Figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics last week place Illinois number two among states where businesses are being created the fastest. The study found the number of business startups in Illinois increased nearly 5 percent in the fourth quarter, beat only by Massachusetts who saw a 5.6 percent increase.

According to researchers, high-quality research universities, a large concentration of college-educated workers, existing tech-based companies and access to venture capital are keys to fostering the kind of climate needed to nurture business innovation and growth.

Oregon, Delaware and Georgia trailed Illinois to round out the top five states nationwide in creating businesses.

Learn more:
Illinois among top states in creating businesses – Crain’s Chicago
Make room for another tech firm in River North – Crain’s Chicago

Garfield Park Conservatory, located on Chicago’s West Side, is one of the largest greenhouse conservatories in the country. Construction began in 1906 after three smaller greenhouses in Humboldt, Douglas and Garfield parks were demolished to create “the largest publicly owned conservatory under one roof in the world.”

The 14-acre conservatory, which is owned and operated by the Chicago Park District, attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year and includes nearly 10,000 different species of plants, including 600 cacti and succulent species as well as 150 species of ferns.

Learn more:
Garfield Park Conservatory
Garfield Park Conservatory to reopen in full on earth Day - Chicago Tribune

Frances McDormand was born on June 23, 1957 in Chicago. During her childhood, she moved around continuously with her family until they settled in Pennsylvania. While in Pennsylvania, she became interested in acting and graduated as the only theatre major of her year from Bethany College in West Virginia. After college, she entered Yale Drama School.

When she finished school, she moved to New York looking for work and in 1982, she traveled to Trinidad to perform in a play. This is where she made contacts with Joel and Ethan Coen, who were casting their debut horror film, Blood Simple. McDormand won the lead in the film, which received good reviews and jump-started her career.

McDormand has appeared in many different films and received numerous awards. She has a total of 3 Oscars’ for movies Mississippi Burning, Fargo, and Almost Famous.

Learn more:
Frances McDormand on IMDb
Frances McDormand – NY Times Biography

Famed movie critic Roger Ebert was born in Urbana 73 years ago this week. Ebert first began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1966, quickly gaining attention and notoriety for his work.

Ebert won a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, becoming the first film critic to win the award. That same year, he teamed with Chicago Tribune movie critic Gene Siskel on a new television show called Opening Soon at a Theater Near You. The show, which would run in various forms until 2010, was broadcast in over 175 television markets.

Even with declining health, Ebert continued writing movie reviews for the Sun-Times. He was the first film critic to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was honored by the Director’s Guild of America with an Honorary Life Member Award in 2009.

Learn more:
RogerEbert.com
Roger Ebert – IMDb Profile
Roger Ebert’s Biography

What exactly is biomass? Well, it’s the biological material derived from living or recently living organisms. When it comes to energy, biomass is often used to mean plant-based material, but biomass can equally be derived from both animal and vegetable material.

Biomass has helped Illinois become more energy-sufficient and has helped the state lower waste disposal costs and address odor and water quality issues.

Illinois’ Clean Energy Community Foundation is a main supporter of biomass projects.

In 2011, Eastern Illinois University opened a renewable energy center. The center houses four boilers, two that burn biomass, while the others burn natural gas. The center has provided heat and power to buildings and classrooms across campus.  By switching to renewable energy, EIU has reduced its annual carbon dioxide emissions significantly.

Learn more:
Renewable Energy Center - Eastern Illinois University
How Biomass Energy Works - Union of Concerned Scientists