With an eye towards the Prairie State’s history in the White House, Illinois is prepared to celebrate President’s Day on Monday, February 19.  General Washington’s victories at Yorktown and other battlefields helped force Britain to officially cede Illinois Territory to the new United States in the 1783 Treaty of Paris, making it possible to create the future state of Illinois thirty-five years later.  Washington’s birthday is the ancestor of what is now President’s Day, and 2018 marks the first President’s 286^th birthday.  One of Washington’s veterans, James Monroe, as President signed the bill in 1818 that made Illinois the 21^st state.   

The first President who lived in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, was elected in 1869 when Illinois as a state was only 42 years old.  Lincoln, whose 209^th birthday was observed last week on February 12, has become a symbol of the State’s bicentennial celebration.  Ronald Reagan is the only President  actually born in Tampico, Illinois while UlyssesS. Grant lived in Galena, Illinois. The most recent President who lived in Illinois was former State Senator Barack Obama who lived in Chicago.

What: Governor Rauner delivers budget address

Where: Illinois State Capitol – House Chamber

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Time: 12:00 p.m.

The address will be streamed on Facebook Live and at the following links:

http://www.ilga.gov/houseaudvid.asp

http://www.illinois.gov/RaunerLive

http://www.illinois.gov/RaunerLiveCaptioned

http://www.illinois.gov/RaunerLiveAudio

HD Satellite Coordinates: 

Slug: Illinois Budget Address Live

Date: February 14, 2018

Time: 11:45 AM (CT) 1:00 PM (CT) 

Satellite: ECHO105K

Transponder: 07

Slot: A9

Downlink Frequency: 11826.5

Downlink Polarization: Vertical

Bandwidth: 9 MHz

Symbol Rate: 7.5

FEC: 5 / 6

Data Rate: 18.589212

Video: MPEG-4 4:2:0

Modulation Scheme: 8PSK

For technical assistance please call IOCI Media Services at 217-785-5499.

Tony Griffith (left), owner of Griffith Trucking, Heartland Peterbilt and Heartland Classics in Effingham and Newton, will be giving out bonuses to his 65 full-time employees as a result of the recent tax law changes.

In President Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening, he made the case that his recent tax law is the reason why companies across the country have announced bonuses, wage increases and other benefits for their employees.

Tony Griffith, who owns three companies in Effingham, agrees wholeheartedly. So much so that this week he announced to his 65 full-time employees that he will be giving each of them a $1,000 bonus.

“I'm excited for my employees," said Griffith, who anticipates he'll save about $100,000 under the new tax law. "This gives them hope that they are not just working at some humdrum job paying them the same until they die."

Griffith owns Griffith Trucking, inside of which is the moving company, Broadway Express. He also owns Heartland Peterbilt and Heartland Classics in Effingham and Newton.

Read the full Effingham Daily News story by Keith Stewart by clicking HERE.