The blood supply across Central Illinois is historically low, according to the American Red Cross.

The Red Cross has put out another call for blood, with donations lagging. RFD Illinois reports that the holiday season is traditionally one of the slower times of year for donations.

Joe Zydlo, the External Communications Manager for the American Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region, says this is something they haven’t seen in about a decade: “We are still having those issues with the historically low blood supplies really for the first time in about 10 years. Typically, this is the time of year when we would have those struggles [getting donations], but it seems like we’ve had these struggles with emergency or severe shortages really over the last six and a half months. It’s very dire…kind of a weird time if you will, and we just want to remind people to continue to make sure that they come out and donate blood if they are healthy and eligible to do that.”

The organization, which supplies about 40% of all blood across the country, said the “historically low” blood supply can partly be blamed on the pandemic but also on holiday season keeping people busy. In a statement this week, they said: “If more donors don’t come forward to give blood, some patients requiring a transfusion may potentially face delays in care.”

All blood types are needed. Appointments can be made by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, on the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or by visiting redcrossblood.org.

The State of Illinois is providing more pandemic-led relief to child care providers across the state.

Governor J.B. Pritzker was joined by Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Grace Hou last Thursday in Chicago in announcing that $300 million in new relief grants will be made available to child care providers. The state is also extending a previous grant program by providing nearly $50 million to previous grant recipients.

According to IDHS, this brings the state’s child care pandemic relief grant total to more than $1 billion.

Pritzker touted the investments, saying it was yet another reason why Illinois is a place to start and raise a family: “To date, these relief grants have reached more than 5,000 providers and crucially, 97% of 2020’s recipients remain open for business today. Despite all the pains of the pandemic, they are still able to serve Illinois families. For working parents, that makes all the difference. Our newest round of grants will further support providers’ abilities to recruit and retain workers. Launching in February, these grants will focus on homes and centers that serve the 95,000 Illinois children whose families participate in our state’s childcare assistance programs – CCAP.”

Secretary Hou says that the investments will help to retain staff, pay and support existing staff, and provide relief to working families: “To help recruit and retain excellent staff, at least 50% of these funds will be invested in new personnel and workforce initiatives that focus on increasing compensation and benefits. In addition to these strengthen and grow grants, the Department of Human Services wants to ensure that all childcare providers are supported so there is going to be an additional 6-month extension to our childcare restoration grants, which have provided financial assistance to childcare programs experiencing hardship since the beginning of the pandemic. These stabilization investments have allowed for increased rates for providers, reduced the financial burden of childcare for parents, and have created innovative, workable policies that support families and providers through the ever-evolving conditions of COVID-19.”

Applications for this newest round of funding are due in early January, with funding beginning to be distributed in February 2022 and through January 2023. Application information about the newest round of grants and Restoration Grant extensions will be available for providers through the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies’ website.

A second round of Covid relief to renters and landlords is now open for applications.

Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Office announced Monday it’s accepting applications for the Illinois Rental Payment Program through the Illinois Housing Development Authority. Applications will be accepted now through January 9^th at illinoishousinghelp.org.

The reopening of the program will provide an additional $297 million to renters and landlords in an effort to prevent evictions. IHDA will begin processing applications as they are submitted, and money from this round will begin to be distributed to approved Illinoisans before the end of the calendar year. The new round of the plan is funded through an appropriation in the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust explained how much the grants will be for and who is eligible: “The grants are up to $25,000, and if people need additional help applying, there are community organizations that we’ve contracted with that can also be found on illinoishousinghelp.org to help people that need a little extra assistance. Modest to lower income households that have lost income due to the pandemic and have not been able to pay all of their rent qualify. There is priority given to people at 50% of the media income or if you’ve been unemployed more than 90 days.”

Households that received previous assistance, however, may not receive more than 18 months of total combined assistance, regardless of the source. In addition, households that received federal rental assistance previously may not receive further ILRPP payments for those same months previously covered. IHDA will adjust the ILRPP grant amount in these situations to avoid duplication of assistance.

The additional ILRPP funding is expected to assist more than 32,500 Illinois households.

Two incumbent members of Congress who may have to run against each other in June’s Republican primary are at odds over the recently passed 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.

13^th District Congressman Rodney Davis touted the 2022 NDAA in a statement released earlier today. Davis voted in favor of the annual authorization of military spending. He said those who voted ‘No’ for the NDAA would have “defunded the military.” The legislation passed the House by a vote of 363-70. Davis said that some House Democrats and President Joe Biden were attempting to reshape the military towards what Davis described as a “progressive worldview.” The NDAA ultimately includes a 5% increased military spending over the next year.

15^th District Congresswoman Mary Miller was one of 19 Republicans voting against the bill joining Illinois Democrats Danny Davis, Chuy Garcia, and Jan Schakowsky. Noted progressive New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also voted against the bill.

Miller said in a statement this afternoon that she voted against the bill because of several provisions that she characterized as antithetical to her constituents’ beliefs including a vaccine mandate on U.S. Troops and Critical Race Theory equity training requirements. Miller also says that she voted against the bill because “no one in the Biden Administration has been held accountable for the withdrawal in Afghanistan.” Miller says she was glad that gun confiscations provisions and updates to the Selective Service program that would include women were removed in the bill’s final draft.

Miller has yet to announce whether she will run against Davis in the newly drawn 15^th District next June or oppose Mike Bost in the newly drawn 12^th District.

