* ICYMI: Illinois Democrats accuse Darren Bailey of failing to disclose who provides rent-free Chicago apartment. Tribune…

- Darren Bailey on the campaign trail has told downstate supporters that he and his wife have been staying in Chicago since the day after the March 17 primary thanks to “a doctor that’s been gracious enough to donate his apartment for us to stay in the Grant Park area,” according to the complaint.
- By failing to report the arrangement, the complaint alleges, Bailey has violated the requirement that candidates report “anything of value, knowingly received in connection with the nomination for election, election, or retention of any candidate or person to or in public office.”
- Because the election is so close, the Illinois State Board of Elections must hold a hearing on the complaint before Election Day on Nov. 3, board spokesman Matt Dietrich wrote in an email.

* At 10:30 am, Gov. JB Pritzker will make an Illinois Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) announcement with Xignux. At 1 pm, the governor will tour a farm and announce a pilot low-interest loan program for farmers. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WGN | Illinois Republican and Democratic Party Chairs talk election outlook: In the contests that have polling, Democrats look poised to win big. But the GOP is not ready to throw in the towel. On The Point, WGN Political Editor Tahman Bradley talked about the campaign with both state party chairs, Democrat Lisa Hernandez and Republican Bob Grogan.

* Center Square | Illinois Dem party hopes to pick up seats across the state: “I think with the the damage the Republican Party has done, both to itself, but also to our state, I think we have a ton of disaffected voters in both [the 114th and 104th districts], and hopefully 118 – and I’m keeping my fingers crossed there – who are looking for a change, who are looking for a party that better represents their interests, bringing down costs,” Hardin said.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Center Square | Illinois AG asked to probe 24 taxing bodies’ referendum campaigns: Americans for Prosperity Illinois is asking Attorney General Kwame Raoul and four county state’s attorneys to investigate whether 24 local taxing bodies used taxpayer resources to campaign for more taxpayer money. Americans for Prosperity Illinois Deputy State Director Brian Costin said 24 Illinois school districts and other taxing bodies credited consultants they hired with helping pass a combined projected total of $3.4 billion in tax collections through referendums. Costin said that would be a violation of the state ethics act by spending public funds on what he categorized as thinly disguised campaigns to get voters to approve tax and bond referendums.

*** Chicago ***

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Reopening Of CPS Watchdog Inquiry Roils Candidate’s Bid For School Board President: At a Tuesday evening press conference, Dominguez said he sat down for an interview with the CPS watchdog that day. “As I’ve always said, I am ready to be accountable, and I am ready to participate in every investigation,” said Dominguez, who did not take any questions. The reopening of the case is now a factor in the high-stakes race for board president, in which Dominguez faces former CPS principal and current board member Jessica Biggs and attorney Victor Henderson. At least two school board candidates in other races called on Dominguez to drop out over the weekend.

* Block Club | COPA Says Off-Duty Chicago Officer Fired 2 Guns At Same Time During Little Village Shooting: In another update to the initial police statement, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability said Tuesday that after firing the initial shots, the off-duty officer drove eastbound toward the 2300 block of South Rockwell Street, exited the vehicle and fired additional shots “from two firearms simultaneously” in the direction of where the initial encounter took place. One person was struck by gunfire and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition and a second person “self-transported” to the hospital for an arm injury related to the incident, according to Tuesday’s update and the initial police statement.

* Crain’s | Justin Ishbia’s firm buys retail property near proposed White Sox development site: Justin Ishbia has acquired a South Loop retail property kitty corner from his proposed White Sox ballpark-anchored megaproject along the South Branch of the Chicago River. An affiliate of Ishbia’s Chicago-based private equity firm, Shore Capital Partners, paid $15.3 million for the Maxwell, a 240,074-square-foot shopping center at 1100 S. Canal St. last week, according to Illinois property records.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Insight’s plan to reopen West Suburban hits first roadblock: The divide between hospital management and its critics is yet another roadblock to any return of acute care services at West Suburban or its likewise-closed sister hospital Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown. The hospitals already owe tens of millions in advanced Medicaid payments and unpaid taxes and would likely need an infusion of government funds to reopen. “I am done letting other people skate,” said Harmon. He said Illinois made mistakes in allowing the previous management, Resilience Healthcare, run up debt and let infrastructure fail.

