INA, Ill. – Rend Lake College has been chosen as the largest recipient of the 2018 Brookwood-Sago grant totaling $97,853.50 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

The grant is part of $250,000 in awards issued by the MSHA this year. The funding is designed to help organizations develop and conduct training programs that support safety and prevent health hazards in underground mines.

Specifically, RLC will utilize the funds for its Mine Emergencies: Train, Prepare and Prevent project, said Gabriele Farner, Dean of Applied Science & Advanced Technology. This two-fold project includes, first, an invitation to rescue teams and fire brigades from Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky to participate in mine rescue and firefighting skills at RLC’s Coal Mine Training Center or at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg. The grant funds will provide for instruction and food during the training.

“Being awarded the Brookwood-Sago grant allows a regional partnership between RLC and Southeastern Illinois College. This reinforces a regional commitment to mine safety and skill readiness to meet the demands of the mining industry,” Farner explained. “Mine rescue teams provided letters of support for this project, and now they will benefit with a free day of training.”

Part two of the project will utilize grant funds to reduce training costs for new miners in accordance with MSHA standards, thereby helping many local, small mines to create a stronger pool of candidates.

All of the trainings funded by the grant will begin this month and run through the end of September 2019. Farner estimates 400 miners will be trained at RLC and SIC during this time.

RLC was first awarded a Brookwood-Sago grant in 2009 totaling $50,000, which was used to train mine fire brigades and rescue teams, plus develop new curriculum for future trainings. In 2012, RLC received a second $93,000 grant that, in addition to training, allowed for the construction of the three-story firefighting facility, built from shipping containers, on the west side of campus. A third grant in 2016 of $133,240 focused on continued training and preparedness for mine emergencies.

A provision in the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 established the Brookwood-Sago grant program to promote mine safety while honoring the 25 miners who died in Brookwood, Ala., in 2001, at the Jim Walter Resources #5 mine, and in Buchannon, W. Va., in 2006, at the Sago Mine.

For more information about RLC’s Brookwood-Sago grant or mine trainings, contact the Applied Science and Technology Division at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1261. Read more about the Brookwood-Sago grants online at www.msha.gov.

Other recipients of the 2018 grants are as follows:

• Pennsylvania State University in State College, Penn., is receiving $50,000 to plan, design, develop, and evaluate a three-model training program that will enhance safety regarding inspecting, working around, and performing maintenance on conveyor belts.
• United Mine Workers of America Career Centers Inc. in Prosperity, Penn., is receiving $50,000 to develop a video and companion training documents to better prepare responsible persons for Mine Emergency Response Development exercises.
• West Virginia University Research Corporation in Morgantown, W. Va., is receiving $52,146.50 to provide emergency prevention and preparedness training to coal miners and coal mine operators in the areas of self-contained self-rescuer expectations and mine rescue.

A teacher in Minnesota has been placed on paid leave after posting a threatening tweet about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Here’s a link to the story.

Peoria wasn’t always a company town. It was a distillery town, a farm implement town and a river town before the Caterpillar Tractor Co. set up shop.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Southern Illinois voters will elect nine judges in November. To run for judge in Illinois, a candidate must be a citizen of the United States, an attorney licensed to practice in Illinois and must live in the district or circuit for the seat.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

SPRINGFIELD — Recognizing the importance of an industry that employs more than a half million workers in the state, Gov. Bruce Rauner today proclaimed October Manufacturing Month in Illinois.

“Manufacturing is at the heart of the Illinois economy,” Rauner said. “For decades, Illinois manufacturers have shown their savvy by adapting to changing market conditions and embracing innovation to stay at the top of their game. I am proud to recognize this strong industry.”

Manufacturing Month events will take place throughout October in Illinois. These events showcase some of the nearly 13,000 manufacturing firms that call Illinois home. October is a time to highlight the benefits of working in the industry and continue to build a talent pipeline that guarantees Illinois remains a leader in manufacturing for years to come. Manufacturing Day will be celebrated nationwide on the first Friday of the month, Oct. 5.

