* News-Gazette…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker visited Centennial High School this morning to discuss his proposal to deal with an issue that he said impacts students both in terms of academic success and social-emotional development: cell phone use in classroom.

Pritzker is calling for legislation that would ban the use of phones in classrooms, albeit with some exceptions, including emergencies, situations where a teacher gives permission, support for English-learner students and if the phone is necessitated by an IEP, 504 plan or physician’s order.

“Champaign Unit 4 has helped lead the charge in this work,” he said.

Unit 4 Superintendent Shelia Boozer said that the district’s own policy, which was introduced earlier this school year and limits phone use, has had a “positive impact,” according to a recent survey of teachers and families.

* Crain’s…

Battery maker Gotion is planning to start production soon at its Manteno factory and ramp up hiring.

The company will begin making commercial energy-storage products later this month, according to sources briefed on the matter. Such equipment is used for solar- and wind-energy projects, as well as other industrial applications.

Production of electric-vehicle batteries is expected to start by the end of the year.

It’s a tangible sign that a major project, which is one of JB Pritzker’s biggest economic development achievements as governor, is moving forward.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | High school student helps draft bill to require opioid overdose medications in Illinois libraries: A senior at the Illinois Math and Science Academy, the Elgin native is working with her local state representative on a bill that would require public libraries to keep on hand medications that can reverse an opioid overdose. The legislation would also require libraries to always have at least one staff member working who is trained on responding to an overdose situation.

* Illinois Times | Illinois civil forfeiture rules get a D grade: The case of a former southern Illinois police chief accused of selling for personal gain vehicles seized during a criminal investigation is giving rise to an effort to change state law to require law enforcement to better track what they do with other people’s possessions. At least three bills introduced in recent weeks are aimed at improving transparency and providing data to accurately show what happens to seized property after police seize vehicles, firearms, cash and other items while looking into crime. Bill HB-1628 would require police to file an annual report of seized assets, the suspected crime, and accompanying information related to the original owner.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | City denies school board push for debt to pay pension bill: The city will not borrow on behalf of Chicago Public Schools, Cassio Mendoza, a spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson, said on Thursday in response to a proposed budget amendment from the district. School officials suggested another entity issue debt to help cover a portion of the roughly $300 million of additional expenses related to pending teacher and principal contracts as well as an outstanding pension bill that it owes the city.

* Tribune | City begins rehousing efforts for Gompers Park homeless encampment residents: Residents met individually with caseworkers and ate a meal. They virtually toured available apartment units, completed housing applications, could potentially meet with landlords, and chose furniture options for their new apartment, according to Maura McCauley, acting commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services.

* WTTW | Pay Activist Miracle Boyd, Struck by Cop at 2020 Grant Park Protest, $280K, City Lawyers Recommend: Chicago taxpayers should pay $280,000 to activist Miracle Boyd, who was struck by a Chicago police officer during a protest in Grant Park near the Christopher Columbus statue in July 2020, city lawyers recommended. The Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee is scheduled to consider settling Boyd’s lawsuit on Monday, which would add to the toll to defend and settle lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct during the protests and unrest during the summer of 2020 triggered by the police murder of George Floyd. A final vote of the City Council could come Wednesday.

* WTTW | Ex-Correctional Officer Accused of Sexually Abusing Inmates in Chicago’s Federal Prison: A former correctional officer assigned to a female unit at Chicago’s federal detention has been accused of sexually assaulting four inmates while on duty in late 2023. Brittany Hall, 31, of Chicago, was charged this week with five counts of sexual abuse of a ward and three counts of abusive sexual contact. She is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in downtown Chicago on Thursday afternoon.

* Daily Southtown | Fire destroys magnesium factory in Dixmoor, crews work to secure area, monitor air quality: Most of the damage was visible at the back of the Chicago Magnesium Casting Co., 14101 Seeley Ave. Nicor Gas crews were on site and warned an unstable wall in the back of the facility posed a safety hazard and is at risk of collapse. Chicago Magnesium was founded in 1953 as an aluminum and sand casting foundry specializing in aerospace, according to the company’s website. The company produces castings for helicopters, jet fighters, jumbo transports and regional jets, serving both military and commercial sectors, the website states.

* WTTW | New Field Museum Exhibit Showcases Africa’s World of High Fashion: “We hope to tell a story that’s about agency, about abundance and about unbounded creativity,” said Christine Checinska, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London’s inaugural senior curator of African and diaspora textiles and fashion, and lead curator of the exhibit. “It’s what I see as the magnificence of African creativity. Within that, we want to tell a story that gives a glimpse into the glamour and the politics of the African fashion scene.”

* Chicago Reader | Renzell grows a hip-hop oasis at Studio Shapes: Renzell opened Studio Shapes in late 2022 in a different space in Albany Park, and in the years since, it’s blossomed beautifully, growing through word of mouth into a buzzing hub that caters to Chicago’s hip-hop community. Today a diverse array of accomplished and ambitious Chicago creatives frequent Studio Shapes, seeking a haven for connection, networking, and growth.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Journal & Topics | Personal Firearm Slips From Niles Mayor’s Hands, Accidentally Goes Off: While removing a small shotgun from the office of his restaurant in Morton Grove at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, Niles Mayor George Alpogianis dropped the weapon and it discharged, injuring himself and a co-worker. “On Saturday, Feb. 15, while leaving my restaurant outside of my back office, I accidentally discharged my personal firearm while preparing to take it to a gun shop for routine cleaning,” Alpogianis said in a written statement. “As I removed the weapon, it slipped from my grip, and when I attempted to catch it, it discharged. It was pointed at the ground.

