A recent tour of rural areas by Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon has resulted in a report that shows residents expect their quality of life to improve.
The report from the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University was released Thursday. It details feedback Simon received from citizens during her spring rural listening tour.
Simon visited places like Freeport, Gibson City, Mattoon and Quincy. Citizens cited job creation, education funding and access to affordable health care as top issues.
More than 360 people attended Simon's meetings statewide. Their concerns include the ability of schools to prepare students for the workforce and high-speed Internet access