Beware of jury duty scam - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard

 

The perpetrator calls a resident and informs them that they have not responded to a summons for jury duty, and that an arrest warrant has been issued.
When the victim says they did not receive a summons, the caller asks for their Social Security number and date of birth so the information can be verified and the arrest warrant can be canceled. Then if the victim complies, the caller has enough information to steal their identity.

Click on the following for more details:  Beware of jury duty scam - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard

U.S. census shows big changes, but no home rule - The Woodstock Independent.com

 

U.S. Census Bureau data showed Woodstock’s population at 24,770, more than 100 residents higher than the special census. The increase since 2000 shows significantly higher gains, however, with 4,619 more residents — about a 23 percent increase.
Even with the gains, the city missed the 25,000 population mark, which puts Illinois municipalities into automatic home rule status, by 230 residents.
“We’re disappointed that we didn’t realize the numbers … to become home rule,” said City Manager

often the most associated powers. Home-rule municipalities can constitutionally impose additional taxes on certain items or uses that are not income, occupations or earning without voter approval. Examples could include a home-rule gasoline tax, a vehicle tax or other product or service-specific taxes

important to remember such uses would not be employed unless the city chose to implement them. Home-rule status is automatically given to municipalities with populations of 25,000 or more, though a qualifying municipality can remain non-home rule via referendum.

U.S. census shows big changes, but no home rule - The Woodstock Independent.com

Renesas in Japan Scrambles to Make a Critical Car Chip - NYTimes.com

70 miles northeast of Tokyo, belongs to Renesas Electronics, which supplies about 40 percent of the world market for those crucial chips, known as automobile microcontrollers.

automobile industry has evolved in the digital era, microcontrollers are usually customized for each car model.

Renesas is that it is the product of mergers involving three Japanese semiconductor companies. Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric merged their semiconductor operations in 2003 to form Renesas Technology. Then, last April, Renesas Technology merged with NEC Electronics, the former semiconductor division of NEC, to form the current company, Renesas Electronics.

Renesas’s main competitors include Freescale Semiconductor and STMicroelectronics.

microcontrollers are different in small but important ways,” said Tom Starnes, an analyst at Objective Analysis, a technology research firm. “That makes it very difficult to switch to alternate suppliers, at least not quickly.” Switching could take six months or more, analysts say. …highly customized software that provides instructions for the various chips. From automaker to automaker, “there’s no software compatibility

the long term, automakers will probably spread their bets more to other major suppliers,” said Egil Juliussen, an auto electronics analyst at IHS iSuppli, a research firm. “And there will be more reason to push the industry standardization efforts

Renesas in Japan Scrambles to Make a Critical Car Chip - NYTimes.com

President Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate | The White House

The White House Blog

President Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate

Posted by Dan Pfeiffer on April 27, 2011 at 08:57 AM EDT

Ed. Note: Read the transcript of the President's remarks following this release or watch the video below:

In 2008, in response to media inquiries, the President’s campaign requested his birth certificate from the state of Hawaii. The state sent the campaign the President’s birth certificate, the same legal documentation provided to all Hawaiians as proof of birth in state, and the campaign immediately posted it on the internet. That birth certificate can be seen here (PDF).

When any citizen born in Hawaii requests their birth certificate, they receive exactly what the President received. In fact, the document posted on the campaign website is what Hawaiians use to get a driver’s license from the state and the document recognized by the Federal Government and the courts for all legal purposes. That’s because it is the birth certificate. This is not and should not be an open question.

The President believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasn’t good for the country. It may have been good politics and good TV, but it was bad for the American people and distracting from the many challenges we face as a country. Therefore, the President directed his counsel to review the legal authority for seeking access to the long form certificate and to request on that basis that the Hawaii State Department of Health make an exception to release a copy of his long form birth certificate. They granted that exception in part because of the tremendous volume of requests they had been getting. President Barack Obama's long form birth certificate can be seen here (PDF):

Click on the photocopy to enlarge: 

Birth certificate-long-form

Correspondence with the Hawaii State Department of Health can be seen here (PDF).

