Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: The race to beat the clock on Lincoln Yards: How a delay could have stopped the megadevelopment from getting $1.3 billion in taxpayer money
When aldermen rushed to approve a $1.3 billion tax subsidy for the Lincoln Yards megadevelopment in April, the conventional wisdom at City Hall was that then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel wanted the deal done before he left office to burnish his legacy as a leader who made Chicago boom again.
For developer Sterling Bay, there was uncertainty about reopening negotiations with incoming mayor Lori Lightfoot, who had expressed reservations about the deal for months.
WBEZ: Chicago Teachers Union Rejects Contract Terms; Sets Stage For Strike On Sept. 26
The Chicago Teachers’ Union announced Monday morning it will reject the contract term recommendations of an outside independent party called a fact finder, kicking off a 30-day cooling off period that must happen before a teachers strike can be called.
The city plans a press conference at 9 am Monday to accept the findings but when one side rejects the fact finder’s recommendations, they become null. The city’s acceptance of the recommendations means the mayor is willing to boost her initial salary and benefit offer.
Chicago Sun-Times: CPS proposes 16 percent raises for teachers over five years
Chicago Public Schools is proposing a 16% salary increase for teachers and staff over the next five years in a new contract with the Chicago Teachers Union, the district announced Monday.
The proposed pay raise closely follows recommendations released by an independent fact finder, and amounts to a total increase of $351 million in teacher salaries, according to a statement from CPS.
The Southern: Illinois hits regulatory snags in lead-up to legal cannabis sales
In just more than four months, it will be legal in Illinois for adults 21 and older to purchase and possess cannabis. But a number of state and local actions are required before the legal toking-up commences on Jan. 1.
The industry is hoping to avoid two major pitfalls in the law’s rollout: extremely long lines and wait times and running out of pot in the early days, disappointing would-be customers, said Pam Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois.
Peoria Journal-Star: Is unions’ protest rat facing extermination?
For nearly 30 years, Scabby the Rat, a giant inflatable balloon with sharp claws, a perpetual snarl and a menacing demeanor, has loomed over construction sites across Chicago and beyond to protest the hiring of nonunion labor.
Like deep dish pizza, skyscrapers and the Ferris Wheel, the giant inflatable rat is a Chicago creation that has found its way into the broader culture. Scabby had a memorable star turn on a “Sopranos” TV episode centered around a construction work stoppage.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Council eyes parkland sale to youth club, pay raise for Gleason and video gambling cap
The sale of several acres of city parkland to the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal, new regulations for video gambling machines and a pay raise for City Manager Tim Gleason are up for a vote when the City Council meets Monday.
The meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
Decatur Herald & Review: Meet the out-of-state owners with multiple properties on Decatur's demolition list
Nearly a quarter of the roughly 200 dilapidated homes on the city of Decatur’s demolition list belong to out-of-state owners, records show. City officials have sought for years to hold accountable some who own multiple neglected properties, bought as real estate investments that didn’t pan out.
“These out-of-state owners make the city’s efforts such an uphill battle and they’ve been doing this for years,” Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said. “They have no connection to Decatur and them not caring about their properties undermines the work our community does and is so passionate about.”