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Landmarks Illinois awards $43,000 to preserve 10 historic sites statewide

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Landmarks Illinois awards ,000 to preserve 10 historic sites statewide


Landmarks Illinois awarded $43,000 in grants to preserve 10 historic sites across the state, including South Shore Cultural Center and Bowen High School in Chicago, the nonprofit preservation group announced Thursday.

The new round of grants from Landmarks Illinois will fund nonprofits, churches and community groups working to restore culturally and historically significant sites in Chicago, Galesburg, Greenup, Kampsville, Naperville and Peoria.

“When we invest in our built environment, in places that matter to people and speak to our shared histories, it has wide-ranging positive impacts on the entire community,” Bonnie McDonald, CEO of Landmarks Illinois, said.

Two new grant recipients are in Austin, a West Side community that has historically experienced disinvestment. “By restoring these places, we create jobs and attract additional investment in the neighborhood,” McDonald said.

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Yet Landmarks Illinois has been stifled by funding requirements under President Donald Trump’s administration. The nonprofit had planned to apply for $750,000 from a National Park Service grant program. But it found new government restrictions “require regressive and incomplete versions of American history and dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” Landmarks Illinois said in a Tuesday statement.

“As a result of the administration’s ongoing repressive and authoritarian-like actions, we were forced to pass up this significant opportunity to provide vital resources to communities across the state,” the nonprofit added.

Oct. 1 is the next deadline for Landmark Illinois grant applications. Criteria and eligibility varies for three types of grants that range from $500 to $10,000.

Chicago grantees include:

New Precious Grove Missionary Baptist Church in south Austin received $5,000 for roof repairs. The architecturally unique building features a terra cotta facade. It was built in 1912 and was originally home to the Ideal Theatre. The church is run by more than 50 volunteers who lead spiritual services, educational programs and social services.

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A House in Austin, a family services nonprofit, received $6,000 to repair the chimney on the historic Victorian home where it’s based. The group has a 75-year history of serving the community, said Landmarks Illinois. It has raised other funds to maintain the house and preserve unique features, such as stained glass windows and fireplaces.

Bowen High School Alumni Association in South Chicago received $2,800 to fund a National Register of Historic Places nomination for Bowen High School. The Chicago Public School was constructed in 1910 and features Chicago School and Prairie architecture styles. It is named for James Bowen, a 19th-century entrepreneur who dredged the Calumet River. The school was an “educational gateway” for the children of immigrants, said Landmarks Illinois.

The South Shore Cultural Center Park Advisory Council will use $2,500 to launch a public awareness project for the overall restoration of the center’s outdoor stage. The stage opened in 1920 but has long been unused and in disrepair due to a lack of funding for maintenance.

Coppin AME Church in Washington Park received $4,700 for roof and masonry repairs to its sanctuary and community center. The church has been a “pillar in the neighborhood” since it opened in 1928, Landmarks Illinois said. The sanctuary’s front door also needs repair after damage during an attempted break-in.

Other grants awarded include:

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  • The Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg will use its $5,000 grant to replace three exterior doors at the 109-year-old performing arts venue in the city’s National Register-listed Historic District.
  • Kampsville in Calhoun County received $5,000 for a feasibility study on the adaptive reuse of a 1907 historic home at the Perrin’s Ledge historic site to create a visitor center. The site marks where Father Marquette and Louis Joliet visited Calhoun County in July 1673 and met local Native Americans.
  • Citizens to Preserve Jubilee College in Peoria received $5,000 to restore original windows at Jubilee College, an Illinois State Historic Site, which first opened in 1839 as one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in Illinois.
  • Harmony Church in Greenup will use $5,000 to repair floors in its building, built in 1876 by Methodist and Quaker volunteers. An adjacent cemetery is home to many veterans dating back to the Civil War. It also features an original Native American burial mound.
  • Naperville Preservation will use $2,000 to conduct an architectural survey of homes built by Don Tosi, a prominent mid-century designer and builder active in Naperville from the 1950s through the 1980s. Tosi has designed and built about 80 homes in the suburb.



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Produce Recall Issued In Parasite Outbreak Hitting IL

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Produce Recall Issued In Parasite Outbreak Hitting IL


A number of Taco Bell locations have posted signs announcing they are “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall,” according to Detroit-area news radio outlet WWJ.

Taco Bell told the Post it would keep monitoring the situation and follow authorities’ guidance.

Taco Bell Lettuce Linked To Growing MI Parasite Outbreak: FDA

“Public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer,” the company told the Post. “While authorities continue their broader review, Taco Bell has voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.”

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In Michigan, where cases have been concentrated, media reports said notices were posted at some Detroit-area Taco Bell restaurants last week telling customers the chain was “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro-Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall.”





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Illinois GOP trails badly in midterm cash

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Illinois GOP trails badly in midterm cash


The Illinois Republican Party filed its quarterly campaign finance report on the July 15 deadline. The party reported having just $223K in the bank. The next day, the party sent a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections saying they were “reconciling” their records after a leadership change, and then noted that their actual end balance was $101K higher than it had reported the day before.

