Illinois is home to many unique and exciting businesses. JAVA & Co. is an example of one with a fun and interesting history.

Brain and Jamie Knoll have a rich history and background working in restaurants and hospitality. When they came to Illinois to renovate a house from the 1800s, they thought they were only going to stick around for a little while. Now, they are the proud owners and operators to JAVA & Co., a company that specializes in flavor- infused syrups.

Read the story below from the co-owner herself. Jamie Knoll tells the story of two business savvy individuals who traversed the country to settle in Illinois to make tasty syrups and more.

Right to work is proving to be a jobs killer in Wisconsin, where more than 10,000 people were laid off in 2015 – a startling figure that exceeds the number of job losses Badger State residents experienced in 2014.

Wisconsin is hemorrhaging jobs at a rate unseen since the Great Recession, one Democratic state lawmaker there noted, calling it an economic crisis caused by Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-worker policies; deep budget cuts to schools, infrastructure and economic development programs; and Walker’s focus on his failed presidential bid.

When Bomke’s Patch first opened its doors in 2009, owner Cathy Bomke was elated to sell 100 Christmas trees. Last year, the family-run business sold close to 1,000.

An estimated 2.5 million Illinois workers do not have access to an employer-based retirement plan. With Americans living longer and longer and the total cost of retirement increasing every year, many workers – particularly low-wage workers – are on track to not have enough resources to live on once they reach their golden years. 

As we make our way into November, it’s easy as a sportsman to be drawn into the urgent feelings of a progressing archery deer season, the impending firearms season soon to come or the call of the Canada geese as they make their way down from the north to winter on the lakes and in the fields. What we tend to forget is the opening of multiple upland game seasons and the simple joys they bring. If your pursuit of big game is starting to get under your skin, maybe it’s time to change things up a bit.