HARVEST
You can help farmers have a safe harvest by remembering to slow down, give them plenty of room, and have patience on the roadways. 🚜
Illinois harvest season. How to stay safe on the road (sj-r.com)
BLOOD DONATIONS
The American Red Cross continues to work to restock critically needed blood products due to the ongoing hurricane impacts in the Southeast U.S. Blood donation opportunities are available at a number of locations throughout District 105, and those who donate blood by October 31 will receive a gift card. See the link below that includes a link to further information and a list of donation sites throughout Illinois.
OUTDOOR EXCELLENCE AWARDS
The Illinois Conservation Foundation’s new Illinois Outdoor Excellence Awards are designed to honor individuals and organizations whose efforts have significantly impacted conservation and outdoor recreation across Illinois.
This year, the Illinois Outdoor Excellence Awards will feature four distinct categories:
- Outdoor Writer/Author of the Year: This award recognizes outstanding writing that captures the beauty and significance of Illinois’ natural landscapes and resources.
- Outdoor Volunteer Organization of the Year: This category honors organizations whose volunteer efforts have made measurable impacts through conservation and restoration projects across the state.
- Outdoor Business/Business Owner of the Year: This award celebrates businesses that exhibit leadership in promoting conservation and outdoor initiatives within their local communities.
- Outdoor Influencer of the Year: This category highlights digital content creators who effectively engage the public in outdoor activities and environmental stewardship through social media and online platforms.
Nominations for the Illinois Outdoor Excellence Awards are now open to the public and can be submitted online until October 31, 2024.
Visit https://ilconservation.org/Who-We-Are/Illinois-Outdoor-Excellence-Awards for more information.
HUNTING
Numerous Illinois state parks, state fish and wildlife areas, state conservation areas, and state recreation areas will be open for youth waterfowl hunting this season.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSING
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation expanded its pilot program for licensees seeking to reinstate or restore their licenses. Eighteen license types can now find their reactivation requirements online (instead of contacting IDFPR to determine their criteria). Learn more: https://idfpr.illinois.gov/dpr/license-renewal-info.html
CORRUPTION
The laws on the books are clearly not enough to end the culture of corruption that has plagued Illinois for decades. Yet, the Majority Party refuses to make the sweeping ethics changes necessary to hold elected officials accountable. We must show zero tolerance for corruption and stop bad behavior BEFORE it becomes a federal crime if we want to earn back the trust of Illinois residents.
Column: Could the fall of Michael Madigan end Illinois corruption? (chicagotribune.com)