CHICAGO – After years of being challenged by West Side youth, the Chicago Park District Board voted Wednesday to rename Douglas Park after famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass. State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) is celebrating the victory in her district.

“I’m glad the city is finally taking this step, after years of pleas to rid the park of Stephen Douglas’ name,” Van Pelt said. “Though there’s still massive issues in front of us, these victories are also significant, and I hope other cities will reconsider the monuments and park names across the state.”

Students from the Village Leadership Academy in North Lawndale first asked the board to rename the park back in 2017, and have not let up since, creating petitions and receiving support letters from local officials.

Most recently, students held a teach-in at the park to further invigorate their campaign and educate their community on Stephen Douglas and Frederick and Anna Murray Douglass.

“The voices of our youth are so important,” Van Pelt said. “It brings a smile to my face knowing the difference they’ve made this week. I implore them to keep educating, and keep raising their voices against injustice.”

The board voted unanimously to rename the park, giving residents 45 days to weigh in on the decision. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has confirmed that this decision is a part of a larger plan “to address our racial history and past, to take account and inventory of what exists in the city and sister agencies to memorialize our past but also account for what’s missing.”  

BUNKER HILL – Central Illinois communities will see more than $509 million in funding for road and bridge projects over the next six years as part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s latest Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) announced Tuesday.

“Transportation infrastructure is indispensable to a strong economic future, and the unprecedented health crisis we’re facing makes the timing of the Rebuild Illinois plan all the more significant,” Manar said. “The plan will help our economy rebound by creating thousands of jobs for families set back by COVID-19, while supporting the work and safety of professional truck drivers who are the unsung heroes of our fight against COVID-19.”

Over $509 million in funding will support 172 projects between 2021 and 2026. Of the 172 projects, 37 will begin within the next year. Manar worked in collaboration with county and municipal leaders in his district to identify locations where infrastructure improvements were most needed.

The Multi-Year Plan will invest $21.3 billion statewide over the next six years to improve 3,356 miles of road and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck.

Passed in 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic and bipartisan Rebuild Illinois plan is the largest capital program in state history. In its first year, the program improved 1,706 miles of roadway, and repaired or reconstructed 128 bridges across Illinois.

Manar led negotiation efforts on the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois plan on behalf of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus.

Projects included in the program were selected based on objective criteria, such as pavement conditions, traffic volumes and crash history.

Notable projects taking place in Manar’s district in the next 12 months are listed by county below:

Macon

• 5.94 miles of road rehabilitation on Old Route 36 from Interstate 72 to 0.2 miles west of Harristown Boulevard, and on U.S. 51 from I-72 to 0.3 miles south of Cantrell Road
• 2.7 miles of pavement rehabilitation on U.S. 51 from I-72 to Illinois 121 in Decatur
• 0.74 miles of pavement rehabilitation on Illinois 121 and 22^nd Street in Decatur from 0.1 mile south of Kile Street to the Garfield Avenue underpass in Decatur
• 5.95 miles of pavement reconstruction on I-72 from 4.4 miles west to .3 miles west of the Piatt County line

Christian County

• 5.5 miles of pavement improvements on U.S. Route 51 from the Shelby County line to one mile north of Assumption

Madison

• 6.77 miles of pavement rehabilitation on Illinois 159 from the Macoupin County line to 0.3 miles north of Illinois 140

Montgomery

• 13.11 miles of pavement preservation on the Nokomis Blacktop from Illinois 127 to 0.2 miles east of E. 20^th Road

Sangamon

• Development of the Springfield-Sangamon County Transportation Center

Macoupin

• 1.24 miles of road reconstruction along County Highway 14 and Brighton Bunker Hill Road from Fosterburg Road to Shipman Cutoff Road

WESTERN SPRINGS – With rising cases of attempted unemployment fraud, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) warned residents to contact the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) if they receive benefit cards they did not apply for.

“Scammers are taking advantage of this crisis and trying to line their pockets with money meant to help working families,” Glowiak Hilton said. “If you receive an unemployment benefit card in the mail and did not apply, do not activate it and please report it to IDES.”

Last week residents across the state reported receiving KeyBank debit cards and unemployment letters in the mail even though they did not apply. IDES says that individuals who received these mailings may be victims of identity theft or fraud. The target of this fraud is suspected to be the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Ambiguous guidelines for the program and hasty development may have left the program vulnerable to scammers.

