* Tribune…

Jury selection in the landmark corruption trial of former Democratic political powerhouse Michael Madigan resumed Tuesday after a long holiday weekend, with seven panel members still needed to be selected before the opening statements begin. […]

U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey had initially planned to have opening statements Tuesday, but the unexpectedly slow pace of jury selection has put proceedings about a week behind schedule. Opening statements may not be given until Monday.

A pool of more than 150 potential jurors from all over northern Illinois was called into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse last week for the case, and attorneys are questioning each member of the panel individually to weed out potential bias. They are being referred to in court only by their juror numbers to protect their privacy.

* Shaw Local…

In July, a DeKalb man was arrested and charged after police allege he threatened to assassinate state Rep. Jeff Keicher at an event planned at DeKalb High School, according to court records

Forrest R. Brandon, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony, on Sept. 18. […]

Now more than two months removed from the threat, Keicher, whose districts falls into parts of DeKalb, Kane and McHenry counties, said the situation has caused him to step back and ask “is this all worth it,” particularly as those close to him asked him to reconsider his time in office.

“I’ve had multiple people tell me that ‘for your safety you should just consider being done,’” Keicher said. “We can’t let people threatening other people be the victors in a situation like this, and looking at what it means for our area to have the successes that I’ve had has recommitted me to making sure that we are doing right by all of the citizens of the 70th district.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | House 52nd candidates debate immigration, state finances: Republican incumbent and former Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin said spending is out of control. McLaughlin, who was first elected in 2020, said in his term in office he has seen spending climb from $39 billion to $54 billion. […] Democratic challenger Maria Peterson, a retired labor attorney, said her family knows what it means to tighten their belts and survive financially. She said they did just that during the financial crisis in 2008, when she and her husband faced mortgage and car payments and were raising a young son. At that time, her husband had finished graduate school and she was attending law school.

*** Statewide ***

* WBEZ | Illinois officials battle misinformation to protect integrity of November election: Russian influence and false claims of a rigged election plagued the last two presidential elections. This time, Illinois election officials said disinformation poses the biggest threat to the integrity of the vote. Bad actors both domestically and abroad “[a]re trying to get into the minds of voters, and they’re trying to pit voters against each other,” said Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections.

* WFIW | Illinois State Police Welcomes 35 New Troopers from Cadet Class 148: Cadet Class 148 completed a rigorous 28-week academy program that included both physical training and classroom instruction. The curriculum covered a wide range of topics, such as Cultural Diversity, Procedural Justice, Domestic Violence, Critical Incident Response, De-escalation Tactics, Firearms training, First Responder Certification, Control and Arrest Tactics, the Illinois Vehicle Code, Criminal Law, Motor Carrier Safety, Juvenile Law, and more.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | As Greyhound Bus Station Lease Expires, Alderman Proposes Move To Migrant Landing Zone: Asked by a Block Club reporter last week about the station’s status, Mayor Brandon Johnson said his administration was still “looking at all options.” […] “The Mayor’s Office has been helping us identify a suitable Downtown location for pick-ups and drop-offs,” Flixbus spokesperson Merrill Leedom said in a statement. “We are encouraged by their efforts and the potential for a solution that meets the needs of our passengers, including features like a dedicated bus lane, basic shelter from the elements and proximity to local transit options.

* Crain’s | Discover hits Chatham workforce goal of 1,000 employees: “This milestone is a testament to our commitment to the Chatham community and the promises we made,” Dan Capozzi, executive vice president and president of consumer banking at Discover, said in a statement. “When the goal was set, we knew it was ambitious, but the hard work of our team and the overwhelming support of the community helped us achieve our vision.”

* Block Club | Rogers Park Church Finds Way To Build A Parking Lot Despite Alderwoman’s Opposition: “Without the community and my support, the church found another legal pathway to create the parking lot by having the entire property resurveyed and consolidated into one lot,” Hadden said. “The underlying zoning for the existing property and current allowed use of the church permits them to create the parking lot that they’ve wanted.” Hadden denied the church’s request to reconsider the proposal and take into account non-residents’ opinions as much as residents’ opinions, she said.

* Sun-Times | Mag Mile offices would become residences under developer’s proposal: Commonwealth Development Partners will present its vision for 500 N. Michigan Ave. — which includes adding more than 300 apartments to the 24-story office tower — at the Chicago Plan Commission’s meeting Thursday. The project could help bring more foot traffic to the city’s premier retail corridor as it continues efforts to bounce back after the pandemic. It also comes as office vacancies on the Magnificent Mile continue to rise this year, approaching 20%.

