Illinois
Climate cash comes to Illinois
This week President Biden is predicted to signal the Inflation Discount Act (IRA), which incorporates an unprecedented $370 billion for local weather change mitigation.
Why it issues: A lot of the local weather cash is directed at getting people like us to change to extra sustainable sources of power for our properties and transportation.
- In the case of Illinois-level results, many particulars nonetheless must be labored out, however just a few factors are rising.
Zoom in: Illinois Environmental Council govt director Jen Walling says passage of final yr’s Local weather Fairness Job’s Act places the state in a great spot to make use of the cash for initiatives already within the pipeline.
On vehicles: Illinois at the moment affords a $4,000 rebate for the acquisition of an electrical car (EV), however the IRA may enhance that rebate to $7,500 for a brand new EV or $4,000 for the acquisition of a used EV.
On power manufacturing: U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s workplace says it expects the state will profit from the measure’s $10 billion in funding tax credit for brand new photo voltaic and wind power manufacturing.
On power effectivity: The IRA contains 10 years of tax credit and rebates for owners to put in environment friendly home windows, doorways, warmth pumps, insulation, water heaters and photo voltaic panels that might scale back their power payments considerably.
Sure, however: Seth Whitehead of the Illinois Petroleum Assets Board contended not too long ago on Chicago Tonight that many battery parts nonetheless depend on abroad mining that environmentalists oppose.
- He additionally predicted that renewable house power can be pricier than some assume as a result of their intermittent nature can require “backup with both pure fuel or batteries.”
The opposite aspect: “We’ve got electrified house buildings in Logan Sq. [with electric heat pumps] with out backups, they usually obtained by way of final winter superb,” says Ann McKibben of power nonprofit Elevate.
- “Residents of the constructing mentioned final winter that they have been fairly comfy,” she mentioned, “however each house is totally different.”
The underside line: Switching to cleaner power is not free, however as soon as the IRA’s provisions are finalized, the price of Illinoisans’ investments in sustainable power is more likely to drop significantly.
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) — A community in mourning united in Joliet Friday evening to help raise money to stop domestic violence.
As friends and family of Melissa Aud-Headlee came to terms with her death at the hands of her estranged husband, they sought to raise money for her three children.
They gathered outside Aud-Headlee’s home, collecting money for a raffle and a candlelight vigil.
A GoFundMe for Aud-Headlee’s children has raised more than $8,000.
Aud-Headlee was stabbed to death by her estranged husband in a murder-suicide this past Saturday morning.
Melissa Aud-Headlee’s older brother, Daniel Ronczkowski, told CBS 2 he was helping his sister plant flower beds on Saturday. When they ran out of mulch, he said he offered to run to the store.
He was only gone a few minutes when he got a call to come back. Melissa Aud-Headlee’s estranged husband, Michael Aud-Headlee, had been watching them from a distance, and confronted his estranged wife inside the home once her brother was gone.
Her family said she put down their 3-year-old son and told him to “run and hide.” After a struggle inside, she ran for a neighbor’s house.
But Joliet Police said that’s when Michael Aud-Headlee caught up to her in the middle of the street and stabbed her multiple times in the chest with a kitchen knife before turning the knife on himself.
Joliet police told CBS 2 they’d been called to the home for mostly domestic violence-related incidents nine times since 2021. Melissa Aud-Headlee had taken out two orders of protection against her then-estranged husband before he took her life.
Illinois
New Illinois DCFS director Heidi Mueller reflects 100 days into role: 'Where I was meant to be'
CHICAGO (WLS) — The new director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has been on the job since March.
Heidi Mueller was appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to head the department following the departure of its former director.
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The state agency, that has been criticized for past practices caring for children, is under new leadership, and Mueller spoke with ABC7 Friday.
To feel like you have helped a child find a forever home and find that love, it’s hard to put that in words. It’s so fulfilling and meaningful
Heidi Mueller, Illinois DCFS Director
“I can’t imagine being anywhere else this is where I was meant to be,” Muller
Director Heidi Mueller is 100 days into the job with 24,000 children in care. As the former Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice, she said she wants to focus on prevention and offering support to struggling families Carefully considering the long term consequences of removing a child from a home.
RELATED | Marc Smith, DCFS Illinois director, steps down at end of 2023, Gov. Pritzker announces
“One of our core goals at DCFS is to support families temporarily in crisis and help get them to a place where they can be stable,” Mueller said.
Mueller said she will use new federal funds available to allow more family members to step up as guardians when needed.
“We see this as a incredible opportunity for better permanency for better outcomes for kids to be able to be in homes with family, because a lot of our kids just want to be in a home,” Mueller said.
Mueller said she started new contracts for more home-like placements for the children with complex medical or psychiatric conditions to keep children in state. She says there are currently 20 children statewide awaiting for that type of placement.
‘Those kids are still our kids, and they deserve the same level of love and care I would want for my own daughter,” Mueller said.
She said she has already seen the positive impact of when families are supported and when children find stability with an adoptive family.
“To feel like you have helped a child find a forever home and find that love, it’s hard to put that in words. It’s so fulfilling and meaningful,” Mueller said.
Mueller says the key to creating more positive outcomes is upgrading out dated technology and continuing to add more social workers. She hopes to add 360 more front-line workers next year.
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News
Western Illinois farmer satisfied with planting progress so far
A western Illinois farmer says he’s satisfied with planting progress to this point.
Brady Holst, who farms in Hancock County, tells Brownfield a mid-April window was productive.
“We’re all done with corn and about 75% done with beans, but for our area it’s probably pretty close.” He says, “I would say 80% of the corn is done in our area. So, we’re really far ahead of the other parts of the state.”
He says they’ve since seen beneficial rains.
“Emergence has been pretty good just because there was some hard rains that would have been crusting issues, but really it was wet enough where it didn’t ever dry out.” He says, “So really kind of helped us with the not having to replant and things like that. It’s been so wet.”
Holst says they’ve escaped having to replant…so far.
“But we did plant on Mother’s Day so that usually is kind of the day that that ends up happening.” He says, “It’s too early to tell so far.”
Holst says they only need two more days of good weather to finish planting.
AUDIO: Western Illinois farmer Brady Holst
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