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Chicago Tribune: Child deaths spike after DCFS privatizes 'intact family services'
The 5-year-old girl was found dead in the bathtub with shallow water framing her cherubic face and open eyes.
The state Department of Children and Family Services had conducted two abuse investigations into Verna Tobicoe’s Southeast Side home in the months before her death in May 2015. The agency also had hired a nonprofit group to make frequent visits and conduct safety checks on Verna and two siblings.
Chicago Tribune: Uber, Lyft still cheaper than a cab, even after Emanuel's proposed ride-share fee hike
While Uber and Lyft passengers would see a bump in city taxes under Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s budget plan, they still would have to fork over less for rides than people taking cabs.
Emanuel last week asked the City Council to increase the fees tacked on to ride-share trips by 15 cents — to 67 cents — for a neighborhood pickup starting in 2018. The fees would go up another 5 cents — to 72 cents — in 2019 under the blueprint the mayor delivered to aldermen.
Chicago Tribune: Pace service for disabled riders 'unacceptably poor,' advocate survey shows
Disabled clients of a Pace public transportation program experienced “unacceptably poor” service delays despite the public agency’s claims about on-time performance, a prominent advocacy group declared this week.
The Access Living organization said a review of 186 paratransit rides concluded more than one-third of drivers failed to arrive on time based on Pace’s standards. Customers sometimes had to wait for rides that were more than 40 minutes behind schedule.
Daily Herald: District 15 strike continues after bargaining session ends without deal
The strike continues for education support personnel at Palatine Township Elementary District 15 after a late-night bargaining session ended without a resolution early Monday.
Union spokeswoman Bridget Shanahan said after 14 hours at the bargaining table, the board of education rejected requests to enter into third party binding arbitration and hold public negotiations.
Daily Herald: Arlington Heights District 25 proposes 4.9 percent levy increase
Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 has proposed a 4.9 percent tax levy increase for 2017.
Officials say the number was estimated to account for a 2.1 percent increase in the consumer price index, 2 percent for new property growth, and 0.8 percent to capture new growth from the expected expiration of Arlington Heights’ third tax increment financing district on the southwest corner of Arlington Heights and Rand roads. Properties within the TIF district coming back onto the tax rolls represent $3.5 million, or 0.19 percent, in new property, but officials say they need to levy more than they think they may get to be sure to access all new growth.
Daily Herald: Mount Prospect, District 214 at impasse over TIF
Mount Prospect officials say they’ve reached an impasse in talks to settle a lawsuit Northwest Suburban High School District 214 filed over the village’s new downtown TIF district.
In a statement issued last week, village officials said settlement discussions have not been productive and they’re resolved to vigorously defend the Prospect and Main TIF District.
Rockford Register-Star: No deal: Rockford teachers vote down contract
City teachers have said no — a second time now — to a contract offer from downtown.
This one — a three-year deal with 1, 1.5 and 2.5 percent annual salary increases — failed Sunday evening by a 261-to-513 vote of Rockford Education Association members.