Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs

Chicago Veterans Home To Open By Summer 2020

By • Nov 11, 2019
Illinois Capitol Development Board

Final construction work on the long-awaited Chicago Veterans Home is on schedule, and a state official says the facility will be fully operational by next summer.


Oak Ridge Cemetery Adds Monument Honoring Troops Awarded A Purple Heart

By • Aug 8, 2016
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

The cemetery where Abraham Lincoln rests has a new monument, honoring troops and veterans awarded a Purple Heart.

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."

That quote, from Shakespeare's "Henry V" is inscribed on the new granite monument.

It's also etched with a drawing of the medal -- a heart, emblazoned with a profile of George Washington, that hangs from a purple ribbon.

7 Dead From Legionnaires' At Quincy Veteran's Home

By • Sep 1, 2015
IDVA

7 people have died from a Legionnaires' Disease outbreak in western Illinois, the state announced Tuesday. 

The cases all involve residents of the Illinois Veterans' Home in Quincy.  The Department of Veteran's Affairs says all had underlying medical conditions.   

Military Children Hampered By Illinois Laws, Advocates Say

By • Mar 3, 2014
flickr/LizMarie_AK

  Moving to a new state is never easy, especially when you’re a school-aged kid. But for military families who move more frequently than most, laws in Illinois create a unique challenge — and, in some cases, a barrier to entry.

Think back to the last time you were ‘the new kid.’ Maybe it was freshman year of college, or when you started a new job or even joined a book club.

Now multiply that ‘new kid’ experience by three and factor in how awkward grade school is … and you might be a little closer to knowing what it’s like to be a military kid.

Federal Shutdown Could Impact Some State Employees

By Associated Press • Sep 30, 2013
flickr

A budget director for Gov. Pat Quinn says if the federal government shutdown proceeds, Illinois employees paid by federal funds could face temporary layoffs as early as Wednesday.  
The budget office had no estimates Monday for how many employees would be affected.  
Abdon Pallasch is Quinn's assistant budget director. In a statement, he says that the timing of the layoffs would depend on existing resources and individual agencies. Agencies that could be affected include Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Veterans Affairs and Military Affairs.