The deadline for local governments to claim federal funds for COVID-19 related expenses the Pritzker administration captured is Dec. 1. But there are other programs with millions held up by bureaucratic red tape.
One chunk of funds was part of a federal bill passed in April. The Illinois Legislature created the Local CURE program to capture the money that didn’t go directly to Chicago and the collar counties. Local governments must apply for the funds from the Pritzker administration.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said there’s more than $121 million on the table more than 400 communities haven’t claimed.
“Many, many local governments that have just not gone after the money and we’ve called them up directly in many cases to say ‘do you want to apply, can we help you apply,’ and so on,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said there’s money local governments are leaving on the table.
“There really aren’t any new programs, other than this major CUREs program which I do want to encourage all local governments to apply for,” Pritzker said.
If the money isn’t claimed by Dec. 1, the Pritzker administration said the funds would be allotted to other communities still in need.
In Chatham, just south of Springfield, the village is in line for its allotment, but Village President Dave Kimsey said another program to get direct relief for businesses impacted by the pandemic is counterintuitive.
“The Downstate Small Business Stabilization Grant program that was [federal] pass-through funds through the state that the village would administer for a business to help them survive through the pandemic,” Kimsey said. “It required public hearings in the middle of a pandemic to help them get through the application process.”
More than $7.4 million in the stabilization grants have been paid out, but that’s of $20 million available until it’s all spent.
To the governor blaming Republicans in Congress for not approving more funds, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said the governor has failed at distributing money Congress approved back in April.
“The governor wants more money and he can’t even distribute the money that he has,” Davis said. “That’s an abject failure especially during a pandemic and to have him stand up there while his administration is flailing at getting dollars out that should have been in our communities months ago is really offensive.”
Gary Arnold Honored With Christmas Decorations At Veterans Park
This year the Veterans Park decorations for the holiday season will be in loving memory of Gary Arnold, Sr. Each year Kim Keepes of Keepes Funeral Home and Lesley Hipsher the Director of the Wabash County Chamber of Commerce partner to decorate Veteran's Park that is located at 3rd and Market Street in Mt. Carmel.
"We are thrilled to honor Gary Arnold, Sr. at Veterans Park this year. He has worked so hard year after year to display flags on all national holidays at Veteran's Park so it only seems right to honor him this year." stated Wabash County Chamber of Commerce Director, Lesley Hipsher.
WGH Chief Of Staff Says COVID Numbers May Begin To Level Off Next Couple Of Weeks
While not making an official prediction, Wabash General Hospital chief of staff Dr. Levi McDaniel told the WGH Board of Directors yesterday that he sees a scenario in which the local COVID numbers, that have spiked the last 6 weeks, begin to level off in the next couple of weeks….
Wabash County has recorded 210 positive COVID-19 cases so far in November.
Pandemic Causes Increased Demand On Food Pantry
Distribution of the Thanksgiving phase of Operation Share was today at the First General Baptist Church. Wabash County residents who pre-registered for the Thanksgiving dinners were able to pick up their meal in drive-thru fashion.
WADI’s Debbie Meyer says the pandemic has made the need for assistance even greater this year…
Operation Share will distribute Christmas dinner to those who sign up on December 22nd.
Meyer said the food pantry is always in need of donations with cereal, canned fruits and vegetables.
The WADI office also has freezer space available for fresh meat donations and deer hunters are even welcome to donate their processed deer meat to the food pantry.
Another holiday outreach program is available this week as Parkview Christian Church is again serving a drive-thru community Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday from 11 to 1 at the church on Route 1 North of Mt. Carmel.
Michigan Governor's Decision Could Impact Illinois' Oil/Gas Industry
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan to force a shutdown of an oil pipeline path that crosses through her state will not go unnoticed in Illinois, according to industry experts.
Whitmer announced earlier his month that she plans to revoke an easement that’s allowed Calgary-based Enbridge to move oil products from the western Canadian oilfields to various points across the U.S and Eastern Canada via the Straits of Mackinac for more than six decades. Her office notified Enbridge that they must close the line by next May, saying the company’s “incurable violations” of the easement’s terms have put residents in danger.
The closure represents a disruption in the flow of fossil fuel through the northern portion of the continent. The line sends 23 million gallons of oil and natural gas through Michigan’s Upper Penninsula each day, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Should the closure withstand legal challenges, the change would create a ripple effect on Illinois’ oil and natural gas industry. In addition to the second-largest Midwestern oil storage site in Patoka, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President Mark Denzler said the state is a significant hub for refinement and distribution across the country.
“We are a huge refining state,” he said. “We have four large refineries in the state of Illinois, we have one of two national strategic oil reserves. I think we have more miles of pipeline than any other state in the nation.”
According to the American Petroleum Institute, the natural gas and oil industry employs 234,600 jobs and contributes more than $33.3 billion to the state’s economy.
Whitmer’s announcement was hailed by environmental groups, who say the shutdown could be replaced by freight traffic.
