CHICAGO - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon, the state's point person on education reform, will deliver keynote remarks at the Associated Colleges of Illinois' Summer Institute for K-12 teachers. Simon will urge teachers in high-need schools to use the Common Core learning standards and encourage them to pilot the state's new math curriculum models come fall. Simon supported the curricula developed by state education authorities to better prepare graduates for college and careers.

 

"We want to put all middle and high school students on track for success," said Simon. "Colleges and employers expect our students to have certain skills, but find too many students are unprepared. The statewide model math curriculum gives educators an additional resource to help prepare students to compete in the global marketplace."

Later Friday, Simon will deliver the graduation speech for the Phoenix Military Academy Class of 2013. Simon will highlight top students, including an Illinois Dream Act scholarship recipient who will testify on behalf of immigrant students in Washington D.C. next week.

 

Friday, June 21

 

EVENT: Associated Colleges of Illinois Summer Institute

TIME: Noon

LOCATION: Trinity Christian College Dining Hall, 6601 W. College Dr., Palos Heights

EVENT: Phoenix Military Academy graduation

TIME: 6 p.m.

LOCATION: Phoenix Military Academy, 145 S. Campbell Ave., Chicago

 

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UPLAND, IN (06/20/2013)(readMedia)-- The following local residents were named to the Spring 2013 Dean's list at Taylor University. Full-time students are named to the Dean's List when they have earned a GPA of 3.60 or higher for the term and at least 12 hours carry credit point values.

Angela Stuedemann, a resident of DeWitt, IA.

Brett Vacek, a resident of East Moline, IL.

About Taylor University: Founded in 1846, Taylor University is an interdenominational liberal arts university of evangelical faith located in Upland, Ind. The 2013 U.S. News and World Report survey America's Best Colleges ranked Taylor the number one Baccalaureate College in the Midwest. It marked Taylor's sixth straight number one ranking and followed 10 straight years of being ranked in the region's top three.

Taylor University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

CHICAGO - Doctors from BluePearl Veterinary Partners are urging people to stop using and return or discard certain Natura Pet Products food and treats after the company issued another recall due to potential Salmonella contamination Tuesday.

On March 18, the company issued a voluntary recall due to the presence of salmonella being found during routine testing performed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

On March 29, the company issued an expansion of their original recall citing the same reason as before and adding that the Georgia Department of Agriculture had also confirmed the presence of Salmonella.

On April 19, the company issued a further expansion of the original recall stating the same reasons as before and adding that this was being done out of an abundance of caution.

Most recently, on Tuesday, Natura Pet Products issued a press release recalling specific lots of dry pet food citing the potential for the food to be contaminated with Salmonella, after routine testing performed by the Food and Drug Administration tested positive for Salmonella.

The most current release states, "Natura is voluntarily recalling all products with expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014."
According to the release, the affected products are sold in bags through veterinary clinics, select pet specialty retailers, and online in the United States and Canada. No canned wet food is affected by this announcement.
People who have the potentially contaminated product should discard it immediately and stop handling it as it poses a risk to humans as well.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Common symptoms of salmonella in pets include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, lethargy, fever and abdominal discomfort.

"Any time you notice your pet is not acting right, you should take him or her to your family veterinarian as soon as possible," said Dr. Neil Shaw, chief medical officer of BluePearl. "If it is an after-hours emergency, we would be glad to help at any one of our locations."

The affected products are:
BRAND   LOT CODE/UPC/SIZES;     EXPIRATION

Innova Dry dog and cat food and biscuits/bars/treats    All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes     All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014

EVO dry dog, cat and ferret food and biscuits/bars/treats       All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes     All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014

California Natural dry dog and cat foods and biscuits/bars/treats       All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes     All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014

Healthwise dry dog and cat foods        All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes     All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014
Karma dry dog foods     All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes     All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014

Mother Nature biscuits/bars/treats      All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes     All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014
Natura Pet Products also said in their release that consumers looking for additional information, product replacement or a refund should call Natura toll-free at 800-224-6123. (Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM CST).

BluePearl Veterinary Partners does not carry any of the recalled products.

