Farmers Market season has arrived

Spring is here, flowers are in full bloom and the weather is getting warmer. Luckily for Illinoisans, this also means that farmers markets are popping up across the state. With the third highest concentration of farmers markets in the country, Illinois residents should have no problem finding a market nearby to purchase local produce and goods. And Illinois MarketMaker makes the search for a local farmers market incredibly easy. Click here to search the MarketMaker database and find nearby farmers markets.

During the past 20 years, the number of farmers’ markets nationwide has increased from 1,755 markets to more than 8,000 today. These direct-to-consumer markets help generate millions of dollars in economic activity, expanding the number of nutritional options and opportunities for market participants as well as surrounding businesses. Make sure to get out and show your support for local farmers by visiting one of the many farmers markets across this great state.

NIU students featured in art show devoted to African-American art

Earlier this year, two students from Northern Illinois University were featured at an art show devoted to African-American art at the Museum of Science and Industry. The show is one of the longest running in the nation.

Both NIU students were accepted to present art that depicts what every day African-Americans go through on a daily basis. One piece is titled “Crossing the Rubicon.” The artist says it depicts the injustices prevalent in the African-American community, particularly Chicago.

The other piece of art was started off as a portrait but then transformed into an homage to the artist’s sister. It touched in on the spirituality of her sister. It also allowed the observer to interpret it in their own way about spirituality.

Both are art majors at Northern Illinois University and show pride in their home communities and also their community at Northern Illinois.

The annual art show is called the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition. It was hosted at the Museum of Science and Industry from January 16 to February 19. It has been running since 1970 and features various media, ranging from paintings and drawings to mixed-media and photography.

For more information, click here.

TBT: Argonne National Laboratory established in Cook County woods

For more than 70 years, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont have carried out groundbreaking research into nuclear power. On April 19, 1946, the University of Chicago accepted a contract to run the laboratory on a plot of wooded land in southwestern Cook County that was previously used for atomic experiments as part of the Manhattan Project. The laboratory was initially part of a program devised by President Harry S. Truman after World War II that moved atomic research from military control into civilian hands.

The goal of Argonne and other laboratories established under the Atomic Energy Act was to develop peaceful uses for nuclear power, specifically in generating electricity and medical research. One civilian application of atomic research is the medical use for ultrasound technology, which was pioneered at Argonne. Currently, the laboratory is focusing on nanotechnology research, specifically the electric polarization of materials as small as three atoms thick. While finding peaceful uses for nuclear energy has always been the focus at Argonne, the lab performed some military research during the Cold War. The USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear submarine, was developed at Argonne in 1954.

The intellectual energy and strong academic institutions of Illinois are always on display at Argonne National Laboratory. The laboratory’s scientists have earned hundreds of awards during thepast 70 years, and all signs point toward continued innovation in peaceful nuclear technology for the 21st century.

UPS moving operations from Iowa to Illinois

UPS announced plans to move air shipping operations to Rockford from Des Moines. This change is expected to bring more than 200 new jobs to Rockford. The jobs will include both full- and part-time positions, such as package handlers.

Along with adding jobs in Illinois, UPS will move 13 flights each week to the Rockford airport from Des Moines starting in July. The decision to make the move is in part due to the availability of a larger sorting facility in Rockford but also because Rockford is closer to major markets.

Over the past few years, the Chicago-Rockford International Airport has invested in a new terminal and equipment.

"Recent investment in the airport has served as a catalyst for other development that's in the works, that's already happened, and I'm really excited about it," Winnebago County Board Chairman Frank Haney told WREX.