Federal award for 75^th Street one of largest ever for Illinois, construction begins in fall

CHICAGO – Gov. Rauner announced on Tuesday the U.S. Department of Transportation will be awarding $132 million toward the 75^th Street Corridor Improvement Project that’s considered the linchpin of the Chicago Region Environment and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program. The award, through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program, leverages additional private and public contributions for a total investment of $474 million to fix the country’s most complex and complicated segment of railroad.

“This award will result in a significant advance for our transportation system,” Gov. Rauner said. “It means we can finally eliminate the 75^th Street bottleneck and start enjoying the commercial benefits that come with modernization and more efficient movement of goods and people through Chicago and Illinois, the nation’s most important transportation hub. It is a tremendous achievement by all of the partners involved.”

The grant is the largest received by Illinois under the two previous U.S. DOT’s discretionary grant programs and one of the largest ever. The accomplishment was made possible by the work of the entire Illinois congressional delegation, especially U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis and Dan Lipinski.

“While the 75^th Street Corridor Improvement Project is located in Chicago, it’s progress is critical to the entire state of Illinois,” said Davis. “The award Governor Rauner and Secretary Blankenhorn have helped secure will go a long way in alleviating train congestion in the Chicago area that has slowed down the movement of ag products and other goods and prevented access to reliable, high-speed rail between Chicago and downstate Illinois.”

The 75th Street corridor serves more than two million freight cars annually. In addition, more than 30 Metra trains and 10 Amtrak trains pass through it daily. The corridor improvement project will eliminate multiple conflict points, add double-tracking and enhance key linkages to improve capacity and efficiency, leading to an estimated $3.8 billion in economic benefit.

The major elements include a CSX Railroad flyover bridge to eliminate intersections with other tracks, a 71^st Street underpass just east of Western Avenue that will erase 10,000 hours of motorist delay annually, and new tracks and crossovers at the belt railroads, where trains presently travel as slow as 10 mph. Construction is scheduled to start this fall.

Also included is funding to complete studies and designs for a second set of Belt Railway Company of Chicago tracks and a new rail flyover connecting Metra’s Rock Island District and SouthWest Service lines.

The $132 million federal award is matched by $111 million from the Illinois Department of Transportation, $116 million from the American Association of Railroads, $78 million from Cook County, $23 million from Metra, $9 million from the City of Chicago and $5 million from Amtrak.

“The 75^th Street Corridor Improvement Project represents a true partnership,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said. “Thanks to Gov. Rauner’s leadership and the determination by everyone involved, we have arrived at a solution that not just helps the region, but the entire country.”

The grant will be officially announced on Friday by the USDOT in Washington, D.C.

Visit createprogram.org for more information about CREATE.

The Benton Public Library has been awarded funds to for improvements according to Illinois Secretary of State and state librarian Jesse White.

In a news release, White said the Benton Public Library will receive $6,395 for the installation of power-assisted exterior entry doors and interior restroom doors to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

“Our public libraries are the cornerstones of our communities,” White said. “l am pleased to award these grants through the Illinois State Library to help maintain the infrastructure of our public libraries so that they remain the best information resource centers available to citizens.”

INA, Ill. – Rend Lake College President Terry Wilkerson now holds one of only 25 seats on the Chair Academy’s International Advisory Board, a group focused on bringing professional development programs to colleges and universities around the globe.

Wilkerson was named to the prestigious board earlier this spring and said his seat on the board is a chance to continue to evolve professionally and encourage others to do the same.

RLC President Terry Wilkerson

“I value and appreciate the training I received through the Chair Academy, and I look forward to serving the organization as an advisor,” said Wilkerson. “The Chair Academy is about leadership, period. It’s about always continuing to learn about leadership and to embrace who you are, because if you accept who you are, then other people will accept it too.”

The Chair Academy for Leadership and Development, a department of the Mesa Community College and Maricopa County Community College District, offers world-class, competency-based leadership development programs for college and university leaders.

The organization’s International Advisory Board includes professionals from various community colleges across the country, plus university and college leaders at institutions located in Australia and Canada.

Wilkerson’s nomination came from Chair Academy Facilitator Scott Geddis, president of the consulting firm Inspired Engagement. Geddis has been involved with the Chair Academy for many years, even serving as Wilkerson’s mentor during the two-year Foundation program, from which he graduated from in 2008.

“[Wilkerson is] a graduate of the Chair Academy and he has great respect for what the Academy has done for him professionally. When he went through the Academy, he wasn’t the president, and I’ve heard him say his experience at the Academy made him ready for the president role,” said Geddis. “He understands and appreciates the value, and he continues to be reliable and timely. He has the experience and perspective.”

As a member of the International Advisory Board, Wilkerson said he’s focused on his own continued development in leadership, plus bringing some of the techniques used in the Chair Academy to students, faculty, and staff.

“In the future, I want to look at how to promote leadership in higher education, specifically in our curriculum and course offerings, and hosting a Chair Academy in Illinois,” said Wilkerson.

Part of his plans to promote leadership on RLC’s campus includes the integration of CliftonStrengths for Students – a question and answer assessment designed to help students discover their unique strengths and natural talents. RLC faculty and staff recently participated in the CliftonStrengths assessment to promote positivity and leadership on campus.

Wilkerson said the plan is to roll out the first CliftonStrengths for Students assessment in the Fall 2018 First Year Experience course, an orientation-like class required by all incoming freshmen. In addition to completing the assessment, students will then have activities and discussions about how to apply their results for their own success.

“Strengths-based student engagement is part of my drive behind this. We’re really good at testing students to find out what they’re good and bad at, but they’ve known that for 18 years. This is a different way of teaching. By telling them what they’re good at and how to use those strengths, it’s a way to change the conversation,” said Wilkerson.

In addition to his plans locally, Wilkerson will also participate at the Chair Academy’s 28th Annual International Leadership Conference in Atlanta next spring. He recently returned from the 27th annual event hosted in Denver.

In addition to Wilkerson, three other RLC administrators have also graduated from the two-year Chair Academy Foundation program: Henry Leeck, Dean of Liberal Arts; Lori Ragland, Vice President of Instruction; and Kim Wilkerson, Dean of Allied Health.

To learn more about the Chair Academy, visit www.chairacademy.com.

CHICAGO – Gov. Bruce Rauner announced today that Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Felicia Norwood has accepted a position in the private sector.

“Director Norwood has been steadfast in her efforts to ensure the state’s most vulnerable citizens have access to quality healthcare. She led Illinois’ Medicaid reboot that will deliver better services at a better price.

Her leadership was critical to restructuring our managed care network into a more effective and efficient delivery model while integrating mental health into the delivery of services.

Her dedication and commitment led to one of the most significant developments in the history of our health programs, securing a $2 billion federal 1115 waiver — “Better Care Illinois” — a multi-agency effort to create a nation-leading approach to behavioral health.  

She also led the department through a series of incredibly complex IT modernizations.

We are tremendously grateful for Director Norwood’s talent and service to the people of Illinois. We truly wish her all the success in her new endeavor.”

The search for a replacement is currently underway. Director Norwood remains on with the Administration until June 15.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday signed into law a $38.5 billion spending plan for state government, approving a full budget for the first time since he took office in 2015.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

Opening statements are expected to begin Tuesday afternoon in the murder trial for the man charged with the 2014 death of a 19-year-old Southern Illinois University Carbondale student Pravin Varughese.

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

Pritzker reacts to Supreme Court religious freedom ruling: “I will fight discrimination”

A gambling expansion bill the Illinois General Assembly fell one vote shy Monday to get out of the executive committee.

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