Governor Pritzker along with leading global diversified chemical company LG Chem, and ADM, a global leader in nutrition and biosolutions, today announced that pending regulatory approval, two planned joint ventures for U.S. production of lactic acid and polylactic acid will be located in Decatur. The projects will help meet the growing demand for a wide variety of plant-based products, including eco-friendly bioplastics.
The first joint venture, GreenWise Lactic, would produce up to 150,000 tons of high-purity corn-based lactic acid annually. ADM would be the majority owner of GreenWise, and would contribute fermentation capacity from its Decatur bioproducts facility to the venture. The second venture, LG Chem Illinois Biochem, will build a new facility that will use product from Greenwise Lactic to produce approximately 75,000 tons of polylactic acid (PLA) per year. Decatur serves as ADM’s North American headquarters. The joint ventures are expected to create more than 125 jobs.
“I am thrilled that LG Chem and ADM have chosen Decatur as home for their joint ventures,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our state’s talented workforce coupled with our mission of sustainability makes Illinois the best place for these lactic and polylactic acid production facilities. To LG Chem and ADM: thank you for your commitment to our state. It is innovative, plant-based solutions like these that will help us tackle the climate crisis head on.”
Lactic acid is used broadly in food, feed and cosmetics in addition to industrials like bioplastics. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable, eco-friendly plastic. Both lactic acid and PLA have seen significant growing global demand as more companies and consumers seek sustainable products.
The joint ventures, which are subject to required regulatory approvals, anticipate beginning operations in late 2025 or early 2026, with construction on the new facility planned for 2023. Both ventures are participating in the State of Illinois’ Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program, which provides incentives to job creators who plan to make large-scale investments in Illinois.
“Sustainability is one of the enduring global trends that is powering ADM’s strategy and growth,” said ADM CEO Juan R. Luciano. “Our BioSolutions platform is helping us meet that demand by redeploying Carbohydrate Solutions production capacity to fast-growing, higher margin segments including pharmaceuticals and personal care, textiles and paper products. BioSolutions is already growing rapidly, with $136 million in year-over-year revenue growth in the first half of 2022, and with these two new joint ventures, we’re planning to take the next growth step, greatly expanding our ability to meet growing demand for plant-based solutions. We’re pleased to expand our collaboration with LG Chem, and we’re excited at the opportunity to bring this new intended production and all of its economic benefits to Decatur, our North American headquarters.”
“The establishment of this joint venture is a sustainable growth strategy that can directly contribute in solving environmental issues such as climate change and waste plastics,” said LG Chem Chief Executive Officer Hak Cheol. “LG Chem is the first Korean company to build a PLA plant with integrated production capacities ranging from raw materials to the final product. With the establishment of this JV, LG Chem will not only procure production capacities for highly pure lactic acid needed for commercial-scale PLA production, but will also be able to apply biomaterials in the development of various high value-added products. Based on eco-friendly materials, which is an axis for new growth engines, we will respond to the rapidly changing market and customers, while becoming a market leader.”
“Demand for plant-based products is on the rise and it’s no surprise Illinois is attractive to companies looking to expand in this industry,” U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said. “As the federal government seeks opportunities to invest in greener buildings, it will look to states like Illinois that are leaders in the production of eco-products. Today’s news is a positive step and I appreciate the efforts of state and local leaders to bring even more jobs to Illinois.”
“When I led a congressional delegation to South Korea earlier this year, I met with the CEO of LG Chem, Hak Cheol Shin, and shared how Illinois is uniquely positioned for greater investment as a growing hub for innovation, manufacturing and technology. I’m proud my advocacy helped bring this important investment to Illinois,” said Senator Duckworth. “LG Chem recognizes what I’ve long known: Illinois is a great place to do business. Building on ADM’s 120-year history in Illinois, I’m glad the leaders at ADM and LG Chem made this decision to help our state lead the transition to a clean energy economy and create good-paying jobs right here so we can help build a better, more sustainable future for communities throughout Illinois. I will continue to spread the message across the country and around the world that entrepreneurs and innovative companies should call Illinois home.”
