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Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Thank you to all who have donated! We’ve raised just under $26,000, that’s around 1,032 presents for children in foster care. But LSSI serves 2,530 children in Illinois. We have a long way to go. So please, donate today.

* Crain’s

Toni Preckwinkle is tired of the bickering over how Cook County values commercial properties for tax purposes. She’s hoping a new set of recommendations will fix the problem.

The Cook County Board president last week issued a series of practices she expects Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and the county’s Board of Review to adopt to improve an assessment process she says has been flawed for decades and needs substantial reform to be fair to taxpayers.

At the heart of the recommendations: The assessor’s office and the appeals board need to start sharing more data, consulting with each other about it and using a more uniform approach to deciding how much commercial buildings countywide are worth.

* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) in announcing significant action to address chronic failures of the sanitary sewer systems in Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis. […]

Raoul and the DOJ filed the lawsuit and consent decree to resolve allegations the city of Cahokia Heights violated federal and state environmental protection laws that stem from the city’s failure to address sanitary sewer overflows. Aging infrastructure and years of poor maintenance and neglect have led to more than 300 occasions of sanitary sewage being discharged to nearby waterways in violation of the Clean Water Act since November 2019.

The consent decree requires Cahokia Heights to pay a $30,000 civil penalty and invest approximately $30 million in extensive sewer improvement projects, conduct system-wide repairs and ensure the community is updated with its progress on upgrades.

Raoul and the DOJ filed a separate lawsuit against the city of East St. Louis over its alleged failure to develop a long-term control plan to properly clean and maintain its combined sewer system. The lawsuit alleges the city regularly releases sewage into the Mississippi River and Whispering Willow Lake during periods of heavy rain. Whispering Willow Lake is located within Frank Holten State Park where fishing, boating and other public activities take place.

Raoul’s lawsuit seeks to require the city of East St. Louis to cease further violations of the Clean Water Act and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and implement actions to ensure compliance with state and federal environmental laws. […]

Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis are both located in a floodplain with a high groundwater table, requiring sewer operators to be vigilant in maintaining pipes to prevent water infiltration and inflow into the system.

* Capital B News published a great write up of the ‘sewage crisis’ in Cahokia Heights

Each time it rains, even if it’s just a light rainfall, the streets of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, flood. But that’s not all. Those floodwaters bring in a nightmarish brown tide, a disgusting slurry that engulfs the area, dragging with it the stench of human excrement and decay.

With such constant and high floodwaters, people have resorted to using boats to navigate the coffee-stained water that inundates their neighborhoods, while homes suffer the long-term damage of mold and residents reel from bacteria exposure. It’s a story that has become far too common in rural Black communities. With aging infrastructure and dwindling local budgets, drinking water and sewage crises have propped up nationwide in Black communities.

Despite years of warnings, pleas for help, and several lawsuits, state and local officials have failed to address Cahokia Heights’ crisis even after receiving tens of millions of dollars of state and federal support since the late 1980s. The stench of neglect has been inescapable there in the 75% Black city— formed by the merger of the three towns of Centreville, Alorton, and Cahokia — that was deemed the poorest place in America in 2018.

Yet, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Illinois just put forth a move that they claim will usher in a new reality for residents. On Tuesday, the agencies announced that they were putting the city under a consent decree. On average, less than four municipalities are put under such agreements every year, and rarely are they ever implemented in a town so small. (Cahokia Heights has fewer than 18,000 residents.)

* Sun-Times

Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday announced that IBM will partner with the state to create a new national quantum algorithm center in Chicago — marking the first Fortune 500 company to join the soon-to-be-constructed Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park on the Far South Side.

It’s a huge win for Pritzker, who has for years sought to make Illinois a global leader in quantum computing and innovation. The announcement comes a day after the City Council gave the multibillion-dollar quantum computing campus final zoning approval.

The newly announced National Quantum Algorithm Center will be anchored by IBM’s modular quantum computer, called IBM Quantum System Two, which will try to advance quantum supercomputing across industries.

