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VBH Entrance

PUBLIC HEARING Before the Zoning Board of Appeals Village of Barrington Hills Re: 32 Oak Knoll Road, Barrington Hills, IL Application for Variation Notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing will be held at a Special Meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Barrington Hills, commencing at 6:30 PM, October 24, 2023, concerning an application for a variation pursuant to section 5-3-9(F)1 of the Village Code allowing a solid fence six feet in height at the property bearing the address of 32 Oak Knoll Road, Barrington Hills, Illinois.

A copy of the application for zoning relief is available for examination in the Clerk’s office by appointment and will also be included in the agenda packet. The agenda will post no later than the end of the day on October 20, 2023 at www.vbhil.gov.

All those interested will be given an opportunity to be heard. Written comments on the application will be made part of the record of this proceeding, and questions posed in such comment will be asked. All written comments should be mailed/emailed to the Village Clerk to be received by 3:00 PM, October 24, 2023.

By: Village Clerk Village of Barrington Hills 112 Algonquin Road Barrington Hills, IL 60010 clerk@vbhil.gov Published in Daily Herald September 30, 2023 (4606144), posted 09/30/2023

Gotion

By Kevin Bessler The Center Square

Opposition is building against a proposed Chinese battery plant for Manteno in Kankakee County.

Gotion Incorporated, with reported ties to the Chinese Communist Party, is set to receive more than $7 billion in federal tax credits, and over $500 million in subsidies from Illinois.

During a news conference Monday in Manteno, State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said the tax incentives don’t add up.

“The total subsidies for the plant calculate to an astounding $3 million for each job created,” Halbrook said. “Why are U.S. taxpayers providing $8 billion in economic incentives for the construction of a plant that costs $2 billion to build?”

The plant will produce battery cells and battery packs designed to be used in electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called the agreement “the most significant new manufacturing investment in Illinois in decades.”

Many Manteno residents were highly critical of the Gotion plant during the village’s last board meeting, as residents were with a similar Gotion project in Michigan.

Former Congressman and U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra chaired the House Intelligence Committee. He is also involved with the opposition to the Michigan plant.

“History lesson number one, China is our enemy, they are not a competitor,” Hoekstra said. “They seek to destroy us and our communities.”

More here.

Related: “Group intends Gotion lawsuit,” “Emerging scandal: Why are we giving $8 billion to Chinese company with CCP ties to build a $2 billion IL battery factory?,” Federal taxpayers will fund billions more than actual cost of Illinois battery plant to be owned by Chinese company with alleged CCP ties,” “Hefty Illinois tax incentive package helps lure Chinese EV battery plant

College Free Speech

Protesters shout before a 2017 speaking engagement by Ben Shapiro on the campus of the University of California Berkeley in Berkeley, California. New polling finds that America’s college campuses are seen as far friendlier to liberals than to conservatives when it comes free speech. Polling from the University of Chicago and the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 47% of adult Americans say liberals are free to express their views on college campuses, while 20% said the same of conservatives. (Associated Press)

By COLLIN BINKLEY, JOCELYN GECKER and EMILY SWANSON | Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans view college campuses as far friendlier to liberals than to conservatives when it comes to free speech, with adults across the political spectrum seeing less tolerance for those on the right, according to a new poll.

Overall, 47% of adults say liberals have “a lot” of freedom to express their views on college campuses, while just 20% said the same of conservatives, according to polling from the University of Chicago and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Republicans perceive a stronger bias on campuses against conservatives, but Democrats see a difference too — about 4 in 10 Democrats say liberals can speak their minds freely on campuses, while about 3 in 10 Democrats say conservatives can do so.

“If you’re a Republican or lean Republican, you’re unabashedly wrong, they shut you down,” said Rhonda Baker, 60, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, who voted for former President Donald Trump and has a son in college. “If they hold a rally, it’s: ‘The MAGA’s coming through.’ It’s: ‘The KKK is coming through.'”

Debates over First Amendment rights have occasionally flared on college campuses in recent years, with conflicts arising over guest speakers who express polarizing views, often from the political right.

Stanford University became a flashpoint this year when students shouted down a conservative judge who was invited to speak. More recently, a conservative Princeton University professor was drowned out while discussing free speech at Washington College, a small school in Maryland.

At the same time, Republican lawmakers in dozens of states have proposed bills aiming to limit public colleges from teaching topics considered divisive or liberal. Just 30% of Americans say states should be able to restrict what professors at state universities teach, the poll found, though support was higher among Republicans.

