North Egypt News

Rep. Dave Severin spoke about the event in Benton and that it didn’t disappoint.

In a Sept 20 Facebook post, Severin shared a trip to the Benton Regional Office of Education's newest building project.

"Today's event in Benton was a long time in the making, and it didn't disappoint. I was happy to bring Senator Dale Fowler, Senator Terri Bryant, and Representative Patrick Windhorst along with school officials from Benton, Sesser, Thompsonville, West Frankfort, and Zeigler-Royalton, Rend Lake College, and the Regional Office of Education (ROE 21) to my hometown to observe the ROE's building trades class,” Severin said. "The students are learning trades, and applying their skills to build walls for structures for two area small businesses. The program provides high school seniors the opportunity to learn from Mr. Mark Fitch, a carpenter for many decades. I was so impressed at the work ethic on display by the students. I will continue to support the building trades as a legit alternative to traditional education. We need people at work in every kind of industry, doing every type of job. The good folks at the ROE are working hard to promote the program. If your student is interested, reach out to your local high school guidance counselor to explore options. Thank you to Mr. Fitch and to the ROE, and a special thanks goes to Greg Weeks of Weeks of Benton for arranging the warehouse for the students to work in."

Dave Severin was first elected to the Illinois House in 2017. A Republican, their legislative experience includes serving on the Judiciary - Criminal and Mental Health & Addiction. According to the Illinois House, Severin is a state representative who resides in Benton.

The Franklin County Regional Delivery System for Career and Technical Education offers a construction trades class, and there are a variety of school districts that participate. Those include: Cooperating school districts include Benton Consolidated H.S., Christopher H.S., Frankfort Community H.S., Sesser-Valier H.S., Thompsonville H.S., and Zeigler-Royalton H.S.

In recent weeks, Severin has spoken out on other topics, like the problems he sees with the SAFE-T Act. Severin maintains that the legislation, which is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2023, will endanger "residents, police, witnesses, and victims of crime." "If we want to ensure every neighborhood across Illinois is a safe place to live then we cannot ignore warnings from law enforcement officials and public safety experts," Severin stated.