A series of multi-million-dollar investments and projects planned or underway in communities throughout Southwestern Illinois have been making news in recent weeks and we're pleased to share them with you in this edition of Good NewsLink.

Last month, Boeing and Illinois government leaders announced a new drone production facility planned at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, which will generate significant revenue for the airport and bring hundreds of jobs to the Metro East. The $200 million, roughly 300,000-square-foot production facility at the airport in Mascoutah – scheduled for completion in early 2024 – will initially employ an estimated 150 mechanics, engineers and support staff. The production line will build the MQ-25 Stingray, the U.S. Navy’s first operational drone that can take off and land from aircraft carriers.

Attendees of a recent riverboat tour – hosted by the St. Louis Regional Freightway – received an up close look at the rehabilitation of the Merchants Bridge, highlighted by a view of one of three new trusses being raised. The Merchants Bridge is one of two rail bridges in the St. Louis area owned by the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis and is currently undergoing a $222 million rehabilitation that will not only significantly improve its rail-carrying capacity, but also have a major impact on economic development in the region. The project is expected to be completed in early 2023.

Also making headlines in recent weeks is Prairie Farms Dairy Inc., located in Edwardsville, which ranked 10th on the St. Louis Business Journal’s list of top 150 privately held companies. The company saw double-digit revenue growth in 2020, increasing from $3.1 billion the prior year to $3.4 billion. Contegra Construction Co., Poettker Construction Co., icon Mechanical Construction & Engineering and more than a dozen other Metro East companies also earned a spot on the list, which you can find here.

Read on for more on the current investments and projects shaping the region and have a great rest of your week!

Boeing will build drones for the U.S. Navy at a new factory at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in the Metro East, bringing hundreds of jobs and a second production facility to the St. Louis region at a development cost of at least $200 million. (Read More)

Illinois has a new economic recovery program aimed at revitalizing commercial corridors that were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Read More)

Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday that the state will award more than $40 million in workforce training grants, focusing on communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and youth who are particularly at risk of violence. (Read More)

Illinois’ downstate businesses are benefiting from the help of the Community Navigator Program to apply for a piece of $300 million in grants to help them recover from the pandemic. (Read More)

The Bethalto School Board at a special meeting Tuesday approved issuing approximately $20.64 million in bonds to finance building improvements throughout the school district. (Read More)

The Metro East Park and Recreation District (MERPD) today announced that its Board has awarded $2 million in grant funding under the Park and Trail Grant Program to 16 projects across the Metro-East, each representing a new development or improvement to a public park, regional trail, or recreation facility within Madison or St. Clair County, IL. (Read More)

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Lewis and Clark Community College $1,100,523 for its YouthBuild program as part of an initiative to help youth ages 16-24 train for employment in construction and other in-demand industries. (Read More)

2020 was a tough year for the region's top privately held companies. (Read More)

Prairie Farms saw double-digit revenue growth last year, boosted, it said, by a string of acquisitions. 2020 revenue reached $3.4 billion, up from $3.1 billion in the prior year. (Read More)

ST. LOUIS — About 200 people viewed the rehabilitation of the Merchants Bridge from a river perspective Friday. (Read More)

A newly constructed office building with an outdoor observation deck and patio overlooking the Jefferson Barracks Bridge is the latest of several buildings planned for a Columbia, Illinois development. (Read More)

It’s a reality in the utility business: Birds like to sit on poles, insulators, switches and fuse boxes, and while they’re sitting, they’re usually pooping. (Read More)

Swansea, Illinois-based startup OneSpace, which provides e-commerce technology and services for consumer brands, has been acquired by a firm headquartered in the United Kingdom. (Read More)

Civic and business leaders in the metro-east aim to foster new local businesses through the help of an incubator that officially launched Aug. 26. (Read More)

Madison County Transit (MCT) Board members along with local officials cut a ribbon this morning, officially dedicating a 300-foot trail connector from the MCT Schoolhouse Trail to the 51-acre Pleasant Ridge Park, in Maryville. (Read More)

The first course Curtis Francois was concerned about navigating safely after purchasing a sprawling racetrack was the parking lot filled with giant weeds that were an impediment for drivers. (Read More)

Rapidly expanding Gateway Tradeport in Pontoon Beach is becoming the center of Madison County’s logistical expansion, with much more planned in the coming years. (Read More)

Thirty years ago, September 1991, Illinois’ first riverboat gambling facility, the Alton Belle Casino, opened in Alton, thus launching a statewide gaming industry that evolved into storefront and social club video terminals, online gaming and sports betting. (Read More)

For the third year in a row, Site Selection Magazine has designated Ameren Corporation as a Top Utility in Economic Development. This recognition includes work in Illinois and Missouri. (Read More)

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that Chain of Rocks Road, west of Route 111, will close to all traffic at Bel Air Drive, from Monday through Friday. This work is necessary to construct intersection improvements at Bel Air Drive. (Read More)

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is continuing to grow and expand its’ student body despite the 18-month pandemic measures that temporarily closed its’ doors. (Read More)

On Wednesday, the reconstruction of Interstate 255 near the Metro East won top honors among Midwest states in America's Transportation Awards. (Read More)

The first dirt flew from shovels Friday as the village of Godfrey embarked on the Phase 1 expansion of Glazebrook Park off Stamper Lane. (Read More)

Area cities and counties are mimicking cities and counties across the state with dramatically lower unemployment numbers in July 2021, compared to July 2020. (Read More)

On Monday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Grace Hou announced a series of investments to further access to childcare for parents seeking to reenter the workforce while simultaneously aiding childcare providers and their employees. (Read More)

A measure that could save small businesses in Illinois money on their taxes is now on the books. (Read More)

Three big things made it a banner tourism season for Grafton this year. (Read More)

Although a year later than originally planned, the ball is now rolling on plans to create Rotary Centennial Park in Alton. (Read More)