The Regional Link
Spring 2022 Edition

Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper and Marion Counties
Local Communities Receive IDOT Transit Rebuild Illinois Awards
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that nearly $106 million has been awarded through the Il. Transportation Enhancement Program to expand travel options and enhance quality of life in communities throughout the state. This year’s program is the largest ever due to the passage of Gov. Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois and for the first time dedicates resources to communities that exhibit the greatest need.  
The US Tried Permanent Daylight Saving Time in the ’70s. People Hated It
The sun rose at 8:27 AM on January 7, 1974. Children in the Washington area had left for school in the dark that morning, thanks to a new national experiment during a wrenching energy crisis: most of the US went to year-round daylight saving time beginning on January 6. “It was jet black” outside when her daughter was supposed to leave for school, Florence Bauer of Springfield told the Washington Post. “Some of the children took flashlights with them.”

Community Development Through Resident Recruitment
If you were to ask a local elected official, employee or stakeholder to list their top five goals or objectives they aim to accomplish through their work, I think we all could agree that community and economic development will be high up on that list.
If you were to ask that same person to describe what community and economic development actually looks like, business attraction, business retention, workforce development, a new recreational space or community activity center are likely to be some of the responses you receive.
One thing you are unlikely to hear, but may actually be the most important aspect of community building, is Resident Recruitment.
The Bio-Belt: Growing The Future In Rural America
Strategic investment in biotechnology now would reinvigorate rural America and help secure our nation's high-tech competitive advantage
Cow-free burgers are now all the rage — after Beyond Meats’ recent IPO, shares rose 163% on the first day of trading. Shortly afterward, competitor Impossible Foods announced an additional $300M investment.
That’s great for California, but rural America is stuck in a bind. Technology is wiping out traditional jobs, and high-tech training can be hard to come by in towns where livestock outnumber people.
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Why Rural Matters
What does it mean to be rural? There are many opinions and definitions when it comes to the idea of rural America and what is encompassed within it. The Census Bureau, an agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System responsible for data production about the American people and its economy, defines rural as “any population, housing, or territory NOT in an urban area.” The first thing that comes to mind for many when told to picture rural America, the image of miles upon miles of empty farmland and bad internet access comes to mind. 
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