News Progress

•February 10, 20201•
Submitted by Emily Steele

Spring is characterized by a fury of activity on farms. In the rush to get crops in the ground, safety and health is not always a priority.
Stay safe during this critical time with the free webinar Preparing for a Safe Planting on February 18 about how to prevent common farm injuries and illness. Read More

•February 3, 20201•
By Jerry L. Ginther
NP Guest Writer
Sure, as teens and young adults we looked forward to being on our own. Thinking how liberating it would be to experience the good life we would create for ourselves. Wrongly assuming, most of the time, that our parents had wasted their opportunities, and we thought we would never make the same mistakes. After all we were better educated, and the world had left the last generation and their ideas in the proverbial dustbin, along with the horse and buggy.
After the wars, signs of prosperity were everywhere. Indoor plumbing was becoming a reality in every household as outdoor wells and pumps began to disappear. Gas mains delivered natural gas to houses within the cities. Garages and automobiles were appearing next to homes. Air conditioners protruded from windows, and television antennas towered above many houses. We were modernizing, and the new appliances in homes, such as washers and dryers, were becoming status symbols, and clotheslines were becoming obsolete too.  Read More

•February 3, 20201•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

When you’re new to the U.S. presidency, you want to surround yourself with people of action.
That seems to be what President Joe Biden is doing.
No, I’m not foolishly wading into the murky waters of political advocacy. I merely noticed a pattern the other day when Antony Blinken was confirmed as secretary of state.
Take a look at the lineup of Biden’s confirmed cabinet members and others waiting to be confirmed and tell me you don’t see the same pattern: Yellen, Blinken, Rouse, Power, Burns and ... Fudge.
Yep, all verbs. Read More

•February 3, 20201•
Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator
U of I Extension

The webinar “Finding Your Get Up and Go” has been rescheduled for Monday, February 22 at 2:00 PM. Is it hard to get motivated sometimes? How do you stay motivated or find your “get up and go” when it may have already got up and went?? University of Illinois Extension Educator Cheri Burcham will be presenting this webinar through the videoconferencing platform Zoom. Attend this FREE webinar and find out why our motivation levels change and techniques to improve it. Those interested in attending must register online at https://go.illinois.edu/getupandgo Read More

•February 3, 20201•
Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator
U of I Extension

Resilience: the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. As much as resilience involves “bouncing back” from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth. The good news is that resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.
In past blog posts, I have mentioned many of the characteristics or traits that research has identified as most commonly found in resilient people, families and organizations. Self-confidence, humor, optimism, gratitude, purpose, and social connectedness are just a few attributes that are more commonly found in those who are considered resilient – but can also be nurtured and developed in anyone. Read More