Aurora-area businesses received more than $650,000 in last round

AURORA – State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) encourages local businesses struggling from the pandemic to apply for the latest round of the Back to Business grant program before the Oct. 13 deadline.

Overall, the B2B program will provide $250 million in American Rescue Plan dollars for small businesses negatively affected by the pandemic. Grants will range from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations, such as staff and overhead costs.

Aurora, Ill. – Motorists who have been unable to visit a driver services facility to renew their driver’s licenses and purchase vehicle stickers will be able to attend a free mobile unit event in Oswego, sponsored by State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) and Representative Keith Wheeler (R-North Aurora) in partnership with the secretary of state’s office.

The free event will be available to motorists Friday, October 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill Place in Oswego.

“The secretary of state’s mobile unit is a one-stop shop to help people access these important state services,” Holmes said. “I encourage people to take advantage of this safe and convenient way to renew driver’s licenses or vehicle registration.”

AURORA – The Illinois Department of Employment Security and Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology have launched a new identity verification and multi-factor authentication solution for IDES’ unemployment insurance benefits system, according to Assistant Majority Leader and Senate Labor Committee Chair Linda Holmes (D-Aurora).

“During the course of the pandemic, IDES experienced problems with security for the accounts and personal information of unemployed Illinoisans filing claims. States across the nation experienced fraud as unemployment hit unprecedented levels,” Holmes said. “This new ILogin system will strengthen existing protections for users and help the agency find and deal with fraudulent activity attempts.”

AURORA – The Illinois Department of Employment Security will now begin to restore its in-person workforce and limited unemployment services at the American Job Center in North Aurora, State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) announced Monday. Holmes chairs the Senate Labor Committee and sponsored an unemployment omnibus bill reforming IDES processes and funding in the spring.

“Restoring in-person unemployment and workforce facilities will make it easier for area residents to get back to work and address any issues regarding unemployment claims,” Holmes said. “The devastating effect of the pandemic on the economy have brought working families unprecedented adversity.”

Scheduled appointments are required at least 24 hours in advance for in-person assistance at 2 Smoke Tree Plaza in North Aurora. To schedule an appointment, people should call the IDES Scheduling Hotline at 217-558-0401 and request a callback.