“This new venture will create good-paying jobs and stimulate economic growth in Decatur,” said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “This is an excellent opportunity to bring growth to the region and revitalize our communities. Additionally, a shift towards biodegradable, eco-friendly plastics promotes sustainability and provides our communities with a brighter tomorrow.”
“The LG Chem Project is a major victory for Decatur and the environment,” said Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe. “It’s more than 100 new jobs, $400 million invested, and their innovative green technology is synergistic with ADM’s operations. Everybody wins! Today’s announcements would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of the city, the State of Illinois, ADM and the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County.”
“Innovative companies continue to locate in Illinois because of our world-class infrastructure, skilled workforce and leadership in key industries, like biochemical production,” said DCEO Director Sylvia I. Garcia. “We’re looking forward to LG Chem and ADM’s innovative joint ventures locating in Decatur, which will create jobs, bring significant investment to the region and continue growth in this key sector.”
The Highland Park City Council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution urging state and federal bans on assault weapons, high capacity magazines and other actions to curb gun violence, with the move stemming from the July 4 parade massacre where a shooter with an assault rifle killed seven people and wounded 48.
The Highland Park vote came after the Lake County Board, mainly on a party line 16-5 vote on Aug. 9, passed a measure adding to its legislative agenda a call for the state of Illinois and Congress to take action.
The measures from Highland Park and Lake County are advisory — and throws the spotlight on Democrats in Springfield, where they hold a supermajority in the state House and Senate and the governorship.
There is internal debate over whether to bring up legislative proposals before the November election — and expose some Downstate Democrats to a vote they would rather avoid — or wait for the fall veto session, which takes place after the election. The state House needs 71 yes votes to make any bill effective immediately and 60 votes for a 2023 effective date.
* Must’ve overslept…
It’s 2:39 (so, nearly 40 mins late) and the event still hasn’t started but the crowd has grow. By maybe 15 and @JesseSullivanIL has shown up. pic.twitter.com/BBAS2vCdc7
Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest Tea Party political action committee, is pleased to announce its endorsement of Esther Joy King in Illinois’s 17th Congressional District.
Tea Party Express Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Sal Russo said, “Esther Joy King is a commonsense leader with the drive and commitment needed to advocate for the Midwestern values of Illinoisans, and we are proud to endorse her campaign.
“Esther is a true servant leader who has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others. She served as an aid worker in Afghanistan fighting for the dignity of oppressed women, and she is a vocal critic on the disastrous way Biden botched the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
“After finishing her time helping women in Afghanistan, Esther desired to serve our great country in a new way, and joined the U.S. Army Reserve. Not only is she a JAG Officer, but she also practices law as an attorney and focuses on real estate and economic development. Her law background and real-life experience working with everyday Americans allows her to understand the challenges and struggles Illinoisans face under Biden and Pelosi’s regime.
“Illinoisans have been hit hard with record-high inflation and skyrocketing prices in every area, and with massive tax hikes and reckless spending flooding out of Washington, D.C., the hits will only keep coming unless we elect battle-ready leaders like Esther to reverse the course. Esther knows the thousands of farms in the 17th District are the heart and soul of the local economy, and she’s determined to fight to protect the rights of local family farms so they can thrive and create new jobs.
“The people of Illinois need a Representative like Esther who will put their interests first and get the government off their backs. Tea Party Express applauds Esther’s pledge to stop reckless spending and her commitment to force Congress to live within their means, and we are proud to offer our endorsement to Esther Joy King as the next Congresswoman from Illinois,” Russo concluded.
* I missed this Fox32 interview with Republican US Senate nominee Kathy Salvi while I was on vacation, but then a commenter pointed it out yesterday…
Salvi is a staunchly pro-life activist who says it’s the pro-choice Duckworth who is an “extremist” on abortion.
