Lewis & Clark Community College was recently recognized as the nation’s leader in community college-based environmental efforts. (Photo courtesy of Lewis & Clark College)

St. Clair County awarded $1 million Department of Justice grant

The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded St. Clair County a $1 million grant to create a youth violence prevention plan for the East. Louis area. The grant, announced Sept. 28 by St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark A. Kern, will support the East Side Aligned effort to curb violent crime by coordinating and advancing policy, practice and investment across sectors.

Through the two-year grant, St. Clair County will convene community partners to develop and implement a comprehensive youth violence prevention plan for the municipalities of Alorton, Centreville, East St. Louis, and Washington Park.

Funding will be used to plan and implement strategies to improve school and public safety; address and treat trauma and toxic stress for children and families; build systems to support out-of-school activities and youth employment; and create platforms to support youth voice, engagement and leadership.

Partners in the effort include the United Way of Greater St. Louis, the Metro East Police District Commission, St. Clair County’s State’s Attorney’s Office, Children’s Home + Aid, Community Development Sustainable Solutions and East St. Louis School District 189.

“It is critical that we make the safety and well-being of children and youth a top priority,” said Evan Krauss, director of East Side Aligned.

SIUE’s Pembrook calls for long-term budget strategies

Newly installed Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Chancellor Randy Pembrook announced major, long-term strategies for a new budget model, a new plan for Edwardsville’s University Park, a new vision for higher education at the university’s East St. Louis campus, and “high impact community engagement practices” (HICEPS), during his initial chancellor’s address last month.

Pembrook also called for near-term efforts to follow through on the SIUE Congress recommendations, generate new programs and more online offerings, and stabilize finances.

Despite budgetary problems, Pembrook noted the university is enjoying overall expansion, increased academic recognition, and growing enrollment.  It’s massive 2,600-acre campus offers potential for expansion, he noted.

Appeals courts places independent on Madison County ballot

Independent Madison County Board candidate Tyler Oberkfell was on the ballot as early voting began Sept. 24 thanks to a last-minute ruling by Illinois’ Fifth Appellate District Court.

However, he could yet be back off the ballot before voting ends on Nov. 8.

The Madison County Clerk’s office included Oberkfell on ballots last week after the appellate court stayed a Madison County Circuit Court order removing him.

Oberkfell and Republican Donald A. Moore are both seeking the District 2 seat on the county board. No Democrat has filed for the seat.

The circuit court struck Oberkfell’s name after Moore filed suit, claiming the Madison County Election Board had placed him on the ballot despite an insufficient number of valid signatures on nominating petitions.

In a July hearing, prompted by a challenge from Moore, the election board ruled that Oberkfell had filed petitions with 273 signatures, more than required 232 required to secure a place on the ballot.  Moore had objected to some of those signatures; however, the election board ruled the petitions still met state requirements.

In his circuit court suit, Moore cites four allegedly invalid signatures that, he says, the election board did not detect. Election board members say Moore did not specifically challenge those signatures and the board was therefore not required to investigate them.

The appellate court last month only stayed the circuit court order removing Oberkfell’s name from the ballot. No date has been set for a possible ruling on substantive issue in the case.

Army Corps re-ups for Great Rivers Museum support

The St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Metro-East’s Meeting of the Rivers Foundation, Sept. 26, formally extended for 10 years, a cooperative agreement to support the National Great Rivers Museum at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, as well as surrounding natural areas including wildlife habitat.

The agreement covers both the museum in Alton and the 4,200-acre Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, across the Mississippi River in West Alton, Mo.

Foundation funding goes to support a variety of educational programs and other services conducted by the Army Corps at the two sites.  Corps officials says funding for the services would likely not be available otherwise.

The foundation has a budget of about $50,000 per year, which comes from a combination of corporate and individual donors.

The interactive museum spotlights the Mississippi River ecosystem and the workings of the lock and dam.  The foundation recently received a grant to bring inner-city school children to the Alton Riverlands area.

Colleges earns prestigious National Green Genome Award

Lewis and Clark Community College (L&C) in Godfrey has been named the overall winner in the American Association of Community College’s (AACC) 2016 Sustainability Education & Economic Development (SEED) Green Genome Award.

The award program recognizes efforts by community colleges to promote sustainability education, practices, programs and training. Lewis and Clark was selected from among 1,200 colleges nationwide and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Lewis and Clark offers a rare restoration ecology degree program, through which students can work to protect the college’s own watershed, by designing and installing projects on campus to restore vital ecosystem services. Notable examples include “bioswales” with native plants near Erickson Hall and near the landmark cabin on L&C’s campus.

The L&C Restoration Ecology program also collaborates with nine local and regional industry partners to align curriculum with industry needs, and works with several local non-profit and government entities to generate other hands-on projects and workshops for students.

The prize money from the award will help purchase green roof materials for a visible roof area between two buildings on the Godfrey campus and native plants for the installation of an additional bioswale near a campus parking lot.

L&C is pursuing a 50-year Climate Action Plan goal of campus carbon neutrality by 2058.

–Metro East Area News Briefs–