Students from St. Joseph School in Pekin performed “Beauty and the Beast, Jr.” to a full house April 26 and 27, under the direction of Music Teacher Nicole Feree. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Pallardy Photograpy)

STATE

Senate OKs LGBT history requirement

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender historical figures would become a required part of history classes in Illinois’ public schools under a bill that hs passed the state Senate.

Senate Bill 3249, approved 34-18, would require a portion of public school history courses to include study of LGBT figures and that history books be “non-discriminatory” overall. Local school districts would still set the curriculum and have control over when the additional subject matter is included.

LGBT advocacy group Equality Illinois praised the bill’s passage, arguing the state’s school code “already ensures inclusion in history curriculum of the contributions and experiences of other historically marginalized communities, including of people of color, women, immigrant communities and people with disabilities.”

Some education advocates and religious groups oppose the bill, which now goes to the House.  

CENTRAL ILLINOIS

OSF HealthCare moves forward with downtown building project

OSF HealthCare is getting closer to seeing its Peoria Ministry headquarters become a reality. The organization has signed a letter of intent with Dewberry for the design and engineering of the new downtown headquarters. 

In January, OSF announced it was buying the property at 124 SW Adams St., Peoria, (commonly known as the former Chase building), from Caterpillar Inc. In addition to the Chase building, Caterpillar donated the Peoria Professional Building, the adjacent parking lot and $3 million to OSF for further development of amenities on the block. 

The success of this project continues to be contingent on the building being listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building within a historic district. This designation will make the building eligible for Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits to assist OSF with restoration costs. That process is ongoing with final approval expected by mid-summer. 

In anticipation of the historic designation, OSF is moving ahead with design and engineering work on the building. Dewberry will be working with multiple specialty firms throughout Illinois to accomplish all that needs to be done. The project is expected to take at least two years to complete. More than 700 OSF Mission Partners (employees) are expected to work in the downtown Peoria location. 

COUNTY

Program will help find safe homes for area children

Advocates for children from troubled homes will start working in Tazewell County. A program that saves millions of state and local tax dollars annually while working for children from troubled homes will come soon to Tazewell County.

The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program will expand from Peoria County, where it has operated since 2005, to various locations throughout the state’s 10th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Stark, Marshall and Putnam counties. Tazewell will have its own branch office in downtown Pekin.

CASA is looking for 50 to 60 volunteers willing to be the voice for abused and neglected children in court proceedings after they’ve been removed for their welfare from their homes. 

CASA’s ultimate goal is to place the children in a safe, permanent home whether it’s back home with parents or by other means including adoption.

Komen grants to fund breast health efforts

The Tazewell County Health Department is receiving nearly $89,000 of $441,754 in grants the Susan G. Komen Memorial Affiliate is awarding to agencies that provide breast health awareness, education, screening and treatment programs throughout its 36-county service area.

The first grant, $53,772, goes to the health department’s Reaching the Unreachable program, that provides breast health education and free breast cancer screenings in the counties of Tazewell, Woodford, Peoria and Marshall. Education will be focused on black/African-American women and Hispanic/Latino women who would otherwise not receive breast health education and/or screenings. The department will continue to partner with Unity Point Health-Pekin Hospital for the annual Free Mammogram Day and hope to expand this “free” event to Peoria, Woodford and Fulton counties. The program will increase access to breast cancer care by addressing systematic and cultural barriers, i.e.: transportation and language barriers, which will lead to an increase in breast cancer screenings in women older than 40. In addition, no cost diagnostic services will be given to uninsured and under-insured women.

A $35,000 grant will help to fund the department’s No Excuses program, that will provide breast health education to women in Tazewell, Woodford, Peoria and Marshall counties. The program will provide breast screenings and diagnostics to at least 100 uninsured or under-insured women. The focus will be on women living in the rural areas of the communities and black/African-American women and Hispanic/Latino women who would otherwise not receive breast health education and/or screenings.

–Tazewell County News Briefs–