Diesel Technology Program to Begin Locally

A new Diesel Technology Training Program at Kankakee Community College will accept students beginning this summer. Students will be able to complete six diesel classes in 16 weeks. Classes will meet at KCC’s Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center on south Schuyler Avenue in Kankakee, and LaBeau Bros. on east Court Street in Kankakee. It also will include a video series from PACCAR with aspects of the Peterbilt Training Academy.

Kankakee Community College is one of 28 small community colleges across the nation with a gold ranking in the 2023 Guide to Military Friendly® Schools, published in conjunction with “G.I. Jobs” magazine. Typically, KCC has about 60 veterans who enroll each year, according to the college’s Office of Financial Aid. Among veterans, there are 35 KCC student veterans currently utilizing VA Education benefits.

The Back to Business program’s new round of grants has $175 million available to provide to qualifying restaurants, hotels, and creative arts organizations. All applicants will receive a grant as long as they meet eligibility requirements and submit proper documentation and attestations required by the program.

The two-phased, $14 million project to upgrade Riverside Medical Center’s emergency room was the first major overhaul of the emergency department in more than 30 years. The space was fully redesigned over the course of 18 months.

The Kankakee County location of CSL Behring is one of the largest biotech sites in the world – encompassing 140 acres and 40 buildings on site. CSL Plasma set to open Spring 2023. With 1,500+ employees, the company makes up 20% of the manufacturing base of Kankakee County.

Crown Cork in Bradley is named the 2023 Innovator in Manufacturing by the Daily Journal for the 2023 Progress Awards.

The Back to Business (B2B) grant program provides recovery grants for businesses in the hardest-hit industries.  Through the state’s B2B and Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Programs, DCEO has provided more than $535 million to more than 15,000 businesses since the start of the pandemic.

The Economic Alliance received the Kankakee Daily Journal 2023 Progress award for Excellence in Real Estate.

The Kankakee River Watershed Conference held in March, 2023 discussed how local communities and statewide efforts are working to ensure the area’s greatest asset is protected. Key topics including water quantity and quality, biodiversity, nutrients and agriculture, river recreation, watershed initiatives, and sand and sediment were discussed.