March 2, 2026/

Illinois Quick Hits: EPA offers grants to public water facilities

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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Energy is offering up to $1.5 million in grant funding for energy efficiency projects at publicly-owned drinking water treatment plants.

Awarded projects will range from $50,000 to $500,000 with a match requirement of 10% to 20%.

CARBON MONOXIDE REPORT RELEASED

A new report by the Illinois Department of Public Health says carbon monoxide exposures resulted in an average of 940 emergency department visits and nearly 57 deaths annually in the state over a recent five-year period.

The agency’s first carbon monoxide surveillance report detailed all known unintentional CO exposures in Illinois from 2019-2023.

METH SENTENCE

A judge has sentenced a Bond County man to more than 12 years in prison and ordered him to pay a $5,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to selling meth and engaging in a three-hour standoff with police.

Prosecutors say Johnathan Joiner, 46, of Greenville sold 62 grams of pure meth in two law enforcement coordinated sales in July 2024.

He was arrested in January 2025 after hiding from law enforcement in a self-made hole.

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