The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the award of four Environmental Justice Grants totaling $115,100 to nonprofit organizations to develop solutions to environmental problems in low-income and minority communities in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Granite City, Illinois.

Reps. Dan Lipinski (IL-3) and Carlos Curbelo (FL-26) have introduced legislation to authorize appropriations for the University Transportation Centers (UTC) program for fiscal years 2016 through 2021. Since its implementation by Congress in 1987, over 16,000 students have conducted research within the UTC program to revitalize our infrastructure.

In an effort to save mortgage licensees valuable time and resources, the Division of Banking at the Illinois Department of Financial Professional Regulation (DFPR) has created a new Anti-Predatory Loan Database (APLD) Interface. Launched on October 3rd, the interface facilitates the automatic transfer of loan data, saving mortgage licensees from manually re-entering the information. The interface is part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to increase efficiency and regulatory responsiveness

Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) announced a grant in the amount of $3,587,052 to reconstruct a stretch of Front Street in East St. Louis. The grant was issued by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) under the Department of Commerce.

Three months after the Senate passed a long-term, bipartisan transportation bill, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on Speaker of the House John Boehner to consider legislation that would provide the certainty that businesses and state governments, like Illinois, need to plan critical infrastructure projects and create good-paying jobs.

Emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and other pollutants will be significantly reduced by rules adopted today by the Illinois Pollution Control Board. The reductions ensure that all areas of the State of Illinois will be in compliance with current Federal rules regarding SO2 concentrations.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making available the Illinois River Watershed Modeling Program which resulted from several years of collaboration with local stakeholders, states and tribes in both Ark. and Okla. The Modeling Program will assist in the development of water pollution controls needed to meet water quality standards throughout the watershed and relies on two highly specialized computer models.

Governor Bruce Rauner announced he has made appointments to the Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority, the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

New listings in the North Shore – Barrington housing market increased 1.4 percent to 1,158 in August, up from 1,142 in August 2014, according to the North Shore – Barrington Association of Realtors (NSBAR).

House hunting continues to move in a digital direction, and the ability to pursue property listings online certainly makes the home-search process simpler. Nonetheless, RE/MAX advises buyers to review online listings with their limitations as well as their benefits in mind

Illinois closed out the summer housing market with moderate gains in both home sales and median prices in August, even as available inventory remained lower than a year ago, according to the Illinois Association of REALTORS

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced $1,163,954 in federal funding for infrastructure improvements and upgrades at Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration

David J. Friedman, President of Conor Commercial Real Estate, a member of The McShane Companies, is pleased to announce the launch of Fountain Square Commerce Center – a new 70-acre, Class A multi-building industrial business park. Located within the premier I-55 corridor at Remington Boulevard and South Schmidt Road in Bolingbrook, Illinois, the well-positioned development offers easy access to the full I-55 interchange at I-55 and Route 53 and is in close proximity to the I-355 interchange. Construction is currently underway with delivery scheduled for Summer 2016.

The lead administrator of a Chicago-area visiting physician practice was sentenced to 87 months in prison for his role in a $4 million health care fraud scheme. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon of the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) in Chicago and Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Brown of the FBI’s Chicago Division made the announcement

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) announced today that President Obama has issued a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Declaration for Grundy and Iroquois Counties, which will allow residents and businesses in the region severely impacted by severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes earlier this summer to receive SBA loans.