* ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers approve elected school board for Chicago. What comes next? Sun-Times…

∙ In the first elections this November, voters will pick one board member per district for a total of 10 elected members. Johnson will appoint a second member in each district, plus a board president.
∙ Candidates can begin circulating petitions March 26. They’ll need to file 1,000 valid signatures by June 24 — but no more than 3,000 — to be eligible to run.
∙ State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said this bill was a good first step, but he hopes to keep working on campaign finance rules.

* Related stories…

- Tribune: Plan for hybrid elected Chicago school board now in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s hands
- Fox Chicago: Elected Chicago school board proposal needs approval from Pritzker
- Chalkbeat: Illinois House passes plan for Chicago’s elected school board

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Crain’s | Rivian will launch new R2 SUV in Normal as it taps brakes on Georgia factory buildout: “We’re able to achieve that accelerated timing by leveraging our production capabilities in Normal, using our Illinois site to launch R2 and get it into market as quickly as we can,” CEO R.J. Scaringe said during a March 7 launch event for the much-anticipated smaller-scale version of its original EVs.

* Tribune | Illinois moves to limit toxic forever chemicals contaminating wells throughout the state: Regulations unveiled Wednesday by the Illinois Pollution Control Board are intended to protect millions of people from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, some of which build up in human blood, cause cancer and other diseases and take years to leave the body.

* Fox Chicago | Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard sued by church for alleged discrimination: Redeemed Christian Church of God Resurrection Power Assembly alleges the mayor and the village failed to apply Dolton’s zoning code by preventing the church from renovating the building it purchased. […] “In my all years, I’ve never seen such a blatant disregard for an ordinance and religious civil rights. Religious institutions are permitted in the area under the zoning code. Based on statements from employees, the mayor is calling the shots,” said John Mauck, with Mauck & Baker Law.

* Here’s the rest…

* Tribune | Rivian to launch second-generation R2 electric SUV production in Normal, as plans for Georgia plant are delayed: In addition to the downsized R2, Rivian introduced an even smaller R3 and souped-up R3X crossover, hoping to capture a larger share of the nascent EV market. The production timing and location for the R3 has yet to be announced.

* Journal Courier | Moore, Snellgrove compete to replace Frese in Illinois House race: Moore, 43, of Quincy is a former alderman and mayor of Quincy who announced his candidacy in September. Moore was elected mayor in 2013, becoming the first Republican to be elected to that role since 1981. He was re-elected in 2017, serving until 2021, after keeping his pledge to serve only two terms. Moore has been president of the Great River Economic Development Foundation in Quincy since 2021.

* Tribune | Harris leans on personal story in state’s attorney stump speech: As a former assistant state’s attorney, Harris said he saw the “churn” of Black men “in and out of the system”; as a resident of Washington Park, he said his family has “to worry about bullets flying” and being profiled by the police; and as a father raising young boys, he said he was heartbroken to read about a case prosecuted by his opponent that has become central to his campaign for both safety and justice in the office.

* Crain’s | Biden highlights Stellantis’ plans to reopen Belvidere plant in State of the Union address: He called out UAW President Shawn Fain and autoworker Dawn Sims, who were in the audience. Matt Frantzen, head of the UAW local in Belvidere, also was scheduled to attend the State of the Union as a guest of Illinois Rep. Bill Foster, whose district includes the plant.

* Tribune | Chicago Bears add former Minnesota Twins executive Meka White Morris as EVP of revenue and chief business officer: Morris’ arrival continues a revamping of the Bears executive staff under President and CEO Kevin Warren, whose one-year anniversary with the team is in April. The Bears announced this week that they promoted longtime chief financial officer Karen Murphy to EVP of stadium development and chief operating officer. Corey Ruff was promoted to senior vice president of strategy and analytics and chief of staff.

* Crain’s | Economic development group Intersect Illinois names trio of Chicago biz vets to board: Intersect Illinois, a statewide business attraction organization focused on bringing new jobs, businesses and investment, has appointed three new members to its board. Michael Fassnacht, president and chief growth officer of Clayco’s Chicago-area region; Kristi Lafleur, CEO of Skyway Concession; and Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association have joined the board of directors, the organization said in a March 7 announcement.

* Sun-Times | Helping the unhoused ‘a matter of life and death,’ Johnson says during Bring Chicago Home push: Johnson visited with social workers and health care providers at Jesse Brown who help connect veterans to Department of Veterans Affairs services including housing opportunities, primary medical care, assistance for interpersonal violence victims and reentry programs after incarceration.

* CBS Chicago | While newly arrived migrants can obtain work permits, some of the long-undocumented feel forgotten: “Seeing so many new arrivals get work authorization – which is something that we all celebrate – but now we know that this is something that the president can give without congressional approval,” said immigration organizer Enddy Almonord.

* Tribune | Amid migrant crisis, Chicago food pantries experience unprecedented demand : The network of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which includes over 800 food distributors across the city, served 186,000 households in December, a 29% increase from the previous year. While pantries don’t ask guests their status, anecdotally, a significant portion of the new visitors are Latino migrants, several organizations said. Nonprofit food distributors in Denver, another city that has received thousands of migrants, are facing similar challenges.

* Sun-Times | How Brandon Johnson’s inner circle compares to past mayors’: It’s more heavily Black, with no Asian Americans among his top political appointees. Overall, the city payroll is far different from the significantly white employee base that Mayor Richard M. Daley had when he left office in 2011, a Sun-Times analysis finds.

* Tribune | Bally’s Chicago revenue grows in February, generating more than $1 million in local tax revenue: Revenue at the temporary Medinah Temple casino grew 6.5% to nearly $9.9 million in adjusted gross receipts, according to February data released Thursday by the Illinois Gaming Board. But Bally’s Chicago slipped behind Harrah’s Joliet to rank fourth in revenue among the state’s 15 casinos.

* WBEZ | A new casino coming to the south suburbs says it will hit the jackpot despite a run on casinos: And just across the state line, Northwest Indiana has four casinos, which raises concerns about whether a casino glut permeates the region. Ed Feigenbaum, who monitors gaming for Indiana Gaming Insight, a casino publication, said competition is a concern for all involved.

* Daily-Journal | Bourbonnais mayor, clerk annual salaries see first increase in 35 years: The salary for the mayor will go from $12,000 a year to $16,000, which represents a 33% increase. The clerk’s salary goes from $4,200 to $6,000, a 43% hike, said Finance Director Tara Latz.

* Sun-Times | Chicago reports first measles case since 2019, seeking others possibly exposed: The health department is finding those who may have been exposed to the person with measles. The person with the confirmed case was recovering well and their infectious disease period ended Wednesday, Block Club Chicago reported.

* WICS | ISP release video footage of officer involved shooting: Illinois State Police has released video footage of the officer-involved shooting on February 24, at 12:42 p.m. on Interstate 55 northbound near Lexington, milepost 177.

* News-Gazette | Budzinski, Miller question post office changes: Budzinski and Miller requested that the U.S. Postal Service provide written responses to questions they have about the plan, including the number of employees that will be asked to relocate or change jobs, alternatives for those unwilling or unable to relocate, and how public comments will be factored into the Postal Service’s decision about the Mattis Avenue post office.

* Block Club | Scientology Church Opens In South Loop, Raising Concerns Of Columbia College Students Living Next Door: “Everyone’s talking about it,” said Jazlynn “Jazzy” Edwards, a sophomore majoring in journalism who lives at the Dwight Lofts. “It’s all negative. No one wants them here.” Some students said they are concerned with the organization’s presence — and the crowds it draws — next to the place they call home, given the Church of Scientology’s controversial history and the demographics of college students.