By CHUCK SULLIVAN President, Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois As families across Illinois celebrate the holidays, thousands of professional firefighters and paramedics are spending their days and nights protecting our communities — often missing their own celebrations to respond when lives are on the line. While most people are gathered around their tables, firefighters are…
By STATE SEN. TERRI BRYANT In southern Illinois, we know what it means to keep the lights on the hard way. Every family farm, small business, and manufacturing plant south of I-70 depends on reliable, affordable electricity to survive. Whether it’s running grain dryers in Jefferson County, keeping poultry barns warm in Perry County, or…
Bank of Springfield (BOS) urges the community to slow down and think about who could be on the other end of an unexpected email, phone call, or text message. Scammers know it’s a busy time of year and have increased their fraud tactics to take advantage of consumers and businesses. Most recently, scammers are…
By KRIS BATCH Senior VP/Sr. Regional Delivery Manager UMB Bank The holidays are usually called the most wonderful time of the year, but they are also typically the most expensive time of the year. In a recent survey from Bankrate, 54% of respondents said they’d made an unplanned or impulse purchase during the last holiday…
A Big THANK-YOU to the Scouting for Food effort! Scout Troop 777 and Packs 30 and 44 worked hard and collected 6,281 items for Operation Blessing in Wood River this year. The community was extremely generous and really stepped up as well. In these times of food insecurity of many of our neighbors, this is…
Jackie B. Grice, CEO and founder of Launching Deeper Enterprises, and a certified purpose coach and business strategist, has curated five practical tips for businesses to celebrate Thanksgiving with purpose: Organize a community service day: Encourage employees to take part in a local community service project, such as volunteering at a food bank, participating in…
By STATE SENATOR ERICA HARRISS (R-56th-Glen Carbon) It was a costly week for Illinois taxpayers. As the General Assembly wrapped up its fall Veto Session just before 5 a.m. on Halloween, the Majority Party pushed through a series of proposals that will make life more expensive for Illinois families, from higher energy bills to new…
By CRAIG RUPP Founder and CEO, Sabanto Ag Farmers have always been innovators. Long before “agtech” was a buzzword, they were hacking their own equipment, solving problems in the field, and adapting to the change of each season. But beyond seasonal shifts, every generation of farmers has faced a moment when they had to adapt…
By HOLLY KIM Treasurer, Lake County, Ill. It wasn’t part of the plan when I became pregnant at 22. I was in college, balancing a full-time job and figuring out my future. Suddenly, I had to learn how to care for a child too. Like many young parents, I found myself navigating a system I…
By ERIC KELLEY Chief Investment Officer UMB Private Wealth Management At the time of publish, a federal budget impasse and government shutdown are underway. The market is unphased by the current budget impasse, and we do not foresee needing to adjust our forecasts or strategies because of the wranglings in D.C. The third quarter of…