Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Belleville News-Democrat: High property taxes pay public pensions, with little public service
Your second installment of property taxes in St. Clair County is due Aug. 21, so here’s a little perspective on where those taxes go and why that retired public employee is smiling.
During the past 20 years, Illinois went from the middle of the pack to the highest property taxes in the nation. Better news: Even in our state of taxing superlatives, St. Clair County is where property taxes grew the fastest as compared to house values.
State Journal-Register: Ex-workers sue to get IDOT jobs back
Eight former state workers are suing the Rauner administration, saying they lost their jobs for political reasons.
All eight employees were laid off from the Illinois Department of Transportation and were among those Gov. Bruce Rauner said were illegally hired patronage workers under previous Democratic governors. When the eight were laid off in 2017, the administration said it was partly a case of “cleaning up past hiring mistakes and personnel practices.”
Chicago Tribune: Here's what transparency means to CPS
Earlier this year, when investigative reporters at the Tribune began gathering information about sexual assault and abuse within Chicago Public Schools, they hit a cement wall. CPS stalled requests for public records for months and relented only when the Tribune threatened to sue.
By then, reporters Gary Marx, David Jackson, Jennifer Smith Richards and Juan Perez Jr. had pieced together — through police reports, court files, state records and interviews — an alarming revelation. Police investigated 523 reports that children were sexually assaulted or abused inside city public schools from 2008 to 2017, or an average of one report each week.
Northwest Herald: Prairie Grove School District 46 Board mulls upgrades worth millions
Prairie Grove Elementary School needs millions of dollars in upgrades and vital repairs, Prairie Grove School District 46 Board President Joe Ricciardi said.
Ricciardi, other board members and staff discussed a master facility plan and potential building improvements during a special meeting Monday evening in the school library, 3225 Route 176.
Northwest Herald: McHenry City Council ups raffle payout ordinance to $6M to account for rising Queen of Hearts pot
McHenry City Council has for the fourth time agreed to increase its raffle payout ordinance to accommodate the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4600’s Queen of Hearts raffle, but it likely will be the last time such action is taken.
McHenry’s VFW has been running its Queen of Hearts game for more than a year, and the jackpot has grown to $3.3 million. The veterans organization holds a weekly drawing with the next one at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the VFW, 3002 W. Route 120.
Peoria Journal-Star: Half a year later, still no search for new Peoria police chief
Half a year after the police chief abruptly stepped down amid an investigation into his relationship with a female subordinate, the city has not yet started a formal search for his replacement.
But the officer who took over the top spot at the Peoria Police Department on an interim basis — Loren Marion III, who was assistant chief in the previous administration — appears to be the front-runner for the position.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Election consolidation to appear on Bloomington ballot
All the pieces are now in place for voters to have their say on the Bloomington Election Commission’s future this fall.
McLean County Republicans and Libertarians submitted about 1,300 petitions Monday requesting a ballot question on city ballots Nov. 6 that would shutter the BEC, consolidating all local elections into the McLean County clerk’s office.
Decatur Herald & Review: Not in my front yard: Decatur City Council changes chicken coop rules
There is an update on the city’s code regarding chickens: No longer can city residents keep the feathered creatures and other “domestic fowl” on their front or side yards.
Previously the code simply required chicken coops and similar enclosures to not be within 75 feet of any neighboring home.