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25

Obituary: Klem, Michael J.

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Michael J. Klem (age 83)
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Categories: Obituaries |
20

Obituary: Betty J. Davidsmeier

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Betty J. Davidsmeier, 93, of Virginia, IL, passed away Monday, February 9, 2026, at Cass County Senior Living and Rehabilitation.
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16

Obituary: Wes Huett

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WASHINGTON — Wes Huett, loving family man and dedicated journalist who spent more than two decades at the Peoria Journal Star bringing stories of our community to life, passed away on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the age of 48. A longtime resident of Washington, Illinois, Wes left this world quietly, surrounded by the love of his family, leaving an irreplaceable void in the hearts of those who knew him best.
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12

Obituary: Diane Janet (Quirin) Strand

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DIANE JANET (QUIRIN) STRANDBorn: January 18, 1944Died: December 28, 2025Diane Janet (Quirin) Strand, recently of DeKalb, Illinois, beloved wife of Wesley Strand and loving mother of Heather Strand and Stacey Conover, passed away at her residence in Geneva, IL, on December 28, 2025, just shy of her 82nd birthday. She was smart, beautiful, and passionate — an artist, journalist, and advocate — as well as a loving sister, friend, wife, mother, aunt, grand and great-grandmother...
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Press Releases
 
 
 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 25, 2026

Contact Information:
Betsy McCloskey/Plaid Swan Inc.
(563) 513-9499
betsy@plaidswan.com
 

Corporate American Family Credit Union and North Bay Credit Union complete merger

 
Elgin, IL and Santa Rosa, CA — Corporate American Family Credit Union (CAFCU) and North Bay Credit Union (NBCU) announced today that their merger will become effective March 1, 2026. Together, the two organizations have formed a stronger, more versatile, and community-driven financial institution serving members across the Midwest and Northern California.

The merger reflects a partnership built on shared values: exceptional member service, deep community commitment, and a mutual vision for long-term sustainable growth.

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring our organizations together in a way that amplifies what both credit unions do best,” said Stefanie Rupert, president & CEO of CAFCU. “North Bay has built something special; our teams are aligned in mission and mindset. By combining our strengths, innovative technology, personalized service, and strong community presence, we believe we can deliver even greater value for all members.”

Based on the most recent financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, North Bay Credit Union reported just over $114 million in assets. The combined organization benefits from greater scale, expanded product offerings, enhanced digital capabilities, and increased operational efficiencies.

This transaction was completed as an assisted merger, following extensive collaboration, regulatory coordination, due diligence, and thoughtful planning by leadership teams.

“North Bay Credit Union has always centered its work around the needs of our local communities, and the decision to pursue this merger was made intentionally to elevate that commitment with long-term stability, resilience, and growth,” said Darlene Brown, interim CEO of North Bay Credit Union. “Partnering with CAFCU allows us to strengthen our foundation, expand our reach, and enhance the services we can provide while staying rooted in our mission. Through Greenbax Marketplace, we also bring a unique and compliant line of business that complements CAFCU’s offerings. Both organizations are stronger together, and we look forward to what this new chapter will bring.”

CAFCU’s continued expansion strengthens its presence in California while reinforcing its long-standing commitment to sustainable growth and community-focused service.

Both institutions emphasized that the merger is the result of extensive collaboration and careful planning designed to ensure a seamless transition for members and employees.

“This partnership reflects a shared belief in building a stronger future for our members, our teams, and the communities we proudly serve,” the organizations said in a joint statement.

About Corporate American Family Credit Union (CAFCU)
Corporate American Family Credit Union (CAFCU) is a long-standing, member-focused credit union headquartered in Elgin, IL. Built on decades of trust, service, and community commitment, CAFCU continues to expand its reach and capabilities through strategic growth initiatives. CAFCU remains dedicated to strengthening members’ financial well-being through accessible products, personalized service, and a people first philosophy.

About North Bay Credit Union (NBCU)
Founded in 1948, North Bay Credit Union has grown into a trusted community financial institution with just over $114 million in assets as of December 31, 2025. NBCU remains committed to empowering individuals, families, and local businesses with accessible, people-first financial solutions rooted in local common bonds and community values. NBCU offers compliant cannabis banking services and payment solutions through its subsidiary, Greenbax Marketplace.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2026

Contact Information:
Katie Lewis
(217) 525-8012
katie@ioaweb.org
 

Legislation targets vertically integrated vision benefit managers and moves to close regulatory loopholes

 
Springfield, Ill. — Senator Cristina Castro (D-22) introduced SB 3707, legislation to strengthen oversight and accountability for vision benefit managers (VBMs), the middlemen that administer vision plans for patients across Illinois. The legislation builds on the Vision Care Plan Regulation Act by closing loopholes, strengthening enforcement, and ensuring the law works as intended for patients and providers.

