* Illinois PIRG…

Utility regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) ordered meaningful changes to the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program on Thursday. The decision by the ICC is a victory for advocates who have long called for reforms to the troubled program.

The ICC wrapped up a year-long investigation by ordering the Chicago gas utility to refocus its program on the safety risks associated with its leak-prone iron pipes. These reforms should ensure Peoples Gas’ pipeline safety investments cost less while maximizing public safety benefits. The Commission ordered Peoples Gas to complete the replacement of iron pipes by 2035.

“Today’s Illinois Commerce Commission decision is a victory for Peoples Gas customers and all Chicagoans,” said Illinois PIRG director Abe Scarr. “By refocusing Peoples Gas on cost-effective investments to mitigate safety risks, the ICC has directed Peoples Gas to run a program that costs less, makes us safer, and facilitates the transition to cleaner energy.”

Today’s decision could significantly reduce future rate hikes by constraining excessive infrastructure spending by Peoples Gas. A recent study estimated that, without reform, the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program would cost an additional $12.8 billion to complete, doubling the amount Peoples Gas customers pay for gas delivery by 2040.

* Daily Herald…

With their first attempt resulting in a legal challenge, a group of suburban Republicans will meet Friday to again choose former state Sen. Dan McConchie’s successor in the 26th District.

The committee’s leader said he doesn’t expect the end result will be any different.

The gathering is set for 1 p.m. at Palatine Township Republican Organization headquarters, 765 N. Quentin Road in Palatine. It will be open to the public. […]

A five-member committee selected Barrington Hills Trustee Darby Hills for the post when it met Feb. 14, but that appointment resulted in litigation alleging the meeting wasn’t properly advertised to the public.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Crain’s | Opinion: As biz leaders, we value public transit. But before we pay more, we need this.: However, before the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. JB Pritzker consider raising taxes for transit, a trust deficit must be addressed to ensure that funding is used effectively and efficiently to achieve clear public benefits. Any funding discussion needs to be preceded by major reforms that improve and integrate the operations, financing, and governance and oversight of our siloed transit organizations.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago Teachers Union leaders are facing a challenge in spring union election: The announcement of an opposition slate comes as the CTU remains mired in those contentious contract talks. The union has taken legal steps to prepare for a possible strike, though it’s likely a deal will be reached before the union election in May. The teachers looking to take over the CTU call themselves the Respect Educate Advocate Lead (REAL) caucus. Announcing their candidacies this week, the group’s leaders said they think the current leadership has become too insular and unwilling to listen to differing views. Candidates must collect petitions from 5% of the CTU’s 27,000 members, or about 1,300 signatures, by March 21.

* WTTW | With Latest Settlement, Police Pursuits Cost Chicago Taxpayers $101.8M Since 2019: Analysis: The city’s insurance company is set to cover $7 million of the settlement, according to the agreement approved by the City Council. The cost of resolving police pursuits has escalated significantly since 2019, while the Chicago Police Department has been subject to a federal court order to change the way it trains, supervises and disciplines officers, according to the WTTW News analysis.

* Tribune | Former Chicago Housing Authority general counsel created ‘toxic work culture,’ staff alleged: Chicago Housing Authority staff accused CHA’s former general counsel Ellen Harris of creating a “hostile” and “toxic” work environment leading up to her resignation in August 2024, according to public records obtained by the Tribune. CHA’s head of human resources said in a July 2024 memo to former CHA CEO Tracey Scott that his office and the Office of the Inspector General had received complaints over a 12- to 18-month period about Harris’ “leadership and management style.”

* Sun-Times | Divisive Old Town residential development going before Chicago Plan Commission: After dozens of community meetings, 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins announced Jan. 24 that he would reject the project. He said in a January newsletter to residents that he was “awaiting a possible compromise proposal from the developer.” Hopkins also said there was a “clear mandate” from the last community meeting to land a compromise. […] But Hopkins changed course Feb. 6 and announced his support for the 1600 N. La Salle project, after negotiating with Fern Hill and its project partners, including the nearby Moody Church. Fern Hill’s updated plans for the corridor include finding a new grocer for the shuttered Treasure Island grocery store at 1639 N. Wells St. and dedicating a greater portion of the parking for Moody Church.

* Crain’s | 150 workers losing jobs as Kindred hospitals shutter: More than 150 people are losing their jobs as rehabilitation and long-term care group Kindred Hospitals of Chicago shutters two local sites, cutting its footprint in half. Kindred, which is owned by Louisville, Ky.-based hospital system ScionHealth, is in the process of consolidating its local long-term acute care facilities and associated services to two locations amid dwindling patient volumes.

* Chalkbeat | Chicago releases its Black Student Success Plan amid backlash against race-based initiatives: The release of the Black Student Success Plan, during Black History Month, is part of CPS’s broader five-year strategic plan and aims to address long-standing disparities in graduation, discipline, and other metrics faced by its Black students, who make up roughly a third of the student body. The district set out to create the Black Student Success Plan in the fall of 2023, but its quiet posting on Thursday comes as both conservative advocacy groups and the Trump administration are taking aim at race-based initiatives in school districts and on college campuses.

