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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

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Illinois

Some Illinois schools will likely experience major shifts this school year as federal COVID relief funds end, district budgets get tighter, and students continue to recover from school disruptions during the height of the pandemic. […]

Chalkbeat Chicago sat down with [State Superintendent Tony Sanders] to talk about what’s next for the state board after COVID relief funds end in September, support for schools that have seen an increase in newcomer enrollment, the state’s literacy plan, and other education issues. […]

The state board’s share of federal COVID-19 relief dollars is also expected to end in September. The state board created initiatives like a digital equity grant and a mentorship program for teachers among other initiatives. Will the state board continue some of these programs without federal COVID relief funds or will they disappear?

This year within the state budget, we were able to work with the governor’s office and legislators on sustaining some of these programs. For example, we were able to secure some state dollars to support our Student Care Department — which monitors restraint, time-out, and student isolation — which was created using COVID relief funds. We’ve been able to use the extension on COVID relief funds that the federal government gave us to continue programs such as SEL [Social Emotional Learning] Hubs, teacher mentoring, and principal mentoring. One of the things you didn’t see make it into this year’s budget was high-impact tutoring. It was effective, but it was also very expensive.

Next fiscal year, the State Board of Education will have some deeper conversation to see what programs local school districts or the state will help us support or if there are other grants or opportunities for us to start seeking out.

* WHBF…

Team Illinois continued to dominate Team Iowa, winning Tugfest 2024 10-2.

The Port Byron side of the tug took the first three tugs with teams from Declercq Farms, Black Fabrication and Peacocks Tavern. The LeClaire side got on the board with Carsten’s Flooring. Port Bryon bounced right back with wins from Duey’s Corner Tap and Guither Tree Service. A new team from Picknick Real Estate gave LeClaire a second win. It was all Port Bryon from there with teams from Signature Big Timbers, Larson Pump, Rosenow Farms, Hillsdale Storage winning. The final tug was a battle between Riverdale High School and Pleasant Valley High School, with Riverdale wining for the Illinois side.

Tugfest is the nation’s only cross-river tug of war, with 2,700 feet of rope stretched between Port Bryon and LeClaire. Port Byron keeps the coveted Alabaster Eagle trophy for another year.

For those interested, Noon Whistle paid a $1,000 fine to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission after selling cicada infused Malort.

*** Statewide ***

* Brownfield Ag | New ‘Illinois Grown’ label debuts: The executive director of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association says a new “Illinois Grown” label is headed to market shelves. Reghala Scavuzzo tells Brownfield: “There’s always been a discussion we really want to highlight what’s been actually grown in Illinois.” She says, “And so, the Illinois Department of Agriculture this week is launching the Illinois Grown brand and relaunching their branding program.”

* Tribune | A new state law mandates new homes be equipped with EV-capable parking, but for many buyers, home chargers aren’t yet an essential amenity: Although a new Illinois law went into effect seven months ago requiring all new homes and multifamily apartments to be equipped with EV-capable parking spaces, home charging stations aren’t yet an essential feature for many potential homebuyers or renters. Developers and realtors say that most homebuyers and renters are only interested in electric vehicle chargers if they already own an EV, which is a small percentage of drivers. But many in the real estate industry are still incorporating charging capability into their marketing, seeing the potential for it to become a more valuable amenity in the future. When Valentine put his Kildeer home up for sale, his realtor recommended that the property’s EV charging capability be advertised in the listing.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Repeated Police Misconduct by 200 Officers Cost Chicago Taxpayers $164.3M Over 5 Years: Analysis: Cases that involved at least one officer with repeated claims of misconduct accounted for nearly 43% of the cost borne by taxpayers to resolve police misconduct cases between 2019 and 2023, according to the analysis. In 2023 alone, the city spent $34.4 million to resolve lawsuits that named officers whose alleged misconduct more than once cost Chicago taxpayers money, accounting for approximately 40% of the total cost to taxpayers, according to WTTW News’ analysis.

* Block Club | City Street Festivals Are Underestimating Crowds By Tens of Thousands, Endangering Attendees: Vegandale organizers were prepared to manage a crowd of 16,000 people, according to permit data from the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. But advertisements for the event called for a crowd of 30,000. […] But CBS Chicago and Block Club found festival organizers are submitting paperwork to the city saying they expect smaller crowds — while their advertisements say tens of thousands more people will come. The discrepancy can create potentially dangerous conditions, an expert said. In Chicago, safety planning for street festivals relies on crowd estimates, according to at least two city ordinances related to special events.