“We’re making Illinois the global quantum capital and the center for job growth in the quantum industry — a true center of innovation with the power to solve the world’s most pressing and complex challenges,” Pritzker said in a statement.

* Tribune

President Joe Biden on Thursday commuted the sentences of two of the Chicago area’s most notorious fraudsters: former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell, who embezzled nearly $54 million from the tiny town to fund a lavish lifestyle, and Eric Bloom, the onetime leader of a Northbrook management firm who defrauded investors of more than $665 million.

The decisions in the clemency petitions for Crundwell and Bloom were announced by the White House as part of a massive list of some 39 pardons and 1,499 commutations. Biden’s orders do not wipe out their felony convictions, but end their sentences immediately.

Crundwell, 71, pleaded guilty in 2012 to what authorities then called the largest municipal fraud in the country’s history, admitting she stole $53.7 million from the city over more than a decade and used the money to finance her quarter horse business and lavish lifestyle.

She was sentenced in 2013 to nearly 20 years in federal prison. In April 2020, Crundwell had petitioned a federal judge for early compassionate release based on her poor health and the COVID-19 pandemic.

*** Statewide ***

* Illini News Bureau | Illinois historian says Midwest played a crucial role in Black freedom movements worldwide: The Midwest played a central role in the growth of Black freedom movements in the 20th century. It was a key site for incubating and expanding the ideas of political activist Marcus Garvey, not only in the U.S., but globally, said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of African American studies and history Erik S. McDuffie. McDuffie examined the influence of Garvey and the importance of the Midwest in the growth of Black internationalism and radicalism in his new book, “The Second Battle for Africa: Garveyism, the U.S. Heartland and Global Black Freedom.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | What to know about tonight’s Chicago Board of Education meeting: CTU to rally before contract discussion: An hour before the meeting begins, the Chicago Teachers Union will demonstrate outside the district’s administrative offices in Greater Grand Crossing demanding their four-year contract be settled before the Trump administration is sworn in. They are tying their contract demands to fears of changes on the federal level due to Project 2025. Once the board is seated, among the most salient topics is a discussion on the district’s response to the planned closure of seven schools operated by the Acero charter network at the end of the school year. The district will present options for the families of the approximately 2,000 predominantly Latino students impacted, according to the meeting agenda. Whether ongoing political tension over the Chicago Teachers Union contract negotiations will come to a head remains to be seen.

* WBEZ | ‘Shame on you!’ Acero Charter community tells charter leaders: During the board meeting, which was held inside the school’s gymnasium, Acero officials ceded their speaking time to allow more time for public comment. It was the first time since the closures were announced that families had a chance to face the board, CTU leaders said. More than 200 people packed the gym. Speakers, including several young children, had harsh words for Acero leaders.


* WTTW | Jury Awards Nearly $80M to Family of Girl Killed During 2020 Chicago Police Chase: A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Law said officials are “reviewing the verdict.” If the verdict is upheld, it would nearly equal city’s annual $82 million budget to cover the cost of police misconduct lawsuits. In all, Chicago taxpayers have spent more than $73 million from January 2019 to August 2024 to resolve two dozen lawsuits filed by Chicagoans injured during police pursuits, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.

* Sun-Times | Bitter cold cracks CTA Brown Line rail, service fully resumed: “The cracked rail was likely caused by the cold,” said Gonzalez. “They did make the repair.” Shuttle buses were made available between Kimball and Southport to provide connecting service through the affected area, the CTA said.

* Chicago Mag | Why Does the City’s Border Extend North of Howard Street in Rogers Park?: When Rogers Park was annexed to Chicago, in 1893, Howard Street became the city’s boundary with Evanston. The little 80-acre neighborhood just north of Howard along the lake was known as Germania, after the German immigrants who had settled there. But Germania had a problem. It was cut off from the rest of Evanston by Calvary Catholic Cemetery to the north and later by the L tracks to the west. That made it impossible for the suburb to extend electrical or sewer lines to its southeasternmost district. “The territory received almost no services from Evanston,” the Tribune reported at the time. As a result, Germania picked up a new nickname: No Man’s Land.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Elgin Salvation Army ‘very afraid’ of not having enough toys for area kids at Christmas: More than 1,700 children from 540 families are signed up to receive what could be their only Christmas gifts this year. “Many families are debating between buying Christmas presents or buying food,” Viquez said. “A lot of people rely on us. They really need it, and we need support from the community.”

