SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is accepting applications for grants through the Snowmobile Trail Establishment Fund (STEF) and Local Government Snowmobile (SNOW) grant programs now through June 1, 2021.

The Illinois STEF and SNOW grant programs are offered annually through the IDNR.

The primary purpose of the Snowmobile Trail Establishment Fund Grant Program is to provide financial aid to eligible private, not-for-profit snowmobile clubs for the purpose of assisting such organizations to construct, maintain and rehabilitate snowmobile trails and facilities on public lands, designated roadways, or private land opened to such use in the state. The STEF grant program provides financial assistance to eligible local snowmobile clubs and organizations to help them construct, maintain, and rehabilitate snowmobile trails and facilities on public lands and designated road right-of-ways or on private lands open to public snowmobile use. The following types of projects are among those eligible for STEF funding: trail clearing, signs and fencing, lease of equipment necessary for facility construction, and warming shelters/restrooms.

The primary purpose of the Illinois Snowmobile Grant Program is to provide financial aid to government agencies to develop, operate, maintain, and acquire land and/or equipment for snowmobile trails, trail maintenance, and trail side facilities that are open and accessible to the public in Illinois for snowmobile use.

The STEF program is a state-financed program enacted by Sections 9-1 and 9-2 of the Snowmobile Registration and Safety Act [625 ILCS 40/9-1 and 9-2]. Funds for the program are derived from snowmobile registration fees and for that reason require the use and oversight of a public entity’s procurement guidelines to ensure the proper stewardship of the funds.

The SNOW program is a state-financed program. Funding for the grant program is derived from revenue generated by snowmobile registration fees, fines, and bond forfeitures pursuant to the Illinois Vehicle Code [625 ILCS 40/9.1].

Applications must be submitted to the IDNR by 5:00 p.m. on June 1, 2021. The Notice of Funding Opportunity can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/GATA/Pages/default.aspx

Consult the IDNR website at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Grants/Pages/SnowmobileTrailEstablishmentFund.aspx for more information, or call the IDNR Grants main line at 217-782-7481.

PEORIA – Peoria County is set to receive over $1 million in funding for construction projects over the next three years, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) announced today.

“The Peoria area will see jobs for the next few years and reliable infrastructure long into the future as a result of this funding,” said Koehler. “Good infrastructure is the foundation we build the future on.”

The funds are being distributed as part of the 2019 Rebuild Illinois construction plan and will be distributed in six installments over the three-year period. Road and bridge improvements, new sidewalks and bike paths, or upgraded traffic signals are just a few of the changes that the Peoria area may see as a result of this funding.

Projects will be decided upon and managed at a local level, and will be overseen by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

As we celebrate Black History Month, I want to recognize and remember people whose influence on me was personal and memorable. Certainly, there are many other significant African Americans with Peoria connections to mention, but I wanted to focus on those who are no longer with us and those whose impact I can testify to first-hand. I’ve had the privilege of serving alongside and building relationships with numerous African-American leaders who called our city home, namely Dr. Romeo Garrett, John Gwynn Jr., Annie Jo Gordon (mother of Rep. Jehan Gordon Booth) and Frank Campbell. During the course of my work as a young community organizer and staff person for Peoria Friendship House on the Near Northside, I had the opportunity to work alongside each of these individuals on numerous occasions. They not only inspired the community with their dedication to making life better for all Peorians, but they inspired me to get involved and to try and make a difference. Though they have passed on, their contributions to the rich history of our community, state, and country continue to endure.

Additionally, I want to highlight a man whose contributions to the Civil Rights Movement have, in my opinion, been underappreciated. A. Phillip Randolph is known for being the leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Union, but he was also one of the most significant leaders of the 1963 March on Washington. Randolph and the NALC (Negro American Labor Council), which he led, were the initiators of the famous event that featured Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his “I Have a Dream” speech. His work inspired me, and though I was too young to attend the 1963 March, I jumped at the chance to attend the 20^th Anniversary March in 1983 where I felt the presence of Randolph, Dr. King, and all of those who had sacrificed so much in the fight for racial justice. The experience served as a sobering reminder that while we had come so far in the decades prior, there was still work to be done and progress to be made. This sentiment was conveyed beautifully by a wonderful young reporter from the Peoria Journal Star named Pam Adams, who sent daily reports back home, giving all Peorians the opportunity to keep tabs on history in the making.

My attendance of the 20^th Anniversary March followed a transformational period in my life. After graduating from Yankton College in my home state of South Dakota, I enrolled for my first year of seminary school at Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. Payne is an AME (African Methodist Episcopal) seminary, which meant I would be joining a majority African American student body. I was invited to the seminary by Dean Handley Hickey, who I encountered for the first time at a Consultation on Church Union meeting that took place in 1970, or thereabout. I was a youth delegate for my denomination, the United Church of Christ and while we sat together for numerous small group discussions, a valuable friendship was forged. My experience as the only white student at the school proved to be pivotal in the development of my outlook on the world. I will fondly carry the stories I heard, the things I learned, and the people I met with me for the rest of my life.

While the names above represent just a few of the remarkable African American leaders that touched my life in a significant way, this month is about placing a focus on the stories of all African Americans that are too often overlooked. I hope you will join me in celebrating history made, as well as history still in the making.

Happy Black History Month!

Dave Koehler

State Senator | 46th District

SPRINGFIELD – Following Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual budget address, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) offered praise for the administration’s priorities. He released the following statement:

“Overall, I’m pleased with where the governor is proposing we focus our attention fiscally. “By prioritizing these initiatives, we are meeting our mandate to provide quality services people can rely on: cleaning up coal ash waste and creating a program to provide access to training for careers in infrastructure and trade industry.

Though this is certainly only the beginning of what promises to be a complex negotiation process, I look forward to working with the Pritzker administration to continue improving the lives of Central Illinoisans.”