New fire station now operational in Machesney Park

Rather than a ribbon-cutting, North Park Fire Protection District held a "hose uncoupling" Thursday to celebrate completion of its new fire station on Harlem Road, which replaces three old stations from the 1950s and 1960s that were too small house modern firefighting equipment and that became poorly located as district boundaries changed over the decades.
Senator Stadelman designated $50,000 in state funding to help pay construction costs.

$440,000 in state funds enroute to Rockford for job training: Stadelman

State Senator Steve Stadelman announced the release of $440,000 in state funds to help create pathways to good-paying jobs in construction and expand opportunities in the skilled trades in the Rockford area.
Education Design Development and Research Corp. is receiving an Illinois Works grant to provide pre-apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships to local students, opening the door for them to build lifelong careers in the construction trades.

“We are still experiencing a shortage of skilled trade workers,” Stadelman said this week. “To fill these positions and give residents a chance at a good-paying job, programs like Illinois Works are essential.”

To see a full list of organizations receiving grant funding across the state, click here.