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State Journal-Register: Rep. Butler wants hearings on Lincoln hat authenticity
State Rep. Tim Butler said Wednesday the House should hold hearings to get to the bottom of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and a stovepipe hat purportedly owned by Lincoln that the foundation shelled out millions to obtain.
Butler called for the hearings in the wake of a report Wednesday by WBEZ radio in Chicago about a previously undisclosed report by historians and an FBI analysis that further undermine claims the hat was ever owned by Lincoln.
Chicago Tribune: Preckwinkle fires chief of staff after 'inappropriate behavior' allegation
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Wednesday said she fired her chief of staff for engaging in “inappropriate behavior on his personal time,” a disclosure that came just ahead of a Thursday launch of her mayoral bid.
Preckwinkle said she became aware Friday of an allegation against John Keller. She said the allegation “was corroborated” but did not offer specifics.
Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago could double taxes on vape-ware, require e-cigs be kept behind counter
Chicago will be on the leading edge of efforts to reduce e-cigarette usage if a mayoral proposal to toughen the city’s laws passes.
A City Council committee will consider a proposal Thursday that would roughly double the tax on e-cigarettes and require the devices and related products be sold from behind store counters.
Chicago Tribune: Nokia layoffs in Naperville hit 300 for the year as part of ongoing staff cuts
Nokia laid off about 100 people from its Naperville office this week, bringing the total job cuts there this year to about 300 as the company continues a cost-reduction program launched more than two years ago.
Wednesday was the last day of work for those roughly 100 employees, said Lisa Schvach, director of the DuPage County Workforce Development Division. Schvach’s division, which administers federal job training dollars, received notification of the layoffs from Nokia.
Daily Southtown: Ex-Thornton Dist. 205 consultant indicted in federal kickback probe
A former Thornton Township High School District 205 technology consultant has been indicted on federal conspiracy charges for his alleged role in a kickback scheme involving district technology purchases.
Timothy Silagyi, who worked within District 205’s information technology department from 2009 to 2013, steered district business to the president of a local computer supply store in exchange for cash payments, computer-related equipment and other items of value, a federal grand jury indictment returned last week in U.S. District Court alleged.
Chicago Tribune: McHenry County Board to shrink by 25% in 2022
The McHenry County Board voted Tuesday night to reduce its size by a quarter, cutting six seats from the board in four years.
Shrinking the board from 24 to 18 seats will save roughly $300,000 per year, according to County Board President Jack Franks, who supported the measure as part of his pledge to reduce the size of government and lower property taxes.
Rockford Register-Star: Sheriff outlines drastic reduction in services if Winnebago County Board nixes budget increase
Limited homicide, narcotics and crime scene investigations. Minimal or delayed response to medical calls and traffic crashes, and minimal traffic and DUI enforcement.
Those are just some of the “consequences of laying off 34 deputies” listed in a memo issued by Sheriff Gary Caruana. The memo is a response to the Winnebago County Board’s continuing discussions about a fiscal year 2019 budget shortfall of $4.2 million and the possible elimination of a proposed $2.5 million increase to the sheriff’s budget. Without that money, the sheriff says the layoffs would be necessary.