New Minimum Wage Rates Set to Take Effect on New Year’s Day

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Illinois Department of Labor Reminds Workers to Watch Their Wages

•December 16, 2020•
Illinoisans will ring in the New Year with an additional increase in the minimum wage to $11 an hour, and the Illinois Department of Labor is encouraging employees to watch their paychecks to ensure that time worked in 2021 is paid at the new rate.
Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation into law in 2019 providing a path to a $15 minimum wage by 2025. Minimum wage earners received two increases in 2020 to $9.25 an hour on January 1 followed by an increase to $10 an hour on July 1. The minimum wage will continue to increase an additional $1 an hour each January 1 until it reaches $15 an hour in 2025.
“We want to make sure that workers earning minimum wage are aware that the $1 increase should be reflected in their pay checks for any time they work after the first of the year,” said Michael Kleinik, director of the Illinois Department of Labor. “While we fully expect employers will pay the new wage, we also want workers to be aware of the change.” Read More

Check the Safety and Age-range when Buying Toys

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•December 16, 2020•
With the holiday and shopping season approaching, you may already be considering what toys to buy for the children on your list. But before you make those purchases, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital reminds you to check the safety and age-range of the toys.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2018 (the most recent data available) there were an estimated 166,200 toy-related injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. However, many can be prevented with proper precaution and supervision. Read More

Staying Cyber Secure

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•December 16, 2020•
With COVID-19 restrictions around the nation, shopping virtually has become more than just a convenience and it’s important to take steps to stay safe when shopping online, especially at the holidays.
From the convenience of easily making household and grocery purchases to an endless offering of gifts, online shopping has grown in popularity at exponential rates during 2020. Increased online traffic also makes it more lucrative for cyber thieves to trick buyers into scams and steal personal information for financial gain.
“Shopping virtually brings many benefits, including the ability to limit our exposure to COVID-19, but it also opens up shoppers to the myriad of online threats,” stated Jennifer Ricker, Acting Secretary at the Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT). “We want to help our Illinois residents benefit from the convenience of online shopping, while remaining secure through improved cyber awareness.” Online shopping best practices recommended by the National Cyber Security Alliance include: Read More

Army Officer from Sullivan Supports Joint Task Force – National Capital Region

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•December 9, 2020•
U. S. Army Maj. Jacob Hughes, a native of Sullivan, Illinois, is one of more than 800 service members assigned to Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.
JTF-NCR is a joint service command charged with coordinating all military ceremonial support for the 59th Presidential Inauguration. As a joint command, JTF-NCR includes members from all branches of the United States armed forces operating under the auspices of Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region.
Hughes has 20 years of service and currently serves as the JTF-NCR training and exercise branch chief. Read More

It’s Not Too Late to Get Your Flu Shot

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•December 9, 2020•
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is encouraging everyone six months and older who has not yet received the seasonal flu vaccine to get it this week as part of National Influenza Vaccination Week.
“This year it is more important than ever to get your flu shot to help avoid being co-infected with flu and COVID-19,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.  “Not only could being infected with both a flu virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 result in severe health complications for individuals, it also places a tremendous burden on our health care system and health care workers who are being stretched due to the increase in COVID-19 cases.  If you have not already received your flu shot, get it as soon as possible to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community.” Read More

Remember When? 12-9-2020

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25 Years Ago This Week

It was no coincidence that State Rep. Julie Curry announced her re-election plans at a school. The Decatur Democrat made the announcement last week at Decatur’s Ida Coppenbarger Elementary School as a way of emphasizing her theme that public service is about creating a brighter and safer future for our children.
If you thought you saw Sullivan on national tv you were probably right. The traveling broadcasters from the FX national cable channel were due at Scot England’s home in Sullivan for a live satellite uplink to the channel’s Personal FX show, a program on collectibles. England’s extensive collection of memorabilia on boxer Muhammad Ali and daredevil Evel Knievel was the focus of the interview. Read More

Menu 12-9-2020

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Senior Peace Meal

For additional information or for reservations, please call 1-800-543-1770

Dec. 14 - Pork Burger Sandwich, Baked Beans, Spinach, Bun, Cranberry oatmeal Cookie
Dec. 15 - Meatloaf, Creamed Peas and Potatoes, Tomatoes and Zucchini, Whole Grain Wheat (1), Peaches
Dec. 16 - Creamed Chicken with Green Onions & Pimento, Warm Black-Eyed Pea Salad, Biscuit, Sliced Pineapple
Dec. 17 - Beef Stroganoff over Noodles, Corn, Creamy Coleslaw, Whole Grain Wheat, Warm Fruit Compote
Dec. 18 - Roasted Turkey, Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy, Seasoned Green Beans, Dressing, Pumpkin Pie

Capital Recap: Pritzker Says State Far From Out Of ‘Danger Zone’

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•December 9, 2020•
By Capitol News Illinois

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have fallen from their second-wave highs, but the death toll from the disease continues to mount.
While Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday he was encouraged by the trend in the 18 days since the state levied Tier 3 mitigations, he added, “the numbers still have a long way to go to move away from what could reasonably be called the danger zone.”
“In other words, the surge on top of a surge that national experts have said might define the holiday season is still the focus of our attention,” Pritzker said at his daily COVID-19 briefing in Chicago.
From Saturday through Monday, the state reported another 372 deaths, an average of 124 each day over the three-day span. The death toll surpassed 13,000 since the pandemic began, rising to 13,343 among 796,264 cases and 11.1 million test results reported.
Statewide, the rolling seven-day average case positivity rate was 10.3 percent Monday, the 15th straight day it has hovered between 10 and 11 percent.
At the end of Sunday, there were 5,190 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Illinois, an increase of 30 from the day prior. For the seven-day period ending Dec. 6, there were 5,484 people hospitalized each day on average. That’s a decrease of 461, or about 7.7 percent, from the week prior, the second week in a row the average decreased.
Approximately 28 percent of hospital beds remained open statewide, and Pritzker said COVID-19 hospitalizations are still 14 percent above spring highs. Read More