Rockford Sun

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Winnebago County on October 7, 2024. The request was made by Rockford Sun, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.

The FOIA request sought access to the county's logs of all FOIA requests made from January 1, 2024, through October 7, 2024. The requested information includes the name and organization of each requester, the content of their request, the date it was made and completed, and its current status.

As a media organization, we at Rockford Sun believe that access to public records is essential for fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. We have requested a fee waiver for this information in our capacity as media professionals.

In other news related to Illinois's infrastructure development, Governor JB Pritzker announced in July 2023 an extensive multi-year program called Rebuild Illinois. This program aims to improve and repair all modes of transportation across the state with an investment of over $40 billion over six years.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, ten major projects are currently being planned or implemented in Chicago under this program. With an investment of $396 million in these projects alone, Rebuild Illinois aims to improve safety and mobility on Illinois's roads and bridges. Three out of these ten projects are scheduled for completion in 2024.

Under the same program, seven projects worth $107 million are set for completion in Kane County. Additionally, Rebuild Illinois is investing $220 million in ten projects in central Cook County for road and bridge construction. The remaining seven projects are projected for completion between 2025 through 2030.