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* ICYMI: Stateville begins transferring out prisoners amid concerns over conditions. Tribune…
* Related stories…
At 11:30 am Governor Pritzker will give remarks at ribbon cutting for new Longmeadow Parkway Bridge. At 1:45 pm the governor will be at the opening of Hard Rock Casino in Rockford. Click here to watch.
* Envision Unlimited…
An anonymous donor has stepped forward with a $25,000 contribution matching 1:1 all contributions to a GoFundMe campaign launched for Envision Unlimited by three board members who are also family members of the organization that provides a full spectrum of care for people with intellectual, developmental and psychiatric disabilities in Illinois. The Envisioning More for People with Disabilities campaign to raise $100,000 was prompted by recent insensitive and insulting comments about the very people and families that Envision Unlimited serves. When the organization took a stand this past weekend it came with much positive feedback from people across the country, as well as parting ways with a major contributor whose words and actions were inconsistent with the organization’s mission and values.
To make up for a large gap in fundraising the departure created to continue to support services and care for thousands of members (how clients prefer to be known) and their caregivers, a group of board members with family ties to Envision Unlimited initiated a GoFundMe campaign that has brought in nearly $7,000 in the last 24 hours. When the campaign reaches its $100,000 goal, it will be met with a matching donation of $100,000 from another anonymous donor.
Proceeds are to support the opening of new homes in the community so more people with disabilities can live to their fullest potential. This includes a completely accessible home for people with physical disabilities allowing older members to age in place, and many other people transitioning out of state-run institutions to find a safe, fully supportive home in a real community.
* Sun-Times | Legionella bacteria, lead found in EPA Chicago offices’ drinking water: The bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease have been found in the drinking water of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Loop offices, and employees are demanding the problem be fixed. High levels of lead and copper were also found in a pair of water sources at the offices.
* Sun-Times | Chicago Archdiocese introduces natural burial plots, first Catholic diocese in state to do so: An area for natural burials will be dedicated this weekend at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery in Palatine. Natural burials typically avoid the embalming chemical formaldehyde and non-degradable materials such as concrete vaults and metal caskets.
* Crain’s | Here’s just how empty Chicago’s offices were during the DNC: As tens of thousands of delegates, volunteers, media members and more flocked to the United Center for the Democratic National Convention, much of Chicago’s workforce stayed home. In fact, offices in the city were up to half empty during the DNC compared to the same days the week prior, according to the latest data from real estate technology firm Kastle Systems, which tracks badge swipes at commercial office buildings. […] During the DNC, however, those numbers dropped significantly. On Monday, Aug. 19, the first day of the convention, Kastle data shows in-office occupancy was 29.3% relative to pre-pandemic levels. For context, that figure was 46.3% for Monday, Aug. 12.
* WICS | Illinois State Treasurer’s Office reports record $1.495 billion earnings in FY 2024: Also in Fiscal Year 2024, which ended June 30, the Treasurer’s Office made a record $1.05 billion in gross investment earnings for cities, villages, school districts, counties and other units of government that take part in the highly rated Illinois Funds local government investment pool the State Treasurer’s Office operates. The Illinois Funds has received the highest rating of AAA from Fitch, a national credit ratings agency.
* Crain’s | For these companies, quantum computing isn’t a far-off dream. It’s now.: As the name implies, this new type of computing draws on the concepts of quantum mechanics in physics. Tiny particles of matter or specialized circuits can effectively be in multiple states at once. Instead of storing information as 1s or 0s, as traditional computers do, quantum machines store bits of data in a quantum superposition, which is neither 0 nor 1. If that explanation strikes you as clear as mud, know this: The result is computers that are uniquely suited to process more data and tackle more complicated problems than current machines. What quantum computers are really good at is tackling multiple problems with lots of ever-changing variables.
* Tribune | Chicago school board race finalized at 32 candidates: The two candidates removed from the ballot are Kirk Ortiz of the 3rd District and Brittany Bailey Preston of the 9th District. Four other candidates who had objections filed against them had their objections dismissed on Tuesday, confirming their spot on the ballot. Those are Bruce Leon of the 2nd District, Jason Dones of the 3rd District, Andre Smith of the 6th District and Raquel Don of the 7th District.
