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In This Issue
Illinois Energy Efficiency & Conservation
Educational Scholarships Awarded
Victim Services Sees Decrease in State Funding
Directions
Paint Recycling Program Reinstated
Funding Available for County Courthouse Projects
Funding to Expand & Enhance Transportation Choices
Illinois to Test Every Rape Kit

ILLINOIS ENERGY EFFICIENCY & CONSERVATION BLOCK
GRANT PROGRAM UPDATE
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The Illinois Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG) review process is under way.  Applications were due by June 11.  The  WIRC received ten applications totaling $486,179 in requests for EECBG funds.  All of the projects were in the Energy Efficiency and Retrofit category.  A review team comprised of two DCEO Regional Outreach office administrators, a representative of Ameren Illinois and a representative from a rural electric cooperative completed the review of the applications to the Illinois Association of Regional Councils (ILARC)/Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for funding consideration.  The review was completed on June 25.  ILARC/DCEO will be reviewing the recommendations and sending them on to the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the final consideration/approval.  Funding awards are anticipated by the fall.


WIRC-CAA HELPS NINE STUDENTS WITH COLLEGE EXPENSES

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Nine individuals were awarded scholarships from WIRC-CAA to pursue their college educations.  After meeting basic criteria, each winner was chosen as a recipient of a $1,500 monetary award based on their scholarship potential, commitment to civic and public affairs, and career goals.

Scholarship recipients were:

Tania Baker - Macomb

Nancy Dixon - Carthage

Jay Henshaw - Oquawka

Ronald Holeman - Monmouth

Jessica Horton - Lomax

Cassandra Jones -  Carthage

Chloe Li - Colchester

Thomas Lovejoy - Macomb

Martina Rodgers - Macomb


TCR&WMC

Tri-County Resource & Waste Management Council

PAINT RECYCLING PROGRAM REINSTATED
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Beginning September 1, the Tri-County Regional Collection Facility (TCRCF) will resume offering its residential (only) paint recycling services to residents in the City of Rushville, and the counties of Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Mercer and Warren.  The TCRCF is located at 510 North Pearl Street in Macomb, and is open Tuesday through Friday 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and the first Saturday of the month from 8:00 am to noon.  The facility will accept interior and exterior latex, alkyd, enamel and oil based paints; porch, floor and deck paints; oil and latex primers and interior and exterior varnishes and urethanes.  Unacceptable items include: adhesives; automotive paints; industrial or two-part paint; brushes, rags and rollers; jointing compounds; roofing tar; solvents and window glazing compound.  Before unloading, it is mandatory that you check in at the office first!  For information on other collection sites, call the Facility at (309) 836-5926 or (309) 331-4781.  The paint program is sponsored by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Partners in Paint Program; City of Galesburg; City of Macomb; City of Rushville; and the counties of Fulton; Hancock; Henderson; Knox; McDonough; and Mercer and is administered by the Western Illinois Regional Council.


VICTIM SERVICES
SEES DECREASE IN STATE FUNDING


Victim Services along with many other domestic violence and sexual assault service providers in Illinois have been waiting anxiously as the budget woes continue in Springfield.  After the legislature finally sent Governor Quinn a budget that basically gave him an amount of money to distribute without directions on how to do it, staff received notice that contracts were issued for FY11 and once again, amounts were cut.

In the past ten years, social services in Illinois have seen a drop in funding that amounts to approximately $1 billion dollars.  Victim Services (VS) has seen a decrease of approximately 35% over the years. VS has dropped from a staff of twelve to eight, yet is trying to provide the same level of service to survivors of domestic violence and their children; to survivors of sexual assault and abuse and their families; to perpetrators of family and intimate partner violence through the Domestic Abuse Prevention Program; and teens at risk for violence in the Life Intervention for Teens Program.  Victim Services continues to serve Hancock, Henderson, McDonough and Warren counties for domestic violence and sexual assault, and has also been covering Knox County for sexual assault services when asked as there is no rape crisis center in that area.   Read more...

Dear NetWIRC readers,

netwirc web logo Please distribute this newsletter to your City Council, Village Board and/or County Board.