“The law in Illinois is nine-month elective abortion, taxpayer-funded. This is the law in Illinois that my opponent supports. And she wants to let this law be the law throughout all 50 states. This is extreme, radical,” Salvi said.
But Salvi declined to answer when FOX 32 Chicago asked several times if there are any circumstances — rape, incest or to preserve the life of the mother — in which abortion should be legal.
“I’m going to go on to what the issue is, I think I’ve answered this well enough. And you can press me on and on,” Salvi said.
The Republican running against Senator Tammy Duckworth called Wednesday for cutting off American aid to Ukraine.
“This is another example of the Washington elite just sending our money, spending our money to oblivion,” said Kathy Salvi.
* From US Rep. Mary Miller’s district newsletter…
WE STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
Every American should be alarmed and outraged by what’s happening in this country. The raid on a former President’s home is unprecedented and has all the markings of a total abuse of power.
The policies of the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats have led us into a recession with open borders, a massive crime wave, food shortages, supply chain issues, a destruction of our youth, and a foreign policy crisis showing extreme weakness on the world stage. In an act to make us all forget, the Department of Justice is now engaging in partisan politics by smearing President Trump, creating lasting and permanent damage to our democracy.
The Biden DOJ officials involved in this attack on the democratic process must be held accountable by Congress under a new majority. If this is what they’re able to do to the former president of the United States, think about what they could do to you.
We have to always remember the swiftness with which the Republicans turned, savagely, on the FBI, on the Justice Department. In a totalitarian state, the leader is the king, and his word is truth. His word is law. Period.
GOP candidate for governor Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) expressed concerns about rising school supply prices, and says Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s policies are “hitting these hardworking families the hardest.”
He notes that while Pritzker talks about helping middle and lower-income people, his policies have disproportionately harmed Illinoisans.
“The cost of school supplies is so high that some people are looking at using buy-now, pay-later plans just to get their kids the supplies they need for the new school,” Bailey said. “These costs are up 40 percent, and many families are struggling to be able to afford the increase. The paltry sales tax holiday Pritzker is touting is not enough to help working families.”
A Will County judge ruled Thursday that Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz and a police officer will not be required to comply with State Sen. Michael Hastings’ subpoena request made as part of his divorce proceedings.
Judge Dinah Archambeault dismissed the subpoenas, saying that any potential testimony would not be relevant to Hastings’ divorce case, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
The requests were made in connection with a police report Hastings’ estranged wife reportedly filed with Tinley Park Police on Father’s Day 2021, the Tribune reports.
In a copy of the subpoena issued to Glotz obtained by Patch, the request called for Glotz to disclose any and all communications between him and Hastings’ wife Kathleen, including text messages, social media messages, emails, phone messages, and other digital communications. It also called for Glotz to share any communications discussing the dissemination of the “defamatory statements and documents, receipt of photos, audiotapes, videotapes” pertaining to the couple, and any documentation of money owed to or by either Glotz or Hastings, or money gifted or loaned to Hastings.
— Rich Janor is scheduled to be introduced today as the new Republican nominee for state representative in the 41st District. Janor will join House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and state Sen. John Curran on the steps of Naperville City Hall for the announcement. Janor will replace Jennifer Bruzan Taylor, a Naperville city councilwoman, who dropped out of the House race earlier this month for personal, family reasons. Janor will face Democratic incumbent state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr in November. The 41st District includes parts of Naperville and Warrenville and spans DuPage and Will counties. […]
— Democratic Congressman Sean Casten has been endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in his bid for the newly drawn IL-06.
— Judge Elizabeth Rochford has been endorsed by the Illinois AFL-CIO in her bid for the Illinois Supreme Court’s Second District seat.
Former Gov. Pat Quinn, who is considering a run for mayor, called on City Hall to release an inspector general’s report on the botched 202 implosion of a power plant smokestack that left Little Village smothered in dust.
