Local Business News

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Wise to present at nutrition meeting

CHICAGO - Teresa Wise, CDM, CFPP, will be a presenter at the National School Nutrition Association meeting in Chicago during July. She will discuss the topic, "The Importance of HACCP in School Food Service Operations." The presentation is a follow up to the publication of her article in the Dietary Managers' National Magazine in March 2006.

Wise attended Knoxville schools and graduated from Illinois Central College in 1996. She is a Certified Dietary Manager and a Certified Food Protection Professional. She graduated from Southwest Technical College in Fennimore, Wis., in 2002 with a degree in culinary management.

Wise has been a member of the National School Nutrition Association since 1996. She holds a Level 3 certification through the association.

Dunker new VP at F and M Bank

GALESBURG - F and M Bank announces Thomas Dunker has been promoted to vice president in the Investment Services Division.

Dunker joined F and M Bank in 2002 as an investment executive. His background includes more than 12 years of experience in the financial services industry, including insurance, estate planning, investments and wealth management. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Quincy University and holds Series 6, 63, 65, 7 and 24 brokerage licenses.

Dunker is a Big Brother for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a board member for Christmas in Action, and participates in the YMCA of Knox County Strong Kids Campaign and various United Way of Knox County committees.

Nordstrom earns two Top 10 awards

GALVA - Tastefully Simple consultant Laura Nordstrom of Galva is the recipient of two awards from the direct-sales gourmet food company. Nordstrom earned both the "Top 10 Recruiter" and "Top 10 Sales" awards for adding six new consultants to her team and reaching a standout individual sales level in 2006.

To win the awards, Nordstrom outperformed other consultants attending the same "Create A Buzz" regional meeting. She was recognized at the two-day event where she received specialized training, attended seminars and was privy to the unveiling of Tastefully Simple's just-released spring-summer line.

Tastefully Simple is a national home taste-testing company featuring easy-to-prepare gourmet foods.

Oneida native wins scientist award

ONEIDA - Dr. D. Michael Nelson was presented with the 2007 International Distinguished Scientist Award at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecological Investigation. This award is made to a "senior scientific investigator who has made significant and lasting contributions to scientific research and reproductive medicine."

Nelson, a native of Oneida, is the son of Lillian King and the late Keith King. He, his wife, Peggy Naslund Nelson, and their family live in St. Louis, where he received his Ph.D. and M.D. at Washington University. He is a full professor at the medical school, where his clinical practice and research laboratory study placental function in high-risk populations.

Hill names top two employees for March

GALESBURG - Angela Winkler, an office associate, and correctional officer Brian Duncan, are the March 2007 Employees of the Month at Hill Correctional Center. Winkler began working at Hill on Oct. 17, 1988. She has assisted several departments within the facility. She is assigned to the record office.

Duncan began his employment with the Department of Corrections on April 19, 1993. He was worked at both the Illinois River and Hill correctional centers. Duncan was recognized for his versatility, sense of team work, positive attitude and commitment.

Each employee will be awarded a certificate, a $50 savings bond, and had a reserved parking space throughout February. Both also are entitled to free shoe shines, two haircuts, and two free car washes during the month.

County nursing home earns honor

KNOXVILLE - The Knox County Nursing Home received an award from the Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Illinois, for setting targets and achieving results as a 2007 participant in the STAR initiative, a project to aim for high-quality resident care.

The Knox County Nursing Home serves the needs of long-term care residents, including professional therapy, through a contract with Advanced Rehab-Cottage.

Dr. Wiechert finishes continued training

GALESBURG - Mark Wiechert, M.D., of Galesburg, has completed continuing medical education requirements to retain membership in the American Academy of Family Physicians. As members of the AAFP, family physicians are required to complete 150 hours of continuing medical education every three years.

The AAFP is the national medical organization representing more than 94,000 family physicians, family practice residents and medical students nationwide. The AAFP was instrumental in establishing the medical specialty of family practice in 1969.

Realtors attend annual conference

GALESBURG - Six area Realtors attended the Illinois Association of Realtors Annual Capitol Conference on March 6 in Springfield. Those attending were Bill Kuchenthal, Priscilla Hawkinson, Karen Benjamin, Jackie Turner, Bill Fitch and Diana Hallstrom.

In addition to participating in briefings on important legislative and regulatory issues facing the industry, those in attendance visited with their lawmakers to press for passage of the Illinois Association of Realtors 2007 legislative agenda. Among items on that agenda is support for Senate Bill 571, a package of amendments to the Real Estate License Act, which includes several changes to definitions, as well as measures to increase the required hours of education to obtain a real estate salesperson or broker license in Illinois. The bill also increases the hours of continuing education required for license renewal every two years.

Real Estate course in self-study format

NILES - Real Estate Transactions 101 is being offered by the Real Estate Institute. The 45-credit hour, pre-licensing course is required before a person is able to sit for the Illinois Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Examination.

The course is available in a self-study format, which includes registration, textbook, online audio supplement and a computer question tutorial. Self-study tuition is $235 and most students complete the course in four to six weeks. A number of other courses are available.

For more information or to register, call (800) 995-1700, or visit the Real Estate Institute's Web site, www.InstituteOnline.com.

Thurman attends water conference

GALESBURG - Forrest Thurman of Tri-States Water attended a three-day seminar March 14-16 about chemistry and testing procedures. The seminar was at the Tinley Park Hotel and Convention Center. The event was the 2007 Arch Chemicals Dealer Conference. Other topics discussed included pinpoint water analysis system and pool stain removal and prevention.

Thurman attended panel discussions on pool issues, hot water issues and a class on creating an effective marketing plan.

WIEDP receives equipment grant

MONMOUTH - Western Illinois Economic Development Partnership recently received a $4,000 grant from the Moline Foundation to be used to buy equipment for Prairie Tech Learning Center.

The Moline Foundation, founded in 1953, is a community foundation that provides grants to health, human services, education, community development, the arts and other charitable organizations that benefit the citizens of Scott County, Iowa, and Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Warren, McDonough and Henderson counties in western Illinois. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts and has a current endowment of approximately $12 million.

The money from the Moline Foundation will be used for additional equipment for Prairie Tech Learning Center. Prairie Tech is a community technology center in downtown Monmouth, dedicated to providing technology training and access to the region's workforce in order to build a strong knowledge-based economy. Prairie Tech offers certified technology classes through New Horizons of Central Illinois, community seminars and events, basic computer skills courses, and offers facility rental options that provide a professional meeting space with state of the art technology equipment. WIEDP and University of Illinois Extension Henderson-Mercer-Warren Unit are the proprietors of Prairie Tech Learning Center.

For more information about Prairie Tech Learning Center, call its director, Linda Lee Blaine at (309) 734-1068 or llblaine@wiedp.org.

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John R. Pulliam

The Register-Mail

140 S. Prairie St.

Galesburg, IL 61401

Fax: (309) 343-2382

E-mail: jpulliam@register-mail.com