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SUNDAY January 3, 2016 • $1.50
12 players score in Prairie Ridge’s 74-54 victory over Grant / C1 NWHerald.com
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For seekers, job hunt going digital
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A notebook listing area job opportunities is one of the resources available at the McHenry County Workforce Network offices in Woodstock.
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Complete forecast on page A8
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Plan in the works to shelter survivors Ky. group to open group home for sex trafficking victims By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com
A Kentucky-based organization plans to open a home for survivors of human sex trafficking by spring in rural McHenry County. Refuge for Women would house up to eight women who would go through a yearlong program aimed at sobriety, healing and regaining independence, said Karen Schultz, the organization’s Chicago director. She said plans to secure a home in McHenry County have been in the works since June 2014. Schultz said the group wanted to open a Chicago home because there are between 16,000 and 25,000 women and children who have been trafficked and sexually exploited in Illinois. “It’s far enough from the city,
See SHELTER, page A5
States plan renewed debate on social issues Photos by H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Job seeker Dawn Schepler of McHenry discusses recently her approach to taking classes and finding another job as Michael Kocent of the Illinois Department of Employment Security works at the McHenry County Workforce Network office in Woodstock. A study from the Pew Research Centers shows that among Americans who have looked for work in the past two years, 79 percent utilized online resources in their most recent job search and 34 percent said these online resources were the most important tool available to them.
McHenry County residents see necessity of Internet job search By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – The pamphlets and handouts at the McHenry County Workforce Network office have taken a backseat to the 18 computers there, much like paper job applications have across the country. A report from the Pew Research Center shows 79 percent of Americans used online resources in their job search, and some 54 percent have applied for a job online. Despite the growing importance of the Internet in finding a job, some Americans still worry about their ability to be able to
find or secure jobs using digital tools. The situation is no different in McHenry County, where Chris Nejdl, the assistant director of the McHenry County Workforce Network, said many people who flock to the small Woodstock office need help navigating online job sites. “Most of us are trained in the job we do,” Nejdl said. “Not in how to get a job.” Among the 2,000 adults Pew researchers sampled in June and July, 17 percent (not including those who are retired or disabled) indicated it would not be easy to create a professional résumé. An-
STYLE
Inside story Dierdre Marie Capone, Al Capone’s niece, to clear up half-truths and falsehoods at upcoming Raue Center program / Style, 3
other 21 percent said it would not be easy to highlight their employment skills using a personal website or social media profile. Roughly 1 in 10 indicated it would be difficult for them to go online to find lists of available jobs, fill out a job application online, use email to contact or follow up with a potential employer or look up online services available to assist job seekers, the study showed. “People who are not as confident in their computer skills are now having to rely on that to get a job,” Nejdl said. “ ... There are a lot of people, especially those in construction and manufacturing,
who might not have computers at all.” At Aerotek Staffing in Crystal Lake, where warehouse, distribution and manufacturing jobs dominate the openings, recruiter Denis Beharovic said all the staffing agency’s jobs are posted online only. Still, he said about half of the clients they serve are walk-ins who fill out applications on site. “We deal with a variety of candidates” Beharovic said. “Some of them might not have a computer. We understand and try to accommodate that.”
See JOBS, page A5
By DAVID A. LIEB The Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – With same-sex marriage now legal nationwide, lawmakers in numerous states are preparing for a new round of battles in 2016 over whether to grant discrimination protections to LGBT people or religious exemptions to nonprofits and businesses that object to gay marriage. The tussle over civil rights and religious freedoms is one of several hot-button issues that could drive states in opposite policy directions, as lawmakers seek to appeal to voters during a year in which more than 5,800 state legislative seats will be up for election. Republicans hold majorities in two-thirds of the states’ legislative chambers, meaning they get to set the agenda. Those priorities could include attempts to exempt businesses from providing wedding-related services to gay couples, expand gun rights and further restrictions on abortions.
See STATES, page A5
LOCAL NEWS
Building to remain open Improvements to McHenry Municipal Center set to start in January / A3 SPORTS
WHERE IT’S AT Advice............ Style, 2, 8-9 Business..................... D1-4 Classified......................F1-7 Community.....................B1 Local News................. A2-6 Lottery.............................A2 Nation&World............B3-4 Obituaries.................. A6-7 Opinions.........................B2 Puzzles........................ F5, 8 Sports.......................... C1-8 State................................B3 Style...........................Inside Weather..........................A8
On Campus with Barry Bottino Cary-Grove grad Jake Selsky, Loyola ready to start NCAA volleyball title defense / C1
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