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The COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive unemployment higher in Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD The U.S. saw nearly 3 million more unemployment claims the week ending May 9, including another 72,993 in Illinois, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The 2.98 million claims nationwide in the week pushed the jobless claims in the first two months of the novel coronavirus pandemic to more than 36 million. The unprecedented number of claims made for a national unemployment rate of 15.7% the week ending May 2.

In Illinois, the number of new claims on the week was 1,483 fewer than the week prior. The number of new claims each week has gone down since a peak of 201,041 during the week of April 4. The Illinois Department of Employment Security said in a news release it has now processed 1,076,461 claims for regular unemployment benefits from March 1 through May 9.

Continued claims reached 756,441 in the state last week, which was the final period before contractors and self-employed persons were able to file for special federal pandemic unemployment assistance in Illinois.

While the number of initial claims for regular benefits has plateaued in the last two weeks, IDES will experience an increase in overall claims processed when the federal pandemic unemployment assistance claims data becomes available Thursday, May 21, according to the departments news release.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this week more than 50,000 applications had been filed through the states new pandemic unemployment assistance system since Monday.

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State reports 73,000 unemployment claims in final week before new portal went live - The Southern

A research report on the Global Building Finishing Contractors Market offers a detailed analysis about the market share, size, trends, and growth prospects. In addition, the report contains market volume with an accurate estimation offered in the report. The data offered in this report is gathered based on the latest industry news, trends, as well as opportunities. Moreover, the report comprises a complete market analysis and provider landscape with the help of SWOT analysis of the major service providers. This research report provides an extensive evaluation of the Building Finishing Contractors Market. The Global Building Finishing Contractors Market report is designed through the detailed qualitative insights, verifiable projections, and historical data about the Building Finishing Contractors Market size.

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Global Building Finishing Contractors Market Expected to reach highest CAGR by 2025: APi, Performance Contracting, Cleveland Construction, Irex Corp...

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Chris Baranowski, owner of Rolling Paws Mobile Grooming Spa stands for a portrait in Wilkes-Barre Twp. Friday, May 15, 2020. Sean McKeag / Staff Photographer

SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Chris Baranowski, owner of Rolling Paws, a mobile dog grooming business, applied three times for an exemption from Gov. Tom Wolfs coronavirus shutdown order.

Chris Baranowski comes in contact with virtually no humans during her workday just dogs so she cant understand why she wasnt granted a waiver to continue to operate her business during the coronavirus shutdown.

She doesnt have an office or storefront people visit that could be contaminated. As a mobile dog groomer, she comes to them in a pickup truck pulling her grooming trailer. Its just her and the dog inside.

Ive been curbside the four years Ive been open. I have no human contact unless the person is eldery. I go in, grab the dog or meet the person at the doorway and take the dog back to the enclosed trailer. I take the dog back to the door and go to my next appointment, Baranowski, 36, said.

Baranowskis truck, which hasnt stopped from the moment she started Rolling Paws Mobile Grooming Spa four years ago, has been idle for nearly two months outside her Wilkes-Barre Twp. home. She applied for an exemption three times, but her requests for a waiver were denied each time.

Rolling Paws is one of hundreds of businesses in Luzerne County that were denied an exemption to continue to operate during the coronavirus shutdown.

Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to shutter during the lockdown. However, last Friday he announced 6,060 exemptions statewide out of 42,000 requests.

Many of the businesses in Luzerne County denied exemptions are construction companies, real estate firms, salons, and vaping shops.

Most are small, locally owned businesses, but even a national chain, like the Barnes and Noble book store, was denied an exemption.

The owner of a Back Mountain-based plumbing, heating and excavating business said his company is on the list of businesses denied an exemption despite getting conflicting advice from the state.

While he believed his industry was exempt from the beginning, Sean McGrath, owner of R.N. Fitch and Sons in Dallas, said he applied for an exemption to be on the safe side and because someone in the industry told him he might need proof of the exemption to apply for assistance.

After not hearing anything from the state, he filled out the online exemption form again.

The first response he got from the state was an email saying he didnt even need an exemption and could continue work. Then, he got an email days later, saying he must close down.

Its just very confusing. My assumption is you have two different people reading it and one person made a judgement call, McGrath said. In defense of the state, they had so many requests, there was a lot of confusion.

