by Jonah Nink, Shaw Local News Network Batavia City Hall (Mark Foster) Batavia now encompasses three U.S. House of Representatives districts as part of multiple redistricting changes resulting from the 2020 Census. Information on representation changes was presented by Batavia Geographic Information Systems analyst Michael Kamin at the Oct. 25 Committee of the Whole meeting. “The 2020 Census led to a statewide redistricting,” Kamin said. “The city of Batavia experienced many changes within our districts.” Batavia will be represented by U.S. Congressional Districts 3, 8 and 11, represented b ..read more

by Maggie Rotermund ​ ST. LOUIS – A $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will create the Taylor Geospatial Institute Regional AI Learning System. Launched in April 2022 and led by Saint Louis University, the Taylor Geospatial Institute brings together eight Midwestern universities and research centers to harness innovation in geospatial science.  Pictured, from left, are Shaowen Wang, Ph.D., professor and department head of geography & geographic information science and founding director of the CyberGIS Center for Advanced Digital and Spatial Studies, Unive ..read more

QUINCY, IL – It was a piece of the collective puzzle that tied an Adams County needs study together with a technological bow - students in a Western Illinois University Geographic Information System (GIS) class used the technology they learned in the classroom to bring the final report some user-friendly features. The United Way of Adams County, directed by former WIU College of Business and Technology Development Director Jeremy Wingerter, completes an assessment of community needs every three years. The most recent assessment began in 2021, and was aided this round by an award from the Rest ..read more

By Cordaryl "Pat" Patrick, Director, Economic and Community Development, City of Decatur The City of Decatur, Illinois, is like many cities in the Midwest in that it has seen significant population decline. Since 1980, the city has lost over one-fourth of its population. This led to blight issues and a lack of economic activity in its downtown area. To counter this problem, the city undertook a successful downtown revitalization plan in 2017, adding new commercial projects, a new community care center, and demolishing about 90 abandoned and derelict structures. ​ While the downtown has s ..read more

MACOMB, IL – A project to meet a statewide mandate to replace lead water pipes in homes is resulting in hands-on GPS and GIS experience for Western Illinois University undergraduate and graduate students. The GIS Center at WIU, headed by Director Chad Sperry, has partnered with the Rock Island County community of Silvis to evaluate water pipes that run from the city's streets into its more than 1,500 homes. The project is paying University students to go door-to-door, asking residents to examine the pipe coming into their home from the streets. Students then photograph the pipe, and the colle ..read more

By Jacob Barker, Reporter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Andrew C. Taylor, executive chairman of Enterprise Holdings Inc. and Founding Chair of Greater St. Louis Inc., speaks at the announcement of the launch of the Taylor Geospatial Institute. Photo by Hillary Levin. ST. LOUIS — Bolstering the city’s bid to become a hub for geospatial technology, economic development and academic leaders announced Thursday the creation of a new research center that will help build an industry officials see as key to St. Louis’s economic future. Funded with a “legacy investment” from Andy Taylor, executive chairma ..read more

From our friends at the Illinois Geographical Society (IGS): ​The Illinois Geographical Society cordially invites you to explore the Western Suburbs for its Annual Meeting, April 28-30, 2022. The meeting will be hosted at the Sheraton in Lisle, IL. Join us as we look back in time at the Gentleman Farms of Western Suburbs and welcome you back to our in-person meeting.  More information: - Meeting invitation - Book hotel room - Call for posters & papers Register Today ..read more

Harper College faculty and students welcomed U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (in blue suit jacket) and FAA Administrator Rebecca MacPherson (in yellow jacket) to campus to learn about the college's drone program and try a drone flight simulator. (Credit: Harper College) Faculty and students from the Harper College Drone Technology and Applications program recently opened up their classrooms to U.S. Rep. Sean Casten and Federal Aviation Administration officials. Mukila Maitha, coordinator of Harper’s drone program, led a presentation during the October 29 visit about the program’s history be ..read more

Claire Gregory ’22 and Bethany Schorr ’22 fly the geography department’s DJI Mavic Mini drone along the Mississippi River. (Credit: Augustana) John Vohasek ’23 and Amanda Walljasper ’23 (Credit: Augustana) Her official licensed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial drone pilot’s card had just arrived, and Amanda Walljasper ’23 was excited. “I was really nervous,” she said about the certification test, “and most of the questions on that test are for actual pilots.” ​ She had spent hours piloting drones and learning FAA test requirements in her Drone Mapping and GIS (geographic info ..read more

Next Wednesday, March 2nd @ 2:00 pm EST, Bob Nutsch (Geospatial Program Coordinator for North Dakota) and 2020 ILGISA Keynote Speaker, Bill Johnson (AppGeo's Carpe Geo Evangelist), will share the story behind the State's Parcel Program. From how it got started, to what helped it succeed — and most importantly, what has been learned along the way. ​ “I’m excited to share what the State and it’s partners, all 53 counties and their vendors, have experienced: the challenges we’ve encountered, how they were addressed, the things we are working on now, and our vision moving forwa ..read more