About BluePearl Veterinary Partners
Formed in 2008, BluePearl Veterinary Partners is headquartered in Tampa, Fla., and employs more than 1,200 people including approximately 250 veterinarians. BluePearl hospitals are referral-only and don't provide primary care. Most BluePearl hospitals offer 24-hour emergency care services. BluePearl is one of the world's principal providers of approved veterinary residency and internship educational programs. BluePearl also participates in and conducts clinical trials to study the effectiveness of new drugs and treatments, which give clients access to cutting-edge medicine not yet commercially available and improves the quality of care delivered to our patients.
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Research Says 'Yes;' Expert Shares 4 Tips to Take You There
No Matter What Your Income
By: Rick Rodgers

A report released earlier this year from the Chicago-based Spectrem Group estimated there were 8.99 million households in the United States with a net worth of at least $1 million at the end of 2012.

A contrasting report issued late last year from the American Payroll Association showed 68 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.  More than two-thirds of the 30,600 people surveyed said it would be somewhat difficult or very difficult if their paychecks were delayed for a week.

Is it possible for that average American to become a millionaire?

American millionaires are not all greedy corporate executives. Dr. Thomas Stanley has studied the habits of wealthy people for the past 30 years. His groundbreaking research has uncovered the truth about the lifestyles of the wealthiest Americans.

• Four out of five millionaires are self-made.
• Many millionaires own their own business and consider themselves to be entrepreneurs.
• Their companies are rarely glamorous and are more likely to be very ordinary jobs, like paving contractors and pest control businesses.

Becoming a millionaire most likely doesn't just happen to you.Rather, it takes planning and perseverance.  Here are some steps you can take to grow your net worth.

• Live below your means. This step is so obvious we shouldn't need to be reminded.  Unfortunately, most people never learn to spend less than they make.  Unless you discipline yourself to save something from every paycheck, you will never be able to accumulate money that can work for you.  The secret to living below your means is to have a budget and work your budget every month.

• Save a minimum of 10 percent. George Clason's classic book "The Richest Man in Babylon" tells the story of a man who wanted to become wealthy.  He started by saving 10 percent of his income and eventually became wealthy by having his money work for him.  Research has shown many of today's millionaires accumulated their wealth by saving and disciplining themselves to increase their savings every year.

• Invest your savings in businesses. Your savings should be put into growth-oriented investments. Not everyone has the ability or desire to start and run their own business. However, we all have the opportunity to own businesses by buying stock. Stock prices can be volatile but you can minimize the volatility by owning stocks through diversified mutual funds.  Investing on a regular basis allows you to take advantage of the stock market downturns through dollar cost averaging. 

• Don't follow the herd. The Great Panic of 2008 turned out to be one of the greatest buying opportunities. Stock prices fell by more than 50 percent during this downturn and have recovered to move on to new highs.  Unfortunately, many investors sold their stocks during this period instead of buying as evidenced by the net redemptions of stock mutual funds which totaled in the billions.  This prompted legendary investor Warren Buffett to write in an op-ed article for the Wall Street Journal "A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful."

• Hire a financial adviser. It's not easy to stay the course.  You often need an independent third party to remind you of your goals and help you make the right financial moves -- especially during times of great uncertainty.  A good financial adviser will try to help you develop a good investment strategy and keep you focused when you need it most.  Investors often make their biggest mistakes by allowing emotions to interfere with good judgment.  A financial adviser can help you keep your emotions in check.

Becoming a millionaire is not easy or there would be more of them! It takes discipline to live below your means and to save and invest.  One of the millionaires interviewed by Dr. Stanley never made more than $60,000 per year.

"I have accumulated most of my net worth by living below my means," she told him. "I have everything I want, but I have learned not to want too much."

About Rick Rodgers

Certified Financial Planner® Rick Rodgers is president of Rodgers & Associates, "The Retirement Specialists," in Lancaster, Pa., and author of "The New Three-Legged Stool: A Tax Efficient Approach to Retirement Planning." He's a Certified Retirement Counselor and member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisers. Rodgers has been featured on national radio and TV shows, including "FOX Business News" and "The 700 Club," and is available to speak at conferences and corporate events (www.RodgersSpeaks.com).