Illinois quick hits: Legislators meet with prison staff; warm weather this week

Legislators meet with prison staff

Lawmakers from around Illinois recently met with staff from the Pontiac Correctional Center to discuss work conditions.

State Sens. Tom Bennett and Terri Bryant and state Rep. Dennis Tipsword discussed ongoing drug exposure incidents, concerns and possible solutions with Pontiac staff.

Prison workers around the state demonstrated Oct. 17 and demanded that the Department of Corrections put measures in place to prevent illegal substances from entering prisons and address staff shortages.

Warm weather this week

Illinois is going to get a taste of summer this week. Unseasonably warm temperatures are expected around the state on Tuesday and Wednesday with highs surpassing 80 degrees for many areas.

A number of cities are expected to see record high temperatures. Normal high temperatures this time of year are in the upper 50s and lower 60s for Illinois.

Grand American success

More than 3,000 target shooters from all 50 states and six other countries helped propel the 125th American Trapshooting Association’s Grand American competition to one of its most successful years in Sparta this summer.

The event, which is operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, hosted the Grand from July 31 to Aug. 10. The Grand American has an estimated economic impact of $25 million to $30 million in the region.