Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Sun-Times: Madigan beats former primary rival again: Judge rules not enough evidence to prove ‘sham’ candidate ploy
After more than two years, the game appears to be over for Jason Gonzales in his quest to have a jury deliberate Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s campaign tactics — and whether the powerful Democrat put “sham” candidates on the 2016 ballot.
U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly on Friday issued an opinion in favor of Madigan and the other defendants.
Northwest Herald: Reports, released and not released, put Illinois Capitol workplace culture in spotlight
Chicago Tribune: Mayor Lori Lightfoot imposes city government hiring freeze days before speech about Chicago’s massive budget deficit
Days before she’s scheduled to give a speech on Chicago’s massive budget deficit, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has imposed a hiring freeze across all departments and positions in city government, including police.
The administration announced the move in a memo earlier this week from Budget Director Susie Park to all city commissioners and department heads. In an interview, Park told the Tribune there are about 3,000 vacancies citywide affected by the freeze.
Chicago Sun-Times: Some Harvey city phone lines, including non-emergency police and fire numbers, cut off after missed payments
More than a dozen of the city of Harvey’s phone lines, including non-emergency fire and police lines, were cut off last month after several missed payments and numerous late payment notices.
The south suburban municipality still owes more than $14,000 in unpaid phone bills over the span of four months, a local phone service provider said.
Daily Herald: Wauconda Unit District 118, teachers agree to 5-year deal
The Wauconda Unit School District 118 board and the local teachers union have approved a labor contract calling for 3.6% salary increases in each of the next five years, starting immediately.
The deal with the Wauconda Education Association covers 351 teachers at six schools. It runs through the 2023-2024 school year.
Rockford Register-Star: Rockford mayor’s message: ‘We’re overtaxed’
The leaders of six government agencies in Winnebago County, including the area’s two largest taxing bodies, are vowing to keep their tax levies flat over the next taxing year and are challenging other governmental entities to follow suit.
The pledge, which was announced at Guilford High School on Friday, comes as area real estate values continue their steady rebound from the depths of the recession a decade ago.
Decatur Herald & Review: Decatur makes major progress on demolitions, but nearly 200 properties remain on the list
Phyllis Boey keeps the lawn in front of her two-story home well-maintained, with colorful flowers and freshly cut grass. Ornate metal butterflies and birds decorate the metal fence.
Standing in her yard, Boey’s view to the west is of decaying, boarded-up houses. In the adjacent 400 block of West King Street are seven homes on the city of Decatur’s demolition list — homes that have been deemed unsafe for people to live in and beyond repair. A sign on one nearby house reads, “House closed – drugs. Yours could be next.”
State Journal-Register: State Fair attendance up 37 percent from last year
State estimates show a big increase in attendance at the Illinois State Fair this year over 2018.
Initial numbers released Friday show attendance at the fair, which ran from Aug. 8-18, at 508,901 — a 37 percent increase over the 370,609 estimate for 2018 attendance. The attendance was the highest since 2014.
State Journal-Register: Sangamon County Citizen survey: 57 percent considered moving in past year
Fifty-seven percent of Sangamon County residents who participated in a biennial survey considered moving in the last year.
While perhaps not a surprising sentiment, as the state of Illinois has experienced population loss for five consecutive years, it is a striking increase from the past two surveys, which found that 35 percent (2015) and 36 percent (2017) considered a move away.