The top three winners of the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award in the ninth annual Illinois Emerging Writers Competition were just announced by Jesse White, secretary of state and state librarian. Jonathan G. Travelstead of Murphysboro took first place with his poem “DuPont Paint Factory” Pablo Otavalo of Chicago, second. Richard Holinger of Geneva, third. The […]
Women’s Business Showcase
Spring in Central Illinois is the perfect time to put your business in front of new customers—and the Women Entrepreneurs of Central Illinois (WECI) Women’s Business Showcase is built to do exactly that. Join us on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for one of the region’s most anticipated events celebrating women-owned…
