DMV is appointments only
Beginning Friday, most Illinois DMV facilities will require an online appointment to get drivers licenses, Real IDs and driving tests. It is part of a move to modernize the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles. The aim is to cut down on wait times at facilities where people can wait hours, depending on the lines. The appointments will be required at 44 locations throughout the state.
Report says hate crimes increased
A new report shows that hate crimes in Chicago are at their highest level in three decades. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University reported that in 2022, there were 192 hate crimes reported to Chicago police, up 84% from 2021. The increase was bigger than any other large city in the country. Researchers said Jewish and Black people were the biggest targets.
Lanes open for holiday travel
The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that lanes that have been closed for construction will reopen, where possible, for the Labor Day holiday to minimize travel disruption. Non-emergency closures will be suspended from 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, to 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4. Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve more than 2,500 miles of highway and nearly 10 million square feet of bridge deck as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program.
This article First appeared in the center square