* Naperville Sun | Naperville Riverwalk expansion, renovation plans for 2031 anniversary making progress: There are a total of 12 projects the city wants to tackle over the next seven years to help ring in the Riverwalk’s 50th birthday. Work is laid out in the 2031 Riverwalk Master Plan, which was endorsed in fall 2020 to guide future development. Aspirations are big and small, ranging from building out new sections of the Riverwalk to ecological restoration along its riverbank. The multistep, multimillion-dollar initiative is split between capital and enhancement projects. There are six of each, according to the city’s master plan.

*** Downstate ***

* WSIL | New inmate work detail program announced in Williamson County: The new program at the jail went into effect on December 12, and will take non-violent offenders, with low-level offenses, and they will help as volunteers to pick up trash and clean up the area. While out on the site, the sheriff’s office will alert citizens of their presence in the area to let them know they are working.

* Smile Politely | A loving tribute to the valiant guardians of Illinois Terminal: Try as I might, I could not find any information about this massive frieze and these two sculptures. There’s no plaque or anything nearby giving artist information, and the internet yielded nothing. I must assume that these powerful artifacts have always been here, and the Illinois Terminal was simply built around them.

* WCIA | Kofusion under investigation after employees allege owners pocket percentage of tips: Kofusion, an Asian restaurant located on Main Street, is under investigation by the Illinois Department of Labor for wage-related violations, a spokesperson with the agency confirmed. WCIA obtained documents from several investigations through a Freedom of Information Act request. The claims are related to the amount tipped employees, both current and former, are paid. Receipts submitted by employees to the IDOL show that employees have to tip out between 5-8% of their earnings if they reach a certain total in sales each shift.

* WSIL | Rend Lake College welders partner with Cedarhurst for holiday display creation: Rend Lake College’s welding program, along with their instructor Mike Meinert, created a partnership with Cedarhurst Center for the Arts to help with a decoration at the Lights at Cedarhurst. “We have partnered with Cedarhurst for the last two years, helping them with their Christmas decoration display,” says Meinert. “Asking us to partner with them has been great for both the students in welding as well as the college being able to display the program’s potential in creative design.”

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Energy Storage Brings Cheaper Electricity, Greater Reliability

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Illinois’ economy is growing and as a result, so is electricity demand. This rising demand is projected to outpace supply, which means higher costs and the potential for reliability issues. The solution? Build more clean energy resources while lowering demand peaks. By expanding small- and large-scale energy storage and renewable energy, Illinois can ensure the economy has the electricity it needs to fuel growth. What’s more, renewable energy is low-cost while energy storage optimizes supply and demand, lowering costs for all Illinoisans.

Illinois can’t make a successful transition away from expensive fossil fuel plants without enough energy storage. Support comprehensive renewable energy and energy storage policies; learn more here. https://www.solarpowersillinois.com/legislation-hb-5856

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Roundup: Testimony focuses on ex-aides loyalty to Madigan

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Courthouse News

The federal corruption trial of ex-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan continued Wednesday as U.S. attorneys probed the extent of AT&T’s involvement with the state’s politics.

The government claims AT&T Illinois offered Democratic ex-state Representative Eddie Acevedo a do-nothing subcontractor gig worth $22,500 in April 2017, through a firm owned by lobbyist Tom Cullen — also a longtime Madigan ally and Democratic political operative.

Jurors on Wednesday saw that Cullen’s lobbying firm Cullen & Associates signed a contract with AT&T Illinois in January 2017, initially for $7,500 per month. AT&T amended the contract in April to pay Cullen & Associates an additional $2,500 per month for April through December.

