Inside:
- SFC Kyle Wehrly Memorial Highway dedicated in Galesburg
- FREE Veteran and Senior Fair coming up in Macomb September 17
- E-bikes now subject to new state regulations
- More news
SFC Kyle Wehrly Memorial Highway dedicated in Galesburg
A portion of U.S. Highway 150 running through Galesburg was dedicated Friday afternoon in honor of Sergeant First Class Kyle Wehrly, a Galesburg native and Illinois Army National Guard member who gave his life in Iraq in 2005.
The ceremony included remarks from local dignitaries, Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard General Lenny Williams, and an invocation by SFC Wehrly’s father, Pastor Peter Wehrly. Military honors were rendered by the Illinois Army National Guard Military Funeral and Honors Team and the Illinois National Guard Band.
Legislation dedicating the highway in honor of SFC Wehrly was adopted by the Illinois General Assembly earlier this year. I was proud to sponsor the legislation in the House along with Senator Mike Halpin who carried it in the Senate.
SFC Wehrly served in my unit when I was battalion commander before the war. I learned from soldiers he served with in Iraq that he didn’t have to go on this convoy mission – he was to have the time off. But he volunteered to go, and he made the ultimate sacrifice. Not volunteering just wasn’t in his DNA.
This memorial highway dedication; along a highway he traveled often; will serve as a reminder to future generations about those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we hold dear.
Read more about SFC Wehrly by clicking here.
Free Veteran and Senior Fair coming up in Macomb September 17
I am partnering with McDonough District Hospital to host a free veteran and senior fair in Macomb on Thursday September 17.
This event is a great opportunity for veterans and senior citizens in our area to stop by and find out about all the resources and services that are available to assist them.
The event will run from 9 a.m. until 12 noon at the Spoon River College Community Outreach Center, located at 2500 E. Jackson Street in Macomb. There will be a wide selection of vendors, including local and state agencies, community groups and nonprofits with information available about their services. In addition, there will be blood pressure checks, refreshments, giveaways and prizes. There will even be a drop-off location for retired flags.
I hope that veterans and seniors in our area, as well as their loved ones will stop by and take advantage of the many services and resources which will be available.
The fair is free and open to the public.
E-bikes now subject to new state regulations
Legislation has been signed which would enact new regulations on a wide range of electric-powered personal mobility vehicles.
Age requirements and speed limits are two of the new regulations which affect e-bikes, but also vehicles like dirt bikes, scooters and e-skateboards. Local governments and private property owners will now be able to ban these devices from certain rights-of-way.
The legislation which passed the House this spring and was signed over the summer dealt primarily with high-speed e-bikes, those which can be throttled up and move at speeds approaching 30 miles per hour. They are now re-classified similar to fuel-powered motorcycles, requiring owners to have a driver’s license, vehicle insurance and an ownership title registered with the state. Kids under the age of 14 will be prohibited from riding them in Illinois. Other restrictions include a ban on driving them on sidewalks.
Illinoisans who are 15 years old will be in a transition zone, allowed to ride them at slower speeds around 20 miles per hour.
The new law takes effect on January 1.
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