With the conflicting response, McGrath said hes limiting his work to emergency calls and is forced to pass on a lot of work that is now going to other contractors, some who ended up on last weeks exempt list despite being the same exact type of business.

Whats unfortunate is some people are following the rules and some people arent following the rules. We did our best to exercise good judgement. We are trying to do all the right things, McGrath said.

The document listing all the companies denied exemptions even gets confusing, as it notes that businesses are permitted to continue life-sustaining activity regardless of whether it obtained or was denied an exemption.

Efforts to reach officials with the state Department of Economic and Community Development, which processed the exemption requests, were not successful Friday.

Baranowski thinks dog grooming should have been an exception because it could be life-sustaining to the animal.

We see them every four to six weeks. Their hair gets matted. Their nails get long. We clean their ears. We prevent a lot of underlying health issues, Baranowski said. A vet might not see them for a year.

She didnt think the lockdown has been fair to small business owners, while big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot filled with hundreds of people at a time were allowed to remain open.

I have no livelihood. They took it from me. My business, beside my family, is my life. Those dogs I take care of are like my own, Baranowski said.

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055, @cvbobkal

Local businesses that were denied an exemption

1Singular Sensation Dog Grooming

A) Mericle Construction, Inc. (Mericle) For The Benefit Of Wren Manufacturing, Inc.

A. Pickett Construction, Inc. / Pickett Facilities Maintenance

Action Contracting & Electrical Company LLC

Action Real Estate Affordable Parts And Service

Aggressive Realty & Rentals LLC

Ahlborn Enterprises

Al Dunn Masonry

All 4 Paws

All State Traffic Control Of Pa, Inc.

All Vinyl Sunrooms Inc.

All-in Custom Vapes

All-in Custom Vapes Nanticoke

All-in Custom Vapes Wilkes-barre

Allure Salon Group, LLC

Alluring Vapors

American Asphalt Paving Company

American Eagle

American Pie Title & Tag LLC

Apt Distributing Co.

Arena Supplements

Arthur Funk & Sons

Ashton Enterprise Construction LLC

A Team-Construction

Au Salon

Avenue Auto Tags LLC

B&D Technology LLC

Baby To Be 3d

Back Mountain Floral

Back Mountain Tobacco Inc

Baer & Evans Surveyors

Barkavenue

Barnes & Noble

Barrys Floral Shop

Bathtime Boutique

Beach Fence Company

Bedrock Gardens Landscape Supply And Materials

Beulah Construction LLC

Bob Lasota Construction

Bordentown Driver Training School LLC

DBA Smith & Solomon Commercial Driver Training

Borton Lawson

Brackney Leather

Brenda Reimold, LLC

Brokers Realty Group Limited Dba

Brokersrealty.Com

Bubbles And Biscuits Pet Grooming Salon

Byras Fence Company

Caddie Labars Inc

Canine Castle

Canine Designs

Caramelle Di Capelli Studio

Carmens Flowers And Gifts

Cartridge World Edwardsville

Centurion Abstract, Inc.

Commiso Flooring LLC

Commonwealth Home Inspections

Complete Fitness Equipment

Concrete Alternatives

Conrad Barbershop And Marilyn Klem Beauty Shop

Conversionworx Media

Corcoran Printing

Creative Interior Imagery

Croughns Cuts

D&N Furniture Inc

Dangola Contracting

Dave Ferrey Construction

David R. Balent Construction Co.

Debbies Beauty Salon

DeckerS

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Business owners frustrated by waiver process - News - Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice

May 15, 2020

RALEIGH With North Carolinas revenue drop for the current fiscal year predicted to be upwards of 15%, the state treasurer is calling on local governments to pinch pennies, even more so than before, and calling for residents to help.

Were all working together, but were in different boats, Dale Folwell said Friday. Lumberton may be a little different than Laurinburg, Shallotte may be a little different than Charlotte each of these communities has a unique situation going on but its important to know that the only way were going to get through this is by challenging assumptions.

The first assumption is that as much as people have been looking at the pennies and the paper clips, theyre going to have to be even better than that.

Although he is the keeper of the purse for the state he doesnt have an exact figure on just how much of a revenue loss the state could experience because of COVID-19s hit to the economy, Folwell said. But, all the predictions from experts are more than 15%. With that loss in mind, he sees rural and border counties, like Robeson County, most at risk.

