PAGE 1 / SEC A • THE MENDOTA REPORTER
VOLUME 147, NUMBER 31
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2025
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2025
ONE DOLLAR, 25 CENTS
Federal food assistance changes threaten benefits for thousands of Illinois residents q New requirements mandate state pay for a greater share of program
Clients up, hamburger stock zero at food pantry q Program cuts impacting food supply By BRANDON LaCHANCE Staff writer MENDOTA – Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry Executive Director Tracy Cooper finds herself in a situation she hasn’t been in before. In effect of program cuts such as Illinois Eats and a reduction in items from the USDA, the pantry has lost 15 percent of its monthly incoming food. Some items have been excluded completely such as hamburger. “We’re no longer receiving hamburger and can’t hand any out to our clients. The only way we can give them hamburger is if we buy it,” Cooper said. “I’ve looked around and the best price I’ve found is around the tune of $880 per month. “This is one of the problems we thought may happen because of the Illinois Eats program being
“We really do need help. Last year, we built our new building with the help of the community. Hopefully, we can get some additional help to make sure we can get families hamburger.” -Tracy Cooper Mendota Food Pantry
gone. It is gone and it was my source for hamburger. We’re in a dilemma. May was the last time we were able to receive items from Illinois Eats. What we had helped us until now.” The food pantry gives 1 pound of hamburger to every family in part of 3-5 pounds of meat per month. See Pantry, Page A5
By BEN SZALINSKI Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans could lose benefits from a federal food assistance program while the state will be required to cover more costs under changes passed in the latest domestic policy plan. President Donald Trump signed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” into law on July 4, making sweeping changes to social services programs, including Medicaid. Among the programs being revamped is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP. The bill institutes new work requirements for many people to remain eligible for benefits and shifts some costs for the program to the states. Food stamps were first established in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Renamed to SNAP in 2008, the program provides monthly stipends for low-income Americans to purchase select foods at grocery stores. While states implement the program and pay a portion of administrative expenses,
the federal government has historically covered the cost of the benefits. Under the law, work requirements to qualify for SNAP benefits have been expanded to include people up to age 64, along with homeless people, veterans and young adults leaving foster care. Previously, only people age 18-54 had to meet work requirements. Those populations didn’t previously have to prove they were doing a certain amount of work, but when the changes kick in, they will have to do 80 hours of paid, unpaid or volunteer work each month to qualify for benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The law continues to provide exemptions for people who
Who will wear the crown?
are physically unable to work, such as for pregnancy. The changes could leave 360,000 people in Illinois at risk of losing eligibility, according to the state. “Trump and Republicans would rather children go hungry so their friends can receive tax cuts,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. “Here in Illinois, we have been working to combat food insecurity for years, and while no state can backfill these costs, the State of Illinois will continue to fight against these harmful impacts and stand up for working families.” About 1.9 million people were using SNAP in Illinois as of March 2025, according to the USDA. New costs for the state Illinois and most other
states will have to cover a greater portion of costs for SNAP under the law, including benefits based on the state’s error rate of over- and under-payments on benefits. Beginning in federal fiscal year 2028, which begins in October 2027, the law requires states with an error rate greater than 10% as of at least FY25 to cover 15% of the cost of benefits. States with lower error rates would cover a smaller portion of the benefits. Illinois recorded an 11% error rate in FY24, according to the USDA. More than 1.8 million Illinoisians received $4.7 billion of SNAP benefits in FY25, according to the state. If Illinois must pay 15% of the cost of benefits, it could leave the state on the hook for $705 million — or about 1.3% of the current-year budget. Also beginning in federal fiscal year 2027, which begins in October 2026, states will have to cover 75% of administrative costs for SNAP, rather than 50%. This year’s state budget See Food, Page A5
q Sweet Corn Festival royalty will be revealed at Aug. 8 pageant MENDOTA – A very short time remains before the 2025 Sweet Corn Festival Queen will be chosen to reign over the festivities of Mendota’s 78th Annual Sweet Corn Festival to be held Aug. 7-10. Be sure to join Tim and Jan Phalen as they emcee the evening of suspense and entertainment. Choosing one queen and two attendants from the 10 beautiful contestants will be a very difficult choice for the judges. The judges will be busy most of the afternoon of the pageant with the candidates’ interviews at the Pageant Tea. Singer-guitarist Andrew Bloomquist will provide pre-pageant entertainment beginning at 6:45 p.m., and then the pageant will get underway at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8 on the First State Bank stage on Washington Street in downtown Mendota.
Bloomquist will return to the stage while the judges are deciding who will wear the crown for 2025. Here are three more contestants vying for the crown of 2025 Sweet Corn Festival Queen. Dessa Komitas has been chosen to represent The Point Guard Club in this year’s pageant. She is the daughter of Peter and Theresa Komitas. She stands five feet, three inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes. Komitas graduated from Mendota High School in May of 2025 where she was very active in many sports, clubs and fine arts. She was in track (captain),
band section leader, choir, madrigals, show choir, plays and musicals. She was an ILMEA district qualifier for concert choir and jazz choir. Komitas was a football and basketball cheerleader and captain her junior year. She was also named an allAmerican cheerleader. She was an honor roll student all four years earning a space in the National Honor Society. She joined the Interact Club and FCA. Komitas was also awarded numerous scholarships and awards such as BPW, DLA, BohnNielson, Coach Kilmartin and All-Conference Academic award winner. In the fall Komitas will be attending Wisconsin
Lutheran College to seek a degree in neuroscience & psychology. She hopes to work as a pediatric neuropsychologist to help children with brain injuries and special needs. She has started taking a couple classes over the summer to help get ahead of college. This summer you will find her working as a babysitter or pet sitter. She enjoys caring for children and animals. She also helps the families with light cleaning, cooking and walking their pets. She enjoys golfing, baking and shopping in her spare time. She also volunteers at her church. The Rotary Club has selected Ella Martin as its candidate in this year’s pageant. She is the daughter of Jason and Lisa Martin of Mendota, and is five feet, See Pageant, Page A5
Two contestants competing for the title of Sweet Corn Festival Queen are Dessa Komitas, left, and Ella Martin. (Photo contributed)