* ICYMI: Illinois residents racing to help in the aftermath of Helene. Tribune…

- What was supposed to be a weeklong trip to Asheville, North Carolina, for a Chicago band to record a studio album morphed into an emergency outreach operation after Hurricane Helene slammed into the southeast U.S. last week.
- The manager opened the venue to the community, and the band pitched in to make food for a line of hungry residents.
- Illinois Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, a statewide response team for natural disasters, deployed two 12-person crews to the Asheville area Wednesday evening

* Related stories…

∙ CBS: Red Cross volunteers from Illinois helping Southeast recover from Helene; “People just need compassion”
∙ WSIL: Hundreds from Ameren respond to east coast with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts

At 10:30 Governor Pritzker will launch a new statewide manufacturing training initiative. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Crain’s | Michael Sacks, Richard Price leave World Business Chicago board: Michael Sacks and Richard Price, two high-profile veterans of Chicago’s corporate community, have left the board of World Business Chicago. Sacks, CEO of investment firm GCM Grosvenor, was vice chairman, or the top private-sector leader of World Business Chicago, when Rahm Emanuel was mayor. Price is the longtime chairman of investment firm Mesirow.

* Sun-Times | Spending time? Mayor Johnson’s budget address pushed back two weeks in face of nearly $1 billion deficit: The original budget speech was expected for Oct. 16, officials from the city’s budget office told WBEZ, but is now slated for the day before Halloween on Oct. 30. The Council will then hold two weeks of budget hearings from Nov. 6 through Nov. 20 before a Thanksgiving break. That leaves two weeks for City Council members to consider amendments to the proposed budget. The mayor’s office hopes for a final vote on Dec. 4.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | 47th District rivals for state representative debate effectiveness of current gun laws: The effectiveness of current gun legislation in Illinois, including an assault weapons ban, was among the topics debated by Republican incumbent state Rep. Amy Grant of Wheaton and her crosstown Democratic challenger Jackie Williamson in a recent interview with the Daily Herald. Grant is running for her third term in Springfield. The current race is a rematch from 2022.

Rest in Power, @officialmutombo Dikembe Mutombo. Basketball Hall of Famer, NBA Global Ambassador, and Humanitarian. One of the Greats. Let’s keep fighting to find a cure for cancer. #Chicago pic.twitter.com/R0k1oXGk65

— Hoan Huynh (Hahn Win) (@HoanDHuynh) October 1, 2024

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Climate change can alter the vibrancy and timing of fall foliage. How will the recent drought affect Illinois?: Recent dry weather — the whole state was at least abnormally dry by the second week of September — caused some trees in parts of Illinois to start turning yellow and even shedding some leaves earlier than usual throughout September, including honey locusts, walnut trees and some birch trees. In its most recent update Thursday, the U.S. Drought Monitor indicated a small recovery with approximately 93% of the state being at least abnormally dry.

* KSDK | FEMA urges Illinois residents to apply for assistance after severe July flooding: So far, the federal government has provided over $9.4 million to help survivors across seven Illinois counties. The Illinois counties that FEMA crews are canvassing in connection to July storm damage are St. Clair, Washington, Fulton, Henry, Winnebago, Cook, and Will. […] FEMA will be in the area for the next few weeks, assisting homeowners impacted by July’s storms. Residents are urged to apply before the November 19 deadline.

*** Chicago ***

* NBC Chicago | Mayor Brandon Johnson denies he asked CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to resign: Tension between Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez and Mayor Brandon Johnson continued to grow for yet another day on Monday, with the mayor denying he ever asked Martinez to resign. […] Multiple sources, as well as Chicago aldermen, told NBC Chicago they’re expecting several members appointed by Johnson to the Chicago Board of Education to resign rather than carry out the mayor’s plans to oust Martinez and approve a $300 million loan to pay for teacher raises.

