Illinois

Over the years, the number of textbook publishers has shrunk due to consolidation, and the demands put on vendors have grown.

Today, for example, Precision Graphics provides not only illustrations for textbooks but also animation and three-dimensional work for companion products.

“We’re pushing to make sure our technology is more advanced than that of our competitors,” said Jeff Mellander, founder and president of the Champaign-based company.

Precision Graphics supplies illustrations for many college textbooks in anatomy, biology, chemistry, physics, math and psychology.

(Read the full post about ‘Champaign company looks to animation as well as illustrations’…)

CHAMPAIGN – Work on the historic Metropolitan Building in downtown Champaign has been going on for months, and developer Jeff Mellander hopes it’ll be ready for occupancy in early 2009.

The three-story building at the southwest corner of Church and Neil streets is being renovated for loft apartments, with 12 units planned for the upper two stories.

When finished, the building will have three three-bedroom units, two two-bedroom units and seven one-bedroom units.

“I’m expecting that the one-bedroom units will start at about $1,000 (a month) and go up from there,” Mellander said.

(Read the full post about ‘Mellander sees 2009 finish for downtown project’…)

CHAMPAIGN – What could be a more appropriate home than a French estate for a business called The Estate Sale?

That’s what Bob Grossman says the former Champaign-Urbana Public Health District headquarters will look like, once the building at 710 N. Neil St. has been renovated.

Grossman plans to move The Estate Sale, his antiques and decor store, there from its current location at 219 N. Neil St. in downtown Champaign. The move will likely take place in the late summer or fall, he said.

Also moving to the new site will be his software business, Grossman & Associates, currently in Savoy.

Grossman said the former public health offices are being gutted now, and the building’s facade will be given a “French estate look” with roof peaks and dormers.

(Read the full post about ‘Old public health offices to be converted for Estate Sale’…)

PHILO – Dan Ault had driven seven hours to get to Ankeny, Iowa.

The Code4pc managing partner and his operations manager, Wyatt Scheiding, arrived at the corporate headquarters of Casey’s General Stores, a structure roughly the size of Champaign’s Kraft Foods facility.

“We walked in and it was very intimidating,” Ault said. “We thought we had bitten off more than we could chew. Wyatt looked at me and said, ‘You wanna run?’”

But Ault had spent too much time developing his proposal for a partnership with the $4 billion company to turn back. He did, however, change his approach at the last minute when the vice president of marketing told him he had 20 minutes to pitch his idea.

(Read the full post about ‘Philo man helps Casey’s start computer repair drop-off service’…)

by George Dienhart

There are certain phrases that liberals have used to gain credibility with other liberals. The Democratic Party has a long history of twisting and distorting facts to support their agenda. Today. there is a hot, new rallying cry for liberals- 100 years. Quoted out of context, repeated ad nauseum and not even the slightest bit relevant, it is the perfect rallying cry for the Democratic Party. Let us remember previous public affairs efforts launched by the Democrats in a similar vein:

“Halliburton”- I got so sick of hearing this from liberals I used to work with, that I started yelling “Halliburton!” every time someone made any somewhat ridiculous claim or comment.

(Read the full post about ‘The language of the liberal Democrat’…)

If you’re tired of reading about how bad the Illinois Republican Party is these days, a quick browse of Politico.com’s "GOP state parties are in dire straights" today may make you feel a little better (if you’re miserable and you like company) or a whole lot worse (if you hoped every other state was better off than us)  . . .

But there’s some good news for Illinois Republicans, since no other prominent GOPers’ names have embarrassed the party faithful by sharing the corruption spotlight with Governor Blagojevich so far this week.  That’s because accused Tony Rezko sits in jail, waiting for the feds to roll out the rest of their case against him next week.  Don’t you wonder who’s holding Rezko’s most valuable asset — not his real estate holdings or bank account numbers, but his Blackberry?  What a network that guy had.

Back to the good news .  .

(Read the full post about ‘Things are bad for GOPers, but not all bad’…)

by John Ruskin

Some interesting news stories you may have missed:

Stroger cousin defends her pay raise as county chief financial officer
Todd Stroger’s cousin - who he made the county’s chief financial officer - defended her pay raise Monday by casting herself as the victim of her critics motivations.

Hate crimes panel has no members
While Blagojevich’s hate crimes panel hasn’t met in two years, its executive director, Kimberly M. White continues to draw her $96,000 annual salary. Perhaps they should ask Rev. Jeremiah Wright to join.

Sales tax holiday could help back to school budget
Illinois moms and dads could see cheaper prices on back-to-school items this August under a plan state lawmakers pushed at a news conference Monday at St.

(Read the full post about ‘Nepotism, Hate Crimes, and Taxes’…)

by Matthew Gauntt

As a proud father of two, I am typically more excited for their successes in life than in my own.

They are a constant source of joy and pride. Trouble is, I can’t afford them anymore. They’re cute kids, so if anyone wants to make me a good offer, I’ll consider it.

Why have I come to this conclusion? Well, I saw this article today regarding a proposed 8% increase in tuition at the University of Illinois.

I am terrified. The first of my two little treasures will start college in about 5 years. If none of you can come up with the appropriate funds to purchase them, I will need to consider living in a cardboard box down by the railroad tracks so I can afford to send them to a fine college.

(Read the full post about ‘College Costs: I Can’t Afford My Kids Anymore!!!’…)

How ironic. A 2006 Illinois law makes a person’s decision to donate their organs legally binding over the wishes of the surviving family. Just as Secretary of State Jesse White pushes for victims’ rights to donate their organs is in motion, this strange story comes along.

It’s so eerily like the sleeper fright flick this year — "Awake . . ." 

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Four months after he was declared brain dead and doctors were about to remove his organs for transplant, Zach Dunlap says he feels "pretty good."

Dunlap was pronounced dead Nov.

(Read the full post about ‘Declared dead, but alive’…)

Someone wrote the other day that Songs:Illinois is the defacto blog for Americana. I liked that, but I’m not sure if it’s quite true. The songs I post and artists I review don’t all fit into the neat and tidy definition of Americana (at least how it’s defined by radio and magazines like No Depression RIP).

I’m really more on the hunt for music that seems genuine, honest and unpretentious and not music that fits into any one category. Two Fingers of Firewater fit the bill. They’re a UK based band that cites The Byrds, The Band, Kings Of Leon, Yo La Tengo and Wilco as influences. So that’s a pretty diverse bunch.

(Read the full post about ‘Two Fingers Of Firewater travel the same “Endless Highway” as The Byrds, Gram Parsons and Wilco (Self-released, May 26)’…)