* ICYMI: Who will replace Sheriff Campbell after he retires? SJ-R…

- In his announcement, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said he would retire by no later than Aug. 31.
- From the day the retirement goes into effect, the county board has three days to announce the vacancy with the county central committee per the state election code.
- County board Chairman Andy Van Meter will then have 60 days to fill the vacancy “with the advice and consent of the county board.”

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Dolton deputy police Chief Lewis Lacey, an ally of Mayor Tiffany Henyard, indicted on federal bankruptcy fraud charges: Dolton police Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey, a strong ally of embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard, was indicted Monday on federal bankruptcy fraud charges alleging he lied under oath in a scheme to hide assets and income from creditors to avoid paying more than $40,000 in a lawsuit settlement. The nine-count indictment returned against Lacey in U.S. District Court charged Lacey, 61, of Matteson, with bankruptcy fraud, making false statements and declarations in a bankruptcy case and perjury. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Click here to view the indictment.

* Tribune | The home buying and selling process is changing. Here’s what you need to know in Illinois.: This is a condensed version of how the home buying and selling process has functioned for years. And this process is about to change. The way real estate agents get paid will shift on Aug. 17, following massive settlement agreements that resulted from numerous class-action, antitrust lawsuits brought by home sellers over the commissions they paid to real estate brokers. The suits were filed against the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors and real estate brokerages nationwide.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | New IL law requires state employee health insurance coverage for Alzheimer’s treatment: alzheimers
The bill requires the State Employees Group Insurance Program to cover medically necessary FDA-approved treatments or medications to slow progression of the disease.
This law also requires coverage for diagnostic testing for doctors to determine the best treatment or medication. “As approximately 90% of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older, these individuals already have access to Alzheimer’s treatments through Medicare,” said Rep. Mary Gill (D-Chicago). “This bill ensures equity for state employees under 65 so that they are also able to access these life-changing treatments.”

* WAND | Illinois law calls for new student discipline procedures, school bus safety guidelines: The Illinois State Board of Education will be required to draft and publish guidance for development of reciprocal reporting systems between schools and law enforcement. This plan also calls on ISBE to publish guidance for re-engagement of students suspended, expelled or returning from an alternative school setting.

* WGN | Governor Pritzker signs law to shield children from AI-generated child pornography: HB 4623 was introduced by Attorney General Kwame Raoul in early April and sponsored by State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz. It passed unanimously in the House on April 19. According to Raoul, the law prohibits the use of AI to create images depicting child sexual abuse that either involve real children or obscene imagery. It also separately prohibits the nonconsensual dissemination of certain sexual images generated by AI.

*** Statewide ***

* NBC Chicago | New effort credited for returning a record $301M in missing money to Illinois residents: Through I-CASH, the state’s missing money program - 321,558 residents owners or heirs received unclaimed property, such as contents of overlooked safe deposit boxes, unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards, Frerichs said in a news release.

* Sportsbook Review | Illinois Remains Second-Best American Legal Sports Betting State in June: In June, sports bettors in the Land of Lincoln spent $848 million with Illinois sports betting apps and retail providers. As mentioned, it is the first time under $1 billion since last August and the end of a nine-month streak. While it represents a 16.6% month-over-month dip from nearly $1.02 billion in wagering activity from May, it is an impressive 27.4% year-over-year spike from almost $668.2 million in last June.

*** Chicago ***

* Chalkbeat | Amid budget challenges, CPS and the teachers union make little movement on contract negotiations: When Chicago Public Schools students head back to class later this month, their teachers likely won’t yet have a new contract. In the past, that was a bad omen, signaling that a strike loomed. This year, a strike does not appear to be on the horizon, and both sides have said the tone at the bargaining table has been more amicable.

* South Side Weekly | More Cops Got Overtime for NASCAR in 2024: Last year, a preliminary analysis by the Weekly estimated that NASCAR cost the City at least $1.1 million in police overtime. That estimate only included overtime data that was available when the request was filed, which was immediately after the race weekend. The Tribune later reported that CPD paid out $1.4 million in NASCAR overtime in 2023.

