Halpin announces Valentine’s Day card drive for Galesburg seniors

GALESBURG – State Senator Mike Halpin is launching a Valentine’s Day card drive for Galesburg residents living in long-term care facilities.

“We want to make sure that our seniors get the appreciation they deserve on Valentine’s Day,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “I believe that it’s important to start off the new year by reminding our seniors that they are valued and recognized.”

Halpin is encouraging community members in the Galesburg area to write Valentine’s Day cards, which can be dropped off or mailed to his Galesburg constituent service office. Once all the cards have been collected, they will be delivered to senior facilities in Knox County.

The collection of Valentine’s Day cards will run through Friday, Feb. 9. Those wishing to participate can drop off or mail cards to Halpin’s Galesburg office, located at 117 E. Main. St., Suite 103, Galesburg, IL 61401.

For more information or questions, residents can reach out to Halpin’s Galesburg office at (309) 297-4483.

Halpin, Johnson announce new facility upgrades at Saukie Golf Course

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin and State Representative Gregg Johnson announced Friday that Saukie Golf Course is set to receive a state grant of $900,000 to renovate the clubhouse.

“You can learn a lot about a community by the way they invest in publicly accessible recreation for residents,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “The state is kicking in close to $1 million to upgrade the club house at Saukie, which is a significant investment for the revitalization efforts in Rock Island.”

Plans are to replace the 95-year-old clubhouse at Saukie Golf Course with a new facility to better serve golfers and all users while maintaining the golf course’s historical significance. The current clubhouse is beyond its useful life and in a state of deterioration. The new clubhouse will include meeting space, seating areas, office, kitchen and dining area, two golf simulators, and outdoor seating facing the course. It will create a more welcoming and fully accessible starting and ending point for golfers and provide year-round space for learning and enrichment activities with indoor hitting bays and simulators.

“The tourism dollars that will come to Rock Island as a result of much-needed improvements to the Saukie Golf Course are going to make a world of difference for the local economy,” said Johnson (D-East Moline). “Building a stronger future for our community starts with steady economic growth, and I am pleased to be able to secure the money for Rock Island to achieve that.”

The funding comes from the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act, or PARC, grant program, which is part of the Rebuild Illinois capital improvement program. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources administers the program.

Library grants coming to Western Illinois thanks to Halpin

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin announced that 16 school districts from the Quad Cities, Galesburg, Monmouth, Macomb and the surrounding areas have received nearly $30,000 to provide resources to libraries through books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, multilingual materials, technology and programs.

“Funding for our school libraries is a good investment in our future,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “The next generation of leaders are out there, and it’s essential that we provide them the resources needed to succeed.”

Based on a statutory formula, school districts receive $0.885 per student enrolled at each school with a qualified library. Funding for the School District Library Grant Program originates from the General Reserve Fund and is appropriated for this purpose by the Illinois General Assembly.

The following school districts in Halpin’s district received a total of $28,886:

• Bushnell Prairie City District 170 - $850
• Carbon Cliff-Barstow District 36 - $850
• Colona Grade School District 190 - $850
• East Moline District 37 - $2,132
• Galesburg School District 205 - $3,233
• Hampton School District 29 - $850
• Knoxville School District 202 - $850
• Macomb School District 185 - $1,644
• Moline-Coal Valley District 40 - $6,083
• Monmouth-Roseville SD 238 - $1,319
• Orion School District 223 - $850
• Rock Island-Milan SD 41 - $5,088
• Sherrard School District 200 - $1,144
• Silvis School District 34 - $850
• United School District 304 - $850
• United Township District 30 - $1,443

The grants, awarded once every fiscal year, will support school library services for over 1 million students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade across the state.

“The School District Library Grant Program lends for the opportunity for school districts throughout Illinois to enhance the library media services offered to students within their schools,” said Tammy Muerhoff, Rock Island County Regional Superintendent of Schools. “These funds will provide for additional books and other library media materials to offer students with enriching opportunities to explore and learn. 

For a full list of libraries that received funding, visit the Secretary of State’s website.

Halpin highlights higher education laws taking effect in 2024

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin sponsored and successfully passed two measures that will benefit students and higher education institutions in the new year.

“Throughout the year, I visited numerous colleges and universities across the state and was able to identify some problems that we could address immediately,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “Our higher education institutions wanted easier access to recruit in-state students, and community college students needed to be able to utilize technical education programs that their home districts do not offer. We addressed both of these this year.”

House Bill 3759 makes student directory information electronically available through a secure centralized data system for official recruiting representatives of public higher education institutions in Illinois. The measure will allow colleges and universities to reach high school students with educational and career opportunities more effectively and at a lower cost.

House Bill 2503 will give community college students access to career and technical education programs at surrounding community colleges if the student’s home district does not offer the program. Under current law, for example, a Galesburg resident enrolled at Carl Sandburg College who wants to enroll in the Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP) at Black Hawk College would have to transfer to Black Hawk and pay out-of-district tuition rates. With Halpin’s new law, the Galesburg student will now be considered a member of the Black Hawk College district for the HCCTP, allowing them to pay in-district tuition rates while still being enrolled at Carl Sandburg for other courses.

“Our state has a bright future and so many kids who want to learn and stay in Illinois for school,” said Halpin. “It’s important that we provide them the opportunities to do just that.”

Both laws take effect on Jan. 1.