A Pike County man is facing several charges in Adams County after a violent domestic incident.

KHQA reports that on November 28^th, Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call for a report of a physical battery that reportedly happened at a home in the Burton area. The caller told deputies that 35 year old Adam Terstriep of Hull allegedly entered their home without permission and battered them for several hours. The victim said they were later able to escape to a nearby neighbor’s home and called 9-1-1.

Terstriep was later arrested for home invasion, aggravated domestic battery with strangulation, and unlawful restraint.

Terstriep’s first appearance in Adams County Court was last Monday, where his bond was set at $60,000, with 10% to apply. Terstriep posted bond and was ordered by the court to wear a GPS electronic surveillance monitoring device upon his release.

Terstriep is next due in Adams County court on December 23^rd for a preliminary hearing.

Local Congressmen Rodney Davis and Darin LaHood announced today that the final draft of the upcoming year’s National Defense Authorization Act passed out of the House of Representatives with a project request they made jointly for $10.2 million for the 183rd Wing of the Illinois National Guard based in Springfield.

The funding would be used to construct a base civil engineer complex. The project was requested by Illinois National Guard Adjutant General Major General Richard Neely and has the approval of the Department of Defense. It also had the support of Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder and Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport Executive Director Mark Hanna.

Davis and LaHood says the complex will help Central Illinois National Guard troops to now have a proper facility to meet their maintenance and preparedness needs for future missions.

A Pike County-based pork producer is denying claims made in a federal lawsuit that it violated state laws about biometric privacy, and it’s also challenging the law itself.

The Journal Courier reports that The Maschoffs argued the description in the legal complaint of its time-tracking system as incomplete or inaccurate in a response filed Friday over a class action suit filed in federal court in Springfield in September.

The company denied biometric data from fingerprints was collected and stored or that it was associated with personal identifying information, as the civil claim maintains. According to the response, the system had been in place with the company since 2017 and none of the members of the class action allegedly express concern about the time-tracking system that used fingerprints as a method to clock in and clock out.

The lawsuit asks for class-action status, which could allow dozens of former and current workers to join it. The Maschoffs LLC asked the court to deny such status, largely on the grounds that it said no one was harmed by use of the time-tracking system. The company said no biometric information was misused or “subject to an improper sale, lease, trade or profit” or “stored, transmitted or protected in a manner deemed to be unreasonable within the relevant industry or subject to safeguards that are less protective than the manner used to protect defendant’s own confidential or other sensitive information.”

In a notice of constitutional challenge to statute filed along with the response, The Maschoffs contends the privacy act is unconstitutional as applied to the class-action suit’s allegations because it says its in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because the statutory damages being claimed are grossly excessive and disproportionate in light of the absence of any actual injury or harm.

The class-action suit is seeking that every instance of collecting, storing or sharing biometric identifiers or information constitutes a violation and should result in $5,000 in damages for each violation determined to be willful or reckless and $1,000 for each violation considered negligent.

The Maschhoffs LLC is headquartered in Pittsfield and has locations in Pike and Cass counties, as well as Carlyle, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri.

A conference on the case is scheduled on January 25^th.

Sangamon County Republicans have begun their search for the next state representative from the 99^th House District.

The 99^th District covers the western portions of Sangamon County.

Party officials will appoint someone to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of former Representative Mike Murphy, who gave up his seat last week to take over as the new President & CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

The appointee will fill out the remainder of Murphy’s term, through January 2023.

Applications must be submitted to the Sangamon County Republican Party Headquarters by 5PM Monday, December 13^th. The office is located at 1132 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield. Office hours are 10:30-3:30 Monday through Friday. Applications may also be emailed to sangamonrepublicans@scrcc.comcastbiz.net.

Selection for the replacement will be held on December 30^th with the meeting open to the public.

Another area municipality is hoping to cash in on a grant to revitalize their downtown. Winchester announced last week it would be seeking the Rebuild Downtowns and Main Streets Capital Grant to help pay for repaving the streets in its downtown square.

The City of Carrollton now appears to be looking at applying for the same grant program. The Greene Prairie Press reports that the Carrollton City Council recently spoke with Benton & Associates Engineer Jamie Headen, State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer, and State Senator Steve McClure about the application process.

The grant program currently has $50 million allocated, with grants ranging from $250,000 to $3 million per award. A total of 30 projects will be awarded, with the application deadline set for January 10^th. The grant program is being funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, with a focus on communities hit hardest economically by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prairie Press reports that a project put together in 2019 by the Carrollton Square Initiative to improve sidewalks, ADA accessibility, parking, and lighting is a possible portion of their submission for the grant. In 2019, the total cost of the project was projected to be approximately $2.1 million. The CSI group has agreed to pay the costs to submit the application for the council.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will announce the grantees in the Spring.

The expansion of the Winchester Public Library is underway despite cold temperatures.

Excavation from Macomb’s Trotter Construction dug out significant area behind the library at the end of November to begin laying foundation work.

Concrete footings were poured last week. Winchester Mayor Rex McIntire hopes that walls can go up soon before winter weather hits: “I’m hoping they can get that foundation in. Once they get that in, then they will start on the walls. You know it’s just like any project, you have to start from the ground up, and the foundation is a very important part of it. It’s going to have a lot of weight on it as an all brick and box structure there. It is a pretty healthy-sized footing.”

The $515,000 expansion is expected to completed by June.

The over 1,000 square foot expansion will add space for the library’s youth and community services programs.