(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois Comptroller Suzana Mendoza is warning the public to be on the lookout for tax scams. Her office says con artists are posing as IRS employees, contacting people by text, email, or phone and then asking for personal information, plus some calls are threatening, telling the taxpayer that they need to send money right away to correct a problem on their tax return. Folks are reminded the IRS prefers to contact taxpayers by mail and not by contacting them directly. Stay up-to-date on the tax.illinois.gov website.
(CHAMPAIGN) The month of February is known for bringing cold weather to Illinois, but it also often brings some of the biggest day-to-day temperature changes, as it did this year. The Illinois State Water Survey, at the U of I in Champaign, says milder weather in the first and last weeks of February broke 24 daily high maximum temperature records around the state, along with 15 daily high minimum temperature records as well. Meanwhile, extreme cold in the middle of the month broke 53 daily high minimum temperature records and 32 daily low minimum temperature records. While last month was cold, it was not close to one of the coldest Februarys in Illinois. While the preliminary statewide average temperature was 28.7 degrees last month, 2.7 degrees below the 1991-2000 average and the 52nd coldest February on record, dating back to 1895, the statewide average winter temperature, for December through February, was 28.2 degrees, the 56th coldest winter on record in Illinois.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois State Police has announced that it will be hosting its first ever all-women recruitment event this month to encourage women to explore the many career paths available both as sworn police officers and as civilian employees. The ISP Academy in Springfield will be open to the public for the free event on Tuesday, March 18th, from 10:00 to 2:00. State Police officials will share employment details in various areas, including law enforcement, forensic science, investigations, telecommunications, crime scene services, patrol, and much more. That’s a week from today. Learn more at illinoistrooper.com.
(CENTRALIA) The Illinois Lottery says time is running out for an unclaimed lottery ticket that was purchased nearly a year ago at a gas station in Centralia, a Powerball ticket worth $100,000. Lottery officials say the ticket is one of eleven Illinois lottery prizes currently unclaimed, all totaling $5.3 million. Go to the illinoislottery.com website for more info.