* It’s just a bill. CBS Chicago…

For months, CBS News Chicago has been tracking car break-ins across Chicago, and the most alarming items that are being stolen — guns. […]

Car break-ins were the source of a whopping 40% of gun thefts last year. […]

CBS News Chicago did some digging and found that just last year, the Near South Side community area—which includes much of the South Loop—saw 20 stolen guns from cars. But the worst spots were Austin on the West Side—with 52 guns stolen from cars last year—and the West Loop, with 36 guns stolen from cars in 2023. […]

“It’s easy for criminals to be able to quickly access a firearm if they break into a vehicle and they’re able to take that gun,” said Illinois state Rep. Kevin Olickal (D-Chicago).

Olickal—who represents Skokie, Lincolnwood, and parts of Chicago’s North and Northwest sides—said that is exactly why he is sponsoring a bill that would tighten the requirements for gun holders to report when their gun is lost or stolen. The owners would need to report the thefts within 48 hours, rather than the current 72.

Olickal’s bill would also create an electronic portal to track which gun owners have failed to report thefts.

* Chicago Reader…

Within the next month, Greyhound plans to close the only intercity bus station in Chicago. Of the 130 largest cities in the world, according to the Chicago Tribune, only two are without a bus terminal: Nairobi in Kenya and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Chicago would be the third on that list.

The city’s current plan? Leave people to wait outside along the curb. But this isn’t a solution. Winter is fast approaching, bringing with it subzero temperatures. Add to that Greyhound’s proclivity for canceling trips and it becomes clear that the situation is dire.

Feeling frustrated, powerless, and invigorated, I spent a few hours at the Greyhound station, on Harrison between Desplaines and Jefferson, one Sunday afternoon in mid-September. I interviewed about a dozen people and snapped their portraits. Most had no idea the closure was imminent.

I met Joshua, who had been waiting at the bus station for more than 24 hours—his trip had been canceled and rescheduled three times. What would he do overnight, in the winter?

* Sen. Robert Peters and Rep. Justin Slaughter…

It has been a year since Illinois took the historic and courageous step toward transforming our criminal legal system by implementing the Pretrial Fairness Act and ending the use of money bond. We are the first state in the nation to completely end the role of wealth in pretrial release and detention decisions, and after a year, we can say we have been successful.

As we mark this significant milestone, we must recognize the profound impact of what we’ve accomplished and commit to further advancing justice and equity in our criminal legal system. […]

It turns out that replacing broken tough-on-crime systems with policies that are smart on violence works. Jail populations are down across the state, and people are able to maintain their lives — keep their jobs, their housing and their families intact — while their cases are pending. That stability makes us all safer. Not only did the crime wave our opponents predicted never occur, but also, homicides are actually down in Chicago this year compared to last. This only proves that we can take steps toward ending mass incarceration while maintaining public safety.

Ending money bond is more than a moral victory; it’s also beneficial for the economy. For decades, pretrial incarceration has taken resources away from poor, mostly Black and brown communities, further entrenching families in poverty. From 2016 to 2020, Illinoisans spent approximately $121 million to $154 million per year on money bonds. That money will now remain in communities and help families build economic security, which ultimately improves lives and also public safety.

* ABC Chicago…

Chicago City Councilman Ed Burke is just days from his surrender to federal prison. […]

On Monday, the once-powerful chairman of the City Council Finance Committee will become prisoner No. 53-698-424. […]

He had asked to be assigned to serve his two-year sentence at the Oxford Penitentiary in Wisconsin, a state where Burke has also owned a family lake house for decades.

But, according to a court filing, Burke’s attorneys said Oxford is no longer in the picture because “the satellite camp at FCI Oxford is now closed.” As a result, Burke’s attorneys are seeking “a revised recommendation to the minimum security camp at FCI Terre Haute,” in Indiana.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Johnson accused of picking another police-related fight with City Council: Gov. JB Pritzker has authorized selling a former Illinois National Guard armory to the city for $1 for the “express purpose” of creating a new police district. But Mayor Brandon Johnson now wants to use the building for “storage, maintenance and operation of police vehicles, equipment and aircraft.”

* Sun-Times | Chicago developer completes first phase of affordable housing project in North Lawndale: The first phase of apartments at a North Lawndale development is already 50% leased, and the amenity-heavy project will bring additional housing units to the community as it starts phase two. Project and city leaders gathered at OC Living, the residential portion of the Ogden Commons development, on Thursday to mark the grand opening of phase one and kickstart phase two of the more than $200 million project. The Habitat Co. will build about 300 units at the former Chicago Housing Authority site.

Yesterday, the CTA L lines ran:
102% Yellow
91% Pink
90% Red
90% Green
89% Brown
89% Orange
87% Purple
81% Blue
… of scheduled trains. Since 2020, CTA L Service has been cut by 17%. Riders deserve frequent and reliable transit, with return to at least pre-2020 levels.

