Working and living in small towns makes business closures personal for community leaders. Whether the reason is owner retirement, changing trends or international competition, closures stick with us. Communities suffer each loss in tax revenue, jobs, leadership and morale. To address the voids,...
There is a lot of discussion surrounding the Agricultural Economy right now and its potential impact on both farmers and rural communities. In late summer 2019, the American Bankers Association and Farmer Mac collaborated on a survey. Over 450 bank managers, executives and Ag Lenders...
Many of us are willing to do something different with our front yards if it results in a positive environmental impact, according to a survey by the Extension CED Sustainable Communities team.
We asked people about putting rain gardens in their right of ways. These are gardens, between the...
During the summer of 2019, the University of Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development team hosted two undergraduate Extension interns. Gabe Harper-Hagen and Rhea Bridgeland were funded through the Extension Internship Experience that pairs talented undergraduates with Extension...
Startling facts show that many local businesses and livelihoods will not recover from a catastrophe. It's not because they don't want to, it's because the task is huge. Planning to survive and being prepared go a long way towards improving the odds of re-opening and money flowing. Along with a...
By Susan Odum, Extension Educator, Community Development and Planning In an October 2018 Report, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) outlined the complex issues surrounding taxation of remote sales, including Supreme Court rulings that set precedent on remote sales tax policy for...
This summer, communities in Illinois with coal plants or mines will have a unique opportunity to imagine a future with alternative energy – to reimagine their communities after coal mining. The conference, Climate Economy in Southern Illinois...
Assessing Downtown Cantonreport represents a collaborative effort between Illinois Main Street, Canton Main Street, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of...
You probably don't think Illinois has much to offer in the natural resource department. We don't have soaring mountains or endless oceans, but Illinois's natural resources probably impact your life more than you think.
I am not going to argue with you about whether or not our sliver of Lake...
