State granted millions for EV chargers
Illinois will receive $15 million in federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.
The funding is designed to support the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Illinois. It is part of the Department of Transportation announcement that it awarded $623 million to support 47 projects in 22 states.
Cannabis sales records
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has announced that adult use cannabis sales set a new annual record in 2023, exceeding $1.6 billion.
Records were also set in sales to in-state residents and the number of items sold, with that total increasing more than 15% compared to 2022. The Illinois Department of Revenue reports sales taxes collected at Illinois adult use cannabis dispensaries totaled over $417 million in 2023.
There are currently 177 adult-use cannabis dispensaries in Illinois.
SIH Cancer Institute expanding
The state of Illinois has announced a $10 million grant to Southern Illinois Healthcare for their recent expansion of the SIH Cancer Institute in Carterville. Officials said the grant will be utilized for upgrades to facility furniture, medical equipment and the buildout of the facility.
The state is also awarding two additional capital grants to SIH, including $150,000 that will support the expansion of the SIH Cancer Institute Café, which serves 300 cancer patients daily as well as caregivers and employees.