Columnist

The peaceful Illinois, wiped out by greed

Published by admin on Wed, 06/27/2018 - 9:00am

    The signs are all around us, Pottawattamie camp ground, Indian Boundary Line and Wauponsie Glacial Trail. Those romantic Native American names are not just for show. Time was when white man did not live here, only tribes of warring Indians roamed the prairie.
    Set the way-back machine to the late 17th century for a look around.
    The very state we live in, Illinois, is named for a tribe of Indians. The Illinois Indians were made up of five distinct bands: Kaskaskias, Cahohias, Peorias, Tamaroas and Mickgamies.

The anti-Madigan message might give an edge

Published by admin on Mon, 06/25/2018 - 10:38am

    Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan will be on the ballot in just one of Illinois’ 118 House districts this November, but his name and reputation will be featured in electoral battles throughout the state as Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Republican Party use Madigan against every Democrat from JB Pritzker on down to maybe even mosquito abatement district races. Can his lousy statewide image be used to defeat his fellow Democrats?

The Skinny Margarita - just as refreshing with a lot less calories

Published by admin on Wed, 06/20/2018 - 9:00am

 

Margaritas taste great. Sure, a good tequila will go a long way toward making your giant restaurant Margarita delicious. Outside of the tequila, the other ingredients in your restaurant Margarita are likely loaded with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and a host of other artificial flavoring.

The mysterious case of Henry Belt

Published by admin on Wed, 06/20/2018 - 9:00am

 

Our story today concerns abolitionists, those people who helped slaves escape. Sometimes they helped people who had left slavery behind in the south and were desperately trying to get to Canada. But that was not the situation in today's story.

Temperance in Braidwood, the other side of the coin

Published by admin on Wed, 06/20/2018 - 9:00am

 

Those who know a bit about early Braidwood history know that saloons play a large role. But today we flip the coin over and look at the early temperance (no alcohol) societies that rarely get mentioned or notice.

Poll numbers say Dems need to get to work

Published by admin on Mon, 06/18/2018 - 2:10pm

    According to a recent Capitol Fax/We Ask America poll, Democrat JB Pritzker leads Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner by nine points, 36-27, with 26 percent choosing an unnamed third-party candidate and 11 percent undecided. In other words, slightly more people said they preferred third party and/or were undecided than supported the frontrunner Pritzker.

We won't do the time alone

Published by admin on Wed, 06/13/2018 - 9:00am

 

Last time we looked at 1870 and the rash of fires intentionally set by an unknown person. We return to December of that year to find the culprits.

A room at the end of the shaft

Published by admin on Wed, 06/13/2018 - 9:00am

 

Sometimes it's hard to picture something that you are not familiar with. I find that it is true when I talk about coal mining. The only experience I have with it directly is at the Science & Industry museum where long ago I remember going down to the coal mine. I remember feeling somewhat claustrophobic. Our subject today is the coal shafts themselves.

Venture beyond the Gin and Tonic

Published by admin on Wed, 06/13/2018 - 9:00am

 

To a true lover of gin, there is no gin season. Die-hard fans of gin drink their Gin and Tonic on the coldest of winter days and the hottest of summer days alike without thinking twice.

Mapes' #MeToo mistake, he had to go

Published by admin on Sun, 06/10/2018 - 4:45pm

 

If you ask anyone at the Statehouse about House Speaker Michael Madigan’s former chief of staff Tim Mapes, they'll all say he "made the trains run on time.”