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Posted by Barton Lorimor (@bartonlorimor)

* IDOT says crews were out before freezing rain arrived, but conditions made work difficult

* Don Moffitt looks back on his time in the Illinois Legislature

Though he might be leaving the Legislature, Moffitt has not entirely ruled out the possibility of running for local office. He said he would consider running for the Knox County Board within the next few years if a position opened and he felt he could “make a contribution.”

* Schoenburg: Prayer at county board raises church-state question

Board member TONY DelGIORNO, D-District 22, posted a copy of Sullivan’s prayer on Facebook, and he also wrote that it is routine for board members to give the invocation.

But, DelGiorno said, the prayer “was anything but usual in my opinion. As the grandson of Italian immigrants, a group that 100 years ago was discriminated against because of our Catholicism, I find religious elitism abhorrent to the 1st Amendment principle of religious freedom in a nation and a community that is made better by our friends of all faiths.”

Sullivan, in an interview later, said he was “merely stating some factual history.”

* IDNR terminates lease at Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center

The department cited concerns about the condition of the buildings at Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center, including mold, peeling paint and other possible health and safety related issues. The resort operator notified IDNR of the plans to close the facility.

* Speeding ticket numbers down, fatalities up on Illinois roads

According to numbers provided to the newspaper, the number of traffic fatalities statewide has risen from 924 in 2014 to 998 in 2015 to 1,029 for this year through Friday.

While that number is up the past two years, it is still significantly lower than 15 years ago. In 2001, there were 1,414 fatalities, and in the 1970s, the number of fatal crashes each year was in the 2,000 range.

The year with the most fatalities on Illinois highways was 1941, when 2,600 people died, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

* Chapa LaVia, Guzman trade barbs

* Former Illinois Senate president cements legacy

A one-time mentor to President Barack Obama, Jones explained that UIC received his donation because that university already has a vast collection of political papers. “Those papers are very, very important,” he offered. The papers bear tremendous social relevance because Jones’ first term in the legislature coincides with the rise of his former colleague, Harold Washington’s ascent to the mayor’s office in Chicago.

It’s a career Jones said he doesn’t miss.

* Exclusive interview: Kirk hopes to remembered for actions, not rhetoric

I had hoped to create middle ground based on social moderation and spending moderation, which is increasingly necessary for the future of the country.

I always sought to be a problem solver, thinking about not being with the extreme right and extreme left. And my model was always a 45-year-old married woman with children who lives in Arlington Heights in Illinois, which might be the geographic center of common sense.

* WATCHDOGS: More tax money for Chicago’s booming TV, movie studio

* IDOT employees fired, disciplined over false stranded-driver reports

The investigation of IDOT’s Emergency Traffic Patrol Division by the executive inspector general’s office ran from 2012 to 2016. The probe concluded that several IDOT drivers made up reports about helping motorists to make it look like they were doing more work than they were, the inspector general’s report said. In other cases, the drivers recorded inaccurate information in reports about people they actually had assisted.

* State says training effort helps cut down on ‘ransomware’ computer attacks

* 4 dead in Fernwood attack; 1 dead, 14 hurt in other shootings

The quadruple fatal shooting marked the third time in less than 24 hours that a single shooting incident left at least four people wounded.

* 3 wounded in party bus shooting near Lake Shore Drive

* Northwest Illinois land sale brings $55 million

* Tiger Woods, Mayor Rahm Emanuel on board for South Side golf mecca

* Normal to refinance $23.5M bond

* District 25 will borrow $31.9 million for projects

* Plan to ease Eisenhower congestion calls for tolls, car pool lane

The $2.7 billion plan, which is not likely to see construction begin before 2020, also would add a lane in each direction between the key bottleneck span of I-290, between Mannheim Road and Austin Boulevard.

* Carterville City Council tables action on gaming ordinance

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Dec 19, 16 @ 7:40 am

Comments

My objection to prayer at county board meeting (among other non- religious functions) has less to do with “Church-State” issue than the cringing I go through listening to certain individuals who too often mistake himself/herself as one of the disciples. I say to myself - “Shut up and sit down” - let the truly humble impress us with their actions, not self-serving
falsely pious showboats.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Dec 19, 16 @ 9:00 am
I think John Adams, a Unitarian, did not understand Christianity and the state as Sullivan does. He meant it in the same way Jefferson did. In a pluralistic, more Lockian/Age of Enlightenment sense. Adams was diametrically opposed to the Christianity proposed by both Sullivan and the evangelicals of Adams’ day, Rev. Cotton for instance.

Comment by A. Powell Davies Monday, Dec 19, 16 @ 9:03 am
The problem with Sullivan’s prayer isn’t that it was a Christian prayer, but that it posits that Christianity is the only legitimate religion under American democracy, and that non-Christians should get busy converting.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Dec 19, 16 @ 10:33 am
With regard to IDOT — once again, upper level management not held accountable for their staff. Who is approving the timecards, along with all of the exorbitant overtime? All of these years, and upper level management didn’t have a clue?

Comment by Gone, but not forgotten Monday, Dec 19, 16 @ 11:02 am
Having done that kind of work ,its brutal during the winter(long hours,dangerous conditions) and cake during the summer . The supervisors should have checked the reports.(quick check on computer?) Turning over to private contractors (who paid 12.00 per call to the worker) sounds good, but what of background checks,fraudulent practices of recommending towing and/or services (routing to repair facility’s - kick backs ) , where as the IDOT primary responsibility is to assist or remove the vehicle and motorist safety concerns. Seems lack of management-over sight

Comment by jon r Monday, Dec 19, 16 @ 11:54 am
To the Post,

Tiger Woods and the $30 million for the renovation is something that could enhance the area and be an economic boon if that track becomes a Tour Stop annually.

It would be nice to have the PGA Tour visit Chicago proper, and not just suburbs and allow those suburbs to reap the economic advantages and charitable giving Tour Stops do.

We’ll see.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Dec 19, 16 @ 4:35 pm
GPS vehicle trackers will go a long way to eliminating bad records in the emergency patrol program. It is a great program.

Comment by NoGifts Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 7:23 am