McHenry Times

Senator Craig Wilcox hosted his annual Barks & Brews event at Kishwaukee Brewing Company in Woodstock last week. Attendees were greeted by a pen of mixed-breed puppies looking for forever homes, along with a few older dogs. The event featured casual conversations and craft brews, highlighted by the presence of K9s4U, a non-profit dog rescue based in McHenry.

K9s4U was founded by friends committed to saving dogs from high-kill shelters and placing them into permanent homes. Since its inception, the organization has saved over 5,700 dogs. Senator Wilcox encouraged those interested in adopting to contact K9s4U through their website.

Senator Wilcox also announced upcoming "Conversations Untapped" events aimed at connecting with constituents while promoting local businesses. These events will take place over the next two weeks at local restaurants, providing an opportunity for casual discussions about state issues ahead of the fall veto session and the start of the 104th General Assembly.

For more information on these events or other upcoming activities in the 32nd District, such as the Senior Health Fair on October 15 and IPASS on Demand on October 28, constituents can visit Senator Wilcox's website or contact his office directly.

In addition to community engagement events, Senator Wilcox addressed rising cyberattacks against governmental entities. Data from the Center for Internet Security shows significant increases in malware and ransomware incidents in 2023 compared to 2022. Several Illinois government offices have been targeted, including a data breach at the Illinois Secretary of State’s office and ransomware attacks affecting Henry and Tazewell counties.

To combat these threats, government agencies are upgrading equipment, enhancing security training, and collaborating across state and federal levels. Despite these efforts, cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and targeting various technologies used by law enforcement.

Finally, changes are coming to Illinois' Bright Start College Savings Program (Bright Start 529) starting September 30. TIAA will take over as program manager, reducing total average weighted fees by 13 percent. A new mobile app will be introduced for account management via smartphones. During this transition period from September 25 to September 29, no transactions will be processed until full access resumes on September 30.