* Daily Herald | Bears announce Ben Johnson’s complete coaching staff: The Chicago Bears officially announced first-year head coach Ben Johnson’s full coaching staff on Thursday. The team had already introduced Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator and Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator. The team also previously announced that special teams coordinator Richard Hightower would be retained under Johnson.

* Press Release | WIN: Preservation Chicago Rescues Chicago Tribune Archival Material Before Freedom Center Demolition: When it became clear that portions of the Chicago Tribune archive were at risk of being lost due to space limitations, Preservation Chicago stepped up to save these important items. During June 2024, Preservation Chicago relocated to our offices the Paul Gapp Collection, the Chicago and Illinois reference collection, bound copies of the Chicago Tribune Arts, Magazines, and Book Sections dating back the 1940s, and bound volumes of Chicago Magazine dating back to 1971.

* Block Club | How A South Side Dad’s Tennis Program Changed The Lives Of Black Chicago Players: Bryant’s wife, daughter, coaches and former students of the no-nonsense educator have all experienced the transformative power of Love To Serve, their connections to the 33-year-old organization a testament to its impact. They’ve seen the shy, uncertain kids who come through the program become confident and ambitious. Some have gone on to become doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs. Others have followed in Bryant’s footsteps, becoming tennis instructors themselves.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WTTW | Highland Park Parade Shooting Victims Will be Allowed in Court During Upcoming Trial of Alleged Gunman: Dozens of men and women who were struck by gunfire at the 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade will be allowed to attend the upcoming trial of the alleged gunman. Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti on Thursday granted a prosecution motion that will allow any victim who is set to testify against Robert Crimo III to remain in court throughout the entirety of his trial.

* Sun-Times | Former Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski set to be sentenced for extortion in June: Former Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski admitted 4½ years ago that he’d committed extortion and bribery in criminal schemes involving more than a quarter-million dollars. Tobolski pleaded guilty, but he also agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors — so his sentencing was put on hold. In the years that followed, other public officials admitted committing their own crimes with Tobolski, and they’ve gone off to prison.

* Tribune | Cook County prosecutors file union petition after state’s attorney misses union deadline for voluntary recognition: Voluntary recognition would allow the Teamsters to bypass a potentially lengthy legal process in pursuit of recognition, Leahy said. Though Cook County assistant public defenders have been unionized with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees since the mid-1980s, a decades-old Illinois Supreme Court decision barred assistant state’s attorneys from forming a union after former State’s Attorney Jack O’Malley challenged their union drive. The Teamsters believe they have legal avenues available to overcome that decision, union representatives said, but would prefer to avoid a lengthy court process.

* WTTW | With Federal Funds Frozen, a 1,300-Acre Restoration Project Comes to an Abrupt Stop at Midewin — Chicago Region’s Largest Natural Area: This winter had been a favorable one — weather-wise — for Homer Tree Care, a contractor doing the heavy lifting at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Will County, where an ambitious 1,300-acre restoration recently kicked off, a year after a $1.5 million grant was announced to fund the project’s first phase. Midewin is the largest natural area in the Chicago region, encompassing 20,000 acres that provide needed habitat to numerous species amid surrounding urban and agricultural sprawl.

*** Downstate ***

* Press Release | ISP urban policing model sees homicides drop to 6-year low: The Illinois State Police’s (ISP) urban policing model, Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG), is reducing crime and building trust with the community, leading to a 6-year low in homicides in East St. Louis, the area covered by the model. ​ ISP’s combination of targeted antiviolence details, dedicated investigative resources, coordination with local law enforcement, implementation of new technology, partnerships with community organizations, and engagement in neighborhoods helped reduce homicides in 2024 by 26% compared to 2023, and non-fatal shootings by 32%.

* Daily-Journal | Lights, camera, action: Bright lights shine on Momence: The operator of the 800-square-foot shop, 120 E. Washington St., wasn’t opposed to the idea of donning a costume while cameras were rolling. However, he said, he has a business to run. And while there can be no getting around the fact the Netflix production of “Monster,” which largely took place this past week in the city of about 3,000, created some obstacles for running a small business, Bowman was more than fine with it.

*** National ***

* ProPublica | Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared: The rate of sepsis shot up more than 50% for women hospitalized when they lost their pregnancies in the second trimester, ProPublica found. The surge in this life-threatening condition, caused by infection, was most pronounced for patients whose fetus may still have had a heartbeat when they arrived at the hospital.

* WSJ | X Hinted at Possible Deal Trouble in Talks With Ad Giant to Increase Spending: A lawyer at advertising conglomerate Interpublic Group fielded a phone call in December from a lawyer at X. The message was clear, according to several people with knowledge of the conversation: Get your clients to spend more on Elon Musk’s social-media platform, or else. X CEO Linda Yaccarino has made comments that seemed like similar warnings in conversations with Interpublic executives, according to people with knowledge of those talks.

* Solar Power World | Community solar installations increased by 35% in 2024: The United States community solar market installed a record-breaking 1.7 GWDC of capacity in 2024, a 35% increase from 2023, according to a new report released by Wood Mackenzie in collaboration with the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). However, with policy uncertainty at both national and state levels, long-term growth hangs in the balance. According to the report, last year’s growth was led by New York, Maine and Illinois. All three states broke annual records and accounted for 83% of national volumes. Cumulative community solar installations now total 8.6 GWDC.