* “Many Illinois county clerks have left amid mistrust, threats associated with 2024 election,” by CBS 2 Chicago…

“I don’t have bulletproof glass between me and my constituents,” said Knox County, Illinois Clerk Scott Erickson. “That’s not how we should be operating.” […]

After the 2020 election, the Capital riots of Jan. 6, 2021, and threats against election workers, Erickson said many clerks had enough. CBS News Chicago called each county clerk’s office in Illinois, and found since 2020, 39 of the state’s 102 counties reported they are now under new leadership.

That amounts to a nearly 40% turnover rate.

“They’re saying: You know what? I’m done. It’s crazy enough. I don’t want to deal with this anymore. I put up, I put in my time. I’m just going to walk away and not worry about elections,’” said Erickson.

* The Tribune’s Jason Meisner, the Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel and Hannah Meisel from Capitol News Illinois are live tweeting Paul La Schiazza’s bribery trial. Assistant US Attorney Paul Mower had this jab this morning…

La Schiazza knew that Acevedo was not liked in the legislature or by his own colleagues, Mower says. "Acevedo talked too much, drank too much, and was generally despised by Republicans in Springfield," Mower said.
Still, he saw McClain's request as a "go order" on their bill

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) September 11, 2024

* Crain’s…

Stellantis is investing more than $406 million into three Michigan plants to build electrified Ram pickups and Jeep Wagoneer SUVs.

The company’s shuttered assembly plant in Belvidere, which it pledged to reopen for EV production in an agreement with the United Auto Workers last year, was unmentioned in the announcement of new investments. Stellantis said last month it was delaying initial plans to restart the plant just east of Rockford after facing accusations from the union that it was breaching their agreement.

The automaker said it will spend $235.5 million updating the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant to build the fully electric Ram 1500 REV and range-extended electric Ramcharger on the same assembly line as the gasoline-powered Ram 1500 pickup. To do this, the company said it partnered with “equipment suppliers and contractors to carefully plan and execute the installation of a new conveyor system, new automation for BEV-specific processes, and the retooling and rearrangement of workstations in general assembly.”

Stellantis said the Sterling Heights facility will be its first U.S. plant to make electric vehicles. Production of the Ram REV is scheduled to begin before the end of this year.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Illinois AG Kwame Raoul, local Haitian Americans, deride Trump’s false accusation of Haitians eating pets:“My initial reaction was, I don’t even want to get offended, because that would reflect me recognizing it as a statement that was coming from somebody that was competent,” Raoul said.

*** Statewide ***

* The Times Weekly | Teen voter registration surges after Illinois’ pre-registration law took effect: Marking National Teen Voter Registration Day, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias reported that nearly 50,000 16- and 17-year-olds have taken advantage of a new law that enables them to pre-register to vote before turning 18. National Teen Voter Registration Day is a nationwide push to get teens involved in the democratic process, with many communities hosting voter registration drives at local high schools.

* WSIL | The Mississippi River is running low again. It’s a problem for farmers moving beans and grain: It was just two months ago that much of the Mississippi River was above flood stage north of St. Louis. Since then, the river level has dropped steadily. The area south of St. Louis has been hit especially hard, mirroring low-water concerns that began around this same time of year in both 2022 and 2023. As part of the fallout, barge companies are forced to limit the soybeans, grain and other cargo they carry to prevent barges from potentially getting stuck. That means less profit for farmers.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Three City Council leaders demand ouster of top mayoral aide who called police ‘f—ing pigs’: Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th), the former Chicago Police sergeant who chairs the Council’s Police Committee, was so outraged by Bartley’s “disparaging” comments about the police, he demanded that Johnson take immediate action against her. […] Public Safety Committee Chair Brian Hopkins (2nd) argued that it is “incumbent on all city employees to support our first-responders” and Bartley’s comments are “incompatible” with that imperative.

* Chicago Reader | The Cook County state’s attorney’s Brady list is missing more than 100 cops who made false or misleading statements.: Reporters found that police officers are rarely investigated for making false reports alone. A review of more than two dozen COPA summary reports with sustained Rule 14 violations showed an overwhelming majority included disciplinary findings related to other rule violations. Many came in the context of serious misconduct allegations, such as excessive use of force, unlawful search or arrest, or wrongful discharge of a firearm.

