Illinois

Even when I’m reading it, I find it hard to believe that Cheech and Chong are reuniting.

One cash grab before they retire? Sure, why not?

Cheech Marin, from what we’ve been told, has always been resistant to a reunion, preferring to move for-ward. The pair have been discussing reunions of sorts for years – talk about a film had been going on for at least three years prior to Wednesday’s announcement of a tour.

If you’re not of a certain age, there’s no way I can help you understand what these guys meant to humor-starved kids in the Midwest in the 1970s.

(Read the full post about ‘Cheech and Chong’…)

GIBSON CITY – Joe Thompson told Alliance Grain shareholders that his first year as general manager was “full of both challenges and rewards.”

Approximately 275 people attended the cooperative’s annual meeting held Tuesday evening at Gibson City’s North Park.

Formerly the chief financial officer, Thompson was named general manager at the 2007 annual meeting following former manager Steve Kelly’s appointment as president of One Earth Energy, the Gibson City-based ethanol plant scheduled to open in March 2009.

Thompson said last fall’s record corn crop in East Central Illinois meant the company also set several new records.

(Read the full post about ‘Alliance Grain official pleased with 2007 results’…)

MAHOMET – JT Walker’s Restaurant and Sports Bar on Main Street in Mahomet is now open.

The staff at JT Walker’s will include about 40 employees. Executive Chef Mark Bradford’s experience includes running the Little Bear saloon and restaurant in Evergreen, Colo. He also was the youngest executive chef for the Denver Press Club from 2005 to 2006.

Owner Justin Taylor’s girlfriend, April Vedder, will be one of the waitresses on the night shift. During the day, Vedder, who has 10 years of customer-service experience, will pursue a career in massage therapy.

“Justin is going to be here nights, so I figure it’s the only way I’m going to see him,” Vedder said with a laugh.

Vedder had never been to Mahomet before Taylor decided to open a restaurant here with support from his parents, Nick and Renee Taylor.

(Read the full post about ‘Mahomet residents now have new place to nosh’…)

PAXTON – After 143 years of the Paxton Record being printed exclusively on paper, it is now available on your computer screen.

The Paxton Record has launched its Web site at www.paxtonrecord.net. It will serve as the “community Web site,” said Tim Evans, general manager of the News-Gazette Community Newspapers Division.

“You should be able to go on this Web site and be able to find out about everything in the town and the area, including the schools, the chamber of commerce, Main Street program, whatever,” Evans said. “It’s a way for people to find out instant and accurate information.”

There is a link on the Paxton Record Web site to information about community groups.

(Read the full post about ‘Paxton Record weekly newspaper’s Web site debuts’…)

PAXTON – The new leader of a nonprofit group dedicated to improving Ford County’s economy thinks Paxton and Gibson City could easily compete with their Champaign County neighbor, Rantoul, to attract new businesses and economic growth if they work toward one common goal.

Diane Johnson, in her new part-time position as executive director of the Community Economic Development Foundation, said she hopes to strengthen working relationships between Paxton and Gibson City. She thinks it’s in the best interest of both cities when new business or industry comes to either town.

Johnson plans to create what she calls a “Route 9 economic corridor” connecting the two, both physically and through better communication.

“I see the executive director’s position as one of a coordinator, facilitator and marketing director,” she said.

(Read the full post about ‘Nonprofit group’s director wants Paxton, Gibson City to team up’…)

TOLONO – Village officials would like to see fewer problems with businesses in town that sell liquor. Though they don’t yet agree on the best way to do that, they’re working on it.

The village board on Tuesday held the second in a series of special meetings to update the village’s liquor ordinance. The 19-page ordinance was last reviewed about 25 years ago.

Receiving the most scrutiny were the six license classifications in Tolono’s liquor ordinance.

There is a $25 Class C license for clubs, and the ordinance states that clubs are allowed only to serve members and guests.

(Read the full post about ‘Tolono board continues liquor law discussions’…)

Between the pro-family groups’ national boycott announced last week and a growing momentum in California to limit its unhealthy cuisine selections (see "More Crazies in Cali"), McDonald’s public image suffered some pretty tough blows recently.  But they didn’t get where they are in the corporate food chain by taking PR attacks sitting down.  Mickey Ds is fighting back. 

They chose this weekend to announce Oak Brook’s corporate headquarters is giving $500,000 to build a facility near Peoria’s Children’s Hospital that will provide sleeping rooms and a kitchen for families whose little ones are being cared for in the hospital’s Neonatal Intermediate Care unit (see HERE).

(Read the full post about ‘Mickey Ds to provide parents comfort, just in time’…)

McCain’s new ad responds to Obama’s trip abroad last week. Not sure how effective it is for McCain to complain about Obama going overseas when McCain chided him into making the trip.

What McCain is finding is what we in Illinois have known all along — Obama can maneuver his way through defensive lines almost as well as Chicago Bears’ Walter Payton did.

McCain’s got to figure out another play.

Of course we all want country first, but this ad/play won’t keep Obama from making a touchdown.

(Read the full post about ‘McCain’s New Ad: Country First’…)

11th Congressional District candidate Marty Ozinga served up politics and pork at the Proud American Days Festival in New Lenox on Friday night. As he grilled pork, sausage and chicken for Proud Americans (as New Lenox residents call themselves) and other Lincoln-Way area voters, Marty heard their message loud and clear: they’re tired of career politicians who serve their own interests and their own party instead of working across the aisle to tackle the tough challenges facing our country.  Everywhere Marty has been in the last four months, people say they’re concerned about the same things: high gas prices, an economy in shambles, and broken government. (Read the full post about ‘Marty mans the grill at Proud American Days in New Lenox’…)

by Cal Skinner With the Algonquin Founders Day Parade being held today at 11, it’s appropriate to take a look at last week’s Fiesta Days Parade in McHenry. McHenry has a wide open parade. If a candidate wants an entry, the only requirement is that the candidate be in the parade. No proxies. While Algonquin prohibits promotion of a candidacy of a non-incumbent, to which local Democrats have taken great offense and gotten lots of front page publicity, it allow inclusion of incumbents. So far, that has benefited Republicans in McHenry County. This is the third article about the entries of Democratic and Republican Party in McHenry’s Fiesta Days Parade. The first concentrated on the Democrats. (Read the full post about ‘More Republicans at the McHenry Fiesta Days Parade’…)