* Daily Herald | Commercial solar energy proposal facing opposition from Hawthorn Woods, Long Grove: This property abuts Long Grove at the Canadian National Railroad tracks, directly south of the Indian Creek Club subdivision, Village President Bill Jacob said in a notification to residents. “In my opinion, the proposed solar installation is a large-scale operation that does not align with the rural character of both Hawthorn Woods and Long Grove,” Jacob said. […] Hawthorn Woods also notified residents of the public hearing. Mayor Dominick DiMaggio said the village doesn’t oppose solar energy but will in this location near residents who are on wells for drinking water.

* Daily Herald | ‘It is a neighborhood’: Arlington Heights officials balk at St. Viator stadium plans: Echoing concerns of residents, Arlington Heights village board members say St. Viator High School’s proposed outdoor athletic complex — two turf competition and practice fields, stadium bleachers for 1,500, an eight-lane running track, eight tennis courts, two video scoreboards, light poles, a sound system and more — is too intense for the neighborhood. “If there were no neighbors nearby this would be a nonissue,” Mayor Jim Tinaglia said. “It is a neighborhood. And gosh I hope this design team and administration can find a way to get together with the neighbors and make it ‘win-win.’ I want you to have what you want … in some degree of moderation.”

* Daily Herald | IKEA closing Bolingbrook store, moving to Naperville’s Block 59: “This relocation reflects how our customers are living, working and shopping across the broader Bolingbrook-Naperville corridor,” said Sam Gravina, Chicago metro market manager for IKEA. “By moving the shopping experience to Naperville, we are positioning IKEA closer to growing population centers while maintaining strong accessibility for existing Bolingbrook customers.”

* Crain’s | ​Evanston to settle Northwestern vacant-building fines for $63,000, far below neighbor’s $4M estimate: The fines were on a subset of 11 houses Northwestern owns that Evanston residents say have sat vacant for years along Sheridan Road. Council member Clare Kelly said $63,000 is millions of dollars too low and that city attorneys rushed the process through after she raised objections about how the process was being handled.

*** Downstate ***

* KFVS | New Franklin County Jail mental health program remains full with waitlist: Now, several months into the program, he says the demand is able to consistently fill 12 dedicated slots. Those openings were set aside for folks who have been found unfit to stand trial, and the program receives referrals continuously from neighboring counties, as well. The goal is for inmates to receive the mental health care they need in a secure setting, while working toward restoration to competency so their court cases can move forward.

* Governing | A Rural Illinois Community Turns to Ultrasound to Fight Toxic Algae: These yellow buoys that McFarland was sending out to their “summer home” on the reservoir are called Solarafts. They kill cyanobacteria through ultrasonic waves, keeping bacteria in the reservoir, also known as blue-green algae, from becoming toxic to humans and animals. In July 2025, the city of Mattoon issued a “do not drink” order after a harmful algal bloom caused the levels of microcystin, a toxin caused by cyanobacteria, in Lake Paradise to rise to potentially dangerous levels. Lake Paradise is the town’s main source of drinking water.

* WMBD | East Peoria unanimously renews Flock contract despite having their own concerns: Mayor John Kahl at Tuesday’s meeting said he appreciated residents giving their opinion, but he said they’ve been using this technology for four and a half years and there isn’t a single reported case of misuse in East Peoria. […] Roughly eight speakers from the public spoke against these cameras. The biggest issue across most of them is how these cameras could be used.

* WCIA | Charleston approves temporary ban on data centers, battery energy storage systems: According to city documents online, Charleston has determined data centers, battery energy storage systems and related battery uses have “unique characteristics” that warrant “consideration of appropriate regulations.” Currently, the City’s Unified Development Code does not have specific regulations addressing the location, development, and operation of data centers or battery energy storage systems. With this moratorium, the city plans to conduct research and update the code, before considering related applications.

* WGLT | Normal in no hurry to consider new rules for data center operators, e-scooters: Mayor Koos said an apparent lack of interest from data center operators has also allowed to the town to take a more deliberate approach. “We really don’t have any interest that we are aware of. I’m sure there are people that are looking at every market for data centers, but right now we are not hearing of anything coming to Normal,” Koos said.