Afternoon news roundup
Friday, Dec 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force (Task Force) will host a town hall meeting on December 16 at noon via Zoom. This town hall meeting will address the Legislature’s recent amendments to the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) as found in Public Act 102- 1104.
Town hall meetings update stakeholders and the community on the work of the Task Force as it helps jurisdictions prepare for the changes coming when the PFA goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023 and provides the opportunity to answer questions regarding the PFA. The Task Force was established in 2020 by the Illinois Supreme Court, and the Hon. Robbin Stuckert (ret.) serves as Chair.
The PFA, legislation passed as part of Public Act 101-652, abolishes the use of cash bail in pretrial release decisions as of Jan. 1 and establishes new processes for pretrial release and detention decisions.
Task Force resources including flowcharts and considerations documents, as well as video of previous town halls, a schedule of upcoming town halls, and a list of Task Force members and subcommittees, can be found here. Prior town halls have covered topics such as an introduction to the PFA, release by citation, release from custody, pretrial assessment tools, and first appearance hearings.
* I hadn’t been wondering what he was up to, but then I saw this first tweet and went looking…
* Press release…
COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses are continuing to rise across Illinois following the Thanksgiving holiday, with 74 counties in Illinois rated at an elevated level for COVID-19 by the CDC. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said that the anticipated post-holiday surge is a reminder for the public to take action to protect themselves and their loved ones during the remainder of the holiday season. This is especially important when it comes to members of the family who are vulnerable to severe outcomes.
IDPH is emphasizing these safety reminders as the CDC reported 29 Illinois counties at a High Community Level for COVID-19, up from 12 a week ago; while 45 counties are a Medium Level, compared to 51 last week. IDPH is reporting 21,404 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois since December 2, and 56 deaths.
“Illinois is experiencing a significant rise in communities at elevated risk levels for COVID-19, including 29 counties at a high risk,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “These elevated COVID-19 community levels, along with rising flu levels, are leading to a surge of respiratory infections and increased hospitalizations. I recommend all Illinoisians - and especially those most vulnerable including young children and individuals over 65 - take all preventative steps to protect themselves, their families and friends.
“Preventative measures include COVID-19 testing, especially if visiting someone at risk for severe disease; enhanced ventilation; good hand hygiene; staying home and seeking treatment if sick; and getting up to date with the COVID-19 bivalent booster and the flu shot,” Dr. Vohra said. “A high-quality mask or respirator is also recommended and will protect you from COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory viruses. Our hope is for Illinoisians across our state to have a happy and healthy holiday season.”
Dr. Vohra stressed that those who test positive for COVID-19 should immediately contact their healthcare provider to discuss whether they need treatment with one of the effective antiviral medications, Paxlovid, Lagverio and Remdesivir. All of these have been found to work against the current strains of the virus.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* NPR Illinois | Pritzker doubles down on assault weapons ban: The proposed legislation, spurred by the deadly July shooting in Highland Park, could get a vote in what’s known as the lame duck session next month, prior to the new General Assembly being sworn in. But if not, Pritzker said he will work to see it pass in the spring.
* WTWO | Freed Russian arms dealer released from Illinois prison with notorious past: The federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, is where convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was released in exchange for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russia. The prison has a notorious past. It was once considered a supermax security facility with the toughest security measures in the country. Prisoner uprisings and the murder of two guards in the 1980s led to a 23-year lockdown.
IDPH | IDPH Reports 74 Illinois Counties are at an Elevated Community Level for COVID-19: IDPH is emphasizing these safety reminders as the CDC reported 29 Illinois counties at a High Community Level for COVID-19, up from 12 a week ago; while 45 counties are a Medium Level, compared to 51 last week. IDPH is reporting 21,404 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois since December 2, and 56 deaths.
* WTTW | U.S. Attorney John Lausch on Recent Convictions, Gang Cases and Political Corruption: ‘Always Open For Business’: Tackling bribery scandals, public corruption and Chicago crime is no easy feat. But it’s the job of Northern Illinois’ top federal prosecutor, who recently handled a major racketeering case that took down members of a reputed Chicago gang.
* Center Square | $1.8 billion for unemployment debt; RTA eyes tax and fee hikes: With colder weather coming, the Illinois Department of Human Services has announced they are appropriating an extra $5 million in state funds to expand emergency housing. According to IDHS officials, most of the fund will expand existing housing program contracts. Advocacy groups report there is a long-term shortage of 4,000 emergency shelter beds across the state.
* Patch | Here’s How Much New La Grange Manager Would Make: Under the proposed contract, Knight would make $175,000 a year. That is less than former Manager Andrianna Peterson’s $182,200, but far more than Knight’s $120,500 salary in Lisle.
* Daily Herald | DuPage County food pantries struggle to meet rising need during holiday season: Food pantries in DuPage County are facing more challenges than usual this holiday season thanks to inflation and the lingering effects of the pandemic. The Downers Grove Area FISH Food Pantry has seen a 30% increase in pantry visits this November compared with November 2021.
* Daily Herald | Children’s Tylenol, Motrin scarce as ‘tridemic’ hits northern Illinois: Children’s Tylenol and Motrin have become harder to find at stores across northern Illinois. But one pediatrician asks parents of small children to buy only what they need and not hoard the drugs.
