KANKAKEE – As part of a district-wide tour of local businesses, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) visited the Kankakee Valley Theatre Association (KVTA) on Monday to tour the theater.

“The Kankakee Valley Theatre Association has a great impact on our community, and they are finally able to welcome people back,” Joyce said. “Without their performances, our community would have few opportunities to see these productions in our area. They have a fantastic list of shows coming up, and it’s a great excuse to get out and show our support.” 

During the tour, Joyce met with KTVA President Courtney Stephens, Business Manager Paula Sutter, Secretary Kayla James and former Vice President Rhonda Stenzinger. Stephens said they are excited to be able to return to the stage and entertain the community again after the theater sat empty for so many months, and they ask the community to consider supporting their work by attending one of their upcoming productions.

The following is a list of current and upcoming productions at the theater:

Youth Summer Theatre Camp - July 2021

10-Minute Play Festival - August 2021

The Music Man - October 2021

The Beast of Gevaudan - October 2021

Beauty and the Beast JR. - November 2021

Peter and the Starcatcher - February 2022

Mary Poppins JR. - April 2022

Guys and Dolls - May 2022

"KVTA would like to thank Senator Joyce for taking the time to pause and appreciate the arts in our community,” said KTVA President Courtney Stephens. “His support and dedication to helping KVTA thrive goes above and beyond our expectations."

The theater is actively seeking out new volunteers, especially after being sidelined for over a year and a half due to the pandemic. Additional details can be found at www.kvta.org.

Joyce hopes to visit more local restaurants, retail shops and businesses that provide personal services, like spas and salons, in the coming weeks as part of his small business tour series. Interested businesses can schedule a tour by visiting SenatorPatrickJoyce.com.

Photo: State Senator Patrick Joyce joins the leadership of the Kankakee Valley Theatre Association for a small business tour on Monday, July 12. From left to right: Secretary Kayla James, President Courtney Stephens, Business Manager Paula Sutter, State Senator Patrick Joyce and former KTVA Vice President Rhonda Stenzinger.

SOUTH WILMINGTON – Motorists who have been unable to visit a driver services facility to renew their driver’s licenses and purchase vehicle stickers will be able to attend a free mobile unit event, sponsored by State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) in partnership with the secretary of state’s office. 

“The mobile unit makes it easier for folks to receive necessary services without waiting for long periods of time outside a driver services facility,” Joyce said. “I encourage anyone in need of a safe and convenient way to renew and pay fees to attend this upcoming event.”

The unit operates like a DMV office and offers driver’s license renewals, identification cards and license plate stickers. Attendees must wear face coverings, and social distancing rules must be followed.

Joyce reminds residents that REAL ID services will not be available at the mobile unit. The deadline to obtain a REAL ID has been extended to May 3, 2023.

In addition, Joyce invites local veterans to utilize this event to add a veteran’s designation to their driver’s license or state ID. For veteran designation, residents must bring their DD-214 or NAF 13038. For more information about veteran ID services, call the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs at 1-800-437-9824.

With questions or for additional information, contact Joyce’s office at 708-756-0882 or visit SenatorPatrickJoyce.com.

WHO:                   State Senator Patrick Joyce and Secretary of State Jesse White’s office

WHAT:                 Secretary of state mobile unit event  

WHEN:                 Tuesday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.        

WHERE:               South Wilmington Village Hall

                             380 Lake St., South Wilmington

PARK FOREST— To encourage young people to continue learning this summer, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is encouraging kids to participate in his Summer Book Club for children and young people who live in the 40^th State Senate District.

“The purpose of this reading club is to inspire our youth to read during the summer when school is out,” Joyce said. “This book club also offers a completion incentive, giving kids something to work toward during the summer months.”

The Summer Book Club requires students to read eight books of their choice during the summer break, record the names of the books on a form and return the form to Joyce’s office by Aug. 11. Participants will receive a gift card and certificate from Senator Joyce. 

“This Summer Book Club makes reading fun and promotes lifelong learning,” Joyce said. “I am encouraging young readers to set aside 10-15 minutes a day to read and make it a part of their summer routine.”

To receive a book club form, visit SenatorPatrickJoyce.com to download and print the form, or call Joyce’s office at 708-756-0882 to request a copy by mail.

