MARYVILLE – Twenty-six additional small businesses in the Metro East were awarded more than $1 million in pandemic-related aid, thanks to support from State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon).
“To help our small business community recover from the pandemic, we created the Back to Business grant program to offer relief from some of the financial strains,” Crowe said. “We know businesses continue to struggle through the different COVID-19 variants, and we’re providing assistance with this program.”
The Back to Business grants are awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity using funds allocated to them by the American Rescue Plan through last year’s state budget. So far – thanks to strong support from Crowe – DCEO has provided $111 million in B2B grants to nearly 3,000 small businesses throughout the state with an emphasis on disproportionately impacted areas.
Read more: Crowe: Local businesses to receive more than $1 million in recovery aid
MARYVILLE – Madison County residents impacted by the December tornado now have an extension to file their taxes, and State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) is pleased to see they will have additional time to get their affairs in order.
“Our community bravely faced a natural disaster that struck our community last month,” Crowe said. “During this difficult time, people affected by this devastating storm should focus on recovery for themselves and their families.”
The tax relief announced Thursday will postpone filing deadlines and relieve certain late payment penalties for those hit by storms starting Dec. 10, 2021. Individuals and businesses will have until May 16 to file returns and pay any income taxes originally due during this period, including 2021 individual income tax returns due April 18, and various 2021 business returns normally due March 15 and April 18.
Taxpayers affected by the extension can defer making fourth-quarter estimated tax payments, normally due Jan. 18, and instead include it with the 2021 return they file by May 16.
If filing a return via postal mail, taxpayers should write “Tornado-December 2021” on the top of their returns in red. If filing electronically, taxpayers must notify the department that their return will be delayed by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. They should provide their full name, account number (if using a social security number, only include the last four digits), mailing address, and an estimate of when they believe they can file or pay their taxes.
“I hope the extra time allotted to prepare, file and pay state taxes will be helpful,” Crowe said.
Tax filing relief is now available to taxpayers who live or have a business in Bond, Cass, Coles, Effingham, Fayette, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Pike and Shelby counties.
MARYVILLE – State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) is reminding Illinois drivers they will now have an additional three months to renew their licenses as the Secretary of State extends the deadline once again.
“To ensure residents are covered while DMV employees work to respond to heavy customer volumes, allotting extra time to expiration dates ensures operations continue smoothly,” Crowe said. “With extended deadlines to get into a facility, people now have more time to renew state licenses and identification cards without worrying about waiting in long lines.”
Secretary of State Jesse White’s office announced Friday that expiration dates for driver’s licenses and ID cards has been extended an additional three months to March 31, 2022. However, the new expiration date does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses. The extension comes as secretary of state offices across Illinois continue to get caught up following COVID-19-related closures to their daily operations.
To cut down on long lines and wait times, Crowe encourages individuals to take advantage of the secretary of state’s online services at ilsos.gov. These services include:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has also extended the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. Current Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports, military bases and secure federal facilities.
For more information and to take advantage of online services, including license plate renewal, people can visit ilsos.gov.
MARYVILLE – State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) announced a $1.7 million investment in state funding to help improve the infrastructure at St. Louis Regional Airport.
“The St. Louis Regional Airport offers high-quality services to pilots and travelers alike,” Crowe said. “These funds will help maintain and develop the area to help workers thrive and contribute to our region’s success.”
Projects will include planning, construction, reconstruction, development and improvement of the airport to increase safety and efficiency. Communities also will benefit from increased aviation access, good-paying jobs during construction and long-term opportunities for workforce expansion.
Among the projects to receive funding, the St. Louis Regional Airport is set to receive $765,000 to improve the aviation fuel facility as well as $990,000 to rehabilitate the parking lots.
“The St. Louis Regional Airport is a strong economic driver of our region and supports hundreds of jobs in the Metro East,” Crowe said. “These funds are an investment to uplift working people in our community after pandemic-related hardships.”
A full list of recipients can be viewed by going to https://idot.click/rbi-airport-program-awards.
MARYVILLE – State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) is partnering with the Illinois Treasurer’s office to bring an I-Cash Event to Alton next Tuesday.
“Unclaimed property is held by corporations, financial institutions, courts, and life insurance companies that have gone dormant,” Crowe said. “I strongly urge any Illinois resident that is available to stop in to check if they have any unclaimed property, experts will be there to help with filing claims and to answer any questions.”
The event will be held 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Hayner Library at the Alton Square Mall.
Representatives from the Treasurer’s office will be available to check if residents have a claim to any of the $3.5 billion in unclaimed funds.
For more information on events Sen. Crowe is hosting, contact her district office at (618) 251-9840.
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SPRINGFIELD – Members of Illinois’ Child Sexual and Physical Abuse Task Force met virtually for the first time Friday to discuss changes to the state’s Sexual Assault Survivor’s Emergency Treatment Act, under the leadership of State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon).
“Child sexual abuse cases differ from adults due to disclosure delays and lack of findings in exams,” Crowe said. “Children who brave the conversation to disclose sexual abuse deserve a robust medical system ready to offer them protection, comfort and support in their time of need. Members of this task force will use their expertise to update the response to child sexual assault cases, and I take my responsibility to lead this process seriously.”
MARYVILLE – This holiday season, State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) is collecting toys in partnership with Alton’s Toys for Tots campaign to offer a special Christmas surprise to local children in need.
The toys will be collected starting Monday, Nov. 29 through Dec. 19. Toys for children of all ages can be dropped off at four locations around the Metro East:
“To show our appreciation and gratitude, the holiday season is a time we purchase gifts for our loved ones,” Crowe said. “Many families in our communities struggle financially during the Christmas season. I encourage residents to donate new or gently used toys so a child in need can enjoy a gift this season.”
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute toys as Christmas gifts to children in the community.
To make a drop-off appointment at Crowe’s office or for more information on the toy drive, call 618-251-9840.
MARYVILLE – To highlight an initiative to increase higher education accessibility, State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) announced first-year students applying to any of Illinois’ public universities, as well as several of the state’s private institutions, only need to submit one form on Common App.
“Applying to college can be confusing, tiresome and expensive,” Crowe said. “By using the Common App platform, Illinois is simplifying the process and working to ensure accessibility to higher education opportunities.”
This fall, all 12 public universities in Illinois will be available on the Common App platform, thanks to a $1 million state investment.
For families with financial concerns, waivers are available for low-income Common App applicants. In addition, some colleges and universities either have no application fees or will waive fees if needed.
“For many applicants and their families, a major concern for starting the college journey is the cost,” Crowe said. “There are several aid options available to help reduce the financial burdens associated with applying for college.”
Residents are encouraged to visit the Common App website for informational resources, including a first-year application guide, videos and a complete list of institutions that use the application.
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