(SPRINGFIELD) Governor J.B. Pritzker has issued a Disaster Proclamation for several northern Illinois counties after severe weather and flooding back in July. This comes after IEMA and the Office of Homeland Security concluded extensive fieldwork to assess the damage & destruction caused by storms that affected several upstate communities July 13th thru 16th, producing heavy rainfall, high winds, flash flooding, & tornadoes, but no deaths.
(SPRINGFIELD) As the trial continues for a man accused of murdering a Department of Children & Family Service worker, downstate lawmakers are highlighting legislation to better protect DCFS workers. Two such bills that would increase protections by making such a crime a Class 2 Felony were filed earlier this year, but the Democratic majority in the State House have ignored the issue. DCFS investigator Diedre Silas was stabbed to death by the accused Benjamin Reed in 2022 when she was checking on the welfare of a child.
(LINCOLN) It’s been confirmed that employees from the Logan Correctional Center have started to transfer to the Correctional Center in Decatur as the state is trying to get ahead of the closure at the Logan facility. One problem is that the prison is Lincoln is an intake facility, where inmates are screened and then transferred elsewhere around the state. Both the Stateville & Logan prisons are scheduled for closure as soon as possible with some $900 million to rebuild them despite the 12,000 already vacant prison beds that exist in Illinois.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Department of Public Health reminds folks around the state to pay attention to safe handling and food preparation, especially during September being noted as National Food Safety Education Month. With hundreds of fall football tailgate parties and other events planned during the cooler weather, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimates that annually, some 48 million people in the U.S. contract some form of foodbourne illness, resulting in symptoms such as nausea, cramping, & chills.