Why America needs to free itself from oil

MACOMB, IL — Terry Mors has been appointed interim director of Western Illinois University’s School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA), effective July 1. Mors, who is a faculty member in the School of LEJA, has 10 years of full-time contributions in higher education at WIU. In addition, he has more than 17 years of law enforcement and private security experience, working for the Gurnee (IL) Police Department in various positions, including as a patrol officer and a commander.

“Dr. Mors has earned the respect and confidence of his colleagues in the School of LEJA, the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) dean’s office, as well as from various members of the campus community through his teaching, research and service,” said COEHS Dean Nick DiGrino. “His contributions to the governance process and intimate knowledge of the School of LEJA graduate program will enable the School to build on recent accomplishments while addressing areas of need.”

Mors earned his doctorate in education from Northern Illinois University in 2002, and he holds a master’s degree in law enforcement and justice administration from Western and a bachelor’s degree from Roosevelt University. He has served the School of LEJA in a variety of capacities, including as coordinator of the graduate program. In recent years, he has also served as a member of the School of the LEJA’s curriculum committee, graduate committee, the professional advisory board and the Investigators Club, as well as served as a member of the Institute of Applied Criminal Justice, the COEHS technology committee and as a Concert Safety Corps adviser.

In 2006, along with five of his School of LEJA faculty colleagues, Mors received the COEHS Excellence in Internationalizing the Campus Award for establishing an academic relationship with St. Petersburg University in Russia. In 2005, he was also the recipient of the COEHS Award for Outstanding Service.

In addition to his instruction and service activities as Western, Mors has published and presented papers on a variety of law enforcement topics at various national and international meetings and conferences. He is also a former and current member of several law enforcement professional organizations, including the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), the Central Illinois Association of Law Enforcement Executives and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

For more information, contact Dana Moon, director of marketing and community relations for Western’s COEHS, at (309) 298-1690 or DM-Moon@wiu.edu.

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MACOMB, IL — Erskine Smith has been named associate dean for administration in Western Illinois University’s College of Education and Human Services (COEHS), effective July 1. Smith has been serving in the interim associate dean position for administration for the College since July 1, 2009.

According to COEHS Dean Nick DiGrino, in the position, Smith will continue his primary responsibilities in the areas of budget, facilities oversight, personnel and contract implementation.

“Erskine has brought to the dean’s office a wealth of talent and experience in the areas of contract implementation and budgeting. He is held in high regard by our chairs and directors, and I welcome his continuing service as an outstanding member of our administrative team,” DiGrino said.

Prior to serving as the interim associate dean for administration in Western’s COEHS, Smith was the chair of the dietetics, fashion merchandising and hospitality (DFMH) department. Before coming to WIU, Smith served as chair and associate professor of family and consumer sciences at the University of Mississippi. Prior to his faculty and administration positions at “Ole Miss,” Smith was the associate director of the division of applied research of the National Food Service Management Institute and an assistant professor of food service management at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has also served as the director of the School of Home Economics at Southern Mississippi and as an administrative intern in the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Smith has also worked as a clinical dietitian in the private sector.

Smith has published numerous articles for professional journals; is a contributing author for several textbooks and monographs; and has presented at national conferences.

Smith earned his doctoral and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and received his bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University. He also holds a certificate from The Miami Valley Hospital Dietetic Internship Program.

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“On Wednesday in northern Hancock County, sheriff’s deputies recovered a vehicle believed to have been stolen by Moore in Iowa”

http://www.whig.com/story/news/Barefoot-Bandit-062610

He became the self-proclaimed king of the chavs after turning up to collect his £9.7million lottery win wearing an electronic offender’s tag.

But eight years on, having blown all that money, Michael Carroll is practising for a return to his old job as a binman.

Read source article: Dailymail.co.uk source

MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University’s First Tee program, which not only teaches golf skills, but life skills as well, to youth ages seven through 17, will begin June 14 and run through July 22.

Classes will be held from 9-11 a.m. every Monday and Thursday at Western’s Harry Mussatto Golf Course.

The First Tee was created in 1997 to introduce young people of all backgrounds to the game of golf and the lessons it teaches. According to Lia Biehl Lukkarinen, WIU women’s golf coach and First Tee program director, the life skills curriculum sets the program apart from other junior golf programs and ultimately strives to instill First Tee’s core values of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, courtesy, judgment, confidence, responsibility and perseverance.

The cost of the six-week program is $40 per student (additional family members may participate for $20 and scholarships are available to those students who meet the criteria). Brochures are available at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course as well as online at www.golf.wiu.edu (click on the “Community” tab on the left sidebar). Registration deadline is June 11.