Vision benefit managers wield extraordinary control over the vision care marketplace. The two largest companies control approximately 85 percent of all U.S. vision coverage and are vertically integrated, meaning they administer vision plans while also owning the eyewear manufacturers, optical labs, brick and mortar eye clinics, and supply chains used in patient care. This concentration of power allows these profit driven middlemen to steer patients and dollars away from locally owned practices and into the pockets of the same companies that control every layer of the vision care market, prioritizing profits over patients and competition.

“Illinois took an important first step by regulating vision benefit managers, but it is clear that loopholes remain. When vision benefit managers are allowed to ignore the law, patients lose choice and small businesses are weakened,” said State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin). “This legislation would ensure compliance, transparency, and accountability so health and vision care decisions are made by patients and their doctors, not by VBMs.”

The legislation would strengthen current law by requiring annual reporting and licensing, establishing meaningful penalties for violations, preventing coercive lab steering practices, adding anti retaliation protections for providers who report abuses, and requiring full transparency related to reimbursement, contracting, credentialing, and ownership.

The legislation is supported by the Illinois Optometric Association. Illinois is home to more than 2,400 licensed doctors of optometry who serve as front line family eye care providers in communities across the state.

“As doctors of optometry, we are small business owners, employers, and health care providers rooted in our communities,” said Dr. Clint Taylor, President and Chair of the Illinois Optometric Association. “When vision benefit middlemen steer patients, suppress reimbursements, and control supply chains, it weakens local practices and siphons health care dollars away from patient care. This legislation restores balance by holding these VBMs accountable and ensuring patients can continue to receive care from the doctor they trust.”

The introduction of the legislation comes amid escalating federal scrutiny of vision benefit managers. There are currently four congressional investigations into VBMs, their policies, and market conduct, which have been launched by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. Most recently, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee requested a briefing from a leading vision benefit manager regarding vertically integrated business practices, signaling growing bipartisan concern over consolidation, conflicts of interest, and the impact of VBM market power on patients and providers.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2026

Media Contact Information:
Carrie Skogsberg
carrie.skogsberg@countryfinancial.com
 

Illinois high schools have another shot at receiving a $5,000 donation from COUNTRY Financial® through the “Sport Your School Giveaway”

 
COUNTRY Financial and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) are providing an opportunity for local high schools to win $5,000 to benefit their athletic department and student athletes through the “Sport Your School Giveaway.”  Individuals can enter their school to win through May 30, 2026.

This is the second time COUNTRY has held the Sport Your School Giveaway. Staunton High School was the winner of the first giveaway, which ran during the first half of the 2025-2026 school year. 

COUNTRY has been a sponsor of the IHSA for more than 50 years and is the presenting sponsor for 40 IHSA state championships for various high school sports throughout the 2025-2026 school year. “COUNTRY has a highly valued, longstanding relationship with the IHSA,” said Nikki Johnson, vice president of marketing at COUNTRY. “Schools are the lifeblood of our communities, and we are proud to be part of bringing championship opportunities to students and communities throughout the state.” 

Learn more and enter your school to win.

Learn more about the partnership between COUNTRY and the IHSA.


 


 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2026

Media Contact Information:
Bob Hubberts
(847) 508-4995
bhubberts@firstillinoisrobotics.org

 

Illinois students apply research and robotics in the Illinois FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge state championship


Chicago, Illinois   – Creativity and science will come together this Saturday at the FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge Illinois State Championship at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, Illinois, where 56 teams of 9- to 14-year-old students and coaches will demonstrate their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, sportsmanship, and sense of community.  The tournament is open to the public.  The robot table competition portion of the event starts at Noon on Saturday, February 14th.

More than 650,000 students in over 75 countries will participate in the FIRST® UNEARTHED season. Teams will have to program robots, using LEGO Education technology, to solve a set of missions on an obstacle course set on a thematic playing surface. 

For the UNEARTHED challenge students will unearth hidden treasures and piece together the past as they embark on this thrilling journey of discovery. Students will identify and research a problem related to the season theme and then design and create a possible solution. They will also identify a mission strategy and design, create, and code a robot to complete missions during a 2.5-minute Robot Game.

The competition is judged in three areas: innovation project; robot design, and core values, which embody aspects of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Top robot game scores are also honored.
                                      
FIRST LEGO League is an international program for 9- to 14-year-olds (ages vary by country) created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get students excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable career and life skills. Using LEGO® Education technologies and materials, students work alongside adult mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their research project. After several intense weeks, the competition season culminates at high-energy, sports-like tournaments. Like any other organized “sport,” teams also fundraise, create a team identity, and go on field trips.

The tournament is being run by FIRST Illinois Robotics, a 501 c3 organization focused on delivering FIRST programs in Illinois.   Contact us for a list of the area schools and youth organizations with teams participating in the competition.

About FIRST® 
FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school, in structured after-school programs or by other organizations or groups of parents. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges.  An international not-for-profit organization founded in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life. Learn more at firstinspires.org.


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To learn more about FIRST programs in Illinois, go to www.firstillinoisrobotics.org.


 

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