by the numbers

The American Hotel and Lodging Association's (AHLA) report on the state of the hotel industry in 2021 and going forward is, to say the least, not a pretty picture--especially here in Illinois.

According to the BrewersAssociation.org website, Illinois has around 300 craft breweries, which means that we have 3 breweries for every 100,000 Illinoisans over the age of 21. We'd better get busy, because that beer isn't going to drink itself.

Obviously, quite a few things have changed in America since 1963. One of the more notable changes has been the population of bald eagles, which, after 58 years, has risen from 417 nesting pairs to an astounding 71,400, according to a new report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Sure, this whole COVID-19 mess has put somewhat of a damper on one of Rockford's (and America's) great party and celebration days, but nothing short of lockdown enforced by armed men is going to stop it.

So, many of you here in the Rockford area found yourself among the millions of Americans who were forced to make a change during the pandemic lockdowns and closings, and you started working from home.

I'm sure Wisconsin will demand some sort of recount since they usually top Illinois in booze consumption quite easily.

In the interests of full disclosure, I must confess to not being a TikTok user. I'm completely aware of TikTok, and what the world's fastest-growing social media platform is all about thanks to my daughter Molly, a somewhat avid user.

As we've talked about before, 2020 was a pretty crappy year to be a human being, but it was a great year to be a dog or cat. Your humans have been around a lot more than they usually are because of lockdowns and closings, you're getting constant attention, treats, etc.

If you've thought that there has been a lot more speeding and reckless driving since the pandemic began last March, you're absolutely right. Illinois traffic deaths during this COVID-19 nightmare have been spiking.

I think it's fair to assume that most of us are really tired of this incredibly frigid weather we've been enduring for nearly two weeks (with about 10 more days to go).