SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) applauds Taylorville Jr. High School for earning “Blue Ribbon” recognition from the federal Department of Education.

“It is such an honor to represent a portion of the best teachers, students and staff in the country,” said Turner. “Most teachers do not receive the admiration and respect that they deserve, so this national honor is huge. I am very proud of our students and proudly celebrate all of their hard work. ”

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

This year, 18 Illinois schools were named ‘Blue Ribbon Schools' by US Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona and the federal Department of Education. Of those 18 schools, Taylorville Jr. High School was recognized for being among the state's highest performing.

The National Blue Ribbon School awards have been given out since 1982. Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year.

SPRINGFIELD – To highlight farm and ranch safety awareness, Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is promoting 2021 National Farm Safety and Health Week.

Turner is joining the Illinois Departments of Agriculture and Labor from Sept. 19-25 to spread awareness and emphasize this year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week theme: “Farm Safety Yields Real Results.”

“Harvest season is a reminder of how important farmers are to Illinois’ economy,” Turner said. “With this being such a stressful time of year for farming operations, it’s important that we increase awareness of farming hazards and prepare for emergency situations. We want farmers to return home safely to their families at the end of each day.” 

The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the agriculture sector is still the most dangerous in America. Each year the farming profession sees 573 fatalities, or about 23 deaths per 100,000 workers.

To prevent additional tragedies, it’s important for agriculture workers to stay visible on the road. All agricultural vehicles using public roads must display the fluorescent orange Slow Moving Vehicle triangle, while tractors and other self-powered farm vehicles must have proper lighting.

Drivers should remember farm vehicle operators have limited visibility to the rear, and anyone passing these vehicles should use extreme caution.

A variety of resources and information will be available on the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the week to shed light on several farm-related topics.

 SPRINGFIELD – Local libraries in Springfield, Decatur and Litchfield will soon receive a combined $300,000 to improve services and offer new products to residents, State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) announced Thursday.

“Investing in our libraries by providing free access to educational, news and historical resources helps keep our communities informed with facts,” said Turner. “These grants will be used to help children and families learn and grow for years to come.”

The Lincoln Library located in Springfield will receive $171,468.75, part of $18.1 million in grants awarded to 638 public libraries across the state. The Decatur Public Library is expected to receive $112,279.95 and the Litchfield Public Library District will receive $13,263.20.

For more than 40 years, the Illinois Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants Program has helped public libraries with a low library tax base to ensure a minimum level of funding for library services.

“People depend on their public libraries for a wide variety of services,” said Turner. “Libraries often help our children find a love for reading that they can carry with them for their entire lives.”

For more information on the grants, people can visit the secretary of state’s website.

SPRINGFIELD – Agricultural sciences will now be added as a type of course that may be counted towards the requirement for three years of sciences in order to gain admission to an Illinois public university under a plan backed by State Senator Doris Turner’s (D-Springfield).
“This is simply an effort to highlight the importance of agricultural science,” said Turner. “It is my hope that students are encouraged to work and study in the field now that we’ve expanded our current curricula to include specialized sciences.”

Currently, the minimum requirements to gain admission to state universities include the completion of at least 15 units of high school coursework in the following subjects: English, Social studies, Mathematics, (Laboratory) Sciences and electives in either foreign language, music, vocational education, or art.

Currently, some colleges may accept agricultural science under the auspice of a "science course" but not all are doing so. This legislation will add some conformity to the available options.
“Students should feel confident and passionate about their career choice when choosing to study multidisciplinary sciences,” said Turner. “This is a great way to get high school students interested in agricultural sciences before entering a state university.”

Senate Bill 1624 was signed into law, and will become effective immediately.