* Out of the frying pan…

After serving nearly four years as the watchdog for the Illinois Department of Human Services, Peter Neumer will step down from his role overseeing investigations into the abuse and neglect of some of the state’s most vulnerable people.

The department announced the move to staff on Friday, noting that Neumer accepted a position as the inspector general for the Chicago Park District and that he will be replaced by Charles Wright, Neumer’s deputy since March 2021. Neumer’s last day as IDHS OIG will be Aug. 17.

Neumer and his staff investigated allegations of abuse or neglect of individuals who receive mental health or developmental disability services in programs that are overseen by the Illinois Department of Human Services. That includes oversight of the seven state-operated developmental centers and six mental health facilities.

Reports from Neumer’s office were a critical source of information for a series of investigative stories by Capitol News Illinois, ProPublica and Lee Enterprises into abuse, neglect and a cover-up culture at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in far southern Illinois.

* Crain’s…

Illinois’ rank as a place to do business rises — to 17th […]

The study is from CNBC, the financial news network, which for the fourth year in a row raised Illinois’ ranking. The state now is 17th, up from 19th last year, right behind Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and just ahead of New York and New Jersey. Illinois was ranked 30th as recently as 2019. […]

On the good side, the No. 2 ranking for infrastructure and education is a boost from third and sixth, respectively, last year. Also rising is Illinois’ ranking for access to capital, up from eighth to sixth, and cost of living, with relatively lower housing and other prices here moving the state from 20th to ninth.

On the other hand, the state’s relative cost of doing business worsened from 31st to 32nd. “Business friendliness” was an abysmal 39th, the overall economy 33rd, and workforce — usually considered a strength by local leaders — no better than 28th, down two ranks from 2022.

* Center Square…

Illinois small businesses are improving, according to recent numbers that show the state rent delinquency rate of 22% in July was half of what it was in May.

The survey was conducted by Alignable and showed that 55% of small businesses in the nation had difficulty paying their rent in July.

* Crain’s…

A few months after its largest tenant walked out, the owner of a landmark Loop office building has landed a deal with a new company that bucks a pair of trends in the battered downtown office market.

Total Quality Logistics signed a five-year lease for 36,322 square feet at 125 S. Clark St., according to a statement from real estate services firm Transwestern, which oversees leasing in the 20-story building. The move is an expansion by the third-party logistics company, which will move from roughly 31,000 square feet it occupies in the West Loop at 328 S. Jefferson St.

The deal stands out as a rare addition of workspace at a time when many companies are cutting back on it, given the rise of remote work that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. TQL is also going against the grain by moving from the trendy West Loop office submarket to the heart of the Loop, which has seen a slew of companies decamp from older buildings in favor of newer office properties elsewhere in the city.

* Opposing a sitting Democratic state Senator in a primary would just be one reason why Martinez likely isn’t being slated, but whatevs…

Cook County Clerk of the Court Iris Martinez held a fundraiser at Moe’s Cantina in Wrigleyville on Monday — just ahead of next week’s slating for the 2024 election.

“I’m ready for the challenge,” she told your Playbook host in between making margaritas for guests. “I hope I get slated because I’m an incumbent. But if not, I’m ready.”

Martinez is going against the machine in next week’s slating by the Cook County Democratic Party. Even though she’s the incumbent Democrat, Martinez doesn’t have the support of county party Chair Toni Preckwinkle.

There’s tension because Martinez has been seen as not always towing the party line. Her goal has been to support Latina candidates, which didn’t necessarily align with Preckwinkle’s plans.

And she has a long way to go with her fundraising. Martinez ended the last quarter with just $19,328.52 in the bank.

* Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton held her first fundraiser last week since being elected statewide. Here’s her speech…

* Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the State of Illinois is accepting grant applications from schools and agencies that support child and adolescent health for a share of $10 million in federal funding intended to strengthen mental health services for students across Illinois. The funding from the CDC’s COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplemental Funding program is being offered to help schools and local agencies improve student care in areas such as workforce enhancements, developing frameworks to prevent adverse childhood experiences, interventions to assist children suffering from trauma, and training for medical and school staff to expand adolescent mental health resources. […]

The funding is authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and the application process is being administered by IDPH’s Office of Women’s Health & Family Services. Following are the two program areas in which funds will be allocated:

• $6.9 million for Enhancing Post-Covid Recovery Efforts for School Based Health Needs: Up to $500,000 per school district or qualifying school affiliated organization to expand workforces, purchase mental health training materials and deploy programs and resources to enhance student mental health. (Up to 25 grants expected.)
• $3 million for Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Post-COVID-19: To identify mental health issues within school populations and provide education, resources, care coordination, and or training that helps to develop frameworks to prevent adverse childhood experiences and improve mental health outcomes for children and youth in a post-pandemic world. (Up to 15 grants expected.)

* Media advisory…

OFFICIAL UNVEILING OF THE 2023 BUTTER COW

What: 2023 Butter Cow Unveiling

Where: Dairy Building
Central Avenue
Illinois State Fairgrounds

When: Wednesday, August 9
3:00 p.m.

