New bakery open in Belvidere - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Elizabeth Ann's opened Dec. 6 and is located at 107 Buchanan St., just off State Street. It's owned by friends Robin Heckman and Cristy McKenzie.

just snowballed from there," McKenzie said. "We really wanted to start a business, and we were really praying and thinking about it for a few years. … This place opened up in Belvidere, and it's perfect. It's adorable."

The name Elizabeth Ann's is a combination of their mother's middle names. The bakery can do any type of custom order, including wedding, birthday and other special-event cakes.

The storefront also has a case that typically has five or six flavors of cupcakes each day, as well as sweet bread, dessert bars and cookies. McKenzie said the cherry pie bars and the Swedish almond bread are popular.

They're also having fun experimenting with cupcake flavors, like a chipotle chocolate cupcake with cinnamon frosting.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Read more: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20140110/NEWS/140119950/-1/json#ixzz2q3y1dPrT

Letter: Wind energy in Boone County - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

As a generational landowner and participating resident of the North Boone Wind Farm, we find it necessary to express our opinion, as well as the opinion of many other participating and non-participating residents, on the hotly debated topic of wind energy in Boone County.

As some of you may be aware, the Boone County Board will be having a vote on whether to ban the current or future development of wind energy in Boone County. Many of our families have lived in Boone County for over hundred years. We grew up here, we raised our kids here and we anticipate watching our grandchildren grow up here. We are concerned citizens of Boone County as well. We are concerned about our schools, our unemployment rate, our poverty rate and our agricultural roots being eroded by subdivisions.

As a generational landowner, we find more value in our land as agricultural. The value of our property includes the community which contains it. We depend on the services and infrastructure that our community provides us, including roads and emergency services. All of which are funded by our dwindling tax base.

Wind energy has brought significant economic benefits to Illinois counties across the state, benefits that Boone County could desperately use: increased tax revenue, agricultural preservation, jobs and, don't forget, a cleaner, more sustainable form of energy. It is true that more details need to be flushed out on the current project being proposed in Boone County; however, it would be reckless and irresponsible of our elected Boone County officials for a wind energy project to be denied, or any economic opportunity in Boone County for that matter, to be denied before it has ever had the chance to formally present itself to the County and the public through the Special Use Application process. As a generational landowner, we are concerned about preservation, while seeing houses where there used to be fields. How we respond as a community will have lasting impacts for generations to come. While some of you may share generational roots in Boone County, not all share our current opinion on wind energy. To those of you, we say let's set a good example for our new friends and neighbors from the city and show them how we resolve our differences in Boone County.

— Steve Grenlund, Capron

Letter: Wind energy in Boone County - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Daily Kos: Christie asked Cuomo to back off investigating Fort Lee. In mid-December.

Read what about the story by clicking on the following:

Daily Kos: Christie asked Cuomo to back off investigating Fort Lee. In mid-December.

Let the wind subsidy blow away - chicagotribune.com

For 20-plus years the subsidy has been intermittent, although not as unreliable as the winds that drive the turbines. The most recent authorization, a 2013 extension tucked into the federal budget deal that avoided the so-called fiscal cliff, expired Dec. 31. Applause, please, for our do-little Congress: What's known as the wind production tax credit has long outlived any public policy usefulness. Lawmakers now being urged by industry lobbyists to renew the subsidy retroactively instead should let it blow away.

Late in 2013, Big Wind fought fiercely to renew its expiring subsidy but failed. We hope that means many members of Congress see this as a mature industry that long ago outgrew its infancy and understand that the nation's new wealth of lower-cost natural gas has profoundly rewritten U.S. energy economics.

Read the entire editorial by clicking on the following:  Let the wind subsidy blow away - chicagotribune.com

Boone County sales tax collectors reminded to change rate - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

BELVIDERE - The Boone County Treasurer's Office is reminding businesses to adjust their cash registers to reflect the new increased sales tax rate that went into effect Jan. 1.

Otherwise, tax collectors can expect to pay a hefty sum to make up for the difference between rates.

Boone County voters approved in April increasing the sales tax one-percentage point to 7.75 percent to generate a new source of revenue for paying down past school capital debt. The tax hike shifts some of the financial burden from property owners to individuals who purchase items in the county.

It affects all sales tax rates in Boone County except for unprepared food, drugs or titled vehicle purchases.

Early estimates showed that the tax could generate $2.7 million its first fiscal year.

"Based on the calls received by my office (on Jan. 2), it's apparent that many retailers and local accountants are not aware of the change in Boone County's sales

Read the entire story by clicking on the following:  Boone County sales tax collectors reminded to change rate - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Here is what the new tax is for: 

No more GMOs in Cheerios. Will a lot more foods go GMO-free now? - CSMonitor.com

 

General Mills, the Minneapolis-based company that makes the legendary breakfast cereal, announced the change late Thursday, saying it will use cornstarch and sugar that are not genetically modified when producing the cereal. Offshoots of the Cheerios brand, such as Honey Nut Cheerios, are not affected by the change. Nor are any other General Mills cereals.

The move is "of huge importance,” says Ken Albala, a food historian at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. “General Mills is finally realizing that, whichever the way the trend goes, they’re going to follow it." He predicts that "an avalanche" of food companies will follow the General Mills lead.

Read the whole story by clicking on the following:  No more GMOs in Cheerios. Will a lot more foods go GMO-free now? - CSMonitor.com

District 100’s “new” strategic plan

The following Strategy Plan was approved by the Board of Education at the December 2013 monthly school board meeting:  http://www.boarddocs.com/il/district100/Board.nsf/files/9E2MLA56D22C/$file/BCUSD_Strategy%20Summary_FNL.pdf

With all the issues currently facing the community and its schools the Strategy Plan’s top three goals are: 1. Creating five new magnet schools within three years.  (That means 5 new Washington STEM’s but using another theme) 2. Increase dual credit (The district recently decreased AP classes now it wants dual credit.)   3. Build a recreational facility.  (Might this be a swimming pool)

See Page 8 & 9