Illinois

Sometimes it pays to get picked on. That's exactly what happened to a mini-donkey in Camp Point, Illinois who got VIP treatment after the other animals wouldn't cut him some slack.

If you need proof that agriculture is still the king of Illinois, consider this exhibit A. If you think the most expensive land in Illinois is a mansion, guess again. It's a more than 248 acre farm in Hebron.

It's a fact that many are choosing to leave Chicago for one reason or another. When you have a population as large as the Windy City, it's inevitable you'll see a lot of people who relocate. There's a new survey that names the top 5 cities they're choosing to move to when Chicago is no longer where they want to call home.

I vividly remember making the Orange Julius in the Quincy Mall a regular part of my routine. For the life of me, I can't remember when it closed, but it made me wonder out loud why Orange Julius seems to have disappeared from Illinois entirely or did it really?

I was born in Missouri, but have lived in Illinois many times in my life. I have enough experience in the Land of Lincoln to have a pretty good idea of the type of people who will enjoy the state and which ones won't. Here are 5 types I'm shocked didn't leave Illinois years ago.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that time changes things. New technology can cause lifestyle habits to morph and that's been especially true of retail establishments. Missouri is among the states that have seen an almost catastrophic drop in the number of brick and mortar retail stores.

Missouri isn't a state for everyone. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm convinced there are at least 5 types of people that should really consider leaving Missouri as soon as possible or not come here in the first place.

Christmas Eve is normally a special time with family that is supposed to be joyous. 91 years ago, it was the opposite for a tiny Illinois town when a coal mine disaster claimed 54 souls.

There's a new national survey of those that date online which has some interesting finds about Illinois singles. It would appear that "swipe left" is their favorite action as the Land of Lincoln is allegedly full of picky people.

Full disclosure: I don't drink and never have. Well, I did once and the stories that resulted are legendary, but that's a story for a different day. My point is I'm not an alcohol expert, but I found a site that is and they just named the drunkest city in Illinois.