Wednesday nights are normally men’s group at church for me. However, last Wednesday I felt a hankering for fried chicken and some good high school basketball.

(Republican President) Ronald Reagan: “We have jealously guarded the concept that ours is a government of laws, not of men.” (April 29, 1967 Speech by Governor Ronald Reagan before the University of Southern California Law Day Luncheon, Los Angeles).

Rolling ahead into the new year I’ve finally gotten used to putting 2025 on my checks and correspondence. As I get older it becomes more difficult for me to break old habits, or more accurately to “change.” I guess that’s either a benefit or curse of old age.

Jimmy Carter and Satan both appeared in the Dec. 29 edition of the British magazine, The Economist. The former president was the subject of its weekly obituary column, while Satan showed up three pages earlier, in a book review. The two articles, taken together, say something about leadership and morality.

Competing against much larger schools, the Oregon bowling team managed to punch its ticket to the state tournament for only the second time in school history. The Hawks took third place at the sectional, to earn one of the four state berths.

Applications are now open for USDA’s new $2 billion Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program. This initiative, administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), aims to help specialty crop producers manage heightened marketing costs and expand both current and new markets. However, the program’s structure does not require funds to be directed toward marketing-specific activities, functioning instead as general financial assistance for specialty crop farmers.

For Northern Illinois University football fans and alums like myself, 135 days was a long time ago. That was when the Huskies shocked the world of college football by upsetting Notre Dame, 16-14.

Three weeks into the new year and I’ve finally stopped writing 2024 on my checks. They say life happens in threes so hopefully with these three weeks behind me I’m looking for smooth sailing.

If you’re like many people in Northern Illinois, you dream of retiring to Florida or Arizona to enjoy warm winters. However, both states have their challenges. Arizona has become increasingly unaffordable, and its water shortages and unbearably hot summers can be significant drawbacks. Florida, on the other hand, faces hurricanes almost every year.

Let’s head to the western side of the county to see what’s up in winter sports. Two things stand out – Polo co-op wrestler Lucas Nelson and the Forreston boys basketball team.

The staff at our Rochelle ALDI have been meeting the special needs of their customers for years by purchasing gift cards to "help" customers when times are difficult.

Fresh off their success on the football field, the Pecatonica boys are lighting up the basketball courts. Ranked No. 1 in 1A, the Indians have rolled to an 11-0 record and have only been tested once (56-54 win over 2A Normal U-High).

The Mt. Morris Goodfellows would like to thank the many individuals, organizations, and businesses that chose to support our efforts by making a donation to help those in our community who, for some reason, could use a little assistance or community support.

A federal court has ordered a nationwide preliminary injunction halting enforcement of a law requiring the filing of private business ownership information with the federal government.

A vision of the past haunts those who argue against U.S. support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. It directs our attention to America’s experiences in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and warns against entanglements in far-away military conflicts. We must indeed avoid the mistakes of those ill-conceived ventures.

The first Presidential election I was old enough to vote in was 1976. Looking back, at that point, and for many years after, while I did vote, I didn’t take that responsibility seriously. I didn’t do any research or pay much attention to the platform of who I was voting for. In fairness, back then there was no internet or Google or an easy way to do that research. But, we were still recovering from a significant scandal – Watergate.

It’s that time of year where I start fielding calls from landlords curious about what cash rent for farmland should be. There’s no magic formula as coming to a cash rent is a negotiation. However when looking at the economic impact of grain farming last year I would caution those landlords that cash rents may be decreasing, particularly if you want to keep a good tenant on the farm. A mindset of less is more may be appropriate.

Mark February 6 on your girls basketball calendar. That is when Byron and Stillman Valley meet in round 2 of what promises to be a thrilling rematch of their championship game of the recently played KB tournament.

It’s that time of year where I start fielding calls from landlords curious about what cash rent for farmland should be. There’s no magic formula as coming to a cash rent is a negotiation. However when looking at the economic impact of grain farming last year I would caution those landlords that cash rents may be decreasing, particularly if you want to keep a good tenant on the farm. A mindset of less is more may be appropriate.

Today it certainly is a global economy. Whether manufacturing, trade or wholesale we are all tied to foreign companies and industries.

Recently, this column discussed post-game fighting among college football teams. In many cases, the fights broke out after the opposing team planted its flag on the logo of the losing team’s home field.

With Christmas staring us in the headlights like a deer on the road I thought I’d share a couple of diddies to help get you in the mood. Enjoy!

The furor over private school domination in the IHSA football championships has yet to die down. If anything, it’s become more pronounced, even gaining national attention.

Do you always vacation at the same place? Would you like to explore new destinations but aren’t sure where to start? Let me help by asking a few questions to create your own travel bucket list and maybe find some new favorite places!

Farm labor is a big topic in the US, primarily in states that grow fruits and vegetables. Without that labor food does not get to your table and if it does it’s more expensive.