McLaughlin, who is earning a Masters in Geography from Western Illinois University, drew upon his education in rural community development to write four grant applications as a way to get the community’s goals and milestones moving forward. The largest grant seeks funds to hire a full-time coordinator to conduct the day-to-day workings of a recently formed Community Development Corporation. The other grants will be used to establish a citywide recycling program, begin outdoor education programs in area schools and host an area-wide Household Hazardous Waste Collection.

Finally, the city aims to merge the environmental plan with a community economic development plan created in 2002. The resulting document will be called the Du Quoin Community Development Plan. As a way to implement the merged plan, the Du Quoin Community Development Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation, is being established by McLaughlin and area residents. The overall goal, as McLaughlin put it, is to “… establish a structure that allows Du Quoin residents to be actively involved in bettering the overall quality of life in their community for years to come.”