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Other states will take Illinoisans’ money if Pritzker doesn’t opt into federal scholarship program

September 23, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

An Illinois neighbor is vying for donations from state residents.

By Hannah Schmid | Illinois Policy Institute

A new local billboard is garnering media attention by advertising that Illinois taxpayers can get a federal income tax credit for donating money to students out of state.

The billboard, in south suburban Chicago near the Indiana border, refers to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit. The program offers taxpayers a dollar-for-dollar income tax credit for donations of up to $1,700 per year to qualified scholarship-granting organizations.

Any taxpayer in any state can claim the credit starting in 2027. But only students in states whose governor has opted into the program can benefit from the donated education money.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has not opted Illinois in. Four of Illinois’ neighbors have, including Indiana, where the billboard is advertising Illinoisans to donate scholarship money.

The billboard is correct:

  • If Pritzker opts Illinois in: Donated money flows to eligible Illinois students.
  • If Pritzker does not opt Illinois in: Illinois donors can still claim the federal tax credit by contributing to qualifying scholarship-granting organizations in participating states such as Indiana, but Illinois students cannot receive any of the donated money.

Article continues here.

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Education, Elections, Fat Bastard, Girlie man, Illinois Policy Institute, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, WTF | Leave a Comment »

Barrington Area Conservation Trust annual Oaktoberfest is October 10

September 23, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Join us for an evening of conservation celebration at Oaktoberfest 2026!

Tickets and sponsorships are available on our website www.bactrust.org.

Posted in BACT, Fundraisers, Resident Spotlights, Topics Of Interest | Leave a Comment »

Long Grove’s Apple Fest celebrates season with fall treats, rock tributes

September 22, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Join one of the many pie-eating contest at Long Grove’s Apple Fest, running Friday through Sunday, September 25-27.

Submitted by Jody Grimaldi

There is a certain point each year when summer starts to soften, the air turns a little crisper and Historic Downtown Long Grove begins to feel like fall.

That moment arrives with the return of Apple Fest Friday through Sunday, Sept. 25-27, bringing a weekend of apple-inspired food and drinks, live music, family activities, shopping and more to downtown Long Grove.

Apples, apples and more apples

Caramel-dipped, chocolate-covered, baked into pies, pressed into cider, mixed into seasonal drinks, and worked into sweet and savory creations, apples take center stage throughout the weekend.

Festival vendors join Long Grove restaurants, tasting rooms and specialty shops in serving up plenty of ways to taste the season. Classic carnival rides and midway games, apple pie-eating contests, kids’ crafts, dance performances, seasonal shopping and other family activities round out the weekend.

A soundtrack for the season

Apple Fest is also one of Long Grove’s biggest weekends for live music. Friday night features No More Tears celebrating the music of Ozzy Osbourne from 6:30-8:20 p.m., followed by Kashmir’s tribute to Led Zeppelin from 9-11 p.m.

Saturday delivers 1990s and alternative favorites with tributes to Green Day, Sublime, Alanis Morissette and Weezer from 1:45-8:20 p.m., before 7th heaven takes over from 9-11 p.m.

Sunday closes on a classic note with Second Hand News celebrating Fleetwood Mac from 2-3:20 p.m., followed by Beatles tribute American English from 4-6 p.m.

For details, visit longgrove.org/festivals/apple-fest.

Apple Fest 2026

  • When: Noon to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27
  • Where: 145 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove
  • Admission: $7 per day or $15 for a three-day pass (free for kids 12 and younger)
  • Tickets: longgrove.org/festivals/apple-fest

Posted in Entertainment, Topics Of Interest | Leave a Comment »

Ahead of Possible Presidential Bid, JB Pritzker Says He Is Taking Weight-Loss Drugs

September 22, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

JB Pritzker squeegees the glass protecting a Butter Cow at an Illinois State Fair event for a better look.

By John McCormick | The Wall Street Journal

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, whose weight has been repeatedly mocked by President Trump, said he has taken a GLP-1 medication for two years after being diagnosed with diabetes. The medication could also help the slimmed-down Democrat in a possible 2028 presidential bid.