But that bit of found money was basically the end of the “good news” for the GOP last week.

Republicans no longer have a pet billionaire. Bruce Rauner and Ken Griffin have fled the state. The legions of wealthy business titans who once contributed and raised money have either retired to sunnier climes or passed away. Several prominent party members have publicly shunned labor unions and their hefty political war chests, although the state GOP legislative leaders have at least tried to rebuild ties to trade unions and even the Illinois Education Association. But the heavily gerrymandered legislative map combined with the current political climate means they’ll mostly receive scraps.

And, yes, the House Democrats are struggling this month with scandals, including a state representative who resigned under pressure and another who was indicted. I’m not trying to downplay that at all. But Democrats have the national political environment, the local infrastructure and tons of cash behind them. The Republicans have little to none of that.

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The GOP’s gubernatorial candidate, Darren Bailey, raised $1.3 million in the second quarter, which ended June 30. That sounds like a lot, but he spent almost all of that on direct mail fundraising costs. The huge expenditures do give him a prospect list for future fundraising, but he ended the quarter with a mere $128K in the bank. That was still a whole lot more than the rest of the statewide ticket.

Attorney General nominee Bob Fioretti, a perennial candidate, raised $31K, spent $39K and had $28K on hand at the end of the quarter along with almost $15K in recent debt. Secretary of State candidate Diane Harris raised $6K, spent a bit over $4K and had a paltry $1,816.42 in the bank. Treasurer candidate Max Solomon, who ran as a write-in during the primary because the party failed to recruit anyone, raised less than $3K, reported no spending and ended the quarter with less than $8K. Comptroller candidate Bryan Drew raised $30K and received $47K in in-kind contributions from a company owned, ironically, by independent gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett, spent less than $3K, ended with $54K and had $25K in debt from earlier this year.

Man, that’s just downright pathetic.

But I suppose it doesn’t really matter anyway unless we see a massive sea-change in national opinion in the coming months or the federal government finds a way to not certify certain election results. Regardless of where individual candidates are at this moment, they’ll have the money to compete. Unlike the Republicans, the Dems do have a pet billionaire (JB Pritzker) and, I assume eventually for most of them, organized labor.

The Republican legislative leaders have tried to scrape and claw as much as they can, but they’re vastly outgunned. Senate Republican Leader John Curran raised just $75K in the second quarter. He spent $71K and reported having a bit more than $3 million in the bank. His caucus committee reported having $160K in the bank.

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Leader Curran has three Republican-held districts to defend in the Chicago media market that have all trended Democratic in the last three cycles. Depending how bad things get, he could be defending a couple, two or three more.

The Senate Democrats have a ton of money to do whatever they want. Senate President Don Harmon has about $20 million in his personal campaign account and $1.7 million in his caucus account.

Over in the House, Republican Leader Tony McCombie has at least four Democratic-trending or swingy districts to defend and just $1.3 million in her personal campaign account and another $363K in her caucus account so far.

In contrast, House Speaker Chris Welch had $11.4 million in his personal account and $1.2 million in his caucus account. Like Senate President Harmon, he has more than enough money already, but more is never enough when there’s so much out there, so those numbers will likely rise by November.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur

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Hillsboro grad, Springfield golfer Alex Eickhoff 2nd at state amateur


BLOOMINGTON — Springfield’s Alex Eickhoff nearly had a magical Thursday as he tied for second place in the 95th annual Illinois State Amateur Championship at Crestwicke Country Club.  

Eickhoff, a 2020 Hillsboro High School graduate and former standout on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s men’s golf team, shot a 4-under-par 68 in Thursday’s third round and followed that with an even-par 71 to finish the three-day, four-round event 1-over 285. He tied for second with Bloomington’s Logan Stauffer.  

Eickhoff briefly took the lead through nine holes of his fourth round when he sat at 1-under par. Chicago’s Charlie Kulwin finished both of Thursday’s rounds under par and finished 2-under 282. He was the lone golfer to finish under par for the tournament.

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Eickhoff was The State Journal-Register’s Small School Boys Golfer of the year twice in his high school career: once as a freshman in 2016-17 and again as a senior in 2019-20. After high school, he golfed for the University of Minnesota for two years before transferring to SIUE.  

He began the tournament with a 3-over 74 on Tuesday and shaved off a stroke Wednesday with a 2-over 73. He closed out the event with an even-par 71 in Thursday’s final round.

Other area golfers who made the cut were Springfield’s Charles Hoogland (7-over 291, tied for 20th) and Jacksonville’s Brady Kaufmann (8-over 292, 25th). 

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The last golfer from The State Journal-Register’s coverage area to win the Illinois State Amateur was Jay Davis. Davis, a Jacksonville Routt graduate, won the 1991 and ‘92 tournaments. 

Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.





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