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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Alton will hold a free public seminar, “Balancing Energy Efficiency with Historic Preservation,” from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, at the Old Bakery Beer Company, 400 Landmarks Blvd., Alton, Illinois

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Mark Kirk, Representative Mike Quigley, Amtrak and Metra today announced an additional $7 million funding to develop infrastructure improvements and train operating strategies that will enhance passenger rail service at Chicago’s Union Station. The funds will be used to conduct a Terminal Planning Study and create a Service Development Plan that will increase capacity at the 90-year-old station and on the railroads that lead to it.

The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) and the Chicago Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, Incorporated (CLCCRUL) marked the beginning of Fair Housing Month with a free training for housing providers and landlords on the Illinois Human Rights Act and best practices in avoiding discriminatory acts. The informative training session followed a proclamation by Governor Bruce Rauner, urging all Illinois residents to “to embrace diversity, recognize the importance of equal opportunity in housing and recognize the important work of equal housing advocates” throughout the month of April

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Washington Mayor Gary Manier today joined the Marfell family, whose house was destroyed by the November 2013 tornadoes, to view the progress they have made in rebuilding their home. Following the visit and tour, Senator Kirk and Mayor Manier, along with the Marfell family and local first responders, held a town hall meeting to discuss

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today joined with Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis and other local leaders to call for swift approval of a 100% green infrastructure proposal that would save money for residents while improving water quality and infrastructure and creating jobs in central Illinois.

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, urged communities across her region of Illinois to apply for $500 million in federal grants available for transportation and infrastructure projects. More information on the application process on the next round of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants can be found by visiting http://www.dot.gov/TIGER. The deadline for pre-applications is May 4th and the deadline for final applications is June 5th.

Pets are treasured family members in more than half of Illinois households. If your family includes a dog, cat, hamster or other furry, feathered or scaly friends, don’t forget to include their unique needs in your home emergency plans

Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) is announcing that Lewis University Airport in Romeoville will be receiving a grant for $490,615 for a taxiway to the aviation center. This grant is part of a public-private collaboration that includes Lewis University, the airport, and the State of Illinois. This airport improvement is expected to promote job creation by attracting more businesses to the region and help the Lewis University Aviation program.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced a series of investments in Chicago that will bring jobs and infrastructure investments to the city over the next two years. This investment plan – known as Sprint® for Chicago – will bring more than 300 new jobs to neighborhoods throughout Chicago by the end of 2015 and includes the installation of hundreds of new cell sites and an expected investment of $45 million in its network infrastructure between now and the end of 2016.

Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Peter Welch (D-VT) joined Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Chris Coons (D-CT) today to announce that they are introducing identical bipartisan bills in the Senate and House encouraging and expanding the use of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESCs) in federal government buildings

On Friday afternoon, Governor Bruce Rauner joined the Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ), Candice Jones, at an event to unveil the Department’s operational plan to reduce recidivism of juvenile offenders. Also in attendance

U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), led a bipartisan letter to the THUD Subcommittee with 10 members of the Illinois House delegation urging full funding for mass transit and passenger rail in next year’s THUD budget.

Chicago Housing Authority announced today it is set to begin the next phase of renovations for Altgeld Gardens –Murray Homes Development on the city’s Far South Side. CHA is in the midst of multi-phased rehab of the housing development that will improve housing options for thousands of families. This is part of CHA’s plan to invest $240M in 2015 to build affordable housing units across the City on top of the $135M spent last year to develop affordable housing for low-income families and seniors.

U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), along with Rep. Dan Lipinski (IL-03) introduced the Reassuring Adequate Investment in Lifesaving Systems or the RAILS Act, which reauthorizes the Railroad Safety Technology Grants Program to provide critical funding for train control technologies, rail integrity inspection systems, paperless hazardous communication devices, and other new rail safety items

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, fought to expand local control over federal transportation dollars by joining with Congressman Rodney Davis (IL-13) and introducing the bipartisan Innovation in Surface Transportation Act. This bill, which is supported by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, would create a competitive in-state grant process in which eligible local entities may compete for a larger portion of federal transportation funding.