April 6, 2021

Greetings,

The past few weeks have served up some good news for the Metro East, and we’re delighted to share it all with you through this edition of Good NewsLink.

Egyptian Workspace Partners – a leading supplier of business products, interiors and technology with a rich history of over 146 years serving Southern Illinois and the St. Louis metro area – recently celebrated the grand opening of its brand-new showroom in Belleville. The new workspace innovation lab is designed to help business leaders rethink the way they work in a post-COVID world and consists of 13 thoughtfully curated zones that support different modes of work, as well as options for posture, presence and privacy.

In other exciting news, the Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis recognized 21 St. Louis employers last week as the top workplaces for women based on criteria for workplace gender equity in four areas: leadership, compensation, flexible work policies, and recruitment and retention. Among the impressive list of honorees for 2020 was Leadership Council members Kaskaskia Engineering Group LLC, S.M. Wilson & Co., and Enterprise Bank & Trust. Congratulations to all!

Furthermore, the Wood River Drainage and Levee District and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received letters from FEMA’s Region V Office in Chicago stating that a compliance review performed on the Lower Wood River Levee System, East and West Fork Levee System and Upper Levee System attained full accreditation for a 100-year-flood level. This is welcome news for Madison County as the accreditation means property flood insurance rates will not skyrocket, which will ultimately bring savings to local taxpayers.

In support of the Downstate Clean Energy Affordability Act (HB 1734/SB 311), Ameren Illinois is encouraging local constituents and customers to join their coalition to help bring the benefits of clean energy to Downstate Illinois without putting affordability or reliability at risk. This legislation backs smart, consumer-friendly, and affordable investments in the state’s energy infrastructure and increases the supply of renewable energy in Downstate communities, with minimal impact on consumers’ energy bills. It also extends programs that provide up to $1 million each year in energy assistance for consumers who are struggling to pay their energy bills. For more information and to make your voice heard to state legislatures, visit https://downstateenergy.com/#Petition.

The Leadership Council Education Committee’s ongoing partnership with PCs for People is continuing to equip those in great need with home computers. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, PCs for People distributes refurbished corporate computers updated to Windows 10, with very low-cost, unlimited internet access for students, underserved populations, the elderly and veterans. They have successfully connected over 450,000 people to internet and computing devices in cities across the U.S., and their recently opened retail/warehouse space in Belleville will be able to coordinate computer donations and serves as a place underserved citizens and students can select computers. The State of Illinois Office of Broadband has committed to facilitate the donation of 10,000 computers to PCs for People Metro East, but they have set a goal of sourcing a total of 25,000 computers in their first year in order to meet the significant need in our community. Though great work is still being done, even more PCs will need to be donated to bridge the gap. For more information and to learn how you can help us achieve this goal, contact our office at 618-692-9745.

Read on for more on the developments underway across the region and have a great rest of your week!

Wood River, Jerseyville rec plans among those receiving state grants 

$2.5 million grant to revitalize Wood River’s Central Park. Wood River and Jerseyville are receiving state grants for major park and recreation projects, the state announced on Tuesday. (Read More)

Two local counties are sharing in $885,300 in grants announced Wednesday for seven local projects that will help communities develop and improve bike path facilities throughout Illinois. (Read More)

With the first weekend of spring ushering in sunny days and warmer temperatures, Madison County Transit is kicking off peak trail season by launching a systemwide wayfinding project for its extensive MCT Trails bikeway system. (Read More)

HeartLands Conservancy has been awarded a two-year grant of almost $920,000 to develop a community-endorsed watershed-based plan and projects designed to reduce stormwater runoff and fix sewer system infrastructure issues within the 95,000-acre project area. (Read More)

BELLEVILLE, IL – Egyptian Workspace Partners, a leading supplier of business products, interiors and technology, celebrated the grand opening of its brand-new showroom with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (Read More)

S. M. Wilson, Chiodini to Start Construction of Edwardsville’s R.P. Lumber CENTER 

Project partners joined City of Edwardsville officials in announcing that construction of a 65,000-square-foot teen center designed by Chiodini Architects and to be built by S. M. Wilson & Co. will begin construction on March 29.  (Read More)

The Metro East is following the state trend with double-digit increases in home sales, numbers released this week show.  (Read More)

FEMA notified Madison County officials that its Wood River Levee upgrades achieved accreditation for a 100-year-flood level. (Read More)

St. Louis Cardinal Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith cuts the ribbon on the new sportsbook (betting) room in the Fanduel Sportsbook & Horse Racing facility (formerly Fairmount Park). (Read More)

The St Clair County Transit District approved TWM, Inc. for the design and construction of the St. Ellen Park Trail at its March 16 Board of Trustees meeting. (Read More)

ST. LOUIS — An engineering firm, law firms and media company are among the 21 St. Louis employers named as top workplaces for women by the Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis. (Read More)

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville online master’s in healthcare informatics program has been ranked third nationally by intelligent.com in its 2021 Best Master’s in Health Informatics Programs. (Read More)

The Village of Glen Carbon has received an $18,750 state grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to construct a drainage outfall at the corner of Glen Crossing Road and Jamie Lynn Drive. (Read More)

U.S. Transportation Command on Tuesday welcomed U.S. Navy Fleet Master Chief Donald O. Myrick as its seventh Command Senior Enlisted Leader during a virtual Change of Responsibility ceremony at Scott Air Force Base. (Read More)

The Illinois Department of Public Health authorized local health departments to expand COVID vaccine eligibility in an effort to address first signs of a possible resurgence of the virus.(Read More)