* Capitol News Illinois…

Overall participation in labor unions has declined in recent years in Illinois, although the state has seen an increase in successful unionization efforts for the second year in a row.

That’s according to the State of the Unions 2024 report, the latest installment in an annual review of unionization in Illinois and the U.S. by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois’ Project for Middle Class Renewal. ILEPI is a nonprofit research organization with a board of directors that’s closely tied to organized labor.

The study found that Illinois saw 86 successful union petitions in 2023, up from 67 the year before. Those are the two highest totals in a 10-year period dating back to 2014. The prior eight years ranged from 25 to 62 successful petitions. […]

The successful petitions led to 4,399 additional workers being unionized in 2023, down from 9,497 in 2022.

* Sun-Times | Contaminated drinking water found at downtown day care, 2 more federal buildings: “I am completely frustrated that we still have this problem,” said Virginia Kendall, chief judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Kendall said the federal agency in charge of fixing the problem, the General Services Administration, has failed to correct the water problem and only tested a portion of all the faucets and fountains used for drinking water.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s answer to food deserts has left a trail of debts, lawsuits, ‘can’t pay’ an $800 utility bill: Yellow Banana promised to do better than the previous Save A Lot operators, criticizing them in 2022 for abandoning neighborhoods with “virtually no heads-up to the community.” And yet Yellow Banana itself has since shrunk to just one open store, the Chicago Sun-Times has found. During the past two years of blown deadlines, altered timelines and 16 store closures, the Ohio-based grocer has racked up unpaid tax and utility bills, health code violations, business fines and lawsuits — bills amounting to more than $2 million, a review of public records shows. Yellow Banana is in line for more than $20 million from city and federal funds, including $13.5 million from the city of Chicago, if it hits its city-set deadline in April.

* Media Matters | MAGA street artist claims to be responsible for racist and anti-immigrant signs in Chicago and Denver area: Sabo later posted pictures of some of the signs on Facebook, saying that he “put a few up in Chicago during the DNC” and trying to sell them for $2,000 each. (His Facebook page was previously shut down for hate speech, days after he attacked Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg with disparaging posters in 2017.)

* Sun-Times | Lyft follows Uber’s lead in trying rider verification in Chicago, but critics say it’s ‘too little, too late’: Nolberto Casas, a ride-hailing driver and spokesman for Chicago Gig Alliance, called the program “window dressing” and “too little, too late.” The Chicago Gig Alliance is lobbying for a city ordinance requiring ride-hailing apps to use identity verification for all riders. Casas said Lyft’s pilot program “puts the onus on the driver. What it says is: We’re putting up this mediocre program but unverified riders can still get rides. And you accept them at your own risk. We don’t accept that.”

* Crain’s | Chicago to spend $63 million less on migrant care in 2024, but budget woes remain: In a revised budget estimate released this week, the city revealed it expects to only spend $157 million of the $220 million allocated in the city’s “special event projects” line item dedicated to the migrant mission. Despite the $63 million in savings realized by the combination of additional federal resources and fewer migrants arriving this summer than expected, the city is still projecting a $222.9 million deficit that must be closed in 2024.

* Block Club | Striking South Side Bus Drivers Say They Want To Get Kids To School — But Need To Pay Their Rent, Too: Employees at SCR Medical Transportation, CPS’ largest bus service provider for students with disabilities, have been on strike for two weeks as CPS faces a bus shortage. “They’re not asking to be millionaires. They’re asking for a middle-class life.”

* Block Club | Artist Creates ‘Wooden Quilt’ From Pieces Of Emmett Till’s South Side Home: The large wooden quilt, completed days before the 69th anniversary of Till’s lynching, will be displayed at the future Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley House Museum, 6427 S. St. Lawrence Ave. “This particular [artwork] is about overcoming that grief and focusing on the strength of his mother, his grandmother, who bought the house, and your people that came out here and bought property that became a foundation for folks to establish a Northern presence,” St. Jacques said.

* Sun-Times | Mary Mitchell retires from Chicago Sun-Times; hard to say good-bye: Still, not having a deadline to meet or a project to finish is going to feel strange. After all, the only time that happened was when I gave birth or was recovering from surgery. I also retired in 2019 but returned full-time to the paper the next year. In the future, I might write an occasional column. As a retiree, I’m expected to fill my days pursuing activities that I didn’t have time for when I was working full time and raising a family. I am stepping into a role I’ve never played — a woman of leisure.

* Crain’s | Harry Caray’s most famous line is the focus of a new trademark lawsuit: The lawsuit, filed in Texas federal court earlier this week, accuses a Dallas restaurant and its owner of trademark infringement for naming a restaurant Holy Cow, a move described in the complaint as “unlawfully taking full advantage” of the famous tagline, which the plaintiff asserts has an asset value in the millions. The complaint alleges the defendants “willfully, intentionally and unlawfully sought to create a false association with the Harry Caray restaurants, and to willfully, intentionally and unlawfully misappropriate the tremendous goodwill of Harry Caray Ltd.’s well known, if not famous, Holy Cow! mark.”

* Daily Southtown | Pritzker disaster proclamation could help south suburbs receive federal storm assistance: A media release from Pritzker’s office said the governor also requested a federal Major Disaster Declaration from President Joe Biden through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “After our Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment with local, county and FEMA partners in multiple municipalities across the state, we have found significant damages,” said Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau in the release. “Our Recovery Division continues to work closely with each of the affected communities helping them to recover from this severe weather.”

