The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Can you believe it? Illinois will be 200 this Monday, December 3rd!

Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner

November 28, 2018

I am so proud to be from Illinois that holds so much great history of its people. It's been home of U. S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama.

It offers all of the best: entertainment in the big city of Chicago, beautiful Lake Michigan, cozy neighborly communities, with the vast part of Illinois being its rich farmland, wildlife, and hunting grounds, and some of the best crops and livestock you could ask for, and more registered horses than any other state!

There are farm-homes with folks who actually care about neighbors and offer a helping hand when they see a need.

Illinois has gotten its share of bad publicity that seems to end up on front pages of daily newspapers and television. But if the truth were know, our Illinois communities are full of good news of a progressive and amazing people.

For every politician caught in criminal activity, there are dozens of others trying to make Illinois a productive and safe state.

The late Clarence E Neff our District's State Representative from Stronghurst, represented us well throughout his entire life. He addressed groups and was admired for his common sense and ability to help people of all parties in a responsible way.

He told Governor Jim Thompson and lawmakers that Illinois didn't need a new state building in Chicago. But the building opened in May 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. It was renamed in 1993 to honor former Illinois Republican Governor James Thompson as the Jim Thompson Center and takes up a whole city block on 100 Randolph St in the loop in Chicago. It was elaborate but it sat empty at first quite awhile with people left wondering.

The building is used as a "second capitol" and houses state government offices, a post office, a rapid transit station serving five train lines, shops, sculptures, and a free public art gallery. The all-glass exterior with 17 floors layers around an immense sky-lit atrium. The open-plan offices are to carry the message of "an open government in action."

Tragically, Chicago crime has always been a part of history and is still of growing concern. February 13, 2018, Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer was shot and killed, allegedly by Shomari Legghette, as Bauer was in pursuit of the suspect down a stairwell of the Thompson Center.

The dangers will always be present but in my estimation Illinois has the best state police organization in the United States with an academy that trains many other police officers throughout the state.

Henderson County's own son, Trooper Cory Fox, was just named '2018 Trooper of the Year' for his outstanding work against crime to keep residents safe.

Like Trooper Fox, you and I are the future history of this great state. Let's do our part to make it a good one by asking less of government and being diligent at our jobs set before us, faithful to our families, churches and nation, leaving all that we've been given, better than we found it. Happy 200th Birthday, Illinois!