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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Lots of people at the capitol today…
* Tribune | Fewer Illinois hospitals earn F and D grades for safety, following court decision over ratings: This year, only one Illinois hospital, Roseland Community Hospital on the city’s South Side, earned an F. Three Illinois hospitals earned D’s. The only Chicago-area hospital to earn a D was Mount Sinai Hospital on the city’s West Side. By contrast, 31 Illinois hospitals earned A grades, down slightly from 35 in the fall, the last time the grades were released. As a state, Illinois ranked 21st in the nation for hospital safety, compared with 17th in the fall. * WTTW | Brookfield Zoo, Union Reach Tentative Agreement to End 2-Day Strike: Striking workers at Brookfield Zoo Chicago have reached a tentative agreement with management, ending a two-day walkout, zoo officials and representatives from Teamsters Local 727 announced Wednesday morning. Grounds, custodial and facilities employees had been on the picket line since Monday after the union and management failed to come to terms on a new contract. Animal care staff had remained on the job but had been expected to join their fellow union members in the walkout Wednesday before the strike was halted. * Chicago Reader | The last days of Legion Park, before the city swept it: According to DFSS’s own numbers, none of the 20 people who called Legion Park home had keys to an apartment in hand when the police and dump trucks arrived that morning. Zero people had accepted offers to temporary city shelters, for various reasons. None of that seemed to matter. The signs had gone up; the offers had been made. From a distance, it looks like this story ends where it started: unhoused Chicagoans still homeless, still living in city parks. * Sun-Times | Chicago Park District installs automated parking gates at 10 beaches: But paying at the lots isn’t new. The park district says the recent changes “simply modernize how payment is managed and enforced.” The park district also said the new gates will help with park security. […] Under the system, visitors will be allowed a 15-minute grace period free of charge that can be used for pickup, drop-off or unloading supplies. After that, a parking fee will be applied. Parking rates have not increased as a result of the upgrades, according to the park district. * Sun-Times | Giant slide at new Griffin Museum of Science and Industry exhibit set to be a scene stealer: “It’s huge, huge, huge — what is there to say? I mean, it’s incredible,” said Patricia Ward, the museum’s head scientist. “We’ve been testing it, and it really is kind of thrilling.” The slide is part of ‘Powering the Future,’ a new permanent exhibit opening May 8 at the South Side museum. The exhibit is included in the price of general admission. * Tribune | Chicago White Sox pitchers — including rookie Noah Schultz — are ‘getting some momentum going’: Schultz tossed six scoreless innings on Friday, helping the Sox to an 8-2 victory. Burke followed that up with six scoreless innings of his own while striking out eight in a 4-0 win on Saturday. “Schultz has been doing a great job since he’s been out there,” Burke said. “Our game is a little bit different, but watching how he goes about his business and attack this team, it’s nice to see from a stuff perspective how the hitters are handling it and his ability to adapt.” * Daily Southtown | Tinley Park tightens control on business licenses as moratorium ends: Trustee Ken Shaw said the ordinance aligns the business license approval process and classifications with the liquor and gaming license process, meaning specific types of businesses would be capped at their existing numbers and any additions would require a formal business licensing process. The number of businesses can go up, but only if the village approves it. It won’t happen automatically, Shaw said. * Aurora Beacon-News | St. Charles Ald. Bob Gehm resigns, city seeks candidates to fill vacant seat on council: St. Charles Ald. Bob Gehm, Ward 3, is stepping down from the City Council, the city of St. Charles said on Tuesday. His resignation was effective May 1. Gehm had served on the City Council since 2023, according to a news release from the city. After first being appointed, he was then elected to the seat in 2025. He’s also served on the Liquor Control Commission since 2013, per the city. St. Charles is divided into five wards, each with two City Council members. Gehm’s term as one of the two Ward 3 members of the City Council was set to expire in 2027. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora looks for help naming baby falcons that hatched outside City Hall: The public can submit nominations through May 11 by going to yourvoice.aurora.il.us/babyfalcons. The top 10 submissions will be voted on by the public, and then the top four will be given to the baby falcons, according to a city news release. Residents can view the falcon family through a 24-hour live stream set up by the city’s Information Technology Department and Video Production Division, city officials said in the news release. The “Falcon Cam” can be found at: aurora.il.us/FalconCam * Sun-Times | Carvana to create 100 jobs at Hoffman Estates facility: The company is currently hiring for about 80 roles in vehicle inspection, reconditioning and fulfillment with no degree required, as well as salaried leadership positions, according to a news release on Wednesday. Carvana plans to add jobs as it expands existing operations at its Adesa Chicago site in Hoffman Estates. It bought Adesa, a national wholesale vehicle auction company, in 2022 for $2.2 billion. * BND | New Athens school delayed notifying police about gun, chief’s report says: A first-grader’s alleged decision to bring an unloaded gun to a New Athens school wasn’t reported to police until shortly after 5 p.m. — about seven hours after it was found, a police report says. […] The first grade teacher said around 10:30 a.m. that a student told her a classmate had a gun in his backpack. […] Aside from better communication, Voelkel and other concerned parents asked the board for better safety policies. Some pushed for gun safety education. “‘It was unloaded’ is not a safety plan, you guys — that is luck,” Voelkel told the board. * WCIA | City looking to fill seat after Urbana council member resigned: In a news release sent out Wednesday morning, the city announced that it is accepting applications for the Ward 5 council seat. Former alderwoman Chaundra Bishop resigned in April. […] Bishop took to social media to explain her decision to the community. She said she is submitting her resignation with “deep sadness” due to ongoing health issues that require her full attention. * Press release | Gov. Pritzker Announces $5 Million Investment in Combe’s Rantoul Expansion: Today, Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the Village of Rantoul, and Combe Incorporated announced new investments in Rantoul. Combe will invest $30 million to expand and retain its manufacturing operations in East Central Illinois, which is supported by a $5 million grant from the State of Illinois. “Combe’s expansion is a great example of how the State of Illinois works with companies and communities to create jobs and opportunities for our people,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With more than a half-century of calling Illinois home, Combe’s long-term commitment speaks to why Illinois continues to bolster its reputation as a manufacturing powerhouse.”
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