Rep. Sosnowski to use office as permit registration site - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Belvidere, will use his district office, 305 Amphitheater Drive, as a point of registration to help residents who want to apply for a concealed carry permit in Illinois.

Currently, applications are only accepted through the Illinois State Police website; paper applications can be submitted starting July 1. Sosnowski's office staff will help residents apply online.

Appointments are required: 815-547-3436, repsosnowski@gmail.com. To submit an application: isp.state.il.us.

Rep. Sosnowski to use office as permit registration site - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Seven votes needed to pass the setback ordinance regarding Wind TURBINES

Unlike most motions which require a majority of the county board members present at the time of the vote, the General Assembly by enacting 55 ILCS 5/5-12014 (b) required that “text amendments may be passed at a county board meeting by a simple majority of the elected county board members.”   In this case, we have twelve county board members who are elected, a majority of which is seven. 

January 30 Belvidere Job Fair

My View: Neighbors working together for a wind ordinance solution - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Brian Van Laar

After hours of discussion, a recommendation was voted on and passed by a unanimous vote (5-0). The recommendation that came out of this meeting and was supported by the LeRoy Township Board was very similar to the text amendment originally sent from the county, differing on a few minor points that favor the participants and the wind developer.

Simply stated - this was neighbor working with neighbor finding a resolution to a difficult issue.

Manchester Township also adopted something very similar and updated its Comprehensive Land Use Plan to reflect their desire to the county. Township officials, from townships within the proposed project area, who are on both sides of the issue, have agreed on setbacks from property lines that are similar to the county's text amendment.

The new setbacks, if adopted, will be in the form of a multiplier of the turbine height. This allows the WECS ordinance to easily adapt to growing turbine heights or shorter turbine heights if a developer so chooses. The new setbacks will be measured from property lines rather than foundations of homes. This will bring the WECS ordinance in line with county and state zoning codes that measure setbacks from the neighbor's property line for the protection of the neighbor

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  My View: Neighbors working together for a wind ordinance solution - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

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.