The billionaire made the first-time disclosure in a CBS News interview broadcast Monday. Speculation about his use of such drugs has circulated for months in Illinois political circles.

“I’ve been overweight most of my life,” said Pritzker, who also told the network he has lost 80 pounds so far and feels “a whole lot better.” He said he also walks about 4 miles most mornings and has been told by his doctor that he will likely need to take the drugs forever.

In discussing his weight, Pritzker noted his father’s death from a heart attack at age 39 while playing tennis in Hawaii as his mother watched. “He died in her arms,” Pritzker said.

Weight loss is common ahead of modern presidential bids. Chris Christie, then New Jersey’s governor, underwent weight-reduction surgery in 2013 ahead of his 2016 Republican presidential bid. Mike Pompeo, a former secretary of state and Central Intelligence Agency director under Trump, also lost significant weight before he decided against a 2024 presidential White House campaign.

When asked by the network whether he is taking the medication to prepare for a presidential bid, Pritzker played down that possibility. “I have not made any decisions about what I might do in the future,” said Pritzker, who is seeking a third term as governor in November.

The governor said Illinois is covering GLP-1 medications for about 55,000 state employees because it is good for the budget(?). “We’re going to save money because fewer people will have diabetes, people will be less overweight, which causes so many other diseases,” he said.

Report continues here.

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Deception, Politics, Taxes, Wall Street Journal | Leave a Comment »

U.S. Route 14 Underpass Update | Sept. 21, 2026

September 21, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Over the past two months, crews have coordinated the following work:

  • Railroad bridge construction. Crews completed the footing for the north bridge abutment (the structural element at each end of a bridge) and are nearing completion of formwork for the northern bridge wall, which will begin being poured before the end of the month. Crews completed sheeting and excavation work for the center bridge pier and have begun installation of the sheet pile foundation at the center pier location.
  • Storm Sewer Installation. Crews began installation of the storm sewer, which will convey stormwater from the bottom of the underpass to the Illinois Department of Transportation storm sewer pump station to keep the roadway dry in inclement weather.
  • Continued work on storm sewer pump station. With building work largely complete, crews continue with electrical and HVAC work to support the facility.
  • Initiated Route 59 culvert construction, a storm sewer that will carry the relocated Flint Creek beneath the roadway. Crews installed traffic control, which allows for the west half of this storm sewer structure to be constructed. Ahead of culvert work, sanitary sewer and water main relocations were completed in this location, and sheeting was installed along the roadway centerline to allow for adjacent excavation work. Excavation is now underway, to be followed by the forming and pouring of the bottom slab of this new storm sewer culvert.

As the contractor continues the Route 59 culvert work as shared above, the current traffic pattern outlined below will remain in place to facilitate this work.

  • A temporarily shortened northbound left-turn lane from Hough Street onto Route 14.
  • Temporary closure of Lions Drive at Hough Street. Barrington Park District visitors can still access Lions Drive from Route 14.

The contractor is working to consolidate construction stages and complete the west half of the Route 59 culvert as part of ongoing work in this area. They are targeting completion of the west half of the culvert near the end of October, followed by roadway restoration work. Currently, we anticipate shifting traffic onto the restored western half of Hough Street and reopening access to Lions Drive ahead of Thanksgiving.

To stay informed and receive project updates, please visit the dedicated project website us14underpass.com or watch for email notifications.

Posted in Road construction, School Districts, Traffic, U.S. Route 14 Underpass | Leave a Comment »

Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District Board meets tonight

September 21, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) Board of Trustees meets tonight at 6:30 PM at 22222 N. Pepper Road in Lake Barrington. A copy of their agenda can be viewed here.

Posted in Agendas, BCFPD, Jewel-Osco, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, SNAFU, Taxes, Transparency | Leave a Comment »

East Dundee to pay to remove dead deer on public, private property

September 20, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

A dead deer, believed to have been killed by epizootic hemorrhagic disease, lies in Poplar Creek Forest Preserve near Streamwood in 2012. | Keri Wiginton/Chicago Tribune

By Gloria Casas | For the Naperville Sun

East Dundee is budgeting $8,000 for the removal of deer dying on private and public property from a disease spread through insects.

