MARYVILLE – With winter weather fast approaching, State Senators Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) and Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) recommend bookmarking the Illinois Department of Transportation’s GettingAroundIllinois.com website for continually updated information on road conditions.

“We all know how dangerous roads can become in the wintertime,” Belt said. “During snowy or icy conditions, Getting Around Illinois is a great tool for determining whether your trip out is safe.”

MARYVILLE – To mend digital inequities in rural areas of the Metro East region, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) and State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) are urging local organizations to apply for a portion of $50 million in available funding through the second round of the Connect Illinois broadband expansion program.

“High-speed internet is one of the most important resources for households and businesses, especially in our current climate,” Belt said. “To ensure that no child, family or business is left behind, I encourage eligible applicants in the Metro East area to apply for the Connect Illinois program.”

The second round of Connect Illinois grants will award up to $5 million per project. At least 50 percent of total project expenses must be provided as nonstate match, be it from private, local or other nonstate sources, to accelerate the delivery of broadband investments. Internet service providers, rural cooperatives, nonprofits and local governments are eligible to apply.

“To ensure small businesses are able to compete and residents are able to connect at work and school, access to reliable, high-speed internet is critical,” Crowe said. “Communities must have the resources to support local digital demands, and applying for this grant is a simple way to expand broadband opportunities to those living in rural and underserved areas.”

Funding for the Connect Illinois program is made possible through Rebuild Illinois, the state’s historic, bipartisan $45 billion statewide construction program, which has dedicated $420 million to expanding broadband infrastructure.

The application will remain open through February 2021. The application and more information on this grant program can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s website.

MARYVILLE – To help local governments cover unexpected costs due to COVID-19, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) and State Representative Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) have secured critical federal funding for Madison County, East Alton, the Caseyville Public Library District and many others through the Local Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (Local CURE) program.

“The pandemic continues to inflict unexpected financial devastation on many industries,” Crowe said. “By successfully applying and utilizing Local CURE funding, we can ensure COVID-19 expenses don’t fall on the backs of taxpayers.”

Local CURE funds can be used to reimburse a variety of costs associated with COVID-19, including purchasing personal protective equipment, the cost of sanitizing and arranging workspaces and public spaces to follow public safety guidelines, COVID-19-related overtime expenses, and more.

“It is vital that our local governmental entities are able to recoup what they can from this federal funding. Everyone, from our county government to our libraries have been impacted by this virus,” Stuart said. “These funds will help them deal with the costs associated with protecting our public health during this crisis.” 

The Local CURE program is federally funded from the Coronavirus Relief Fund using dollars allocated to Illinois through the CARES Act. These dollars are allocated by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to downstate local governments to help cover necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 crisis.

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma pleads guilty, accepts responsibility in opioid epidemic

MARYVILLE – In response to news that Purdue Pharma has pled guilty in federal court and formally accepted responsibility for its part in the national opioid epidemic, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon), chairwoman of the Illinois Senate Special Committee on Opioid Crisis Abatement, released the following statement:

“Tuesday’s guilty plea by Purdue Pharma is a win for families with loved ones facing addiction. 

“This case is a prime example of corporations putting profits over people, and I’m glad to see justice has been served. Unfortunately, Purdue Pharma isn’t the only company to blame. It’s time to close loopholes and put a stop to the exploitation of patients in need for financial gain.

“My thoughts are with those suffering from an opioid addiction due to corporate greed, and I’m committed to improving and expanding addiction prevention and treatment programs to put Illinois on the road to recovery.”

MARYVILLE – To ensure residents are safe during the holidays, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) is promoting tips to use in the kitchen to avoid house fires, as Thanksgiving is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment.

“This holiday season looks different with the global pandemic, but many are cooking for their families, and fire safety is still important,” Crowe said. “I urge residents to take precautions when cooking, especially if you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time.”

According to National Fire Protection Association and National Fire Incident Reporting System data, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 166,100 home fires per year involving cooking equipment.

Some tips to keep in mind when preparing food this holiday are:

• not leaving the kitchen while frying, boiling, grilling or broiling food,
• using the turkey fryer outdoors only and
• using long cooking gloves that protect hands and arms when handling hot pots.

For additional Fire Safety information, visit the NFPA website or the Office of the State Fire Marshal website.

MARYVILLE - To ensure high-quality, dependable care for the brave men and women who have served our country, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) is joining the Illinois Senate Veterans Affairs Committee meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 24 starting at 1 p.m. to examine the handling of the COVID-19 crisis at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. 

“The committee’s goal is to help provide transparency and insight into the precautions taken by the state to keep residents safe and healthy at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home,” Crowe said. “It is our responsibility to work together to ensure our veterans receive the best possible care.”

Last week, the LaSalle facility informed the residents, families and staff at the home that since the beginning of the crisis, the home has had a total of 98 positive residents and 93 positive employees. The facility also reported that 23 veterans have passed away due to COVID-19.

The virtual hearing can be viewed here when proceedings begin. Blue Room Stream, a subscription-based service, will also stream the hearing.

MARYVILLE- Two Metro East nonprofit organizations are freshly stocked with coats and other winter clothing items, thanks to donation efforts by community members and State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon).

“Thanks to donations from several generous residents, our neighbors will be able to stay warm this winter,” Crowe said. “We have split the donations between Operation Blessing in Wood River and Community Hope Center in Cottage Hills. The clothing drive could not have been a success without the support from members of the Metro East community.”

PICTURED: (Left) Executive Director of Operation Blessing- Karen Wilson 

(Right) Executive Director of Community Hope Center- Paul Militzer

MARYVILLE - To highlight the international efforts to prevent child endangerment, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) is reminding residents of the warning signs that a child is being subjected to abuse.

“Although many of us are only familiar with children in our immediate households due to the pandemic’s social distancing guidelines, I want to remind parents, seniors, teachers and other concerned adults to look out for the signs of child maltreatment,” Crowe said. “Education is one of our strongest tools to prevent a child from being abused.”

Twenty years ago, on Nov. 19, 2000, the Women's World Summit Foundation launched the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse to bring community awareness to the issue and encourage local, state and federal governments to take action to prevent child abuse.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), emotional abuse is one of the most common and most harmful forms of child maltreatment and can have a lifelong impact. Examples of emotional abuse include making fun of a child, name calling, always finding fault, using harsh words to criticize behavior and using fear to control behavior.

Visit the APA website for more information and tips for identifying and preventing child abuse.