Quinn wanted to hand-deliver a letter Monday to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Corporation Counsel Celia Meza at City Hall, seeking the public release of an investigative report that was completed last year but which Lightfoot’s administration has kept secret. The Chicago City Council and Little Village community activists have made similar demands.
But the former governor got no farther than the lobby, denied permission to go upstairs because he didn’t have an appointment. Someone came to the lobby to get the letter.
The Chicago Board of Ethics voted to fine South Side Ald. Derrick Curtis $1,000 for using his city email account to invite residents to a campaign breakfast for Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The board voted to fine Curtis on Monday. They did not name Curtis, who represents the 18th Ward, but the pattern of facts released in the board’s probable cause statement fit conduct first reported by the Tribune in June.
Chicago’s Lower West Side best known as a backdrop for the 2014 Hollywood blockbuster “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” The state will accept bids this fall for Damen Silos at 2900 S. Damen Ave., along the South Branch of the Chicago River, a 23.4-acre property familiar to drivers on the Stevenson Expressway for its towering old grain silos.
Officials said selling Damen Silos will relieve the state of a financial burden, and a buyer could transform it into a data center, telecom facility, cannabis business or an industrial complex, giving surrounding neighborhoods an economic lift.
“The sale of this surplus property will generate significant economic opportunities in Chicago’s Lower West Side and McKinley Park communities while also saving the State the cost of annual operating expenses,” said Anthony Pascente, acting director of the state’s Central Management Services, in a prepared statement. […]
The state is selling the property in “as-is” condition, and initial bids, which must be a minimum of $3.25 million, are due by Oct. 19. Officials will choose the winning bid by November, according to a marketing flyer from commercial real estate firm JLL.
The state Department of Central Management Services hired Rick Levin & Associates Inc. to sell the property at 2900 S. Damen Ave. in an online auction Nov. 2 through Nov. 7. The site just north of Interstate 55 includes several abandoned silos and was used as a movie set last September, when Transformers crews filmed explosions there.
The property is in an industrial area and sits just west of the former Chicago Sun-Times printing plant, which is being converted into a data center. An industrial use “would certainly seem logical” for the site, though retail is a possibility too, said Rick Levin, president of the Chicago-based auction house. […]
Levin tried to auction the property in 2007 and received interest from barge and transportation companies, Mr. Levin said. But no buyer was willing to pay the state’s minimum bid of $17.3 million.
Seven years and one real estate crash later, the new minimum bid is $3.8 million. The state set the bids by averaging three appraisals of the parcel, Mr. Levin said.
* New City tells how the silo went from “feeding the world” to abandoned relic…
Located off the Damen Avenue exit of I-55, this massive city within a city was built in 1906 just off its namesake rail line. It had an overall capacity of 400,000 bushels of grain, with five shipping and receiving legs that were able to accommodate four separate rails. It also had thirty-five concrete storage bins, a 1,500-horsepower electrical plant, a marine tower and eight vessel loading spouts. All in all, the plant could process 75,000 bushels of grain per hour. […]
This was the case in 1977, as a massive explosion and fire, along with over thirty years of abandonment, turned the Santa Fe grain elevators into a burnt-out relic which could serve as a set for every neo-futuristic end-of-the-world movie from “Mad Max” to “The Matrix.” To the west of the ruins is a stagnant channel where the Chicago River meets the I&M Sanitary and Ship Canal. The grey, murky water, filled with white foam, industrial driftwood, plastic grocery bags and used condoms serves as a moat guarding the east and north end of the ruins. To the south is a rusted, barbed-wire fence adorned by a small sign that reads: “State Property, No Trespassing.”
Beyond the fence is a field of weeds, rusted steel beams and hundreds of blocks of cement the size of small cars. Towering over them are rounded silos climbing over a hundred feet in the air. Next to it is a square, cement building fifteen stories high. Its rotting walls are filled with broken windows and chunks of hanging, rusting rebar, all ringed by a steel ribbon on top which has been completely painted by graffiti artists who somehow got on top of the sheer cement walls.
