Illinois will be 200 years old next year, and bicentennial of statehood celebration will being in December in Springfield. The yearlong celebration will end December 2018 in Chicago.

FEDERAL

Americans getting fatter: Survey

The number of obese Americans keeps rising just like Americans’ weight, according to new statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Adult obesity rates have climbed steadily from a rate of 30.5 percent in 1999-2000 to 39.8 percent in 2015-2016, the most recent period for which data were available. That represents a 30 percent increase. Children’s rates of obesity have risen roughly 34 percent in the same period, from 13.9 percent in 1999-2000 to 18 percent in 2015-2016.

The new figures show a starker pattern of national weight-gain over a generation.

In the period between 1976 and 1980, the same national survey found that roughly 15 percent of adults and just 5.5 percent of children qualified as obese. In the time that’s elapsed since “Saturday Night Fever” was playing in movie theaters and Ronald Reagan won the presidency, rates of obesity in the United States have nearly tripled.

The new report, from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, measures obesity according to body mass index. This is a rough measure of fatness that takes a person’s weight (measured in kilograms) and divides it by their height (measured in meters) squared. For adults, those with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered to have a “normal” weight. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and anything above 30 is deemed obese.

STATE

Motorists asked to evaluate rest stops

Illinois transportation officials are evaluating the condition and usefulness of the state’s roadside rest areas and welcome centers, and want to know what people think.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is asking motorists to answer a 20-question online survey (a paper version is available) to voice their opinions about the facilities. Deadline for completing the surveys is Oct. 29.

IDOT says it takes about 10 minutes to complete the survey. People are first asked to name the last rest stop they visited. After that, people are asked questions like why they stopped, what amenities they like at rest stops, how Illinois stops compare to those in other states and the like.

People are also asked if they would like to see private businesses be allowed to develop at or adjacent to rest stops, something that is not allowed by law.

The survey is a component of a broader study of rest areas that will include input from the trucking industry. Illinois operates 30 rest areas around the state.

The survey is available at idot.illinois.gov. Paper copies are available at some rest sites or will be mailed. Call (402) 399-1405 for a paper copy.

Bicentennial celebration to kick off Dec. 3

Illinois will begin celebrating its bicentennial of statehood in December in Springfield. The yearlong celebration will end December 2018 in Chicago.

The kickoff will be held Dec. 3 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The Illinois Executive Mansion and Bicentennial Plaza, both under construction, as well as the city’s Route 66 corridors also are highlighted as part of the statewide celebration.

Illinois was formally admitted to the union as the 21st state on Dec. 3, 1818

Springfield is Illinois’ third state capital. The first in 1818 was in Kaskaskia, followed by Vandalia. State government moved to Springfield in 1839, according to a history of the Old State Capitol.

Gov. Bruce Rauner is scheduled to lead a Bicentennial Route 66 Motorcycle Ride between Chicago and Alton on Aug. 26, including stops in Lincoln and Springfield. The final birthday bash on the 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood, on Dec. 3, 2018, will be held at the United Center in Chicago.

PEORIA

Search continues for CEO to lead economic development

September has come and gone, and the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council is still looking for a leader. The region’s economic development arm had initially thought a new chief executive officer would have been hired by September, about three months after its first leader resigned to take another job.

The Greater Peoria EDC has released a new position description soliciting applicants for the CEO post by Nov. 17. In part, the CEO is responsible for leading the strategies and operations of the Greater Peoria EDC. The CEO sets the stage for regional collaboration, coordination and alignment among dozens of local organizations.

The position has been vacant since July when Jennifer Daly left to return to Iowa for an economic development job there. She’d been the group’s only full-time CEO since its inception in its current form.

For more information on the GPEDC, go to greaterpeoriaedc.org. To apply for the job, submit a cover letter and resume in a PDF format to Melissa Oliveri at moliveri@greaterpeoriaedc.org. Cover letters may be addressed to Board of Directors Chair Diana Hall.

City seeks services of plumbers, other trades

The City of Peoria is seeking qualified vendors/contractors to become suppliers of goods and services it needs. It is especially interested in identifying minority and woman-owned businesses that can provide the following services:

• Plumbing
• Heating Ventilation/Air Conditioning
• Roofing
• Residential electrical
• Concrete
• General construction

To learn more about becoming a qualified vendor/contractor, attend a roundup from 2-5 p.m. Oct. 26. The event will be held at the Gateway Building, 200 NE Water St., Peoria. Register online at https://peoria-vendor-roundup.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Chris Switzer, purchasing manager, at (309) 494-8507 or cswitzer@peoriagov.org.

MARQUETTE HEIGHTS

Spook Hollow opens for another scary season

The Marquette Heights Men’s Club of Central Illinois will be scaring people for the 37^th year with its Spook Hollow Trilogy of Terror, starting Oct. 13 at 613 LaSalle Blvd., Marquette Heights. Spook Hollow is secluded in the woods of Independence Park. M.C. Manor is a haunted mansion with horror-movie quality rooms. M.C. Nightmare takes thrill seekers through a haunted factory. 

Hours and dates for the state’s longest running outdoor haunted attraction are 7 to 11 p.m. on Oct. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28.

All three events have one admission price. General admission is $25; RIP Speed Pass, $40; and VIP guided tour is $60. Payment can be made at spook-hollow.com by credit card. Only cash is accepted at the gate.

For more information, visit spook-hollow.com.

–Peoria Area News Briefs–