MOLINE, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Black Hawk College issued the following news: More than 200 people spent a sunny September Saturday at the Quad-Cities Campus for the Building 3 Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and Celebration. The celebration included live music provided by the BHC Jazz Ensemble, a tribute to BHC retirees, presentation of BHC President Emeritus to former president Dr. Keith Miller, demonstrations in the new science labs and the grand opening of the BHC Athletic Complex, featuring new bas  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Kirkland and Ellis, a law firm, issued the following news release: Kirkland & Ellis advised HF Capital, LLC, the Tennessee-based family office of the Haslam family, on its investment of up to $725 million to launch Ara Energy Decarbonization, an initiative aimed at decarbonizing heavy industry, in partnership with Ara Partners, a global private equity and infrastructure firm dedicated to decarbonizing the industrial economy. Ara Energy Decarbonization will target   more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Kirkland and Ellis, a law firm, issued the following news release: Kirkland & Ellis advised Luminate Capital Partners, a private equity firm investing in growth software companies, on its investment in AbsenceSoft, the leading SaaS platform for leave of absence and accommodations management. Luminate's investment will help AbsenceSoft continue its growth trajectory and expand its leadership position in the market. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Rea  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Kirkland and Ellis, a law firm, issued the following news release: Kirkland & Ellis advised P10, Inc. (NYSE: PX), a leading private markets solutions provider, on its definitive agreement to acquire Qualitas Equity Funds SGEIC, S.A. (Qualitas Funds). Qualitas Funds is a Madrid-based private equity investing platform that provides fund-of-funds, direct co-investing and NAV financing opportunities in the European lower-middle market to more than 1,300 limited partn  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Kirkland and Ellis, a law firm, issued the following news release: Kirkland counseled global private equity firm Permira in its agreement to invest up to $140 million in Hotel Engine, Inc., a software company offering hotel booking services to businesses. Hotel Engine will use the funding to support ongoing product development, including the launch of flight and rental car bookings to its platform. The transaction was announced September 17, 2024. Read Permira's  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Mayer Brown, a law firm, issued the following news: Mayer Brown acted as Hong Kong legal counsel to Blackstone and the consortium of buyers formed with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board on the acquisition of AirTrunk, a leading Asian data center operator, for an implied enterprise value of A$24 billion (US$16.1 billion), working alongside Simpson Thacher & Bartlett to complete the transaction. This represents Blackstone's largest investment in Asia Pacific   more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Mayer Brown, a law firm, issued the following news: Mayer Brown has once again been recognized as one of the nation's leading litigation firms in BTI Consulting Group's (BTI) Litigation Outlook 2025. The report commends the firm's litigation expertise, and is based on feedback from prominent legal decision-makers at large organizations. The firm was recognized in seven of the specific litigation categories: * Class Action Litigation - Leader (top 4% of all firms  more

DECATUR, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Millikin University issued the following news: * * * Over a six-year period, the program will fund renewable scholarships for at least 15 students pursuing degrees in STEM majors. * * * Millikin University has been awarded a six-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish the Big Blue STEM Scholars project through the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM). The Big Blue STEM Sch  more

MACOMB, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- Western Illinois University issued the following news release: MACOMB/MOLINE, IL - - Christopher A. Pynes, Philosophy professor at Western Illinois University, has been named Interim Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, Research and Institutional Effectiveness, effective July 15. Pynes steps into the associate provost position after serving as Interim Director of Institutional Research since January 2024. His responsibilities as Interim Associate Provost for A  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- The Illinois National Guard issued the following news: Bloomington, Ill. - Sgt. 1st Class Melissa Brooker of Rockford retired from the Illinois Army National Guard after 28 years of service but told those at her Sept. 13 retirement ceremony in Bloomington that she was "not done being young." "The Army gave me the confidence to go into the unknown," said Brooker during the ceremony at the 44th Chemical Battalion's headquarters in Bloomington. "I hope I left a  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 17 -- The University of Chicago issued the following news: * * * Champion for UChicago workshops remembered for his deep curiosity, dedication to community and family * * * By Sarah Steimer Ralph A. Austen, scholar of African Studies known for his keen focus, depth of knowledge, and far-reaching curiosity, passed away on Aug. 23. He was 87. A professor emeritus in the Department of History at the University of Chicago, Austen's scholarly endeavors were driven by hi  more

MACOMB, Illinois, Sept. 17 -- Western Illinois University issued the following news release: Western Illinois University and Joliet Junior College (JJC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to offer a Guaranteed Admission Program (GAP). The program provides a clear pathway for JJC students to transfer to WIU, meeting all current admissions requirements at the time of application. The agreement ensures that JJC students with an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degr  more