Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Isabel’s morning briefing

Posted in:

Illinois

* Here you go…

* Tribune | Deadly I-55 dust storm: The ‘hellish’ minutes scores of drivers spent battling a 200-foot wall of farm soil: “All of a sudden it got thick and dark,” Jim Dawson, 67, remembered. “And boom, it was over.” A wall of dirt 200 feet high engulfed the interstate. Suddenly blinded and panicked drivers desperately tried to slam on their brakes or veer off the road for safety, only to find none.

* Sun-Times | Businessman James Weiss guilty of bribing 2 state lawmakers, lying to the FBI: The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for four hours before finding Weiss guilty of honest services wire and mail fraud, bribery and lying to the FBI. The bribery scheme involved then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo — who is now in prison — and then-state Sen. Terry Link — who cooperated with the FBI but faces sentencing for his own tax crimes.

* WTTW | Indicted Former Ald. Ed Burke to Start Collecting More Than $96K Annual City Pension, Records Show: Burke will start receiving pension payments of $8,027 per month in sometime in August, and they will continue for the rest of his life, according to records obtained by WTTW News from the Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago.

* CBS Chicago | IDOT struggles to keep up with graffiti on Chicago area expressways: Now, the Illinois Department of Transportation says when graffiti pops up in the middle of a construction zone, there are times they can’t get to it because it’s too dangerous to remove. But remember, the taggers themselves are getting up there. So IDOT says they will have to wait until the construction is over. But so much of what we’re seeing along the Jane Byrne Interchange and other interstates is in plain view.

* 21st Show | Illinois Speaker on what the legislature finished this spring, what didn’t get done and the new budget: Last Wednesday, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a $50.4 billion budget for the coming fiscal year after lawmakers missed a self-imposed deadline and were forced to return to the statehouse after Memorial Day.

* WMAY | Illinois State Representative Coffey wants bills passed during waking hours: He says key legislation, such as the state budget, should not be approved well after midnight, when most people impacted by it are sound asleep. Coffey says he plans to introduce other reform bills, too, including making the General Assembly subject to the state Open Meetings Act.

* Elgin Courier | Activist wants Elgin council to amend rules so flags are flown at City Hall for Pride Month, other celebrations: “We talk about how inclusive and accepting and welcoming we are,” Habun said at Wednesday’s meeting. “We are that. One of the ways we express our inclusivity and diversity is by recognizing the symbols of various cultures, ethnicities and communities.”

* Sun-Times | AmeriCorps grants $2.2 million to Chicago, downstate Illinois groups for public health programs: AmeriCorps roots are in the poverty-fighting Volunteers in Service to America — VISTA — program started in 1964. AmeriCorps continued VISTA’s work when it became a federal agency in 1993. Today, the national service agency runs, among other domestic programs, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors and Public Health AmeriCorps.

* Shaw Local | OSF awaits Aug. 15 regulatory hearing on Peru hospital: OSF HealthCare has filed the paperwork needed to fully and formally acquire St. Margaret’s Health-Peru (the former Illinois Valley Community Hospital). Fair market value was listed at $38 million. (Scott Anderson)

* WTTW | Will the Bears Stay in Chicago? Open Development Sites Provide Potential Options: Among the potential sites with land large enough to house a stadium are South Works, the site of a former U.S. Steel manufacturing plant; The 78, a 62-acre lot of land; the Lincoln Yards development along the Chicago River; and land just south of Soldier Field including a massive Chicago Park District-owned parking lot and McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center, which the city has discussed tearing down for many years.

* The Civic Federation | Financial Challenges Facing the Chicago Mayor and City Council: Options and Recommendations : Chicago faces a number of social, economic and financial problems in addition to the five key fiscal issues identified above. These include: Public corruption: A lack of affordable housing; Increased costs of sheltering and caring for migrants; Uneven patterns of economic development; Education performance and quality; and Pressing financial issues facing the City’s sister agencies including the Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Park District and Chicago Transit Authority.

* WTTW | As Mayor Johnson Weighs Board of Education Picks, Some Parents, Advocates Concerned About Lack of Engagement: An open letter this week signed by numerous education advocacy groups — including Access Living, Activate Chicago Parents, Families 4 Students & Teachers, Equip for Equality and Illinois Families for Public Schools, as well as a half-dozen local school council members from around the city — expressed concerns over what they feel has been a lack of engagement from Johnson’s administration with families and stakeholders over the next board appointees.

