Capitol News

CAPITOL RECAP: IDPH Director Ezike plans to leave state government

CAPITOL RECAP: IDPH Director Ezike plans to leave state government

By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will resign on March 14 after three years leading the agency and two years navigating a deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Illinoisans.  Ezike, a mother of four, was appointed IDPH director in 2019, became…

Farm Bureau opposes nutrient loss bill as negotiations continue

Farm Bureau opposes nutrient loss bill as negotiations continue

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill meant to stem nutrient pollution resulting from farm runoff has met opposition from a formidable foe – the Illinois Farm Bureau – as negotiations on a final package continue. Nutrient loss is one of the most serious pollution threats in the country, creating a…

UPDATED: IDPH Director Ezike to step down March 14

UPDATED: IDPH Director Ezike to step down March 14

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will resign on March 14 after three years leading the agency and two years navigating a deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Illinoisans.  Ezike, who was appointed IDPH director in 2019, became a widely recognized public figure in the…

IDPH Director Ezike to step down March 14

IDPH Director Ezike to step down March 14

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will resign on March 14 after three years leading the agency and two years navigating a deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Illinoisans.  Ezike, who was appointed IDPH director in 2019, became…

Backlog of 3,759 criminal appeals cases has been resolved, state appellate defender says

Backlog of 3,759 criminal appeals cases has been resolved, state appellate defender says

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A backlog of cases before the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender that the agency’s leader once described as a “crisis in the criminal justice system” has largely been resolved, State Appellate Defender James Chadd told a state Senate committee Tuesday. Chadd told a Senate…

CAPITOL RECAP: State issues new mask guidelines after Supreme Court denies appeal

CAPITOL RECAP: State issues new mask guidelines after Supreme Court denies appeal

By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Facial coverings are now optional in most public places in Illinois, including schools, after Gov. JB Pritzker issued new guidance Monday to comply with new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Under a new executive order issued by Pritzker on Monday, masks are no longer required in…

Mask mandates come down in schools, most public places

Mask mandates come down in schools, most public places

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Facial coverings are now optional in most public places in Illinois, including schools, after Gov. JB Pritzker announced Friday that he would update guidance to comply with new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Those developments came as the Illinois Supreme Court declined to…

CAPITOL RECAP: State revenues up in current fiscal year

CAPITOL RECAP: State revenues up in current fiscal year

By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – A House revenue committee on Thursday heard projections of an Illinois economy that is steadily moving back toward a level of pre-pandemic normalcy, which means revenue spikes realized due to temporary changes in consumer spending habits and federal stimulus packages are expected to subside.  Illinois Department of Revenue Director…

State revenues $4.6 billion higher for current fiscal year than initially projected

State revenues $4.6 billion higher for current fiscal year than initially projected

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A House revenue committee on Thursday heard projections of an Illinois economy that is steadily moving back toward a level of pre-pandemic normalcy, which means revenue spikes realized due to temporary changes in consumer spending habits and federal stimulus packages are expected to subside.  Illinois Department…

Lawmakers unveil bills aimed at addressing teacher shortage

Lawmakers unveil bills aimed at addressing teacher shortage

GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Senate Democrats outlined legislation during a Thursday news conference that aims to address the ongoing teacher shortage throughout the state. The bills would extend the number of days retired and substitute teachers would be able to teach in a school year, waive substitute teaching licensing fees,…

CAPITOL RECAP: Mask mandate appeal heads to high court

CAPITOL RECAP: Mask mandate appeal heads to high court

By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to review the state’s mask mandate and other COVID-19 mitigation orders for K-12 schools on an expedited schedule. Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a petition for appeal Tuesday, along with a motion for an emergency stay of a Sangamon County judge’s order…

Pritzker’s gas tax relief plan faces opposition

Pritzker’s gas tax relief plan faces opposition

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan for pausing a scheduled automatic increase in the state’s motor fuel tax is facing opposition from several quarters, including engineering companies that design road and bridge projects. On Thursday, officials from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois said pausing the…

‘Starting from ground zero:’ New legislative watchdog moves into empty office

‘Starting from ground zero:’ New legislative watchdog moves into empty office

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – When Michael McCuskey walked into his new office at the Stratton Building that overlooks the Illinois State Capitol which he is charged with investigating, he had two complaints in his inbox, some empty desks and no staff. “I’ve got nothing. No staff. No investigator. No nothing,”…

State revenues $4.6 billion higher for current fiscal year than initially projected