Invited: JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois
Jerry Costello II, IDOA Director
Rebecca Clark, State Fair Manager
Paige Van Dyke, Miss Illinois County Fair Queen
Local, State Dignitaries

The iconic Butter Cow will be unveiled on August 9, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. in the Dairy Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Each year, fairgoers look forward to seeing the sculpture made of 500 pounds of unsalted butter.

The 2023 Illinois State Fair will be held from August 10-20.

* Welcome home!…

Theo was diagnosed with an abnormal heart rhythm. First his heart beat too slow, then too fast. There also were complications with his intestines. That was about as scared and as helpless as I have ever felt.

— Treasurer Michael Frerichs (@ILTreasurer) August 8, 2023

Thankfully, everyone is home and we are now sleeping under one roof. Well, sleeping might be a relative term. But it’s the first step in what I’m sure will be a long and rewarding journey, and I cannot be more excited for my wife, our sons, and their big sister, Ella. pic.twitter.com/r6Feaej4zt

— Treasurer Michael Frerichs (@ILTreasurer) August 8, 2023

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Biz Journals | Alto Ingredients says it’s moved its headquarters from Sacramento to Illinois: Alto Ingredients Inc., which for years was the Sacramento area’s largest public company by revenue, says it’s moved its corporate headquarters to Illinois.

* Bloomberg | Rivian’s wounded shorts set for potential squeeze: Short interest has risen to 13% of the shares available for trading — representing about $2.2 billion worth of stock, according to data from S3 Partners LLC. Rivian’s 32% advance this year has cost the shorts more than $736 million in mark-to-market losses as of Monday’s close, S3 said. After Tesla Inc., it’s the biggest short position among US electric-vehicle firms.

* SJ-R | ‘Several hundred’ workers laid off from Memorial Health System, citing negative economic trends: “Several hundred” employees from Memorial Health System have lost their jobs, according to announcement from the organization Tuesday. […] The statement did indicate that the number reflected 20% of leadership positions across the organization. The reduction also represents 5% of Memorial Health’s total salary and benefits.

* WGN | COVID hospitalizations jump nearly 30% in Illinois: An additional 9,056 people were hospitalized with the virus last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – that represents a 12.5% jump.

* Sun-Times | Chicago native Minyon Moore to chair 2024 Democratic Convention in Chicago: Minyon Moore got her start in politics in Chicago. She worked in Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign, in the Clinton White House and helped usher Ketanji Brown Jackson through her Supreme Court confirmation.

* ProPublica | How Social Media Apps Could Be Fueling Homicides Among Young Americans: As shooting rates among the young remain stratospheric, evidence suggests social media is serving as an accelerant to violence. Taunts that once could be forgotten now live on before large audiences, prompting people to take action.

* SJ-R | Installation set for Busboom as bishop of ELCA synod: Busboom, the lead pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield since 2011, was elected bishop of the synod at a gathering of church officials in East Peoria on June 3. He was elected on the fifth and final ballot.

* WaPo | White House unveils wage rule for federal projects, in win for unions: The measure aims to restore an old definition of the “prevailing wage,” scrapped by President Ronald Reagan, that the Biden administration says would change pay standards on federal construction projects. Under the new rule, employers would be required to pay construction workers the equivalent of wages made by at least 30 percent of workers in a given trade and locality.

* Sun-Times | Bridgeport bank failure fallout: Ex-city official, second man plead guilty in collapse of Washington Federal Bank for Savings: William M. Mahon — who served on the bank board while working as a deputy commissioner of the city of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation — admitted he falsified loan documents so banking regulators would think the board was properly overseeing John F. Gembara, the bank’s CEO, president, chairman of the board and chief shareholder.

* SJ-R | Illinois State Fair concerts: How to see REO Speedwagon, Old Dominion, The Doobie Brothers: Concert tickets are available through Ticketmaster. Just remember, fans will also need to purchase an admission ticket for the fair ($3-$10) and pay for parking ($5).

* Crain’s | Lime wants electric scooters on the Lakefront Trail: “We’re following the lead of our riders who showed signs of wanting to use the Lakefront Trail, so now we’re looking for more concrete data before we approach the (Chicago) Park District and city,” a Lime spokesperson said. “Anything we do on this would be hand-in-hand with the Park District, (the Chicago Department of Transportation), the mayor’s office, the aldermen and our community partners across the city.”

* Tribune | 19 years ago today, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped human waste on a tour boat in the Chicago River. Here’s our original report.: Nineteen years ago, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus passing over the Chicago River unleashed a torrent of foul-smelling waste onto a tour boat and passengers below. At the time, nobody knew who was responsible for the dumping, but the Chicago Tribune was first to report it based on interviews with passengers, including a Tribune reporter, and the tour boat company. The incident would eventually be connected to the band, and criminal charges, apologies and at least one lawsuit would follow.