The fruit of labor and thought


Hamilton: The immensely popular American musical based on the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, first appeared off-Broadway in February 2015. Since its debut it has achieved both critical acclaim and box office success. Hamilton, often referred to as the influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, believed, “Opinion, whether well or ill-founded, is the governing principle of […]

Please slow the community spread of COVID-19

Comparisons are made between the 1918 Spanish flu and the current COVID-19 pandemic. The United States population was about 103 million in 1918. The current US population is about 3.2 times larger, now at 330 million. Twenty eight percent, or 29 million people, were infected during the 1918 pandemic. The death count was 675,000. If similar effects were applied to […]

Scotus Hocus Pocus

The Constitution of the United States guarantees every citizen freedom to believe anything. It calls it Freedom of Religion. In a recent decision the Supreme Court Of The United Sates (Scotus) rules that the Governor of the State of New York could not by decree limit the number of religious congregants gathering for church services. The Governor had cited public […]

Not too late for Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving: What is there to be thankful for this year with COVID-19 mucking up friendly socializing, shopping, dining out, sports and theatre? I take time to reflect. Well, I didn’t lock a turkey in the oven this year because there was no family gathering. No sliding off the driveway into a tree because no snow. While I pride myself in […]

Cook County Higher Education offers mentoring program for K-12 students

Cook County Higher Education (CCHE) has expanded its mentoring program this year to include K-12 students. Historically, CCHE has offered this FREE program to Cook County residents enrolled in long distance education courses. Due to the pandemic, we are making our program more accessible to more students. If you or your child are having trouble with a subject, a project, […]

Weekly Weather

A perspective on faith and politics


During the advent season the church looks forward to the celebration of the incarnation, God becomes man in Jesus. We also look forward to the return of Christ, in his own time and way. In the meantime Christians are tasked with being about the work that God has given us to do: tending the garden, feeding the hungry, giving drink […]

Patricia (Patty) Ratelle

Patricia (Patty) Ratelle, age 88, of Richfield, Minnesota, died on Sunday, November 22, 2020, at home surrounded by family. She was a nurse by training and the ultimate giver by nature. Patty’s love and energy were focused on caring for her family, friends, the Catholic Church, and her local community. Her pursuit of lifelong learning started with her formal training […]

Covid-19 case counts show no signs of slowing down


As of Tuesday, December 1, fifteen people tested positive for COVID-19 over the last six days in Cook County. That brings the total county coronavirus case count to 78 since the beginning of the pandemic. More alarmingly, the number was 18 at the end of October, so the surge in new positive coronavirus diagnoses has been startling. There was a […]

Winter Maintenance is “Snow Problem” for Cook County Highway Department



In this update from the Cook County Highway Department, we’ll let you know about our plan for dealing with community spread of COVID-19; innovation and training for the plow drivers who serve our community; and our request to call us directly at the highway department with concerns about road conditions, saving the sheriff ’s department number for emergency conditions only. […]