(SPRINGFIELD) For the second time in two days, the Illinois State Capitol was evacuated yesterday after a threat. The Secretary of State’s Office said a threatening 9-1-1 call caused the evacuation on Monday, although no explosive devices were found and employees were let back into the building by mid-afternoon. The Capitol Building was also on lockdown this past Sunday, also due to a bomb threat, however very few employees were there.
(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois and the rest of the country added jobs last month in March, although the state’s unemployment rate is not improving. While the Land of Lincoln’s non-farm payrolls increased by 12,700, the state’s joblessness number for March remained at 4.8 percent, unchanged from February. The national unemployment rate slightly fell to 3.8%, hovering near a historically low level. Illinois’ largest job gains in March were in Leisure & Hospitality and in Government. The areas of decline were in Financial Activities & Mining.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Department of Public Health is hosting the state’s first infectious disease conference in nine years today and tomorrow in Bloomington. As the first such conference since the COVID-19 pandemic, the two-day event brings together hundreds of infectious disease experts and will focus on lessons learned from battling the worldwide public health emergency, plus talk about how to move beyond the coronavirus outbreak and learn more about fighting misinformation in dealing with public health.
(SPRINGFIELD) A new study reveals the safest cities in Illinois for 2024. According to SafeWise, Illinois residents, when compared to the rest of the nation, exhibit the third-highest level of concern regarding daily safety overall. The study shows Campton Hills is the safest city as the Kane County community has reported only a single crime so far this year. Libertyville is second, then Wauconda, Pingree Grove, and Harrisburg in the top five.