Bad candidate, no way he wins but this is a decent idea. More transparency for our tax dollars.

I’m getting conflicting answers on different sites, do we still require parallel parking on the driving test?

Official unemployment figures for the Illinois economy were updated today. Numbers for May have been finalized and preliminary figures for June have now been made available.

May

The unemployment rate remained flat at 4.7% in May. 14,776 positions were added, but 15,011 workers entering the labor force balanced out the unemployment rate. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 46,000. No individual sector saw significant employment changes.

June (preliminary)

The unemployment rate increased to 5.1% in June. 40,457 positions were added, but 67,612 workers entering the labor force caused the unemployment rate to increase. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 33,100. No individual sector saw significant employment changes.

^{*IllinoisStatistics is a public service account committed to making /r/illinois a better informed community.}

Or what its name was?

Was it the former facility at the south end of Heidecke Lake?

Edit: looks like there never was a coal plant in morris. The Collins Station considered converting to coal before they closed.

I’m planning a day trip with friends from Chicago and would love any insight from people who know the area! We want to spend the day drinking, exploring, possibly boating and head back in the evening. We love dive bars, supper clubs, old weird stuff and cool nature.

I went up yesterday and had drinks at Dinghy’s and Channel Lake Beach Bar. The bartenders there recommended Sand Bar and Electric Harbor. I was hoping to go to Blarney Island (based on the Scary Cool Sad Goodbye blog) but I’m aware they’re only open Thursday thru Sunday. Is there anything similar happening on weekdays?

I thought about renting a little boat for the afternoon but the one place I checked was $500. Does anyone have any favorite cheaper options?

Finally, is there one hike or park that is your favorite?

Basically just looking for general recommendations in that area, we just want to get out of Chicago for a day, nothing too serious. Thanks all!

I've seen a lot of people asking that question. As someone who lives in this area, I don't think most people outside LaSalle County understand how we got here….This didn't start with Patriot Front.

It started with a proposed Islamic development near Sheridan. Like any major development, there were questions about zoning, infrastructure, water, traffic, and public safety. Those were legitimate issues for local government to work through.

But somewhere along the way, the conversation changed. It stopped being mostly about zoning and became a much bigger discussion about religion, the Constitution, and whether America is a Christian nation. Public meetings filled up. Social media exploded. New groups formed. Local news covered it. Then national voices started talking about it.

That shift made a local issue feel bigger than local… And then Patriot Front showed up.

I want to be very clear about something because facts matter.

I have not seen any evidence that the local opposition invited Patriot Front or coordinated with them. In fact, they've publicly rejected Patriot Front and said they weren't welcome.

But I also don't think Patriot Front picked Ottawa out of a hat.

Groups like that look for places where conversations have already become emotionally charged around religion, identity, and who belongs. They don't have to create the controversy. They just have to show up long enough to make themselves part of it… That is exactly what happened.

Now people on Reddit asking where to take their kids while visiting Ottawa hear about Patriot Front before they hear about Starved Rock, the Illinois River, our museums, our restaurants, or our downtown.

That bothers me. Because that's not who we are.

We're the community with Starved Rock in our backyard. We're the Lincoln-Douglas debate site. We're the Radium Girls. We're small businesses, great restaurants, river towns, state parks, festivals, churches, unions, veterans, immigrants, farmers, teachers, and families trying to make a good life here.

A handful of masked extremists doesn't get to define LaSalle County.

That is why I think it's important for everyone… regardless of where they stood on the original development proposal… to reject Patriot Front without hesitation.

We can disagree about zoning. We can disagree about development. We can disagree about religion. That's what happens in a constitutional republic. But white nationalism should not be one of those debates… It should be rejected outright.

I do try to capture the “vibe” of each line over my years of experiences.

Full Length album comes out August 28th!

Will be in the area next weekend. Ive done starved rock a few times so I know what to expect but doubt our 6 year old will want to be hiking all day. Is there anything fun to drive through or explore? Anything worth spending time at in Ottawa or somewhere close?

I'm 70, looking to do some interesting mid-week road trips from St. Louis about once a month starting in August. I will be accompanied by Millie, a soon-to-be 7 y.o. super mutt (as she was characterized by Embark after they did her DNA analysis).

Galena was suggested as being super dog friendly, but not sure if that fits with rural-trendy little shops and restaurants.

Mills and I are both still pretty physically fit, and while I enjoy a well prepared meal, we don't need shops or restaurants everyday, but would prefer more outside activities, in addition to experiencing non-St. Louis stuff.

However, I am not a camper. Millie might be, and we can camp when the trip is on her dime, but not this time. Don't especially need to stay in Galena if there are more rural places where we can still get a good meal at the end of the day

Any suggestions?