The village has been actively monitoring an increase in white-tailed deer deaths due to epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on the local outbreak, Public Works Director Phil Cotter said.

Village crews picked up the first carcass on Aug. 7 and have had to remove about 20 other deer, Cotter said. A majority of the animals have been found in the Lakewood subdivision.

Out of concern for the safety of public works staff, East Dundee started working with Graver Horse Removal to remove the carcasses, he said. The Kendall County company charges $350 per animal and takes the remains to a facility in DeKalb County.

Graver is licensed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and has removed four deer to date, he said.

Cotter was given village board approval this week to continue outsourcing the work and to collect carcasses from private property.

Article continues here.

Posted in Animal Welfare, Chicago Tribune | Leave a Comment »

Man dies in hospital after three-vehicle crash leads to his car being hit by Metra train in Barrington

September 19, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

Police investigate a multiple-vehicle crash and subsequent crash involving a Metra train at Route 14 and Hart Road in Barrington that sent one person to the hospital with injuries after their car sustained major damage Friday morning. | Photo: Nick Rusin

By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

A man has died in the hospital after a three-vehicle crash resulted in his car being hit by a passing Metra train, causing major damage, on the UP-NW line in Barrington Friday, authorities said.

The Barrington Police Department and Barrington Fire Department responded around 11:45 a.m. Friday to the area of Route 14, also known as Northwest Highway, and Hart Road in Barrington for a report of a crash involving a train.

Report continues here.

Posted in Accidents, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, METRA, VBHPD | Leave a Comment »

Carpentersville board OKs contract for new 911 dispatching service

September 19, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

By Gloria Casas | The Courier-News

Despite concerns from union leaders and dispatchers, the Carpentersville Village Board took another step toward leaving QuadCom, the 911 emergency dispatch center it helped co-found, for Southeast Emergency Communication.

Trustees this week unanimously — and without discussion — approved an agreement with SEECOM, based in Crystal Lake, to provide 911 emergency dispatch services for the village starting in May 2027.

Earlier this year, the board authorized a formal withdrawal from QuadCom, giving the agency the 12-month notice required under its contract with the agency.

Carpentersville was one of the founding members of QuadCom, which provides dispatch services not only for the city’s police and fire departments but for Barrington Hills police, East Dundee police and fire district, Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District, Sleepy Hollow police, South Barrington police, and West Dundee police and fire.

Report continues here.

Posted in Chicago Tribune, VBHPD | Leave a Comment »

DSA platform could cost up to $212T over a decade, analysis finds

September 19, 2026 by Barrington Hills Observer

A Cato Institute analysis says the DSA agenda leaves a gap of up to $169T even after taxing all billionaires

By Eric Revell | FOXBusiness

The policy agenda of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) would cost between $71 trillion and $212 trillion in fresh spending over a decade, according to a new analysis.

The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has had electoral success recently, with some candidates backed by the DSA advancing in primaries in the wake of Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City.

Angie Nixon, a DSA member in Florida, won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. Progressives who have touted similar policies as those in the DSA platform have also found recent success in Democratic primaries for U.S. Senate races, with Abdul El-Sayed winning in Michigan and Peggy Flanagan prevailing in Minnesota.

Adam Michel, the director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, wrote in the New York Post that the “DSA promises a world of plenty, paid for by somebody else. Simple math says otherwise.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, center, celebrates with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. | Andres Kudacki/Getty Images

Michel analyzed the DSA platform and found that while the platform is “thin on details,” he was able to estimate the spending policies would total between $71 trillion and $212 trillion in new spending over the next decade.

He noted that, at the high end of that estimate, the total government spending would reach as high as 92% of U.S. economic output.

“The socialists claim their plan will do away with rent. They’ll make healthcare free and forgive student loans. Their system will provide utilities, college and food at no cost to the consumer,” Michel wrote.

Report continues here.

Posted in Democratic Socialists of America, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fox News, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, Unions | Leave a Comment »

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