* Tribune | Billionaire Ken Griffin has found a buyer for the Gold Coast condo he listed for $11M in July: Billionaire Ken Griffin has found a buyer for his top-floor condominium on the 38th floor of the building at 9 W. Walton St., a unit he has had on the market since July for $11 million. On Monday, his real estate agents updated his listing for the unit to reflect that a contract has been signed with an undisclosed buyer for a still-undisclosed amount. The unit has 16-foot windows, two terraces and private in-unit elevator access to a private rooftop pool and a private 39th-floor interior space.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WGN | Orland Park latest suburb to fail to file audits: Illinois’ comptroller is threatening southwest suburban Orland Park with losing some state reimbursements for failing to file financial audits in 2022 and 2023. “Reports not filed in a timely manner are delinquent, and consequently subject to fines and forced audit,” the comptroller’s September letter stated. Village officials blame staff turnover, a new computer system and the village’s former external auditors for the missed deadlines.

* Elgin Courier-News | Dam removal coupled with drought causing Fox River levels to be dramatically low in Carpentersville: “This is the lowest I’ve seen the river,” said Carpentersville Village President John Skilman, who has lived in the village most of his life. “It’s been so dry. Pretty much since August, it’s been so dry.” Skillman said he thought the river would drop as the dam was being removed, but this is far lower than he anticipated. “It could be a combination of the drought and the dam being removed,” he said. “Let’s wait and see if this works like they told us it would. They’re the professionals.”

* WTTW | Incarcerated Classmates Separated as Stateville Closure Continues, Leaving Future of Some Educational Programs in Question: Stateville had robust higher educational programs, partnering with five Chicago-area universities. Located about 38 miles from the city, the prison was able to bring in instructors from Northwestern University, North Park University and others. After the transfers, some students have been split from their classmates and are now hundreds of miles away from each other. Those divisions and distances now make it difficult for educators to reach students.

* Naperville Sun | Overwhelmed by Illinois judicial candidates on the ballot? Naperville North student created website to help: Sarah, 16, is the developer of the Know Your State Judges website, in which she researched judicial candidates from across Illinois, outside of Cook County, to compile a nonpartisan look at how judges are elected and retained. She began her project last summer in preparation for the 2024 primary election and has continued to update the website for the Nov. 5 general election. In addition to her website, she’s set up Facebook, Instagram and X pages and is conducting interviews with media throughout the state to promote the page.

* Daily Herald | Palatine rescue has Hurricane Helene dogs ready for adoption: By looking at the spunky pups frolicking in the yard behind the Palatine dog day care Baxter & Beasley, you might not suspect the ordeal they’ve been through over the past several days. While they share a common saga, they now also share a common hope. All were transferred from a large shelter in Florida, where they were sent after being displaced by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Now they await adoption.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Macon Co. Sheriff’s Deputy arrested in Indiana after driving under the influence: The Macon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Todd Choatie, an employee since 1998, was arrested in Putnam County, Ind. on Thursday. He’s been charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated (Indiana’s version of driving under the influence) and possession of a controlled substance. A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson added that Deputy Choatie is currently on vacation status. Once he returns, he will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation within the Macon County Sheriff’s Office.

* WSIL | John A Logan College set to launch new Security Guard Training Program: The course begins on Thursday, October 24, and will run every Wednesday and Thursday evening from 6 - 9 p.m. through November 21st. The classes will be held on the JALC campus, with the first course called “Unarmed’. The cost of the class is $250 per student, which is roughly about $12 per hour in the classroom. Participants who complete the course successfully will get credentials and 1.5 vocational credit.

* WCIA | Monticello non-profit spreading the word about domestic violence: Willow Tree Missions in Monticello has different events planned all month long. On Monday, families came in to volunteer their services by sorting through household items so they can prepare for donation. On Thursday they’re asking the community to wear purple to show their support for domestic violence victims.

* SJ-R | Springfield getting early taste of winter with freeze warning for Wednesday: The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning from 1 to 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. Residents can expect to see frost on the grass as temperatures will reach the mid 30s overnight. After the brisk morning, temperatures are expected to reach near 60 degrees on Wednesday.

* KFVS | 50th annual Fort Massac Encampment returns to Metropolis: Event times are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday at Fort Massac State Park. Organizers say the popular event draws thousands of visitors to southern Illinois every fall. Since 1974, the encampment has shown visitors what life was like at Fort Massac in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The fort served as a frontier outpost along the Ohio River for France, Britain and the United States’ early years from 1757 to 1814.

*** National ***

* Dr. Christopher D. Connolly | Why am I prescribing accessible parking if developers sell it to those without disabilities?: The sale of accessible spaces to non-disabled individuals effectively eliminates crucial aspects of accessible housing and has resulted in Department of Housing and Urban Development complaints and lawsuits in the Chicagoland area like Jafri v. Chandler LLC. The costs of such litigation can be lofty for developers and condo associations as demonstrated by a recent $9.25 million verdict for a paraplegic who was denied accessible parking at her Long Beach, California, condominium.

* AP | Walgreens to close 1,200 US stores as chain attempts to steady operations at home: Walgreens will close about 1,200 locations over the next three years as the drugstore chain seeks to turnaround a struggling U.S. business that contributed to a $3 billion quarterly loss. The company said Tuesday that about 500 store closures will come in the current fiscal year and should immediately support adjusted earnings and free cash flow. Walgreens didn’t say where the store closings would take place.