* Block Club | Loretto Hospital Dangerously Understaffed, Nurses Say In New Labor Complaint: Loretto has lost 30 percent of its nursing staff since 2020 and is down to 93 full-time nurses, with only a portion of them working full time as leaders try to cut costs that “undermines the hospital’s ability to provide adequate care to patients,” according to a union news release. The union is asking the National Labor Relations Board to compel Loretto to release daily schedules, payrolls and other staffing documents that they say have not been turned over during negotiations — in violation of federal labor law.

* Crain’s | Chicago tries a progressive approach to its mental health crisis: The Chicago Department of Public Health estimates about 140,000 Chicagoans were experiencing serious psychological distress in 2023 that wasn’t being addressed. Recognizing the severity of this critical moment, Chicago’s public and private sectors are putting more resources into addressing the root causes of deteriorating mental health, while also seeking to treat those already suffering. But there’s a particular focus in Chicago right now on expanding the public social safety net and its role in the broader health care system.

* Tribune | ‘There is not enough pie’: When companies file for bankruptcy, workers with unpaid wage claims are left in limbo: In March, a federal judge ruled that Luna and her former coworkers were owed $1.52 million in back pay and benefits under the WARN Act, an amount which would work out to an average of about $11,500 per former staffer. The ruling was a default judgment because The Signature Room’s parent company, Infusion Management Group, never responded to the workers’ lawsuit. Luna and her coworkers haven’t seen a penny. Just weeks after Unite Here filed its WARN lawsuit, Infusion Management filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Bankruptcy law dictates that secured creditors — those whose claims are backed by collateral — get paid first. Unsecured creditors who are also owed money — a category that includes employees — are paid out afterward, but there isn’t always money left to pay them.

* Block Club | Developer Wants To Open Salon Suites At Chicago’s Last Black-Owned Bank: A developer wants to convert the former site of the city’s last Black-owned bank into suites for beauty entrepreneurs. But leaders at the troubled bank said they haven’t decided to sell the building, even as the developer meets with neighbors and the local alderman to get their support.

* Sun-Times | Connie Wilkie, ‘gruff drill sergeant’ who kept the Sun-Times newsroom running, dies at 85: Ms. Wilkie died Aug. 5 of COVID-19 at Liberty Village in downstate Pittsfield. She was 85. “Connie was a rock in the Sun-Times newsroom, efficiently ensuring that phone calls into the city desk from sources, reporters, cranky readers and others were channeled in the right direction,” said Alan Henry, a former editor. “Graced with a kind heart and a dry sense of humor, she was a pleasure to be around and was one of the ‘characters’ who helped make the newsroom a fun place to work.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Lake County News-Sun | Plans for Gurnee homeless shelter appear to be in trouble: Evidence is mounting that Lake County PADS has picked the wrong location for a fixed-site homeless shelter. Gurnee residents on the village’s east side have been adamant in their opposition to the proposal, and there’s a good chance village officials will deny the request. The Village Board is slated to decide the issue at its Aug. 19 session, where opponents and proponents undoubtedly will make final pleas to trustees for the proposed 90-person lodging for the unhoused. The county’s homeless population is estimated at 701.

* Sun-Times | Majority of Marquette Bank ATMs still out of service after criminal attack: “Among other financial institutions in the region, multiple Marquette Bank ATMs were targeted by criminals over the Fourth of July holiday,” the company said in an emailed statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, Marquette Bank and its ATM vendor have taken most of the ATMs offline in order to upgrade and strengthen the security of the bank-owned ATMs.” […] The Orland Park-based company said 20 of its 23 machines were down. As of Aug. 9, the locations back online include the drive-up locations in Mount Greenwood, 3435 W. 111th St., and Tinley Park, 16700 Oak Park Ave., as well as a walk-up and drive-up site at 6155 S. Pulaski Rd. in West Lawn.

* Crain’s | Northwestern lands naming rights deal for temporary lakefront stadium: Northwestern University’s temporary football stadium along the lakefront now has a name: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. The university and Northwestern Medicine struck a deal on a two-year exclusive naming rights agreement, one of the first in the country that capitalizes on a new rule in college football allowing commercial sponsorship advertisements on the field. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

* Daily Herald | ‘The girls didn’t stop screaming’: When Beatlemania hit suburban theaters 60 years ago: The premiere of “A Hard Day’s Night” at 500 theaters nationwide only served to build the anticipation of the film’s release weeks later in the Chicago area, coinciding with the Beatles’ North American tour that included a Sept. 5 stop at the International Amphitheatre. […] Larry Andres, then 13, also was at the first showing. “We stood in line. I remember the line stretched down Evergreen (Avenue) in front of the theater, around the side, and went all the way down Arlington Heights Road,” said Andres, a retired Buffalo Grove Fire Department lieutenant. “The girls didn’t stop screaming. They screamed from the moment the movie started until the movie ended. You couldn’t hear a thing. You couldn’t hear the lines to the movie. Every time the Beatles opened their mouths, the girls screamed.”

