Search

The article focuses on the organic mixed-farming and gardening program organized by the team-up of residents of Pembroke Township and a Chicago non-profit organization in Illinois. As stated, the farm produces grown vegetables, poultry and goat products to be sold at the Kankakee Farmers Market. In addition, the Pembroke Project aims to expand the city program to acquire more garden space and to educate rural and urban participants about the benefits of organic farming and gardening.

The article reports that only few African-Americans are choosing public universities in Illinois. According to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, overall graduation rates for African-Americans are at 43 percent, with 47 percent for women and 36 percent for men. Joseph Brown, director of BlackAmerican Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, said that college recruitment and retention of African-American students remains a challenge.

The article reports on the $265 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) received by the state of Illinois. LIHEAP funds assist low-income households with winter heating costs in which many recipients are elderly or families with children. The U.S. Congress had increased LIHEAP funding 150 percent since 2006, from $2 billion to $5 billion for 2009.

The article reports on the vendor discount or giveback system or a tax agreement in Illinois. This system lets retailers keep a percentage of the retail sales tax money collected at the point of sale. According to Mike Klemens, communications spokesman for the Illinois Department of Revenue, retailers are allowed to keep 1.75 percent of Illinois' 6.25 percent general merchandise retail sales tax.

The article reports on the announcement made by Madison County Transit Authority Executive Director Jerry Kane regarding the expansion plan of MetroLink in Illinois. Kane says the company may include new stops in Alton or Edwardsville. The service provides public transit access to more than 260,000 St. Clair County residents alone. The East-West Gateway Organization has produced surveys and planning reports that show support for expanded MetroLink service, says spokeswoman Diane Williams.

The article reports on the research conducted by Tim Miller of the University of Illinois regarding the leisure activities of various U.S. Presidents in Illinois. Miller researched the activities of Presidents George Washington, John Quincy Adams, and Abraham Lincoln. His main focus is on how leisure activities influence a president's growth, development and health, and how it is viewed as political symbolism. Presidential candidates have used athletics as political symbolism.

The article reports on the pilot program developed by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency which aims to collect and dispose of prescription drugs in Illinois. It was established with local pharmacies and police throughout the state to educate the public about proper prescription drug disposal services at designated sites. Authorized officials collect the discarded drugs and safely incinerate them. The effort grew out of concern over the amount of drugs in the state's water supply.

The article reports that the Ulysses S. Grant Association has detached its connection with Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). The association shows a demand to move a collection of more than 200,000 items covering the 18th president to Mississippi State University. However, David Carlson, dean of the university's Morris Library, stated that SIUC has also filed a papers to prevent the removal of the collection.