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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

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Illinois

* Tribune | Ed Burke’s lawyers ask to bar mention of alderman’s tax work for Trump Tower at upcoming trial : At one point in the call, the alderman asks his brother “to ask a third party why that third party doesn’t give Mr. Burke’s law firm some business instead of giving it all to (then-House Speaker Michael) Madigan,” the filing stated. “Mr. Burke then suggests that they could figure out a way to make Daniel a consultant.”

* WCIA | ACLU of Illinois meets in Urbana to discuss book banning: To kick off Banned Books Week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois had a discussion and workshop in Urbana to educate people on book banning and what they can do. In June, Illinois was the first state to pass legislation that will take funding away from any school or library that bans certain books. ACLU Director of Public Policy Ed Yohnka said this is no time to stop.

* Edwin C. Yohnka | Stepping up on Banned Books Week: Hank Aaron is a personal icon. His chase of Babe Ruth’s home run record captured my attention. My admiration for Aaron grew after learning about the racist threats Aaron endured as a Black man chasing the record. Aaron persevered in the face of this ugliness, responding with dignity. I was reminded of this youthful esteem when reports revealed that Hank Aaron’s Dream, a book for Aaron’s courage, was blocked from Florida classrooms while its content were reviewed. How could the story of a national hero be controversial? The explanation is that discussion of racism could somehow make some white students feel bad.

* WICS | Domestic Violence homicides remain high in Illinois: The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) is reporting that 57 people died in 45 separate domestic violence incidents in Illinois during 2022. […] “The actual numbers have dropped slightly with the easing of the pandemic,” stated Vickie Smith, President and CEO of ICADV. “But these incidents are preventable, and this loss is untenable.”

* WCIA | Lawmakers react to Teutopolis crash, I-70 construction: State Representative Adam Niemerg grew up and still lives in Teutopolis. He said that while there was panic and confusion during and after the evacuation, there was another emotion at the front of people’s minds: frustration. “A lot of folks are a little frustrated because of what’s happening on Interstate 70,” Niemerg said. “Everything being diverted to 40. We’ve been dealing with this for months in Teutopolis. And now we have this happen.”

* Pantagraph | Effingham County coroner IDs 5 killed from ammonia leak; others recount narrow escape: Shortly afterward she got a phone alert from a relative whose son-in-law had been driving a FedEx truck at the tail end of the crash east of Teutopolis. “He didn’t know what the heck was going on either, but he opened up his window to see and he got a whiff of it and he saw people pouring water on their heads,” recalled Deters.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville police find machine gun in car at TopGolf — third weapons bust made there since mid-September: During a vehicle search, police recovered a fully-loaded Glock 22 .40-caliber handgun with an auto switch converting it to a fully automatic weapon as well as an extended magazine, the release said. […] Littleton is being held in the DuPage County jail without bond per an order issued Monday by DuPage County Judge Joshua Dieden. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 16.

* SJ-R | Sangamon County coroner expected to name teen who died in police shooting at juvenile center: The Sangamon County Coroner’s office was expected to identify Monday afternoon the 17-year-old male killed in a confrontation with Springfield Police at the Sangamon County Juvenile Detention Center Saturday evening. […] SPD said a subject was armed and “had possibly shot an individual and was holding another hostage.” Officers encountered a teen at the entrance to the facility, where he was fired upon. After receiving medical assistance, he was taken by ambulance to HSHS St. John’s Hospital, where he later died.

* Daily Herald | ‘It’s pretty devastating’: Losing territory and revenue, Elk Grove Twp. fire department closes shop: The Elk Grove Township Fire Department answered its first call in 1979. On Sunday, it finished its last shift. In the wake of annexations by surrounding communities that have shriveled its territory, tax base and revenue, the fire district bowed to the inevitable Sunday morning and discontinued fire and emergency medical services.

* Daily Herald | Statewide paint recycling to come in 2025: What to do with your leftover paint until then: Until then, the Illinois EPA recommends alternatives to disposal like storing the paint for future touch-ups, or giving the paint to a friend or neighbor. That’s because while oil-based paint is accepted at state-sponsored household hazardous waste collection events, latex paint is not.

