Illinois
These 2 Illinois cities will pay you thousands of dollars to live there
![These 2 Illinois cities will pay you thousands of dollars to live there These 2 Illinois cities will pay you thousands of dollars to live there](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/05/14/NSJR/73683233007-jacksonvilleil.jpg?auto=webp&crop=1919,1080,x0,y192&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Usually, paying the rent comes out of pocket – but Illinois is helping out with rent and utilities, plus other benefits for moving into two of its western Illinois cities.
Pittsfield and Jacksonville are offering a remote-work incentive close to $10,000 for people to move to their smaller-scaled cities, while keeping jobs to work remotely anywhere in the United States.
Remote positions can vary from call center operators to customer service representatives, which means even if out of state residents are hired for a job out of state like a data analyst in New York, individuals can still reap the benefits of living in small town America.
Who is offering the pay to live packages?
Make My Move, an online marketplace for moving with benefits based in Indiana, has been working to connect Illinois cities offering relocation bonuses to remote workers looking to lower their cost of living.
Jacksonville
The incentive package to move to Jacksonville is roughly $9,300. The requirements for the move is earning at least $50,000 a year or more and living 70 miles currently outside of the Jacksonville Region, before applying. Approved applicants must move to Scott or Morgan County within half a year and spend a year in Jacksonville to receive the benefits.
Scott and Morgan County’s combined population in 2023 sits at 37,000 according to Census.gov, with the town of Jacksonville in Morgan County, around a 38-minute drive from Springfield.
Pittsfield
Pittsfield is offering $5,000 for relocation with three free months of bundled communication and entertainment, utilities and a one year membership to Access Illinois Outdoors recreational events.
Pittsfield requires full-time remote workers with a salary of $65,000 or more currently living at least 100 miles outside of the city of Pittsfield. Falling in Pike County, Pittsfield had a population of 4,120 with a median household income of $47,950 in 2022, and is over an hour drive away, around 70 miles, from Springfield.
More: New data shows nearly every Illinois county saw a decrease in population from 2020-2023
Why are smaller towns offering moving incentives?
Illinois lost 83,839 residents who moved to other states in 2023, making the state one of the highest rates of population loss in the U.S. for the 10th consecutive year in a row. Out of 102 Illinois counties counted in the 2023 Census report, seven saw growth: Brown County, Bureau County, Grundy County, Jo Daviess County, Kendall County, McHenry County and Will County.
The Governor’s Rural Affairs Council 2022 Report attributes the decrease in rural populations to the reduced demand for farmers because of the mechanization of labor, decrease in birthrates and exodus migration caused by lack of job opportunities.
Smaller towns needing more residents to keep the population stable are capitalizing on the new age of remote work post-pandemic, when working from home was normalized, to relocate boundless digital workers to rural towns with lower costs of living.
Local governments can offer relocation packages to attract newer residents, like Jacksonville who’s offering $5,000 in cash for relocation, $300 in chamber checks from the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and First National Bank of Arenzville and a myriad of utility benefits plus park passes and gift cards.
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for the State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@gannett.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
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Illinois
Vice President Harris calls family of woman shot to death in Illinois
![Vice President Harris calls family of woman shot to death in Illinois Vice President Harris calls family of woman shot to death in Illinois](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best/mpx/2704722219/2024_07/1722036681736_nn_mve_sonya_massey_family_speaks_out_240726_1920x1080-svfbz0.jpg)
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Illinois
Sonya Massey, shot by Illinois sheriff’s deputy, died of gunshot wound to the head, autopsy finds
![Sonya Massey, shot by Illinois sheriff’s deputy, died of gunshot wound to the head, autopsy finds Sonya Massey, shot by Illinois sheriff’s deputy, died of gunshot wound to the head, autopsy finds](https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/07/22/b71eb768-5b0d-4ca9-a933-4f20dd0d8d32/thumbnail/1200x630/709a3e0c69bff9527fe55e9a5ed3fcb9/sonya-massey.jpg?v=5501038cbc281520ff9fdc308faab7dc)
CHICAGO (CBS) — Authorities in central Illinois on Friday released an autopsy report that confirmed 36-year-old Sonya Massey died of a gunshot wound to the head, after she was shot by a sheriff’s deputy in Springfield earlier this month.
According to the autopsy report from the Sangamon County Coroner’s office, Massey was shot just beneath her left eye, and the bullet exited the back of her upper neck. The bullet caused a skull fracture, perforated her carotid artery, and caused bleeding in her brain.
Massey also suffered minor blunt force injuries to her right leg.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in Massey’s death. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and is being held in the Sangamon County Jail while he awaits trial. He was fired by the sheriff’s office after the shooting.
After learning of the autopsy results on Friday, Massey’s family said they are still struggling mentally and emotionally nearly three weeks after her death.
“I haven’t been able to sleep for real. The only time I really feel comfortable sleeping is when I’m just on the floor. I can’t even sleep in my bed,” said her son, Malachi Hill-Massey. “I really don’t have words. Like I’ve been said, I don’t have words for real.”
Massey’s uncle, Raymond, said her daughter has been “having nightmares to the point where we have to check the room.”
“It just makes me so angry to see my family hurt as they do,” Raymond said.
Bodycam video shows sheriff’s deputy shooting Massey inside her home
Authorities said Massey, a Black mother of two, called 911 in the early morning hours on Saturday, July 6, to report a suspected prowler outside her house near Springfield, Illinois.
The bodycam video shows Grayson and his partner, who are both White, arriving at Massey’s home, and searching outside the house and talking to Massey at the front door. They are later seen inside her home, and Deputy Grayson instructs Massey to check on a pot overheating on the stove, saying they don’t need a fire in the house.
Massey went to turn off the flame and picked up the pot. She asked where the deputies were going, to which Grayson replied, “Away from your hot, steaming water.”
Massey replied, “Away from my hot, steaming water?” and then twice said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
“You’d better f***ing not. I swear to God, I’ll f***ing shoot you right in your f***ing face,” Grayson said. He then raised his gun and yelled at Massey to “drop the f***ing pot!”
Massey is seen apologizing and ducking for cover. Grayson opens fire—three shots are heard.
Massey’s family and friends claim authorities tried to cover up the fatal shooting
The family said if it weren’t for the bodycam video of the shooting that was released on Monday, no one would know the truth.
Massey’s friends and family have said police first suggested it was a neighbor who had a previous dispute with Massey who shot her, and then later suggested the shooting was self-inflicted.
Massey’s oldest son, Malachi, said no one from law enforcement ever told the family who actually shot Massey. He said he didn’t learn until he saw it on the news the next day.
Illinois
Sonya Massey shooting: Illinois State Police release bodycam
![Sonya Massey shooting: Illinois State Police release bodycam Sonya Massey shooting: Illinois State Police release bodycam](https://images.foxtv.com/c107833-mcdn.mp.lura.live/expiretime=2082787200/045f9857006d2eb25ae7074b1749b6a600ea53a841f23c4cc76101bb6923a28e/iupl/8AE/0F0/1280/720/8AE0F0486EE28D980F7D6F3489777EF8.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
National outrage continues after Illinois State Police released new bodycam video of a sheriff’s deputy fatally shooting a Black woman in her home. Two officers were at Sonya Massey’s home to investigate reports of a prowler in the neighborhood. Please be warned that the video may be disturbing for some.
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