JCJ News
The cicadas are coming! Periodical cicadas in Illinois in 2024
Periodical cicadas will be emerging across much of Illinois in 2024. Photo by Ken Johnson, University of Illinois Extension.By Ken Johnson Can you hear them? Probably not yet, but soon, Illinois will be awash in the songs of periodical cicadas. This year is a big year for periodical cicadas in Illinois, where Broods XIII and…
Read MoreIt’s Fish Fry time
St. John’s United Church of Christ will be hosting their annual Friday Fish Fries, on March 1, 8, 15, and 22, 2024.
Read MoreAg education programs growing in Illinois
By HANNAH SPANGLER | FarmWeek A grant program has helped increase number of agriculture teachers and agriculture education programs in the state. In 2014, there were 320 agriculture programs with 386 teachers. That number grew to 386 agriculture programs with 547 teachers in the 2023-24 school year, according to data from Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural…
Read MoreJERSEY: Wittman and Lorton P.C. named JCBA Business of the Year
By Cory Davenport For nearly a century, the law firm now headed by George Wittman and Laef Lorton has been serving the people of Jersey County. Originally founded in 1925 as Chapman & DuHadway, the firm has been in practice ever since, passing partner to partner with the same ethos going from each to each…
Read MoreDavidsmeyer’s response to Pritzker’s $52.7 billion budget proposal
By Steven Spencer Governer Pritzker outlined plans for a $52.7 billion budget for the state of Illinois last week and received some critical response throughout the state. State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer issued a response last week saying that the budget does not reflect the priorities of Illinois taxpayers as the budget plan includes more than…
Read MoreA spotlight on: The JCBA and the culture of Jersey County businesses
By Cory Davenport Earlier this month, on Feb. 8, the Jersey County Business Association (JCBA) hosted their annual dinner, during which Wittman & Lorton, P.C. was awarded business of the year. The dinner was a culmination of a year’s worth of efforts within the community to foster cooperation, creativity, volunteerism, and an overall spirit of…
Read MoreScholarships available from Jersey County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois Sheriff’s Association
The Illinois Sheriff’s Association (ISA) announces that it will be awarding over $58,000 in college scholarships throughout the State of Illinois to students wishing to pursue higher education during the 2024-2025 academic year. The scholarships are to be applied to tuition, books, and fees only. The student must be enrolled full-time at a certified institution…
Read MoreVilsack: Ag census serves as a ‘wake-up call’
By TAMMIE SLOUP | FarmWeek The number of farms and farmland in the U.S. continues to fall, as the average age of farmers ticks higher. USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture released Feb. 13 serves as a “wake-up call” to policymakers, said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, noting the number of farms plummeted by 142,000 from 2017…
Read MoreBudget reaction: Retailers, municipalities critical of Pritzker’s proposed tax changes
The annual process of negotiating the state budget kicked off last Wednesday with Gov. JB Pritzker proposing a $52.7 billion spending plan that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending and tax increases, particularly for businesses. The governor’s proposal to generate more than $1 billion in revenue through tax code changes – which…
Read MoreGovernor Pritzker’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget makes investments in higher education
Higher education leaders across the state applaud Governor JB Pritzker’s budget announcement, which includes a fiscal year 2025 higher education budget of $2.55 billion. The budget includes a $10 million increase for the Monetary Award Program (MAP), a $24.6 million increase for public universities, and a $5.9 million increase for community colleges. The governor’s budget…
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