Overall, Republicans see a clear double standard on college campuses. Just 9% said conservatives can speak their minds, while 58% said liberals have that freedom, according to the polling. They were also slightly less likely than Americans overall to see campuses as respectful and inclusive places for conservatives.

Read more here.

1525 S Grove

1525 South Grove Avenue

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 7:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Topics on their agenda include:

  • Consideration to Approve 2024-25 Academic Calendar
  • Consideration and Approval of Settlement of Altria Group Portion of Vaping Litigation.
  • Consideration that the Board approve and authorize the Superintendent or designee to sign the purchase and sale agreement for real estate for purchase of 1525 S. Grove Avenue, Unit 103, Barrington, Illinois, in substantially the form presented to the Board and further authorize the Board president, secretary, Superintendent or designees, and the Board attorney to prepare and execute all documents necessary to effectuate the purchase.
  • BHS Course Offerings, and
  • Fine and Performing Arts Presentation

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.

IDOT

IDOT has posted its September 2023 newsletter.  Topics covered include:

  • WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?
  • ENDANGERED SPECIES OVERVIEW
  • UPDATES ALONG IL 62 CORRIDOR
  • PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS
  • PUBLIC COMMENTS (Including Traffic Signal at Bateman Road)
  • PROJECT SCHEDULE

A copy of the newsletter can be viewed and downloaded here.

Timeless-Farmhouse-with-European-Inspired-Architecture_3-1024x683

Situated on over 6 acres in the Chicago suburban village of Barrington Hills, Illinois, this stunning new built farmhouse is inspired by Belgian-style country houses.

Moment Design collaborated with Kate Marker Interiors and builder HammerKraft Home Co to create a modern farmhouse with timeless aesthetic.

Minimalist design elements were incorporated into the European country style architecture. Natural wood and reclaimed materials were used to contrast with the white brick exterior.

Inside the home, neutral palette with antique pine ceiling beams and white oak flooring provide a modern rustic feel.

More here.

bigstock-Your-Cell-Phone-Is-Sending-An--470681375

“In coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), FEMA will conduct a national test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 1:20pm.

All major U.S. wireless providers participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts and will transmit the national test to their subscribers. The test will help to ensure that the Emergency Alert System continues to be an effective way to warn the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level (D220).”

Chicago Schools Strike

Few Illinois third-grade students can read at grade level. Even fewer low-income and minority students are at grade level in reading. Research shows this is a warning sign for Illinois students’ academic success and adult earning potential.

Hannah Schmid

Just over one-fourth of all third-grade students in Illinois can read at grade level. For low-income and minority students, reading proficiency is even worse.

A student’s “academic success, as defined by high school graduation, can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by knowing someone’s reading skill at the end of third grade,” according to the National Research Council.

By this measure, the outlook for Illinois third-grade students is grim. Even more troubling is the outlook for Illinois students from low-income and minority families.

What’s at stake isn’t just poor grades on report cards in third grade, but what poor reading proficiency means for students’ futures. As noted in the research to follow, the poor rates of reading proficiency plaguing Illinois threaten to condemn a portion of the state’s future adults to poverty. The price will be paid not just by the children our education system fails but also by society at large.

Third-grade literacy in Illinois

Statewide in 2022, only 27.4% of all students could read at grade level by the end of third grade. A startling 89% of the 734 school districts for which the Illinois State Board of Education recorded proficiency rates among third graders had a higher percentage of third-grade students failing to read at grade level than reading at grade level. There were 12 school districts in which no third-grade students were proficient at reading.

Read more here.

EventPhotoFull_Oct 2023 Legislative Breakfast Flyer REV

Join Barrington 220, the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce, and BACOG for the annual BACC Legislative Breakfast. Hear first-hand updates from local and state legislators about issues affecting our community. Confirmed speakers are: State Senator Dan McConchie (R-26); State Representative Martin McLaughlin (R-52); and State Representative Nabeela Syed (D-51).

The event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 8:30am at the Barrington Park DistrictClick here to register.

Sylvia M. Anderson

Sylvia Margaret Anderson

The medical examiner has identified a Fox River Grove woman who died after she struck a semi-truck and then crashed head-on into a pickup truck in Barrington Hills Wednesday afternoon.

An autopsy performed on Sylvia M. Anderson, 74, of Fox River Grove, showed she died as a result of multiple injuries from a motor vehicle collision, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Read more here. Learn more about Ms. Anderson here.

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