EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) and Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) announced Thursday that the Illinois Department of Transportations will be finished with Interstate 255repairs a month early.   

“Highways and road systems are among the most critical components of Illinois’ infrastructure. As a nationwide hub of transportation, that infrastructure is also crucial to our state’s economy,” Belt said. “The disinvestment of I-255 was a burden for the people I represent. I’m thrilled to see this long-awaited project so near to completion, and I want to thank Gov. Pritzker and IDOT for making the drivers of the Metro East a top priority.”

CHICAGO - The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus will host a press conference and rally this Friday, Oct. 23 at 10 a.m., urging Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot to prevent Mercy Hospital from closing. The press conference will be held across the street from Mercy Hospital, on the corner of 26^th and Indiana.

At the event, members from both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly will discuss why it’s vital to save the hospital, which serves predominantly Black patients, and how a potential closure would affect surrounding safety net hospitals.  

The impending closure of Mercy is directly related to the health care and human services pillar of the Legislative Black Caucus agenda.

What: Press conference on stopping the potential closure of Mercy, a safety-net Hospital

Who: Representative Lamont Robinson (D-Chicago), Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) and members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus

When: Friday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m.

Where: Mercy Hospital, 2525 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Press conference will be set up at the corner of 26th and Indiana.

CHICAGO – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined the Senate Education and Higher Education Committees for a hearing focused on equitable funding and affordable models for free tuition for Illinois college students.

Wednesday’s hearing was the sixth hearing dedicated to education and workforce development, the second pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ agenda to rid Illinois of systemic racism.

“We continue to see a trend where underfunding and budget cuts disproportionately leave Black students behind in attaining a college education,” Lightford said. “Our focus should be on ensuring that our state support is having a direct impact on closing the inequities that exist in college affordability.”

DANVILLE – To provide every Illinoisan fair and equal access to the internet, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is encouraging organizations in rural areas to apply for $50 million in available funding through the second round of the Connect Illinois broadband expansion program.

“Access to a high-speed internet connection is essential for people’s ability to work, learn and carry out business,” Bennett said. “Rural residents deserve a better approach to broadband—I encourage eligible applicants to apply for this next round of grants.” 

The second round of Connect Illinois grants will allow for up to $5 million per project and calls for a matching component, which requires companies to dedicate funding that will accelerate the delivery of broadband investments. Internet service providers, rural cooperatives, nonprofits and local governments are eligible to apply.

Residents across Vermilion County experience slower-than-average internet speeds: In Tilton and Westville, connection speeds are nearly one-third slower than the state average, and in Catlin and Rantoul, downloads take about twice as long.

“During the pandemic, the lack of broadband access has been particularly challenging for those trying to work and learn from home,” Bennett said. “Vermilion County residents have especially faced these barriers – It’s time to close the digital divide.”

Funding for the Connect Illinois program is made possible through Rebuild Illinois, the state’s historic, bipartisan $45 billion statewide construction program, which has dedicated $420 million to broadband infrastructure.

The application for this round of grants will remain open through February 2021. More information on the program can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s website.

CHICAGO – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) is encouraging local businesses and non-profits to apply for newly available Connect Illinois grants to help expand broadband to underserved communities.

“You have to have reliable, affordable internet access to participate in the world we live in today – whether it’s for work, to apply for government assistance, or even to access education or health care,” Villanueva said. “These grants can help make internet more affordable for low-income families who need it to help improve their situations.”

The first round of Connect Illinois grants jumpstarted the process of providing improved access to high-speed internet for approximately 26,000 businesses, households, and other institutions throughout the state.

The second round of Connect Illinois grants will allow for up to $5 million per project and calls for a matching component, which requires companies, non-profits, and local governments that apply to dedicate funding that will accelerate the delivery of broadband investments. 

“Too many people think of broadband internet access as a purely rural issue,” Villanueva said. “It isn’t. Lower-income households – particularly Brown and Black families – in the city and suburbs also struggle to find affordable internet access.”

Funding for the Connect Illinois program is made possible through Rebuild Illinois, the state’s historic $45 billion statewide construction program, which dedicates $420 million to broadband infrastructure.

The application for this round of grants will remain open through February 2021. More information on this grant program can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s website.

VERNON HILLS – As the state continues to see a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) is urging Lake County residents to take advantage of a free mobile testing site coming to Vernon Hills Thursday.

“Getting tested if you’ve been exposed to the virus, have traveled or feel ill is vital to reducing the spread of COVID-19,” Johnson said. “The free mobile site gives Lake County residents quicker and easier access to testing that will help keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe and healthy.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health will set up a COVID-19 mobile testing site at Vernon Hills High School, located at 145 Lakeview Parkway, Thursday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Anyone will be able to get tested at the site for free, regardless of symptoms. No appointment is necessary, but daily testing supplies are limited, so residents are encouraged to visit early.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.

However, people with COVID-19 can spread the virus before they start showing symptoms, and some individuals may be asymptomatic. For this reason, IDPH recommends testing for anyone who has recently been part of a large gathering or has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

For more information about COVID-19 testing, visit http://www.dph.illinois.gov/testing. 

SPRINGFIELD – Following the passing of former state Senator and Carlinville mayor Deanna Demuzio, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) released the following statement:

“I met Deanna Demuzio on a hot summer evening in 1995 at the Macoupin County Fair.  I was in college—her husband Vince took a liking to me and invited me to the fair with him to watch the queen pageant.  I was nervous that night driving to Carlinville from Bunker Hill. This was way out of my comfort zone, and I didn’t know the Demuzios, and they really didn’t know me.  Vince was late getting to the fair, so I found myself roaming aimlessly around the entrance to the grandstand—the only person wearing a pair of khakis and a polo shirt in the blazing heat.  That must have made me stick out like a sore thumb. Debating in my head how long I should stick around, a woman walked up to me as if she was on a mission. Armed with a smile, she said in the most pleasant of voices, ‘You must be Andy. I’ve heard so much about you.’ She handed me my ticket and said ‘follow me.’

KANKAKEE – As small businesses face financial uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Park Forest) is encouraging business owners to apply for a Business Interruption Grant (BIG).

“Small businesses form the core of our community, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it extremely difficult for some to survive,” Joyce said. “I encourage folks that have suffered significant losses to apply for aid through the BIG program to help them through these challenging times.”