“Governor Whitmer’s decision to shut down Line 5 will finally safeguard the Great Lakes and the people and wildlife who rely on them from an ecological, economic, and public health catastrophe,” said National Wildlife Foundation president Collin O’Mara in reaction to the announcement.
Others say the closure of Line 5 will result in higher energy costs.
Police: Buckle up and designate a sober driver
Thanksgiving is normally one of the busiest travel times of the year. While the pandemic may have impacted plans with family this year, the Indiana State Police wants to remind motorists who do use the road to buckle up and drive sober this holiday season.
“Due to the pandemic, we anticipate fewer vehicles on the road, but precautions still need to be taken, like wearing a seat belt and designating a sober driver,” stated Lieutenant Jason Allen, Indiana State Police Jasper Post Commander. “Let’s work together to make sure everyone gets to their planned destination safely.”
Many traffic deaths and injuries could be prevented by wearing a seat belt. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 1975 to 2017, seat belts have saved an estimated 374,196 lives. While Indiana’s seat belt usage rate is above 90 percent, more than half of the people who were killed in motor vehicle crashes last year were not buckled up.
Drinking and driving is also deadly and completely preventable. Every day, almost 30 people in the U.S. die in drunk driving crashes, NHTSA data shows. That’s approximately one person every 50 minutes.
In Indiana, there were 106 people killed in alcohol-impaired collisions in 2019, representing 13 percent of the state’s traffic fatalities.
“In a year when miles traveled are down, traffic fatalities are up 9 percent from this time last year,” said Rob Duckworth, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Traffic Safety Director. “Slower speeds and wearing seat belts are two of the best ways to prevent further fatalities, along with driving sober.”
Further, vehicle crashes continue to be a leading cause of death for kids between the ages of 8 and 15. For families with children, it’s important to have a properly installed child safety seat or booster seat for each child. Parents can visit www.childseat.in.gov for a list of locations and a toll-free phone number to speak with experts about the proper installation of child safety seats.
Troopers ask Hoosiers to report suspected impaired or aggressive drivers by calling 911. Give a location, vehicle description, and direction of travel.
ISP Writes 16 Seat Belt Citations During Wabash/Edwards OREP
Illinois State Police (ISP) District 19 Commander, Captain Nathan Douglas, announces the results of an Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrol (OREP) held in Wabash and Edwards Counties during November. This OREP provided extra patrol coverage for the ISP so officers could focus on saving lives by making sure all vehicle occupants were buckled up.
Violations Enforcement Activity
Safety Belt Citations 16
Child Restraint Citations 0
Total Citations 23
Total Written Warnings 12
Most motorists know safety belts save lives, but some ignore their safety and that of their families by neglecting to use safety belts and child restraint devices. These patrols reinforce the occupant protection message by focusing on those who ignore the law. Lives can be saved if people simply “buckle up!” This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Illinois Hotels Losing Business To Surrounding States
As the COVID-19 pandemic and state-imposed restrictions continue to cripple the Illinois hotel industry, things in nearby states are improving.
Governor J.B. Pritzker has imposed gathering limits across the state, thus eliminating events and conferences which are essential to the hotel business.
The National Confectioners Association’s Sweet & Snacks Expo is the latest convention to relocate to Indianapolis because Illinois won’t allow large events until a vaccine has distributed, or no new cases arise over a sustained period of time.
Josh Smoker, a spokesman for the Sheraton at Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis, said business has rebounded nicely.
“As far as occupancy, we are probably run at about 80% for the month,” said Smoker. “We have sold out every weekend for the last six months.”
Smoker said his facility accommodates a lot of families in town for sports tournaments like basketball. Pritzker has declared basketball a high-risk sport, so no games or tournaments are allowed in Illinois.
In a recent survey of American Hotel and Lodging Association members, 71% of hotel owners said they won't make it another 6 months without further federal assistance, and 77% of hotels report they will be forced to lay off more workers.
STR, a hotel industry data firm, said average national occupancy was 43% for the week ending Nov. 13, down more than 32% from 2019 and off from 48% during the third quarter, when hotel bookings had begun to rebound.
“In Illinois, winter is coming both literally and figuratively,” said Michael Jacobson, president and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association during a recent press conference. “We need Congress to act and act now.”
City Council Approves New Contract With Machinists Union
A new four-year agreement has been reached between the city of Mt. Carmel and the local machinists union which represents the city’s water, sewer, and street department workers. The contract calls for a $1.25 an hour raise the first year, followed by $1 an hour raises the second and third years, and no raise the fourth year. The new contract expires September 1st, 2024.
City To Aid WGH Project With Street/Sidewalk Improvements
The Mt. Carmel City Council has voted to widen a portion of 13th Street from Market to Chestnut Street as part of the Wabash General Hospital expansion project. In addition, the northwest corner of the 13th and College Drive intersection will be reduced by 4 feet and the sidewalk will be moved to accommodate the project. Motor fuel tax funds will pay for the project expected to cost between $180,000 and $200,000.