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* ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers approve elected school board for Chicago. What comes next? Sun-Times…
* Related stories…
* Isabel’s top picks…
* Crain’s | Rivian will launch new R2 SUV in Normal as it taps brakes on Georgia factory buildout: “We’re able to achieve that accelerated timing by leveraging our production capabilities in Normal, using our Illinois site to launch R2 and get it into market as quickly as we can,” CEO R.J. Scaringe said during a March 7 launch event for the much-anticipated smaller-scale version of its original EVs.
* Tribune | Illinois moves to limit toxic forever chemicals contaminating wells throughout the state: Regulations unveiled Wednesday by the Illinois Pollution Control Board are intended to protect millions of people from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, some of which build up in human blood, cause cancer and other diseases and take years to leave the body.
* Fox Chicago | Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard sued by church for alleged discrimination: Redeemed Christian Church of God Resurrection Power Assembly alleges the mayor and the village failed to apply Dolton’s zoning code by preventing the church from renovating the building it purchased. […] “In my all years, I’ve never seen such a blatant disregard for an ordinance and religious civil rights. Religious institutions are permitted in the area under the zoning code. Based on statements from employees, the mayor is calling the shots,” said John Mauck, with Mauck & Baker Law.
* Here’s the rest…
* Tribune | Rivian to launch second-generation R2 electric SUV production in Normal, as plans for Georgia plant are delayed: In addition to the downsized R2, Rivian introduced an even smaller R3 and souped-up R3X crossover, hoping to capture a larger share of the nascent EV market. The production timing and location for the R3 has yet to be announced.
* Journal Courier | Moore, Snellgrove compete to replace Frese in Illinois House race: Moore, 43, of Quincy is a former alderman and mayor of Quincy who announced his candidacy in September. Moore was elected mayor in 2013, becoming the first Republican to be elected to that role since 1981. He was re-elected in 2017, serving until 2021, after keeping his pledge to serve only two terms. Moore has been president of the Great River Economic Development Foundation in Quincy since 2021.
* Tribune | Harris leans on personal story in state’s attorney stump speech: As a former assistant state’s attorney, Harris said he saw the “churn” of Black men “in and out of the system”; as a resident of Washington Park, he said his family has “to worry about bullets flying” and being profiled by the police; and as a father raising young boys, he said he was heartbroken to read about a case prosecuted by his opponent that has become central to his campaign for both safety and justice in the office.
* Crain’s | Biden highlights Stellantis’ plans to reopen Belvidere plant in State of the Union address: He called out UAW President Shawn Fain and autoworker Dawn Sims, who were in the audience. Matt Frantzen, head of the UAW local in Belvidere, also was scheduled to attend the State of the Union as a guest of Illinois Rep. Bill Foster, whose district includes the plant.
* Tribune | Chicago Bears add former Minnesota Twins executive Meka White Morris as EVP of revenue and chief business officer: Morris’ arrival continues a revamping of the Bears executive staff under President and CEO Kevin Warren, whose one-year anniversary with the team is in April. The Bears announced this week that they promoted longtime chief financial officer Karen Murphy to EVP of stadium development and chief operating officer. Corey Ruff was promoted to senior vice president of strategy and analytics and chief of staff.
* Crain’s | Economic development group Intersect Illinois names trio of Chicago biz vets to board: Intersect Illinois, a statewide business attraction organization focused on bringing new jobs, businesses and investment, has appointed three new members to its board. Michael Fassnacht, president and chief growth officer of Clayco’s Chicago-area region; Kristi Lafleur, CEO of Skyway Concession; and Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association have joined the board of directors, the organization said in a March 7 announcement.
* Sun-Times | Helping the unhoused ‘a matter of life and death,’ Johnson says during Bring Chicago Home push: Johnson visited with social workers and health care providers at Jesse Brown who help connect veterans to Department of Veterans Affairs services including housing opportunities, primary medical care, assistance for interpersonal violence victims and reentry programs after incarceration.
