CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 6 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release: A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to five and a half years in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $2.9 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. From April to November of 2020, QUAMDEEN AMUWO, 41, participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration's (SBA)   more

FAIRFAX, Virginia, Jan. 6 -- Fairfax County Economic Development Authority issued the following newsletter on Jan. 4, 2024: Regional partners including the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, Rep. Gerry Connolly, along with Fairfax County officials, broke ground on what will be the first 100 percent affordable housing project in Tysons, and one of the biggest in Virginia, WTOP reported. With Clark Construction, which has a regional office in Tysons, as the lead contractor on the proje  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Federal Reserve issued the following news release on Jan. 5, 2024: The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced the designation of the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks for 2024. Each Reserve Bank has a nine-member board of directors. The Board of Governors in Washington appoints three of these directors and each year designates one of its appointees as Chair and a second as Deputy Chair. The Board also updated statistical tables on its websit  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 6 -- The Illinois Senate Democrats issued the following news: At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, every state-required health course will provide mandatory fentanyl education to high school students, thanks to a new law supported by State Senator Laura Ellman that took effect Jan. 1. "In order to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic on all fronts, we need to educate our most vulnerable populations, which includes young people," said Ellman (D-Naperville). "The   more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 6 -- The Illinois Senate Democrats issued the following news: A new law from State Senator Rachel Ventura will promote standardization on food labels and reduce food waste across the state. "We are working to reduce food waste and help our neighbors stretch their dollar by providing clearer information on food labels," said Ventura (D-Joliet). "As we see buying power decrease due to inflation and grocery bills increasing, we need to think of alternatives to save peo  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 6 -- The Illinois Senate Democrats issued the following news: Motorcyclists no longer have to complete a duplicate driver's test and will be more visible under two new laws sponsored by State Senator Doris Turner. "We are easing the process for motorcyclists to get their license without taking repetitive, unnecessary tests," said Turner (D-Springfield). "Removing this redundancy will simplify the process for motorcyclists, allowing them to enjoy Illinois' roads." H  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 6 -- The Illinois Senate Democrats issued the following news: Effective Jan. 1, individuals that lose a child to suicide or homicide have the right to extended bereavement leave thanks to a new law championed by State Senator Karina Villa establishing the Zachary's Parent Protection Act. After Laura Kane lost her son, Zachary, to suicide, she was expected to return to work just three days later. Her story inspired the law to protect grieving families from being put   more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 6 -- The Illinois Supreme Court issued the following news release: Justice Lisa Holder White and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Caroline Borden Campion as a Circuit Judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit. Ms. Borden Campion is being appointed to fill the circuit court vacancy created by the death of Tenth Judicial Circuit Judge Bruce P. Fehrenbacher in November 2023. The appointment of Ms. Borden Campion is effective February 13, 2024, and  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 6 -- The Illinois Supreme Court issued the following news release on Jan. 5, 2024: Justice David K. Overstreet and the Illinois Supreme Court announced today the swearing-in of new Fifth District Appellate Court Clerk Cortney E. Kuntze at a ceremony held in the Fifth District Appellate Court Courtroom in Mount Vernon. Justice Overstreet presided over the ceremony, making opening remarks and closing the ceremony after administering the oath swearing-in Kuntze. Presid  more

SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Jan. 6 (TNSres) -- The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency issued the following news: The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Illinois features archaeological remains from the largest and most sophisticated ancient native civilization in North America. The 2,200-acre site located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis has preserved about 70 of the 100+ earthen burial and ceremonial mounds known to be built by the Mississippians who lived in the area from abou  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-02294-42) on Jan. 4, 2024, entitled "Deficiencies in the Community Care Network Credentialing Process of a Former VA Surgeon and Veterans Health Administration Oversight Failures." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection to review a former Gulf Coast VA Health Care System (system) surgeon's eligibilit  more