*** Downstate ***

* Telegraph | Fundraising gap: Nikki Budzinski’s $3.2 million vs. Joshua Loyd’s $26,000 in Illinois 13th: As of June 30, the most current information available, Budzinski’s total contributions were $3.27 million while Loyd received $26,636.44. Through the end of March, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) showed that Budzinski had received $2.6 million and Loyd had garnered $18,584.51. Between April 1 and June 30, Nikki For Congress brought in $643,524.73, and Loyd for Congress generated $8,215.52 in contributions.

* WSIL | Southern Illinois winery wins statewide award: The Blue Sky Vineyard was recognized with a first-place award at the 2024 Illinois Wine Competition. The Makanda-based winery was recognized as “Best in Show” for its Chambourcin Reserve. The reserve is grown on site and features cherries and other berries surrounded with mild tannins and a smoky finish. Blue Sky recommends drinking it alongside a steak, stew or pasta.

* PJ Star | ‘Very important part of downtown’: Peoria proposal would funnel more money to Dozer Park: The Peoria City Council plans to review a proposal to raise Dozer Park’s tax increment by 5% in order to meet rising inflation and also help fund renovations at the baseball stadium in Downtown Peoria. Dozer Park, which opened in 2002, serves as the home for the Peoria Chiefs, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Chiefs have been in Peoria since 1983.

* WGEM | Western Illinois 4-H members well represented at state fair Sunday: Marissa Mintle, of Liberty, created an interior design project by making a jewelry cabinet. She said her and her family all share jewelry, and her project will help put it all in one space. […] ”I really enjoy that there’s so much versatility, a lot of people think that 4-H is just showing animals or being a farm kid, I didn’t grow up on a farm, I live in a town, so through 4-H I was able to express my hobbies and kind of show what I like and find something that fit me,” Mintle said.

*** National ***

* NYT | Here Are the Olympic Moments We Won’t Forget: Whenever and wherever American athletes competed, there always seemed to be a hip-hop icon cheering them on. Flavor Flav, the Public Enemy rapper, went all in for women’s water polo. But it was Snoop Dogg who became ubiquitous, amplifying the athletes through his role as a special correspondent for NBC and his endlessly wide-eyed perspective of the action during prime-time broadcasts. He swam with Michael Phelps. He danced with Simone Biles. He rode a horse at equestrian.

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Aug 12, 24 @ 3:12 pm

Comments

=Next fiscal year, the State Board of Education will have some deeper conversation to see what programs local school districts or the state will help us support or if there are other grants or opportunities for us to start seeking out.=

Lol. So tell me everyone else will have to cover the cost of these programs (one of which I believe is mandatory) without telling me.

All for an extra $1000 per year in EBF money.

Comment by JS Mill Monday, Aug 12, 24 @ 3:19 pm
re police misconduct - I’ve joked for about a decade now that Chicago’s entire fiscal woes would disappear if the city didn’t need to payoff police misconduct suits anymore. Guess that joke was a slight exaggeration, but still a decent chunk of the missing pie.

re Gurnee homeless shelter - Why do I get the feeling that the “wrong location” in question would be the case for anywhere within or near the municipal boundary of Gurnee itself? Feels like peak nimby energy there.

Comment by TJ Monday, Aug 12, 24 @ 3:31 pm
As someone who worked in the service industry for many years, I feel for employees at places like Signature Room and Foxtrot. But there is no way we can have unsecured creditors moving ahead of secured ones. Working in the financial services/insurance space now, I can say that a change like that would do just what some in that Trib article said - dissuade lenders and those with dollars to offer up from doing so should the enterprise go belly up. I don’t have an answer for how those who are challenged financially in that industry, other than doing what I did when I was in my 20s and early 30s - work four jobs and SAVE.

Comment by Just a guy Monday, Aug 12, 24 @ 3:31 pm
You can’t have any sympathy for any school district that takes temporary funding and plugs it in for permanent ongoing expenses knowing what will happen when Uncle Fed turns off the money spigot. That’s just poor management, something CPS and CTU are well known for.

Comment by Tim Monday, Aug 12, 24 @ 8:59 pm