Chicago – Following a successful month-long welcome kit drive with World Relief Chicago, State Senator Mike Simmons (D- Chicago) will be distributing the kits to Afghan refugees alongside other far North Side elected officials from his district office.

“I am deeply grateful to all of the elected officials on the far North Side, World Relief Chicago and to all of the community members who have gathered to support our newest neighbors,” Simmons said. “As the son of a refugee, I am even more grateful for the warm welcome that our community has given to our newest neighbors.”

CHAMPAIGN – The annual Conservation Achievement Scholarship is now accepting applications, and State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) urges eligible Illinois high school seniors to apply.

The Conservation Achievement Scholarship will award up to four scholarships of $2,000 each to outstanding high school seniors in Illinois who demonstrate effective, voluntary, long-term dedication to the preservation, protection or enhancement of the state’s natural resources.

“I encourage high school seniors interested in conversation stewardship and protecting our natural resources to apply for this scholarship,” said Bennett, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “This scholarship opportunity is a chance to help students lessen the burden of college debt and will help you achieve your post-secondary educational goals.”

The scholarship funds may be used for tuition, college or university fees, textbooks, or room and board. Funds are mailed directly to the college or university of the successful applicant.

Detailed instructions and the 2022 application form can be accessed through the ICF website. Applications must be received by the ICF by March 1, 2022.

Questions should be addressed to the Illinois Conservation Foundation at 217-785-2003 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

KANKAKEE – The annual Conservation Achievement Scholarship is now accepting applications, and Senate Agriculture Chair Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) invites eligible Illinois high school seniors to apply.

The Conservation Achievement Scholarship will award up to four scholarships of $2,000 each to outstanding high school seniors in Illinois who demonstrate effective, voluntary, long-term dedication to the preservation, protection or enhancement of the state’s natural resources.

“This scholarship program awards our best and brightest students for their hard work and dedication to conservation stewardship,” Joyce said. “I encourage all eligible high school seniors to take advantage of this opportunity and apply.”

The scholarship funds may be used for tuition, college or university fees, textbooks, or room and board. Funds are mailed directly to the college or university of the successful applicant.

Detailed instructions and the 2022 application form can be accessed through the ICF website. Applications must be received by the ICF by March 1, 2022.

Questions should be addressed to the Illinois Conservation Foundation at 217-785-2003 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

CHICAGO – Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) is outraged after the Aldi in West Garfield Park abruptly closed in October, and is worried about resident’s wellbeing in lieu of the West Side becoming a food desert.

“This closure is devastating to the community because a lot of people depended on this Aldi for convenient and affordable food,” Van Pelt said. “In particular, many older residents got their groceries from here. This is not just an affordability issue, but a mobility issue as well.”

In Chicago, more than 500,000 residents – most who are African-American – live in food deserts, while an additional 400,000 live in neighborhoods with an abundance of fast food restaurants and no grocery stores nearby.

NAPERVILLE – In recognition of sacrifices made by brave Illinoisans who have served our country, State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) is inviting people to write friendly and encouraging letters to residents of veterans’ homes ahead of Veterans Day.

“Our veterans have made sacrifices for our community and our nation that we will never be able to repay,” Ellman said. “However, by taking the time to reach out with kind messages and words of encouragement, we can make them feel recognized and appreciated.”

Senators support new investment in communities hardest hit by gun violence in Illinois

CHICAGO – Senators in the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus support Governor JB Pritzker’s declaration of gun violence as a public health crisis and announcement of a $250 million investment over a three year period to implement the Reimagine Public Safety Plan, a data driven and community-based violence prevention initiative.

“This is a bipartisan investment in our communities to stem the surge in violence,” said Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). “I’m proud of the work my colleagues did to put this vital initiative together so that we can make a difference.”

Anti-violence funding will support the enactment of the Reimagine Public Safety Act, which establishes the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention within the Illinois Department of Human Services to focus on reducing firearm deaths and injuries in communities with the most gun violence.

Read more.

Bennett: College-bound students can use Common App to apply to Illinois public universities

CHAMPAIGN – Prospective students applying to any of Illinois’ 12 public universities can now use the Common Application, and Senate Higher Education Chair Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is encouraging incoming students to take advantage.

Bennett worked with his colleagues in the General Assembly and the Illinois Board of Higher Education to obtain $1 million in funding to add all of the state’s public universities onto the Common App platform so that students in Illinois will consider continuing their educational journey at home.

Read more.

Turner and community leaders celebrate economic development expansion in Enos Park

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) held a press conference last week to celebrate the passage of a measure to extend the Enos Park Tax Increment Financing District for another 12 years.

“The Enos Park TIF has been instrumental in revitalizing a Springfield neighborhood and has been a great tool in the expansion of the Mid-Illinois Medical District,” Turner said “Neighborhoods that were once an eyesore and full of blight and despair are now home to young families and home rehabilitation success stories.”

Read more.

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LOCKPORT – In recognition of sacrifices made by brave Illinoisans who have served our country, State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) is inviting people to write friendly and encouraging letters to residents of veteran’s homes ahead of Veterans Day.

“Our veterans have all made tremendous sacrifices for us, and Operation Rising Spirit gives us an opportunity to honor those sacrifices,” Connor said. “In our community and across the state, our service members deserve to feel recognized and appreciated for their contributions.”

Operation Rising Spirit is an initiative of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs that encourages communities to write letters to residents in the care of veterans’ homes in Illinois. At a time when isolation is at a record high, the letters are meant to extend friendly affirmation for the bravery and courage of veterans both throughout their service and the pandemic.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many residents of long-term care facilities have not been able to see friends or family for quite some time,” Connor said. “By taking the time to send kind messages and words of encouragement, we can help make our veterans across the state feel remembered and appreciated, and combat the loneliness they may be experiencing.”

The campaign will focus on veterans’ homes in Illinois, located in Anna, Chicago, LaSalle, Manteno, and Quincy. To send a message to a veteran or a veteran home, visit Send-a-note. For people wanting to send physical letters, locations for each of the veterans’ homes can be found here.

PEORIA – In recognition of sacrifices made by brave Illinoisans who have served our country, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) is inviting people to write friendly and encouraging letters to residents of veteran’s homes ahead of Veterans Day.

“I am proud to represent a great deal of veterans across Central Illinois,” Koehler said. “Our communities benefit every day from the sacrifices they have made for us, and it is important that we show our appreciation and honor those sacrifices.”

Operation Rising Spirit is an initiative of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs that encourages communities to write letters to residents in the care of veterans’ homes in Illinois. At a time when isolation is at a record high, the letters are meant to extend friendly affirmation for the bravery and courage of veterans both throughout their service and the pandemic.

“Especially during this time of uncertainty and isolation for many people living in long-term care facilities, kind messages and words of encouragement are an easy way to make our veterans feel remembered and appreciated,” Koehler said. “I hope that members of our community will take the time to reach out and make a positive impact.”

The campaign will focus on veterans’ homes in Illinois, located in Anna, Chicago, LaSalle, Manteno, and Quincy. To send a message to a veteran or a veteran home, visit Send-a-note. For people wanting to send physical letters, locations for each of the veterans’ homes can be found here.