* WTTW | Officials Asked for Public Comment on Proposed DuSable Lake Shore Drive Redesign. They Got an Earful: CDOT provided WTTW News with 308 public comments under a Freedom of Information Act request. Almost all were forms filled out at the open house, with a handful sent via email. Of the 308 comments, 192 say the proposed redesign doesn’t do nearly enough to improve public transportation, with one saying “transit has been given the scraps of scraps.”
* Tribune | Downtown lodging industry was big winner during last week’s DNC, thanks to higher room rates and full hotels: Downtown hotels enjoyed a lucrative week during the Democratic National Convention, with occupancy levels as much as 20% higher than the same period last year and rooms rented at much higher rates to the tens of thousands of visiting delegates, lobbyists and other convention attendees, according to data from CoStar, a real estate analytics firm. “It’s economics 101. If demand goes up, prices go up,” said Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality analytics at CoStar. “These are very healthy numbers, so I think it was a very successful week, at least from a hotel perspective.”
* WAND | Advocates, riders renew calls for public transit reform in Chicagoland region: Lawmakers continue to hear complaints about delayed services, lack of routes and limited coordination between providers. Yet, transportation is even harder for people with disabilities. “You can’t just jump in a car with a friend when you’re wheelchair bound,” said Kane County resident Ruth Kuzmanic. “So, you got to schedule that bus. That driver does come and get him and get him there, but it’s always additional hassles because that app is not user friendly.”
BREAKING: On Saturday September 14th starting at 10am Nisei Lounge will host a “Design Illinois’s next flag!” contest all day.
Even young people (with guardian) welcome until 5pm to submit their own designs.
Because there is no more vexillology forward bar than Nisei Lounge! https://t.co/syO62TmG89
— Nisei Lounge Chicago (@NiseiLounge) August 29, 2024
* Sun-Times | White Sox swept by Rangers; losses mount to 103: Finishing a game suspended by rain after only four pitches the night before, the Sox lost 3-1 to the Rangers before the sparsest of crowds in the first of two games Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. The 4:10 p.m. start, scheduled just 19 hours earlier, figured to attract a small crowd and had about 150-200 fans on a 77-degree afternoon at the first pitch. The loss in the second game left the Sox needing to go 12-16 over their last 28 games to avoid tying the 1962 Mets (40-120) for most losses in major league history.
* Daily Herald | Past due: Bills from DuPage County clerk in question again: DuPage County Auditor Bill White said in an Aug. 21 memorandum that the county has been unable to pay 13 invoices totaling $142,823. The reason is insufficient funds in specific budget lines or a lack of documentation to process the bills. All the unpaid invoices are related to election services, including four bills totaling $57,614 from DFM Associates, a company that manages the voter registration program.
* Daily Southtown | Walt’s Food Centers to leave South Holland after 87-year run, closing in late September: Walt’s Food Centers is closing its South Holland store, a community where the small family-owned chain started nearly nine decades ago. In a letter posted for customers Monday outside the store, 16145 State St., the company said the store will close Sept. 28 and it is working to relocate employees to other Walt’s locations.
* STL Today | Wentzville payroll clerk accused of falsifying timecards for years, stealing more than $49K: Prosecutors allege that Whitehead, a payroll specialist for an unnamed St. Charles County company from 2019 to 2022, paid herself for an additional 136 hours of vacation and bereavement time off, even though she was actually working during that time. Whitehead allowed her either overtime or her salary coefficient, but not both, if she worked more than 80 hours during her two-week pay period.
* FOX 2 Now | Illinois lawmaker plans resolution to honor fallen officer: For months, Viola Jonas has been coming up with a plan to honor her late husband, former Centreville police Lieutenant Gregory Jonas. […] Jonas wants a memorial sign in his honor, but after a back and forth with the city, she felt she was not getting anywhere. Lt. Jonas died in the line of duty in 2009, serving in an area now known as Cahokia Heights. With decades in law enforcement, Lt. Jonas is well known there. […] “I believe that the members of the general assembly in the (Illinois) House and the Senate will gladly honor Lt. Jonas,” Illinois State Representative Jay Hoffman (D – District 113) said.