* Crain’s | Chicago’s top women-owned businesses see an average 20% uptick in revenue: Crain’s list of Chicago’s Biggest Women-Owned Businesses is back. The latest ranking showcases organizations that are at least 51% owned by a woman or women. Heico Cos. takes the No. 1 spot for a second consecutive year, reporting a 2022 revenue of $3.2 billion, nearly a 15% increase from 2021. The metal processing and construction company is 80% woman-owned, with Emily Heisley Stoeckel as the company’s majority owner and chairman.

* Chalkbeat | At six Illinois college campuses, advocates seek to create ‘comfort’ for foster care peers: A 2021 study found that of Illinois youth in foster care who turned 17 between 2012 and 2018, 86% enrolled in community college. Of those, just 8% graduated, according to the study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Students told researchers that they felt alone, largely weren’t aware of financial aid options, and that they needed more specialized attention.

* Herald-Whig | Hancock County looking to next broadband steps: “The Broadband Breakthrough Program was for us to understand what the options were, where as a community we were at. It was very successful. We got a ton of information,” Hancock County Economic Development Executive Director Sam Harnack said. “Now we’re utilizing the data to help support these service providers looking to expand in the area.” Expansion is on the way after grants to two companies serving the county — including $18 million to McDonough Telephone Cooperative.

* CBS 2 | Chicago State University told to turn over documents in Nigerian presidential election battle: A U.S. federal judge has ordered Chicago State University to turn over documents related to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s time at the school in the late 1970s. CSU had found itself at the center of a political dispute between Tinubu and his rivals over the legitimacy of a CSU diploma Tinubu provided before the national election earlier this year.

* Crain’s | Restaurant-industry vets raising $100M venture fund: “We were already helping operators, so we thought: Why don’t we start a fund?” says Focht, 47. “We have deal flow other funds don’t have access to because of our data and customers.” Emerging plans to focus on restaurant concepts with one to six units, as well as restaurant-tech startups.

* Block Club | Midwestern Food And Why It’s Special Is The Focus Of New Cookbook By Big Jones Chef: “Nobody’s done a book about the Midwest where it addresses the Midwest as a serious regional cuisine,” he said. “Most books are just legends and lore, and they don’t deal with the establishment of a culture. I wanted to have a real, serious conversation about what this stuff is and where it came from.”

* Capital B | A New Tool Mapped Out 184 Climate Risks for Every Community Nationwide. Check Yours: A new mapping and data tool built by Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University researchers outlines those factors — 184 of them to be exact — in hopes of giving people the knowledge to understand the climate risks they face and the tools to advocate for more resources.

* AP | Nobel in medicine goes to 2 scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19: Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman were cited for contributing “to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health,” according to the panel that awarded the prize in Stockholm.

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Oct 2, 23 @ 2:32 pm

Comments

Re: Chalkbeat story on Foster Care

What a wonderful idea whose time has come. While we (I am a professor) have been focusing on “First Generation” students for some time, I have never thought in terms of foster children coming into the higher education system. These new students certainly need a way to join a social network of similarly situated students.

Bravo.

Comment by H-W Monday, Oct 2, 23 @ 2:47 pm
The Chalkbeat article—-if a Tutor Corps is established for students formerly in foster care, that system could offer academic, social, and emotional support for students.

Our students made appointments with their tutor. These relationships develop over time and provide stability and a friendly face for students.

One young woman started crying during the session as she was overwhelmed with her life experiences. My advice…you’ve had many challenges in life but you’re here now enrolled in college and making progress toward your goals. You’ve made positive steps and positive choices for your future.

The appointments included academic questions as well as offering emotional support for students. The students could share their grades and successes with a familiar face.

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Monday, Oct 2, 23 @ 3:40 pm
a township fire department closing shop. consolidate more.

Comment by Amalia Monday, Oct 2, 23 @ 3:40 pm
What the heck is going on at the Naperville Top Golf?

Comment by Hannibal Lecter Monday, Oct 2, 23 @ 3:50 pm
Maybe Mr. Burke can give lectures on civility while in prison.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Monday, Oct 2, 23 @ 4:52 pm
He has been wearing pinstripes for years

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