Illinois Briefs - 2/16/12

New Ag Director Gets Public Scrutiny

(Decatur, IL)  --  A former Decatur Representative is now heading the state's Department of Agriculture but the new job doesn't come without public scrutiny.  One of Bob Flider's last actions as a state rep was a vote in favor of the income tax hike in 2011.  He made the move within months after issuing a public statement opposing the income tax hike, claiming it would hurt families struggling to make ends meet.  Flider's new job is said to be Governor Quinn's way of paying him back for the "Yes" vote.  Both Flider and Quinn deny that.

Chinese VP Visits Illinois

(Moline, IL)  --  China's second in command made a pit stop in the Quad Cities last night.  Vice President Xi [[She]] was greeted by Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, who pledged to strengthen business and economic ties between Illinois and China.  China is the state's third leading export market.  Simon

says she wants to build on those opportunities in order to keep the people of Illinois working.

Illness Outbreak Linked to Jimmy Johns

(Champaign, IL)  --  Champaign based Jimmy Johns is in the spotlight once again for its connection to a food borne illness caused by raw sprouts.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 12 cases of E. coli poisoning are linked to Jimmy John's clover sprouts.  The sandwich company just switched to clover sprouts last year after a salmonella outbreak linked to its alfalfa sprouts.  Illnesses have been reported in neighboring states Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, plus Kansas and Arkansas.  

Boeing Sales Means Boost For Rockford

(Rockford, IL)  --  Good news for the Rockford economy after Boeing sells 230 planes to Indonesia.  More than 200 of the planes are 737 max planes and those engines are built at a Rockford aircraft plant.  Woodward's Aircraft Turbine Systems is looking to hire up to 40 more engineers in order to keep up with the demand.  Boeing announced the record sale earlier this week.

Cash Dash Seeks To Return Valuables

(Undated, IL)  --  The state could be holding onto money or property that belongs to you.  The Cash Dash program has more than one-point-five-billion-dollars worth of unclaimed items ranging from employee checks to war medals and jewelry.  More than 100-million dollars worth of items were returned to rightful owners last year.  Cash Dash crews are visiting several towns next Tuesday, including Havana, Astoria, and Beardstown.  Check out Treasurer.IL.Gov for more information.