Woodford County News Briefs

Chronicle Media

Fifth and sixth grade students are invited to the Eureka Public Library at 3:30 p.m. March 15, to learn 3D design skills in a free workshop.

STATE

Modest economic growth predicted until 2021

A moderate economic growth in the upcoming fiscal year in Illinois is expected to lead to higher tax receipts for the state. But there are warning signs on the national horizon that could signal an economic downturn in 2021.

Marty Johnson, the acting chief economist at the Illinois Department of Revenue, gave this prediction recently when he briefed House committee members on what they can expect to see in state revenues over the next 16 months.

He said 2018 was a banner year for the national economy, with the economic output expanding at the fastest pace since 2005. Unemployment was at a 49-year low. Consumer spending was robust.

And while Illinois has lagged behind the nation in a number of categories, Johnson said the state has experienced growth, particularly in personal income and in some employment sectors, such as manufacturing and construction.

Those trends are expected to continue into the 2019-2020 budget year, which begins July 1, with overall tax receipts growing about 4.3 percent, to $33.5 billion. And that will give lawmakers a little extra breathing room when they start cobbling together next year’s budget.

The bulk of that growth is expected to come from what state officials call “the big three” sources of revenue — individual and corporate income taxes, and sales taxes.

Stormy Daniels will appear as activist, author, performer

Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who received payment after claiming she had a sexual encounter with now-President Donald Trump, will take part in a protest to be held March 22, at the Illinois State Capitol. The protest is against the Live Adult Entertainment Facility Surcharge Act, a “sin tax” that was enacted in 2014. She has protested in Baton Rouge, the capitol of Louisiana, her home state, for the rights of exotic dancers.

Later that day, Daniels will sign copies of her book and make a nightclub appearance.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, will hold a book signing at 3 p.m. at Deja Vu Showgirls nightclub, 3220 Lake Plaza Drive, Springfield. Her memoir, “Full Disclosure” (St. Martin’s Press), was published in 2018.

Daniels will perform at the nightclub at 11 p.m. Ticket prices have not been announced.

COUNTY

Historical society invites new members

The Woodford County Historical and Genealogical Society invites area residents who have an interest in history to join the society. Dues are $20 per person and $30 per couple per year. Lifetime dues is $200 per person and $300 per family. Members receive quarterly copies of the society’s newsletter and invitations to the group’s nine yearly meetings and programs. Also members get to meet and know interesting and knowledgeable people from Woodford County and surrounding areas. The next meeting is March 14. The Society’s headquarters and research center is at 112 N. Main St., Eureka.

EUREKA

Author to explain bond between Reagan, pope

Acclaimed scholar and bestselling author Paul Kengor will talk about the effect President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II had on world events of the 20th century when he speaks March 7, at Eureka College as part of the Reagan Society Speaker Series.

Kengor will speak about his book, “A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century,” at 6:30 p.m. in the Terrill Rooms, of the Donald B. Cerf Center on campus.

A book signing will follow the presentation.

In his book, Kengor reveals a bond—which included a spiritual connection between the Catholic pope and the Protestant president—that drove the two men to confront what they knew to be the great evil of the twentieth century: Soviet communism.

Reagan and John Paul II almost didn’t have the opportunity to forge this relationship: just six weeks apart in the spring of 1981, they took bullets from would-be assassins. But their strikingly similar near-death experiences brought them close together—to Moscow’s dismay.

Based on Kengor’s archival digging and his access to Reagan insiders, his book takes readers inside private meetings between Reagan and John Paul II and into the Oval Office, the Vatican, the CIA, the Kremlin and many points beyond. Kengor is a professor of political science at Grove City College, a Christian liberal arts college in Grove City, Penn.

Middle school students will learn 3D design skills

Middle School Makers, a free after-school program at the Eureka Public Library, 202 S. Main St., is designed to teach skills to fifth and sixth grade students. These students have an opportunity from 3:30 to 5 p.m. March 15, to learn 3D design skills using the library’s 3D pen collection. Space in the class is limited. Interested participants should call the library at 309-467-2922 by March 13 to register.

 

 

–Woodford County News Briefs–