News Progress

By Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

Should Illinois prison parolees be granted legal counsel in cases where their parole officers have recommended they be sent back to prison?

That is the nub of a case filed recently in federal court by a justice center at Northwestern University School of Law titled Morales v. Monreal (the chairman of the state Prisoner Review Board) that seeks to require legal counsel for those charged with violation of parole.

The bigger issue is that of how can we reduce the high numbers of men and women who end up back in prison. Read More

by Dan Hagen
NP Columnist

I think the producer, director, author and actor John Houseman’s three volumes of memoirs, in recounting his half-happenstance career, manage to do as good a job as I’ve seen of evoking the adventure of theatrical production.

The meshing and conflicting personalities, the late-night bonding, the technical challenges, the economic uncertainties, the creative dead ends, the mysteries of inspiration, the unexpected triumphs, the passion, the romantic ephemerality of each production as the applause surges, echoes and then dies — fascinating and romantic stuff. Read More

by Tom Emery
Guest Columnist

Before his presidency, Abraham Lincoln traveled across Illinois practicing law and campaigning for office, earning countless acquaintances along the way. Some of that time was spent in Moultrie County, particularly in the county seat of Sullivan.

Lincoln passed near the current site of Sullivan as early as 1830 with his family while they were moving from Indiana to Macon County. Between March 12 and 14, the Lincolns crossed the Kaskaskia River at Willow Ford, four miles southeast of Sullivan. The trail then proceeded northwest, passing between Chipps and Lovington before finally settling southwest of Decatur.

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by William C Bailey

Professor, Western
Illinois University

Recall the national attention and concern generated just before Thanksgiving when the country’s largest turkey producer indicated the possibility of a shortage of large, fresh turkeys? There is a major national celebration that will soon be upon us, and the question may again arise - might another poultry shortage befall the American public? The day of the possible shortage is Super Bowl Sunday. And the possible shortage would be chicken wings, not turkeys. Read More

by John Golden
NP Columnist

Just as most adults do, I work almost every day, and my workdays always start with a jolt of java; every morning, every time. On most of my days off, I drink my liquid caffeine injection at home. So I guess by using the old process of elimination trick, that would mean that I drink coffee seven days a week, every week. Read More