At a time of great consequence for this country – when we should be debating how we win the future, reduce our deficit, deal with high gas prices, and bring stability to the Middle East, Washington, DC, was once again distracted by a fake issue.  The President’s hope is that with this step, we can move on to debating the bigger issues that matter to the American people and the future of the country

President Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate | The White House

Explaining the recent decline in the unemployment rate

This article speaks as to if things are getting better or worse for working Americas.  The conclusion is more akin that things are no longer getting worse.

Explaining the recent decline in the unemployment rate

by Lisa Barrow, senior economist Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

The unemployment rate fell by nearly 1 percentage point between November 2010 and March 2011. Was this drop due to unemployed workers exhausting their unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and choosing to stop looking for work or due to more positive labor market developments, such as fewer workers losing their jobs or more workers finding new jobs?

Conclusion
The recent sizable drop in the unemployment rate seems to be have been largely driven by the decline in the LFS [Labor Force Status]  flow from employment to unemployment

In this Chicago Fed Letter, I [Lisa Barrow] examine the data on labor force status (LFS) flows from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey (CPS) to assess their contributions to the recent decline in the unemployment rate. I conclude that this decline seems to have been driven by a decline in the number of employed persons becoming unemployed rather than by either an increase in the unemployed becoming employed or an increase in the unemployed leaving the labor force.

The entire study is available at:  http://www.chicagofed.org/digital_assets/publications/chicago_fed_letter/2011/cfljune2011_287.pdf

Chemtool’s good paying jobs? Chemtool Salaries in IL | Simply Hired

A full time minimum wage worker in Illinois working will earn $330.00 per week, or $17,160.00 per year. Illinois's minimum wage rate as of April, 2011 is $8.25 per hour

Average of all job listings in Illinois with the name Chemtool—$24,000

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

Click on the following for Illinois Chemtool salaries:  Chemtool Salaries in IL | Simply Hired

Average salary of all job listings for “Chemtool, Roscoe, Illinois”—$21,000

Average salary of all job listings for “Chemtool, Rockton, Illinois”—$21,000.

Rockford Diocese: Policies concerning sexual abuse as published on its website

 

   Sexual  misconduct by clergy, Church personnel, Church leaders and volunteers is contrary to Christian morals, doctrine and Canon Law. It is never acceptable and Bishop Thomas G. Doran has declared emphatically, that "one case of abuse, is one too many." We acknowledge that sexual misconduct can have devastating consequences and effects on the victims and their families, the Church community, and for the transgressor.
The Rockford Diocese remains committed to preventing abuse and remains vigorous in its efforts of education, prevention and healing.

"To report an instance of sexual abuse by clergy, religious or
laity affiliated with the Diocese of Rockford,
contact local police authorities
and call the Victims Abuse Line: 815-962-9347."

If the abuse involves a minor, also contact the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services at 1-800-25-ABUSE.
Quick links

Communications Policy: Media relations regarding sexual abuse allegations
Sexual Misconduct Norm Booklet - (Order Form)
VIRITUS training schedules (www.ceorockford.org)
USCCB Office of Child & Youth Protection

Frequently asked questions

What was the Diocese of Rockford's procedure in the past when handling sexual abuse or misconduct allegations?
Since 1987, the Diocese has had a policy in place outlining the response to sexual abuse allegations. The policy called for a Diocesan Intervention Team (now Committee) to investigate the allegations; for the alleged victim to be given information regarding how to report the allegations to civil authorities; for the Diocese to make counseling services available to the alleged victim. The policy further stipulated that in instances where allegations against a priest were deemed credible, the priest would be removed from any parish assignment or any other assignment which would permit him access to young people.

