Macoupin man facing multiple child porn charges
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MOUNT OLIVE A Macoupin County man is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail after his arrest on child pornography charges.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Michael F. Curran, 69, of Mount Olive was arrested on 10 counts of possession of child pornography, each a felony punishable by three to seven years in prison.
State investigators, with the assistance of Mount Olive Police Department and Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, searched a residence Thursday in the 300 block of East Fourth North Street and arrested Curran after saying they found evidence of child pornography.
“Child pornography forever changes the lives of victims and their families and those who perpetuate these horrific crimes must be held accountable,” Raoul said.
Masks not needed by those fully vaccinated
Ron DeBrock, ronald.debrock@thetelegraph.com
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In this Sept. 21, 2020 file photo, Gov. J.B. Pritzker appears at a news conference in Springfield wearing a mask. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinatged people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.
WOOD RIVER The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.
“Today is a great day for America,” President Joe Biden said Thursday during a Rose Garden address heralding the new guidance, an event where he and his staff went without masks. Hours earlier in the Oval Office, where Biden was meeting with vaccinated Republican lawmakers, he led the group in removing their masks when the guidance was announced.
Governor urged to rescind order waiving pandemic rules for unemployment pay
Greg Bishop The Center Square and David C.L. Bauer Journal-Courier
May 14, 2021
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The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is asking the governor to end enhanced unemployment benefits as employers are looking for workers.
The group is also asking the governor to end his order waiving the requirement that beneficiaries don’t have to be looking for work.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he’s not looking to end the enhanced unemployment benefits that some calculate equates to nearly $20 an hour.
“We’re not going to pull the rug out from under people,” Pritzker said. “What we are going to do is make sure that we’re creating, promoting, as many jobs as possible.”
State launches $6 million tourism campaign aimed at boosting post-pandemic travel
Tim Kirsininkas Capitol News Illinois and David C.L. Bauer Journal-Courier
May 13, 2021
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a new $6 million tourism advertising campaign Wednesday aimed at attracting visitors to the state and sparking economic activity following the pandemic.
The multimedia campaign, featured around the theme “Time for Me to Drive,” showcases various destinations in all parts of the state and aims to reflect Illinois as a top destination for road trips.
The campaign reflects increasing consumer trends to take shorter trips by car to destinations closer to home following the pandemic. The campaign is the first to be released by the state since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
All Illinois enters virus Bridge Phase
Ron DeBrock, ronald.debrock@thetelegraph.com
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WOOD RIVER Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on Thursday confirmed the entire state will move into the Bridge Phase of the Restore Illinois reopening plan on Friday, May 14.
The Bridge Phase is the final step before the full reopening of Phase 5. The Bridge Phase, there are expanded capacity limits for businesses, dining, offices, events, conferences and gatherings. Restaurants, for example, will be allowed to increase from 25 to 30 percent of capacity, as long as people maintain six feet of distance from one another. Offices, personal care facilities and retail service counters can increase from 50 to 60 percent of capacity.