* The silos are a popular spot for urban explorers…
The 15-story grain silos at 2860 S. Damen Ave. have been useless since a 1977 explosion. They were built in 1906 by the Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and they had capacity for 400,000 bushels of grain.
There are lots of curiosity seekers like Kinsch. Dave “Gone” Brault, then a 23-year-old college student, even lived in the silos earlier this decade. He dubbed it, “post-apocalypse park.”
Kinsch said one of the more popular areas is the basement, “which is comprised of a series of tunnels that you can easily get lost in.”
“There are thousands of square feet of tunnels which stretch under half the 24-acre lot,” Kinsch said. “The maze of tunnels can make for some very creepy yet stunning photographs, also while exploring down there you find some pretty interesting rooms.”
* According to WBEZ the movie brought in money to the state…
The filming of the third Transformers movie brought about $24 million in spending to Illinois. The reviews of Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon aren’t so glowing, but the filming of the movie was a success for Illinois. Transformers was filmed in Chicago last summer and brought in hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to the state.
Betsy Steinberg is with the Illinois Film Office. She says a 30 percent tax credit for film productions played a big part in attracting filmmakers.
“Without a serious tax credit, it’s very difficult to get any kind of film industry to town. Currently, over 40 states have some sort of film tax credits or incentives in place,” she said.
Steinberg says the film industry as a whole brought in a record $161 million to the state in 2010. She says more projects are in the works this year, including a Superman movie being filmed around Plano, Illinois.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that Illinois is joining a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force of 50 state attorneys general to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls into the United States. This bipartisan national task force has one goal: to cut down on illegal robocalls.
“Robocalls aren’t just an Illinois problem. They are a nationwide problem. That is why I am proud to join my fellow attorneys general in launching this task force,” Raoul said. “Robocalls cost consumers time and money, as well as violate their privacy. I will continue to protect the rights of Illinois consumers by fighting against this illegal practice.”
The task force has issued 20 civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and other entities that are allegedly responsible for a majority of foreign robocall traffic. Gateway providers that bring foreign traffic into the U.S. telephone network have a responsibility to ensure the traffic is legal, but these providers are not taking sufficient action to stop robocall traffic. In many cases, they appear to be intentionally turning a blind eye in return for steady revenue. The task force will focus on the bad actors throughout the telecommunications industry, to help reduce the number of robocalls that Illinois residents receive, which will also benefit the companies that are following the rules.
Raoul is committed to stopping illegal and unwanted calls. According to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, over 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans every day. These scam calls include Social Security Administration fraud against seniors, Amazon scams against consumers, and many other scams targeting all consumers, including some of our most vulnerable residents. An estimated $29.8 billion was stolen through scam calls in 2021. Most of this scam robocall traffic originates overseas. The task force is focused on shutting down the providers that profit from this illegal scam traffic and refuse to take steps to otherwise mitigate these scam calls.
Nothing has been able to kill scam robocalls — not federal regulation, not individual state lawsuits, not private software. Each effort has made a dent, but the unwanted calls keep on coming, much to the consternation of Americans on the receiving end.
Now, all 50 state attorneys general, Republicans and Democrats, have come together through a newly formed task force to go after U.S. telecommunications companies that allow robocalls originating overseas to reach their customers.
Stopping nuisance calls from foreign countries has been particularly challenging. The AGs have put telecom companies on notice that they must stop the scam calls before they go through to customers, or face prosecution. Experts say that strategy just might work. […]
“The problem has been that the (Federal Communications Commission) fines someone … one at a time, or one AG shuts down a carrier,” [Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, a robocall-blocking software company] said. “Now, it’s 50 going after them and 50 court proceedings and 50 fines. I’m optimistic that this will make some impact. Enforcement really is key.”