It seems now, and Im not talking about the medical virus Im talking about the economic virus, it seems like this creates economic inequality to lower income parts of North Carolina, and thats our number one concern, the treasurer said.

He worries about local governments that rely on state property tax when considering their new budgets, Folwell said.

Im very concerned about the collections of water and sewer bills, he said. Im very concerned about the ability to collect property taxes. This is a very serious problem.

Folwell cited the recently signed Senate Bill 704, which alleviates stress on drivers by giving an extension on drivers license renewals and registrations to August.

When you renew the tag on your car, the biggest expense on that is not the tag, he said. Theres the property expense for the city, the county and the volunteer fire department.

With local government budget deadline of July 1, crafters of local government budgets are preparing for the unknown, Folwell said. And he is too.

As the state treasurer Im not only concerned about the state budgets, but Im also concerned about the local county and city budgets, he said.

Red Springs Manager David Ashburn said he has a budget ready to be presented to the Board of Commissioners.

We have already built into it some revenue projections that are decreased because of a potential estimated decrease in sales tax, and then the property tax is the big unknown because although they (state lawmakers) may not excuse it, they might postpone it, Ashburn said.

The town is already dealing with a loss in revenue from utility fees collection because the town cannot turn off unpaid utilities through through May.

We have a lot of people that arent paying their bills, so thats heavily affecting revenue in this fiscal year, Ashburn said.

The town is having to build its budget based on potential loss, he said.

Money that could come in this fiscal year could come in next fiscal year, or not, Ashburn said. Theres a lot of unknown that no one really knows.

Because of the unknowns Rowland Town Clerk David Townsend suggested his Board of Commissioners approve the budget to meet the July 1 deadline and later in the year approve an alternate budget that adjusts to changes in the states economy.

The operating budget for the current fiscal year was $1,449,490. Townsend said that 35% of the towns total budget relies on state taxes.

The biggest variable is how much we lose from six different state taxes we receive back from Raleigh, Townsend said.

A recent bill passed in the General Assembly appropriated $150 million for local governments. Folwell said Robeson County has received just under $2.4 million of that money.

Four billion dollars from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act was given to the state, he said. About half of that is left.

Where we stand today, we have $2 billion left from the CARES Act money, he said. We have over $2 billion left from the unappropriated budget from the year were in right now. We have nearly a billion and a half dollars in the rainy day fund, he said. Were in pretty good shape compared to other states our size.

His latest goal in Raleigh is to relax COVID-19 restrictions on federal monies going out to local governments, the treasurer said.

The strings attached to this money are too tight and we need to push the ability to use this money down to the local county commissioners and city council people, he said.

In the meantime he asking residents who can to support their local government.

If they have the economic means to do something, the quicker they can do, the healthier their local governments are gonna be, Folwell said.

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Folwell

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/web1_treasurer-balcony-croped.jpgFolwell

NC treasurer urges local leaders to pinch pennies

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Crews return Monday to cut road ditches - The Robesonian

Despite the slowing down of all aspects of life for the time being, builders, remodelers, designers and construction companies continue to be able to provide their clients with help on the projects they mightve been putting off until now.

Right now, were doing a variety of projects, from a new home to a second-floor addition, a couple of whole-house remodels, a sunroom, and many kitchens and bath, says Kathy DeMeyer, owner and general manager of Encore Construction Co.

DeMeyer says most of the jobs theyre doing for clients include kitchen and bath remodels that are part of a larger remodel. For example, the client might be taking down the wall between the kitchen and dining area. The open concept, she says, continues to be very popular.

Current trends, she adds, are often dictated by the age of the home. Sometimes the older homes tend to have smaller rooms, so the open concept continues to be a desired aspect for those types of homes.

Getting an estimate, even during a time of social distancing, is no problem at Encore.

Were not doing any on-site meetings right now, says DeMeyer. Nor are they going into any owner-occupied properties. Were very lucky that we have a lot of second-home owners as clients, so we can arrange to get a key to a property and go out there ourselves and get an estimate for a job.

If theyve already met with the client and given them an estimate, they will continue to work on their design projects through completion. Encore uses an app called Builder Trend that allows clients to see and keep track of the progress of the schedule and their project. Conference calling, she adds, has been a great tool, as well.