* Block Club | After Lincoln Square Gym, Nearby Mosque Shot At, Muslim Chicagoans Fear ‘Targeted’ Attacks: Members of Chicago’s Muslim community are asking police to investigate whether multiple incidents where someone damaged windows and doors at an Irving Park mosque and a Muslim-owned martial arts gym in Lincoln Square in the past three months were targeted attacks. […] “I don’t understand. This is the second time we have camera footage of someone driving by and someone from the passenger side shoots at the gym. We made a police report and gave police footage back then,” Idriz Redzovic said.

* Chalkbeat | Special education advocates file new state complaint on bus service in Chicago Public Schools: The advocates say CPS is violating a federal law that requires districts to provide transportation for students with disabilities if it is in their Individualized Education Programs. They say students need reliable transportation to go to school without disruptions and are urging the state board to monitor the district as it did in 2021 and 2022. As of Sept. 4, the district reported 2,226 students with disabilities had yet to be routed. A spokesperson said the latest number includes new transportation requests, students who have been permanently approved for a stipend, and students who have been temporarily approved for a stipend but are waiting for a route. The district reported that 9,232 students had bus service as of Sept. 4, up from 8,782 students on Aug. 21.

* WBBM | Chicago to close three migrant shelters by end of October, officials say: Chicago, which at one point had 26 shelters, is down to 17. People in the shelters being closed will be offered places and service at one of the remaining shelters. City leaders said the decision to trim excess beds was made in the interest of fiscal responsibility.

* Sun-Times | Parting shot? Last-ditch effort seeks to let Chicago’s top cop extend ShotSpotter deal: Ald. David Moore (17th) introduced the ordinance in mid-July, pushing to give Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling the power to extend the existing deal with ShotSpotter’s parent company, SoundThinking, or enter into a new contract for similar technology. Moore told the Sun-Times he plans to use a parliamentary maneuver at next week’s City Council meeting to force a vote on the ordinance, which has languished in the rules committee, where legislation often goes to die.

* WTTW | Ex-Ald. Carrie Austin Set to Stand Trial Nov. 3, 2025 — More Than 4 Years After Indictment: However, it remains far from certain that Austin, 75, will ever face a jury. U.S. District Court Judge John F. Kness ordered Austin to undergo a physical examination by an expert doctor to determine whether she is too ill to stand trial, as her lawyers insist. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois say the evidence shows Austin is “alert, lucid and responsive” and fit to stand trial.

* City Bureau | ‘I Know What I’m Worth’: The Joys and Struggles of Chicago’s Migrant Go-Go Dancers: At this particular nightclub, about seven dancers are Venezuelan or Colombian. A bar patron in town from Texas said he noticed this same trend in male strip clubs down south, as well. The shift, in some ways, is tied to cultural tropes of Latino passion, says Héctor Carrillo, a professor of sociology at Northwestern University who studies sexuality, immigration and health. His 2017 book, “Pathways of Desire: The Sexual Migration of Mexican Gay Men,” tells the stories of gay Mexican immigrants in San Diego, before and after their journeys to the United States.

* Crain’s | Obamas’ old Hyde Park condo hits the market: Kurt and Jennifer Elling are asking $550,000 for the four-bedroom condo in East View Park, a block-long row of brick six-flats that share a big private greenspace and face a quiet stretch of public park west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The first-floor condo, which still has the green tile fireplace Michelle Obama is pictured with in an early 2000s portrait shot by Katrina Wittkamp for Chicago magazine, is going on the market today.

