U.S. Rep. Bustos pushes for state budget for highway spending

.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, who was instrumental in getting a new, long-term highway bill through Congress, is urging Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner to work with the General Assembly to get a budget so the state can start using federal money to improve its roads.

In a letter to the governor, Bustos, an East Moline Democrat, said the $7.5 billion earmarked in the federal bill for Illinois, will go far in meeting many infrastructure needs in the state, if a budget agreement is in place.

Bustos is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which passed the five-year highway funding bill onto the House and Senate, both of which approved it. It is the first multi-year highway bill in a decade.

“I worked hard to pass a long-term highway funding bill so we can get Illinoisans back to work rebuilding our roads and bridges,” Bustus said. “The federal government has taken action and now it’s up to Springfield to work with us so we can move ahead with job-creating infrastructure priorities such as the I-74 bridge, the expansion of US-20 and the expansion of US-24 in Fulton County. By making long-term investments in our infrastructure, we’ll create jobs and spur new economic development opportunities that will strengthen working families.”

Below is a copy of Congresswoman Bustos’ letter to Gov. Rauner.

Dear Governor Rauner:

For too long, Washington has relied on short-term deals to fund the rebuilding of our roads and bridges. The uncertainty created by this kind of short-term thinking can't be understated and there's no doubt that this has made it much more difficult for states like Illinois to invest in major infrastructure projects. However, after working in Congress to pass the first long-term highway bill in a decade, that excuse no longer works and now is the time to start thinking big for the future of our state.

As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, I have worked hard to make this meaningful investment in our roads, bridges and other transportation projects. We know that investments in our infrastructure will not only create jobs now, but will lead to more efficient movement of our goods and greater economic development opportunities in the future. By passing this bipartisan five-year highway funding bill, we have done our part to deliver the funds needed to grow Illinois' economy and now working families need the State to do its part. That's why I strongly encourage you to work with the General Assembly to provide a budget agreement that takes full advantage of these federal dollars so we can move ahead and start building a 21^st century infrastructure that works for working families across Illinois.

After meeting with business leaders, elected officials and hard working families in communities across central and western Illinois, I am writing today to reiterate some of my top infrastructure priorities for funding in the 17th Congressional District:

• Eastern Bypass between Interstate 74 and Illinois Route 6: New highway construction that would connect I-74 with Illinois Route 6 east and north of Peoria would have significant positive impacts to business and economic development, as well as provide improved transportation, efficient access connecting communities and traffic flow for local workforce and population. Construction of this bypass would better connect the region and, specifically, communities in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford Counties.
• The expansion of U.S. 24 from two lanes to four lanes, between Kingston Mines and Banner, is Fulton County’s top transportation priority. In its current state, this heavily utilized roadway is a significant safety risk and thus, a growing concern to the community. An increase in lanes would eliminate the safety hazard and increase economic development in the county.
• Expand U.S. 34 from two lanes to four lanes to provide a safe and reliable transportation corridor. IDOT has identified three high accident locations within the 23.6 miles of the two-lane road, and expansion of this stretch of highway to four lanes would not only increase safety, but reduce congestion.
• Interstate 74 Mississippi River Crossing, Quad-Cities: The I-74 Bridge is in urgent need of replacement due to crashes, recurring congestion, and significant maintenance; built for a daily crossing of 48,000 vehicles, the daily average is 80,000. The bridge is functionally obsolete with no shoulders and has never met Interstate standards, and crashes along portions of the I-74 corridor exceed three times the national average.
• Expand U.S. 20 to four lanes between Freeport and Galena: Widening the two-lane highway from Freeport to Galena could spur development by allowing easier transport of goods and services throughout the Midwest and increasing safety for those that use this road. Most of existing U.S. 20 between Galena and Freeport does not meet the Illinois Department of Transportation’s current design standards for rural highways.
• Studies by the Illinois Department of Transportation, such as the Environmental Impact Study and Phase 1 Engineering, show that U.S. 30 has reached its design limits in its current two-lane configuration. U.S. 30 in its present condition is congested, unsafe, cannot provide the necessary transportation route to support planned and anticipated economic development in this region and does not provide a safe route for the traveling public.
• Passenger Rail from Chicago to the 17^th Congressional District: Beginning rail service between Chicago and the Quad-Cities and between Chicago and Rockford will lead to hundreds of jobs being created and provide a big boost to the region and Illinois’ economy. This is a tremendous priority for me, as is getting service extended to Galena and beyond. I was disappointed to see the grants for this construction frozen and hope that you will work with state leaders to put these projects back on track this year.