Its been an eye opener, she says. A lot of people havent done conference calls, as we have in the past. In todays age, with the virus, conference calling has just blossomed amazingly.

She adds that people are definitely not putting off projects right now, despite the pandemic. They want to move forward with home projects. And with more time being spent outdoors, outdoor projects will be a big trend in the year ahead.

I think youre going to see a lot more people interested in doing a three-season room or a screened porch, DeMeyer says. Screened porches are so popular on the Cape. We get to use them spring, summer and fall. Its really something thats extremely popular.

Another trend shed been seeing, even before the pandemic began, is people installing bidets in their bathrooms.

Even before this pandemic, we were already seeing more bidets being put in, especially for somebody whos aging in place, some of our older clients, even some of the younger people. Bidets are definitely becoming more popular. Anyone thats doing a big remodel, they want that comfort. So we are seeing more of them.

DeMeyer advises that, if you have a project that you want to get on the schedule, you should make that call now.

Get us in there and see the possibilities of what can be done, she says. Its amazing what we can do via phone conferencing, video conferencing and having those conversations.

For more information on Encore Construction, visit them atencoreco.com.

Sponsored Content

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Homeowner's Headquarters A Discussion with Encore Construction on Upcoming Trends - CapeCod.com News

Built in 1936, and located in the Riverview neighborhood with a view of the Mississippi River,this half-acre corner property of brick-and-stone exterior includes anabundance ofcharming features:a living roomfireplace,built-in cherry-wood bookcases, a former telephone niche, and elegant crown moldingand wainscoting. Each room is designed with two windows on each wall, allowing plenty of natural light to shine throughout the house.A recentkitchen updateintroduced cabinet lighting, a wine rack, and a spacious pantry. Adjacent to the kitchen is a sunroom,with wall-to-wallwindows that overlooka pond.

The house's four bedrooms, with a walk-in closet,are situated on the first floor. Themaster bedroom features a laundry chute and the master bathroom is fitted with a stand-inshower, jacuzzi, and stained-glass window.

In addition to three bathrooms, ahalf-bathroom is located in the lower-level basement. The garage islocated on the side of the house.

Address: 701 Valley Drive

Price:$250,000

Realtor:Shellie Bratton, Bratton Realty, 6364481949

Design STL's On the Market posts are editorial. Featured propertiesare selected by editors.

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This $250,000 gem comes with a view of the Mississippi River - St. Louis Magazine

Church buildings commercial real estate for sale DE PA MD NJ Search Results

Listing IDPaph876040

BMLS

SqFt 14,867

Acres 0.340

StatusActive

DIAMOND STREET REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT :: A handsome large stone and brick facility with excellent proportions, good bones and plenty of curb appeal is offered for conversion. This parcel includes five parcels with six buildings that total 22,164...

Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Philadelphia

Hopo Zoning:r0529030111

Listing IDPact495198

BMLS

SqFt 95,832

Acres 5.320

StatusActive

Commercial office building in the heart of the booming Ludwigs Corner area. Development or investment opportunity: 5.3 +/- acres, zoned commercial. Over 300 feet of frontage on route #100 in the busy Ludwigs Corner area. Two story 3,000 square...

Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Preferred-Newtown Squar

Hopo Zoning:r0529030111

Listing IDMdcc164662

BMLS

SqFt 155,509

Acres 3.570

StatusActive

Church Campus including 3 buildings (approx. 32,000 sqft) and 5 tax parcels. Map 23, parcel 18, 172, 173, 328 & 356 containing approx. 3.57 acres. 2 wells, one septic. Partially rented out.

Listing courtesy of Real-Trust-Associates, LLC.

Hopo Zoning:r0529030111

Listing IDPact485736

BMLS

SqFt 435,600

Acres 10

StatusActive

As A Commercial: Currently the home is a 2 story residence with horse stables & bank barn, zoning is Institutional with many possible uses, 10 acres Institutional zoning ideal for medical center, hospital,school,professional care...

Listing courtesy of Weichert Realtors

Hopo Zoning:r0529030111

Listing IDPaph873822

BMLS

SqFt 6,300

Acres 0.140

StatusActive

Walk into a charming sanctuary with wooden floors and stain glass windows, high ceilings. Has a gym that is used for sports and many other activities. Has bathroom and multiple purpose room with kitchen. Downstairs there is another bathroom and a...

