Opinion

Next week I’m going on my annual trip to Missouri. I’ve been hunting deer there for years and have some wonderful friends there. My memories are many. I think about everything from the times of extreme weather (one time I hunted without a shirt) to trying to find my lost deer with a famous deer…

My daughter climbed the steps of the school bus on the first day of kindergarten, her tiny legs stretching to meet each stair. She plopped down on a bench facing our home and glanced out the window. Her eyes were a myriad of emotions as they scanned the house behind me; excitement, pride, curiosity. And…

On July 1, astronomers at the ATLAS telescope in Chile observed an object racing across the sky that was not supposed to be there.  It was traveling at an estimated 130,000 miles per hour and it was huge– first impressions were that this object was 12 miles wide and coming from outside our solar system.…

By Chris Enroth, Horticulture Educator University of Illinois Extension We have hit the other side of the precipitation pendulum. In 2023 and 2024, we experienced drought conditions. Now in 2025, the sump pump sales have surely hit a high note. For instance, Macomb’s total July 2024 rainfall averaged around two inches. In 2025, many Macomb…

By LAURA MINZER President, Illinois Life & Health Insurance Council Illinois is known for many things: its hardworking people, dynamic urban center, rich farmland, and robust manufacturing base. But quietly and powerfully, the insurance industry has emerged as one of the state’s most significant economic engines. It provides more than just peace of mind in…

The Chicago White Sox baseball team is a mess. They are having a horrible season; the last time I looked, they were in last place in their division, some 25 games out of first place, with an empty stadium to boot. I have a law school buddy who grew up on the South Side of…

This year is going to be odd but special. I’m hunting a new piece of property that I once hunted about 30 years ago. This place holds many memories. I learned about cattle at this place. I killed my first turkey at this place. And many deer stories came from this place. To say it’s…

I was enjoying a slice of pie, skimming the headlines in the paper, when my mouth fell open in astonishment: ‘Your Waistline May Reveal How Religious You Are’ The headline was followed by research results. It is clear: we who love the Lord, love food. I could have saved them thousands in research money if…

By Chris Enroth, Horticulture Educator University of Illinois Extension A sad fact of life is that sometimes a tree must be cut down. Some trees are beset by invasive insects or disease, others may be mangled by storms, and some die from environmental stress or old age. Once the tree is removed, we are often…

Ever since I can remember hunting deer, I have dreaded July and August. Not because the deer season is not here yet, but because it soon will be. And if I am going to be ready for the cooler mornings of September and the colder days of October and November, I have to force myself…