* Sun-Times | New mayor off to ‘very encouraging start,’ local business leader says: Jack Lavin, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce president, still isn’t willing, however, to back $800 million in business taxes Mayor Brandon Johnson wants for social programs that are key to his anti-violence strategy.

* Tribune | Chicago Police Board fires sergeant for actions in Anjanette Young raid: The Chicago Police Board on Thursday voted to fire a police sergeant for his role in the botched 2019 raid at the home of social worker Anjanette Young. During its monthly meeting at Chicago Police Department headquarters, the board voted 5-3 to fire Sgt. Alex Wolinski.

* Tribune | Cook County prepares to raze most buildings at former Oak Forest Hospital campus: Work to tear down an initial 11 buildings is to begin in September, with another 29 slated to be razed starting next year, and county officials said a series of community meetings, newsletters and a dedicated website will keep residents informed about the project’s status.

* WTHI | Following FBI raid at Paris superintendent’s home, here’s what the Illinois State Board of Education told us: “ISBE conducted a routine audit of the Paris Union school district. Several findings and questioned costs prompted ISBE to conduct further monitoring that identified approximately $3.24 million in questioned costs, unallowable expenditures, and unallowable salaries. The district is required to provide a corrective action plan no later than June 30 addressing each finding in the final report and to repay the questioned costs and unallowable expenses.

* NBC Chicago | ‘Severe’ drought conditions reported in Cook County as lack of rain hammers Chicago area: Browning and stressed vegetation is being reported across the area, with many farmers having to resort to supplemental feeding of livestock due to reduced availability of plants to eat.

* Crain’s | NASCAR partners with Lou Malnati’s, Garrett, Vienna Beef for street race weekend: NASCAR previously named Chicago restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You as its official food and beverage partner. The trio of new partners will join Lettuce, as well as other venues, in offering food and beverage options for visitors.

posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 7:39 am

Comments

The ISBE audit has some pretty damning stuff. Some of it you can put down to legit spending with insufficient documentation… but then there’s things like misappropriation of school lunch money for supporting football, and Pre-K funds not spent on Pre-K but on upper level classes. This one is going to get uglier as the forensic accountants unwind it, and somebody is going to see serious detention.

Comment by Give Us Barabbas Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 9:26 am
= the Illinois Department of Transportation says when graffiti pops up in the middle of a construction zone, there are times they can’t get to it because it’s too dangerous to remove. But remember, the taggers themselves are getting up there. =

So because the taggers do something dangerous and stupid, IDOT workers should do?

Comment by JoanP Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 9:36 am
That was supposed to be “too”, not “do”. (How about an “edit” button, Rich?)

Comment by JoanP Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 9:36 am
@Give Us Barabbas
While I don’t know the superintendent in question, we run in the same circles. He has an extensive background in administration, including teaching university level classes to future administrators and a mile-long list of certifications. Innocent until proven guilty but ignorance won’t be an excuse.

Comment by Proud Papa Bear Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 10:46 am
Joe’s pizza is pretty pricy.

Comment by Papa2008 Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 10:47 am
The superintendent from Paris was one of the more vocal “local control” guys. He did a fair amount of pontificating and it sounds like he should have either been paying more attention to his job (if this is a mistake which I doubt) or lying low.

Here is what I know- for a district of that size, this is a huge amount of money. The FBI raid was unusual for our business. He is in big trouble.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 10:54 am
Re: NBC Chicago story on drought

===stressed vegetation is being reported across the area, with many farmers having to resort to supplemental feeding of livestock due to reduced availability of plants to eat.===

Yep. And it is only mid-June. The dog days of summer are at least a month off. I am starting to see lots of signs of stress in the fields surrounding my rural home and McDonough County.

Comment by H-W Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:52 am
Re Rep. Coffey. He’s try to prove he’s “fit” to be a member of the Congressional “Cuckoo Caucus” ???

Comment by Anyone Remember Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 11:53 am
I actually laughed out loud at the headline that community groups are upset the teachers union’s mayor hasn’t engaged with anyone to appoint to the school board.

Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 12:59 pm
Does Rep. Coffey actually think that anyone beside legislators, lobsters and Cap Fax readers are following what goes on in Springfield in real time?

Comment by West Side the Best Side Friday, Jun 16, 23 @ 1:43 pm