Last week, dozens of interested area residents and local government officials had the opportunity to listen to tax and budget specialist Ralph Martire of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability provide an unbiased briefing for attendees regarding how our state got into this fiscal crisis and how we can best get work together to get ourselves out of it.
Attendees also had an opportunity to ask questions and receive informative, research-based answers concerning one of the most pressing and complex issues we face today.

Students and parents came out to earlier this month to get plugged in with Illinois colleges and universities at Senator Lightford’s “Connect with your Future” College Fair. Local high school juniors and seniors from across the area were in attendance to listen to presentations, receive personal consultations and locate essential information to help them realize their higher education dreams.

Check out photos from this event below!

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Senator Lightford's successful mission to pass a law that limits expulsions and suspensions in public schools has gained momentum across the country, as other states have also passed laws to make sure that all students, of all backgrounds, are in the classroom and of the street as much as possible.
The issue has recently received special attention due to a Texas student being arrested and subsequently suspended for bringing a home-made clock to school to show his teachers who mistook the clever device for a bomb.

Follow the link to the story below for a closer look.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/schools-us-find-alternatives-suspending-students-34556088