For more information contact Lukkarinen at LB-Lukkarinen@wiu.edu or (309) 298-3676.
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According to Bookstore Director Jude Kiah, the University Bookstore is working in conjunction with the store’s distributor to begin offering the rental program for 50 to 100 titles this fall. Kiah said it’s their goal to rent 95 percent of the school’s necessary texts by Spring 2011.

“This program is completely unlike the traditional textbook purchase. There’s a huge difference in how this operates and how we will need to do business, which is why we’re starting on a small scale basis this fall,” he noted. “Textbook rental is by far one of the cheapest options for students – and really for bookstores who work with large-scale distributors like we do – at the front end. This takes the risk out of buybacks for the student, and they receive their $20 deposit back when the book is returned.”

Students will be able to rent certain titles this fall at the bookstore or through the distributor via the bookstore’s website.

“Because of the costs involved with new books, these sales are declining. A rented textbook is a far more affordable option for students. And we expect these books to be highlighted or to have notes in the margin. Those things won’t affect the deposit,” Kiah said. “This is all about ‘we own the book, but you’re using it for awhile.’ But if a book isn’t returned, the student forfeits the deposit and his or her account will be charged.”

According to Kiah, the bookstore’s partnership with a major textbook distributor allows the University to participate in a rental program, which provides yet another option for students.

“The bookstore is an extension of the University’s services. We are here for the students and to provide a value for our students,” he said.

If students choose to purchase new or used texts over renting their school books, Kiah noted that the bookstore has changed its buyback options so students are getting more money back at the end of a semester.

“In addition to getting more money back we’re also offering students coupons to use in the bookstore for apparel and other merchandise, giving away prizes and price-matching our competitors,” he added. “We want to provide affordable services, combined with outstanding customer service. We’re selling services, not just commodities. And it’s important to point what many might not know: we’re a not-for-profit agency, and all of the money the bookstore makes goes directly back to the University for programming in the Union and within student services.”

For more information on the textbook rental pilot, contact the bookstore at (309) 298-1931 or visit bookstore.wiu.edu.

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MACOMB, IL — Illinois is poised to take advantage of some sectors of the new green economy, according to a recent Rural Research Report from the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs. The report, “Which Green Jobs Look Promising for Rural Illinois?” defines green jobs and suggests opportunities that are easily within the grasp of Illinois communities because many of the necessary skills for these positions are already available in the workforce. Authors John Gruidl and Ilya Markov, both from the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, conclude that rural Illinois is well positioned to capture many green jobs, particularly in the construction and agricultural sectors.

According to the report, green jobs are associated with green products or services that use resources more efficiently, provide renewable sources of energy, lower greenhouse gas emissions or otherwise minimize environmental impacts of human activities. The overwhelming majority of green jobs are in occupations that many people already work in today.

For example, increasing the energy efficiency of buildings requires construction managers, roofers and heating/air conditioning installers. Manufacturing wind turbines requires machinists, sheet metal workers and truck drivers. Producing new crops for bio-fuels requires farmers, truck drivers and farm-product suppliers. In addition, all these industries require support activities performed by lawyers, accountants, office clerks and salespeople.

Three green sectors seem particularly well suited to rural Illinois:building retrofittingwind poweradvanced bio-fuelsRural Illinois has basic locational characteristics required for businesses to succeed in these industries, including a skilled workforce for building retrofitting, sites with sufficient wind speed and wind power, as well as fertile and abundant agricultural land for growing biomass for bio-fuels.

Green jobs span a variety of skills and educational backgrounds. But many of these jobs are “mid-skilled” jobs that require education past high school but not a college degree. Green jobs in engineering and construction will be modifications to existing jobs, likely requiring learning new skills and methods. Community colleges and universities in rural regions can change training programs, in such fields as construction and engineering, to incorporate green technologies and techniques.

Furthermore, the greening of the economy will provide entrepreneurial opportunities, such as auditing the energy efficiency of buildings and designing and installing new green products to reduce energy consumption.

In the long run, greening the economy could benefit small towns in Illinois. Young people often move from their hometowns because of limited job opportunities. By expanding rural employment in construction and agriculture, among other fields, the green economy may enable more young people to remain or return to their rural communities.

You can obtain a copy of the report by contacting IIRA at the phone number below or download the report (PDF file) from our website at www.iira.org/pubs/publications/IIRA_RRR_711.pdf.

Western Illinois University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity institution. For more information about the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, see www.IIRA.org. If you care to comment about this column, contact Collins at (800) 526-9943 or T-Collins@wiu.edu.

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