* WCIA | Union for Decatur school custodians delivers intent to strike: Custodians delivered their 10-day strike notice at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday evening. They have been at the negotiation table bargaining for wage increases since February. Workers have spoken at several Board of Education meetings this year about how being underpaid affects them and their families. […] [Amanda Francis, who has worked at the district for 6 years,] also said the board offering only a two-year contract for the custodians gives the workers much uncertainty.
* PJ Star | What to know about the new $44 million justice center expansion coming to Pekin: The annex will be 79,000 square feet across four levels. It will house three fully finished courtrooms, a top floor shelled for an additional three courtrooms, state’s attorney and probation offices, the Circuit Clerk Traffic Division and an information technology data center.
* SJ-R | Springfield sees ‘record breaking’ tourism for third straight year in 2023: Last year, tourism generated a local economic impact of $601.3 million — an increase of more than $70 million from 2022 — per data provided by Tourism Economics, a global tourism research firm, and was part of a statewide increase in visitor spending. This was in addition to the $18.8 million contributed to local tax revenues and the creation of more than 5,000 jobs, per the announcement from the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Springfield on Aug. 22.
* SJ-R | ‘You can’t stop’: Springfield business thriving at new home after East Adams Street fire: It’s been more than two months since a fire ravaged the building at 413 E. Adams St. and almost everything inside of it, including the Electric Quill Tattoo parlor. Equipment and art inside the parlor, which had opened up in May and didn’t have building insurance at the time of the fire, were destroyed. Owner Steve Lima contemplated what he would do next but said receiving support from the community made things easier.
* The Guardian | ‘January 6 was just the warm-up’: the film that tracks three Maga extremists storming the Capitol: “I think January 6th was just the warm-up,” Premo says. “This November, we’re going to see an even more frantic and desperate attempt to attack every level of the electoral system.” He is not optimistic about the US’s current direction of travel. The country, he argues, is effectively on the brink of civil war. Homegrown premieres in the International Critics’ Week sidebar at this year’s Venice film festival. It is one of a number of campaigning political pictures that could put the event at loggerheads with Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing Italian government.
* WaPo | Technical error caused jobs data delay that sparked outrage, BLS says: The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday that a technical issue caused delays last week in the scheduled release of jobs data that carried major implications for the economy and the presidential election. A hitch related to time-stamping prevented the job revisions data from being released on time, according to information provided by the Labor Department, which the BLS is part of. Outside parties, the BLS said, then got the data because of a lack of communication within the agency over how to respond to public inquiries.
posted by Isabel Miller
Thursday, Aug 29, 24 @ 7:53 am
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Well look at that, the “worthless” flag redesign is already bringing folks together.
Comment by TJ Thursday, Aug 29, 24 @ 8:08 am
So Deb Conroy’s now just openly stating on the record that she follows what Republican State’s Attorney Bob Berlin tells her. Not sure that’s what Democratic voters in DuPage County thought they were getting by electing her.
Comment by Protocol Droid Thursday, Aug 29, 24 @ 8:27 am
South Holland without a Walt’s is hard to comprehend, they have been there so long and for a long time they were the grocery store in town.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Aug 29, 24 @ 8:35 am
Wasn’t one of the catholic diocese opposed to the legislation allowing natural burials, claiming it was desecration of human remains?
Comment by Huh? Thursday, Aug 29, 24 @ 9:14 am
$1.495 billion is a lot of interest earned.
Kudos to the Illinois Treasurer.
Can we just call it $1.5 billion though?
Comment by Mugsy Ballone Thursday, Aug 29, 24 @ 9:58 am
I’m confused. DuPage County turned blue, yet Republican Bob Berlin is running the show?
Comment by Non-Attorney Spokesperson Thursday, Aug 29, 24 @ 2:28 pm