Your help is very much appreciated. 
Sincerely,
 
Patti Sullivan-Howd
Western Illinois Regional Council
Public Relations Manager/Newsletter Editor

TopNetWIRC Newsletter - Volume 21/Issue 1
DIRECTIONS - Suzan Nash, Executive Director
This has been another roller coaster year in terms of funding.  While feeling like we had received a reprieve after last year's budget crisis, having sustained about a 12% cut in many programs, we were able to get through the year.  However, we held our breath knowing that the State's budget crisis had not been addressed and that things would certainly get worse before they got better.  This has been the case as we continue to anxiously await reimbursement for services we have provided in several of our programs.  This is not unique to us as many social service agencies, universities, and a whole host of others await reimbursement.  With the State many months in arrears on many of its programs, this has had a severe financial strain on resources and the ability to continue to provide services.

As I have said before, we are only one agency being impacted by the cuts and the State's inability to pay its bills.  When you look at it as a collective and consider the loss of services, the entities that have had to close their doors or lay people off the overall impact of this crisis in so many arenas is mind boggling. 

Unfortunately I do not have a solution.  I only know the impact that so many are feeling and I do not relish this issue that our legislators and Governor must continue to face.  It took us a while to get into this mess and the fix to get us out of it will not be a quick one.  However, there needs to be some tough discussion on building a consensus to try and move from knowing we have a problem to implementing a solution.  I know it is easy to be an "armchair quarterback" and I am not trying to say any of this is simple.  I think the concern for many that I have spoken with, myself included, is that politics continue to get in the way rather than attempting to take a team approach.  We can only hope that our legislators can move beyond this for the good of this great State and the people who work here, live here and love it!

On another note, the Western Illinois Regional Council held a community and economic development workshop for local elected officials in mid-May. 

Don Kathan from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) opened the workshop with remarks about the mission and opportunities provided by the Economic Development Administration.
EDA

The event was sponsored in part by the Economic Development Administration.  The workshop's speakers were from the Economic Development Administration, U. S. Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, the Workforce Investment Office of Western Illinois and the U. S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.  Topics discussed at the workshop included current grant funding and opportunities for small communities with regard to development funds, renewable energy, ARRA projects and information on the current job market.  There was a good regional representation of communities in attendance and it was a very well received event.

TopNCetWIRC Newsletter - Volume 21/Issue 1

Community Development News

Funding Available for County
Courthouse Projects

The Richard H. Driehaus Illinois County Courthouse Initiative was created in 2009 to provide challenge grants for the restoration of courthouses throughout the state. The Initiative is a four-year program designed to provide funding through a competitive review process administered by Landmarks Illinois. Eligible structures to be considered for grant funding include active or former courthouses that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places  or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places with the intention of becoming listed.  Read more...
TopNetWIRC Newsletter - Volume 21/Issue 1

FUNDING AVAILABLE TO EXPAND
TRAVEL CHOICES AND ENHANCE TRANSPORTATION EXPERIENCE
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The Illinois Department of Transportation recently announced that the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) is providing funding for community based projects that expand the travel choices and enhance the transportation experience by improving the cultural, historic, aesthetic and environmental aspects of our transportation infrastructure.  The ITEP does not fund road repair.  Read more...
TopNetWIRC Newsletter - Volume 21/Issue 1

ILLINOIS TO TEST EVERY RAPE KIT
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On July 7, 2010, Human Rights Watch released the second part of its investigation into the failure to test rape kits in the United States.  Investigation into Illinois' arrest rates showed that arrests were being made in only 11% of reported rapes (the national average is 22%) and a 2004 report showed there was a tremendous backlog of thousands of rape evidence kits in state labs.  At that time, Governor Rod Blagojevich helped promote passage of a law directing all rape kits be tested.

After a continued investigation by Human Rights Watch still showed a huge backlog of rape kits, Attorney General Lisa Madigan led the effort to pass a second law, the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act, by the state legislature.  This new law--the most comprehensive rape kit testing law in the country--requires every kit booked by police departments be delivered to the Illinois State Police crime lab within 10 days of collection.   Read more...

TopNetWIRC Newsletter - Volume 21/Issue 1
Western Illinois Regional Council
223 South Randolph St.
Macomb, IL 61455
(309) 837-3941
[email protected]
http://www.wirpc.org