— Commuters Take Action (@ctaaction) September 20, 2024

* Tribune | New inclusive dental clinic at UIC an ‘oasis’ for patients with special needs: Burman said the Inclusive Care Clinic solves a problem not many dentist offices are thinking about: being a place that anybody can access. “Some people can’t get through the doorways, some people can’t even make it to the front door because there’s no ramp, or they won’t take somebody because of behavioral issues,” Burman said. “That’s not right. Everybody needs to have the medicine and dentistry that they’re entitled to.”

* Block Club | As Riot Fest Kicks Off, West Siders Debate Its Place In Douglass Park: Grassroots group Únete La Villita organized a press conference last week outside the Park District’s headquarters while the agency’s board members voted to grant Riot Fest’s permit, just nine days before its kickoff. There’s a lack of transparency behind the permit process, protesters said. Anton Adkins, a lifelong North Lawndale resident and an organizer for Únete La Villita, said the group is calling for an in-person public meeting with Riot Fest and Park District officials and neighborhood Ald. Monique Scott (24th) to address the community’s concerns, like losing access to the public park.

* WGN | Riot Fest features ‘world’s largest’ butter statue of John Stamos: This year’s butter statue comes after a yearslong love affair between Riot Fest and Stamos. A love affair that may very one-sided. According to the festival, it all started with a tweet to Stamos in 2013 asking him to reunite Jesse & The Rippers at Riot Fest — but unfortunately, they had no luck. Then in 2016, the fest attempted to get Stamos’ attention again and had an artist create a sculpture of his head out of butter. Again, no luck with having him perform, but he did respond to their post of the butter sculpture and said, “Riot Fest I’m certainly flattered & pretty frightened by #ButterStamos. Does this come with toast? Funny comments?”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark enforces decorum at City Council meetings; is it too restrictive?: At the most recent council meeting Sept. 9, several residents raised concerns about what they believe was an increased police presence, noting about 10 officers were stationed inside the council chambers. “That is very intimidating to have officers actually surround people as they give their speeches,” said the Rev. Johnathan Johnson, a pastor at the Holy Bible Missionary Baptist Church in Harvey, who has been a vocal critic of a city ordinance requiring churches to obtain business licenses.

* Daily Herald | ‘Only the beginning’: Lake County government building powered by solar : Soon, electricity to run the Central Permit Facility on the government campus in Libertyville will be generated by more than 2,000 ground-mounted photovoltaic panels covering two acres nearby. What is considered a medium-sized solar field was built by Maryland-based Standard Solar Inc., under a 25-year lease agreement that has the county paying a monthly rate for all the power generated.

* WGN | St. Charles officer who retired 3 years ago dies from ALS: Police officer Chris Grove was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, shortly after retiring from the department in 2021. According to St. Charles police, Grove died Tuesday at the age of 51.

* Sun-Times | In ‘bird city’ Homewood, toxic chemicals found at nature preserve: The source of the color as well as an oily film is a stormwater outflow owned by Homewood that collects water from nearby businesses including Homewood Disposal, a garbage and recycling business that referred questions to Homewood officials. The outflow is the responsibility of the Homewood village government.

* Crain’s | Empty Skokie tech park building heading to auction block: Skokie-based American Landmark Properties has hired real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle to seek a buyer for the building at 8030 Lamon Ave. in the northern suburb, according to a marketing flyer. The developer spent nearly $21 million in recent years redeveloping the 1970s-built, 135,851-square-foot building with space suitable for life sciences research, the flyer said, betting that biotechnology, pharmaceutical and other types of companies hunting for wet lab space would fill it.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | ‘I am not here to divide our board’: Champaign Co. Board Chair defends position: “The chaos that the chair inserts into regular board functions makes it difficult to perform basic government tasks. I just want to point out that, despite consultation with the State Attorney’s Office and extensive mentoring by various board members, the Chair continues to misunderstand and misuse the role of board chair,” [board member Emily Rodriguez] said

* WCIA | Clifton students walk out after teacher’s arrest: Brett Sorensen was arrested Tuesday following an investigation by the Illinois State Police. While he teaches at a high school in Iroquois County, Sorensen lives in Paxton and was arrested at his home. He remains in the Ford County Jail pending a detention hearing scheduled for next week. Central High School administrators said they cannot comment on personnel matters, but did say Sorensen has been placed on paid administrative leave. Students aren’t satisfied, however, with the actions taken by the school. They want Sorensen fired.

*** National ***

* AP | Hotter summers are making high school football a fatal game for some players: At least 58 players have died from exertional heat stroke between 1992 and 2024, according to the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut, and thousands more are sickened each year. This summer has been especially bad, with five high school players dying since July of suspected heat-related illnesses, including 14-year-old Semaj Wilkins who collapsed during drills last month at his Alabama high school practice.