You know me by sight: I was an IIS/ IOCI cameraman for over 30 years, under 7 governors, retired in November. (I’m the big guy in back in the poster) We spent a lot of time cooling our heels outside the Gov’s office waiting for the 4 tops to come out of meetings, over the years. This is the band I belong to, playing at the Senior Center at the Illinois Building at the Fair today, 4 PM. All electric ukuleles, playing a broad variety of genres on our third concert for Dept. On Aging. Pop by on your way to the Sale of Champions maybe? 4:00 PM in the exhibit hall. We’d appreciate a plug to get more folks to come see us. Mahalo!
The enclosed poster…
All electric ukuleles? Sounds kinda cool.
* Press release…
Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) representatives, including Secretary Jennifer Ricker, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the second annual Tech Prairie STEAM Expo at 10 a.m. on Aug. 17 at the Illinois State Fair.
The Expo will provide a forum to highlight K-12 and postsecondary education, business, industry, research, and development related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics in Illinois with a goal of allowing the community space to engage, interact, and explore with exhibitors from across the state.
“STEAM plays a major role in our day-to-day lives and I’m thrilled to debut this year’s Tech Prairie STEAM Expo,” said DoIT Secretary Jennifer Ricker. “At DoIT, we believe exposing STEAM to kids at an early age helps them build a strong foundation to become successful innovators and future leaders. We hope you’ll join us as we kick off this exciting educational opportunity at the fair.”
The Expo will highlight the incredible innovation and emerging career and educational opportunities in STEAM fields throughout the state during the great celebration that is the Illinois State Fair.
WHAT: Tech Prairie STEAM Expo Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Orr Building, Main Stage
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) Tent will be a destination for fairgoers during the 2022 Illinois State Fair. Free food samples, apple cider slushies, USDA Beagle Brigade, free kids crafts, free caricatures and balloon animals, peddle tractors and the corn sensory-play table celebrates agriculture’s impact on Illinois.
“Over the course of the last year and half our locally grown products have become more important than ever,” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello. “People want to know where their food is coming from and to give them the chance to meet the farmers growing it is even better. We will have farmers from traditional to urban, covering the full scope of Illinois agriculture.”
Activities taking place at the IDOA Tent include:
Artisan Market-Enjoy FREE samples from local food artisans, August 12th-14th! Featuring: Uncle Joe’s BBQ, Rolling Lawns Ice Cream, Ropp Jersey Cheese, A Lil Sumpin’ Special Desserts, Fruit of the Spirit Jams, Glaciers End Shrubs, Golden Hour Bake House Baked Goods, Grand Oak Farm Breads, Hello Water Drinks, JR’s Seasoning, Peter’s Produce Snacks, Spiceocity Seasoning, Umland’s Crunchy Cheese, and Whisk Me Away Baked Goods.
AgVenture Kids Area-Take your children on an AgVenture and learn the importance of Illinois agriculture through play. Featuring: pedal tractors, crafts, piglets, the corn sensory bin and opportunities for FREE balloon animals and caricatures, check the daily schedule for times.
Illinois Specialty Growers Farm Stand- Serving apple cider slushies, watermelon, soft-serve ice cream, sweet corn, and peaches.
Illinois Farm Bureau Stage-Check the daily schedule for the exciting things happening on the Illinois Farm Bureau Stage, including the USDA Beagle Brigade, Hemp-crete demonstrations from the Illinois Hemp Growers Association, the Lego Bee-Hive Build, Farmer Phil, and much more!
HyVee Illinois Product Store-Shop your favorite local products at the HyVee Illinois Product Store! Featuring: Donny B’s Popcorn, Turasky’s Meats, Ropp Jersey Cheese, Riley’s Seasoning,
Prevail Jerky, Froozeballs, Spiceocity Seasonings, Peter’s Produce Snacks, and Whisk Me Away Baked Goods.
The IDOA Tent will be open daily 10am to 8pm and 10am to 6pm the last Sunday of the fair. Check the daily schedule for details.
Events today in Springfield: Democratic Party leaders will elect officers to work with new party Chair Lisa Hernandez.
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) will host a Farm Bill roundtable with state Sen. Patrick Joyce at the fair at 11:30 a.m.
