This Labor Day is a celebration of our country’s growing embrace of a new face of leadership and opportunity. In our politics, a minority woman leads a presidential ticket for the first time. And on the frontlines of our labor movement, the “toolbelt generation” has tremendous room for growth led by women and minorities.

George Henze was born in a log cabin, actually he was the second child delivered in the cabin. The year was 1869, just four years after the Village of Lane changed her name to Rochelle. The cabin had been built initially by John Randall in 1837 and was the first permanent house built in today’s Rochelle. The Henzes built a modern home at 105 S. Main St. just north of the cabin which was removed in 1888.

In most of the nation, all you need to do is to step outside to feel one of the deadliest hazards: extreme heat. So far in 2024, the dangers of heat illness have killed 34 workers nationally both indoors and out.

Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center has served children and teens affected by child abuse and violent crimes in Ogle and Lee Counties since 2002. 

Trade, it’s something we’ve all done in our lives. I remember as a kid trading baseball cards, marbles or anything else you had as value that you could transform into new riches. And as often the case sometimes both parties won, sometimes on party lost; it’s how the game gets played.

International Overdose Awareness Day, Aug. 31, is the most extensive annual campaign to end overdose. The campaign raises awareness of overdose, which has impacted every community. Too many families have lost loved ones, but this campaign and others like it can save lives.

Crops are growing and I’m sure plenty of farmers out there are looking for a good yield. Only a few months away from harvest with combines running in full gear and grain bins filling up.

Last Tuesday I received a text from someone with a first name only.  Later I received a phone call from the same person.  Since there was no last name, and no links to an internet site.  This appeared to be a scam.  None-the-less, what the text said was very interesting. 

This summer has been a very busy time for our team at the City of Rochelle.  Various projects are either underway or will be by September.  

Environmental challenges have always driven innovation and advancement in agriculture.

Both sides in this presidential election proclaim that it’s a battle for the survival of democracy. In that case, we need to be clear about what American democracy is. It’s not just that the people vote. There are also safeguards against the abuse of power by the government, or by the people themselves.

The library has had a great summer! Read, Renew, Repeat! We will have our End of Summer Reading Celebration on Friday, Aug. 9 from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Moving past Independence Day our next holiday won’t occur until September on Labor Day. We will just have to sweat out the next two months of summer before we can take another break. Maybe that’s why they call them the dog days of summer.

The Secret Service is the agency charged with protecting the president, former president, and others. So what the heck happened to security that resulted in the near assassination and the killing of an attendee at the July 13 Butler, Pennsylvania rally? 

Again, for you to fully understand this document, you should read it yourself.  However, just reading the four broad fronts mentioned below, in the forward to this document, should give you a solid “look” at what could be coming.

The extreme heat that recently blanketed the United States is a clear sign of climate change. But rising temperatures are fueling more than just hotter summers. Climate change is contributing to the spread of drug-resistant infections. And alarmingly, the medicines we use to fight those pathogens are losing their effectiveness.

Summer means one thing...it’s fair season!

The following is a commentary on the editorial “Science, Democracy and Donald Trump” published in the Rochelle News-Leader Local Views on July 17, 2024.

Among the four different types of technology, production technology is the knowledge, tools, machines, and systems that we humans use to produce artifacts we need and want for living our lives.

Let’s get this one over with.  Yes, President Biden had a terrible debate night.  Yes, he didn’t look well. 

It can be frustrating to struggle with your mental health and to get your family and friends to understand where you are coming from.

This is the story of a storyteller. Born on Nov. 1, 1891 in Ohio, Illinois, Bernard (Buck) Faley was a “character”. His parents, James and Susan, owned a meat market and young Buck worked in the family store. Buck was raised and educated in small communities. He had many loves in his life. He loved boxing, family, and his countries, yes, his countries. Buck’s grandparents, John and Bridget, were born in Ireland and Buck was Irish to his core. He was also proud of his family’s new home, America. 

Donald Trump probably won’t destroy American democracy if he’s re-elected. It’s been ailing for some time, but has deep roots. It will most likely take more than one presidential term to finish it off.

They want you to give up gas-powered cars for electric cars, your gas stoves for electric stoves, and now regular meat for lab-grown meat. Lab-grown meat (Cultured meat, cultivated meat, artificial meat, etc.) is produced by placing animal cells in a large petri dish (bioreactor), which is a large tank operated under controlled conditions that encourages cells to grow.

Away from the sports beat for a while, it was time to get back in the fray with a trip to the Quad Cities for the John Deere Classic golf tournament.