Illinois Quick Hits: New round of EV charging funds announced

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Illinois Department of Transportation says about $30 million of funding is available for new electric vehicle charging stations.

IDOT is holding an informational webinar Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Applications must be received by July 20. Selected locations will be announced by the end of August.

CHICAGO ANNOUNCES $12 MILLION FOR ANTI-FLOODING PROJECT

Chicago officials have announced a pilot project designed to reduce flooding on the city’s West Side.

A statement from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said the $12 million infrastructure investment marks the beginning of construction on the second of two underground installations that will provide nearly 1.7 million gallons of storm water storage capacity.

The project follows severe flooding that impacted the West Side in July 2023.

STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE DROWNING IN ALEXANDER COUNTY

At the request of the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, state police are investigating the death of a person who drowned in a rural creek.

Authorities say a sheriff’s deputy responded to a domestic battery report in McLure on Monday afternoon, but the suspect fled.

Deputies later found the individual drowned in a creek near Grapevine Trail and Levee Road.

AMERICA 250 EVENTS CONTINUE WITH DECLARATION READING, NEW EXHIBIT

Illinois is set to join the other 49 U.S. states in a simultaneous public reading of the Declaration of Independence on Wednesday.

The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on the steps of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.

On Thursday, the State Archives and State Library will debut “America 250: Land of Lincoln,” a summer-long exhibition celebrating Illinois’ place in the nation’s history.

The exhibit features historic plat maps from across the state, original surveyors’ notes and land records connected to Abraham Lincoln.