40 Comments - Former ILSIP - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:34 am: One suggestion for folks with a bit more free time on their hands and looking for something good to do: reach out to your local city hall/church/etc. and see if they need volunteers to run errands/pick up groceries/etc. for older folks who can’t (or shouldn’t) get out with the virus going around. Lots of good groups out there who could use a helping hand. - WSJ Paywall - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:37 am: Big shoutout to the staff on the governor and mayor’s team who are don’t have the option of working from home and are putting in the hours to keep people informed! - ??? - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:39 am: I got word from my agency last night that i am to work from home starting today. No access to the files and equipment I need, and now the Outlook server is down so I can’t even access my email. Waiting for further guidance, but just taking it in stride for now. - Rich Hill - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:40 am: Take care of yourself, Rich; “overslept” means reducing stress on your body. Thanks for providing the election updates yesterday despite the challenging times. - efudd - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:43 am: Don’t run yourself ragged, Rich. This too shall pass. - JoanP - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:44 am: Rich, between your COVID-19 updates and your election coverage, you must have been working crazy hard. We truly do appreciate it. Take some time for yourself; you need and deserve it. - KeepCalmAndCarryOn - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:48 am: This morning feels like the kind of morning that calls for an Oscar picture, don’t you think? - TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:56 am: After the PR disaster last week with plainfield attempting to go ahead with its parade in the face of all others being cancelled… I took a peek at the plainfield township supervisors Facebook page. Seems our township is run by someone who thought this was all a hoax, up to a week ago. He has since deleted the most egregious items, but still left up some posts attempting to shift blame to the media for all the hype. Social punishment needs to be a thing. Pressure needs to be placed on those who didn’t take this seriously until it was far too late. Resignations of those in public office who failed in their responsibilities to the public need to take place. - Ok - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 9:59 am: I think you can go to Target to get a new coffee maker… - Marty - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:04 am: Heard on Springfield radio this AM that small businesses that have been ordered closed or limited in business are being denied insurance payments on ‘disruption of business’ claims. If accurate, seems wrong and something that governor’s office needs to investigate/address. - Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:07 am: A pleasant surprise with the Naperville Opt Out losing the adult-use marijuana referendum. Maybe that movement is not as powerful as thought or hoped-for by anti-dispensary people. The local government body should listen to voters on this issue. - Marquee - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:09 am: Eva Dina Delgado looks good to win her race against Nidia Carranza for the Arroyo seat with a 365 vote lead. Vote by mail could make it interesting though. - RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:14 am: The 6-8 AM shopping hours for seniors at the grocery store seemed to go well. Not a crowd. I was there about 7 to get a few perishables. People were keeping their distance but everybody was being nice. Rather than using a cart or basket, I just used one of my reusable bags to hold about 8 items. Got everything we needed but milk; guess the grandkids won’t get any. A few items were thin on selection. - Walking the Dog - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:14 am: California Gov Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that he has requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to pause standardized testing. https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/03/17/newsom-schools-likely-to-remain-closed-through-summer-1267579 - Al - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:15 am: Looking forward to the day when Comptroller Mendoza’s office returns to processing Travel and Petty Cash vouchers. - RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:16 am: Read where the downtown Springfield marijuana shop went to curbside delivery only. - Captain Obvious - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:17 am: Marty - Insurance policies are very specific with regard to what is covered and what is not. Without knowing the specifics of a given policy, there is no way to know if denial of coverage was justified. So it is very possible that many small businesses will be unable to weather this storm if their policies do not cover this type of interruption. One of the many sacrifices that must be made. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:19 am: ===when Comptroller Mendoza’s office returns to processing=== International pandemic and that’s your hope? Go look around a bit, man. - Peters Piece - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:21 am: Most coffee makers are fixable although most of us just replace. My Cuisinart is on its third life. - 17% Solution - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:26 am: Have people calmed down yet about Champaign’s emergency declaration? Y’all know they don’t want your guns, right? - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:27 am: Rich, take care… rest and hydrate. I think the biggest thing I learned about who won or lost is the measure we all, including me, weigh is not normal this time. It’s coming down to who coped with a trying last 10 days of a campaign… and the groundwork that was there to help bring those to the finish line. The Lightfoot - Pritzker proxy, tough for either side to claim absolute or complete victory, one candidate won, the other lost. Normal mechanisms to help sway elections were very much hampered, and you can’t take away that one won, or another lost, but it was one heck of a way to find the winner. - Skeptic - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:30 am: “If accurate, seems wrong and something that governor’s office needs to investigate/address.” The Dept. of Insurance is up and running (albeit remotely.) That’s what they do. - Annonin' - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:32 am: Headed your way want us to drop off anything? - Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:36 am: Here in Streator, our referendum passed 822-497 to increase the tax rate for our public library. That surprised me but I was thrilled to see it. It’s a gorgeous 117 year-old Carnegie library but needs repairs to the dome and other maintenance. It’s one of the true gems of the city and has good community support. - Shaking My Head... - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:47 am: …at the behavior of George Cardenas’ paid campaign workers. Uncivil. Loud. Rude. Classless in defeat. A real blow to political decorum and professionalism. I cannot believe that he has sunk this low. And before this post gets deleted, I witnessed it first hand. All. Day. Long. - Responsa - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:48 am: Coffee–LOL Rich, Two weeks ago with all this still on the horizon I purchased an inexpensive auxiliary Mr Coffee and extra filters. Our current pot seems reliable but is old and I realized that being without a means for fresh perked morning coffee could be the final nail for me during any home confinement. - Proud Sucker - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:48 am: Rich, Thanks for keeping us all informed and take care of yourself. You will be needed even more in the near future. - Progressive Tax Reform - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:49 am: I dont see this passing now. And even if it does… How bad will actuals look from the budget now? - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 10:54 am: === I dont see this passing now.=== Do you not think in the weeks and months ahead the “haves and have nots” in health care will be measured by… wealth? Healthcare is one of the biggest and easiest way that a society shows its differences in wealth. If anything, it may help, and that’s not great, and the challenges ahead will be healthcare, and the affordable healthcare, and keeping everyone safe too. - Responsa - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 11:00 am: Streator, I’m happy to read about your library referendum. Good on you. The Carnegie Library in my Central Il town was replaced for library use by a new larger building a couple decades back. Our beautiful solid brick Carnegie is a tough old bird and still stands in its original location –and has been used intermittently for other community uses. But it is expensive to keep up and I do fear for its survival. - OneMan - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 11:02 am: Just a thought today, things are getting canceled that may not mean much to you but are things that are going to mean a lot to others. Things like graduations, proms, sports seasons, keep that in mind when your community starts looking to do stuff for folks impacted in these ways - Retired ISP - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 11:24 am: On day two of quarantine due to my college daughter returning home from Spain. She doesn’t think it’s sunk in for many here how life is going to change. When she left Spain there were no people on the streets, no traffic, nothing. She was shocked when she passed thru Airport in London and how passengers were being crammed into busses and trams. Travelers from Spain were freaked out with being shoulder to shoulder with others. Good experience was passing thru Ohare, only took about 5 min to be screened on Monday night before heading home. Praying for all those affected and the healthcare professionals RISKING their lives for others. - Flapdoodle - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 11:49 am: Re Rich and the coffee maker — Chuckling to self as yesterday I retrieved an office coffee maker to have a backup at home. The idea of being without a reliable source of caffeine in times like these is too terrible to contemplate. - RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 11:56 am: == It’s a gorgeous 117 year-old Carnegie library but needs repairs to the dome and other maintenance. It’s one of the true gems of the city and has good community support. == Glad they are going to repair it instead of tearing it down like Springfield did. - Gruntled University Employee - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 12:07 pm: If you’re worried about catching the Corona Virus wear a Cubs jersey, you won’t catch anything. /s - Oak Parker - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 12:47 pm: BREAKING: Coffee Machine - Practical Politics - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 1:14 pm: Ouch! Alderman Andre Vasquez (40th) appears to have lost to Maggie O’Keefe, In the 2019 aldermanic, O’Keefe finished fourth as Vasquez advanced to the run-off election and eventually defeated long time Alderman Pat O’Connor. Methinks Vasquez has a big target on his back for 2023. Both candidates were Bernie Sanders backers. - Huh? - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 1:56 pm: IDOT sent home us yesterday to work from home. Am fortunate to have State laptop and can connect to state servers for files and email. Still with directive to work from home, not much going on. Telephone call, responding to email. - Huh? - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 5:54 pm: What to do during work at home? Have decided to restart 2 grandfather clocks which have been silent for many years. One 1 inherited, the other I built from a kit. The one I inherited goes off like a train when it chimes. Something to make some noise in the house. - RNUG - Wednesday, Mar 18, 20 @ 11:57 pm: == Have decided to restart 2 grandfather clocks which have been silent for many years == I’ve been reviving a 100+ year old kitchen clock my daughter-in-law bought at an antique store. Disassembled, cleaned, lubed with clock oil. It’s been running and stoping; runs a bit longer each time. Finally got it to running a couple of days; it’s just a bit slow … so once it runs down the pendulum length needs to be adjusted slightly. It’s woke me up a couple of times at night with the chimes. Good luck with yours. 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