Inside:
- Scam prevention seminar coming up
- Unemployment rose in Illinois in June
- University of Illinois hemp research open house
- August is Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
Scam prevention seminar coming up
I am teaming up with Farmers State Bank of Western Illinois and the Illinois Attorney General’s office to host a scam prevention seminar on Tuesday August 20.
We have all heard the stories of financial scams going around, seemingly every week. Many of us even have friends and relatives who have been harmed by a scammer. Some of the stories are truly heartbreaking.
To raise awareness of these scams and how to avoid them, I will be joining with Farmers State Bank of Western Illinois, local sheriffs and the office of the Illinois Attorney General to present a scam prevention seminar next month.
The Attorney General’s office will provide information on scams and updates on the most current types of scams targeting all of us – at all ages. Local sheriffs will attend and discuss scams they are seeing throughout their counties.
Join us at the Oxford American Legion in Alpha from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Tuesday August 20 to find out how to protect yourself and your loved ones from being scammed.
Unemployment rose in Illinois in June
Unemployment in Illinois climbed back to the 5% level in June, which seemed to mark the end of the state’s employment-level recovery from the pandemic. When unemployment is below 5% it is generally considered to be “full employment” and suggests economic recovery. Illinois is moving in the opposite direction.
There were jobs added in health services and in government during the month. Jobs were lost in sectors of the economy like professional and business services, as well as information technology.
Across the river in Iowa, unemployment stands at 2.8%, while our neighbors to the east in Indiana have a 3.8% rate and Wisconsin stands at 2.9%.
University of Illinois hemp research open house
I recently attended and addressed the 2024 Hemp Research Open House at the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences.
We discussed legislation that has helped restart hemp farming in Illinois in recent years, and also about my family’s participation in supplying hemp for the military to support the war effort during World War II.
I remember Grandpa talking about neighbors helping each other harvest and then transport hemp to Galesburg or Aledo in support of the war effort. Ropes were in high demand for ships and other military needs. I was reminded of Grandpa’s story when we took livestock to or bought livestock at the Galesburg Livestock auction, because that was the hemp processing site. I still find an occasional hemp plant on our farm.
Other participants included the President of the Illinois Hemp Growers Association and the University Department Head of Crop Sciences. The day was focused on crop tours and discussions about the potential of the expanding Illinois commercial hemp industry.
August is Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord and impacts the muscles used for activities such as breathing, eating, crawling, and walking.
At the beginning of this General Assembly I passed House Resolution 159 to bring awareness to SMA.
This month we are working to raise awareness of SMA and help residents learn more about the disease.
Find out more about SMA at: www.curesma.org/about/.
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