East Central Reporter

A request under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was sent to Douglas County on October 7, 2024. The request was made by East Central Reporter, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.

The request specifically asked for a list of FOIA logs that were sent to the county from January 1, 2024, till October 7, 2024. The requested fields in the logs include the requester's name and organization, content of the request, date of the request and its completion date, as well as the status of the FOIA.

As members of East Central Reporter, we believe that access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These responsibilities include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we have requested a fee waiver as media professionals.

In related news, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced in July 2023 an extensive multi-year program called Rebuild Illinois. This program aims to improve and repair all modes of transportation across Illinois. Governor JB Pritzker commented on this initiative saying "Over the next six years, we're investing over $40 billion to improve all modes of transportation across our great state. That means better roads and bridges, modernized transit and aviation, and expanded and faster passenger rail service."

Rebuild Illinois has planned or is implementing ten major projects in Chicago with an investment of $396 million aimed at improving safety and mobility on Illinois's roads and bridges. Three out of these ten projects are scheduled for completion in 2024 while the remaining seven are projected for completion between 2025 through 2030.

Furthermore, under this program, $107 million is being invested in seven projects in Kane County and $220 million in ten projects in central Cook County for the construction of roads and bridges.