Illinois companies manufacture a wide range of products including farm equipment and machinery, automotive parts, plastics, pharmaceuticals, biofuels and food products.

Illinois Manufacturing Highlights:

• Manufacturing is the third largest industry in Illinois by employment with more than 580,000 workers.
• Illinois is the fourth largest manufacturing state in the nation by output.
• Manufacturing makes up 93.6 percent of all Illinois goods exported.
• Average annual income for Illinois manufacturing workers is $70,174.

“Manufacturing accounts for 12.4 percent of our gross state product,” said Deputy Gov. Leslie Munger, acting director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. “Every day we work with businesses, community leaders and stakeholders across the state to support, strengthen and grow this critical Illinois industry.”

On October 2, 2018 at approximately 9:20 a.m., Benton Police were dispatched to the100 block of Virginia Street in reference to a criminal trespass complaint.  Upon investigating, police arrested Jennifer R. Shelton, age 29, of West City for criminal trespass to real property and resisting a peace officer.  Shelton was charged and transported to the Franklin County Jail for  further processing.

On October 2, 2018 at approximately 2 p.m., Benton Police were dispatched to the Franklin Hospital located at 201 Bailey Lane in reference to a criminal trespass complaint.  Upon investigating, police arrested Lenay T. Russell, age 42, of Benton for criminal trespass to real property.

Russell was charged and transported to the Franklin County Jail for further processing

Bandwidth speeds more than double since 2015; Rauner committed to reaching FCC goal of one megabit per second per student 

 

CHICAGO – Gov. Bruce Rauner today announced that 96 percent of K-12 school districts in Illinois can access the internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, a substantial improvement from 71 percent just three years ago. Median bandwidths also have markedly improved, increasing 2.5 times since 2015.

 High-speed connectivity ensures that students have access to more digital resources, which in turn expands learning opportunities. By making high-speed internet accessible, educators and students gain the benefits of greater interactivity, collaboration, engagement and personal instruction.

“Our aim is to give every K-12 student in Illinois access to internet speeds on par with the FCC’s goal of one megabit per second per student,” said Rauner. “When this kind of technology is fully integrated in our classrooms, students will advance more rapidly and with much higher odds of success in the 21^st century labor market.”

Illinois’ digital advances were reported by the EducationSuperHighway which tracks progress toward K-12 connectivity across the United States. The national nonprofit advocates for upgrading internet access in every public school classroom in America. Rauner is one of four governors committed to reaching the FCC broadband speed goal.

While Illinois has advanced its school digital resources, work remains. EducationSuperHighway says that 407,093 students in 32 school districts across the state still need adequate bandwidth for digital learning. There also are 136 school campuses that lack scalable fiber-optic broadband connections.

The Illinois Classroom Connectivity Initiative, launched by the Rauner administration in 2016, is an effort to ensure that all districts receive the support and funding to close this school broadband gap. The FY19 education budget includes a $17 million Broadband Expansion fund to help cover costs of fiber upgrades for school districts. There is also provision for free technical assistance.  

“We commend Gov.  Rauner for working toward closing the digital divide in Illinois classrooms,” said Evan Marwell, CEO of EducationSuperHighway. “I am pleased that leaders in Illinois have demonstrated their continued commitment to connecting students to vital digital learning opportunities through high-speed internet access.”

Resources available to school districts:

 

• Illinois State Board of Education Broadband Information: https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Broadband-Information.aspx
• Illinois Learning Technology Centers: http://ltcillinois.org
• View and compare bandwidth speeds and pricing for school districts across Illinois: http://www.compareandconnectk12.org
• Contact EducationSuperHighway to get free support with broadband upgrades: brad.weiger@educationsuperhighway.org

During her treatment for breast cancer, Mary Paris couldn’t sleep. Her pain was “horrible,” she said. Until, she said, a doctor explained how medical marijuana might help her.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.