This month Made in Illinois has a tasty feature. In honor of National Popcorn Day, we visited Pittman’s Popcorn Shop (1500 Wabash Ave. Springfield, IL) and spoke to Michael Pittman, the owner of the independent, family-owned gourmet popcorn store.

First opened in 2016, Pittman’s Popcorn Shop touts more than 500 popcorn flavors with 70 flavors available at any given time. From traditional flavors like caramel and cheddar to their own creations like strawberry cheesecake and peanut butter chocolate, Pittman’s Popcorn Shop has something to offer to everyone.

Read the story below of how Pittman started and has grown his business.

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By Patricia Van Pelt

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, I thought it was important for me, as a senator representing a predominately black district, to bring awareness to an aspect of his legacy many younger Chicagoans have not discovered, and others may have forgotten. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t just lead marches in the South; he often took to the streets of Chicago.

In the summer of 1966, King participated in a two-month fair housing campaign in Chicago. At the time, most neighborhoods were extremely segregated – Chicago, to this day, remains one of the most racially segregated cities in the country. Black residents who sought homes in traditionally white middle class neighborhoods in the Chicago of 1966 were often the victims of discrimination, exclusion and violence.
Dr. King realized something needed to be done, but it took months to find a strategy. King, with the advisement of James Bevel, eventually executed a plan that would be known as the Chicago Freedom Movement, which consisted of tenants’ unions, testing (acts used to identify discrimination), government meetings and marches.

The violence and racial tensions between the marchers and the mob of angry white Chicagoans became national televised news, calling attention to the uncomfortable truth that the North was also home to the racial animus people associated with the South. One day, when King was taken to the ground by a rock, he said, “I have seen many demonstrations in the South, but I have never seen anything so hostile and hateful as I’ve seen here today.”

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Dynamic, innovative, revolutionary – just a few words to describe the incomparable woman known to us as Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama is not only the first African American First Lady of the United States, but an accomplished mother, author, attorney and inspirational figure around the world.

Our former First Lady was born on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. From an early age, she was raised to speak her mind and reach for the stars.

She’s always hated the question, “What will you be when you grow up?” because it encourages the idea that you can only be one thing, or that you can’t evolve (hence her memoir’s title, Becoming). She loves the fact that you never stop growing, never stop learning for your entire life.

And as refreshing as her philosophy is, she’s already achieved so much. Here’s a few interesting facts from her extraordinary resume:

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This month in 2014, Illinois had a record breaking snow storm. A winter storm in early January produced as much as 14 inches of snow in some parts of the state, stranding travelers and extending holiday breaks for many Illinois students.

On Jan. 4 and 5, a winter storm system swept the central and eastern U.S., covering over half the country with snow. Illinois felt the chill—snow, sleet and brutal winds closed schools, damaged power lines, cancelled flights and endangered drivers across the state.

Although Central and Southeast Illinois experienced the heaviest snowfall, the storm brought Chicago nearly 9 inches of snow on Jan. 5, setting a new calendar day record for the city. O’Hare Airport saw 11.7 inches of snow during the same period, the largest snowfall there since 2011.

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