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Dupage Policy Journal

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

News from 2015

Medium itasca

Itasca begins sidewalk, curb replacement project

By Andy Jennings | Oct 30, 2015

The sidewalk-replacement project in Itasca began on Wednesday. The Itasca Public Works Department will restore sidewalks and curbs in front of several Itasca homes, which have been marked as construction zones. The project is expected to take seven days.

Medium cleanair

Woodridge honored for environmental improvement efforts

By Andy Jennings | Oct 30, 2015

The Village of Woodridge was presented with two awards late last week at the Link and Leverage Forum, hosted by Moraine Valley Community College, to honor the village's sustainability efforts. Woodridge received a Silver Award through the Clean Air Counts program and a Certificate of Sustainability Efforts, both presented by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, which represents Chicago-area municipalities.

Medium durbin

Durbin, other lawmakers defend same-sex couples in Social Security agency lapse

By Andy Jennings | Oct 30, 2015

U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) and 119 other fellow legislators submitted a letter on Monday to Carolyn Colvin, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Attorney General Loretta Lynch, urging them to ensure that the Supreme Court’s recent landmark same-sex marriage decision is implemented into policy practices and that the Social Security Administration (SSA) treats all marriages equally.

Medium kirk

Kirk applauds House passage of Export-Import Bank reauthorization bill

By Andy Jennings | Oct 30, 2015

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) released a statement after the House passed the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act on Tuesday. Kirk introduced the bill with fellow Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).The senators' bill passed in the Senate in July as an amendment to the DRIVE Act.

Medium lombard

Lombard seeks applicants for Local Tourism Grants

By Andy Jennings | Oct 28, 2015

The Village of Lombard is seeking grant applications for programs and events that support local tourism and promote the village as a destination for vacations. First-time applicants to the program are invited to submit their application for Local Tourism Grant funds to the Village office by Dec. 17.

Medium metra

Metra gets federal grant to replace rail bridge over Fox River

By Andy Jennings | Oct 28, 2015

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Dist. 8) said on Monday that a $14 million TIGER grant from the Department of Transportation (DOT) has been awarded to Metra to replace the rail bridge over the Fox River.

Medium lipinski

Lipinski's efforts to protect Worth preserve from Army Corps dumping pay off

By Andy Jennings | Oct 28, 2015

U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Dist. 3) said on Monday that the final step has been implemented to protect the 78-acre Lucas-Berg Preserve in Worth from being used as a dumping site by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for materials dredged from the Cal-Sag Channel.

Medium usda

Aurora Farmers Market gets federal grants to boost access to fresh, local food

By Andy Jennings | Oct 28, 2015

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently awarded grants totaling $99,965 to the City of Aurora Farmers Market to increase access to fresh and healthy foods -- including produce, dairy, meats and breads -- to low-income families, as well as boost the local agriculture economy.

Medium cunningham

Cunningham introduces bills to change how college executives are paid

By Andy Jennings | Oct 27, 2015

In a continuing effort to slow the increase in college tuition costs, State Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Dist. 18), chairman of the State Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education Executive Compensation, recently introduced several bills to change how Illinois’ higher education executives are paid.

Medium naperville

Naperville releases traffic-diversion plans for Healthy Driven Marathons

By Andy Jennings | Oct 27, 2015

With the third annual Healthy Driven Naperville Marathon and Half Marathon less than two weeks away, the City of Naperville has published a guide to street closures and parking restrictions that will be implemented during the highly anticipated event on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Medium dg

Downers Grove releases draft report on effort to preserve historical landmarks

By Andy Jennings | Oct 27, 2015

The Village of Downers Grove released a draft report with guidance on bolstering the number of properties that are designated as historical landmarks, thereby avoiding the loss of buildings that are architecturally significant to the community. The report was done by the Architectural Design Review Board (ADRB) and the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Historic Preservation.

Medium sec

Quigley, other lawmakers introduce SEC Small Business Advocate Act

By Andy Jennings | Oct 27, 2015

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Dist. 5) joined Reps. John Carney (D-DE), Sean Duffy (R-WI) and Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) in introducing the SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2015 late last week. The legislation would set up an Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation and formalizes a Small Business Advisory Committee, giving small businesses a voice and a line of communication with regulators and lawmakers.

Medium lombard

Lombard Board OKs several changes to electrical, plumbing codes

By Mark Reccek | Oct 26, 2015

The Lombard Village Board approved several changes to electrical and plumbing codes. The new codes, which take effect on Nov. 1, will be put in place to ensure the village's development regulations reflect the latest standards in construction.

Medium foster

McGuire resolution supports Foster's Payer State Transparency Act

By Mark Reccek | Oct 26, 2015

State Sen. Pat McGuire (D-Dist. 43) has introduced a resolution that calls on the U.S. Congress to pass U.S. Rep. Bill Foster's (D-Dist. 11) Payer State Transparency Act. Foster introduced the measure in September 2014 to study how federal tax revenue provided by "payer" states is divided up among " taker" states.

Medium quigley

Quigley calls for public access to Congressional Research Service reports

By Mark Reccek | Oct 26, 2015

U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley (D-Dist. 5) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ) recently held a bipartisan briefing late last week to discuss the distribution of non-confidential Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports to the public during International Open Access Week.

Medium kirk

Kirk calls for override of National Defense Authorization Act veto

By Mark Reccek | Oct 26, 2015

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) spoke out against President Obama's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) late last week. NDAA authorizes $611.8 billion for national security defense programs.

Medium durbin

Senate Judiciary Committee advances Sentencing Reform bill

By Mark Reccek | Oct 26, 2015

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 late last week. The bill was shepherded by U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the committee's chairman, and Dick Durbin (D-IL).

Medium lisle

Benedictine University dedicates new Goodwin Hall of Business

By Mark Reccek | Oct 26, 2015

Benedictine University in Lisle recently dedicated its new Daniel L. Goodwin Hall of Business at a blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony. "The addition brings students, educators and business leaders together to learn, lead and innovate for the future of the dynamic business industry," James Melsa, chairman of the university board of trustees, said.

Medium wheaton

Wheaton City Council passes ordinance to regulate garage sales

By Mark Reccek | Oct 26, 2015

The Wheaton City Council recently enacted an ordinance that places limits on garage sales, defined as sales, bartering, trading or giveaways conducted outdoors or partially outdoors. The ordinance prohibits residents from operating a garage sale at a single address before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m., on more than two consecutive days, more than two times in a calendar year or on a public right-of-way.

Medium lip

Lipinski, Quigley urge fellow lawmakers to extend positive train control deadline

By Mark Reccek | Oct 26, 2015

U.S. Reps. Dan Lipinski (D-Dist. 3) and Mike Quigley (D-Dist. 5) joined leaders of the passenger- and freight-rail industry recently in urging Congress to take immediate action to extend the upcoming deadline for implementing positive train control (PTC) safety technology and prevent a shutdown of the nation’s passenger- and freight-rail systems.