Thank you for taking these transportation recommendations into consideration. I look forward to working with you to fund transportation projects that reflect the needs and realities of those in my district and across the country.

Sincerely,

Cheri Bustos

Member of Congress

ALS forces Cat officer into early retirement

Ed Rapp, a group president at Caterpillar Inc. since 2007, announced Friday he will retire earlier than he’d planned after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Rapp, 57, will retire early in 2016, after his replacement is named to ensure a smooth transition. He currently is responsible for Caterpillar’s Resource Industries, which includes mining, taking it over in January of this year.

The company said it will name Rapp’s replacement early next year.

Rapp was already being discussed as a possible heir to the chairmanship at Caterpillar after current chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman retires. Oberhelman will be 63 in February and the mandatory retirement age for officers at Caterpillar is 65.

"Early retirement was not part of my plan," Rapp said. "But I have recently been diagnosed with ALS – better known as Lou Gehrig's disease – a disease that currently has no known cure. My decision to leave Caterpillar and its people was the toughest choice I have ever faced. I love Caterpillar, especially the people I get to work with at all levels of the company, including dealers, suppliers and customers. But, I have a new challenge in front of me and, along with my family, I will now turn my focus and attention to the next chapter in life, which will include fighting the disease, raising awareness and supporting those in search of a cure."

"The entire Caterpillar family, its employees, dealers, customers, suppliers and others who have had the opportunity to get to know Ed during his career – everyone he has touched – will be keeping him and his family in their thoughts and prayers," said Oberhelman said in a news release.

"I have had the honor of working with Ed for more than 30 years, and I can't think of another leader who better exemplifies Caterpillar's values and who has had such a positive impact on our global employees. Personally, and for the company, Ed's deep and broad Caterpillar experience, thoughtful leadership and guidance will be deeply missed," he said.     

Rapp has been with Caterpillar for 36-plus years, joining the company in 1979 as a pricing analyst. He has held positions in several of the company’s divisions

Celebrate safely; know your limitations

We all want to celebrate during the holidays, and more people are likely to drink beyond their limits during this season than at other times of the year. Some will suffer adverse consequences that range from fights to falls to traffic crashes.

Sadly, we often put ourselves and others at risk because we don't understand how alcohol affects us during an evening of celebratory drinking.

Despite the potential dangers, myths about drinking persist that, for some, can prove fatal. Scientific studies supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provide important information that challenges these widespread, yet incorrect, beliefs about how quickly alcohol affects the body and how long the effects of drinking last.

Alcohol's Effects Begin Quickly
Holiday revelers may not recognize that critical decision-making abilities and driving-related skills are already diminished long before a person shows physical signs of intoxication.

Initially, alcohol acts as a stimulant, and people who drink may feel upbeat and excited. But don't be fooled. Alcohol soon decreases inhibitions and judgment, and can lead to reckless decisions.

As we consume more alcohol, reaction time suffers and behavior becomes poorly controlled and sometimes even aggressive, leading to fights and other types of violence. Continued drinking causes the slurred speech and loss of balance that we typically associate with being drunk. At higher levels, alcohol acts as a depressant, which causes the drinker to become sleepy and in some cases pass out.

At these levels, alcohol can also cause blackouts, which are periods of amnesia where a person does not remember what happened while he or she was intoxicated. The intoxicated person actively engages in behaviors like walking and talking, but does not create memories for these or other events that occur during the blackout. At very high levels, drinkers face the danger of life-threatening alcohol poisoning due to the suppression of vital life functions.

During an evening of drinking, it's also easy to misjudge how long alcohol's effects last. For example, many people believe they will begin to sober up — and drive safely — once they stop drinking and have a cup of coffee. The truth is that alcohol continues to affect the brain and body long after the last drink has been finished. Even after someone stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream, impairing judgment and coordination for hours.

Sobering Up––Myths and Facts

Myth: You can drive as long as you are not slurring your words or acting erratically.
Fact: The coordination needed for driving is compromised long before the signs of intoxication are visible. Plus, the sedative effects of alcohol increase the risk of nodding off or losing attention behind the wheel.

Myth: Drink coffee. Caffeine will sober you up.
Fact: Caffeine may help with drowsiness, but not with the effects of alcohol on decision making or coordination. The body needs time to metabolize (break down) alcohol and then to return to normal.

There are no quick cures — only time will help.