* Elgin Courier-News | Let the Great Orb Hunt begin — 100 glass balls hidden along Kane County trails: With the calendar heading in September, it’s time once again for the Forest Preserve District of Kane County’s Great Orb Hunt. There’s no need for a gun or a permit — just keen vision to spot the 100 blown-glass and carved ceramic balls made by Fine Line Creative Arts Center hidden in small batches between Thursday, Sept. 5, and Monday, Sept. 30, about two to five feet off established trails in three locations.

* Daily Herald | Bensenville moves to discontinue vehicle stickers: Village President Frank DeSimone has announced plans to discontinue vehicle sticker fees collected from residents in light of higher-than-expected revenue generated from a municipal gas tax. The village implemented the 3-cent-per-gallon tax at the start of January, with an initial revenue projection of $200,000 for the year.

* Crain’s | Northwestern University taps new athletic director: Northwestern University today named Mark Jackson, former head of Villanova’s athletic department, as its next athletic director effective Sept. 1. Jackson replaces Derrick Gragg, who was hired in 2021 and oversaw a department beset by scandal. The school announced in June that Gragg would be taking on a new advisory role, working closely with the new athletic director and the school’s president, Michael Schill.

* KSDK | Southern Illinois power plant may have violated federal law for over a decade, judge says: Environmental protection advocate organization Sierra Club, which filed the lawsuit against Prairie State, said the power plant is Illinois’ top emitter of ozone-forming nitrogen oxide pollution and emitted almost twice as much carbon dioxide as the state’s next biggest greenhouse gas emitter. The plant also exceeded federal monthly limits on mercury emissions in 2021 and received a violation notice from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

* Illinois Times | SHS sophomore holds dress resales to benefit Emma Shafer Peace and Justice Fund: Lucy Schmadeke, a Springfield High School sophomore who turns 15 this weekend, is determined to “be like Emma.” The late Emma Shafer, Lucy’s babysitter for five years, inspired Lucy’s love of the arts, performing and big cities, along with her drive to make the world a better place. […] Combining her love of fashion, dedication to sustainability and realization that not all girls her age can afford formal dresses, Lucy organized the Be Like Emma – Dress Resale Aug. 24 at the Grant Conservatory of Music and Dance. The event featured gently used homecoming and prom attire and raised $560 for the Emma Shafer Peace and Justice Fund. Fifteen donated dresses were sold, but many remain, so a second sale is planned for Saturday, Sept. 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Wild Rose Artisans Gallery and Boutique in downtown Springfield.

* WGIL | ‘Farmers were panicking.’ 8 west central Illinois grain facilities saved from closure: Doug DeBuysere, general manager of Hillsdale Elevator Company, tells WGIL, “We’re excited, and really looking forward to the takeover. The phone has been ringing off the wall. “They were going to close those eight facilities, and would have left farmers there with nowhere to go. Guys were panicking.” […] “Normally, we’d buy a site or two at a time, but this opportunity came up and we bought all eight,” DeBuysere said. “We have a little work to do, but we’re excited and ready to get going.

* WSIL | Marion VA plans weeklong celebration of veterans: Alongside city officials, the VA has organized several events at local businesses to highlight and aid those who have fought for the U.S. The events will focus on resources available and highlighting talents of veterans throughout the region. The week will also include the return of the Honor Flight on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

* PJ Star | New $1.3 million ice plant coming to Peoria Civic Center as part of deal: The Civic Center Authority Board approved a plan Thursday night that would see $1.3 million go toward the purchase of a new ice plant from Cimco, with plans to install it by the summer 2026, according to Peoria City Councilmember Tim Riggenbach, who is also the council liaison to the Civic Center Board. A new ice plant, pumps, ice rink controller, gas cooler and starter panel will be part of the $1.3 million purchase. The Civic Center will put a 5% down payment of $64,837.00 toward the ice plant by Oct. 1.

* WJBC | Bridgestone & United Steel Workers representative running for McLean County Board: A Bloomington resident and longtime representative for the United Steel Workers has announced his candidacy for the McLean County Board’s 9th district. Sean Fagan has lived in the South Hill neighborhood since 1988. Recently, he celebrated 25 years as a pension and insurance advocate at the Bridgestone tire plant.

* WFIW | SOS mobile DMV unit coming to Albion: The Illinois Secretary of State Mobile DMV Unit will be coming to Albion on Wednesday, September 4th from 10am to 2pm at the Edwards County Courthouse. Services offered will be new and renewal Identification Cards, Renewal of Drivers Licenses, Sticker Purchases and REAL ID processing.

* Illinois Times | Out of the ashes: In the meantime, Café Moxo is continuing to pay its employees. Instead of serving sandwiches and chicken pot pies, they are providing services to organizations such as St. John’s Breadline, Central Illinois Food Bank and Compass for Kids. […] “We’re hoping it’ll happen in a pretty timely fashion,” he said. “We would love to see it happen in 2024. That would be on our Christmas wish list. We’re looking to start the new year off strong at Café Moxo.”

* AP | How one Brazilian judge could suspend Elon Musk’s X: The justice, Alexandre de Moraes, has threatened to suspend social media giant X nationwide if its billionaire owner Elon Musk doesn’t swiftly comply with one of his orders. Musk has responded with insults, including calling de Moraes a “tyrant” and “a dictator.” It is the latest chapter in the monthslong feud between the two men over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Many in Brazil are waiting and watching to see if either man will blink.