* CBS Chicago | While newly arrived migrants can obtain work permits, some of the long-undocumented feel forgotten: “Seeing so many new arrivals get work authorization – which is something that we all celebrate – but now we know that this is something that the president can give without congressional approval,” said immigration organizer Enddy Almonord.
* Tribune | Amid migrant crisis, Chicago food pantries experience unprecedented demand : The network of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which includes over 800 food distributors across the city, served 186,000 households in December, a 29% increase from the previous year. While pantries don’t ask guests their status, anecdotally, a significant portion of the new visitors are Latino migrants, several organizations said. Nonprofit food distributors in Denver, another city that has received thousands of migrants, are facing similar challenges.
* Sun-Times | How Brandon Johnson’s inner circle compares to past mayors’: It’s more heavily Black, with no Asian Americans among his top political appointees. Overall, the city payroll is far different from the significantly white employee base that Mayor Richard M. Daley had when he left office in 2011, a Sun-Times analysis finds.
* Tribune | Bally’s Chicago revenue grows in February, generating more than $1 million in local tax revenue: Revenue at the temporary Medinah Temple casino grew 6.5% to nearly $9.9 million in adjusted gross receipts, according to February data released Thursday by the Illinois Gaming Board. But Bally’s Chicago slipped behind Harrah’s Joliet to rank fourth in revenue among the state’s 15 casinos.
* WBEZ | A new casino coming to the south suburbs says it will hit the jackpot despite a run on casinos: And just across the state line, Northwest Indiana has four casinos, which raises concerns about whether a casino glut permeates the region. Ed Feigenbaum, who monitors gaming for Indiana Gaming Insight, a casino publication, said competition is a concern for all involved.
* Daily-Journal | Bourbonnais mayor, clerk annual salaries see first increase in 35 years: The salary for the mayor will go from $12,000 a year to $16,000, which represents a 33% increase. The clerk’s salary goes from $4,200 to $6,000, a 43% hike, said Finance Director Tara Latz.
* Sun-Times | Chicago reports first measles case since 2019, seeking others possibly exposed: The health department is finding those who may have been exposed to the person with measles. The person with the confirmed case was recovering well and their infectious disease period ended Wednesday, Block Club Chicago reported.
* WICS | ISP release video footage of officer involved shooting: Illinois State Police has released video footage of the officer-involved shooting on February 24, at 12:42 p.m. on Interstate 55 northbound near Lexington, milepost 177.
* News-Gazette | Budzinski, Miller question post office changes: Budzinski and Miller requested that the U.S. Postal Service provide written responses to questions they have about the plan, including the number of employees that will be asked to relocate or change jobs, alternatives for those unwilling or unable to relocate, and how public comments will be factored into the Postal Service’s decision about the Mattis Avenue post office.
* Block Club | Scientology Church Opens In South Loop, Raising Concerns Of Columbia College Students Living Next Door: “Everyone’s talking about it,” said Jazlynn “Jazzy” Edwards, a sophomore majoring in journalism who lives at the Dwight Lofts. “It’s all negative. No one wants them here.” Some students said they are concerned with the organization’s presence — and the crowds it draws — next to the place they call home, given the Church of Scientology’s controversial history and the demographics of college students.
posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 7:44 am
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Re: Journal Courier
Ah, the ole 99th. A place where both candidates indicated in a recent debate that they were willing to exploit secede from the Land of Lincoln. Gotta love the Tea Party folks.
Comment by H-W Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 8:49 am
secede should be seceding
Comment by H-W Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 8:51 am
-H-W, And I assume “exploit” is a Freudian slip. LOL
Comment by very old soil Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 9:22 am
Not some giant problem, but the Tribune link in this post for the “Amid migrant crisis, Chicago food pantries experience unprecedented demand” article is wrong–it goes to the CBS link for the story right above it.
