Roserance will add 40 beds for residential substance abuse treatement for adults in part as a result of $250,000 in state funds being delivered for the project by State Senator Steve Stadelman.

The Stadelman-obtained contribution represents a third of the $750,000 project cost and takes Rosecrance to 80 percent of its fundraising goal, Rosecrance President and CEO Dave Gomel announced at a news conference this week where he expressed the nonprofit's "gratitude to the State of Illinois, with special recognition to Senator Stadelman, for their continued support."

Rosecrance is convering space previously used for treatment of teenagers at its Griffin Williamson on University Drive in Rockford to 40 residential beds for adults. Gomel explained that more teens are being treated through outpatient programs, while more adults who lacked adequate early intervention need residential treatment.

"As a society, we're beginning to understand the full cost of untreated mental health and substance-abuse disorders -- the emotional and economic impacts on families and communities," Stadelman said. "Just look at our county jails and the number of inmates who are dealing with mental health issues and substance-abuse disorders. This is why I was so committed to helping Rosecrance meet changing needs."

ROCKFORD - State Senator Steve Stadelman today applauded the announcement of $2.8 million in state funding for improvements at Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park as a smart investment in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood and positive youth development.

The grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources follows $600,000 previously secured by Stadelman toward a $7 million upgrade in the outdoor athletics facility on Rockford's southwest side. When upgrades are complete, Hicks Park will feature an artificial turf playing field and stadium with eight-lane running track and bleacher seating for 1,000 spectators, among other amenities.

"With this investment of state resources, an under-utilized facility will become a major regional attraction," Stadelman said. "To flourish as a community, we must rescue impoverished neighborhoods -- and this project not only provides valuable physical assets but also a place for expanded sports programming that will strengthen the minds and bodies of girls and boys who are key to a prosperous future."

The 77-acre park at 2004 Ogilby Road is currently home to athletic programs including NFL flag football, NFL cheer, FIRE track and field, Wolves youth football and Chicago Bears Outreach Camp. Last year, the Bears donated artificial turf from the Walter Payton Center at Halas Hall to create a future warmup area as part of the $7 million upgrade.

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ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman announced three school districts in the Rockford area have received more than $30,000 to provide resources to libraries through books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, multilingual materials, technology and programs.

“Making sure our libraries are equipped with the resources necessary and pertinent to students is fundamental to the educational value they provide to our communities,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “I look forward to how these funds will be used in our area and the resources our libraries will be able to procure with this funding.”

Based on a statutory formula, school districts receive $0.885 per student enrolled at each school with a qualified library. Funding for the School District Library Grant Program originates from the General Reserve Fund and is appropriated for this purpose by the Illinois General Assembly.

The following school districts in Stadelman’s district received a total of $33,723:

• Rockford Public School District 205 - $22,147
• Belvidere School District 100 - $6,428
• Harlem CUSD 122 - $5,147

ROCKFORD — State Senator Steve Stadelman joined local leaders to celebrate the long awaited reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant, which has been idled since February, after United Auto Workers and Stellantis came to a tentative agreement.

“This is a major win for the city of Belvidere and the UAW,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “Our manufacturing and organized labor industries are the backbone of our country. By coming to this agreement, we can ensure UAW members have access to higher wages and better benefits, keeping good-paying jobs in Illinois.”

The agreement is the result of collaboration between auto workers, Stellantis executives, UAW representatives, the state of Illinois and the White House. Other efforts that enabled a solution for Belvidere and supported further economic development in Illinois include the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and Reimagining Energy and Vehicles Act, which Stadelman was a sponsor.