Rock Island Today

The Illinois unemployment rate has remained steady at 4.8% in March, maintaining the same level as February according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The state's rate continues to be higher than the national average of 4.2%. The report highlighted job losses in the manufacturing and professional and business services sectors, with decreases of 5,500 and 12,900 jobs respectively over the past year. Conversely, growth occurred in government and health care sectors. Illinois currently has 321,500 unemployed people, marking a slight increase of 0.1% from the previous month.

May has been designated as Lyme Disease Awareness Month. The disease, transmitted by the black-legged tick, is increasingly common in Illinois. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, and in severe cases, serious joint and nervous system issues. With 35,000 to 45,000 cases reported annually in the United States, only around one-tenth of the actual cases are thought to be documented due to misdiagnosis. Precautionary steps include treating clothing with insecticide and checking for ticks after outdoor activities.

As part of an initiative to improve literacy, a resolution has been sponsored to declare next week as "Read With Your Child Week" in Illinois. According to data from the National Assessment of Education Progress, one-third of Illinois children are reading below their basic grade level. This issue correlates with increased dropout rates, particularly impacting low-income students. Representative Dan Swanson emphasized the importance of parental involvement in reading to children to enhance literacy and academic success.

In other state news, Representative Swanson issued a "Welcome Home" to Vietnam Veterans on their 50th anniversary, while other headlines include a growth report on Illinois soybean farming, ongoing sluggish progress on ethics law reform, and concerns over the Asian longhorned tick threat to livestock.

Representative Dan Swanson’s newsletter also highlighted a mother's response to her missing daughter's death: "There are no words."