* Chicago-area home prices up for fourth straight month

The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index of Chicago-area single-family home prices rose 1.0% from June to July and was roughly even with its level in December 2002.

Chicago was among 12 of 20 U.S. cities tracked by Standard & Poor’s where prices rose from June to July, according to a report released Tuesday. An index of the 20 cities rose 0.6% over the same period and was up 3.2% from July 2009.

* Recession by the numbers: More jobless, less traffic

The number of people living below the poverty line in the state rose by nearly 8.5 percent in 2009, or nearly 131,000, to 1.68 million people from 1.55 million in 2008, the report revealed. Some 13.3 percent of residents in the state lived below the poverty level last year, up from 12.3 percent in 2008.

The 2009 poverty level was $21,954 for a family of four. Earlier this month, the bureau reported the poverty rate hit 14.3 percent nationally. Illinois was among 31 states that saw increases in both the number and percentage of people in poverty. In the Chicago area, the poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent from 11.9 percent.

* Marin: More dirt to come under Project Shield

* Burr Oak crime scenes expected to be scanned as condition of sale

Should any human remains turn up on the property identified as one of two crime scenes during the cemetery’s 2009 criminal investigation, the companies hired to do the work must notify the Cook County Sheriff’s Department before removing them.

Cemecare has offered to buy the historic black cemetery near Alsip where human remains were allegedly excavated so graves could be resold for cash.

* Birkett to apply for judgeship

The judgeship will become available with the retirement of Associate Judge Joseph Bongiorno on Oct. 4. His replacement will be chosen by the county’s 15 full circuit judges.

* Daley to win ‘green’ award

* Chicago Transit Authority eyes new system to take fares

* CTA to present ‘no drama’ budget on Wednesday

* Cook County tax bills to be mailed weeks after election

Bills will be mailed around Nov. 22, Treasurer Maria Pappas estimated Tuesday. That’s nearly a full month later than last year, when second installment bills were sent Oct. 28. Any increase in property tax will be included in the bill, along with the second half of the amount shown in the first installment mailing earlier this year.

* ‘Twitter Ban’ Falls Flat with County Commissioners

* Cook Co. board axes ban on Twitter

* County board: Tweet on, commissioners

* Ameren Illinois utilities to become one company, press case for more revenue

* Evanston City Council Lifts Ban on Raising Chickens

* Schaumburg lowers tax levy, drops stickers

Trustees voted to set a tentative levy of about $22.7 million, 4.4 percent lower than the property tax’s first year.

* Glenbard preparing for drop in enrollment

* State guarantees Kane County funds

Meanwhile, the state has not yet finalized contracts with the private health care providers that will take over the caseload of some 6,000 people who receive access to Medicaid through the county.

The new state contracts with the county provide payment retroactive to July 1 and going forward until Nov. 8. That’s the date all the county’s social services in the health department should be fully transferred over to the private sector. It’s also the date 62 health department employees will lose their jobs.

* Kane County files counterclaim against court clerk

The original lawsuit, filed by Seyller after the board voted against her request for addition funding, asks for a preliminary injunction to force the county to pay the $555,000 she wants until the court case is resolved. The initial court date was listed as Jan. 4, 2011; Seyller’s office could exhaust its funding next month if staffing remains as is.

* Kane County Board files rebuttal to Seyller

* Kane may sharpen focus of red-light camera policy

* Rolling Meadows examines what it could cut

* Fewer staff, fire department hours included in Moline budget proposal

* Council approves loan to Quincy Transit Lines

* Feds: FutureGen on track with $1B commitment

* Peoria City Manager dropped from Texas job search

* Peoria hires firm for city government reorganization

* AFSCME workers rally outside [Peoria] City Hall

* Illinois Invests $5.4 Million For Peoria International Airport

* $4.4 million approved for runway widening at St. Louis Downtown Airport

* Fairmount Park gets 75 live race dates, the first increase in years

* Mayor Cole: I’ll appoint new city clerk

* Tom Jordan sworn in as West Frankfort mayor

*** UPDATE *** Let’s put the Rahm stuff here…

* Rahm May Receive Rose Garden Farewell Friday, in Chicago Monday: Sources

* Chicagoans tell Emanuel to stay in D.C. until immigration bill passes

* Election residency requirements would not rule out some candidates

* Rahm Emanuel’s Got a Rent Problem

* Tenants in Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago House Refuse to Leave, Complicating Mayor Bid

* Does Emanuel Meet Residency Requirement For Mayor?

* Rahm moving back? Sorry, there’s no room at Dart’s house

* Rahm A Front-Runner For Mayor? Not Exactly

* Source: Emanuel Close to Mayoral Announcement

* Sneed: Resisting Rahm Emanuel

* Mayoral Hopefuls Take to the Web. Sorta.

* Cook Co. candidate criticized after using taxpayer money for tuition