Columns — The Villagers Voice

Guest Column: School boards looking to boost attendance at monthly meetings, By J.R. Hubele

August 12, 2022 by Villagers Voice

Jason (J.R.) Hubele was The Villagers' Voice guest columnist for the April Fool's day columns that ran April 1 this year. Jason writes satire, defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. But at the core of satire, it is still commentary on the state of politics, education, culture and current events. Let us know if you enjoy Jason's satirical look at things.

School boards looking to boost attendance at monthly meetings

By J.R. Hubele [Read more...]

Special Column: The Anti-U.S. Energy Movement Deserves More Scrutiny

March 24, 2021 by Villagers Voice

By Seth Whitehead, Executive Director, Illinois Petroleum Resources Board

Energy makes the high standard of living most Americans enjoy possible. Affordable, reliable energy is the lifeblood of our economy. And as University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology director Dr. Scott Tinker recently noted, “All forms of energy come from the earth.” It is with those fundamental facts in mind that “Keep It In the Ground” (KIITG) groups should be viewed as anti-U.S. energy. Though it is obvious traditional energy sources such as oil, natural gas and coal come from the ground, it is often overlooked that wind, solar and battery technologies would not be possible without massive mining projects. [Read more...]

Guest Column: Demonization of Oil Industry Unwarranted in These Critical Times

December 23, 2020 by Villagers Voice

By Seth Whitehead, Executive Director, Illinois Petroleum Resources Board

The North Face, a company whose product line is dominated by petroleum-based polyester and nylon, recently refused to allow an oilfield service company’s logo to be placed on its jackets. The reason: because the oil service company is “not consistent” with The North Face’s co-branding standards. To be more blunt, it was reported that The North Face places oil and natural gas companies in the same undesirable category as alcohol, tobacco and pornography. Talk about biting the hand that feedstocks you! [Read more...]

Rich Gurka: DID THE IDNR DELIBERATELY DESTROY 55+ TROPHY DEER MOUNTS?

October 8, 2020 by Kathy Sands

Dumpster full of deer mounts. Photo provided.

If you have ever been to the Springfield or Du Quoin State Fairs, you may have stopped by an Illinois Department of Natural Resources display booth manned by IDNR staff.

One of the main attractions of these booths was the display of numerous trophy whitetail deer mounts, most of which had been seized from poachers. [Read more...]

Covid-19 Good News…The Recovery Rates Are Extremely High, CDC Says

October 5, 2020 by Kathy Sands

By Kathy Sands, Editor

The Villagers' Voice online

On the national scene and in the state of Illinois, most news reporting in the past few months has been only about the rising numbers of positive Covid-19 infection cases and the number of deaths. Governor Pritzker continues to move regions of the state back into strict mitigation where cases have been rising above a certain level. Rising cases is all that is ever talked about. There has been little to no reporting on the ever decreasing death and hospitalization rates. The constant drumbeat is the infection rate. [Read more...]

Guest Column: The Bloody Truth of Domestic Abuse

August 14, 2020 by Kathy Sands

By Jenny McKinney

Domestic Violence may have earned a prettier name and a month of its own, but our losses still outnumber our victories. As a nation, we are losing this war. There is no outrage in our communities when a woman speaks out, and resources are limited. We live in a world that chooses to not see, and see they do not. [Read more...]

Guest Column Opinion: Reports of Oil’s Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

June 15, 2020 by Villagers Voice

By Seth Whitehead

A familiar narrative has gained traction in the wake of the oil demand shock brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. According to one pundit, “The inexorable decline of oil has begun.” Reports that “the world may never recover its thirst for oil” have been widely echoed as well. [Read more...]

Judge McHaney Speaks His Mind in Friday Afternoon Case

May 23, 2020 by Kathy Sands

Chief Judge Michael McHaney of Clay County had this to say at the conclusion of the case he heard yesterday afternoon (Mainer v Pritzker) in the Clay County courtroom: [Read more...]