State Sen. Dale Fowler spent the week leading up to the Easter holiday in the 59th District, visiting local businesses, meeting with area leaders and promoting his upcoming Southern Illinois Made Expo to regional chambers.
Sen. Fowler met with local leaders in the area, speaking with Mayor Tyrone Coleman from Cairo about possible future housing development in the community and interest in private investment for future building construction. Sen. Fowler also met with Mayor Overton from Coello, discussing infrastructure needs throughout the area.
“As a former mayor, I know how passionate these leaders are about bettering their communities and seeking out opportunities to improve and develop,” said Sen. Fowler. “These are the conversations that need to happen so that state and local government can work together to help our region and our residents.”
From local leaders to local businesses, Sen. Fowler spent some time in the business community while travelling throughout the district. Sen. Fowler stopped by Crownline Boats, receiving a tour of the facility and discussing the Southern Illinois-based business with Crownlines’ Vice President Kevin Riems. Crowline Boats is a business based in West Frankfort, offering a wide range of boat designs to the public.
Sen. Fowler also toured another local-based business, joining employees of the Lafarge Joppa Cement Plant for a visit in their facility. The cement factory has been a long-standing business staple in the community, expanding over the years and increasing employee numbers.
The importance of supporting the local business community was underscored when Sen. Fowler joined local chambers for the annual Southern Illinois Regional Chamber Luncheon on March 27. Sen. Fowler was a keynote speaker for the event, speaking to attendees about his upcoming Southern Illinois Made Expo on July 28 and 29. Sen. Fowler is encouraging local business in the community to visit simade.org to learn more about the ongoing initiative to give businesses the chance to showcase their impressive products and the destinations throughout the region.
Sen. Fowler was also the keynote speaker at the sixth annual fundraising dinner for the Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County over the weekend. The organization held the fundraiser, in part, to collect funds for an upcoming housing project in Herrin set to begin later this spring.
In other news, the Illinois Department of Transportation is set to begin construction on the installation of a stoplight at the intersection of IL Route 13 and West Popular Street. Since being made aware of the number of crashes that have taken place at the accident-prone intersection in the Harrisburg community, Sen. Fowler has advocated for bringing a traffic signal to the busy juncture. Sen. Fowler is hopeful that this project will help make the roadway safer and decrease the number of traffic accidents at the intersection. With construction set to begin on April 2, IDOT is reminding everyone to be cautious and aware of workers at the intersection.
Also happening in District last week, Franklin County Economic Development leaders voted to move forward with a Competitive Freight grant application for the I-57 expanded interchange. Congressmen Mike Bost was in attendance, speaking with the group about the expansion plans.
Meanwhile, the Thompsonville American Legion held their Pancake Breakfast over the weekend and the Williamson County Fire Protection District held their ribbon-cutting ceremony for their brand new fire house in Marion.
State News
As part of the Ag Invest program, the Illinois State Treasurer has launched the 2018 Cream of the Crop Photo Contest. The Treasurer invites youth from across the state, ages 8-18, to start submitting their most innovative, scenic snapshot that depicts their vision of agriculture in our state. Interested applicants can find more information on the Treasurer’s website, http://www.illinoistreasurer.gov/.
In other news, the deadline to file state and federal taxes is mere weeks away. Taxpayers can file their returns on or before April 17, for the 2017 tax filing year.
Some common documents, records, or receipts you may need to help you file include:
a copy of your federal income tax return and schedules
copies of all W-2 and 1099 forms
tax returns you filed with other states
your property number and amount of property tax paid
receipts for qualified education or moving expenses
your routing and account number for direct deposit into checking or savings accounts
You can use MyTax Illinois to electronically file your original Individual Income Tax Return. If you haven’t already, you can start your IL-1040 online for free at mytax.illinois.gov.