Listing courtesy of C-21 Advantage Gold-Roosevelt

Hopo Zoning:r0529030111

Listing IDPaph872140

BMLS

SqFt 10,524

Acres 0.240

StatusActive under contract

CALLING ALL INVESTORS, BUSINESS OWNERS and DEVELOPERS. Come and view this wonderful church building. This property is located in a high traffic area which can be used as an advantage to attracting new faces. The building is also located next to a...

Listing courtesy of Super Realty Group LLC

Hopo Zoning:r0529030111

Listing IDPaph884054

BMLS

SqFt 3,998

Acres 0.090

StatusActive

Unique opportunity for a redevelopment project on a double lot on high traffic and high visibility Erie Ave. 7,988 Vehicles AADT count was taken in 2017. The property was formerly used as living quarters and private use by St. Veronica's Church....

Listing courtesy of KW Commercial

Hopo Zoning:r0529030111

Listing IDNjgl247488

BMLS

SqFt 181,210

Acres 4.160

StatusPending

The Church property is located on 4.16 acres The Building is situated back from the street; the exterior is brick construction; The roof is pitched; there is a parking lot that warps around the building adjacent to the right side and rear of...

Listing courtesy of Weichert Realtors-Medford

Hopo Zoning:r0529030111

Listing IDPact492662

BMLS

SqFt 152,460

Acres 3.500

StatusPending

Dynamic home and property feature a vast array of uses! Home features hardwood throughout, open concept and natural gas heating. Outside a 21x16ft heated insulated shed is on its own 100amp electric meter. A versatile 20x25ft stable suitable for...

Listing courtesy of William Penn Real Estate Assoc

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Listing IDPaph875550

BMLS

SqFt 950

Acres 0.020

StatusActive

Come see this income-producing possibility. First floor is a take out food business with rarely used equipment. The space on the 2nd floor was being used as a church but can be converted into an apartment living space. The first floor comes...

Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Philadelphia

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Listing IDDesu160512

BMLS

SqFt 15,246

Acres 0.350

StatusActive

+/- 4,480 SF warehouse building listed for sale in Selbyville, Delaware. The property could potentially be leased in full or divided to accommodate two tenants. There are 10 parking spaces in the front of the building and another 10 in the rear...

Listing courtesy of NAI Coastal

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Listing IDPaph838344

BMLS

SqFt 5,541

Acres 0.130

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Double address corner commercial property 1750 sqft zoned CMX2 with a large fenced in lot. Property is currently used as a church. It is very well kept and in great condition. New HVAC system open layout. This seems to be a great location for a...

Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Eastern-Feasterville

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Listing IDPact484652

BMLS

SqFt 69,696

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Church buildings commercial real estate for sale DE PA MD NJ

What to Know

New Jersey will allow nonessential construction projects and curbside pickup at retail stores next week as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations trend downward, the governor announced Wednesday. Drive-up religious services can begin immediately.

Retailers can sell goods for pick starting at 6 a.m. Monday under a new executive order Gov. Phil Murphy intends to sign Wednesday. Customers won't be allowed inside the stores, but can make orders online or over the phone. Nonessential retail has been shuttered since March.

This is a step in a positive direction for all those retailers who were deemed to be nonessential," Murphy said. "I think its a responsible one. We just dont want people congregating. I just dont know how else to say it.

Construction can resume Monday morning at sites across the state as long as strict social distancing procedures are followed. Foremen must stagger work hours and breaks, ensure proper sanitation and clearly post safety protocols.

Drive-in and drive-thru events like drive-in movies and religious services are permitted so long as all participants remain in their cars, Murphy said, clarifying his March stay-at-home executive order. If the cars are less than 6-feet apart, all windows must remain closed.

Drive-by and drive-in graduation celebrations are allowed so long as people stay in their cars, Murphy said.

As of Wednesday, New Jersey had reported the second most COVID-19 cases of any state with more than 142,000 confirmed cases (about 1,000 new cases reported since Tuesday) and at least 9,702 coronavirus-related deaths (about 200 news cases reported).

