Get the latest news headlines from around Illinois.
Politico: ‘I’m back’: Ex-con Blagojevich sues Illinois for right to run again
Ex-con and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich sued his home state Monday for booting him from the governor’s seat after his 2008 arrest for corruption and stripping him of his right to run for elective office in Illinois.
Before filing the lawsuit, an unapologetic Blagojevich addressed reporters outside the same federal courthouse in Chicago where he was convicted, declaring: “I’m back.” He said he hasn’t decided, however, if he will seek to run for anything if he succeeds in eliminating the legal hurdles to doing so.
WIFR: Medicaid coverage in Ill. expanded for diabetes prevention, management programs
The Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services announced the Diabetes Prevention Program and the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Program, will be newly eligible for Medicaid coverage in Illinois, upon final federal approval.
The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) involves a yearlong, evidence-based lifestyle change aimed at reducing the risk of adults with prediabetes progressing to Type 2 diabetes. Developed by the CDC, the program’s Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Change curriculum focuses on increased physical activity, healthy eating, and stress management.
WCIA: Secretary of State’s Office makes changes to remote renewal process
Long lines have been a problem at driver services facilities across Illinois. Now, the Secretary of State’s Office is making some changes.
It is expanding its remote renewal process. This will let a million people renew their driver’s licenses and ID cards online, by phone or by mail.
The Center Square: Governor urges Illinoisans to wear masks
With rising COVID-19 case numbers around the state, Governor J.B. Pritzker is urging Illinoisans to wear a mask whether they are vaccinated or not.
On Monday in Aurora, Pritzker did not hint at a mask mandate, but said a mask should be worn in certain situations.
WJOL: Illinois Has Spent 185 MIllion On Rental Assistance
The state of Illinois has paid 185 million-dollars worth of rent over the past year. The federal ban on evictions has ended, and housing advocates say thousands of people across the state may lose their homes. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Friday said the state has helped over 22 thousand people with their rent, covering up to 15 months of rent. The governor is asking people to apply for more rental assistance before the deadline in two weeks. In all, Illinois has over two billion-dollars to spend on people’s rent and mortgage payments.
Star Courier: COVID relief? This Illinois county is spending $353,000 on digitizing its records
Sometime early this fall, a team armed with specialized document-scanning equipment will descend on the Marshall County Courthouse to transform 350,000 pages of property records dating to 1831 into digital form.
The scanning will be part of a $353,000 larger overall process in which Iowa-based Fidlar Technologies will also replace computer hardware and software in county clerk and recorder Jill Kenyon’s office, eventually resulting in expanding and overhauling much of the way that business gets done there.