* Sun-Times | Small businesses are frustrated with Chicago’s bureaucracy as they wait for reforms: To help them, the Small Business Advocacy Council is pressing for reforms to “cut red tape, streamline processes and reduce the costs of launching and expanding Chicago businesses,” according to a proposal released by the nonprofit this spring. It was endorsed by more than 30 chambers of commerce and business advocacy groups and 15 aldermen.

* Sun-Times | Feds want more prison time for former Ald. Ricardo Munoz after DUI arrest: Munoz was arrested in May after he “slow-rolled” into another car in Berwyn and was found slumped over the wheel of own his car with a half-empty bottle of rum on the front passenger seat, according to a motion filed in federal court on Monday. […] Munoz was sentenced to 13 months in prison, with another 18 months of supervised release with the condition he “not commit another federal, state or local crime,” prosecutors said in their motion.

* WBBM | Uptown artist repaints plover mural after city whitewashed original: ‘This makes people happy’: Irene Tostado, with the Chicago Park District, first told WBBM that the park district “did not paint over the mural located at the Buena Avenue Underpass.” Later, though, Tostado sent a follow-up and said the park district did indeed paint over the mural after they learned that Kennedy “did not go through any process with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for installation on public property.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Disaster declared in Cook County over July storms that spawned more than 40 tornadoes in 36 hours: The storm was the “most prolific tornado event” to hit the Chicago area in recorded history, according to the National Weather Service, breaking the record for the most number of tornadoes reported in a single event. Storms on July 14 produced nine tornadoes in the area, resulting in a total of 41 tornadoes within 36 hours. The storms caused damage to hundreds of homes and businesses across the county, according to the news release. Local municipalities have submitted damage reports for public infrastructure and response costs totaling more than $5 million.

*** Downstate ***

* Axios | Five foods to try at the Illinois State Fair: Springfield may be known for its horseshoe, a toasted sandwich topped with meat, fries, and cheese sauce —and even a deep-fried version that Monica tried a couple of years ago — but the fair offers a lot more. “Count the memories, not the calories,” can be heard across the intercom throughout the fair.

* PJ Star | Four deaths since 2021: Timeline of accidents at Caterpillar facilities near Peoria: Justin Perry, a 36-year-old subcontractor from Michigan, was killed Aug. 7 after he got stuck underneath an electrical box at the company’s proving ground facility in rural Washington. It marks the latest in a series of deadly incidents at Caterpillar facilities in central Illinois. With the Occupational Safety and Health Administration working on a second investigation into Caterpillar this summer, here’s a look at the prior accidents and the aftermath of the investigations.

* WTVO | Hard Rock closes temporary Rockford Casino. Find out what’s next: Hard Rock Opening Act, Rockford’s temporary casino at 610 N. Bell School Road, officially closed for good at 5 a.m., Monday. But not all is lost. In 17 days, the permanent Hard Rock Casino at 7801 E. State St., where the Clock Tower Resort once stood, will open its doors.

* WNIJ | David Gill makes another ‘quixotic’ run for office: Funks Grove resident David Gill is a physician who directs a hospice program. He is running as an independent against another doctor, Bill Hauter of Morton. Hauter is the Republican incumbent in the 87th District which stretches from East Peoria to Heyworth and south to Illiopolis. There is no Democratic candidate. Gill ran for Congress three times as a Democrat and once as an independent (2016), losing each race.

*** National ***

* Bloomberg | Hospitals inch toward recovery as labor woes ease, Fitch says: US hospitals are crawling their way toward a recovery as the public sector slowly shakes off that last of its pandemic woes, according to analysts at Fitch Ratings. Labor challenges in the sector have eased this past year, with most non-profit health-care systems reporting using less external contractors while new hires have outpaced workers who quit