•February 19, 2020•
By Capitol News Illinois

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Thomas, a former placekicker with the Chicago Bears, will retire from his seat on the bench effective Feb. 29.
In a news release Monday, Feb. 10, Thomas said “the Lord has truly blessed me” with family — his wife, three kids and soon-to-be nine grandchildren; a former college and professional football career; and the “tremendous honor and privilege of serving as chief justice.”
“While I will miss the collegial atmosphere with my colleagues on the court, I am ready to return to the practice of law and help clients achieve justice,” he said.
He plans to join the Chicago-based Power Rogers law firm, which successfully represented him in a defamation suit against the Kane County Chronicle in 2006.
First elected to the high court in November 2000, and voted chief five years later, he was instrumental in opening its activities by allowing the online publication of video and audio from oral arguments. Thomas also supervised a mandatory continuing education program for Illinois lawyers and judges and established the court’s Commission on Professionalism. Read More

•February 19, 2020•
By Wendy Martin
Editor, Martin Publishing Co.

Jim Nowlan and I go back a long way, and I can’t think of anyone I know who I respect more.
That being said, I have a much less dystopian view of the future of newspapers, and particularly community journalism, than the one Jim shared his piece, “Stop the hand-wringing over decline of newspapers,” a couple weeks ago.
We are a much better product than we give ourselves credit for, and for those committed to community journalism, I believe we have a much brighter future than what some might think.
Despite the constant drumbeat that newspapers are dead, we need to recognize we have strengths that are critical to the quality of life in the communities we serve and we can continue to be a foundational part of those communities.
My vision for the future of local community newspapers looks a lot like the publication you will find on our website at www.democratnewspapers.com. Here you will find an easily navigated PDF version of this week’s newspaper. Read More

•February 12, 2020•
The vast majority of businesses in the U.S. are considered “small” - and starting your own is a significant milestone for any entrepreneur.
A study from SmartAsset, a New York financial technology company, has found the places in each state with the strongest small business presence. Read More

•February 12, 2020•
The preliminary statewide average January temperature was 31.4 degrees, 5 degrees above the 30-year normal and the 17th warmest on record going back to 1895, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.
The preliminary statewide average total January precipitation was 4.41 inches, 2.34 inches above the 30-year normal and the ninth wettest on record.
Following a warmer than average December, temperatures remained persistently above average for the first half of January. Average temperatures in January ranged from the mid-20s in northern Illinois to the high 30s in southern Illinois and were 2 to 7 degrees above average across the state. Read More

•February 12, 2020•
Moultrie County has been issued a tentative property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to David Harris, Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue.
The property assessment equalization factor, often called the “multiplier”, is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the state’s 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties (e.g. school districts, junior college districts, fire protection districts). If there were no equalization among counties, substantial inequities among taxpayers with comparable properties would result.
State law requires property in Illinois to be assessed at one-third (1/3) of its market value. Farm property is assessed differently, with farm homesites and dwellings subject to regular assessing and equalization procedures, but with farmland and farm buildings assessed according to standards based on productivity. Read More