Before You Celebrate—Plan Ahead
Of course, we don't intend to harm anyone when we celebrate during the holiday season. Yet violence and traffic fatalities persist and myths about drinking live on, even though scientific studies have documented how alcohol affects the brain and body.

Because individuals are so different, it is difficult to give specific advice about drinking. But certain facts are clear: there's no way to speed up the brain's recovery from alcohol and no way to make good decisions when you are drinking too much, too fast.

So this holiday season, do not underestimate the effects of alcohol. Don't believe you can beat them, or they may beat you.

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you choose to drink:

• Pace yourself. Know what constitutes a standard drink and have no more than one per hour—and no more than four drinks for men or three for women per day.
• Have "drink spacers" — make every other drink a nonalcoholic one.
• Make plans to get home safely. Remember that a designated driver is someone who hasn't had any alcohol, not simply the person in your group who drank the least.

Have a safe holiday season!

For more information on celebrating your holidays safely and tips for cutting back, visit:http://www.RethinkingDrinking.niaaa.nih.gov 

Conklin's Barn Christmas show at Five Points could be new beginning

Contrary to what some of you may have heard, the Christmas show this weekend at Five Points in Washington is NOT the swan song for the company of Conklin’s Barn II Theatre.

In fact, it’s just the beginning of what could be new life for the company that is central Illinois’ only  theatre group with paid actors. It was left homeless when a windstorm heavily damaged the old round-top barn in Goodfield that has been its base for 40 years.

Theatre owner Mary Simon said an arrangement she’s made with Five Points will keep the Barn II company working for another year as it makes an effort to repair the barn and continue operating in Goodfield.

While nothing is for sure at this point about that long-range future, Simon said on the eve of the Christmas show that she is confident good things are in store.

“This arrangement with Five Points is wonderful and I am so thankful to the folks there. This keeps me solvent while we try and save the barn. Otherwise I was facing bankruptcy and I was going to have to sell the barn and it would have been torn down,” Simon said.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Barn II company will offer “A Christmas to Remember,” a show filled with music and skits that will take older audience members back to Christmas shows of yesterday and open younger eyes to some song-and-dance that makes the holidays special.

The show is at 7 p.m. each night and tickets are $25 for adults and $8 for children.

“A Christmas to Remember” stars many from the Barn II company that audiences have long enjoyed. Directed by Simon, who also performs in the show – including one comedy bit involving a piano that will bring howls of laughter – other performers are Lana Warner, Pat Gaik, Dan and Tamra Challacombe, Chad Kirvan, Dave Windsor, April Bieschke, Diann Thompson and Christian Meredith.  

Simon said the company had started rehearsing the Christmas show when the storm hit Goodfield and rendered the barn unsafe on Aug. 18. The Barn was in the middle of a run of a comedy called “Nana’s Naughty Knickers,” which ran two nights before the storm hit. That would be the last show there.

Simon made arrangements to continue the season at Ashland House in Morton until the barn could be repaired. She was going to keep theatre operations, including paying actors and staff, using the business interruption insurance policy she had for the facility.

Then the unthinkable happened when he insurance company denied the claim after an engineer said the building could not be repaired. The insurance company, which had renewed the Barn’s policy only a few months before when it declared the building was sound, said the damage was not storm related but that the building had simply gotten old.

Simon was left without money to keep producing shows and operating and was forced to shut down despite about 15 offers to continue shows at other area venues. “I was astounded by the offers and very grateful, but all of them were contingent on my continuing to produce the shows. I just didn’t have any fund to do that,” she said.

Then came a call from Five Points, a new venue trying to increase usage of its facilities, including its state-of-the-art, 1,000-seat auditorium. “Five Points said just bring the show in, we’ll do all the work. It’s been wonderful,” Simon said.

There is an arrangement to split proceeds to cover Barn expenses as well as Five Points expenses, she said without going into further details.

During the next year Five Points and Simon will stage five more shows, all for one weekend. They will include a musical comedy revue on Valentine’s Day weekend in February, “Greater Tuna” in April, a tribute to Patsy Cline in July, “Forever Plaid” in September and a ’50 Doo-Wop Christmas show in December.

“I hope to save the barn and re-do the whole plant so it’s like new. We think we have a case to get the insurance company to accept the claim, but we’re waiting for a report to come back,” Simon said. If that report shows the building can be repaired and restored, a fundraising campaign will get started, she added.

“Thanks to Five Points, we will get the time to see if we can pull it off,” she said.