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Posted by Barton Lorimor (@bartonlorimor)

Cheer up, everyone. We’re talking about the Blackhawks. They aren’t exactly the Cubs offense in New York or Chris Sale’s bullpen support in the ninth. IT’S THE MOTHER FLIPPIN’ BLACKHAWKS! RALLY CAP TIME, CHICAGO!

That said, let’s get this Good Friday underway…

* Illinois unemployment drops to 5-year-low

* 25 BEST AND WORST ILLINOIS COUNTY FEBRUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, MAPPED OUT

* Delay in Ruling on Rutherford Lawsuit

* Analysis: Pension reforms to cost workers $55 million by 2025: The Anderson Economic Group also calculated the cost to Chicago taxpayers that Emanuel hopes to offset with a $250 million property tax increase if Gov. Pat Quinn agrees to sign the pension reform bill. The city will be required to contribute $530 million by 2025. That’s 9 percent of overall city revenues and $450 million more than the city would otherwise be required to contribute without pension reform. But the cost of waiting even five more years to confront the city’s pension crisis was even worse. It was pegged at $310 million because of lost investment returns.

* Sneed: Cardinal George may preside over his last Easter Mass on Sunday: George’s third and final dose of chemotherapy for his third bout of cancer is Monday, the day after Easter. “Then we’ll see what comes next,” said Dolan. Sneed is told the cardinal’s request a week ago that the Papal Nuncio begin his replacement process was based on more than just his deteriorating health. George, who replaced Cardinal Joseph Bernardin five months after his death, regrets missing the opportunity to seek Bernardin’s opinion and “ask questions,” said Dolan. “He’d like to give his replacement that opportunity.”

* IDNR fires Tony Mayville: The 58-year-old Du Bois resident said officials claimed he began campaigning for the seat before he was cleared to run by IDNR chief Marc Miller. He said his handling of campaign donations from a coal company also played a role in his firing. “I still contend I didn’t do anything wrong,” said Mayville, who was earning $92,642 annually before his ouster.

* USGS prelim report shows M2.1 earthquake near Ina, IL

* Illinois farmland values stabilizing

* Environmental groups file suit to stop $1.3B Illiana toll road proposal

* State Legislation Hints At Marijuana Legalization

* State officials drop proposed medical pot gun ban

* Brown: Odds may finally favor a Chicago casino — if Madigan is dealing: In particular, the most important new wrinkle — giving ownership of a Chicago casino to the State of Illinois, which would then split the revenue 50-50 with the city — bore the fingerprints of a solution crafted by Madigan to resolve the city’s problematic demands for public ownership.

* Vanecko attorneys seek to dismiss lawsuit by David Koschman’s mother

* Carrier Sues Illinois Over Rolling Stock Tax Exemption

* Madigan’s Office Investigating Herbalife Pyramid Scheme Allegations

* Emanuel rings up frequent flier tab

* Raises for Will County officials off the table

* Macoupin County Board blocks sheriff’s hirings

* Kadner: A $17,000 tax error to be corrected

* Beaman files new lawsuit against former Normal police officers: Beaman served more than 13 years in prison for the 1993 death of Jennifer Lockmiller of Decatur before the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the conviction in 2008.

* Family wants answers in SIU student’s death

* Krejci named interim provost at Illinois State University

* ISU Students continue to ask questions about Flanagan resignation: Members and supporters of the group I Paid For Flanagan met in Schroeder Hall Wednesday night to lay out exactly what they the university to answer. Organizer and Senior Sociology Major Chris Roehl said it starts with answering where the money for Flanagan’s $480,000 severance package comes from.

* ISU officials respond to I Paid For Flanagan

* UIC, faculty union reach tentative agreement

* (Macon) County Democrats, Republicans elect leaders

* (Decatur) commission urges hiring new Human Rights Officer

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 5:46 am

Comments

Sorry Barton but GO BLUES!!

Comment by Mason born Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 7:44 am
Tough loss for the B’hawks but other than the first they were outplayed. Two OT powerplays….c’mon….

Comment by Abraham Froman Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 8:14 am
Yep. I may live in Chicago, but I’m St. Louis born and raised. Let’s go Blues!

Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 8:47 am
I vote that anyone rooting for the Blues and living in Illinois get taxed at the progressive Missouri tax rates. Who’s with me here?

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 9:21 am
Wow Public that’s a bit harsh isn’t it? Man it’s just a hockey series. One that the Hawks are far from out of.

Comment by Mason born Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 9:46 am
Mason - I almost went for the Blues. I figured I’ve lived just as close to StL, now closer, as I do Chicago most of my life and yet I love the Cubs and Bears. Maybe I need the Blues to be my StL team.

Then the Hawks won the Cup. That night, three different StL fans texted to make Cubs cracks because THAT was relevant. I became a Hawks fan on the spot.

Comment by Barton Lorimor Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 10:00 am
Barton

I got ya. I get the same grief on the blues every time the Cards make it into October.

For me Hockey is a sport, like Baseball, that is worlds better in person vs. TV. So Blues and Cards 1hr vs. Hawks and Sox 3.5 hrs is a no brainer. That and the Cards are pretty easy to root for.

Comment by Mason born Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 10:29 am
Whale of a game last night. No cervezas hoy, por favor. Noting but rest, H20 and nutrition. Puck drops for Game 2 in about 27 hours.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 10:51 am
Barton,

Yeoman’s Work again today, as it has been since you have been in “Johnny’s Chair”.

I dozed off at the start of the 3rd Period, to wake up to the start of the overtimes, and for about 30 seconds, I thought it was the replay.

Reminds me of Hawks-Red Wings already. Appointment TV is here with the Blackhawks!

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 11:32 am
That Tribune article on Emanuel’s travel using taxpayer expenses really has some teeth to it. Surprising.

== Still, after the Tribune asked detailed questions about the mayor’s trips, Hamilton indicated Emanuel would be reimbursing taxpayers for some of the expenses ==

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 1:21 pm
== In June 2013, Emanuel flew from Washington, where his only event listed was a breakfast with an Obama Cabinet member, to New York. City Hall spent about $1,700 on the trip, which included what the administration described as a “noncity” lunch for Emanuel at the Four Seasons, a meeting with Black Rock Inc.’s Larry Fink and a round table hosted by Fink’s international investment management company. The billionaire CEO contributed $25,000 to Emanuel’s campaign in 2010…

Later that month, Emanuel’s main political fund reported nearly $120,000 in contributions from supporters in New York, state records show…

A pair of trips by the mayor to New York City in spring 2012 show how Emanuel, long known as a prolific campaign fundraiser, connects with a business executive and later records thousands in contributions tied to that person. ==

Example after example in that story.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Friday, Apr 18, 14 @ 1:26 pm