JOLIET – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) attended a meet and greet luncheon on Wednesday afternoon with the Joliet Chamber and Joliet’s fire chief and chief of police.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to thank and listen to the Joliet fire and police leaders to hear their concerns and priorities moving forward,” Connor said. “Chiefs Blaskey and Malec have shown their readiness for and dedication to protecting Joliet families, and I look forward to the positive changes they will make.”

Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey discussed COVID-19 response in the community and vaccination efforts by the fire department, as well as its work to increase survival rates for local victims of cardiac arrest. Chief of Police Dawn Malec discussed the upcoming implementation of body cameras for the Joliet Police Department in order to maintain transparency and keep families safe, along with upcoming job opportunities with the department.

“When we all work together, we can make our community a better and safer place to live,” Connor said. “I look forward to continuing to work alongside Chiefs Blaskey and Malec to meet that shared goal.”

SPRINGFIELD — On Thursday, Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2017, the FY22 Budget Implementation Act, as well as Senate Bill 2800, the state’s spending plan, a package of legislation that puts Illinois back on the path toward fiscal stability. 

"We have approved a budget plan that I believe is balanced, responsible and puts us on a path toward a brighter future,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman, Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago). “Not only is this budget balanced, it provides stability by making our full required pension payment, paying down the borrowing we needed last year and funding many of our priorities to put our state on the right path."

DES PLAINES – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) was awarded the first-ever Des Plaines Chamber Community Partnership Excellence Award on Thursday in recognition of her service and dedication to the community and its businesses.

“It is the greatest pleasure and honor to continue to serve this community,” Murphy said at the ceremony. “The people in Des Plaines make this community the fabulous place it is. None of us do this work alone—it’s only because of the support of the residents that we’re able to do it.”

The Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce & Industry selected Murphy to receive the award because of her longtime efforts to improve pedestrian safety in the community, particularly along Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines.

MARYVILLE – To ensure local emergency services are prepared to protect Metro East communities, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) announced four local fire departments will receive funding through the Small Equipment Grant Program, administered by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.

“Fire departments and protection districts in downstate oftentimes have difficulty purchasing equipment due to budget constraints,” Crowe said. “With these investments in public safety, our state can help ensure our firefighters have adequate equipment, and are ready to serve and protect our families and communities.”

The Small Equipment Grant Program was established by OSFM to provide grants of up to $26,000 to support small firefighting and ambulance equipment purchases. A total of $3.3 million was awarded to 149 fire departments and EMS providers across the state through the program.

Four grant recipients are located within the 56th Senate District:

• Collinsville Fire Department – $20,000
• Edwardsville Fire Department – $9,554
• South Roxana Fire Protection District- $26,000
• Village of East Alton Fire Department – $25,367.25

A complete list of recipients and awards can be found on the OSFM website.

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) announced that local communities will be receiving more than $4.5 million in funding to improve local walking and bicycle paths.

“With the state opening back up and the weather getting warmer, more people will be spending their time outside enjoying recreational areas across our communities,” Castro said. “This funding will allow people to enjoy our bike and pedestrian paths safely and easily.”

Projects receiving funding through these awards are:

• Irving Park Road at Bartlett Road intersection,
• County Farm Road multi-use path,
• Streamwood IL 59 bicycle and pedestrian overpass, and
• Hassell Road Corridor pedestrian and bicycle facility enhancements

These projects are part of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, for which the Illinois Department of Transportation has selected 99 projects totaling $105.7 million.  Projects receiving funding in this round of investment include biking and walking paths, trails, streetscape beautification, and other projects designed to encourage safe travel across the various modes of transportation at the local level.

“From commuting to recreation, walking and bike paths play an important role in our communities,” Castro said. “I look forward to seeing the improvements this funding will bring.”

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. – Job seekers had the opportunity to connect with 15 local companies and learn more about open positions, employee benefits and getting hired at a virtual job expo on Thursday hosted by State Senators Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) and Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove).

Johnson and Bush partnered with the Illinois Department of Employment Security and the Job Center of Lake County to host the expo, which attracted 60 candidates.

WEST CHICAGO – Illinois families will have safer access to bridges, sidewalks and bike paths thanks to a $1.7 million investment in Sugar Grove and Geneva, State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) announced Thursday.

“Illinoisans can finally travel and explore other communities with our state reopened, and it’s imperative that we provide safe and accessible transportation options,” Villa said. “These investments in our local infrastructure will benefit everyone in the 25^th District.”

Residents of the 25^th District will see improvements to bridges, sidewalks and bike paths, including:

• Blackberry Creek Bridge and shared-use path in Sugar Grove,
• Sidewalks for safe routes to schools in Sugar Grove, and
• Kautz Road Bike Path in Geneva.

These projects are part of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, for which the Illinois Department of Transportation has selected 99 projects totaling $105.7 million. Projects receiving funding in this round of investment include biking and walking paths, trails, streetscape beautification, and other projects designed to encourage safe travel across the various modes of transportation at the local level.

“Working families across Illinois will be able to enjoy a higher quality of life with these expanded travel options,” Villa said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to enjoy the enhanced pedestrian and bike paths with our community.”

DES PLAINES – To help community members protect their personal information from fraudsters, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is hosting a community shred event on Saturday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Acuity Brands Lighting, located at 1300 S. Wolf Rd. in Des Plaines.

“One way we can all prevent fraud and identity theft is by securely disposing of sensitive personal documents,” Murphy said. “Take advantage of this free and convenient opportunity to help keep your information out of the wrong hands.”

At this free community event, residents can securely dispose of any sensitive or confidential documents, like bank statements, paid utility bills and receipts.

The event will take place in the parking lot on the Wolf Road side of Acuity Brands Lighting, formerly known as Juno Lighting Group.

All residents, including those who are vaccinated, are asked to continue to adhere to COVID-19 prevention measures at the event by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing for the safety of anyone still waiting to be vaccinated.

Murphy is hosting the event in partnership with State Representative Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines).

“You can never be too careful when protecting yourself against financial fraud or identity theft which is why I strongly encourage any resident who has sensitive documents they need to get rid of to take advantage of this service,” Moylan said.