DECATUR, Ill. – State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, visited with students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Decatur last week to help teach young people about government and the importance of the democratic process.

“As a former teacher, it’s always a special day when I can get back into the classroom and help engage students in the civic process,” Scherer said. “Children in classrooms today will be the future leaders of tomorrow, and it’s important to help them feel a connection to their community.”

Each year, Our Lady of Lourdes School invites parents, grandparents, etc. to discuss their careers with students. As part of this year’s “career day” program, Scherer visited a classroom to explain what she does as a state representative in the Capitol.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As the upcoming spring session approaches, state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is inviting local religious leaders to offer an invocation for the Illinois House of Representatives.

“The 101st General Assembly begins meeting for session later this week, so I encourage any local pastors or other religious leaders to contact my office if they are interested in leading an invocation,” said Scherer. “I hope that local pastors will feel inspired to take the opportunity to lead the statehouse in prayer before we consider legislation or debate important issues.” 

At the beginning of each legislative session day, a religious leader will offer an invocation to the Illinois House of Representatives. Representatives reserve invocation days on a first come, first-served basis. As space is limited, Scherer is asking religious leaders to register with her as soon as possible.

“I look forward to meeting with local religious leaders that visit the Capitol to lead a prayer. The invocation time is special to me as it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the importance of my duties as state Representative and the matters that we consider each day,” continued Scherer. “Please reach out to my office if you are interested in leading a blessing or prayer for the House of Representatives!”

For more information, or if you are a religious leader interested in offering an invocation, please call Rep. Scherer’s Decatur constituent service office at 217-877-9636, her Springfield office at 217-524-0353 or email StateRepSue@gmail.com.

DECATUR, Ill. – State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is encouraging local jobseekers to apply to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Snowbird program, a seasonal employment opportunity to perform emergency snow and ice control on area roads as the winter season continues.

“As we continue to experience freezing temperatures, the risk of poor road conditions is high, much like what we have seen in recent weeks with snow and ice,” said Scherer. “IDOT is in need of snowbirds to help keep roads and highways clear throughout the winter, and this is especially important to our region with our system of local highways and the amount of residents who commute for work.”

Two types of temporary positions are hired for IDOT’s Winter Seasonal Program, which usually occurs from October 16th through April 15th of each year.

Winter Salaried Highway Maintainers (Monthly Snowbirds) perform all of the same job duties as IDOT’s year-round highway maintainers, including performing a variety of tasks related to the maintenance, repair and upkeep of roads, bridges and other related structures and features. Winter Salaried Highway Maintainers (Monthly Snowbirds) must have a Class A or B commercial driver’s license (CDL) with an X or N endorsement.

Snow Removal Operators (Hourly Snowbirds) are paid hourly and respond to emergency weather situations to inspect roadways, operate snow plows and salt spreaders, and remove other hazardous materials and obstacles from the roadways. Snow Removal Operators (Hourly Snowbirds) must also have a Class A or B CDL with an X or N endorsement.

“IDOT does an excellent job of working to keep our roads safe as winter weather hits our region, so while this is a great employment opportunity, it is also a chance to help give back to our local community,” continued Scherer. “I encourage those currently searching for a job to apply to this program.”

Those interested in applying can do so online by visiting www.idot.illinois.gov or work.illinois.gov. For more information, please call Rep. Scherer’s constituent service office at 217-877-9636 or email StateRepSue@gmail.com.

DECATUR, Ill. – As the Fourth of July approaches, state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is highlighting important safety tips to protect the wellbeing of families who plan to participate in fireworks displays.

“Watching fireworks on the Fourth of July is a beloved family tradition to many people in our local communities,” said Scherer.  “While watching fireworks and setting them off can be a lot of fun for the family, we must remember that fireworks can be very dangerous and should be handled with caution.”

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), hundreds of people are sent to the hospital each year due to injuries sustained from fireworks. Scherer encourages local residents to follow CPSC’s safety tips before handling fireworks:

• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
• Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
• Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.
• Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
• Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
• Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
• After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
• Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.

For more information, please call Rep. Scherer’s constituent service office at 217-877-9636 or email StateRepSue@gmail.com.  Scherer represents the 96th District, which includes portions of Christian, Macon and Sangamon counties.

DECATUR, Ill. – State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is inviting local residents over the age of 55 to senior fraud prevention seminars she is hosting next week.

“Unfortunately, many identity thieves specifically target seniors and take advantage of them,”
said Scherer.  “I encourage seniors to stop by to learn easy ways to protect themselves from becoming a victim of identity theft.”

Scherer is partnering with the Illinois Attorney General’s office to host two senior fraud seminars on Monday, June 11.  The first seminar will be at 11:00 am at the Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, located at 1430 N. 22nd Street.  The next seminar will be at 2:00 pm at Wyndcrest Assisted Living, located at 4817 Oak Hill Road in Rochester.  The senior fraud prevention seminars are free and open to the public, and an RSVP is appreciated.

“Learning easy steps to secure your personal information, like your social security number, will help to decrease your chances of becoming a victim of fraud,” continued Scherer.  “I hope to see you at one of my senior fraud seminars next Monday, June 11!”

For more information, or to RSVP, please call Rep. Scherer’s constituent service office at 217-877-9636 or email StateRepSue@gmail.com.  Scherer represents the 96th District, which includes portions of Christian, Macon and Sangamon counties.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, recently participated in a ceremony in the Illinois House and sponsored a bipartisan resolution to honor and recognize service members that have given the ultimate sacrifice.

“Having a chance to honor our nation’s heroes, especially those that have laid down their lives for our freedoms, is truly a privilege,” said Scherer.  “With Memorial Day coming up, I also wanted to take the opportunity to honor Macon County’s own Logan Palmer, who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country last year.  Logan was a dedicated sailor, and his legacy will not be forgotten.”

Scherer’s resolution, House Resolution 1119, formally honors the American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines from the state of Illinois who have made the ultimate sacrifice.  The resolution was adopted by the Illinois House with strong bipartisan support.

“Servicemen like Logan Palmer truly are our nation’s heroes, and I want to thank all that serve across the state of Illinois, throughout the United States and overseas,” continued Scherer.   “Logan and our other fallen heroes deserve our utmost respect, and I thank my colleagues from around the state for standing with me to honor them.”

Scherer represents the 96th District, which includes portions of Christian, Macon and Sangamon counties.