News Progress

•November 11, 2020•
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville would like to announce campground opening dates and policy changes for the 2021 recreation season.
Lake Shelbyville had a successful year in 2020 with campsite utilization rates up almost 20%. The
2021 season is projected to be another busy year for outdoor recreation and camping.

2021 CAMPING SEASON DATES & UPDATES

Forrest W. “Bo” Wood, Lithia Springs, & Wilborn Creek Group Camp: April 15 - October 24, 2021
Lone Point, Lone Point Group Camp, Opossum Creek: May 20 - September 7, 2021
Coon Creek: To Be Determined - October 11, 2021 Read More

•November 11, 2020•
Agriculture students and Illinois Farm Bureau® (IFB) members, spouses and children are eligible to apply for 77 college scholarships offered by the IAA Foundation, Illinois Farm Bureau’s charitable arm. The scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $7,500, will be awarded in total of $123,000 for the 2021-22 school year. Read More

•November 11, 2020•
By Capitol News Illinois

Backers of a graduated income tax constitutional amendment conceded defeat Wednesday, Nov. 4, for Gov. JB Pritzker’s marquee policy proposal which was projected to bring in more than $3 billion annually to state coffers.
With 98 percent of precincts reporting, voters had rejected the amendment by a 55 percent to 45 percent margin. The Associated Press called the race for the “No” camp, as a large number of outstanding mail ballots were almost certainly not enough to make up for the deficit of approximately 500,000 votes.
In his daily COVID-19 briefing in Chicago, an agitated Pritzker lashed out against the Republican Party, warned of cuts to public safety and human services and said several other options were on the table for addressing state budget deficits that have been ongoing for decades.
“Illinois’ fiscal problems haven’t gone away. We now sit at a crossroads,” Pritzker said. “Our state finances still require fundamental structural change. In the coming days I’ll be talking with the leaders in the General Assembly about our path forward. But here’s what we know for sure: I promised to be a governor who balances the budget and pays the bills that my predecessor left behind. I promised to make sure that our kids get a good education that we invest in job creation and that we build a better future for Illinois. There will be cuts, and they will be painful.” Read More

•November 4, 2020•
The Margie Pondo Memorial Coat Drive, formally known as No Kids Left in the Cold, will be giving away free coats, mittens, and hats again this year. After the sudden death of co-founder Margie Pondo, Jeri Davis co-founder, changed the name of the group. It was changed to honor Mrs. Pondo. Margie was known as the coat lady to many in the area, and her legacy will continue to help local children stay warm through the cold Illinois winters. Read More

•November 4, 2020•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer

A couple of days ago was Election Day.
Or, I should say, Election Month began yesterday.
This will be a month of math the likes of which we’ve never seen.
You might even hear a candidate claim something along the lines of “My opponent has three times less votes than I do. There is no way he is going to catch up with early voting and provisional ballots, so let’s just stop counting now.”
You would be right to screech, “Hey, Moses, it’s ‘fewer than,’ not ‘less than.’”
And I would respond: “Sure, but that is not going to save that nonsensical sentence.” Read More