Nearly $60 million in Grants and Loans for Rural Illinois Communities to Improve Essential Services

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced they had secured $59,193,800 in federal grants and loans for rural Illinois communities.

The funding will be awarded to ten rural communities in Illinois. The money is intended to modernize and rebuild essential community services.

“The grants and loans will assist rural communities throughout the state to expand economic opportunities, improve both public safety and quality of life,” remarked Durbin. “Senator Duckworth and I will continuously work to ensure that Illinois’ rural communities can access these important federal funds. This is especially necessary as our state recovers from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 shutdowns.”

“Federal investment like this helps rural communities across the state create economic opportunities and improve infrastructure. We build back better post-shutdown,” said Duckworth. “I’ll continue to work with Senator Durbin and others to ensure hard-working throughout Illinois get the federal support they deserve.”

Ten Communities in Illinois Have Been Awarded Federal Funding

While the City of Chicago generally gets all of the attention, Senators Durbin and Duckworth made sure smaller communities in Illinois got their fair share.

1. $25,000 grant: Village of Goreville

Goreville will receive a grant to be used to help buy a new patrol car. This is to replace a current patrol car that is no longer dependable and needs costly repairs. The village of Goreville employs two full-time and three part-time officers to provide residents with police protection, as well as to visitors of Fern Clyffe State Park.

2. $8,500,000 loan: Johnson County

Johnson County will receive a loan to build a new county courthouse. The new facility will be for the county’s offices and also for public use. This loan ensures the new county facility is handicap-accessible. It will also be designed to provide improved public safety to county employees within the building as well as the public at large.

3. $19,800 grant: Village of North City (Coello)

Coello’s rural development investment grant will be used to help purchase and install an early warning storm siren. The new storm siren will ease the public’s safety concern since the village currently does not have an early storm warning system. The new storm siren will provide warn and notify all residents of severe, incoming storms.

4. $25,000 grant: Ashmore Township Road District 

Ashmore has been granted money towards the purchase of a dump truck equipped with a hitch, snow plow, and a v-box spreader. The Road District is tasked with maintaining 90 miles of roads and ditches. The dump truck is a vital piece of equipment to be used for many other projects. This dump truck will replace two trucks that can no longer be used.

5. $13,040,000 loan: Wabash General Hospital District

This loan will be used to help the hospital district build a new 32,000-square-foot, 2-story medical building. It will also be used to build a 3,000- square-foot addition to an existing orthopedic rehabilitation building. Some of the funds will also be used to renovate the existing hospital’s cafeteria and dining area and to renovate the current administrative meeting rooms. The new buildings will be built on land currently owned by the Hospital District. An enclosed pedestrian walkway will connect the new medical building to the existing hospital for ease of use.

6. $654,800 loan: Salem Fire Protection District

The loan will be used to buy a side-mount, 2,000-gallon pump truck. This new truck is to replace a 33-year-old truck that needs costly repairs. The Salem Fire Protection District includes a 125-square-mile area that encompasses Haines, Stevenson, Racoon, Alma, and Tonti townships.

7. $7,200 grant: Village of Moweaqua

The grant will be put towards the purchase of a new Police Interceptor, equipped with 4WD Special Service. The new 4×4 Police Interceptor will better serve the 1,831 residents of Moweaqua.

8. $25,000 grant: City of Newton

This grant will be used to buy Newton’s police department ten police radios with updated, cutting-edge technology. This will help the city’s officers to better respond to emergencies. The new police radios are essential equipment to the Newton police department, helping to ensure public safety for the community of 2,849 residents in Jasper county.

9. $12,897,000 loan: YMCA of Ottawa

This loan will be used to build a new YMCA in Ottawa, Illinois. The new facility will encompass 56,000 square feet, will be handicap accessible, and have additional parking.

The new YMCA will include a gymnasium, an expanded wellness center, competition pool, group activity studios, family locker room, senior services, pre-school, teen center, after-school care, and a cooking kitchen dedicated to healthy eating. The new building will also include warm water therapy and rehabilitation services.

10. $24,000,000 loan: Quincy University Corp

The loan will be used to refinance existing debt on property located within Quincy University, to provide long-term financing. The refinancing will effectively restructure debt and improve cash flow for Quincy University. The loan restructuring will benefit more than 1,400 staff and students.