Tagged: Illinois

The Illinois commission charged with reviewing the operation of the state's regional offices of education says the governor is wrong to try to shift funding to local government.

The Streamlining Illinois' Regional Offices of Education Commission has concluded its study. It wants funding for the offices to come from the state's general revenue fund.

Governor Pat Quinn wants to pay for the offices out of the Corporate Personal Replacement Property Tax which the state collects then passes along to local governmental bodies.

The regional superintendent for McDonough and Hancock Counties was a member of the commission. John Meixner says the commission looked closely at the duties of the offices.

A public policy group at the University of Illinois says the State University Retirement System (SURS) needs to be stabilized but not reformed.

The Institute for Government and Public Affairs proposal includes contributions from universities to the fund for the first time. The plan calls for universities to phase-in their contributions until they reach 3% in the third year.

IGPA spokesman Northern Illinois University Vice President of Administration and Human Resources Steve Cunningham says the plan offers an alternative to a harsher measure in the state legislature.

Jay Ungar & Molly Mason are exceptional musicians, which you may know from hearing them on A Prairie Home Companion, from their own live radio program Dancing on the Air on WAMC in Albany, from film soundtracks such as Legends of the Fall and Brother's Keeper. Millions were entranced by the music they did for Ken Burns' PBS documentary on the Civil War, which features Jay's "Ashokan Farewell" as its signature tune.

Driving gypsy jazz rhythms, acoustic guitars, upright bass and violin lay the foundation for mesmerizing vocal harmonies and fantastic stories. It’s theatrical and humorous. It’s musical and intense. It entertains, dazzles and defies classification while welcoming the spectator to join the band throughout the performance in momentary fits of claps, snaps and sing-alongs. If Django Reinhardt, the cast of Stomp and the Beatles all had a party at Tim Burton’s house, Caravan of Thieves would be the band they hired.

Grammy Award winner Don Henry’s songs have been recorded by Ray Charles, Patti Page, Conway Twitty, Kathy Mattea and dozens of other great artists… but they shine brightest when sung by the artist who wrote them. Long appreciated as one of Nashville's finest singer-songwriters, Don is revered by fans, critics and peers alike for being one of the most inspiring, entertaining and funny artists you are ever likely to see and hear.

Why do we need museums? They show us something familiar and traditional, while at the same time documenting our innovation, showing us possible directions for the future.  This is the same reason we need David Wax Museum – to give us music that is somehow familiar, as if it has always existed somewhere in our cultural ether, but is at the same time undeniably fresh.