* Illinois Environmental Protection Agency…

Illinois EPA Interim Director James Jennings today announced $43,159,886 in funding that is being provided to 17 individual communities to replace lead service lines during the last quarter of State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024. The funding is provided through the Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF), which provides low-interest loan funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. The funding for each of these awards is being provided in the form of principal forgiveness, so none of the communities will not have to repay any of the funds awarded.

“We know lead service lines are a major obstacle for community water supplies throughout Illinois,” said Interim Director Jennings. “Illinois EPA is committed to utilizing our State Revolving Fund to maximize funding available to communities to remove the threat of lead in drinking water, while prioritizing disadvantaged communities that would have no other resources to take on this challenge.”

Lead is a toxic metal that can accumulate in the body over time. Lead can enter drinking water when corrosion of pipes and/or fixtures occurs. Service lines are small pipes that carry drinking water from water mains into homes. Many homes built prior to 1990 may have lead service lines or lead containing plumbing fixtures or faucets. Eliminating lead service lines in homes will help to reduce lead exposure for residents. For resources on lead in your home, visit: https://epa.illinois.gov/general-information/in-your-home/resources-on-lead.html.

Click here for a complete list of the communities receiving principal forgiveness funding.

* Governor Pritzker…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Heidi Mueller, DCFS staff, legislators, and students to celebrate this year’s scholarship recipients at the department’s annual luncheon. This year, 352 current or former youth in care will receive scholarship certificates provided by the Illinois DCFS Scholarship Program, including up to five consecutive years of tuition and mandatory fee waivers valid at Illinois public universities and community colleges. The program also provides student recipients with financial assistance for books and school supplies, a monthly grant payment to supplement other expenses, and an Illinois Medicaid card. […]

Historically, the department has awarded an average of 53 scholarships each year. This year’s record-breaking 352 scholarships follows 259 scholarships awarded in 2023, solidifying the department’s continued commitment to ensuring educational opportunities for current and former youth in care; and an increased investment in DCFS programs by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly. The governor’s FY25 budget provided $11.16 million in funding for DCFS scholarships, nearly doubling the $5.66 million provided in FY24.

The DCFS Scholarship Program is available to youth who have an open DCFS case, whose cases were closed through adoption or guardianship, or who aged out of care at 18 or older. DCFS Scholarship Program recipients are selected based on their scholastic record and aptitude, community and extracurricular activities, three letters of recommendation and a personal essay illustrating their purpose for higher education. […]

Scholarship recipients receive up to five consecutive years of tuition and academic fee waivers to be used at colleges and universities, community colleges and trade schools, a monthly grant of $1,577 to offset other expenses and a Medicaid card. Four awards are reserved for the children of veterans, and two awards are reserved for students pursuing degrees in social work in honor of Pamela Knight and Deidre Silas, two DCFS caseworkers who succumbed to injuries sustained in the line of duty.

*** Statewide ***

* Brownfield AG | Illinois farmers own 24% of the land they farm: A new study from Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM) shows the state’s farmers only owned 24% of the land they farmed in 2021. Brad Zwilling, vice president of data analysis at FBFM, says it’s not a new trend. “Crop share was at 27% and cash rent at 48%,” he says. “That trend has continued to increase on the cash rented side and lower on the crop shared side primarily due to more and more absentee landlords or just wanting to not have to worry about marketing grain.”

* Tribune | Climate bill rebates for electric appliances and upgrades coming to Illinois in 2025: They are some of the juiciest consumer incentives in President Joe Biden’s 2022 climate bill: rebates of up to $8,000 for a heat-pump air conditioner and heater, up to $4,000 for an electrical panel, up to $2,500 for electrical wiring, and up to $1,750 for an electric heat pump water heater. And they’re coming to Illinois. The state plans to roll out its home energy rebates in the first quarter of 2025, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said in a written response to questions from the Tribune.

* My Journal Courier | State spreading awareness of Firearm Restraining Orders: The Illinois Department of Public Health, Brady: United Against Gun Violence and the Ad Council have released a public service announcement video advocating an end to gun violence. The agencies are promoting “Pause to Heal,” a multi-state campaign to bring awareness to Firearm Restraining Orders, or “red flag laws” designed to help prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | How the quantum and United Center projects could spark action in investment-starved neighborhoods: The quantum and United Center projects — which have their own anchor users lined up, unlike other planned megadevelopments in the city — set the stage for more real estate investors to follow into neighborhoods they don’t frequent. But the proposals also put pressure on city officials to ensure they are properly leveraged as a launching pad. “They shouldn’t just be seen as little dots on the map, and that’s the only planning that happens,” said city planning department veteran Eleanor Gorski, who is now CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center. “These are dots with ripples, and the city needs to step up and produce the ripples.”

* WTTW | Gage Park Man Who Spent 21 Years in Prison Now the 45th Person to be Exonerated After Being Framed by Disgraced Ex-Detective: Edwin Ortiz, who is now 51 and lives in Gage Park, was 14 years old when Jose Morales was shot to death in Humboldt Park alongside his friend Marvin Taylor, who was wounded. Ortiz was convicted in connection with the shooting in 1993 after being investigated by Reynaldo Guevara, a former Chicago police detective accused of routinely framing suspects. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office did not oppose Ortiz’ request to have his more than 30-year-old conviction vacated.