While the totals are stark, the daily counts have been on a downward trend. Since the peak of the outbreak, hospitalizations, patients in the ICU, positive cases and deaths are all down, Murphy noted. The total number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators has remained under 1,000 now for four days.

Murphy said the state's coronavirus trends are headed in the right direction, but the state isn't in the clear yet. The loosening of the shutdown is possible because social distancing has been effective and the state has increased testing.

"We are not out of the woods yet," Murphy said. "When compared to other states, we see that New Jersey still bears a significant burden from COVID-19 So, keeping up with social distancing is essential as we move forward."

Tom Bracken, the head of the state Chamber of Commerce said it's too early to know whether the governor's timing was right. He called the reopening of some business a step in the right direction.

Hes the CEO of New Jersey, and he has made a decision on what will drive openings based on the data. I think anybody could disagree or agree with what hes done," Bracken said. I think the real test of that will be how quickly we get up and running, how quickly the plan thats being worked on now will be implemented and how quickly we can get back to some sense of normal."

Murphy called the reopenings and restarts part of what he dubbed the "Road Back" from coronavirus shutdowns. On Tuesday, he took a step on that road by laying out an aggressive testing and contact tracing plan that will help the state use data in its actions.

Since Tuesday, thousands of people had signed up to be contact tracers, state officials said.

Decisions on beaches reopening, elective surgeries returning and the July 7 primary possibly becoming mail-only are likely to come this week as well, Murphy said.

"Over the coming days and weeks, we'll be able to take more steps," Murphy said. "Were moving slowly and deliberately because any misstep risks further outbreaks. When public health tells us it is safe to remove a restriction, well remove it. Not a moment before. Not a moment after."

New Jersey now has nearly 20 reported patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, a mysterious condition that affects children and is believed to be related to COVID-19.

Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli on Thursday dropped the total number of probable cases from 18 to 17. Those affected are between two and 18 years old and live mostly in the northern and central regions of the state. Four have tested positive for COVID-19, Persichilli said, though it wasnt clear how many of the 17 have been tested. She said there has been no definitive link so far.

The syndrome affects blood vessels and organs and has symptoms similar to Kawasaki syndrome and toxic shock, and is marked by persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain and vomiting. Experts say it can appear weeks after a child has recovered from COVID-19, often without being diagnosed.

The need to get retailers back in business is made evident by the revenue shortfall in New Jersey.

State revenue collections in April were down 60% compared with April 2019. Total tax collections were $2.3 billion, down an unprecedented" $3.5 billion, the treasury said in a statement.

For the year, total collections are down about 8%. That's because before the COVID-19 outbreak, collections were running ahead of last year, the treasury said.

Murphy and lawmakers bumped the state budget deadline to Sept. 30, from June 30. Murphy hasn't detailed how he would close budget holes, but has repeatedly called for direct aide to the state from the federal government.

The state budget finances government and public pensions, but also doles out billions of dollars to local school districts, which helps take pressure of locally levied property taxes, along with dozens of other programs.

Murphy has been under increasing pressure, including from fellow Democrats in the Legislature, to restart businesses. But Murphy said it was the declining figures and not the bleeding state budget that led him to reopen some businesses.

"These numbers are a sobering reminder that the COVID-19 impact is not limited to the health of our people, but also to the health of our states finances."

Link:
NJ Allowing Curbside Retail Pickup, Construction and Drive-in Church Services - NBC 10 Philadelphia

Currently, there are no churches in Milks Grove Township. But years ago, there were two churches in Section 26.

Where is section 26? Go three miles south of the Kankakee-lroquois County line on Park Road and then two miles east.

Along the south border of Section 26 or the 3100N Road, there is a school, a former Catholic church, and home. And on the west border of Section 26 or the 400E Road, there is a church and a residence on the west side of the road is the location of a former Lutheran Church.

What do we know about the Catholic Church?

ln 1890, Lemuel Milk donated 8 acres in Section 26 plus a $5000 donation for the construction of a church, dwelling and school. Currently, those 8 acres are enclosed in a fence and is a separate piece of property. (From the lroquois Co. Genealogy Society)

The church was called St. John's Catholic Church. It was served by a priest from Chebanse. ln 1895, it became a part of the Clifton parish and was used until October of 1950. (From Norma Meier)

The church was a mission of Assumption BVM Catholic Church in Ashkum. The church records were kept by an Ashkum priest and included in Ashkum church entries. It doesn't seem logical that the Milks Grove parish was a mission of Ashkum rather than Clifton, but I have transcribed all the Ashkum church records and know that to be so.

