DES PLAINES – To make roads safer for residents and travelers in the 28th District, the Illinois Department of Transportation has allocated over $23 million for local construction projects set to begin in the next year, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) announced Friday.

“Infrastructure projects don’t just create jobs in the short term,” Murphy said. “They make residents’ commutes faster, easier and safer, and they ensure our area remains a major crossroads of the national transportation industry.”

As part of IDOT’s latest Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, the district Murphy represents will see 26 infrastructure projects totaling more than $126 million over the next six years, with half these upgrades slated to begin construction in the next year.

Of the 13 projects residents can expect to see in 2021, Murphy highlighted two major developments: $5.1 million will go toward improvements to the intersection of East Higgins Road (Illinois 72) and Oakton Street in Elk Grove Village, and $5.5 million will be used for nearly six miles of pavement preservation on Arlington Heights Road between Palatine Road and East Higgins Road.

Murphy also mentioned a $1.7 million investment to improve road conditions along a two-mile stretch of Algonquin Road in Des Plaines and Park Ridge. Construction on this project is scheduled for the 2022-26 phase of the plan.

“Residents have been waiting a long time to see these improvements,” said Murphy. “I’m thrilled to see these projects starting to take shape.”

IDOT will invest $21.3 billion statewide to improve bridges and roadways over the next six years, which will create thousands of job opportunities across the state. Projects included in the program were selected based on objective criteria, such as pavement conditions, traffic volumes and crash history.

The full Multi-Year Plan can be found here.

DES PLAINES – To encourage more young people to enter the education field, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is proud to announce nine local schools will receive Education Career Pathways Grants from the Illinois State Board of Education.

“Teachers are among the most important members of our workforce—a great teacher can make all the difference in a child’s life,” said Murphy. “The grants will help our schools recruit a diverse, well-trained and passionate team of educators to lead their classrooms.”

The Northwest Education Council for Student Success has been awarded $249,000, which will be distributed to nine high schools in the Northwest Suburbs to assist these schools in developing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to prepare students for careers in education.

CTE programs help students develop technical and employability skills while strengthening their core academic abilities to enable them to pursue higher education opportunities and succeed in the workforce. Students in CTE programs also have the opportunity to earn dual credit or credentials and certifications from partner institutions prior to high school graduation.

The programs will place a special focus on recruiting underrepresented students into education careers to help meet the high demand for teachers of color across Illinois.

“Students succeed when they can relate to their teachers,” said Murphy. “Investing in our local teacher pipelines encourages Illinois students to return to the communities where they grew up and give back to the next generation.”

Nearly $2 million in total funding has been awarded to 11 Education for Employment Systems statewide to recruit and support future educators at 62 high schools and vocational centers across the state. For a full list of grant recipients or to learn more about career and college readiness programs in Illinois, visit www.ISBE.net/CTE.

Hospitals have experienced a dire shortage of blood donations during the COVID-19 crisis, inspiring State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) to host a community blood drive Wednesday, July 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Prairie Lakes Community Center, located at 515 E. Thacker St. in Des Plaines.

“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many blood drives were cancelled, causing a shortage that put many patients at risk,” said Murphy. “Now that we have the necessary safety protocols in place, I encourage healthy people to make an appointment to donate.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 17.2 million units of blood are used in transfusions every year for accident victims, cancer patients, hemophiliacs, surgery patients and more. In March, the CDC issued a statement encouraging healthy people to donate blood at blood centers that adhere to public health and safety guidelines.

Murphy has partnered with Versiti Blood Center of Illinois to host the event. To ensure the safety of all staff and donors, Versiti will be performing temperature checks, symptom screenings and frequent cleaning procedures. Masks will be required, and chairs in all areas will be at least six feet apart.

Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins may be accommodated if there are open slots. To schedule an appointment to donate, visit https://bit.ly/BloodDrive-7-29-20.