Many people underestimate the impact that mental illness can have on an individual or family. It can be difficult to admit that you have a mental health problem in your life. Secondly, it can be just as difficult in getting the people you know to understand your situation without making any kinds of judgments.

In 1869 a curriculum was created allowing the Rochelle school to award high school degrees.  The first graduating high school class of 1874 consisted of three students, Emma Stratford, May Parks and Kitty Parker. Three young ladies and zero young men. But this is the story of sport, more specifically girls’ sports at Rochelle High School. 

It seems as if every community, big or small, has been impacted by the problems associated with substance use and drug overdose. Within these communities, these problems extend into the family unit, with people becoming addicted and dying because of drugs.

In this article, let’s consider healthcare in America.  So many people are against socialized medicine being started in this country that it seems unlikely that we will ever see it.  Yet we should not confuse socialized medicine with socialism that we see in other countries. 

Crop insurance remains a crucial safeguard for farmers, tracing back to the Great Depression and evolving into a vital tool amidst today's market and weather volatility.

Ethanol represents a significant market for my Ogle County family farm. We can deliver corn to seven ethanol plants within a 70-mile radius, and distillers’ grains are a valuable input for our livestock enterprises.

Are you having trouble finding places to get some assistance for your mental health Nowadays, many places have waiting lists, and some places can be very expensive. This can be very frustrating when you need help right away.

As an educator, I’m constantly reminded of things that we as a society used to do decades ago that we don’t need to do anymore.

With cyberattacks on the rise, our data privacy has never been in greater peril. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s work helping keep that information safe has been welcome, including his recent call for Meta to step up efforts to thwart hackers. Unfortunately, even with the best intentions, protections can go too far. And now we need his leadership to set things straight.

The Environmental Protection Agency published the latest edition of the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022. The report has been published annually since 1990 and provides an annual estimate of all man-made greenhouse gas emission sources in the U.S. as well as estimates of the amount of carbon trapped in forest and vegetation soil.

We thank the Illinois General Assembly for renewing its commitment to the Illinois Local Food Infrastructure Grant (LFIG). Thanks to lawmakers’ support, farmers like me can feed even more folks through better infrastructure to scale production and manage our operations effectively.

Rochelle Municipal Utilities Electric plays a vital role in the future progress of our community.  RMU’s electric division provides low-cost reliable public power to over 7,000 customers in our service territory.

Quite frequently I get calls from farmers across the area asking how they can dispose of old chemicals. Often these were left over from prior years plantings or many times they are cleaning out barns due to a death in the family.

Being a father is not easy; it takes sacrifice, which means playing an essential role in a child’s life by being there for them and loving them unconditionally.

Summer has started at the library!  Programming begins the first week of June and extends through mid-August.  We are looking forward to a wonderful summer.

Communication technology is among the four main branches of technology including energy, production and transportation. Communication technology is humans using tools, machines, knowledge and resources to control the environment by sending and receiving messages.

Electric vehicles (EVs) appear to be the next big bust. Cost, lack of charging stations, limited range, maintenance, etc., all weigh into the significant lack of EV sales at dealers.

One of the most identified concerns of Americans this year is the state of our economy.  But is this really true when talking about the economy as a whole?  The markets have risen with Biden as they did with Trump, however not at the same rate. Remember, however, Biden’s term is not over yet.

It is well known that Illinois is facing educator shortages, and these shortages are inequitable. Districts that serve higher percentages of English-language learners, students with individualized education programs, students from low-income households, and students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic populations are more likely to have shortages.

Planters continue to roll out in the fields as we near the completion of spring planting. Weather forecasts through the summer continue to predict warmer-than-normal temperatures for the Corn Belt with near normal precipitation. Should that occur as predicted it should be a relatively-good growing year. Of course, we never know until Fall harvest kicks-in.

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). A line from the bible which means different things to different people. To Reverend Otto Linnemeier the sheep were his flock at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Rochelle. Was Otto expected to “lay down his life” literally? No. He was to devote his life to ensuring that his congregation had the tools to survive as Christians in a confusing world. 

Illinois faces a critical shortage of teachers equipped to work with English learners. According to the 2023-2024 educator shortage report, Bilingual/ESL and Bilingual Special Education teachers all had vacancy rates above the state average. Indeed, more than 420 positions were unfilled, with 230 filled by other means such as hiring substitutes or retired teachers and increasing class sizes.

In schools across the area graduates will be parading across stages dressed in their gowns, hats and tassels receiving their diplomas recognizing them for a job well done. It will be the culmination of years of learning and hopefully they will understand that life outside of the structure of school will continue to teach life lessons.

Substance use disorders and mental health problems impact countless veterans in our local communities. Without adequate treatment or support, these issues spiral quickly out of control. Unfortunately, too many veterans never receive help. 

Planting season continues at a robust pace as farmers across the area try to hit those optimum planting dates. As for me I failed in that regard this year.