Comment by Garfield Ridge Guy Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 9:24 am
Harris has to worry about bullets flying and yet he will continue the policies of Kim Foxx. going light on guns, not following the Illinois law on felony retail theft and waiting for 10 more crimes by someone before going after a misdemeanor. All Foxx created policies that encourage the lawlessness that sends the bullets flying. the screen of the Jussie Smollet mess can sometimes make one forget all the laws that Foxx ignores. Harris wants to continue that. It’s not smart.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 9:25 am
=== Gotta love the Tea Party folks. ===
No ya don’t.
Comment by PublicServant Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 9:39 am
Missed one…https://www.wandtv.com/news/illinois-could-ban-prior-authorization-for-mental-health-prescriptions-helping-medicaid-patients/article_4a9ac828-dccb-11ee-9b23-7f893ffeeb3f.html
Comment by news lover Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 9:41 am
@ very old soil
I should have stayed in bed. Have a great weekend.
Comment by H-W Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 9:50 am
==Amalia==
Can you help explain why gun violence is considerably lower today than when Foxx was elected in 2016?
Comment by supplied_demand Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 10:15 am
=== Harris has to worry about bullets flying and yet he will continue the policies of Kim Foxx. going light on guns, not following the Illinois law on felony retail theft and waiting for 10 more crimes by someone before going after a misdemeanor. All Foxx created policies that encourage the lawlessness that sends the bullets flying.===
I’m not sure who I’m planning on voting for. I like Burke’s greater experience and even when she accidentally railroaded that young child, that was a mistake that she will never forget and could help her make better decisions.
But prosecuting shoplifters as felons for tiny amounts is dumb, really dumb. Illinois is an outlier among states in having retail theft felony amount so low.
Foxx went light on gun crimes? Where is your proof? Harris promised to prosecute gun crimes less? I also couldn’t find that.
I couldn’t find any positive proof that gun crime convictions went down during Foxx’s tenure. There are indications that they went up. From the Marshall Project: “from 2010 to 2022, the police made more than 38,000 arrests for illegal gun possession. These arrests — almost always a felony — doubled during this timeframe. While illegal possession is the most serious offense in most of the cases we analyzed, the charges often bear misleading names that imply violence, like aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Recent research shows that most people convicted in Illinois for felony gun possession don’t go on to commit a violent crime, and the majority of those sentenced to prison for gun possession don’t have past convictions for violence. Instead, people who already committed violent crimes are more likely to do so again.”
Comment by How about this? Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 10:24 am
@Supplied_demand because of police work. could be lower if she was consistent in prosecuting those who should not have guns.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 10:26 am
RE S-T Johnson inner circle story
Interesting spin on things by the Johnson administration.Highligjts the current and likely future power struggles between the various Identity groups.
Johnson claims he has appointed the best qualified people. OK, I get it; to the victor go the spoils of patronage. But his track record to date doesn’t seem to reflect the most competent.
Comment by RNUG Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 10:32 am
“going light on guns”
Are you sure about that?
This article says otherwise. https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/06/17/hundreds-more-black-chicagoans-are-pleading-guilty-to-gun-possession-charges-heres-one-possible-reason-why-%EF%BF%BC/
Comment by Mr. Green Genes Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 11:05 am
when you won’t prosecute every time someone is found with a gun they should not have, yes you are going light on guns. again, the figures come from police work. not Foxx policy which Harris will follow.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 11:47 am
==because of police work. could be lower if she was consistent in prosecuting those who should not have guns.==
Seems you are admitting the cops did nothing while violent crime rose. I’m personally glad they decided to start doing their jobs again.
Comment by supplied_demand Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 12:17 pm
I wasn’t aware the petition requirements for the CTU — I mean CPS — board were so weird. I wonder why CTU — I mean the Mayor — requested it like that.
Comment by Just Me 2 Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 12:24 pm
oh supplied_demand your energy to continue ignoring the law with the Foxx approach is so strong. why? the State of Illinois passed laws. follow them. and no, I did not admit cops did nothing while violent crime rose. YOU do that with the “glad they decided to start doing their jobs again” comment. so happy to see your true colors towards law enforcement.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Mar 8, 24 @ 3:25 pm