Business
Coffee Girl comes home
Downtown Waterloo was abuzz Thursday as the community welcomed a particularly high-profile business with The Coffee Girl, a cafe created by hometown popular country artist Alexandra Kay. With hundreds of…
Read MoreSummer freeze on an Alaskan sea
Just in time for the sweltering summer heat here in Monroe County, a local veteran will soon set out on his third trip to the Arctic Circle, marking another journey…
Read MoreR-T wins state awards
The Illinois Press Association hosted its annual convention earlier this month in Peoria, during which the Republic-Times newspaper won multiple state awards. The paper, covering Monroe County and surrounding areas…
Read MoreBarges face retirement cliff
The U.S. barge market is facing a retirement cliff which could impact ag transportation logistics, one analyst warned. Ken Eriksen, managing member and strategic adviser at Polaris Analytics & Consulting,…
Read MoreChallenges for strawberry crop
By RHIANNON BRANCH FarmWeek Weather conditions and disease have created hurdles for Illinois strawberry producers this season. Austin Flamm with Flamm Orchards in Union County said their struggles began early…
Read MoreGrocery tax decision looms
The state’s 1 percent grocery tax ends Jan. 1, 2026, but local governments can choose to retain it without asking residents for permission. Governor JB Pritzker signed HB3144 into law…
Read MoreFamily remains focus for Brockland
A local family-owned auto dealership celebrated a major milestone last month as owners marked the 50th year in business, having made a home for themselves in Columbia for over a…
Read MoreModoc Ferry struggling to stay afloat
As effort is being made to save the Ste. Genevieve-Modoc Ferry from ceasing operations at the end of this month. According to the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center Facebook page VisitSteGen,…
Read MoreColumbia ends electrical aggregation
Columbia residents who have enrolled in the city’s Municipal Electric Aggregation Program will need to find a new supplier in the next two months. The City of Columbia announced Monday…
Read MoreRural economy softening
By DANIEL GRANT FarmWeek Creighton University’s Rural Mainstreet Index shows economic conditions are certainly tightening across America’s Heartland. But the downturn so far has not reached anywhere near what was…
Read MoreFerry struggling to stay afloat
A effort is being made to save the Ste. Genevieve-Modoc Ferry from ceasing operations at the end of this month. According to the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center Facebook page VisitSteGen,…
Read MoreUSDA aims to help small family farms
By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek The USDA released a new policy agenda outlining actions aimed at ensuring the profitability and prosperity of small family farms. Dubbing it the “Make Agriculture Great…
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