State revenues $4.6 billion higher for current fiscal year than initially projected

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A House revenue committee on Thursday heard projections of an Illinois economy that is steadily moving back toward a level of pre-pandemic normalcy, which means revenue spikes realized due to temporary changes in consumer spending habits and federal stimulus packages are expected to subside.  Illinois Department…

Senate advances bill to allow online hearings for orders of protection

Senate advances bill to allow online hearings for orders of protection

By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the Illinois Senate voted to pass a measure that provides domestic violence and sexual assault survivors online access for order of protection court hearings in the state’s nine largest counties.   Sponsored by Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, Senate Bill 3667 provides…

McCuskey takes the helm at Legislative Inspector General’s Office

McCuskey takes the helm at Legislative Inspector General’s Office

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Michael McCuskey assumed his role of Legislative Inspector General this week, bringing 32 years of judicial experience to the position charged with investigating lawmaker misconduct. “I want them to be a little scared of me,” McCuskey, in an interview, said of the lawmakers who appointed him…

State files appeal to Supreme Court on mask mandate ruling

State files appeal to Supreme Court on mask mandate ruling

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to review the state’s mask mandate and other COVID-19 mitigation orders for K-12 schools on an expedited schedule. Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a petition for appeal Tuesday, along with a motion for an emergency stay of a Sangamon…

Tom Cullerton resigns Senate seat, reportedly plans to plead guilty to federal charges

Tom Cullerton resigns Senate seat, reportedly plans to plead guilty to federal charges

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, resigned his seat Wednesday and will reportedly plead guilty next month to federal corruption charges. Cullerton, 52, a former chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and was seated in 2013. In August…

Comptroller calls for ending penalties on late payments

Comptroller calls for ending penalties on late payments

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is calling for repealing a law that imposes a 12 percent interest whenever the state is late paying its bills, along with a program that allows private investors to purchase the debt owed to vendors and collect that interest penalty. Speaking to…

House leaders preach civility as 3 Republicans removed again for not wearing masks

House leaders preach civility as 3 Republicans removed again for not wearing masks

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In the first half-hour of House session Tuesday at the Capitol, the leaders of each party made calls for civility, two lawmakers recounted their recollections of a House floor altercation, and three Republicans were removed from the floor for not wearing masks.   Both House Speaker Emanuel…

CAPITOL RECAP: Governor asks Supreme Court to rule on masks

CAPITOL RECAP: Governor asks Supreme Court to rule on masks

By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration said Friday, Feb. 18, it will ask the Illinois Supreme Court for an “expedited review” of an appellate court’s decision not to rule on a lower court order that invalidated COVID-19 mitigation measures for roughly 170 school districts that were parties in a set of…

DCFS director once again faces Cook County contempt citation

DCFS director once again faces Cook County contempt citation

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com For the fourth time in six weeks, a Cook County juvenile court judge has held Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith in contempt for failing to move a minor into an appropriate placement. “This really underscores the level of crisis here,” said Cook County…

UPDATED: Appellate court declines to rule on mask mandates; Pritzker to appeal to high court

UPDATED: Appellate court declines to rule on mask mandates; Pritzker to appeal to high court

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the latest developments. By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration said Friday it will ask the Illinois Supreme Court for an “expedited review” of an appellate court’s decision not to rule on a lower court order that invalidated COVID-19 mitigation…

UPDATED: Appellate court declines to rule on COVID-19 mandate restraining order

UPDATED: Appellate court declines to rule on COVID-19 mandate restraining order

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with a comment from Gov. JB Pritzker’s office. By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Schools in Illinois are free to enforce mask mandates and other COVID-19 mitigations on their own, but the emergency rules that the Illinois Department of Public Health issued requiring schools to…

Local News

Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School took to the polls during a mock election. The event, held on Monday, Nov. 4, engaged all 1,100 students and staff in a hands-on experience of civics and democracy. (Supplied photos)

Oak Lawn-Hometown students back Trump in mock election

Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School took to the polls during a mock election. Even though they were too young to actually vote, students at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School participated in a mock election. The event, held Monday, Nov. 4, engaged all 1,100 students and staff in a hands-on civics and democracy experience. “I liked that…

