$1.1 Million in Illinois FIRST Projects for Kankakee and Illinois River Valleys

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan announced today that he is releasing $1,128,450 in Illinois FIRST funding for projects in the Kankakee and Illinois River valleys, including $1 million to the Kankakee County Emergency Telephone System Board to implement the Wide Area Radio Network.

The City of Kankakee, the Village of Bourbonnais and the Village of Bradley will pool their frequencies, resulting in a ten channel county-wide system for use by all the public safety agencies in Kankakee County. The board is contributing $500,000.

Other Illinois FIRST grants announced by Ryan:

• $25,000 to the City of Ottawa to conduct a feasibility study on the "re-watering" of the Illinois & Michigan Canal.
  This project was initiated by State Sen. Patrick D. Welch, D-Peru.

• $25,000 to the City of Ottawa to install a sidewalk along East McKinley Road for access to Shepherd Middle School.
  This project was initiated by Welch.

• $25,000 to the Will County Health Department to purchase a dental operatory and dental supplies for the dental clinic of the Will County Community Health Center. The county is contributing $16,454.
  This project was initiated by State Rep. Jack McGuire, D-Joliet.

• $25,000 to the Manhattan Park District to modernize and upgrade its main park.
  This project was initiated by State Sen. Lawrence M. "Larry" Walsh, D-Elwood.

• $25,000 to Crime Stoppers of Will County, Inc., to purchase video cameras for the Will County Police Department's Taylor Pirc Video Camera project.
  This project was initiated by Walsh.

• $3,450 to the Ladd Police Department to purchase a defibrillator, a carrying case and a data card.
  This project was initiated by Welch.