Castro encourages families to apply for Homeowner Assistance Fund

ELGIN – The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund has doubled the amount of assistance it is offering to eligible homeowners, and State Senator Cristina Castro is urging households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to apply.

“This program will provide crucial security to even more homeowners in Illinois who have struggled financially during the pandemic,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Families facing debt and foreclosure due to circumstances out of their control – especially in communities that have been disproportionately impacted – deserve support and recovery.”

Read more: Castro encourages families to apply for Homeowner Assistance Fund

Stadelman celebrates West State Street reconstruction

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman is proud to announce the third and final phase of reconstructing West State Street was completed this week, thanks to his support of the Rebuild Illinois program and the joint effort between the city of Rockford and the Illinois Department of Transportation on this project.

“The reconstruction of West State Street has been transformative to the area,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “From improving accessibility features for pedestrians, mitigating traffic delays, and making the route to downtown more convenient, this project will be beneficial to residents of Rockford. I look forward to utilizing these improvements when I am driving around the district.”

West State Street, also known as U.S. Business 20, was rebuilt and widened between Independence and Day avenues, eliminating a bottleneck while enhancing a downtown entry point to encourage redevelopment on the city’s west side. Other upgrades included new sanitary and storm sewers, modernized traffic signals and accommodations for pedestrians with disabilities. These changes were driven from extensive community input and planning to redefine and remake West State Street over the last two decades, and is just the beginning of improvements coming to Rockford as a part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan.

Read more: Stadelman celebrates West State Street reconstruction

Sen. Glowiak Hilton: Check and replace smoke detector batteries while updating clocks for daylight saving

OAKBROOK TERRACE – With daylight saving time coming to an end this weekend, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton is reminding households to also check and change their smoke detector batteries as needed.

“It’s time to fall back, and daylight saving also serves as an important reminder to make sure your smoke detectors are working,” said Senator Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “This is a helpful habit to ensure your household is safe.”

If you find an alarm that is not working or is expired, replace the alarm immediately with a new 10-year sealed battery alarm. It’s also a great time to review your family’s fire escape plan.

Read more: Sen. Glowiak Hilton: Check and replace smoke detector batteries while updating clocks for daylight...

Sen. Johnson recognized by YouthBuild Lake County for her efforts to fund youth programs

BUFFALO GROVE – In her efforts to support continued education and youth programs, State Senator Adriane Johnson was recently honored alongside State Rep. Rita Mayfield in advocating more than $2 million in grant funding for two YouthBuild Lake County programs.

YouthBuild Lake County in North Chicago and Youth Conservation Corps in Waukegan provide programs to assist youth ages 17-24 in further developing education and trade skills. The programs offer High School diploma attainment, career readiness and life skills support, and construction training.

“While the construction workforce expands in Illinois, it is imperative that diversity and representation is included in the process,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “I want women and people of color to be encouraged to step into this career path knowing that YouthBuild is dedicated to ensuring that they have the tools they need to succeed.”

Read more: Sen. Johnson recognized by YouthBuild Lake County for her efforts to fund youth programs