Daniel Schmidt

Man arrested for battery at Orland Park polling place

A 24-year-old man was arrested on multiple charges, including aggravated battery, after causing a disturbance at the Orland Park Township Office on Sunday. Around 11 a.m., Orland Park police were dispatched to the polling location at 14807 Ravinia Ave. following reports of a man disrupting the voting line. Upon arrival, officers found Daniel Schmidt restrained…

evergreen park logo

Evergreen Park cops nab suspects with license-plate reading camera help

Commendations are in order for members of the Evergreen Park Police Department who recently made a series of arrests that may have prevented major crimes. A license-plate reading camera alerted Evergreen Park police to a vehicle wanted by Markham Police for fleeing and eluding officers. Police found the vehicle parked at Aldi, 2541 W. 95th…

Students and staff at Argo Community High School are mourning the death of Jaydin Bahena, a 16-year-old junior who was killed in an act of violence over the weekend. (Photo posted on GoFundMe.)

Community grieves after 16-year-old Argo High student fatally shot

Students and staff at Argo Community High School are mourning the death of Jaydin Bahena, a 16-year-old junior who was killed in an act of violence over the weekend. Bahena, remembered for his vibrant personality and kind heart, was fatally shot in Summit on Nov. 1, leaving the school and community grieving his sudden loss.…

Carmen Casillas, 18, a Reavis High School student, had a painting on display Friday night at the Acorn to Oak Studios in Oak Lawn. An open house and art sale was held at the studio. (Photos by Joe Boyle)

Acorn to Oak studios highlight young artistic talent in Oak Lawn

The organizers of Acorn to Oak Studios in Oak Lawn aim to celebrate all things art. The studio was founded in November 2022, with an initial information event held in the north wing of Pilgrim Faith Church, 9411 S. 51st Ave. The first official session took place on Feb. 5, 2023. Andrea Zumhagen, a co-founder…

Owners Holli and George Gaitan hold the ribbon while their children, Kai and Quinn, cut it during the grand opening on Oct. 31 for the Ancestral Oven and Sourdough Bakery and Cafe in Oak Lawn. Just behind George and to his right is Mayor Terry Vorderer and Trustee Ralph Soch (6th). (Photos by Joe Boyle)

Loaf at first sight: Oak Lawn gets its first sourdough spot

The Village of Oak Lawn welcomed its first sourdough bread bakery and cafe last week, and judging by the reception, it couldn’t have come a moment too soon. The grand opening of Ancestral Oven Sourdough Bakery and Cafe, located at 4616 W. 103rd St., took place the morning of Oct. 31. The owners are the…

Fate Richey (from left), Kendra Scott Foundation, Nuray Kavustuk, Lyle School Principal, Rea Culafi, Lyle School Librarian,
Allan Woodrow, children’s author,
Sierra Nelson, Kendra Scott Foundation, Katie Morlan, Kendra Scott Foundation, Crystal Skoczylas, Indian Springs District 109 Superintendent,
Dr. Christine Baldwin, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Kelly Hernandez, Lyle Instructional Support Services. (Photos by Carol McGowan)

Lyle School Library Wins Prestigious Kendra Scott Award

Lyle School in Bridgeview received a transformative boost on Oct. 30, with a $2,000 gift certificate from First Book to enhance its collection of multicultural and diverse books, and an additional $1,000 for literacy enrichment from the Kendra Scott Foundation. The initiative, part of the Little Yellow Library program, aims to support Title 1 schools…

One of the robbers holds an assault rifle during the July 13, 2023,  robbery of the Jawahir Jewelry  store in Bridgeview. (Photos courtesy of FBI)

Bridgeview jewelry heist suspects still at large, FBI offers $15,000 reward

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the FBI are seeking the public’s help in apprehending masked men involved in four jewelry store robberies across three states, including two incidents in Bridgeview. Last week, the FBI released surveillance footage from the robberies in Bridgeview and Dearborn, Michigan. A reward of up to $15,000 is being offered…

A youngster flies a kite at Altman Park. (Supplied photo)

Worth Park District has big plans after acquiring Altman Park

Upon the recent acquirement of Altman Park, the Worth Park District has big plans in store for its future. Altman Park is located at West 115th Street in Worth and is just shy of 21 acres of open fields.  There is an outlying building that has restrooms, concessions and a baseball field. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago owned…

13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn

New ordinance requires rooftop safety measures for firefighters

A new ordinance, spearheaded by Ald. Marty Quinn (13th), will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, mandating rooftop safety measures to protect firefighters. In the event of a fire, light shafts, light courts, and skylights present grave danger to firefighters. These openings often lack guards or parapets, preventing firefighters from falling. The new ordinance requires…

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