Gov. Pritzker submits a request for federal funding to help McLean County residents

Posted on July 23, 2021
Gov. JB Pritzker. (Facbook/Governor JB Pritzker)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – More than a month after historic flooding in McLean County, Gov. Pritzker on Friday submitted a request to the U.S. Small Business Administration seeking a disaster declaration.

The declaration, if approved, would provide financial assistance to residents and businesses to apply for low-interest, long-term loans.

“This funding from the federal government will allow the State to provide the full scale of support and tools needed to support the community as they recover from recent storms,” Gov. Pritzker said in a news release.

During the last week of June, McLean county received six to 10 inches of rain.

“Protecting the health and safety of every resident in Illinois is a top priority for my administration, and this disaster declaration opens the door to much-needed funding for McLean County residents and businesses to rebuild,” added Gov. Pritzker.

To help individuals with assistance with flooding questions, McLean County hosted a Multi-Agency Resource Center in Bloomington, where more than 100 people visited the one-stop shop.

Those who still need assistance can visit Ready.Illinois.gov.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…