* Tribune | At Chiu Quon, Chicago’s oldest Chinese bakery, mooncakes take center stage for the Mid-Autumn Festival: The moon-shaped pastries are not just desserts but symbols of the harvest season carrying with them the cultural heritage honored across Asia, said Joyce Chiu, owner of Chiu Quon Bakery. “Moon festival is a time for families to get together, have a nice meal together and sit around sharing mooncakes,” Chiu said. “And all the little details, the packaging, and the design are always super intentional.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Thornton Township trustees vote to cancel events planned by Supervisor Tiffany Henyard: During a combative meeting Tuesday night, Thornton Township trustees refused to approve events they say invite reckless spending on the part of Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, who has been under consistent scrutiny for financial mismanagement as township supervisor and Dolton mayor. Henyard railed against Trustees Chris Gonzalez, Carmen Carlisle and Gerald Jones for voting to cancel the upcoming Gospel Fest, House Fest and bingo, saying the events predate her administration. The board approved the monthly Tech Savvy event that provides technology skills training with a reduced budget.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora gathers to reflect on those lost during Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks: ‘Never forget’: Former Aurora resident Miguel Munoz, who now lives in Kentucky, was in town this week to visit his wife’s family and decided to bring his 9-year-old daughter Rin to Aurora’s event on Wednesday honoring those who lost their lives 23 years ago during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. “I wanted her to be here because I think it’s important for her to know the history,” Munoz said about his daughter as they waited for the start of the ceremony held outside the Aurora Police Department headquarters at 1200 E. Indian Trail. “Eventually, she is going to start learning about this in school, but I wanted her to have a first-hand experience about how people felt during that time – people who were there and people who were around then.”

* Daily Herald | Sugar Grove OKs controversial 761-acre development proposal: Despite passionate opposition from some residents, the Sugar Grove village board on Tuesday approved the controversial mixed-use The Grove development. The board voted 4-2 to annex 761 acres at I-88 and Route 47, and create a planned development district with housing, offices, stores and businesses that could include warehouses and data centers.

*** Downstate ***

* WSIL | Williamson County Supervisor of Assessments to Resign: The Williamson County Supervisor of Assessments Alex Simpson stated he was asked by the Williamson County Commissioners to resign his position. This resignation letter was dated for September 11, 2024.

* SJ-R | ‘Moved’ by SPD chief’s speech, family of crash victim wants transparency in investigation: An emotional Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette said Tuesday that a retired police sergeant charged in a crash involving two people on a motorcycle last week “failed his oath” and “embarrassed the profession of law enforcement.” Scarlette also apologized for “the lack of compassion” shown by officers at the crash site near Lake Springfield where many believe Michael Egan, who was on the last day of his job but off duty, was shown favoritism.

* NPR Illinois | UIS sees a slight drop in fall enrollment: The University of Illinois Springfield has 33 fewer students on campus this fall compared to a year ago. The school announced its official enrollment numbers Wednesday. The drop ends a two year run of enrollment increases. Last year, the number of students jumped 11%.

* WCIA | Crunching the numbers of U of I’s record-breaking enrollment: University officials said total student enrollment for the fall of 2024 stands at a record number of 59,238. This number consists of 37,140 undergraduates and 20,765 graduate students who attend in-person, on-campus classes and classes online. The freshman Class of 2028 consists of 9,008 students, also a new record. Within this number:

* STLPR | East St. Louis forum attendees propose community-driven solutions to child poverty: Children’s Advocates for Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization, hosted a forum aimed at addressing child poverty in East St. Louis, where the poverty rate for children is three times the national average. More than 100 educators, religious leaders, metro-east officials and others gathered at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s East St. Louis Learning Center to discuss potential solutions.

*** National ***

* AP | Election officials warn that widespread problems with the US mail system could disrupt voting: In an alarming letter, the officials said that over the past year, including the just-concluded primary season, mailed ballots that were postmarked on time were received by local election offices days after the deadline to be counted. They also noted that properly addressed election mail was being returned to them as undeliverable, a problem that could automatically send voters to inactive status through no fault of their own, potentially creating chaos when those voters show up to cast a ballot.

* Missouri Independent | GOP legislator’s son asks Supreme Court to order inquiry into donations to Missouri AG: Eight months into his term as Missouri’s attorney general, Andrew Bailey withdrew his office from defending a state agency being sued by a legislator’s son for disability discrimination. A few months earlier, his campaign and an affiliated political action committee accepted more than $150,000 in donations connected to a witness in the case.