AURORA – Alongside Governor JB Pritzker, the CyrusOne team and other local elected officials, State Senator Linda Holmes celebrated the groundbreaking of the new CyrusOne data center in Aurora on Wednesday.

“CyrusOne is a global leader in data center development and has once again chosen Aurora to be its home for this expansion project,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “This new data center brings critical investments to our community, including hundreds of new jobs and millions in tax contributions over time.”

The new $350 million data center is CyrusOne’s second campus in Aurora. The expansion project includes the creation of two new buildings with a total of 446,000 square feet. The new data center will provide advanced digital infrastructure services to local communities and national networks. 

AURORA — State Senator Linda Holmes announced today that a total of $100,050 has been granted to two Adult Volunteer Literacy Programs in the 42^nd District.

The grants were awarded by Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias, who has awarded nearly $22 million for library services and $6 million for literacy programs throughout the state.

“Literacy is very important to residents wanting to become proficient with English,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “Investing in our libraries with programs for new residents aids them in engaging in our area’s activities, workplaces, schools and businesses. This is a great gift we can give back to the community.”

AURORA — State Senator Linda Holmes announced that five school districts across the area will receive over $4 million in additional funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years.

“This is a commitment to our children to ensure a comprehensive learning environment,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “We’re continuing to prioritize evidence-based funding for the schools that need it most, whatever your ZIP code may be.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula — an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing its state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.

Local schools set to receive funding through the formula:

SPRINGFIELD – Homeowners throughout Illinois can look forward to getting unused household paint out of their garage or basement to designated collection centers for safe disposal soon. Legislation led by State Senator Linda Holmes sets out a process for regulators to propose and adopt specific regulations for the state’s upcoming paint recycling program, expected to begin operations in 2025.

The Paint Stewardship Act became law early this year, founding a program for Illinois to manage collecting, transporting and disposing unused household paint. Senate Bill 839 is the next stage for the program: setting rules and roles for state and federal regulators to allow Illinois consumers to begin dropping off paint at established collection points. PaintCare Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, represents paint manufacturers and works with states and jurisdictions that pass paint stewardship laws.

“This law moves us closer to a day next year when homeowners can begin dropping off their old paint at PaintCare’s collection sites,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “Over time, at least 90% of Illinois residents will have a collection site, service or event within a 15-mile radius of their home free of charge. Getting these cans of unused paint out of our basements and garages will protect our state’s soil and water to continue growing crops to feed the state and nation.”