MORRISON – Two Morrison High School students participated in Illinois Premier Boys State, which was June 8-14 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Gavin Streets Wood and Blaine Williams, who will be seniors this upcoming school year, were selected to attend and were sponsored by American Legion Post 328 in Morrison.

American Legion Illinois Premier Boys State was founded in Illinois in 1935 by three Illinois Legionnaires, Hayes Kennedy, Harold Card and Matthew Murphy, who organized the first Boys State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. It is a participatory program in which students become part of the operation of city, county and state governments, according to its website.

American Legion posts select high school juniors to attend the program in June right after their junior year. In most cases, individual expenses are paid by a sponsoring Legion post, a local business or another community-based organization, according to the website. At Boys State, participants learn the rights, privilege and responsibilities of citizenship. Fictional political parties are created and the citizens are randomly assigned to one.

Boys State activities include various levels of legislative sessions, political party caucuses, four election cycles, general assemblies, band concerts, law enforcement presentations and recreational programs, according to the website.

Streets Wood said he decided to go to Boys State for a chance to win scholarship money. His plan is to attend Sauk Valley Community College and work toward earning a degree in cybersecurity, possibly at the University of Illinois.

Williams said he is unsure as to what he wants to study after high school, but the Boys State experience has him thinking about politics.

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A new fast-food study from Richfield Research confirms what many Illinoisians could’ve guessed, Chick-fil-A is the king of chicken sandwhiches.

According to the study, Illinois isn’t alone. 30 other states ranked Chick-fil-A as the best place to get a chicken sandwich.

Popeyes and Wendy’s took home the silver and bronze, respectively.

In spite of the love Illinois has for chicken sandwiches, the state doesn’t even crack the top five states for consumption. The top five are Florida, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.

On average, 14% of Americans are eating a chicken sandwich at least once a week.

The full results of the study can be found below:

• Illinois’ favorite fast food chicken sandwich hails from Chick-fil-A, the preferred choice in 30 other states
• Popeyes (21%) and Wendy’s (8%) follow CFA in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. 
• Over 40% of Florida residents consume fast food chicken sandwiches on a weekly basis, the most among all U.S. States
• 43% of Americans admit to consuming a fast food chicken sandwich on a monthly basis

Looking to get away from the bustle of the city? Suburbia just not for you? An off-grid lifestyle might appeal to you.

According to a recent poll, three Illinois counties are among the best for off-the-grid living, including one in the top 10:

Top Illinois counties for off-grid living

In its poll of 3,000 people nationwide, BusinessElectric.com says these counties were the most popular choices in the Land of Lincoln:

• No. 9, Pope County: The southernmost county in Illinois sits on the border of Kentucky, along the Ohio River. It has 3,763 people — second-fewest people in Illinois, according to the 2020 census. The entire county is hilly and during rainy weather, “rivulets cascade down the hills in the park forming waterfalls of varying sizes and heights,” according to Wikipedia. The county contains Dixon Springs State Park and is part of the Shawnee National Forest.
• No. 36, Johnson County: The immediate western neighbor to Pope County has 13,308 people, according to the 2020 census. It includes part of Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge and Shawnee National Forest.
• No. 124, Jo Daviess County: Let’s go to the opposite side of the state with the northwesternmost county in Illinois. Part of the so-called “Driftless Area,” the county contains “rugged terrain compared to the rest of the state,” says Wikipedia, including Charles Mound, the highest natural point in Illinois. The county has a population of 22,035 and sits in a tri-state area including Dubuque, Iowa, and Platteville, Wisconsin.

The top 5 locations nationwide to live off the grid

• No. 1, Wasco County, Oregon: The county gained significant attention as the setting for the Netflix series “Wild Wild Country,” which documents the controversial Rajneeshpuram community led by Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in the 1980s. Despite the community’s tumultuous end, the show has appeared to have sparked renewed interest in off-grid lifestyles in Wasco County, according to Business Electric.
• No. 2, Hot Springs County, Wyoming: Ranked second, Hot Springs County in central Wyoming offers a rural environment enriched with natural hot springs, rivers, and mountains. The county’s remote areas provide the essential seclusion and resources necessary for off-grid living.
• No. 3, Meriwether County, Georgia: Located in west-central Georgia, Meriwether County offers a rural setting with large parcels of land available for purchase. The county’s strong agricultural community and abundant natural resources support a sustainable off-grid lifestyle.
• No. 4, Bienville Parish, Louisiana: Situated in northern Louisiana, Bienville Parish provides a rural environment with access to plentiful natural resources like forests and bodies of water. The parish’s remote areas offer privacy and opportunities for alternative living.
• No. 5, Somerset County, Maine: Completing the top five, Somerset County in central Maine boasts a rural environment with vast forests and access to rivers and lakes. The county’s low population density and natural beauty make it an ideal location for off-grid living.

Top off-grid locations in Iowa and Missouri

The poll conducted by Business Electric found the following counties in Iowa and Missouri among the most popular for living off the grid:

Iowa

• No. 12: Clayton County, Iowa
• No. 56: Allamakee County Iowa
• No. 109: Adams County Iowa

Missouri

• No. 65: Ozark County, Missouri
• No. 74: Oregon County, Missouri
• No. 104: Shannon County, Missouri