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Page 1 - April 2, 2020 / McHenry County News
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VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 15
Process to file for unemployment Gov. Pritzker on March 26 and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced they are taking additional steps to address the unprecedented volume of unemployment benefit claims the department has fielded as a result of COVID-19. To date, the department has taken several steps to improve the unemployment benefit claims process via the online portal and the call center. • The website has been moved to new hardware infrastructure to handle the increased demand. • Web, storage and processing capacity has been increased to meet needs of increased traffic. • Methods have been implemented to track COVID-19-related claims. • Call center capacity has been increased. • Daily call center hours have been extended to respond to those waiting in the queue after closure. • Call center staff has been supplemented by 40% to cut down on wait times. • Both the website and the call center will continue to be monitored for improvements in functions and abilities. In addition to these measures, IDES is now asking individuals to adhere to an alphabetized schedule
7124 WINDSOR LAKE PARKWAY, SUITE 5 • LOVES PARK, IL 61111
when filing an unemployment benefit claim online and over the phone. This process mirrors other states, such as Colorado and New York, who are experiencing increased web traffic and high call volumes with their unemployment benefit systems. Online Filing Schedule • Those with last names beginning with letters A-M will be asked to file their claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays. • Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z will be asked to file their claims on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays. • Saturdays will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window. Call Center Filing Schedule • Those with last names beginning with letters A-M will be asked to call on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. • Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z will be asked to call on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. • Fridays (7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window. The day or time of day in which a claim is filed will not impact wheth-
er you receive benefits or your benefit amount. Additionally, claims will be back-dated to reflect the date in which a claimant was laid-off or let go from their job due to COVID-19. IDES is currently working through an unparalleled number of unemployment benefit claims and questions, both online and through the call center. Over the first three weeks of March, IDES has received over 130,000 unemployment benefit claims, an increase of close to 400% compared to the corresponding weeks the prior year. The department received close to 115,000 claims for the week of March 21 alone, an increase of nearly 1,400% compared JANET DRAPER PHOTO McHenry County News to the corresponding week the prior Aralia cordata, or “Sun King,” is the Perennial Plant Association’s year. Additionally, the call center continues to field hundreds of calls 2020 Plant of the Year. per minute, per day. The administration and the department understand and empathize with the heightened level of frustration this crisis has had on those wishing to file a claim. IDES is doing everything possible to support its customers and meet the demand for unemployment benefit inquiries and claims. Those with questions or in need of assistance with unemployment benefit at this time are encouraged to visit IDES.Illinois.gov.
Federal REAL ID deadline extended to Oct. 1, 2021
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced on March 26 that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the federal REAL ID deadline an additional year to Oct. 1, 2021. DHS cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact the virus is having on the general public and
driver’s license and ID card-issuing agencies nationwide. Earlier this month, White, along with other state and business leaders from around the country, called on DHS to extend the REAL ID deadline. Current Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports, military bases
Man arrested for Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault
Jonathan Gomes, 33, of Crystal Lake, was arrested March 24 and charged with three counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child. On March 19 a concerned parent made a report with the Huntley Police Department. During their investigation, the Huntley Police Department learned that the incidents had occurred at a residence in the 7400 block of Pingree Road in Crystal Lake, which is in the jurisdiction of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. An investigation was then initiated by the Jonathan Gomes McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, which revealed that Gomes had abused a minor in his household. Gomes was subsequently arrested for 3 counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault and was transported to the McHenry County Correctional Facility. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information should contact the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at 815-334-4750, McHenry County Crime Stoppers at 800-762-STOP (7867) or the Sheriff’s Office tip line: TipLine@mchenrycountyil.gov.
THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020
and secure federal facilities until Oct. 1, 2021. Once Driver Services facilities reopen, White is suggesting that people who want a REAL ID wait until their current driver’s license or ID card is about to expire before visiting a facility to apply for a REAL ID. For those whose driver’s license or ID card expires after Oct. 1, 2021, and want a REAL ID, they can use their valid U.S. passport or other TSA-acceptable documents to fly domestically until they must renew their current card. “The decision to extend the REAL ID deadline to Oct. 1, 2021 – a year past the old deadline – is the proper and necessary action during this time of uncertainty and crisis,” said White. “I urge Illinoisans with valid driver’s licenses and ID cards not to rush to our facilities to obtain a REAL ID once they reopen.” As a reminder, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, White closed all offices, including Driver Services facilities statewide to the public, through April 7, due to the health and safety recommendations by experts endorsing social distancing efforts to minimize transmission of the virus. Many other states have followed with similar actions. White is reminding residents that many transactions with the Secretary of State’s Office may be conducted online at www.cyberdriveillinois.com. Some Secretary of State employees continue working to process these transactions as efficiently as possible.
‘Sun King’ can be paired with other favorites The following is written by Martha A. Smith in conjunction with the University of Illinois Extension: The Perennial Plant Association has announced the 2020 Perennial Plant of the Year®. Aralia cordata “Sun King” is a fabulous high-impact perennial that brings a bold pop of glowing color and texture to the shade or part shade garden. “Aralia ‘Sun King’ had been nominated by PPA members again and again over the years. It finally came out on top this year,” says Martha Smith, horticulture educator with University of Illinois Extension. “Persistence pays off!” Aralia Sun King also won the International Hardy Plant Union Outstanding Plant Award in 2012. Native to shady forested areas in Japan, Sun King was “discovered” by plantsman Barry Yinger in a Japanese garden center atop a department store. This perennial has become a beloved shade garden staple across the country. Bright yellow shoots emerge in spring, then grow to 4 to 6 feet tall and nearly as wide. Small, cream-colored umbels of flowers appear in late July and last through September, attracting bees and eventually developing into tiny, dark, inedible berries. Despite Sun King’s stature, it’s very well behaved, with little to no reseeding or suckering. “Place Sun King where you want height. It is fast growing, filling a background space all season long,” Smith says. Hardy to USDA zones 3 to 9 (Northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico), it’s hard not to find a place in the garden for this goldleaf beauty. To retain its color, place in part shade. If in heavy shade, Smith says the color will be-
come more lime green. Sun King will tolerate more sun as long as ample moisture is provided. This low-maintenance perennial benefits from a pinching or slight cutback in May to encourage branching. During long periods of drought, Sun King will suffer if not kept watered. Being herbaceous, it will die back in the fall and re-emerge in the spring. It is best grown in well-drained soils and benefits from compost being incorporated. No serious insect or disease problems affect it, and deer don’t bother it. Also called Udo, Japanese asparagus, Mountain asparagus or Japanese spikenard, young shoots of this plant are considered a culinary delicacy in Japan where they are cultivated in underground tunnels. The flavor is reported to taste “asparagus-like” or “lemony.” Young shoots are harvested and blanched or pickled. White fleshy roots are eaten as one would consume a parsnip. Smith says Sun King is terrific in combination with hosta, ferns and past Perennial Plant of the Year stars such as Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ (1991), Brunnnera acrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ (2012) and Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ (2013). “It’s a knockout when placed near Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ or other maroon-leaf plants,” she says. “And don’t forget containers – Sun King is bold and beautiful in a big pot!” The Perennial Plant of the Year® (PPOY) program began in 1990 to showcase a perennial that is a standout among its competitors. Perennials chosen are suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease-free.