* Press Release | Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul endorses Mayor Daniel Biss for re-election: “Daniel has a long track record of fighting for Evanstonians. From our time working closely together in the statehouse to his time as Mayor, Daniel has always stood up for what’s right. In his first term, Daniel made major progress on the issues he campaigned on – from public safety reform to affordable housing and economic development. Daniel has a real track record of results,” said Attorney General Raoul. 

* Daily Herald | Kane County Chair makes pitch for $51 million sales tax referendum: Kane County voters will consider a 0.75% retail sales tax increase on the April 1 ballot, a request from the county intended to bring in $51 million in revenue to support public safety. Board Chair Corinne Pierog made a nearly hourlong presentation at an Aurora Area League of Women Voters Zoom meeting Tuesday night, detailing the county’s needs.

* Daily Herald | Tempers flare, accusations fly as Mount Prospect approves additional testing of Prestige Feed: Mount Prospect village trustees agreed to hire a Chicago firm to test for possible health risks connected with animal feed producer Prestige Feed Products. Trustees voted Tuesday to retain RHP Risk Management at a cost of $69,000 to conduct an airborne chemical assessment.

* Evanston Now | Honoring the students you don’t always see: When Keira Joseph was called to the front of the school assembly on Thursday morning, she was pushed there in a wheelchair. Keira, a fifth grader, was one of the two students at Park School to be named a recipient of the District 65/District 202 African American Youth Achievement (AAYA)Awards.

*** Downstate ***

* Muddy River News | No answer in sight as airport officials wait for Department of Transportation to award new EAS contract: The City of Quincy continues to wait for an answer from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to confirm that Contour Airlines of Smyrna, Tenn., will be the essential air service (EAS) provider for Quincy Regional Airport for the next four years. The Quincy City Council voted on Jan. 21 to have Mayor Mike Troup send official notification of the city’s recommendation of Contour to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Contour’s proposal called for providing 12 round-trip flights from Quincy to Chicago each week.

* BND | Metro-east couple with ‘lavish lifestyle’ charged in $7M school meal fraud case, feds say: Williams and Warford used the money to buy a $1.4 million home in Edwardsville, a 2018 Lincoln Navigator, a 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel pickup, a 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and two 2021 Ram Promaster vans. They also spent $140,000 on extravagant vacations, $100,000 on furniture, home electronics and landscaping for their new home, more than $50,000 in school tuition payments and $460,000 on Warford’s mother.

* WSIL | 2×4 in tree on display for Tri-State Tornado 100th Anniversary: The Jackson County Historical Society stated they have the unique item on display for visitors to come look at. The item is a Maple tree with a 2X4 piece of wood driven through it which occurred during the F5 tornado of 1925. This item was cut down and shipped to Springfield to be part of the state archives and is temporarily on display at the Jackson County Historical Society during the 100th anniversary event.

* WREX | Northern Illinois Food Bank opens doors at former Kmart location: “We have a really nice flow set up now, open shopping,” said Chris White, Chief Operating Officer at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. It’s a place where you grab a cart and get the items that you need most to make the meal you choose for your family. But what’s different about this grocery trip: it’s all free.

* WSIL | Thrillville Thrillbillies Announce Major Changes for 2025 Season: Thrillbillies Baseball is about more than just the game — it’s about crafting an unforgettable fan experience. That’s why the team is introducing the All You Can Eat Ticket! For just $20, fans will receive a game ticket + unlimited access to their favorite ballpark bites at Mtn Dew Park.

*** National ***

* CJR | We Compared Eight AI Search Engines. They’re All Bad at Citing News: Overall, the chatbots often failed to retrieve the correct articles. Collectively, they provided incorrect answers to more than 60 percent of queries. Across different platforms, the level of inaccuracy varied, with Perplexity answering 37 percent of the queries incorrectly, while Grok 3 had a much higher error rate, answering 94 percent of the queries incorrectly.

* NBC | Republicans can’t meet their own budget target without cutting Medicare or Medicaid, budget office says: House Republicans can’t meet their own budget target that is necessary to pass President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda without making significant cuts to Medicare or Medicaid, the official budget scorekeeper confirmed Wednesday. House Republicans adopted a budget blueprint last week that opens the door to pass Trump’s policy priorities on immigration, energy and taxes. It instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut spending under its jurisdiction by $880 billion.

* NYT | Fearing Retribution, Trump Critics Muzzle Themselves: Fired federal workers who are worried about losing their homes ask not to be quoted by name. University presidents fearing that millions of dollars in federal funding could disappear are holding their fire. Chief executives alarmed by tariffs that could hurt their businesses are on mute. Even longtime Republican hawks on Capitol Hill, stunned by President Trump’s revisionist history that Ukraine is to blame for its invasion by Russia, and his Oval Office blowup at President Volodymyr Zelensky, have either muzzled themselves, tiptoed up to criticism without naming Mr. Trump or completely reversed their positions.

* WIRED | Social Security Workers Aren’t Allowed to Read This Story: New internet restrictions at the embattled SSA have cut off access to WIRED, along with other “general news” websites like The Washington Post and The New York Times.