The Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday will place Region 10 (Suburban Cook County), which includes portions of Tinley Park, under Phase Three mitigation measures in response to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

Region 10 has had eight consecutive days of increases in test positivity rates and seven days of increased hospitalizations due to COVID-19. Region 7, which also includes the Will County portion of Tinley Park, moved into Phase Three last week for similar reasons.

Phase Three mitigation measures include:

These measures don’t currently apply to schools.

Please refer to the Restore Illinois plan for more information.

The Village will host a webinar titled "Digital Marketing in a COVID Economy" from 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Stephanie Pyrzynski of Geoffresh Inc. will cover three smart ways to pivot your business now and beyond using search engines, social media and relationship marketing.

Register in advance for this webinar on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Stephanie is the creative side of Geoffresh Inc., a digital marketing agency headquartered in Tinley Park that’s been in business since 2007. In addition to being co-owner and vice president, she oversees the design and messaging aspects of every project. Stephanie balances out the purely data-focused side of building an online presence with the human element, ensuring content looks beautiful and resonates with users.

With eight years of experience in public relations and digital marketing, as well as eight prior additional years in journalism, Stephanie has a proven track record of working with C-suite executives and teams to generate interest and revenue in brands for both internal and external audiences. Some of her past and present clients include the Major County Sheriffs of America, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in applied psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters Degree in digital media and storytelling from Loyola University Chicago.

A video of the 2020 Tinley Park Business Breakfast is now available!

Join Tinley Park Mayor Jacob Vandenberg for a State of the Village address, followed by a presentation by Village Manager Dave Niemeyer. Rick Matoon of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago then provides a business forecast, ending with the presentation of longevity awards to Tinley Park businesses that reached significant milestones in 2019 and 2020.

Visit the Village's YouTube page to watch the video.

The Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (IRAEF) has opened a grant of as much as $500 to directly support restaurant employees facing an unforeseen hardship due to COVID-19.

Funds are available to restaurant workers who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are a caregiver for an immediate family member who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, or quarantined with a doctor’s note; or to restaurant workers who have been out of work for three weeks or more without unemployment benefits.

Applications are available on the IRAEF website.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DECO) is offering the second wave of grants as part of its Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program to provide more than $200 million in economic relief for small businesses hit by COVID-19.

The second wave aims to provide relief for all types of small businesses, but with a particular focus on businesses downstate, in disproportionately impacted areas (DIAs) and for heavily impacted industries and regions that have been unable to reopen or are operating at a severely diminished capacity since the spring.

To apply, fill out the Business Interruption Grant Application. For more information, visit the DCEO website.

Will County has earmarked more than $24 million for the Small Business Assistance Grant Program to provide financial assistance to small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Funds will help businesses maintain operations.

Will County businesses may be eligible for as much as $15,000. Applications are available online now through Monday, Nov. 16. To be eligible, business must:

For more information or to apply, visit WillCountyIllinois.com/COVIDbizgrant.