WASHINGTON – The United States took significant and unprecedented action to respond to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine by imposing severe economic costs that will have both immediate and long-term effects on the Russian economy and financial system. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today imposed expansive economic measures, in partnership with allies and partners, that target the core infrastructure of the Russian financial system — including all of Russia’s largest financial institutions and the ability of state-owned and private entities to raise capital — and further bars Russia from the global financial system. The actions also target nearly 80 percent of all banking assets in Russia and will have a deep and long-lasting effect on the Russian economy and financial system.

The phrase “starving artist” has become a cliché because it’s often true. Indeed, it can take a long time before an independent artist starts earning enough from their music to make a living. Musicians often find themselves in the proverbial “catch-22” of having to take a regular job to fund their music but then not having enough time or energy left at the end of the day to pursue their musical endeavors. The good news is, there is a way! There are music funding “secrets” any artist can use to start earning passive income to fund their music projects.

Retrospect Salon & Boutique has recently opened in Danvers and the co-owners, Ashley Hathaway and Wendy Dotson are very excited for their new business to get rolling. Ashley is from Elkhart, IL and has been in cosmetology for 10 years. Wendy is from Bloomington, IL and has been in cosmetology for 18 years. Their salon and boutique is a retro theme with a hair salon, tanning, and a boutique with clothing and accessories. 

At the edge of Mackinaw sits an interesting piece of central Illinois history. Known as “The Tea Room” today, this old train station was once a stop on a trolley line that existed between Champaign and St. Louis. In 1978, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Despite this designation, The Depot sat empty for 40 years until an experienced business woman with a vision stepped in. Enter: Beth Wiegand.

The Gift Box is a gift shop in Atlanta located just off Historic Route 66. The Gift Box offers locally made unique gifts and free gift wrapping. Currently, they have 21 local artisans located in Atlanta, Lincoln, Bloomington, and McLean. You can find many different items at The Gift Box including goat soap and bath products, stained glass, laser engraved items, blown glass, candles, wax, handmade jewelry, bird houses, signs, repurposed farm and garden tools, candy, popcorn, t-shirts, Watkins table runners, boo boo bags, aprons, rugs, and many more great gift items. The Gift Box is open Wednesday- Saturday from 10 AM- 4 PM and Sunday from 12:00 PM- 4:00 PM. They also offer local delivery and can schedule appointments for any possible wants a customer could have. Artists that work with The Gift Box are more than willing to customize their items to create something that you would be proud to give as a gift. 

White’s Farm Equipment is a business in Waynesville that sells new and used farm equipment and a variety of vintage tractor and machine parts. Looking more specifically at their products, they sell Westfield Augers, Big Dog Mowers, Bobcat Mowers, a variety of new and used equipment, Interstate Batteries, KillBro Grain Wagons, TroyBuilt, and Summers tillage and spray equipment.  They also can provide maintenance to automotive, lawn mowers, and farm equipment. Being one of the only local farm equipment providers for Waynesville and other small towns in the area, White’s Farm Equipment is known for having a great connection with it’s customers. Their commitment to a strong relationship with Waynesville and other small towns has been a key factor in the business’ success.

The Hopedale Garden Shop is a garden center located in Hopedale that supplies soil, potted plants, lawn decorations, and other garden necessities. It has been a staple for gardeners in Hopedale and the surrounding communities. To have such a convenient location and great service available within minutes to maintain a beautiful garden, is the main advantage of the Hopedale Garden Shop. Like any local business, it has been extremely important for the Hopedale Garden Shop to maintain a steady relationship with local gardeners, which they have done by providing quality products with every product they sell to their customers. 

Tim and Julie Gray began Grayco Heating and Cooling 36 years ago, and have been based out of Danvers, IL for the last 26 of those years. The heating and cooling company repairs existing furnaces and air conditioners and installs new ones as well. They are an authorized AMANA dealer. The local company is an entirely family-owned business. Tim is the chief engineer and Mason and Michael are the HVAC service technicians. Mason and Michael are the ones who service and install all of their units. Julie is the office manager and answers the phones, oversees the scheduling, and handles payments and financing.

Leann Boyd is a mom of two children with a passion for selling rare and unique items. Boyd began the business “Leann’s omething For You” to fufill her passion. Located in Armington, IL, she sells antiques, jewelry, home decor, books, music, and other unique items. She will also be selling flowers and plants throughout the warmer months. Boyd also has a passion for gardening, and will sell quality plants that have been taken care of well. She has been running this business for over a decade, so you can expect high quality items from the shop. Many of the reviews on the business’ eBay shop state that the items are packed very well, the shipping is quick, and that Boyd is easy to work with. Boyd’s average rating for the business within the last 12 months are: five stars for accurate description, shipping speed, and communication and four and a half stars for reasonable shipping cost. 

The Hardesty Company is known as a motorcycle repair shop, although they do much more than just repair motorcycles. The business in Danvers provides on or off-site inspections and appraisals on modern, classic, and antique cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and “just about anything with an engine.” With the weather finally starting to turn, classic vehicle owners are starting to bring out their prized possessions. The Hardesty Company hopes to help all classic vehicle owners attain sufficient insurance, to protect all of the hard work that owners have put into their vehicles during the winter. With a proper appraisal done by The Hardesty Company, classic vehicle owners can give the appraisal to their insurance agent to ensure their vehicles will be covered and protected. The Hardesty Company will also help owners with any repairs that they could possibly need. 

Minier Lanes is a bowling alley that provides family fun to locals by way of bowling. They host many bowling leagues and events throughout the year that are enjoyed by citizens in Minier and the surrounding area. Some of their events include the 9 Pin no Tap Team Tournament, 9 Pin Snake Bite Tournament, and open bowling on the weekends. They have leagues available for children and adults to compete and have fun. Minier Lanes has extremely positive feedback with 4.9 stars out of 5 from 46 Google reviews. It is also highly recommended by Olympia High School’s IHSA State bowler Trevor White. 

Central Illinois Limo Service LLC is a limo service based out of Bloomington and is “open to wherever the party goes.” Oftentimes, this includes small towns in the surrounding area, including our communities. The owners are father and son, Bill and Ryan Curtis. Bill worked for the Department of Corrections for many years and Ryan attended Heartland and Illinois State for his education. He now works full time as a commercial lender at a bank in Danvers and having this small town connection proved to be very important in opening their limo business. Ryan also runs another business called The Shrimp Farm, where he sells freshwater aquarium shrimp. As you can see, Ryan has a desire to learn how businesses make money. Ryan says that this desire “leads me into having a wide range of any business for sale or business ideas.”

Retrospect Salon & Boutique has recently opened in Danvers and the co-owners, Ashley Hathaway and Wendy Dotson are very excited for their new business to get rolling. Ashley is from Elkhart, IL and has been in cosmetology for 10 years. Wendy is from Bloomington, IL and has been in cosmetology for 18 years. Their salon and boutique is a retro theme with a hair salon, tanning, and a boutique with clothing and accessories. 

Why watch reruns on the Food Network or Cooking Channel when you can tune in to Mackinaw's Own "Cooking with Carol". This addictive cooking class available on the Facebook platform stars local restaurateur, Carol Haynes. Carol and her husband, Patrick, are the owners of Mackinaw's popular restaurant Haynes on Main.