Unemployment worsening in the Illinois Valley

If the economy is improving you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at the number of people receiving unemployment.  Jobless numbers for the Illinois Valley and surrounding counties were higher in January than they were the same time in 2012.

La Salle County’s unemployment rate in January was 13.5%, almost a full point higher than in 2012.  Bureau County unemployment was 12.1% and Putnam County’s was 13.6%, both an increase over January 2012.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the Ottawa-Streator area lost more than 300 retail job.  There were also losses in manufacturing and government.  200 jobs were added in transportation and warehousing.

Utica Ordered To Make Downtown Handicap Accessible

As part of the deal getting a new Route 178, the village of Utica agreed to take over ownership of Mill Street, the road through downtown.  That deal has the attorney general’s office attention.

According to the NewsTribune, Village Attorney Herb Klein says the Illinois Attorney General will start enforcing the American with Disabilities Act since not all Mill Street businesses are handicap accessible.  Klein told trustees that he doesn’t foresee pressure to act from the state.

Village officials don’t know yet how much it’ll cost to make Mill Street ADA compliant.

Rosplochs Enjoying Being Back Home

Home sweet home couldn’t ring more true for the Rosploch family of La Salle.

After three and a half months being at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, three-year old Lily Rosploch and her family has been enjoying sleeping in their own bed now for a week.  Lily’s dad Mike says his daughter is enjoying the change of scenery, running around and riding her bike.

The family today will meet with a radiologist and decide if Lily will begin radiation treatment next week in Peoria or back in Memphis.  She will get radiation every day for two weeks. Mike Rosploch says Lily’s treatment is about six weeks behind schedule since she took awhile to recover from a bone marrow transplant.

With her story gripping the Illinois Valley, many people are eager to see Lilly.  However her dad says right now their limit visitors to immediate family for fear Lily could catch someone’s cold or cough.

Governor Still Fighting Concealed-Carry

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Gov. Pat Quinn wants the state’s attorney general to appeal a federal court ruling that Illinois’ concealed carry ban is unconstitutional. An appeal would put the matter before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Illinois is the only state with such a ban. Quinn said yesterday that an appeal is Illinois’ “only hope” of maintaining it. Gun-rights advocates have argued that the prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. In December, a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Illinois’ ban and gave lawmakers until June 8 to legalize the concealed carry of firearms.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan told reporters yesterday that she wants to see what lawmakers will do before considering an appeal. Both Quinn and Madigan support an assault weapons ban.