URBANA – To raise awareness and promote prevention of rising consumer fraud and identity theft, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is partnering with the Urbana Free Library to host a free document shredding event.

“The secure disposal of old and unneeded financial records is an important part of protecting yourself from fraud and identity theft,” Bennett said. “I encourage families to take advantage of this free community shred event to safely dispose of unwanted papers containing personal information.”

To help reduce the chances of identity theft, experts recommend shredding things like bank statements, credit card offers and credit card convenience checks. Residents should also shred canceled credit cards, canceled checks, pay stubs, old photo IDs and tax returns that are more than three years old.

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DANVILLE – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is joining officials this harvest season in reminding farmers and farm workers to be cautious when working in and around grain bins.

“Harvest season is a great reminder for farmers to be careful in and around grain bins,” said Bennett, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Anytime you’re working around a grain bin facility there’s always risk of an accident – I encourage farmers to be vigilant, slow down and be careful so we can prevent a tragedy this harvest.”

While essential to Illinois’ harvests, grain handling equipment and storage containers can quickly become deadly. In fact, Illinois reported the most incidents involving agricultural confined spaces, including grain bins, in 2020.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a worker standing on moving grain will be trapped within just five seconds and completely covered in grain in less than half a minute.

OSHA details the three most common scenarios leading to grain entrapment:

• A worker stands on moving or flowing grain, typically caused by an auger running or grain being moved out of the bin by gravity.
• A worker stands on or below a grain bridging situation. Bridging happens when damp grain clumps together, creating an empty space beneath the grain as it is unloaded. A worker above or below this bridge of grain is at risk should the bridge collapse.
• A worker stands next to an accumulated pile of grain on the side of the bin and attempts to dislodge it. It can collapse onto the worker.

While workers should avoid entering grain bins if possible, safety measures can greatly diminish the risk if they must enter. To learn safety tips and find additional information to stay safe during harvest, click here. 

CHAMPAIGN – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is urging local businesses to take advantage of Back to Business grants before the Oct. 13 deadline.

The B2B program allocates $250 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars for small businesses experiencing COVID-19 losses, and grants will continue to be awarded on a rolling basis.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our small business owners worked overtime to survive this economic hardship,” Bennett said. “I am thrilled to see businesses in our district receive more than $1 million in B2B grants in the first wave, and it’s vital that more businesses apply before the deadline.”

Eligible businesses are encouraged to apply by visiting the DCEO website. To help restore operational losses incurred during the pandemic, the B2B program will provide grants ranging in size from $5,000 to $150,000, commensurate with losses experienced.

To help local businesses take advantage of B2B grants, Bennett and his staff will be available to assist business owners with their applications at his upcoming remote office hours from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the Rantoul Public Library, located at 106 W. Flessner Ave.

Bennett encourages residents to reach out to his office at 217-355-5252 or visit SenatorBennett.com with questions and concerns.