McLean County Times

Most Illinois Secretary of State driver services facilities now open earlier each morning, starting at 7:30 a.m. The change responds to increased demand for DMV services in the morning. Driver services facilities will operate from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, closing a half-hour earlier than before.

The office of the Secretary of State has implemented several changes to its operating procedures to be more customer-friendly. A study indicated higher demand for services in the morning rather than early evening, prompting the adjustment in office hours.

Illinois’ unemployment rate increased again in August, reaching 5.3%, a 0.1% rise from the previous month. July’s unemployment rate was revised to indicate that there were 2,000 fewer jobs created in the state during July than initially thought. The unemployment rate is determined by the percentage of individuals who are out of work and seeking employment.

Employment sectors like Construction and Financial Activities saw job increases, while Professional and Business Services declined. The largest movement was in Leisure and Hospitality, which lost 2,900 jobs. The number of unemployed workers in Illinois stands at 343,100, up by more than 15% compared to one year ago.

The national unemployment rate remains better than Illinois’, coming in at 4.2%.

Last week I met with City Administrators, Mayors, Village Presidents, and County Board Chairmen for our Local Government Advisory Committee Meeting.

"We had fantastic discussions on projects, grants, grant writing, elimination of grocery tax, staffing and unfunded mandates," said Rep. Bunting. "I always learn so much from this group. I appreciate everyone taking the time out of their busy schedules to attend."

A record number of over 773,000 people visited the State Fair in Springfield this summer, up from 708,000 last year.

Managers cited the grandstand concert lineup as a main driver of improved numbers.

When a vendor provides goods and services to the state, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes paperwork and pays bills when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently, unpaid bills total $1,292,915,888—a figure that changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $1.5 billion in bills awaiting payment.

This figure does not include unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability which exceeds $100 billion.

Leader McCombie stated that former House Speaker Michael Madigan is set to stand trial soon and emphasized that ethics reform is overdue.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is hiring temporary snow removal operators for winter season preparations.

For those interested in local attractions during Halloween season or hunting activities:

- Your guide to Illinois’ spookiest places

- Illinois state authorities ensuring safety with haunted house inspections

- IDNR doubles bobcat permits for season