Afternoon news update: July 17, 2015

Rockford police are investigating the shooting of a Garden Prairie man last night in Rockford as a murder. 38-year old Raymon Kendricks was found at 421 Olive Street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Kendricks died in surgery at Rockford Memorial Hospital. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Rockford Police Dept. or Crime Stoppers.
Illinois’ first district appellate court has vacated a lower court ruling keeping the Illinois comptroller’s office from paying all state employees. Comptroller Leslie Munger says the court's ruling removes any conflict between Court decisions and allows her to continue paying all state employees for their work. Because of the state budget impasse some state workers could be paid minimum wage. But Munger says the state’s antiquated computer system kept her office from determining those employees. With this ruling, all state workers will be paid.
Authorities say they believe only two people suffered minor injuries when a tornado hit the small Illinois community of Cameron but emergency crews are continuing to search. First responders say it's unclear how many structures were damaged but residents say several homes and other structures sustained significant damage. People who evacuated are not being allowed back into their homes because of downed power lines and trees.
A Marine who grew up in Grantsburg, in far west Wisconsin, is among the four Marines who died in a shooting rampage in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Marine Corps identifies him as Sgt. Carson Holmberg, whose service included a deployment to Afghanistan.
The state’s unemployment rate falls below 6 percent for the first time since 2008. That may be the only good news out of June unemployment report. Evelina Loescher, labor market information director with the Illinois Department of Employment Security, says the recent declines have been mostly due to a decrease in the labor force. The Wisconsin unemployment picture held steady for June. The rate was 4.6 percent, the same as it was in May. It's continues to hover below the national rate of 5.3 percent.
Say what you might about Governor Bruce Rauner signing a law making sweet corn the official state vegetable in light of the current budget situation, but the people who made that happen are popping with delight. The effort started as Chatham Elementary School students wanted to know if the state even had an official vegetable, and that turned into a year-round lesson. "This was [an] all-around curriculum experience for our students," says Jodi Acree, a 4th Grade teacher at Chatham Elementary School, just south of Springfield. "It was government, social studies, nutrition. We also threw in some technology." Acree, says students had the ears of lawmakers throughout the process. "This is a time to celebrate," says Acree. "It was so exciting that the government could actually come together and agree upon something. And, it's really more for the kids that they were able to have this experience. It's going to last them a lifetime. They'll never forget." "We're really proud of that, and it goes with our community and goes with the Sweet Corn Festival," says Tom Gray, Chatham Village President. Governor Bruce Rauner met many of the students who made the law possible, at the Chatham Sweet Corn festival, continuing this weekend.

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