Joyce urges interested residents to call his office with any additional questions.

KANKAKEE – A measure sponsored by State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) to prevent children’s lemonade stands from being shut down for not having a permit was signed into law Friday by Gov. JB Pritzker. 

This new law was inspired by 12-year-old Hayli Martinez, whose lemonade stand in Kankakee was flagged by local officials and shut down.

“Opening a lemonade stand can teach kids about entrepreneurship and responsibility, so it’s really a great opportunity for them to learn while making some extra money,” Joyce said. “This new law will allow our young entrepreneurs to dream big without any hurdles.”

PARK FOREST – Residents can safely dispose of sensitive personal documents and unused prescription drugs at a free community event hosted by State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex), State Representative Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights) and Park Forest Mayor Jonathan Vanderbilt.

The community shred and prescription drug take-back event will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 22, in the parking lot of Village of Park Forest, located at 350 Victory Drive in Park Forest.

“Consumer fraud and identity theft are becoming far too common in our communities,” Joyce said. “Personal data should be confidential – I urge everyone to attend this free event so they can safely dispose of sensitive documents.” 

To help reduce the chances of identity theft, experts recommend shredding things like bank statements, credit card offers and credit card convenience checks. Residents should also shred canceled credit cards, canceled checks, pay stubs, old photo IDs and tax returns that are more than three years old.

To accommodate all participants, each person will be limited to two boxes of residential shredding. Boxes and bags will be returned. Documents will be accepted for shredding until trucks reach capacity. No electronics will be accepted.

DeLuca encourages residents to take advantage of this safe and convenient opportunity to protect themselves from identity theft.

In addition to offering free document shredding, Joyce, DeLuca, and Vanderbilt have teamed up with the Park Forest Police Department to provide safe disposal of unused or expired prescription drugs at the event.

Proper disposal of unwanted prescription drugs can protect the environment and even save lives, preventing pollution, accidental poisoning, misuse and overdose.

Residents are asked to bring unused or expired medications in their prescription bottles or in a clear, sealed bag. They should remove any labels on the bottles or use a permanent marker to black out personal health information, including name, address and health insurance data. Liquids and sharps will not be accepted.

If residents have questions about the event, Joyce urges them to contact his office at 708-756-0882 or visit SenatorPatrickJoyce.com.

PARK FOREST – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is reminding people to look out for text and email scams asking for personal information from someone claiming to be from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“We have seen an increase in scams throughout the pandemic, and most recently scammers are posing as representatives of IDOT seeking people’s personal information,” Joyce said. “If you’ve received a suspicious text message or email asking for personal information, don’t respond – delete it.”

While the messages might look official, IDOT will not request personal information, such as Social Security numbers or bank information, via text or email.

PARK FOREST – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is optimistic for Illinois’ financial future after Fitch Ratings raised its outlook on Illinois’ General Obligation bonds from negative to positive, a direct result of responsible spending.

“I’m glad to see the state’s responsible budget plan, which we passed earlier this month, getting its deserved recognition by Fitch Ratings,” Joyce said. “Following a tough economic year, we were still able to make our state’s fiscal health a top priority, and we are moving Illinois toward a brighter future.”

Fitch’s is the third ratings agency to upgrade the state’s forecast, in addition to Standard and Poor’s, and Moody’s.

PARK FOREST – In an effort to promote resources available to small businesses and hear from small business owners and entrepreneurs, Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is accepting applications to tour shops, restaurants and other establishments in the 40^th Senate District.

“Small businesses are the heart of our communities,” Joyce said. “I am asking local businesses to submit their information and schedule a tour, so we can help empower and support our entrepreneurs as the state moves forward from the pandemic.”

Joyce said he hopes to tour restaurants, retail shops and businesses that provide personal services, like spas and salons. All tours will be in compliance with the state’s public health guidelines and restrictions.

Applications are open, and interested business owners can find the application at SenatorPatrickJoyce.com/SmallBusinessTours. Joyce plans to start the program in the coming weeks and requests that businesses submit their applications soon. Once an application is received, a member of Joyce’s team will respond with additional details.

Those with questions can contact Joyce’s office at 708-756-0882 or visit SenatorPatrickJoyce.com.