* Capitol News Illinois…

Buildings on Illinois’ college campuses were falling apart when lawmakers approved $2.9 billion for higher education construction as part of the 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The funding brought hope for long-overdue upgrades, but the slow rollout has left colleges in limbo.

Five years later, half of the 16 promised projects are still tied up in planning. […]

A series of setbacks have stalled progress, including staffing issues at the Capital Development Board, the state’s construction management agency, rising post-pandemic construction costs and local disputes over how to stretch funding that no longer covers what university officials originally planned.

Construction costs shot up nearly 40% by 2023 compared with pre-pandemic levels, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.

“We lost about $30 million in buying power,” said Mark Luer, dean of the College of Pharmacy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. “We just couldn’t get everything we wanted in the original concept.” […]

Lately, state officials have sought to provide some relief. The Illinois Board of Higher Education’s 2025 budget included $575 million to help schools affected by rising costs see their projects to fruition. For 2026, the board is urging lawmakers to carry over any unspent funds and speed up project approvals to ensure those under Rebuild Illinois are completed within the six-year timeframe, according to IBHE spokesperson Jose Garcia.

* A quick “ComEd Four” update…

* The governor was in Los Angeles yesterday…

* Belleville News-Democrat…

Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation leaders worry they would have to cut services or close clinics and medical centers in the metro-east if Congress slashes billions of dollars from Medicaid, officials said at a news conference Thursday.

SIHF provided care to more than 103,000 people in 2024, including over 60,000 people who receive Medicaid. Touchette Regional, the hospital in SIHF’s system, relies on Medicaid more than any other local hospital. It accounts for 78% of its revenue, according to the most recent data from 2023. […]

Such cuts could have a $5 million to $10 million impact on SIHF’s budget, said President and CEO Larry McCulley.

“How do you cut that? Well, the only thing you can do is close locations, eliminate service lines like dental, obstetrics, end partnerships that raise and lift up future providers. We’re looking at having to close partnerships like our two family medical residencies in Alton and possibly in O’Fallon,” McCulley said during the news conference.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WCIA | Pritzker signs bill protecting nursing home residents from retaliation into law: If a nursing home does retaliate against a resident, they can file a civil lawsuit against them to get damages. “We cannot overlook seniors and residents in care,” Sen. Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago), the law’s Senate sponsor, said. “By enhancing protections, we are giving them the opportunity to fight back against retaliation and equipping them with stronger knowledge about their rights.”

* WAND | Illinois proposal could expand mental health education for teens: Health teachers could be tasked with teaching students about the signs and symptoms of common mental health challenges such as depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and anxiety among others. Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-Grayslake) told the House Education Policy Committee Thursday that the curriculum could also include promotion of mental health wellness, including social and cultural correctness, problem solving skills, self-esteem, and a positive school and home environment where pupils feel comfortable.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Police, Metra stations become focus of Elmhurst mayor race: Mulliner, who was on the City Council for 24 years before losing a bid for re-election in the 7th Ward two years ago, is focusing his campaign on reducing costs for taxpayers and putting off major projects. “I think it’s time right now to fix the things we have,” he told Pioneer. “Let’s try to get these taxes down.” was especially concerned with city water bills. “The water bills are killing people,” he said.

* WTTW | Report Card Slams Budget Mismanagement, Safety Concerns at Fermilab as New Contractor Takes Over: The recent assessment identified several key performance deficiencies by the previous management contractor that was replaced in January at the particle physics and accelerator laboratory in suburban Batavia. The 2024 fiscal year evaluation awarded poor marks for program management, contractor leadership, environment/safety/health, business systems and facilities maintenance, according to documents obtained from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through a public-records request.

* Daily Southtown | Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau and former Trustee Jim Dodge discuss public works, taxes and morale: Keith Pekau, seeking a third term as Orland Park’s mayor, touts accomplishments under his watch including improving village streets and parks. He is challenged in the April 1 election by Jim Dodge, a former longtime village trustee who has assembled a slate of candidates for trustee seats and village clerk. Dodge said voters are concerned about issues in the Police Department, which he says suffers from low morale. He said the overall tax burden on residents also needs to be addressed.

* Daily Herald | Search for woman in cold case leads Elgin police to Fox River: Elgin police will search the Fox River Monday as part of a cold-case investigation into a woman missing since 1983. Officials announced in a release Sunday they will resume the search for Karen Schepers, a 23-year-old Elgin woman who vanished after attending a party with coworkers at a Carpentersville bar.

