News Progress

•December 16, 2020•
The importance of shopping locally has been emphasized with increasing urgency in recent years. Events like Small Business Saturday and Plaid Friday have brought some much-needed attention to the importance of shopping local, which is even more crucial now as so many small businesses try to survive the pandemic.
A poll from the trade group the National Federation of Independent Business reported that about half of all the businesses in the survey reported a 25 percent drop in sales since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, and roughly one in five businesses have seen sales decline by more than 50 percent. If the economic climate does not radically improve, 20 percent of small businesses won't survive. Read More

Illinois Department of Labor Reminds Workers to Watch Their Wages

•December 16, 2020•
Illinoisans will ring in the New Year with an additional increase in the minimum wage to $11 an hour, and the Illinois Department of Labor is encouraging employees to watch their paychecks to ensure that time worked in 2021 is paid at the new rate.
Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation into law in 2019 providing a path to a $15 minimum wage by 2025. Minimum wage earners received two increases in 2020 to $9.25 an hour on January 1 followed by an increase to $10 an hour on July 1. The minimum wage will continue to increase an additional $1 an hour each January 1 until it reaches $15 an hour in 2025.
“We want to make sure that workers earning minimum wage are aware that the $1 increase should be reflected in their pay checks for any time they work after the first of the year,” said Michael Kleinik, director of the Illinois Department of Labor. “While we fully expect employers will pay the new wage, we also want workers to be aware of the change.” Read More

•December 16, 2020•
With COVID-19 restrictions around the nation, shopping virtually has become more than just a convenience and it’s important to take steps to stay safe when shopping online, especially at the holidays.
From the convenience of easily making household and grocery purchases to an endless offering of gifts, online shopping has grown in popularity at exponential rates during 2020. Increased online traffic also makes it more lucrative for cyber thieves to trick buyers into scams and steal personal information for financial gain.
“Shopping virtually brings many benefits, including the ability to limit our exposure to COVID-19, but it also opens up shoppers to the myriad of online threats,” stated Jennifer Ricker, Acting Secretary at the Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT). “We want to help our Illinois residents benefit from the convenience of online shopping, while remaining secure through improved cyber awareness.” Online shopping best practices recommended by the National Cyber Security Alliance include: Read More

•December 9, 2020•
Planters Precision, an innovative precision ag company owned by The Equity, is excited to announce its acquisition of H & H Precision, a Precision Planting and Yetter Equipment dealer located east of Gays, Illinois. H & H Precision will operate as a new location for Planters Precision. Read More

•December 9, 2020•
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is encouraging everyone six months and older who has not yet received the seasonal flu vaccine to get it this week as part of National Influenza Vaccination Week.
“This year it is more important than ever to get your flu shot to help avoid being co-infected with flu and COVID-19,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.  “Not only could being infected with both a flu virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 result in severe health complications for individuals, it also places a tremendous burden on our health care system and health care workers who are being stretched due to the increase in COVID-19 cases.  If you have not already received your flu shot, get it as soon as possible to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community.” Read More