Illinois State Police and American Legion officials prepare for Summer Youth Police Program

47th Annual American Legion Youth Police Camp Accepting Teen Participants

Springfield, IL – The Illinois State Police (ISP) and the American Legion announce plans for the 47th Annual American Legion Youth Police Camp (ALYPC) at Camp Lincoln, located 1301 North MacArthur Boulevard, Springfield, Illinois, from June 23-28, 2019.

Dozens of aspiring teens from across Illinois will discover career opportunities through training with police and military. The primary purpose of the ALYPC is to establish an interactive and positive relationship between Illinois teens and law enforcement officers. The week-long residency camp is structured to promote educational and learning opportunities for youth ages 15-17 in the areas of law enforcement, military, leadership, cultural diversity, personal development, social and interpersonal skills, and physical fitness.

Read more …

Housing Opportunities Event

• Event

 The Universal Housing Solutions CDC presents: "Rebuilding Communities One Homeowner at a Time" on March 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Village of Maywood Multipurpose Center at 200 S. 5th Ave., Maywood, IL.

Lightford measure combats college debt crisis

SPRINGFIELD – More financial assistance could soon be available for college students through a proposal sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood).

“Students should be able to obtain a degree without drowning in student loan debt after college,” Lightford said. “This legislation combats the college debt crisis by providing financial support to Illinois students.”

Senate Bill 1524 authorizes the State Treasurer to allocate up to 5 percent of the State Investment Portfolio to the Illinois Student Investment Account to assist qualified residents in paying for college through various investment programs. The Senate Financial Institutions Committee approved the measure on Wednesday.

Investment programs may include income-sharing agreements, linked deposits and origination, and refinancing of student loans.

The measure also establishes a Borrower Assistance Fund to provide monetary assistance to students facing financial hardship.

The legislation will now head to the full Senate for consideration.

Lightford measure helping abused children passes committee

SPRINGFIELD – Children taken into protective custody under suspicion of abuse could soon take part in a forensic interview without parental consent as a result of legislation by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood).

Senate Bill 1418, approved by the Senate Criminal Law Committee on Tuesday, addresses issues in cases where an abused minor’s parents do not wish for the child to participate in a criminal investigation that may implicate a family member or close friend.

“Children should not be silence to protect their abuser,” Lightford said. “We are taking a step toward empowering abused children and making sure they get the protection and treatment they need.”

A forensic interview is an interview between a trained forensic interviewer and a child in which the interviewer obtains information in an unbiased and fact-finding manner, with the goal of supporting accurate and fair decision-making by caseworkers in the criminal justice and child protection systems.

The measure will now move to the full Senate for consideration.