Afternoon News Update: Friday October 24
- Rockford’s unemployment rate has seen a marked improved. It declined to 8.2% from 11.3 at this time last year. But reason the percentage dropped so quickly is because fewer Stateline people are looking for jobs. Rockford has only had an increase of 300 jobs in the last calendar year.
- A Rockford city bus caught fire after an engine malfunction yesterday afternoon. The fire started near the intersection of Rockton and Halsted. A fire station was nearby and firefighters were able to put out the flames within minutes. All passengers and the driver were able to safely evacuate the bus.
- An Illinois health care provider has received a $3 million state grant to renovate a former Rockford clinic into a new community health facility. Governor Pat Quinn announced the grant for Crusader Community Health yesterday. Crusader plans to acquire and renovate the former Brookside Immediate and Occupational Care clinic.
- Governor Pat Quinn says he'll comply with a court-ordered monitor to review hiring at his administration's Department of Transportation. A federal judge ordered that a monitor be appointed. A Chicago anti-patronage attorney filed a motion asking for more oversight on IDOT hiring in April.
- Illinois election officials are beginning to deal with complications from balloting procedures to how soon they can count votes. Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued an opinion that no votes should be counted before the 7 p.m. close of polls on November 4. Elections authorities in Chicago and suburban Cook County say vote-total reporting will be seriously delayed if they can't prepare votes for counting before then.
- Hunters are killing Wisconsin wolves so quickly this year it looks like the state's third annual season is headed for an early end. The four-and-a-half month-long season began October 15th with a statewide kill limit of 150 animals. As of this morning, hunters had harvested 103 wolves, or nearly 70 percent of the quota.
- The Illinois Commerce Commission has approved the Grand Prairie Gateway Project. Commonwealth Edison will begin construction of the 60-mile-long high-voltage transmission line through Ogle, DeKalb, Kane and DuPage counties next year.
- Beloit Police need help identifying the person who starved a Pit Bull to death. Police discovered the dog yesterday laying behind the De Mae Motel in Beloit and concluded the dog had been dead for weeks. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Beloit Police.
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