Individuals who received these cards in the mail should not activate the debit card under any circumstances and should instead immediately contact IDES at 800-814-0513 to report identity theft. Victims of fraud should also review their credit reports for possible suspicious activity.

DES PLAINES – To encourage more young people to enter the education field, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is proud to announce nine local schools will receive Education Career Pathways Grants from the Illinois State Board of Education.

“Teachers are among the most important members of our workforce—a great teacher can make all the difference in a child’s life,” said Murphy. “The grants will help our schools recruit a diverse, well-trained and passionate team of educators to lead their classrooms.”

The Northwest Education Council for Student Success has been awarded $249,000, which will be distributed to nine high schools in the Northwest Suburbs to assist these schools in developing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to prepare students for careers in education.

CTE programs help students develop technical and employability skills while strengthening their core academic abilities to enable them to pursue higher education opportunities and succeed in the workforce. Students in CTE programs also have the opportunity to earn dual credit or credentials and certifications from partner institutions prior to high school graduation.

The programs will place a special focus on recruiting underrepresented students into education careers to help meet the high demand for teachers of color across Illinois.

“Students succeed when they can relate to their teachers,” said Murphy. “Investing in our local teacher pipelines encourages Illinois students to return to the communities where they grew up and give back to the next generation.”

Nearly $2 million in total funding has been awarded to 11 Education for Employment Systems statewide to recruit and support future educators at 62 high schools and vocational centers across the state. For a full list of grant recipients or to learn more about career and college readiness programs in Illinois, visit www.ISBE.net/CTE.

MARYVILLE – Those who haven't applied for unemployment benefits but receive a debit card claiming to provide them could be the target of a scam, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) warned residents.

“It’s beyond disappointing scammers are targeting vulnerable residents and their unemployment benefits during this time of economic crisis,” Crowe said. “In an effort to bring scammers to justice, IDES is aggressively cracking down on fraudsters filing false claims.”

Last week, reports surfaced of individuals receiving KeyBank debit cards and unemployment letters in the mail, despite never having applied for benefits. According to IDES, people who received these erroneous mailings may be targets of fraud.  

After receiving these reports, IDES launched an investigation into what appears to be a nationwide fraud scheme targeting applicants to the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. IDES said ambiguous federal guidelines—developed hastily to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic—leave PUA claimants open to attack. IDES maintains this scheme is not connected to the PUA program access issue experienced in May.

A dedicated team of staffers is now working directly with individuals whose identities are being used or have possibly been stolen. The department is also working with local and federal law enforcement authorities to pursue and prosecute those committing fraud.

Individuals who have received debit cards in the mail without applying for benefits should not activate them, and are urged to call IDES immediately at 1-800-814-0513 to report identity theft. 

Victims of fraud should also check their credit reports for possible suspicious activity, post a fraud alert and visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website for helpful tips on recognizing and reporting identity theft.

CHICAGO – State Senator Bill Cunningham is announcing the Illinois Department of Transportation has slated four miles of Kedzie Avenue for major upgrades this year. The more-than-$5 million project includes repaving, safety upgrades, and increased access for people with disabilities.

“Kedzie Avenue is a major artery connecting the city and the suburbs,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “It connects homes and businesses, and we need to keep it in good repair.”

The upgrades will cover two separate stretches of Kedzie – one running from 87^th Street to 103^rd Street and the other from 115^th Street to 131^st Street. In addition to repaving, the repairs include better lane markings and divisions, and making street crossings safer and easier for people in wheelchairs or who otherwise have limited mobility.

“I’m happy that whenever the state makes road upgrades, it makes sidewalks and crossings more accessible,” Cunningham said. “Everyone should be able to safely travel through their own neighborhood.”

The Kedzie upgrades are part of IDOT’s multi-year plan to maintain and expand Illinois’ transportation infrastructure. Other area projects scheduled for the upcoming year include land acquisition at the corner of Southwest Highway and Harlem Avenue for future improvements and repainting the Harlem Avenue bridge over the Cal-Sag Channel.

DES PLAINES – Hospitals have experienced a dire shortage of blood donations during the COVID-19 crisis, inspiring State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) to host a community blood drive Wednesday, July 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Prairie Lakes Community Center, located at 515 E. Thacker St. in Des Plaines.

“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many blood drives were cancelled, causing a shortage that put many patients at risk,” said Murphy. “Now that we have the necessary safety protocols in place, I encourage healthy people to make an appointment to donate.”