Internal AT&T documents jurors saw stated the extra funds were meant to cover Cullen’s firm taking on “an additional asset.”

Prosecutors say that asset was Eddie Acevedo.

* Tribune

On March 28, 2017, then-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza emailed his government affairs team: “Got a call. … Do we have $ set aside for a small contract for Eddie Acevedo?”

La Schiazza let his colleagues know they had the “GO order” to offer Acevedo a $2,500-a-month contract through the end of the year. A few days later, AT&T legislative affairs head Brian Gray suggested they add Acevedo, a Democrat, as a consultant under an existing contract so as not to rub Republicans the wrong way.

“Our recommendation would be to plus up one of our existing firms, probably Tom Cullen,” Gray wrote in a March 31, 2017, email, a reference to the consulting firm run by one of Madigan’s former top political aides. “We need to run this by Tom but believe he would be open to it. Of course we would make sure that AT&T gets credit for fulfilling this request.”

La Schiazza emailed back: “If you guys really believe it will be harmful to contract with (Acevedo) directly, I have no objection to that plan, as long as you are sure we will get credit and the box checked, and of course we have legal approval to engage Eddie in this way.”

But when they approached Acevedo with the offer, he was apparently indignant.

* Tribune courts reporter Jason Meisner


* Capitol News Illinois

[T]he feds are also using Cullen’s testimony to remind the jurors of evidence from earlier in the case involving the speaker’s loyal inner circle.

It was Cullen’s loyalty that led him to participate in meetings in the spring and summer of 2018 to formulate a strategy to save Madigan’s political future after his organization was hit with allegations of sexual harassment at the height of the #MeToo movement. […]

“Whatever you want, 100% on any of that stuff … It’s not even a question,” Cullen said in a wiretapped phone call with retired Statehouse lobbyist and longtime Madigan confidant Mike McClain in August 2018. “You know, that’s as loyal as I am on this stuff. It’s just, it’s ridiculous. You just tell me where, when, how, all that s— and it’ll be done.” […]

Cullen was at least the fourth call that McClain made on Aug. 28, 2018, asking lobbyists close to Madigan whether they’d be willing to pay about $1,000 per month to Kevin Quinn, a longtime political staffer in the speaker’s organization.

* Related…

    * Sun-Times | Ex-AT&T Illinois president still on the hook: Judge won’t acquit after mistrial in case with Madigan ties: Jurors in the trial of former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza heard from more than a dozen witnesses over four days. Key players in the alleged scheme included Michael McClain, Madigan’s longtime friend who is now on trial with him in a related case, and former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo.

    * Tribune | Judge denies acquittal bid for ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan: The ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman not only sets the stage for a potential retrial for La Schiazza, but also comes as jurors in Madigan’s own corruption trial are hearing the same evidence of the alleged scheme to steer a do-nothing contract to ex-state Rep. Edward Acevedo to help win the powerful speaker’s support on key legislation in Springfield.

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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2.

The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider.

CTA: See how it works.

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Some not-great state flag redesign contest feedback from WGN

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. With a hat-tip to a commenter, WGN’s B-Team wasn’t all that overwhelmed with the Illinois state flag redesign contest nominees

Oof.

* They didn’t appear to notice however that the state’s 1918 Centennial Flag is eligible…

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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Government Spokesperson/Comms goes to the overwhelming crowd choice Jordan Abudayyeh

(In her last year of eligibility) For 6 years she kept her boss on message every fricking day. Unbelievable. And let’s be clear - on message everyday during COVID, MJM downfall, Dem Party restructure, budget insanity. Sidenote, I am still impressed at every off topic JB gets and how well briefed he is, it is a testament to how hard she worked that job.

Also this: “She hates to lose and works around the clock to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Yep. She coulda been a power forward.

* The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statehouse-Related Public Relations Spokesperson is once again a tie. Bridget Shanahan

In the last year, her efforts have gotten the IEA more spotlight in the Capitol and statewide. She is their hidden weapon and there’s no guessing where she goes from here.