What do we know about the Lutheran Church?

The Chebanse Herald reported in May of 1899 that a petition to construct a church was circulated in the Milks Grove area for the German Lutherans. Thus in September of 1899, 5 acres were given to the church by Henry Siedentop, the grandfather of Art Schultz, located 8 miles west and three miles south of Chebanse for the construction of a house of worship for them. Prior to that, the German and Danish Lutherans had met as early as the 1880's in the town hall of Milks Grove.

According to reports and the records of confirmations, Rev. Seehausen served that congregation for the greater part of his ministry at Zion Lutheran Church, Chebanse. Services were held on Sunday afternoons. When the weather was bad, Pastor Seehausen would make the trip on Saturday afternoon with horse and buggy, stay with the Henry Siemring family who lived about 7 miles west of Chebanse and then return later Sunday or early Monday morning. And so God's Holy Word and the Sacraments were brought to the people west of Chebanse by Pastor Seehausen.

Confirmation certificates of relatives of Art Schultz of Zion, Chebanse, indicate Pastor Seehausen was serving the Milks Grove Lutheran Church as late as 1917.

Since in 1909, Trinity Lutheran Church, Herscher, was founded as a daughter congregation of Zion Lutheran Church, Bonfield, some of the members of Milks Grove Lutheran Church transferred to Trinity and others eventually to Zion Lutheran Church, Chebanse. One article in an early Chebanse Herald indicated that the Milks Grove Lutheran Church was named "Zion". (From Zions Outreach Mission)

Per Norma Meier: There was a cemetery and most were reinterred at the Evergreen Cemetery in Chebanse although a few remained. Can they still be seen?

There was also a Lutheran parsonage which was moved a few miles south.

It appears that the Catholic Church had services from 1895 to 1950 and that the Lutheran Church was open from 1899 until 1917? A picture of the Zion Lutheran Church can be viewed at the Herscher Area Historical Society along with other historic pictures of Milks Grove Township. Please stop by and view this display.

lf you know anything further on these churches, please email Robert Voss at robertlvoss@aol.com.

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Milks Grove Churches of Yesteryear | News | herscherpilot.com - Herscher Pilot

By Zach HagadoneReader Staff

Drive through downtown Sandpoint on First Avenue and youll see signs of life returning as the phases of Gov. Brad Littles Idaho Rebounds coronavirus reopening plan proceed apace. Most of all, youll notice that you can drive through downtown Sandpoint on First Avenue at all.

Core streets have been in various stages of reconstruction and closure since September 2019, but as of Thursday, May 14 the wide-ranging project will be substantially complete, according to city officials.

The corner of First Avenue and Cedar Street in downtown Sandpoint. Photo by Ben Olson.

Final touches/clean up will continue through June 1, in alignment with the original contract timeframe, said Sandpoint Public Works Director Amanda Wilson.

First Avenue from Church to Cedar streets and Second Avenue opened for use on May 11, signalling the beginning of the end of Phase II of the citys project to improve downtown infrastructure, which began in 2017 with the two-way traffic reversion throughout downtown, followed by a complete revamp of Cedar Street from First to Fifth avenues in 2018.

What remains is for crews to deal with an unanticipated subterranean void at the eastern sidewalk on First Avenue and Church Street, which project managers said will be finished in time for the June 1 completion date.

The final touches include installing green ornamental pedestrian lights a grant-funded contract that is expected to take about a week and make way for the incorporation of flower baskets along First Avenue.

Among the features of the project are enhanced pedestrian crossings; seat walls at planters; almost 50 new street trees; 50 parking spaces, including those for standard and compact vehicles; five ADA parking spaces and four motorcycle parking zones; three loading zones; 16 bike racks and seven new benches; the ornamental lights still to be installed; and infrastructure intended to accommodate high-speed fiber internet connectivity throughout downtown.

For more information on Phase II and the larger downtown revitalization project go to sandpointstreets.com.

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Downtown construction to be 'substantially complete' by May 14 - sandpointreader.com