LAKE COUNTY, Ill. —State Senators Julie Morrison and Adriane Johnson are congratulating a number of Lake County-based museums who were awarded part of a $22.8 billion grant to improve facilities and develop new exhibits. 

“Museums serve as a place for people to explore, families to bond and children to learn,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Due to the ongoing public health crisis, many of these outstanding facilities have lost money, despite continuing to share their facilities with the public through new virtual ways.” 

Buffalo Grove Park District was one of more than three dozen institutions to receive part of the $22.8 million in funding. The Educational Gardens at The Nature Classroom program through the park district received $246,000. 

“Museums and the exhibits and programs they offer help tell a story of our community and state’s history,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “The additional funding will allow these institutions to expand, grow and create more opportunities for Lake County residents and all who visit.”

The Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, spearheaded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, was open to any museum operated by a local government or located on municipally-owned land.

The  Waukegan History Museum Expansion at the Carnegie Center through the Waukegan Park District, located in the district Johnson represents, also received $750,000 in assistance through the grant program. 

Additionally, the Chicago Botanic Garden, located in the district Morrison represents, received $750,000 for water main improvements. 

For more information on the Museum Capital Grant Program, visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resource’s website.

JOLIET – State Senator Pat McGuire (D-Joliet) congratulated the Bolingbrook Park District and the Will County Forest Preserve District on receiving substantial Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants to improve their services to the public.

“Nature always refreshes and educates,” McGuire said. “These grants will enable Bolingbrook and Will County residents to better enjoy time outside, a need that is great during this pandemic and certainly will be after it.”

The Bolingbrook Park District plans to use the more than $500,000 grant to improve its Hidden Oaks Outdoor Pavilion – an outdoor classroom space for nature programs.

The Will County Forest Preserve District is using its $750,000 grant to make improvements to its Four Rivers Environmental Education Center. Located where the Des Plaines, DuPage, and Kankakee Rivers meet to form the Illinois River, the center provides indoor nature exhibits and observation spaces.  

You can find more information about the Bolingbrook Park District and the Will County Forest Preserve District at their websites here and here.

CHAMPAIGN – In observance of World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse on Nov. 19, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) expressed his thanks to child protection services professionals who work to prevent child abuse and neglect.

“On this day, we celebrate the important role communities play in protecting children from abuse,” Bennett said. “It’s a reminder that it is our everyday task to put forth our efforts toward strengthening families and preventing abuse and neglect so that our children have a safe place to grow.”

Dating back to 2000, the first World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse was launched by the Women’s World Summit Foundation (WWSF). WWSF joined hands with an international coalition of advocacy organizations for women and children’s issues, and together, they started a movement to mobilize governments and societies to take action and prevent child abuse.

The purpose of the day is to encourage governments and civic organizations to play a more active role in the promotion of and respect for the rights of the child, especially with regards to the issue of child abuse and the need for effective prevention programs.

According to WWSF, child abuse, especially sexual abuse, is a universal and alarming problem, and increased attention, efficient protection skills and prevention measures are necessary at the family, local, national and international level. 

“We have to do everything we can to ensure parents have the knowledge, skills and resources necessary to care for their children,” Bennett said. “We can then prevent child abuse, and in turn, create strong and thriving children and families in our community.”

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is highlighting that Midway Village & Museum Center, Discovery Center Museum of Rockford, Harry and Della Burpee Museum Association and Winnebago County will receive more than $1 million in combined grants to improve their facilities and develop new exhibits.

"Museums tell a story about the past, and remembering our past is crucial for shaping our present and future,” Stadelman said. “Learning about our state’s history is an important part of being an Illinoisan, and I’m glad more people will have that opportunity because of this funding.”

The Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through the state’s multi-year capital program, is open to any museum operated by local government or located on municipally-owned land. The maximum grant award for the projects announced Wednesday was $750,000 and matching funds are required in many cases based on museum attendance levels.

“The Discovery Center, Burpee and Midway Village Museums attract thousands of visitors each year,” Stadelman said. “This grant program is making an investment in the Rockford community, which will spark economic growth in our community.”

More information on the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program is available on the IDNR website at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/grants/Pages/Museum-Capital-Grants.aspx.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) is convening the Illinois State Senate’s Veterans Affairs Committee to examine the handling of the COVID-19 spread at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m.

“This hearing will help answer questions and give the residents, their families and Senate committee members greater insight into the safety protocols used by the LaSalle Veterans’ Home staff to keep our veterans healthy and safe,” Cullerton said. “We hope to work together to ensure our veterans receive the best care possible.”

More than 150 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. The LaSalle facility can provide care for up to 184 veterans, according to the agency’s website, and the facility currently has 121 residents and 230 active employees.

OAKBROOK TERRACE– The Elmhurst History Museum and Lombard Historical Society will receive a combined $1 million in grants through the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) announced Wednesday.

“Our museums hold the history of our state and help share that heritage through education and exhibits,” Glowiak Hilton said. “This funding will allow our museums to create new and enlightening experiences for generations of Illinois residents.”

The Elmhurst History Museum will receive $255,300 for an operation upgrade, and the Lombard Historical Society will receive $750,000—the maximum grant award for this round of projects—to expand and improve core operations at its historic Carriage House building. 

Through the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, 43 Illinois museums will receive a combined $22.8 million in state capital investments to improve their facilities and develop new exhibits. The program is made possible by the Rebuild Illinois multi-year state capital program.

The Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program is open to any museum operated by local government or located on municipally-owned land. More information on the program is available here.

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CHAMPAIGN – Two Champaign-Urbana attractions are among the 43 Illinois museums to receive a portion of $22.8 million in state capital investments to improve their facilities and develop new exhibits, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) announced Wednesday.

“These grants could not have come at a better time, with many of our cultural institutions facing significant losses as a result of the COVID-19 crisis,” Bennett said. “This funding will further the park districts’ efforts to adapt and transform their services to meet the community’s needs through this ongoing pandemic.”

Among the museums receiving grants are the Virginia Theatre, operated by the Champaign Park District, and the Urbana Park District’s Outdoor Learning Pavilion. Each received the maximum grant award of $750,000.

"Museums located throughout Illinois receiving funding through this program are investing in exciting new exhibits and facilities improvements that will help them meet the interests of Illinois citizens and visitors of all ages,” said IDNR Director Colleen Callahan. “The museums will provide opportunities to experience the art, anthropology, history, culture, and natural history of their communities, as well as our state and nation.”

The grants are awarded through the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program, funded by the Rebuild Illinois multi-year state capital program. The grant program is open to any museum operated by local government or located on municipally-owned land. More information is available on the IDNR website.

BUNKER HILL – Continuing his efforts to close the broadband gap, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) announced the availability of three programs to improve access to internet services Downstate.

Manar, who chairs the Senate Appropriations II Committee and serves as a lead budget negotiator for the Illinois Senate Democrats, has long advocated for the modernization of high-speed internet infrastructure in Downstate communities.