Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: CPS analysis shows 150,000 seats unfilled; black and Latino students have less access to top programs
Chicago’s South and West sides have lower concentrations of highest-rated schools than other areas, and black and Latino students attend top schools at far lower rates than their white counterparts, according to a new Chicago Public Schools report on enrollment and academic data.
The report also makes clear the district, which has seen enrollment dwindling for years, is operating vastly under capacity. There is space for about 150,000 more students in a district that last year had enrollment of about 371,000 in 650 schools, the report said. And enrollment is expected to decline by another 5 percent over the next three years.
Chicago Tribune: Shut down by the state, Lincoln Towing seeks court order to stay on the road
Shut down by the Illinois Commerce Commission for hundreds of alleged illegal property seizures, Lincoln Towing Service is seeking a temporary court order to remain in business while it appeals the decision.
Lincoln was ordered “to immediately cease and desist from operating a relocation towing business in the state of Illinois” after it was served notice by the ICC on Wednesday afternoon.
Daily Southtown: Chicago Heights has plan to buy lake water from Indiana, resell it to south suburban neighbors
In an effort to position itself as a possible major regional water distributor, Chicago Heights has reached a deal to purchase additional lake water from Hammond, Indiana in hopes of reselling it to its south suburban neighbors.
Mayor David Gonzalez said the deal, approved this month by both cities, has the potential to provide stability to communities where water rates have risen steeply in recent years in response to Chicago’s rate hikes.
Northwest Herald: Agreement to cover Algonquin Township services remains a question mark
Algonquin Township trustees on Wednesday night tabled the adoption of an intergovernmental agreement with the highway department.
Trustee Melissa Victor voiced her disappointment that the IGA – a source of recent controversy that included Highway Commissioner Andrew Gasser announcing that he would abandon many services the Algonquin Township Road District had been handling for years – had been pushed back again.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Deep in the red: Bloomington arena ends year with another big operating loss
VenuWorks ended its second full year of managing the city-owned Grossinger Motors Arena with another big operating loss.
The downtown entertainment venue exited fiscal 2018 on April 30 $665,099 in the red. That was an $8,419 improvement from the $673,518 operating loss in fiscal 2017.
Belleville News-Democrat: You may have to pay more to fix Belleville’s sewers. City says revenue not enough.
It’s been nearly five years since Belleville decided to raise sewer rates 8 percent annually for 12 years as part of a massive overhaul of the city’s sewer system that has 100-year-old pipes.
So if you have noticed your Belleville sewer bill creeping up, you still have at least seven more years to deal with the annual 8 percent increases.
Belleville News-Democrat: SIU will spend $97,000 to determine how much state money each campus should get
Southern Illinois University leaders on Thursday hired a consultant who will tell them how much money should be given to its Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses after months of debate about funding.
Duane Stucky, the board treasurer, said the university system has distributed its state money the same way since about 1975. Meanwhile, the number of students studying at the Edwardsville campus has been growing until it surpassed the flagship campus in Carbondale for the first time this fall.
The Southern: Murphysboro district responds to teachers' intent to strike, saying union statements are 'misleading'
Murphysboro School District 186 released a statement Friday clarifying what it described as “misleading” statements made by the Murphysboro Education Association in its news release announcing the vote earlier this week to authorize an intent to strike.
Earlier this week, the MEA announced that the vote had taken place because the district and the union and not successfully agreed to contract terms — Murphysboro district teachers have started the school year without a contract.