Scientists at the University of Illinois have found a way to enhance yields by engineering a more efficient way for crops to convert sunlight into energy.

Researchers participating in an international study called Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency – or RIPE – have discovered that most crops on the planet experience suppressed yield potential as a result of a glitch in photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy.

To combat the problem, scientists have developed a shortcut in the photosynthetic process that can make crops about 40 percent more productive. The study estimates that up to 200 million additional people could be fed with the production lost during photosynthesis in the Midwest.

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One hundred one years ago today, film noir actress Audrey Totter was born in Joliet.

Before establishing a career as a femme fatale in films of the 1940s, Totter grew up attending live theater in Chicago and elsewhere. Her parents took her to all the famous big-screen movies, which influenced her decision to become a movie star.

To fulfill her dream she started performing at her local YMCA and in school plays. She attended Joliet Township High School.

After high school, Totter began performing professionally as a radio actress. MGM Studios noticed her and signed her to a seven-year contract in 1944, offering her $300 a week.

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Mac Blackout from Chicago is the December Artist of the Month. He works in various mediums, murals, music, painting on canvas, and drawing, which are all his favorite depending on what he is trying to achieve with a particular piece.

How long have you been an artist or when did you start?
I’ve been making art since I can remember. My mother, Liz McKenzie is also an artist and was an art teacher in Bedford, IN for 40 years. Needless to say I was exposed to art at an early age and my interest was encouraged as I grew into adulthood.

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On Dec. 12, 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark built Camp River Dubois near present day Wood River in Madison County.

Lewis and Clark, along with their Corps of Discovery, spent several months in what would become the state of Illinois, originally crossing into the territory with 20 men on Nov. 11, 1803.

They stayed for two days at Fort Massac, near Metropolis, where they resupplied and solicited volunteers to assist them on their journey. Among those who joined the expedition was George Drouillard, a man of Shawnee and French descent who became the party’s best hunter and interpreter.

Lewis and Clark’s team traveled through southern Illinois along the Ohio River and then north along the Mississippi River, stopping in Kaskaskia on Dec. 28 to recruit 12 more volunteers before continuing to present-day Wood River to set up camp.

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