And Becky Carroll

Becky has built a powerhouse firm with an ever-growing team that continues to impress not just in Illinois but nationally. Becky takes on the work that she cares about personally and professional, a testament to the level of commitment to the work.

Congratulations to our winners!

* On to today’s categories

    Best Democratic Illinois State Representative

    Best Republican Illinois State Representative

As always, do your best to nominate in both categories and explain your nominations. Thanks.

* We’re almost to $26,000 in our annual drive to buy Christmas presents for foster kids. Thanks!

But we need to keep it going. Lutheran Social Services of Illinois has lots and lots of foster kids in their care network and we’ve raised enough to buy presents for about 40 percent of them. So, please, click here and give whatever you can. Thank you!!!

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Pritzker: Gia Biagi signals a “new era” at IDOT

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* I asked Governor Pritzker yesterday at an unrelated news conference whether Gia Biagi’s appointment as transportation secretary signals a shift toward a more pedestrian- and bike-friendly IDOT

It certainly signals that we’re in a new era at IDOT. As you know, one of my goals is to make sure that we are focused on all the projects that are lined up that need to get done. And we’ve had some challenges during COVID, as you know, just broadly in the labor market it was hard to find people to do the jobs are necessary, including especially engineers. And so one of the things that I think that Gia will be very good at is focusing on speeding up that process and making sure that we’re delivering on all the promises that have been made by the Rebuild Illinois program.

We’ve done an awful lot, I want to be clear. I could cite all of the miles, lane miles that have been rebuilt and bridges, which I always love to do in the airports and our water ports. But we want to make sure that those projects get done in a timely fashion. And she’s going to do a great job.

* Background on Biagi from the Sun-Times

Biagi left [Chicago’s] Transportation Department in August 2023, early in Mayor Brandon Johnson‘s administration. She had taken heat for Lightfoot’s decision to reduce the ticketing threshold for Chicago speed cameras.

But she also took credit for adding 100 miles of bike lanes and implementing pedestrian safety projects at more than 1,000 high-crash intersections. Biagi also expanded the city’s Divvy bike-share program into every neighborhood and developed a “mobility and economic hardship index” to prioritize infrastructure investments.

After leaving CDOT, she returned to the Chicago architecture firm Studio Gang, where she took a leadership post.

* Daily Herald

In the metro area, Biagi will inherit some major infrastructure projects, including the Kennedy Expressway widening and rebuilding I-80 in Will County.

“Investments in our critical infrastructure connect our residents to the places they need to go, create jobs, and improve the quality of life in communities in every corner of our state,” Biagi said.

* Yesterday, the governor was asked if he’s satisfied with the pace of construction on the Kennedy Expressway

Never, I mean, really, anybody that sat on the Kennedy, right? I mean you’re constantly feeling it. I mean, it’s a years long problem that’s gone on. There is a schedule that they’re on now, I don’t want to make promises about because we’ve all heard promises and they haven’t been delivered on in the past, with regard to the Kennedy.

But I will say I’ve asked an awful lot of questions about it, and so I would expect that the work will continue at a rapid pace.

* Some social media react…

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Open thread

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

Our LSSI fundraiser is active! So far we’ve raised over $24,000! Thank you to all those who donated! But there’s so much more Holiday joy to spread, so please give if you’re able.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here to help LSSI bring Holiday joy to children in foster care.

* ICYMI: Pritzker to take aim at hemp-derived delta-8. Crain’s

    - Gov. JB Pritzker plans to make the case Friday for the Illinois House of Representatives to pass a law to crack down on intoxicating hemp during the lame-duck session next month.

    - Pritzker has previously said he favors regulating hemp-based products.

    -The Illinois Senate passed a bill earlier this year that would allow only licensed dispensaries to sell delta-8 products. But the bill didn’t receive a vote in the House.

Subscribers were told about this yesterday morning.

* At 2 pm the governor Pritzker will announce a new business development initiative. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Injustice Watch | Property records raise new questions about influential Cook County judge : Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr. acquired a handful of Chicago homes from the estates of deceased clients when he was a solo law practitioner in the 1990s. Now, two families claim he took advantage of his elderly clients.

