WEST FRANKFORT — Mayor Tom Jordan said Tuesday’s City Council meeting was full of good news, but a definite bright spot was signing a lease for the mall that could bring a significant number of jobs to West Frankfort.

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

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Republicans, led by Gov. Bruce Rauner, rallied the faithful Wednesday by pledging to make the GOP the state’s majority party in the November election.

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

INA, Ill. – Rend Lake College and the US Army Corps of Engineers are partnering together to bring a little more adventure to the lives of local children.

The Rend Lake Search for the Science Stones is an educational treasure hunt targeted towards youth 6-15 years of age that will kick off on August 19.

Every week a new science stone will be released into the wilds around Rend Lake with clues for its location being released on the Rend Lake Search for the Science Stones Facebook group. Links to the group will be posted on both RLC’s and the Project Office’s social media accounts.

The Facebook group will not only be a place for the clues to be revealed, but also a space that hunters can discuss their theories and make new friends.

Clues will start generically, but as the week goes on, and the hunt heats up, new clues will be issued until the science stone is found. The intrepid treasure hunter who finds the stone can bring it to the Rend Lake Project Office and Visitor Center to exchange it for one of numerous prizes provided by RLC.

“We’re excited to partner with the Corps of Engineers on this activity,” said RLC President Terry Wilkerson. “Anyone who wants to join the hunt will have a good time, and it’s an exciting way to generate some enthusiasm among young people in the STEM fields. Also, we hope we can get some more people acquainted with what Rend Lake, the Corps and the college have to offer.”

Every week for the next four weeks, a new stone will be hidden for numerous opportunities at prizes.

Those explorers who discover the stones will also be entered into the grand prize drawing. At the end of the event, one lucky participant will be randomly selected for a 12 credit hour academic award at Rend Lake College for use whenever they are ready to attend.

“The Corps of Engineers at Rend Lake is excited to partner with Rend Lake College in this new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiative. This activity is designed to get youth outdoors where they can learn about nature and science while encouraging them to take ownership of their public lands.  The opportunity to earn prizes and a scholarship at Rend Lake College is a great incentive to get out and have some fun in the park,” said Rend Lake Operations Manager Jackie Taylor.

The Search of the Science Stones will run in conjunction with the Army Corps 2018 Environmental Science Series at Rend Lake. For more information about those events, call the Rend Lake Visitor Center at 618-724-2493 or visit their website at www.corpslakes.us/rend.

Trump International Hotel & Tower is endangering fish and other aquatic life in the Chicago River, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan alleges in a new lawsuit targeting the president’s skyscraper for multiple violations of clean water laws.

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

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation today aimed at stabilizing families and providing additional services to those whose children are at risk of entering the child welfare system.

The joint-agency services are available to families with children under the age of 5 who already have an open intact family services case with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Families will be offered child care assistance under the Illinois Department of Human Service’s child care assistance program for six months after the child’s intact family services case is closed.

“Children thrive when their families are healthy,” Rauner said. “We want to make sure families stay together. Child care services are critical when it comes to helping parents rebuild, and this additional time gives them an opportunity to transition into new routines after their involvement with DCFS ends.”

Intact Family Services through DCFS provide at-risk families with job training, housing assistance, counseling, and substance use services that help them avoid more intensive and traumatic interventions.

“This is a unique collaboration with IDHS focused on the state’s youngest children,” said DCFS Acting Director B.J. Walker. “This allows social service workers to put an extra set of eyes on a family and help them identify any concerns they may need to address.”

“For some children, their child care setting may be the most reliable and stable part of their lives,” said IDHS Secretary James Dimas. “Allowing these children to maintain some stability during a very critical period of their development will help them for the rest of their lives.”

“Some families involved with the child welfare system have great difficulty accessing safe, affordable child care,” said Paula Corrigan-Halpern, vice president, Ahlquist Center for Policy, Practice and Innovation at Children’s Home and Aid. “Child care can provide the nurturing environment and learning opportunities that support a child’s healthy development and mitigate the impact of early exposure to trauma. Children’s Home & Aid has seen the positive difference high-quality child care makes in the lives of children and families. As a result of HB 4885, parents will be better able to access the services they need to strengthen their families and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect.”