City Council approves creation of Reimagining Public Safety Committee
City Council approved the creation of the Reimagining Public Safety Committee, an ad-hoc committee tasked with analyzing Evanston Police Department’s relationship with the city and presenting “community-informed” recommendations for the 2022 budget process, on Monday.
In one of his first acts as mayor, Mayor Daniel Biss announced the formation of the committee at the first meeting of the 81st City Council. According to a memo prepared by Deputy City Manager Kimberly Richardson, the committee will review the city’s funding allocation in relation to public safety and police department functions and allocations.
The Illinois State Board of Education will require all public schools throughout the state to resume full in-person learning for all student attendance days this fall, with some exceptions for remote learning, the board unanimously decided Wednesday.
Remote instruction will be made available for students not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and are under a quarantine order by a local public health department or the Illinois Department of Public Health. A formal declaration of full in-person fall learning will come from the state superintendent.
Illinois schools are receiving over $7 billion in federal funding to support students as they return to in-person learning. Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School/School District 202 are expected to receive nearly $10.6 million and $3.7 million in funding, respectively. The money comes through the American Rescue Plan and will be disbursed over the next three years.
Solar power industry could have big year after 2020 hiccup
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Do you agree with the UCP caucus, which elected to remove Cypress-MH MLA Drew Barnes on Thursday?
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A new home in the community of Saamis features solar panels that are expected to create as much electricity as is used within the home over the course of a year. A local solar power business owner says the industry is steadily growing. NEWS FILE PHOTO
The Alberta energy sector is still struggling in southeastern Alberta but there is one part that continues its steady growth in the region.
Marcus Campbell, owner of Terralta, says after a slow 2020, “solar is back,” adding there are about 35 residential and commercial solar projects in the region going this summer.
As one of his first acts in office, Mayor Daniel Biss created the Reimagining Public Safety Committee, he announced at Monday’s City Council meeting.
The committee, which comprises 17 city officials and community members, plans to analyze the city’s public safety efforts which encompasses the Evanston Police Department and provide recommendations for the 2022 city budget.
“We are prepared to take on what is perhaps the most difficult and controversial issue before us,” Biss said. “But it’s also, from both a quality of life and a budgetary standpoint issue, perhaps the most significant one and I cannot wait to get started.”
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
By Mike Gervais mgnews@monett-times.com
Members of the Monett Fire Department watch a home video from 1982 in the little Gillioz Theater. Mike Gervais/mgnews@monett-times.com
Monett museum recreates historic theater
A year-long project to recreate one of Monetts historic social hubs at the Monett Museum has been completed.
In October 2020, the Monett Museum launched an effort to reconstruct a miniaturized rendition of the Gillioz Theater that stood on Broadway Street from 1931 to the 1970s.
From left, Monett firefighters John Vincent, Marcus Campbell, Jeff Ogle, A.J. Lamastus and Levi Pfitzner were the first to see the completed Gillioz Theater in the Monett Museum during a firefighter appreciation event at the museum. Mike Gervais/mgnews@monett-times.com