* WBEZ | What to know about an effort to make college in Illinois more affordable: A group of Illinois legislators and advocates is proposing groundbreaking legislation to try and address the problem. The bill has largely flown under the radar, perhaps because of its very unsexy name: the Adequate and Equitable Funding Formula for Public Universities Act. Or maybe it’s because the formula it prescribes, by necessity and design, is incredibly complex.

* WTVO | Pritzker signs Executive Order to explore cheaper home ownership in Illinois: The order creates an Illinois Director of Housing Solutions, who will oversee the exploration of “how Illinois can accelerate plans to expand the supply and access of housing for working families,” according to the Governor’s Office. Nearly one third of Illinois households spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Crain’s | Illinois pensions face near-record $144B funding hole — but show some signs of progress: A new report from the General Assembly’s research unit indicates that, as of June, the five funds collectively were short $143.7 billion of the funds needed to pay promised benefits to current and future retirees. That combined unfunded liability was up $1.5 billion from last year and just $500 million below the high set in 2021.

* WAND | Lawmakers fight for affordable housing tax credit, Pritzker signs housing executive order: As more companies locate to Illinois, lawmakers and business leaders know the state needs more housing for workers. Illinois could become the twenty-sixth state to create a tax credit for building affordable housing. The Illinois Housing Council has reported the state has lost 20% of its low-income apartments since 2011. Experts believe the demand for new housing will continue to grow each year, and business leaders said housing is essential to the future of the economy.

* NBC Chicago | New Illinois law could impact your job searches in 2025: Under the provisions of HB 3129, which amended the state’s Equal Pay Act, most Illinois-based businesses will be required to include information on pay scale and benefits on job listings beginning on Jan. 1. According to the law, the requirement will apply to all companies with at least 15 employees.

* Sun-Times | Pritzker ‘open’ to meeting with Trump border czar, but vows to protect undocumented from deportation: Gov. JB Pritzker said he’ll continue to protect the state’s documented immigrants, migrants and immigrants lacking legal status against the pending deportation plan. “I believe it’s my obligation to protect them too. Those are residents of the state of Illinois.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Recent incidents prompt heightened Statehouse security: “Unfortunately, the world is not getting safer,” Amy Williams, senior legal advisor in the secretary of state’s office, told a legislative oversight committee Tuesday. One of the more serious threats, Williams said, occurred in March when security officials were notified of an active shooter threat, prompting a lockdown of the complex. The lockdown was lifted after investigators determined there was no credible threat, according to reports at the time.

*** Statewide ***

* WICS | Changes coming to drivers’ licenses in Illinois: The Secretary of State is making adjustments to the way driver’s licenses operate in Illinois. A new law states that by July 2027, the Secretary of State will allow qualified drivers the option to be issued 8 year licenses instead of the common 4 year licenses expiree period. The 8 year license will require a fee of $60.

* NBC Chicago | Big changes coming to Illinois driver’s licenses, but there’s a catch: Another significant change will impact Illinois residents sooner than that, with the Secretary of State’s Office having the ability to issue mobile ID cards and driver’s licenses by the end of 2025. The new policy would allow motorists or residents to download a specialized app that would display their identification cards on a mobile device, with law enforcement and other entities required to accept that type of identification.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Red Line Extension Zoning Changes Approved By City Council: The 5.6-mile Red Line Extension project aims to move the end of the CTA’s South Side Red Line from 95th Street to 130th Street. The agency plans to build new stations at 103rd and 111th streets near Eggleston Avenue, at Michigan Avenue near 116th Street and at 130th Street near Altgeld Gardens. The zoning changes are needed “to secure permits in advance of construction, which is anticipated to start late next year and [be] completed by 2030,” according to Sonali Tandon, senior manager of strategic planning for the CTA.

