News Progress

•February 21, 2024• The worst earthquake in Illinois history occurred on December 17, 1811, and was so strong that it rang a church bell in a Cairo church in southern Illinois. It also blew smoke, sand, and coal 30 yards into the air and made the Mississippi River flow backward for a moment. “Not everyone in Illinois realizes that Illinois is susceptible to earthquakes because of the New Madrid Seismic Zone on the border with Missouri and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone on our border with Indiana,” said Alicia Tate Nadeau, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office … Read More

•February 21, 2024• I rarely dip my toe into the pronunciation pool because there is so much variety, much of it owing to the speaker’s place of birth and upbringing. However, if you’re one to say “nuke-yu-lurr” or “jew-lery,” I’m going to have to keep you after class. Kate Gingold, who last year sent me a copy of her book, “Agatha Annotated,” is working on a presentation for the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, England, this fall, and she inspired me to cautiously dip my toe in the topic. When I tell you she’s working on it in Key West, … Read More

… Read More