Illinois’ top elections official told board members he became the victim of an internet extortion scheme after he exchanged “flirtatious” messages and sent a picture to a person he met online.
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FOX 32 Chicago: Secretary of state warns Illinois residents about two new scams
Illinoisans are asked to be on the alert for a pair of scams seeking to defraud residents of money and personal information.
Secretary of State Jesse White issued the warning on Friday, offering details about each of the scams.
Chicago Tribune: Former state rep, Worth Township supervisor charged with bribery in red-light camera probe
A former Illinois state representative and longtime supervisor of Worth Township was charged Friday in a plot to pay bribes to a relative of an Oak Lawn trustee in 2017 to get lucrative red-light cameras installed there.
John O’Sullivan, 53, of Oak Lawn, was charged in a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court with one count of bribery conspiracy.
Quad-City Times: Attempted extortion of Illinois elections board exec involved ‘flirtatious’ messages, demand for $3,000, letter indicates
Steven Sandvoss, who is on administrative leave until his resignation takes effect at the end of June, detailed his encounters in a letter to the State Board of Elections in which he said a threat was made to “ruin” him if he didn’t pay $3,000.
Chicago Tribune: Op-ed: New Jersey’s fiscal mess might lead to statewide property tax. You’re forewarned, Illinois
Bipartisan legislative concern is brewing over the self-inflicted crisis that lies ahead for New Jersey. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget would increase spending by 7.2% above this year.
State Sen. Paul Sarlo, chair of the appropriations and budget committee, echoing comments made by legislative Republicans, warned that reliance “on federal aid with a limited life span and on long-term borrowing” may trigger a “fiscal cliff” once that revenue disappears. Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney expressed remorse about agreeing to borrow $4.3 billion and adding to the debt burden. He previously called the state’s penchant for borrowing a “financial death spiral.”
WLPO: State Police Promising Crackdown On Parking Violators At State Parks
With busy weekends ahead, an informational and enforcement campaign has been announced to tackle parking issues at Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks.
The Illinois State Police say they will work with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Department of Transportation to enforce “No Parking Tow-Away” zones along Route’s 178 and 71. Troopers say vehicles illegally parked on these roads outside the parks cause a safety issue to drivers and pedestrians and make it hard for first responders to get to the parks.
WROK: Illinois Has The Worst Unemployment Numbers in the Midwest
Illinois’ unemployment rate is still lagging behind the rest of the nation and is the highest of all Midwestern states at 7.1%, leaving 436,400 Illinoisans looking for work, according to analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute. And Rockford has the 2nd highest unemployment rate in Illinois.
The Illinois Policy Institute study points out numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that show while Illinois made some employment gains last month (about 32,000 jobs), and continues a 3-month run of job gains, we’re still looking at our Midwestern neighbors from behind.
WRUL: Latest Local Unemployment Release Reveals Slow Progress for Illinois
The latest unemployment numbers have come out and locally, White County’s rate is up slightly. The March unemployment rate for White County is 5.6%. That compares to 3.7% in March of 2020, still a month before the first case of CoViD-19 was reported in the area. The rate is up .2% from February of this year when it was 5.4%. The Gallatin County unemployment rate meanwhile dropped .4% from the previous month, 6.8 in February, down to 6.4% for March. Hamilton County remains flat from February to March at 4.9%, but it’s nearly one and a half points higher than March of 2020. Neighboring Wayne County also remained nearly flat with a rate of 5.4% in the latest release. It was 5.3% in February, though just 4.2% in March of 2020.
For the region, total non farm employment decreased, a negative 725 jobs compared to March of 2020. Employment gains meanwhile were posted in Trade, Transportation, and Utility industries. There were net losses of employment in Natural Resources and Mining (-225), Leisure and Hospitality (-150), Education and Health Services (-125), Government (-100), and Manufacturing (-75). Losses of 50 or less were noted in professional and business services, construction, and financial activities and information.