* Daily Herald | Judge turns away Prestige’s civil claims against Mount Prospect officials: Last week, attorneys for the animal feed producer tried to add civil rights claims against three village officials. The move could have delayed the start of the trial. But Cook County Judge Thomas More Donnelly rejected the request. In addition, Donnelly turned down Prestige’s bid to remove the City of Des Plaines from the case.

* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect mayoral candidates differ on challenger’s leadership of the chamber of commerce: Chokshi said as chamber board president, she led the organization out of the financial doldrums of the 2010s and put it on sound financial footing. Her opponent, incumbent Mayor Paul Hoefert holds a different view. He cited the chamber’s lawsuit against the chamber co-op that took over the organization’s management and the chamber’s handling of the downtown block party.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Belleville mayoral race shows split between powerful Democrats in metro-east: The non-partisan Belleville mayoral race has shaped up to be a contentious battle between two well-known and accomplished women backed by two powerful Democrats in the metro-east. St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern (D-Belleville) is supporting incumbent Mayor Patty Gregory. He served as the city’s mayor from 1997 to 2004, when he became board chairman. Illinois State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) is supporting Gregory’s challenger, City Clerk Jenny Gain Meyer. He has served as a state legislator off and on for nearly 35 years. His district, the 113th, includes Belleville.

* Herald & Review | State tournament draws 1,000 archers, over 2,500 others to Emerald Acres in Mattoon: Students ages elementary-high school from throughout the state, from the Chicago area to Southern Illinois, competed in the tournament. Yoder said the fieldhouse’s cafe recorded approximately 2,000 purchases that day as it and the adjacent arcade provided additional activities for those in attendance.

* Daily Journal | ‘Monster’ actor leaves Momence with 2 adopted kittens: Hollywood actor Charlie Hunnam is not a monster at all. In fact, it appears he is quite the opposite. Following an extended stay in Momence while filming scenes for the Netflix true-crime series, “Monster,” it turns out much of his free time was spent in the Cat Oasis shelter in downtown Momence.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Letter carriers rally against privatization amid sweeping job cuts at Postal Service: Dozens of letter carriers gathered in Federal Plaza on Sunday afternoon to protest the Trump administration’s threats to the U.S. Postal Service. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy agreed to cut 10,000 jobs from the postal service’s 640,000-person workforce.

* Tribune | Chicago Bears add former Big Ten CFO Laura Anderson to front office: The Chicago Bears hired Laura Anderson to be their senior vice president of administration and chief financial officer, the team announced Monday. Anderson comes to the Bears after seven years at the Big Ten Conference, where she most recently was the chief financial officer and treasurer. Notably, Anderson worked with Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren when he was the Big Ten commissioner from 2020-23. “Laura is a tremendous addition to the Chicago Bears family,” Warren said in a statement. “During our time together at the Big Ten Conference, Laura served as a talented and creative driving force on our executive team, advancing our operations with financial excellence and a passion for collective growth.”

* Block Club | 10 Years After Hunger Strikers Saved Dyett High School, Boys Basketball Team Wins State Title: The hunger strikers are now the team’s biggest fans. Jeannette Taylor, now the area’s alderperson, organized the rally. Irene Robinson, who was hospitalized while participating in the strike, brought water to team practices during the season. Jitu Brown, a longtime activist and now a Chicago School Board member, watched all of the team’s state championship run, played at University of Illinois’ State Farm Center in Champaign.

*** National ***

* AP | 12 dozen lawmakers accused in 8 years. Women in the statehouse weigh #MeToo’s impact: Since 2017, The Associated Press has cataloged at least 147 state lawmakers across 44 states who have been accused of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct. Over a third resigned or were expelled from office and roughly another third faced repercussions, such as losing party or committee leadership positions. A dozen top state executive officials, including governors and attorneys general, also faced sexual misconduct allegations during that time, and most resigned.

* WBEZ | Bird flu is killing Indiana’s sandhill cranes: Fish Lake isn’t the only place sandhill cranes have been dying: Some 30 of Indiana’s 92 counties have reported sandhill crane deaths, including Lake and Porter counties, those closest to Chicago. The Department of Natural Resources estimates that more than 2,700 sandhills have died across the state, and officials believe that is likely an undercount.

* WaPo | Delete your DNA from 23andMe right now: The company said there will be “no changes” to the way it protects consumer data while in bankruptcy court. But unless you take action, there is a risk your genetic information could end up in someone else’s hands — and used in ways you had never considered. It took me just a minute to delete my data on the 23andMe website. […] There’s also a risk that your data could get sold or transferred to a new company, which might want to use it for new purposes. The privacy statement of 23andMe seems to treat your data as a company asset that’s on the table like anything else. It reads: “If we are involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your Personal Information may be accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction.”