What is the procedure since the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' meeting in Dallas in June 2002?
The Diocese of Rockford adheres to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which was approved by the bishops in Dallas and became particular law for the Catholic Church in the United States after Pope John Paul II approved it in October 2002. In keeping with the Charter, when an allegation is received, it is reported to civil authorities and referred to the Diocesan Intervention Committee. Additionally, if the abuse involves a minor, the Department of Children and Family Services is notified. The committee's findings are reported to the Bishop of the Diocese. If the allegations are credible, the accused will be removed from all ministry duties and the allegations will be referred to the Vatican for appropriate investigation and resolution according to Canon Law. Counseling is offered to the alleged victim, as well as to the accused. In no case is a priest who is credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor permitted to function as a priest.
What is the Church doing for the alleged victim?
When the Diocese learns of an allegation, the alleged victim is offered counseling and the Diocese reaches out to the alleged victim to begin the process of pastoral healing. The alleged victim is immediately encouraged to contact the appropriate civil legal authorities, and report the matter to the Department of Children and Family Services, or if the provisions of mandatory reporting apply, diocesan officials contact civil authorities on their own. At the same time, the Diocesan Investigator and the Diocesan Intervention Committee investigate the allegation with the intention of being able to substantiate it. Diocesan investigators make a good faith effort to investigate every allegation even if the state's statutes of limitations on civil and criminal proceedings have expired.

Does anyone from the Diocese meet with alleged victims of sexual abuse?
At the minimum, every alleged victim meets with the Misconduct Officer of the Diocese, who is also the Vicar General/Moderator of the Curia.

What if I am an alleged victim of sexual abuse by a clergyman?
You should report every instance of sexual abuse by anyone to the proper legal authorities immediately, including the Department of Children and Family Services at 1-800-25-ABUSE. If the alleged abuser is anyone associated with the Diocese of Rockford, after you have reported the abuse to legal authorities, call the Diocese's victim abuse line at 815-962-9347.

Why are these allegations becoming public?
Part of the reason is the national publicity that has occurred. After years of silent pain, victims have learned that they were not alone and have begun to come forward. That explains why most of the alleged instances reported have been reported in just the last few years, and why most of the reports concern allegations dating back decades ago.

Why didn't bishops and dioceses know that these clergymen were doing such terrible things?
A priest commits to a life of celibacy and it is presumed that he lives according to that vow. When a man is ordained to the priesthood, he has every intention of adhering to that vow. However, no bishop can know of every priest's actions at all times. The phrase "knew or should have known" is the standard for legal liability, not reality.
Sexual abuse of minors is a societal problem, and it is more widespread than most people knew until quite recently. Most abuse occurs in the home, and most abusers are family members or close, trusted friends of the family. Of course, that does not mean that most adult family members or friends of the family are abusers. In the same way, most clergy are not abusers.

What is the Diocese doing to eliminate the problem of abuse by clergy?
The Diocese is doing many things. It screens and tests candidates for the priesthood and diaconate. It conducts ongoing training and education programs for clergy. It responds promptly and decisively to allegations of sexual abuse. It removes clergymen from ministry when the allegations against them are credible.

Can you guarantee that sexual abuse of minors will never happen again in the Diocese?
No, we cannot guarantee that. No one can. However, we have policies and programs in place designed to prevent abuse by anyone associated with the Diocese. Policies call for us to screen all employees and volunteers who have contact with children. Programs assure that we educate children, parents, clergy, lay employees and volunteers. The VIRTUS program, for example, teaches church personnel, parents and volunteers ways to avoid situations that could lead to sexual abuse, as well as to recognize the warning signs of a perpetrator.

What is being done for the continuing education of clergy?
In addition to requiring that all clergy participate in the VIRTUS program, the Diocese has held a series of mandatory educational programs for clergy for the past several years. The focus of these programs is on prevention and detection.

What is being done in the seminary to assure us that future clergymen will not be abusers?
Our seminarians attend various seminaries, so the particulars of prevention efforts in their seminary experience will vary slightly. However, in all cases candidates for the priesthood in the Diocese undergo fingerprinting and background checks, as well as a battery of psychological tests and one-on-one interviews with several officials of the Diocese who are trained to spot the telltale signs of abusers. Candidates must also have lived a celibate lifestyle before being considered for ordination. Every effort is made to assure that candidates for the priesthood are well-suited in every way to live chaste lives of service and fidelity to Catholic moral teaching.

Click on the following for mother information:  Welcome to the Rockford Diocese