News Progress

•September 6, 2023•

Lake Land College’s Adult Education program offers free GED and ESL classes with the support of funding from the ICCB Adult Education and Family Literacy grant. These classes help students age 17 or older continue their education and develop valuable employment skills. Lake Land instructors and advisors help students in these courses achieve their academic goals and prepare for successful employment by assisting with résumés and providing access to community resources. Read More

•September 6, 2023•

By Jim Baumann

NP Guest Writer

It’s fun — and sometimes surprising — to learn the literal meanings of everyday phrases you use.

At least it is for Bill Murray and me.

Bill, of Palatine, is a very funny guy who spent 40 years on the other side of the camera in the world of television and who writes mini-books for family and friends with such titles as “News of the Whirled,” “New and Improved,” which is his take on advertising for unlikely products, and “Bolognia — An Official Archive,” his exploration of the nation of Bolognia, which naturally is a bunch of baloney.

“Susan Estrich’s Aug. 25 column on Rudy Giuliani’s fall from grace contained the phrase “ ... he never dreamed he would be hoisted on his own petard,’” he wrote in an email to me. “My recollection is that a petard was a small bomb mounted on a wooden pole or stick that a warrior placed against an enemy’s castle door or gate in the 17th century. Apparently the intent was to light the fuse, run up to the fortification, lay the petard against the target and run away before the explosion. If the fuse burned too quickly, or if he tripped along the way, the engineer could be blown into the air, ‘hoisted by’ not ‘hoisted on’ his own petard.”

I couldn’t recall whether Shakespeare coined the phrase “hoist with his own petard” in “Hamlet” or “Coriolanus,” but upon further investigation I found it in Act 3 of “Hamlet”: Read More

•August 30, 2023•

By Jerry Nowicki

Capitol news Illinois

jnowicki @ capitolnewsillinois.com

Six interagency law enforcement task forces received grant funding this spring to combat car thefts through an initiative of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office.

Giannoulias was in Belleville Tuesday to promote the initiative and highlight a $2.5 million grant to the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force, which brings together law enforcement agencies from Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties.

“In 2022, a motor vehicle was stolen every single minute in the United States,” Giannoulias said Tuesday. “Unfortunately, in Illinois, we have not been immune to the effects of auto theft. In fact, right here in (the) Metro East, over 1,300 automobiles were stolen last year alone.” Read More

•August 30, 2023•

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the CDC is reporting all 102 Illinois counties remained at a low level for COVID-19 hospital admissions as of the middle of August, though wastewater surveillance is detecting rising Covid-19 activity. IDPH is continuing to closely watch COVID-19 data and also monitoring other respiratory viruses, particularly flu and RSV, ahead of the fall and winter seasons. Read More

•August 30, 2023•

With back-to-school time upon us, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is reminding taxpayers that they may be able to claim school expenses for their K-12 students on their 2023 Illinois individual income tax returns.

“Teachers and parents both invest a great deal in educational costs, so I encourage them to take advantage of the valuable savings offered through both the Illinois Educational Expense Credit (for parents) and the Instructional Materials and Supply Credit (for teachers),” said IDOR Director David Harris. “It is important that all receipts are saved for qualifying purchases, so they are accessible when it is time to file taxes.” Read More