Last week was a busy one with more information coming out about the most recent stimulus bill, including the re-opening of the Paycheck Protection Program. On Friday, Governor Pritzker announced some changes to the Tiered Mitigation plan, as well as sharing more information about COVID-19 vaccination plans. Read on for links to more information about both.

The governor announced that the state would move to Phase 1B of its COVID-19 vaccination plan on January 25. He also announced adjustment to the resurgence mitigations, with Tier 1 of the plan now allowing restaurants and bars in a qualifying region to resume indoor dining with limited capacity. Three of the state's 11 regions moved to Tier 2 last Friday. Region 8, which includes Kane and DuPage counties remains at Tier 3.

Read the entire State of Illinois press release for more information. Here is the Illinois Resurgence Mitigation Plan, updated on January 15. For those interested, all of the press releases issued by the Governor's office are available here. To keep up-to-date with key regional metrics, visit this Illinois Department of Public Health web resource page.

A series of updated information sheets were also released on Friday. They are:

Sign up on individual county's health department sites for COVID-19 vaccination updates. For residents of Kane County, register here.

Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the Paycheck Protection Program was reopened. First draw and second draw applications are available for businesses who wish to apply for the PPP. Information about this and other available relief options can be found on the SBA website. It is expected that these funds will go quickly, much as they did when the first round was opened last year.

Last Thursday, Bil Papp of P & F Business Advisors presented information about business relief under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. You may find some useful information in the slide deck that is available here.

Also last week, the Kane County Office of Community Reinvestment opened applications for 2021 Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund, starting Wednesday, Jan. 13. Applications must be prepared and submitted using the county’s web-based application portal, hosted by ZoomGrants. The submission deadline is midnight Monday, March 1. Learn more by reading this Kane County Connects article.

Many of you have been viewing Mayor Schielke’s weekly videos. After a couple of weeks off, here is the link to watch the Friday, Jan. 15th recording. In it, the mayor addresses the topic of COVID-19 vaccinations.

We continually update our home page, bataviachamber.org when new resources and information comes out. Also, check our calendar for new events from us and the community.

Scroll down for our new events and other content, including the announcement of the 2020 Ambassador of the Year!

Today, being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we are closing with a couple of quotations attributed to him. These two are simple thoughts, but applicable to our daily lives - business and personal:

As always, we are now, and will be in the future, here for you.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Mike Burke is receiving the Ambassador of the Year award for 2020. In a "normal" year, we'd be surprising her at the annual Inspire! event later this month. Due to COVID restrictions, we pushed back this popular annual awards event, tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 20. But...we couldn't sit on this news until then - Mike deserves a full year of accolades for all she does for Batavia Chamber of Commerce. So Mike, enjoy your time in the limelight now! We cannot wait to present your award to you in person this spring.

The Chamber is grateful to the members who commit to serve on the Ambassador Committee. This core group, representative of the membership, are front-line representatives for the Batavia Chamber of Commerce at public and Chamber-sponsored events and activities. They are a crucial link between the Chamber, its members and the community at large. We thank each and every one of our Ambassadors. Right now, we are particularly grateful for Mike Burke's commitment to not only the Chamber, but the community. Congratulations again, Mike!

Support this week's featured restaurants (below) by ordering carryout from them. Make certain you let the restaurant know what side of town you are from for tracking purposes. Keep up with the latest by joining the We Side with Batavia Restaurants Facebook group.

2021 is a great time to try new activities, benefits or utilize marketing opportunities with the Batavia Chamber of Commerce! Consider moving up your membership - with enhanced benefits and visibility - to a different level. Gold, Platinum and Chairman's Circle members receive numerous added benefits, including complimentary eBlasts, event registrations, blog posts and much more! Call us today - (630) 879-7134 - to learn about our different membership levels. You can also email us, it would be our pleasure to assist you.

Join us on Wednesday for our monthly evening networking event! Learn more about the critical role that nonprofit member Lazarus House plays in our area. Renew business friendships and meet potential power partners. We are excited to "see" you on Wednesday - register here!

We've launched a series of educational Boot Camp sessions, along with our fellow chamber partners! Join us each Thursday at 9 a.m. for a new topic. First up, is getting your elevator speech in order - definitely a necessity for networking events. Register for the this week's event today!

If you have questions for Representative Ugaste, please send them to us by Tuesday, Jan. 19. (Tomorrow!) Email shirley@bataviachamber.org and reference this event. Sign up today to attend or to receive the recording.

Ninedorf and his family − his wife Karly and their children Emilia and Ethan − will remain in the Fox Valley, where Ninedorf will continue to serve investors. Read the entire press release.

BPS101 Seeking Nominations for Hall of Honor Class of 2021

January 15, 2021, Batavia, IL - BPS101 is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Hall of Honor! 

The 2021 recipients will be the seventh group to be inducted into the BPS101 Hall of Honor which was created to promote pride in Batavia Public Schools and celebrate the accomplishments of those affiliated with the district. The Hall of Honor recipients are alumni, faculty, and friends who have made outstanding accomplishments in their communities and personal lives since they have been associated with the District. Read the entire press release.

Batavia United Way, in association with 43 other local United Ways across the state, is joining the United Way of Illinois in encouraging Illinois residents to engage in a 21-week program engaging in racial equity activities to gain a deeper understanding of the impact systemic racism and inequity have on our state and in our local communities. Read the entire press release.