September 22, 2025/

Illinois quick hits: Driver’s blood alcohol over legal limit; Fed survey shows growth below trend

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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Driver’s blood alcohol over legal limit

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office says toxicology results show that a Guatemalan national’s blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit when his vehicle crossed the center line in a crash which claimed his life and the life of a Freeport woman last month.

The collision killed Darcy Connolly-Brunner, 61, on Route 26 in rural Orangeville.

State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R, Freeport, said after the crash that Rolando Ico-Choc, 30, was a repeat DUI offender who was in the country illegally.

Engineering interns sought

The Illinois Department of Central Management Services is expanding its Intern to Hire Program partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation to include engineering roles.

According to a CMS statement, the initiative provides a pathway for aspiring civil engineers to launch long-term public service careers in Illinois.

The program offers structured, paid internships leading to full-time state employment.

Fed survey shows growth below trend

The Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions Activity Index decreased to –14 in September from +1 in August, suggesting that economic growth was below trend.

The survey includes parts of Illinois and four other Midwestern states.

The September number still represents an improvement from -22 in July.

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