Quick Hits: Illinois News In Brief For Oct. 12, 2021

By The Center Square Staff:

School goes to adaptive pause amid COVID-19 outbreak

A northern Illinois school has gone to remote learning for two weeks because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Hampshire High School in Kane County reports since Sept. 28, 37 students have tested positive for the virus.

The Kane County Health Department said it is implementing an “adaptive pause” as a mitigation strategy to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

National Weather Service confirms tornado

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Greene County during Monday’s severe storms.

A video was shared on Snapchat showing a tornado on the ground near the town of Wrights around 2:45 p.m.

Debris can be seen being thrown into the air near a spiral that ripped through a farm.

No injuries were reported.

Illinois among most energy-efficient states in nation

According to a new study, Illinois is the 13th most energy-efficient state in the country.

The personal finance website WalletHub measured the efficiency of auto and home energy consumption in 48 U.S. states.

Utah, New York and Massachusetts were the top three most energy-efficient states, while South Carolina, West Virginia and Alabama were the worst.

Allstate to see its Northbrook campus

Citing an increase in remote work, Allstate is selling its Northbrook campus facilities.

The company said employees have a choice on where they work and with many choosing remote work, the company decided to sell.

The campus was constructed in 1967 when the company moved there from Skokie.

Illinois restaurants prepare for another winter amid COVID-19 complications

Illinois restaurants are facing a second winter with COVID-19 complications.

A survey by the National Restaurant Association found six out of 10 restaurant patrons are more reluctant to eat out than they were earlier this year because of the Delta variant.

Thirty-seven percent of restaurant-goers said they have reverted to take-out and delivery rather than choosing indoor dining.

Illinois man faces charges for dropping meth bag while job hunting

A Mattoon man is in police custody after he dropped a bag of meth on the floor while looking for employment.

According to police, 42-year-old Kenneth Lansden was seen on surveillance video dropping the bag at a business while applying for a job.

He is now charged with the offense of possession of methamphetamine.

The focus of the work of The Center Square Illinois is state- and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility. For more stories from The Center Square, visit TheCenterSquare.com.