ROCKFORD, Illinois, March 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release on Feb. 29, 2024: A Rockford man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and crack cocaine and illegally possessing a firearm. DERRICK A. MAYES JR., 32, pleaded guilty last year to knowingly and intentionally possessing more than 260 grams of fentanyl and nearly 97 grams of crack cocaine, and unlawfully possessing the firearm  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 29 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Feb. 28, 2024, entitled "Fatal Work Injuries in Illinois - 2022": * * * Fatal work injuries totaled 177 in 2022 for Illinois, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Illinois was up from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occupa  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 29 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Feb. 29, 2024, entitled "Fatal Work Injuries in Michigan - 2022": * * * Fatal work injuries totaled 139 in 2022 for Michigan, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Michigan was down from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occu  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 29 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Feb. 28, 2024, entitled "Fatal Work Injuries in Minnesota - 2022": * * * Fatal work injuries totaled 81 in 2022 for Minnesota, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Minnesota was up from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occu  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 29 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Feb. 29, 2024, entitled "Fatal Work Injuries in North Dakota - 2022": * * * Fatal work injuries totaled 37 in 2022 for North Dakota, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in North Dakota was up from the previous year. (See chart 1.) F  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 29 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Feb. 28, 2024, entitled "Fatal Work Injuries in South Dakota - 2022": * * * Fatal work injuries totaled 27 in 2022 for South Dakota, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in South Dakota was up from the previous year. (See chart 1.) F  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 29 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Feb. 29, 2024, entitled "Fatal Work Injuries in Wisconsin - 2022": * * * Fatal work injuries totaled 125 in 2022 for Wisconsin, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Wisconsin was up from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occ  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following document from Economics Daily: * * * From November 2023 to December 2023, job openings rates decreased in 4 states, increased in 3 states, and were little changed in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Michigan, South Carolina, and West Virginia tied for the highest job openings rate (6.8 percent), while Washington (4.0 percent), Hawaii (4.1 percent), and Indiana (4.3 percent) had  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 29 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A southern Illinois district judge sentenced an Arkansas man to 30 years in prison for trafficking about 40 pounds of methamphetamine through the Metro East St. Louis region. Christopher Palmer, 40, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, pleaded guilty on June 29, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with inten  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Feb. 29 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division issued the following news release: A southern Illinois district judge sentenced an Arkansas man to 30 years in prison for trafficking about 40 pounds of methamphetamine through the Metro East St. Louis region. Christopher Palmer, 40, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, pleaded guilty on June 29, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute meth, one count   more

CHICAGO, Illinois, March 1 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Feb. 29, 2024: On Thursday, March 14, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a community meeting to discuss residential soil sampling for properties within the Town of Pines Superfund site, Town of Pines, Indiana. The meeting will be held in the Michigan City Council Chambers, 100 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City, from 6-7:30 p.m. The public meeting will provide an update on site act  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, March 1 -- Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs issued the following news release on Feb. 28, 2024: Illinois State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs is warning that a potential federal government shutdown would harm Illinois families, workers, veterans and businesses, as well as the entire U.S. economy. The federal government is poised to shut down in two stages - with the first occurring this weekend - if the U.S. House and Senate cannot agree on a spending plan by the   more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 1 (TNSres) -- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued the following news release on Feb. 29, 2024: Attorney General Ashley Moody is announcing the launch of Florida's Cold Case Investigations Unit to assist law enforcement with unsolved homicides. Standing with Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and Executive Director Callahan Walsh today at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Attorney General Moody announced the new unit under the Office  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 -- The Federal Labor Relations Authority issued the following decision (Case No. 0-AR-5836): * * * Before the Authority: Susan Tsui Grundmann, Chairman, and Colleen Duffy Kiko, Member (Chairman Grundmann concurring) I. Statement of the Case This case concerns customs officers who are regularly scheduled to perform nightwork, and two statutes that authorize premium pay for such nightwork: the Federal Employees Pay Act (FEPA)[1] and the Customs Officer Pay Reform Act (COPRA  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, March 1 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release: Attorney General Kwame Raoul is encouraging eligible borrowers who have commercial FFEL (Federal Family Education Loan) Program loans to consolidate their loans before the April 30 deadline to take advantage of an account adjustment that could help them get loan forgiveness. The Department of Education is conducting a one-time income-driven repayment (IDR) account adjustment to help correct p  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Feb. 29 -- The Illinois Auditor General issued the following financial audit on Feb. 28, 2024, involving Intermediate Service Center No. 1 in North Cook. Here are excerpts: * * * INTRODUCTION Our report covers the financial audit for the period ending June 30, 2023. * * * AUDITORS' OPINION Our auditors state the Intermediate Service Center #1's financial statements as of June 30, 2023 are fairly presented in all material respects. This financial audit was conducted  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Feb. 29 -- The Illinois Auditor General issued the following financial audit on Feb. 28, 2024, involving Regional Office of Education No. 19 covering DuPage county. Here are excerpts: * * * INTRODUCTION Our report covers the financial audit for the period ending June 30, 2020. * * * AUDITORS' OPINION Our auditors state the Regional Office of Education #19's financial statements as of June 30, 2020 are fairly presented in all material respects. This financial audit   more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Feb. 29 -- The Illinois Auditor General issued the following financial audit on Feb. 28, 2024, involving Regional Office of Education No. 32 covering Iroquois and Kankakee counties. Here are excerpts: * * * INTRODUCTION Our report covers the financial audit for the period ending June 30, 2023. * * * AUDITORS' OPINION Our auditors state the Regional Office of Education #32's financial statements as of June 30, 2023 are fairly presented in all material respects. This  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, March 1 -- The Illinois Auditor General issued the following financial audit on Feb. 29, 2024, involving General Assembly Retirement System. Here are excerpts: * * * INTRODUCTION This digest covers the financial statement audit of the General Assembly Retirement System of the State of Illinois (System) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2023. A digest covering the System's State Compliance Examination for the two years ended June 30, 2023, will be released at a late  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, March 1 -- The Illinois Auditor General issued the following financial audit on Feb. 29, 2024, involving Judges' Retirement System. Here are excerpts: * * * INTRODUCTION This digest covers the financial statement audit of the Judges' Retirement System of the State of Illinois (System) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2023. A digest covering the System's State Compliance Examination for the two years ended June 30, 2023, will be released at a later date. The Syste  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, March 1 -- The Illinois Auditor General issued the following financial audit on Feb. 29, 2024, involving State Employees' Retirement System. Here are excerpts: * * * INTRODUCTION This digest covers the financial statement audit of the State Employees' Retirement System of the State of Illinois (System) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2023. A digest covering the System's State Compliance Examination for the two years ended June 30, 2023, will be released at a late  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, March 1 -- The Illinois Auditor General issued the following financial audit on Feb. 29, 2024, involving State Universities Retirement System. Here are excerpts: * * * INTRODUCTION This digest covers the financial statement audit of the State Universities Retirement System (System) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2023. The System's total pension liability was $52.638 billion at June 30, 2023. The net pension liability at June 30, 2023, was $29.445 billion, which  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following weekly report entitled "Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims" for week ending Feb. 29, 2024: * * * SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending February 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 215,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 201,000 to 202,000. The 4-week moving average was 212,500, a decrease of 3,000 f  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 29 -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the following news release on Feb. 27, 2024: * * * Federal Agency Charged that Beauty Supply Company Illegally Refused Job to Deaf Individual * * * Voyant Beauty, LLC will pay $75,000 and provide other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. The EEOC charged in its suit that Voyant terminated an em  more