* Sun-Times | Board walk? Potential resignations of Board of Education members could mean more CPS upheaval: No resignations had been handed in to the mayor’s office as of Monday afternoon, but a source close to the board confirmed conversations are ongoing about the makeup of the board for the next few months. […] No matter the reasons, any mass resignations could be viewed as a rejection of Johnson’s handling of the tension with CPS leadership. It would be an astonishing outcome for this board that has worked hand-in-hand with the mayor to usher in his progressive vision ahead of the city’s first school board elections. A new board will be seated in January.

* CBS Chicago | Chicago Board of Elections explains how voting process is secure and transparent: The final accuracy and logic tests were under way Monday at the Supersite, at 191 N. Clark St. The printers and computers there are never connected to the internet, and once a voting machine passes a series of tests, it is secured with a tamperproof seal.”If those tags are ever broken, that machine is going to be taken off the floor,” said Max Bever, director of public information for the Chicago Board of Elections.

* Sun-Times | Homeless camp to stay in Gompers Park until 2025, city tells Northwest Side neighbors: City officials told the Sun-Times last week that they have spent $70 million in federal money on programs related to homelessness, and “based on funding availability” there is no plan for a rapid response to the Gompers situation this year.

* Sun-Times | Drones called ‘game-changer’ for policing — but is CPD late to the game?: The Illinois State Police has 75 drones. New York City has 55, with one just to monitor beaches. San Diego has 47. But CPD has just five, getting its first ones only last year. They’ve been used mainly for surveillance at special events, including the Democratic National Convention, Lollapalooza and the Pride Parade.

* Tribune | From Lollapalooza to the DNC, summer events boost Chicago hotels to record revenue: Visitors to Chicago booked 3.4 million hotel rooms from June through August, up 5% over last summer, according to data released Tuesday by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm. The increased demand generated $942 million in revenue for Chicago hotels and $54 million in city tax revenue, both up 13% over last summer to all-time highs, according to Choose Chicago.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Naperville eyes utility hikes to help keep up with system maintenance needs: The city’s preliminary capital improvement plan budget for 2025 includes $183 million for major projects, including continued work replacing aging water mains and underground electric cables, and the proposed utility rate hikes. City council members are expected to vote this month on the proposed increases, which could add $8 to the average monthly electric bill and $9 to the average water bill in 2025.

* ABC Chicago | Lake County planting hundreds of trees to fight rising temperatures, diminished air quality: “Trees are the best infrastructure you can do for stormwater management,” Lake County Sustainability Director Robin Grooms said. The trees they are planting are expected to absorb thousands of gallons of water during storms, saving the county from much more costly alternatives to handle that water.

* Press Release | State’s Attorney’s Office Welcomes Newest Member - Duo Dog Crew: DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and his entire office warmly welcomed its newest team member, Duo Dog “Crew”, to the Office this afternoon. DuPage County Clerk of the Circuit Court Candice Adams administered Crew’s oath of office at his official swearing in ceremony in the State’s Attorney’s Office attended by dozens of Crew’s newest co-workers. Following the ceremony, Crew, a twenty-month-old Labrador Retriever, took some time before getting to work to introduce himself to his fellow employees and even posed for several photographs.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | U of I, service workers reach tentative deal on new contract: Robin Kaler, Associate Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing, said the university and SEIU Local 73 reached the deal on Monday. Union negotiators are recommending it for ratification, Kaler said, and if union members agree to the contract, they would return to work tomorrow.

* Intelligencer | Illinois state police officer, wife charged in Edwardsville child abuse case: “The ISP Division of Internal Investigation is investigating charges against Special Agent Hatley,” ISP spokesperson Melaney Arnold said in a written statement. “He is being placed on administrative leave without pay and his police powers suspended. ISP does not tolerate any criminal conduct within its ranks. As we do with any alleged crime, ISP will move swiftly towards justice and accountability.”

*** National ***

* Politico | California bans legacy admissions at all colleges: California’s law, which will take effect Sept. 1, 2025, is the nation’s fifth legacy admissions ban, but only the second that will apply to private colleges. […] Like other states, California won’t financially penalize violators, but it will post the names of violators on the state Department of Justice’s website.