Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Sun-Times: Racketeering lawsuit targets red-light camera company SafeSpeed, Sandoval, Tobolski, several suburban officials
The legal fallout over former state Sen. Martin Sandoval’s brazen bribery scheme has begun with a federal racketeering lawsuit against Sandoval, the red-light company SafeSpeed and several suburban officials.
Though the 47-page lawsuit relies heavily on details revealed when Sandoval pleaded guilty to bribery — as well as media reports — it also includes allegations not yet made by federal prosecutors: Among them, that Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski and former Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Tony Ragucci also took bribes.
Chicago Tribune: Fight is on to save Chicago Virtual Charter School, Illinois’ first and only remote learning public school: ‘It’s not perfect, but it is the only one we’ve got’
Sitting in front of matching laptops in their Old Town apartment, Chicago twins Cheridan and Auguste Farmer tuned in to their fifth grade language arts lesson, which featured a fictional set of twins named Dory and Lory.
The teacher’s voice sounded from the school-issued computers, explaining how the passage provides insight into Dory’s thoughts: “She doesn’t like to be identified as Lory. She is her own person.”
The Center Square: Illinois pot consumers buy nearly $40 million of legal weed in 31 days
Illinois cannabis dispensaries sold nearly $40 million in cannabis in just 31 days, an average of $1.3 million a day.
Numbers provided by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office show since the adult-use cannabis market launched Jan. 1, 972,045 items sold for $39.2 million. Of that, Illinois residents spent $30.6 million and out-of-state residents spent $8.6 million.
Chicago Tribune: CPS Inspector General Nicholas Schuler quits, says ‘proud of the work we have accomplished’
Chicago Public Schools Inspector General Nicholas Schuler has resigned his post as the school district’s chief watchdog.
“Mayor Lightfoot has accepted the resignation of Chicago Board of Education Inspector General, Nicholas Schuler, effective February 29,” according to a statement provided by the mayor’s office. “The Mayor thanks Mr. Schuler for his years of dedicated service to Chicago Public Schools and the City of Chicago. The Chicago Public Schools Inspector General performs the critical role of ensuring the integrity of important functions within Chicago Public Schools, particularly regarding allegations of sexual assault or abuse.”
Belleville News-Democrat: Belleville’s property taxes are expected to go up. Here’s where the money is going.
When Belleville residents get their property tax bill this summer, they can expect to see an increase as part of the city’s effort to meet a state mandate on funding pensions for police officers and firefighters.
The city estimates that a person with a $100,000 home may have to pay about $805 in Belleville municipal taxes this year, an increase of about $31 from last year’s bill of about $774. This estimate is based on someone taking the owner-occupied exemption.
Herald-News: Drivers brace for more taxes
Drivers in Will County may have noticed they’re paying a bit more at the pump.
The new 4-cent gas tax that the Will County Board passed last year went into effect Saturday, said Jeff Ronaldson, the county’s director of transportation.
Chicago Sun-Times: Man body slammed by cop gets $100K bail for latest charges
A schizophrenic man body-slammed by a Chicago police officer late last year was given a $100,000 bail Monday on charges stemming from his latest arrest for allegedly shoving a security guard while trying to make off with a bottle of tequila and a bouquet of flowers from a South Loop supermarket.
Bernard Kersh had walked out of Cook County Jail in December alongside his mother and the Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr., who had posted Kersh’s $500 bond following his Thanksgiving Day arrest for allegedly spitting on a Chicago Police officer, who responded by body-slamming Kersh to the sidewalk with an MMA-style takedown.
Chicago Tribune: Illinois election officials ‘erroneously canceled’ voter registrations for 774 ex-convicts
Local election authorities were told Monday that 774 former Illinois Department of Corrections inmates may have had their voter registration mistakenly canceled, according to the State Board of Elections.
The problem, which was detected in November and affected voters in more than half of the state’s 108 election jurisdictions, resulted from a “data-matching error” involving both the Board of Elections and the Department of Corrections, officials said.
Northwest Herald: McHenry County lawmakers, candidates call for resignation, investigation into allegations against Franks
Several lawmakers have called for McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks to resign after Friday’s revelation that the Illinois State Police has been investigating Franks for sexual misconduct and stalking allegations.
The allegations date back to Franks’ time as a state legislator. According to a search warrant posted by political columnist Rich Miller, police determined that “probable cause exists for the crimes of criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault, official misconduct, stalking and aggravated battery.” Franks, who declined to comment Monday, has denied any wrongdoing.
Daily Herald: County board hopefuls: DuPage should allow recreational pot sales
Democrats running for two seats on the DuPage County Board say they would support overturning a ban on recreational marijuana businesses in unincorporated areas.
Five candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for one District 4 seat on the county board during the March 17 primary. The candidates are Hadiya Afzal of Glen Ellyn, Janette DeFelice of Glen Ellyn, John Jacobs of Wheaton, Lynn LaPlante of Glen Ellyn and Hailey Nicewanner of Glen Ellyn.
Chicago Sun-Times: CPD took steps — but nowhere near enough — to rein in runaway overtime, IG says
The Chicago Police Department has taken some steps but nowhere near enough to rein in runaway overtime, identify “patterns of fraud and abuse” and prevent officer fatigue, Inspector General Joe Ferguson concluded Monday.
In a follow-up audit, Ferguson acknowledged CPD has “fully or substantially implemented four corrective actions” he suggested in October 2017 and partially implemented seven others.