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Record The Putnam County
Volume 145 No.48
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Putnam County’s Only Newspaper
“PRSRT STD.” US Postage Paid No. 486 SHAW MEDIA POSTAL PATRON LOCAL R.R. BOXHOLDER CARRIER ROUTE PRESORT
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
More people, more unemployment U.S. Census Bureau releases latest statistics By Ken Schroeder kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Unemployment in U.S. Congressional District 16 totaled 10.7 percent, according to figures just released from the U.S. Census Bureau. Of the 370,499 people in the district’s labor force, 39,599 were listed as unemployed in the 113th Congress survey.
There’s also been an increase in the number of people in the district with 7,977 new residents reported. The total number of residents is 713,840. The congressional district covers parts of DeKalb, Ford, Stark, Will and Winnebago counties, and all of Boone, Bureau, Grundy, Iroquois, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Ogle and
Putnam counties, as of the 2011 redistricting which followed the 2010 Census. All or parts of Belvidere, Channahon, DeKalb, Dixon, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Ottawa, Morris, Pontiac, Rockford and Streator are included. Baby Boomers still account for the largest age demographic with more than 14.7 percent of the popula-
tion between 45 and 54. Median age for the district is 39.4 years of age. As is typical across the country, women outnumber men slightly 359,602 to 354,248. The overwhelming majority of residents are white with Hispanics making up less than 10 percent of the population and blacks less than 5 percent. The largest source of employment in the district is the education
and health occupations with more than 23 percent finding employment there. More than 10 percent of all housing in the district is vacant, with just more than 42 percent of the residents moving into their current homes since 2005. The majority of households earned more than $35,000 in 2011, with a median income of $52,101. However, 11.6 percent of the residents
live below the poverty line. More than 89 percent of the district population aged 25 and older has a high school diploma or GED, while just less than 20 percent have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. These numbers and more can be found at the U.S. Census Bureau’s My Congressional District website at http://www.census.gov/ mycd/?eml=gd.
Coyotes/dogs in Putnam County Animal control says species is a hybrid by
Dixie Schroeder
dschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
GRANVILLE — It is that time of year again, when visitors from the wild come to area resident’s homes. Residents have spotted coyotes. Some residents even thought they have seen wolves coming to their backyards as well.
Dr. Allison Spayer is the administrator of the Putnam County Animal Control offices. Spayer’s office, at the McNabb Veterinary Services, fields calls of possible coyote and wolf incursions in Putnam County. While they have received several calls of possible wolves in residents’ yards, all of the calls have been disproved. Instead, the problem Putnam County residents are having is with
See Coyotes Page 3
Online voter registration becomes law Legislation attempts to get more voters by
Dixie Schroeder
dschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
SPRINGFIELD – In a move designed to add another way to bring more people to the polls, Illinois has now become the 18th state to allow online voter registration. A priority for Gov. Pat Quinn in 2013, the new legislation will allow potential voters to register to vote and take part in the democratic process online. “Democracy works best when as many voters as possible raise their voices at the ballot box,” Quinn said. “Online voter
registration will encourage more people to fulfill their civic duty by making that first step of registering to vote easier and more accessible. This new law will boost registration rates, cut costs and move Illinois’ Democratic process into the 21st century.” The first 17 states in the union that currently offer online voter registration have realized its benefits which include higher voter registration rates especially among young people and lower processing costs. Closer to Putnam County, area residents had mixed views as to if the new law was a good idea.
See Law Page 4
Putnam County Record photo/Dixie Schroeder
It won’t be long now ... Izabelle Ladson (left) with her mother, Chanin Ladson, go through a section of the registration process with Putnam County High School teacher Samantha Fifer.
Inside
Vol. 145 No. 48 One Section - 16 Pages The Putnam County
Record Putnam County’s Only Newspaper
© The Putnam County Record
Bigfoot blues See Page 2
Granville Cruise-In See Page 8