While the world waits for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new coalition government, an Israeli diplomat brought a fi rm but measured and hopeful tone to Springfi eld last week as he discussed prospects for peace in the Middle East.

On Feb. 20, 2013, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, introduced HB 2375 which he described as “credible, comprehensive, constitutional pension reform legislation.” This constitutional proposal by Rep. Lang may act to the consternation of the many Illinois organizations which coalesced to defeat last November’s Constitutional Amendment 49.

During the past two decades, this biotech behemoth has used its political connections to obtain a monopolistic grip on the creation, sale and proliferation of Frankenseeds – the seeds of corn, cotton, soybeans and other crops that have had genetically modified organisms spliced into their natural DNA structure by corporate lab techs.

First of all, people don’t tax themselves – if they did, we wouldn’t need the IRS or Illinois Department of Revenue. It’s also the reason that utility taxes are taken from your bill, rather than paying for each phone call or flick of the light switch as you go.

Nobody ever really knows what’s going through Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s head except for Madigan himself. So, the actual purpose of two highly choreographed gun control and pension reform debates last week ordered up by Madigan weren’t completely clear to anyone.

Illinois still has its Civil War regimental fl ags and, although most of them have been in storage for decades due to degradation, they’ve still been open for public viewing. The catch was that you had to know they were there.

That was the way that Silly Pretend Journalists, aka the Society of Professional Journalists, saw things eight years ago when they bestowed attorney general Lisa Madigan with the coveted Sunshine Award, akin to an Oscar from a group of navel gazers that purports to be a watchdog for the public interest.

“The reality is that this is going to be a tough roll call,” said Kent Redfield, political scientist with the University of Illinois Springfield.

This time, attorney John Narmont, who began serving a six-month suspension in January, continued filing bankruptcy cases and collecting fees even though he couldn’t do the work due to his approaching suspension, wrote U.S.

It’s not clear whether the district is in financial straits and, if so, to what extent. Two days after the memo went out, the park board was silent on the spending freeze at a special meeting in which no motions or votes were taken on anything.

I was an undergraduate in my senior year at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, walking across the snowy campus on Valentine’s Day, 2008. The usual random movement of the crowd seemed to have become a stampede away from one building: Cole Hall, a multi-purpose lecture hall near the center of campus.

The residents at Beecham House rely on routine and order. They have a set schedule every day and it’s understood that those who were stars in their heyday are treated just a bit better than those whose job it was to back them up. However, things are about to be turned upside down when diva extraordinaire Jean Horton (Maggie Smith) becomes a resident.

But another Anabaptist sect, Mennonites, evolved without strictures against all modernization. They established themselves in central Illinois and throughout North America and continued adhering to Anabaptist precepts of pacifism, simple living, community-centered lives and consenting adult (as opposed to infant, hence the name) baptism.

Wild, wooly, raucous and racy, these guys come on with a bang and stay lit all night. Well-known up and down and all around, plus parts beyond for the music, the show, the attitude, the tattoos, the sound, the look and their do-it-yourself ways, Hillbilly Casino is a force to be reckoned with on the live music scene.

Dates, times and locations are subject to change, so we suggest calling before attending an event..

With great honor and satisfaction, plus considerable fanfare, let us announce the release of The Blue G’s debut recording. The self-titled CD, almost two years in the making, holds a wonderful and varied selection of nine songs in the bluegrass music vein.

Dates, times and locations are subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending events..

Local artists Wendy Allen and William Crook, Jr. present a joint exhibit of their work March 9-10, at 627 E. Adams, a temporary gallery space. The show, A Marriage of Spirit and Place,.

The sweet-sounding trio, The Good Lovelies, will treat you to a concert March 9 at Sangamon Auditorium, UIS, as they make their way home to Canada. The touring three-part harmonies of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore never sounded so good and current and fresh.

Explore the collections of area children and teens including rocks, minerals, coins, toys and more, Saturday, March 9, at the Illinois State Museum. Children between the ages of 8 and 15 years old will have their treasures on display for the public to view.

Get ready to start your feet tapping. The musical revue Smokey Joe’s Café is booked for two weekends, March 8-17, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. This local production features 40 of the greatest rock ’n’ roll, pop and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.