* Illinois Restaurant Draws Thousands Of Customers After Viral TikTok Video:Q98.5 | Taco-Bout-Joy’s in Glenview, Illinois has gone viral on the internet after a video showed their restaurant with zero customers. Today, that’s not the case! Taco-Bout-Joy’s won’t have any time to breathe after blowing up on TikTok.
* ABC 20 | Illinois Lottery hosts toy drive: The Illinois lottery was giving back through a holiday toy drive on Thursday night. Adults could donate a new, unwrapped toy at the County Market on Monroe and receive one Illinois holiday instant ticket and two fast play and scan tickets.
- Big Dipper - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 1:41 pm:
In checking DeVore’s FB since the election he was shilling for his girlfriend’s beauty products and posting an article about whether you should use your smartphone while on the toilet.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 1:43 pm:
Tom DeVore, like athlete’s foot, never really goes away.
- Lurker - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 1:55 pm:
I’m glad this is Becky Cloyd and not Mark Luft. I love mark but I am worried he has gone a bit cra-cra and would do something like align with DeVore.
- Rudy’s teeth - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 1:58 pm:
Is Tom DeVore available as counsel for Rickey Herndon? Popcorn, anyone.
- Amalia - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 1:59 pm:
John Lausch on pre trial detention good comment.
- Politix - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 1:59 pm:
A good village manager is worth that and more. These people keep 12 balls in the air at once, problems coming from every which way, managing staff across all departments, addressing resident complaints, dealing with president/trustees, pulling hundreds of pages of meeting materials together every other week, all while ensuring the village’s basic functions are operating as they should. It’s a lot and most residents have no idea.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 2:00 pm:
488 people think the ILGOP needs a new chairman, and Tom DeVore found them. Anyone think he knows what to do with them?
- JS Mill - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 2:23 pm:
From the DeVore thread- my most favorite post
=Replying to
@ThomasDeVore76
All counties in Illinois should be like an electoral vote. You win that county, you get one vote. Winning two counties because of population doesn’t represent the whole state.=
The most people don’t represent the whole state?
Math and democracy are not this guy’s friends.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 2:27 pm:
===my most favorite post===
LOL
I had to go look it up https://twitter.com/kuykendall74/status/1597604729114300416
Spoiler alert: Counties are state creations.
- The Other Rich Hill - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 2:30 pm:
@Socially DIstant Watcher - make money off them. And they’ll gladly fall all over themselves to give him as many Benjamins as he asks for.
There’s a word for that. I think Gov. Pritzker might know the word.
Adding, part 1: why on earth did people allow themselves to get suckered into paying someone to fight for ballot positions on positions that do not exist on any ballot?
What the what?!
Adding, part 2: Surely there’s something in the Bar Association code of ethics against… hmm… what’s that word Gov. Pritzker used…?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 2:35 pm:
DeVore replacing Tracy, as an example if the party wants to go in that direction, is likely two very important things in one snapshot;
It’s completely on brand to the base of the party.
It’s a recognition that the party has learned nothing in 6 years.
Keeping in mind this… these are you FIVE highest “ranking” GOPers in Illinois.
Bost
Curran
LaHood
McCombie
Miller
That’s the foundation of the electeds of the ILGOP
Can I see Tracy being cannibalized by the very same folks he (Tracy) tried to appease constantly… and a DeVore like person taking the helm?
“All signs point yes”
Not one thing learned.
- cermak_rd - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 2:54 pm:
The county as an electoral vote was a popular go to for rightwing people following the election. I believe it used to be implemented in Georgia and was struck down in the 50s or 60s as unconstitutional because it violated 1 man 1 vote.
The US is a creation where the states are the only real citizens, but for our system to be at all considered democratic, the states themselves have to be democratric, 1 man 1 vote creations. Otherwise we have no democracy and what’s the point of the experiment at all?
- Homebody - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 2:59 pm:
I’ve been telling my friends for years that the political climate both in IL and nationally is going to keep getting worse before it gets better. Some not insignificant portion of the right wing politicians will keep retreating farther and farther into their hole until one of two things happens: either enough of their prior allies and voters realize that these guys are a menace to the basic concept of a functioning civil society, or until it turns into violence because of further increasing terror.
I really, really hope it is the former, not the latter, for reasons that I think should be obvious. But I don’t think we’ll know for sure which path we are on until 2024.
- JS Mill - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 3:09 pm:
First, show me how a “county” can cast a vote. People in a county can vote, but a county cannot.
Second- we hate the constitution but love the flag. The new right wing slogan I guess.
- Club J - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 4:01 pm:
Last I read DeVore was once again pushing for people to hire him to protest their property taxes. It was only $1000 per client. So you hire DeVore for $1000 and he loses which is very possible and your taxes stay the same and you are out $1000. If he wins and you get a new tax bill knocked down $300 you still lose.
Typical DeVore. Never a winner.
- Dotnonymous - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 4:04 pm:
DeVore will never change…that’s how he gets his change.
- Facts Matter - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 4:05 pm:
As I recall, the Town of Normal retained Mike Kasper. Can you say eviscerate . . . .
- Nearly Normal - Friday, Dec 9, 22 @ 4:26 pm:
The three DeVore is representing filed for election to nonexistent positions for the Town of Normal. They are a part of a disgruntled group who want a ward system of representation instead of at large members for the Town Council. Their petition to put a vote on the ballot in November failed.