CHICAGO – New jobs and an improved infrastructure will soon come to Alsip and Calumet Park, thanks to a grant awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) is pleased the long-overdue project has become a priority.

“These projects will be a major economic boon for Alsip and Calumet Park,” Jones said. “They will help those communities by creating more jobs and fostering long term economic development.”

CHICAGO – To help get the health of Illinoisans back on track, State Senator Emil Jones, III (D-Chicago) is thrilled to announce a COVID-19 vaccination site has opened in Robbins.

“I encourage everyone who is eligible to get the vaccine,” Jones said. “We have waited nearly a year to get to this point. The sooner people get the vaccine, the sooner we can get back to normal and put this pandemic, and all the hardships it caused, behind us.”

The site opened this week at Robbins Health Center, located at 13450 S. Kedzie Ave., and its hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

CHICAGO – State Senator Emil Jones (D-Chicago) announced the driver services facility on Martin Luther King Drive on Chicago’s South Side is now offering drive-thru services for license plate sticker renewals only. 

“Drive-thru services are great alternative to make sure drivers can still renew their license plate stickers in a safe way,” Jones said. “Residents who have access to the internet should still take advantage of the online services offered by the secretary of state’s office to reduce the amount of traffic at the facility.”  

The facility, located at 9901 S. Martin Luther King Drive, will be open Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Credit cards and checks will be the only accepted forms of payment, and customers are required to wear masks. 

Illinois residents with access to the internet can also renew their vehicle registration stickers and take advantage of other online services at www.cyberdriveillinois.com. 

All expiration dates for driver’s licenses and ID cards have been extended until June 1, 2021. The federal government has also extended the REAL ID deadline by one year. The deadline is now Oct. 1, 2021.

CHICAGO – In an effort to provide better resources for homeownership to working families and communities of color, State Senator Emil Jones (D-Chicago) announced his support of the new SmartBuy mortgage and student loan assistance program.

“Historical disparities in housing opportunities and resources have severely restricted the ability of minority families to become homeowners,” Jones said. “The SmartBuy mortgage and student loan assistance program will help break down barriers for prospective homebuyers who suffer from student loan debt.”

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) launched the SmartBuy program Dec. 1, 2020. The program offers a safe, affordable 30-year fixed rate first mortgage with $5,000 in assistance to be used toward a down payment and/or closing costs. In addition, the program will provide 15% of the purchase price, or up to $40,000, in student loan debt relief to borrowers.

To qualify for SmartBuy, potential borrowers must have at least $1,000 in student loan debt and must pay off their full remaining student loan balance at closing. The program also requires a FICO mid-score of at least 640, and applicants must meet certain income and purchase price requirements.

SmartBuy was created using appropriations allocated to IHDA in the historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, and is expected to assist approximately 500 to 1000 borrowers.

Learn more about SmartBuy and find a list of SmartBuy approved loan vendors at www.ihdamortgage.org/smartbuy.

CHICAGO – State Senator Emil Jones, III (D-Chicago) is encouraging parents who might need a little extra help preparing their young children for school to enroll in the Illinois State Board of Education’s new educational text program.

“Oftentimes, we can get so wrapped up in our day that we could forget to do something as small as asking our kids how their day went,” Jones said. “However, providing parents with a reminder via text and prompts to engage with their children is a useful tool in encouraging parents and children to prioritize those conversations.” 

The Chat2Learn Program — spearheaded by ISBE and the Behavioral Insights and Parenting — will engage up to 50,000 parents and caregivers of preschool-aged children in Illinois Preschool For All and Preschool For All Expansion programs. Program administrators are encouraged to sign parents up on their behalf. However, parent-enrollment will open at a later date.

Through conversation prompts given to parents through the program, future students will build literacy, mathematics, and social-emotional skills for kindergarten readiness. The messages are based on research evidence collected by the BIP Lab.

An example message is: "Part of being a parent is getting to know your child better every day. Ask your child, 'If you had a day to do whatever you wanted, what would you do?'"

Text messages begin on Dec. 6 and continue through June 30, 2021.

For more information, visit https://biplab.uchicago.edu/

CHICAGO – As many businesses continue to face financial losses due to the ongoing pandemic, State Senator Emil Jones, III (D-Chicago) is pleased 14 local businesses have received financial assistance through the Business Interruption Grant program.

“Small businesses were strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and many still have not regained their financial losses,” Jones said. “I am pleased 14 local businesses are receiving some financial relief from the BIG program, and I encourage others to apply.”

CHICAGO – To help unemployed workers find jobs, State Senator Emil Jones (D-Chicago) is encouraging people to apply for the Illinois Department of Transportation’s seasonal snow-and-ice removal positions.

“The pandemic has left many workers unemployed and it has been hard for them to find other jobs,” Jones said. “IDOT’s snow removal positions are a great chance for people to seek employment through the agency. These snow removal jobs are critical in keeping our roads safe and could last beyond the winter season.” 

Through the department’s annual “snowbird” program, temporary snowplow drivers are hired every year on a full-time and on-call basis. To be considered, applicants must have a commercial driver’s license. A pre-employment physical, vision test, and drug and alcohol screening are also required. 

Applicants will be selected based on availability, job-related experience and qualifications. Veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. 

For additional information, including positions and the application process in specific districts, details on pay and the potential for benefits, please click here. 

CHICAGO – As COVID-19 continues to spread, State Senator Emil Jones, III (D-Chicago) encourages people to get tested if they have symptoms or come in contact with someone who is positive.

“To stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our communities, people who have symptoms need to get tested,” Jones said. “The process of being tested for the virus is simple, and there are sites across the state. I encourage people to get tested to prevent them from potentially passing on the virus to others.” 

If a person believes they have been exposed to the virus, they should get tested 5-7 days after exposure – even if they don’t feel ill. Studies have shown that people who are asymptomatic for the virus can still spread it to others, who may become visibly sick and require medical attention. 

Individuals with symptoms that may be COVID-19 should also get tested, even if they don’t believe they need medical care.

Since March, Illinois has tested more than 3.8 million COVID-19 specimens and has continued to expand testing throughout the state.

There are nearly 300 testing sites across the state, including 11 state-operated community-based testing sites and 12 mobile testing teams that conduct tests at facilities experiencing outbreaks – including nursing homes and correctional centers -- and areas around the state reporting increased cases. All state-operated testing facilities are free. 

More information about locations, times, and requirements can be found at www.dph.illinois.gov/testing.