Good afternoon and happy May!
Summer is right around the corner as we wrap up the final month of our spring legislative session. This week is our Senate Bill committee deadline, which means that all bills that passed through the Senate and were picked up by a sponsor in the House must pass committee by Friday to continue through the legislative process this session.
Back at home, we have multiple upcoming outreach events and have opened applications for my 2025 Summer Internship Program! More information below.
As always, please feel free to contact my office with questions, comments, or concerns at any time.
I am here to serve you!
Internship Program Applications – Now Open!
Applications are now open for my 2025 Summer Internship Program! The program runs from June 2nd through August 15th. Interested students should email [email protected] to receive an application. All applications are due by May 12th, 2025.
Sharps Drop Off – May 8th
Join my office, the Lee County Health Department, and the Dixon YMCA for a sharps drop-off drive. Help keep our community safe by properly disposing of your residential sharps. Please reach out to my office at 815-561-3690 EXT 2 with questions.
Rx Drop-Off Drive – Mendota – May 13th
Join us for a prescription drug drop-off event on Tuesday, May 13th, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Mendota Civic Center, located at 1901 Tom Merwin Drive in Mendota! I encourage all constituents to attend and utilize this opportunity to safely discard unwanted or expired medications.
April Local Business Spotlight – Flight Deck
I chose to highlight Flight Deck in Rochelle for my April Local Business Highlight because of their continued efforts to support and give back to our community. Ashley Bick, owner of Flight Deck, is on the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce Board and the Destination Committee for the city of Rochelle. She also sponsors and hosts many events at her restaurant, such as free photos with Santa, community fireworks shows with the Chicagoland Skydive Center, small business bingo, the annual Fireman’s Ball, and so much more.
Ashley Bick began as the General Manager at Flight Deck in 2017. In 2019, she bought the restaurant. She is a mother of six, with two of her children currently working at Flight Deck.
I also want to commend Ashley and her family for their dedication to keeping Flight Deck open, even after the challenges of remaining open through the COVID-19 pandemic. She has continued her hard work and recently bought a catering truck to support her expanding operations. That kind of hard work and determination should always be celebrated in our community.
Women to Watch
I welcomed Dallas Knack and Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche to the Women to Watch Event in Springfield. Both Dallas and Jennifer are incredibly accomplished women who are dedicated to making our community a better place.
Dallas Knack is a dedicated community leader with various local organizations, including the Sauk Valley Community Leadership Program, the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) Program, Sterling Main Street’s Economic Vitality, the Sauk Valley Under 40 group, and is the executive director for the Sauk Valley Chamber of Commerce. A dedicated alumna of Alpha Gamma Delta, Dallas serves as a volunteer advisor to two collegiate chapters and facilitates the Empower Leadership Program for young women across the United States and Canada.
Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche was the first individual to receive a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics (Biology and Computer Science) from Northern Illinois University in 2014. During her postdoctoral tenure at the University of Colorado, she made significant strides in cancer genomics that secured million-dollar grants, papers, and clinical trials. Dr. Jennifer’s research portfolio includes over 25 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 800+ citations in prestigious academic journals. She also pioneered the first and only FDA-cleared, sterile, at-home insemination kit, The PherDal Kit, which has led to hundreds of women who were previously declared ‘infertile’ to have babies.
This event was an incredible opportunity for Dallas, Jennifer, and dozens of other women from across Illinois to meet and network with other women leaders. I was honored to welcome both of these accomplished women, who call the 74th district home, to Springfield.
Community Outreach
In honor of April being Child Abuse Awareness Month, local leaders leading the fight to protect children hosted the 3rd Annual Hands Around the Courthouse Child Abuse Awareness Event in Dixon. Thank you to everyone who has been working tirelessly to end child abuse in our community and across Illinois!
Congratulations to OnCall Imaging for joining the Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce! OnCall is helping to address the rural healthcare crisis by providing imaging and medical testing to our community.
My office attended the United Way of Lee County Campaign Celebration Luncheon. This is a well-deserved celebration of the impact made on our community by United Way volunteers!
The Rochelle Area Community Foundation’s Granting Futures event was a huge success! They were celebrating 20 years of giving back to our community by awarding $1.3 million to local non-profits, all thanks to generous community donations and local business support.
I had the honor of attending the 40th anniversary of the Illinois Police Officers Memorial. Each year, the brave men and women who died while in the line of duty are added to this memorial as a tribute to their service and sacrifice. This year, nine new names were added, which is a reminder that we must do more to protect our law enforcement officers.
If You Are in Springfield…
If you plan to visit Springfield in the coming months, please reach out! I am always available for my constituents and would be happy to meet with you during your visit. It is crucial that the government operates with transparency, and I encourage you to hold me, and my colleagues, accountable!
Keep Up to Date
Click here to visit my website. There you can contact my office, see what legislation I am working on, and more.
Click here to “like” me on Facebook for more frequent updates.
I will continue to update you via this e-newsletter to keep you up to date on my efforts to pass bills in Springfield and serve you in the district.
Talk to you soon,
State Representative Bradley J. Fritts
District 74