The Illinois AFL-CIO Vote Yes for Workers Rights group is having a cookout.
Darren Bailey headlines a GOP Unity Event at Mariah’s Steakhouse & Pasta.
And Senate President Don Harmon and the Senate Democratic Caucus will rally at the Illinois Association of Beer Distributors.
Bailey’s unity event is tomorrow. All you’ll get at Mariah’s today is good food.
* And the Willie Nelson show starts at 8 with his special guest Elle King. I haven’t been to the fairgrounds yet, so I haven’t seen the renovations…
The 2022 Illinois State Fair is open in Springfield with over $48 million worth of renovations to the fairgrounds. […]
The project included paving the roadways in front of the cattle barn, swine barn, and the Avenue of Flags as a part of the first phase of renovations.
Costello also announced a multi-million dollar construction project to renovate the fairground’s multi-purpose arena.
“Construction is underway right now, restoring and renovating the multi-purpose arena,” Costello said. “That is an $8.6 million project.” […]
“I would also mention that the second phase of The Coliseum renovations will start in September,” Costello said. “These are just a few of the projects we are working on to attract visitors year-round.”
The Republican nominee for Illinois governor has held multiple events involving the gun store where the alleged Highland Park shooter acquired the semi-automatic rifle he allegedly used during a Fourth of July shooting spree.
Illinois GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey held a January event at Red Dot Arms, a gun store in Villa Park that’s about a 45-minute drive northwest of Highland Park. And in April, the company was involved in a gun raffle to benefit Bailey’s campaign. […]
Bailey’s campaign held a gun raffle campaign fundraiser in late April and posted footage of it online, but later deleted it. Red Dot Arms was listed as a partner for the event on a campaign flyer, along with two other gun stores. […]
One of the guns Bailey auctioned off at the event was an AR-15, which he described as “a beautiful rifle, certainly one that emulates freedom here in our country.”
“The shooter is still at large, so let’s pray for justice to prevail and then let’s move on and let’s celebrate the independence of this nation,” Bailey said immediately after the Highland Park shooting occurred on July 4.
And there was the Facebook comment after the July 4th mass shooting in Highland Park, in which he said, “Let’s move on and celebrate.” To his credit, Bailey pulled back on the comment, issuing a statement: “I apologize if in any way we diminished the pain being felt across our state today.”
As I told subscribers last week, the news media is getting into the unfortunate habit of merely quoting Bailey’s initial apologies. As we know all too well, he has walked back two of those apologies, saying, in the case of Highland Park that the media took his remarks out of context and claimed he explained all this to a Highland Park Democrat. They’re only telling part of the story.
* WGN reporter…
GOP candidate for Illinois governor Darren Bailey is not alone in using social media to share his cultural views - his running mate Stephanie Trussell also posts on Facebook and Twitter. A closer look and reaction tonight WGN News @ 5:30. pic.twitter.com/jBziCR52ic
Trussell has used Facebook posts to mock Planned Parenthood.
“President Obama became the first sitting president ever to address Klanned Parenthood,” she posted. […]
Trussell is sharply critical of politicians that back the “gay agenda.”
“Since Bill Clinton was called the first black president can we call Barack Obama the first gay president?” she tweeted in 2015.
Political analyst Paul Lisnek says answering questions about social media posts is the last thing Bailey and Trussell want to be focused on as they ramp up for the general election.
“Crime is skyrocketing and jobs and families are fleeing under JB Pritzker’s watch. But his campaign and the media are making a big election about old social media posts. Darren Bailey and I are focused on making Illinois safer and more affordable for every Illinoisan,” [Trussell] said in a statement to WGN News.
“I challenge J.B. Pritzker to come down to my farm and spend a day planting, plowing, and harvesting. We’ll see how much energy he has at the end of an 18-hour work day to lob his pathetic attacks.”
I’d just like to see Bailey put the energy into holding a press conference more than once in a blue moon while answering questions on all topics.