* Tribune | Three charged with murder, arson and financial crimes in connection with death of Chicago firefighter: Martez Cristler, 22, of Hammond, Indiana, and Nicholas Virgil, 37, of Riverdale, are charged with murder and arson. Anthony Moore, 47, of Blue Island, is charged with wire fraud, insurance fraud and forgery. […] Moore’s arrest report lists State Farm Insurance as the victim in the incident. A Tribune reporter spoke with Moore last year shortly after the fire, and he said he was in the process of rehabbing the property as a rental unit.

* WTTW | Is There an Alligator in Lincoln Park’s North Pond? Witnesses Say Creature They’ve Dubbed ‘Muddy Waters’ Is Lurking But Confirmation Scarce: Tom Hildum knows people aren’t going to believe him. But the Auburn resident swears he’s seen an alligator in Lincoln Park’s North Pond. Not once, but twice. “I was skeptical too,” said Sheba Heard, Hildum’s wife of 16 years. Then she got a look at the creature herself, “tip to tail, skimming across the top of the water.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Suburban Chicago lab lied to Medicare, billed millions of dollars for COVID-19 tests on dead people, federal probe finds: Abdul Wahed’s company, Pro Diagnostics in Bridgeview, is suspected of using a suburban doctor’s credentials without her knowledge to approve the tests, according to court papers filed in the federal investigation. Tens of thousands of Medicare claims for tests in Illinois and other states showed the same doctor ordered them, which aroused suspicions, according to the court filing. Pro Diagnostics billed Medicare for 48,552 claims on Dec. 6 and for another 35,585 claims the next day, according to the affidavit, which says law enforcement officials were alerted because of the “extraordinary spike in billing.”

*** Downstate ***

* WSIL | Kristin Bayer Selected as New Williamson County Circuit Clerk Republican Nominee: Bayer was selected the nominee after Justin Maze resigned the Williamson County Circuit Clerk seat earlier this year. Bayer will be running unopposed on the November ballot. “I am excited for this opportunity and looking forward to serving the people of Williamson County,” said Kristen as she spoke to several supporters at the Administration Building Thursday afternoon.

* WPSD | Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Illinois reach fundraising goal to reopen: BGCSI’s reopening campaign sought a goal of $200,000 to relaunch the clubs after closing last summer. The organization is aiming to open up around the time that school starts, but that step hinges on the hiring of a new CEO and staff.

* WSIL | Herrin Animal Control deemed “no kill” shelter: The center posted to Facebook on Friday morning to announce it received a “No-Kill Status” from the Best Friends Network. This recognition goes toward shelters that manage a 90% save rate for the animals. “We are extremely happy to have received this prestigious accomplishment helping the City Of Herrin animals get a second chance on life,” wrote the center. “We cannot possibly save them all, but we can save most.”

* WCIA | Daughters of Central IL Olympian celebrating his legacy 100 years later: he 2024 Olympic Games in Paris kick off Friday. The last time the “City of Love” played host was a century ago when an athlete from Central Illinois went for gold— twice. Now, the University of Illinois is celebrating Harold Osborn’s life and legacy ahead of the games. The university welcomed back two of Harold Osborn’s daughters to give a webinar about their father Thursday morning. They said he is a reminder that humble beginnings can lead to global success.

* WGEM | Illinois Treasurer Frerichs shows off unclaimed property ahead of State Fair auction: Items include a Rolex Oyster watch, Mike Singletary and Troy Aikman football cards, uncut sheets of money and many rare coins and other collectables. Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs holds the auction each year at the fair. His office auctions off unclaimed property, including items left in abandoned safety deposit boxes, if they go unclaimed for at least 10 years. All proceeds are held by the Treasurer’s Office and paid to the property’s owner or their heirs if they are located.

*** National ***

* The Grio | The ‘Kamala ain’t Black’ conspiracy theory explained: While it is easy to dismiss this claim by using the age-old method of genetic testing called “eyesight,” theGrio decided to investigate this hilarious hypothesis seriously. […] To effectively debunk this allegation, we must first agree on what people are saying. While there are numerous stories and tweets claiming Harris descended from a white slaveowner, those stories just prove people’s ignorance of America’s true history. Slavemasters often raped their human property, which explains an American Journal of Human Genetics study showing the average African American’s genome is nearly a quarter European. Loving vs. Virginia didn’t cause that; the sexual violence of racial terrorism did. As one teenager wrote: “It is fair to remember that almost the total of race mixture in America has come, not at Negro initiative, but by the acts of those very white men who talk loudest of race purity.”

* Sun-Times | ‘Illinoise’ superfans are seeing the Broadway show over and over: If theatergoing were an Olympic sport, then Matthew Dodson would be Michael Phelps. This year alone, the Manhattanite has already attended 160 performances on and off Broadway. In the past, thanks to rush and lottery ticket options, as well as last-minute deals on SeatGeek, he’s racked up head-spinning numbers for shows like “Company” (50 times), “Shucked” (60 times) and “The Phantom of the Opera” (100-plus visits).

* KFVS | Boar’s Head recalls more than 207,000 pounds of deli products over possible listeria contamination: The nationwide recall of about 207,528 pounds of products was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service on Friday and includes several varieties of its deli products that were produced on the same day as the liverwurst. The ready-to-eat liverwurst products were produced between June 11 and July 17 and have a 44-day shelf life.