Since COVID-19 first emerged nearly three years ago, my administration has worked diligently alongside the federal government to battle this once-in-a-generation pandemic by following scientific and medical guidance to support frontline workers and save lives. Our state’s disaster proclamation and executive orders enabled us to use every resource at our disposal from building up testing capacity and expanding our healthcare workforce to supporting our vaccine rollout and mutual aid efforts,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Let me be clear: COVID-19 has not disappeared. It is still a real and present danger to people with compromised immune systems—and I urge all Illinoisans to get vaccinated or get their booster shots if they have not done so already.” Read More