Republican Darren Bailey’s campaign says he’s committed to debate Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker on Sept. 22 on NBC 5. Pritzker’s campaign hasn’t confirmed that face-off, though a spokeswoman for the campaign told Playbook that “yes,” Pritzker is planning to debate Bailey.
…Adding… Press release…
Hateful rhetoric has no place in Illinois. That’s why I joined my fellow members of the Illinois Jewish Caucus to condemn Darren Bailey’s anti-semitic, Islamophobic, and homophobic comments that tear down the very Illinoisans he seeks to represent. pic.twitter.com/ko3SfxnFEK
Rudy Giuliani, a Bailey campaign ally, was informed yesterday that he is the target of a criminal investigation seeking answers related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Darren Bailey, a proud supporter of Donald Trump and his allies, has pushed the Big Lie, understated the January 6 insurrection, and questioned the integrity of the FBI and the Department of Justice during their probe into the former president’s misconduct.
Does Darren Bailey stand by Giuliani’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and keep Trump in power, even amid this criminal investigation?
In May, Bailey and Giuliani campaigned together on behalf of Scott Kaspar, a Republican Congressional candidate who, like Bailey, has downplayed the January 6 insurrection and stated that he would not have ratified Joe Biden’s presidency.
“Darren Bailey needs to disavow Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, and their attempts to undermine our democracy,” said JB for Governor Press Secretary Eliza Glezer. “Bailey continues to tie himself to individuals who threaten our free and fair elections. Any candidate who cannot stand up to election deniers and insurrection defenders is unfit for public office.”
* My family was stationed in Germany during the late 70s, early 80s, so I have been barred from donating blood. I’m really happy to see this change…
Thousands of potential blood donors who previously could not donate can now roll up their sleeves thanks to the lifting of a decades-long FDA restriction.
Anyone who traveled to or lived in Europe for more than five months in the 1980s and 90s were automatically disqualified someone from giving blood in the U.S. thanks to Mad Cow Disease. It meant that people who donated blood regularly suddenly had to stop.
Champaign Mayor Deb Feinen, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Reitz and Visit Champaign CEO Jayne DeLuce were among those people.
“I donated previously and was shocked to learn when I couldn’t anymore that I wasn’t allowed to,” Feinen said.
Recently, the FDA announced they were lifting that restriction, allowing at least 5,000 people in ImpactLife’s region to donate blood when they previously couldn’t. Feinen, Reitz and DeLuce were ecstatic to hear the news they could donate again.
[Rep. Dan Brady], a state representative from Bloomington, has run on a platform emphasizing technological upgrades within the Secretary of State’s Office, and says he will address other areas where financial savings and improved services can go hand-in-hand.
“We have to look at somewhere around $10.5 million that we spend on leasing 96 driver’s services facilities,” he said. “How can we improve upon that?”
Giannoulias has also promised to use his power as secretary of state to find ways to leverage technology to help citizens throughout the state.
“(Voters ask) ‘how can you make sure government works better, easier and quicker for me?’” he said. […]
When asked if he supported Bailey, [Brady] didn’t answer directly.
“Well, Darren Bailey is running for governor on the Republican ticket, and I’m a Republican,” he said.
Democrats, who recently held a contentious inter[sic]-party battle for the new party chair, showed a unified front for the Bud Billiken Parade, known as the largest African-American parade in the United States. […]
The message: Democrats are moving past the divisiveness and coming together for November.
We also caught Alexi Giannoulias, the Democratic secretary of state candidate, greeting Pritzker and his team with hugs on the parade route. Pritzker had endorsed Giannoulias’ primary opponent, Anna Valencia.
Message received: Democrats are united.
* Dan Brady’s thoughts on the new license plate stickers via the Daily Herald…
Brady said he understands that the scaled-back sticker was a temporary solution but reinforced “the original way with the month and year is the best for consumers and for law enforcement. Overall, it’s the most efficient way to proceed with renewal stickers.”