* Sun-Times | Red Line extension, quantum computing campus get final zoning approval: Ald. Scott Waguespack briefly threatened to block any vote on items sent to the Council by the Zoning Committee because that committee’s report did not include its rejection of a Sterling Bay proposal in Lincoln Park that Waguespack opposes over concerns about traffic, parking and height of the buildings.

* NBC Chicago | Organizers reveal secret hack for avoiding major crowds at Christkindlmarket: Leila Schmidt, a manager with the market, told NBC Chicago’s Matt Rodrigues that guests can book what is called a “Culture and Cheer Tour” in Chicago. The tours allow guests in at 10:15 a.m., before the market opens at 11 a.m. It takes attendees on a tour with a German-speaking Christkindlmarket team member “for a behind-the-scenes journey through Daley Plaza before the market opens to the public.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Michael Jordan’s house sold, at last, for $9.5 million: ordan let go of the Point Lane property, a 56,000-square-foot house on about seven acres, for less than one-third of what he was asking for it in 2012. On Feb. 29, 2012, Leap Day, the basketball icon known for his vertical leap put the home on the market at $29 million. By the time the estate went under contract in September, Jordan had cut the asking price by close to half, to $14,855,000.

* Tribune | Candidates for Oak Park and River Forest School Board challenged: Three of the six candidates running for the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 School Board have had their nominating papers challenged in an attempt to knock them off the April 1 ballot. Two of the objectors are fellow candidates. Candidate Josh Gertz objected to the nominating papers of Tania Haigh, alleging Haigh did not file the required statement of candidacy. Candidate Nate Mellman has objected to the nominating papers of incumbent Audrey Williams-Lee, the only Black member of the School Board and the only Black candidate in the race, claiming Williams-Lee’s nominating petitions doesn’t state whether she is running for a full term or to fill a vacancy and refers to the 7th District, presumably the 7th Congressional District, instead of OPRF District 200.

* Daily Herald | Old Rosemont village hall to meet wrecking ball — but glass mosaic will be saved: The 1960s-era office building, which housed Rosemont’s government offices and public safety department from the 1980s until this year, is across the street from Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. Such a location could be well-suited for one or more restaurants, an entertainment venue, or new office structure with better floor layouts for businesses looking to relocate, said Mayor Brad Stephens.

* Daily Herald | George Dunham, Schaumburg’s longest-tenured trustee, stepping down after 33 years: “I am beyond honored and beyond privileged to have served with all of you and with a number of other people that have gone before,” Dunham told his fellow trustees Tuesday while running his final village board meeting on behalf of absent Mayor Tom Dailly. “I will miss this responsibility a great deal, but due to some life changes and some other things, it is time for me to move forward,” he added.

*** Downstate ***

* WTVO | Affordable housing, state budget deficit at issue as Northern Illinois lawmakers meet with Rockford-area leaders: Legislators from both Republican and Democratic parties agreed that they would have to make some tough decisions. Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park), said, “The taxpayers just can’t afford to pay any more. So there’s just going to have to be some cuts. And the state has never had a revenue problem. It’s always a problem. So we’re looking forward to trying to help find those cuts that will be as harsh. But there’s got to be some cuts.”

* BND | Most of the world’s horseradish is grown in southwest Illinois. What makes area special?: J.R. Kelly Company says “about 2,000” acres of horseradish are farmed in the metro-east. From those farms comes 70% of the United States’ supply, the other 30% coming from California and Wisconsin. That means roughly 16 million pounds of horseradish comes from the metro-east each year.

* SJ-R | Springfield-area dive bar named one of best in nation for food: The Curve Inn, 3219 S. Sixth St. Road, is a historic bar and grill established in 1932. Bought in 2002 by husband-wife duo Ray and Ami Merchant, the locale is known for its vibrant atmosphere, the love of all things grunge, pony shoes and national acts on its state-of-the-art beer garden stage.

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Live coverage

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here to help LSSI bring Holiday joy to children in foster care.

You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Dec 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Our LSSI fundraiser is active! So far we’ve raised over $24,000! Thank you to all those who donated! But there’s so much more Holiday joy to spread, so please give if you’re able.

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