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Archive for October, 2025

Ex-speaker Madigan to begin 7.5-year prison sentence Monday

Posted in Crime, Politics, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on October 11, 2025| 1 Comment »

Photo credit: Nam Y. Huh

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

One day before the Illinois General Assembly’s fall veto session is scheduled to begin, one of the most powerful lawmakers in state history is headed to prison.

Michael J. Madigan, D-Chicago, served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021 and was speaker for all but two years between 1983 and 2021. He chaired the Democratic Party of Illinois for 23 years and led Chicago’s 13th Ward Democratic Organization.

A federal judge sentenced Madigan to 7.5 years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of $2.5 million earlier this year, after a jury convicted the former speaker on 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and use of a facility to promote unlawful activity.

Judge John Robert Blakey presided over the trial of Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain. Blakey also sentenced Madigan and ordered the former speaker to report to prison at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13.

Brian Gaines, Honorable W. Russell Arrington professor in State Politics at the University of Illinois, said he did not think Madigan would end up behind bars.

“I always thought he was a master of control and someone who had figured out just how to tiptoe along the lines of legality but stay on the right side,” Gaines told The Center Square.

More here.

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Don’t let deer destroy your garden

Posted in Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Tribune, Topics Of Interest on October 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Surround a small tree with a 6-foot-tall barrier of hardware wire mesh supported by fence posts. | RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden

By Tim Johnson | Published in the Chicago Tribune

I just moved from Arizona to this area, and a neighbor advised me that deer were a problem in the neighborhood and that I need to protect my plants from them. What does this mean?

— Sasha Black, Northbrook

Deer can do a lot of damage to area gardens from feeding during the growing season and rubbing trunks in the fall. I live in Highland Park with a fenced backyard, and I had a significant buck rub on a clump-form serviceberry about four years ago. If your home is near a forest preserve or other open green space, your chances of having issues with deer will be greater. Try spraying a repellent on any plants you observe being browsed during the growing season. Any damage you see may also be caused by rabbits, which have been a significant problem for many gardeners this year. I have seen several perennial gardens completely eaten by rabbits this summer. This can be incredibly frustrating for anyone tending a garden.

Garden staff has begun installing tree protection for deer rubs, and we recommend you do the same if you have any young, smooth-barked trees. Bucks can cause significant damage to young trees in the fall by rubbing their antlers on trunks. Male deer do this to clean their antlers of summer velvet from early September through November while also marking their territory during the breeding season. The first week of September is a good time to install deer protection. Bucks may repeatedly strike trees for the noise effect, showing dominance and intimidating other bucks. They coat the twigs and bark with scent from glands in their faces and underbodies to mark their territory. Trees that are 1 to 12 inches in diameter with smooth bark — like maples, lindens, birches, and magnolias — are most likely to be damaged by deer rubs. Larger trees with smooth bark as well as clump-form trees can also be damaged. Unfortunately, buck territories currently include many home gardens with young trees.

The damage to trees from buck rubs comes from the shredding of bark from a foot or so above the ground up to 3 to 5 feet up the trunk. Young trees have very thin bark that offers no protection from such damage. Usually, the damage is done over a 24-hour period. The tree’s vascular system — which is just below the bark and transports water, nutrients and food between the roots and leaves — gets damaged and the underlying wood is exposed. If rubbed all the way around, the trunk can be effectively girdled, which can lead to the eventual death of the tree in one to three years. If the damage is mostly located vertically on the trunk and does not go all around the trunk, the tree can survive, although it may die on the side where the damage occurred.

Protect the trunks of your trees from the ground to about 6 feet up the trunk. Wrapping with burlap or paper tree wrap does not provide enough protection for deer rubs, but it can provide some protection from rodents feeding on the lower trunk in the winter. Try wrapping your tree trunks with a sturdy wire mesh available at hardware stores. Use zip ties to secure the wire mesh around the trunk of the tree. Chicken wire usually works too, although I have heard about nearby gardens where aggressive deer tore chicken wire off the tree and left significant damage to the bark. There are plastic tree wraps that should also work. Surround a small tree with a 6-foot-tall barrier of hardware wire mesh supported by fence posts if you are unable to wrap the trunk. Deer repellant is not usually effective in controlling buck rubs. You need to get a sturdy physical barrier around the trunks of your trees to prevent damage from buck rubs.

Trees can heal after a surprisingly large amount of damage. Trim off any loose, shredded bark where it’s not connected tightly to the trunk. If possible, cut the wounds into an elliptical or football shape to help the tree recover more quickly, but do not dramatically enlarge the wound to do this. There is no need to use wound dressing or to wrap the damage. Smooth edges heal better than the ragged edges left from the deer rubbing. Prune back broken branches as needed. Small clump-form trees can be ruined if too many branches are broken.
Deer will browse yews and arborvitae, so you may need to protect these plants up to about 6 feet too, as deer can ruin them over the course of winter. Chicken wire or a plastic garden netting works for this, and the netting is usually easier to apply.

For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

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Fiscal Fallout: Illinois has among highest-paid state employees

Posted in Economy, Pension Funding, Springfield, The Center Square, Unions on October 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Illinois State Capitol is shown in Springfield. Photo: Greg Bishop / The Center Square

By Jared Strong | The Center Square

The average wages for Illinois state employees are among the highest in the nation and belie the state’s more modest cost-of-living rankings, according to state and federal data.

A living cost analysis this year by the Economic Research and Information Center in Missouri ranked Illinois as the 24th most-expensive state. That is similar to the findings of the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, which placed Illinois 19th among states and the District of Columbia, where it is most expensive to live.

But Illinois is among the Top 5 states for highest salaries for state workers, according to OpenPayrolls, which tracks the data nationwide.

It found that the average annual state government salary in 2023 in Illinois, excluding university jobs, is about $79,000.

That pay has been further buoyed by raises since, including a recently self-imposed raise for lawmakers that increased their base pay to $98,000, which is also in the Top 5 among states.

A review by the Illinois Policy Institute this year found that pay for state government employees who are represented by the AFSCME Council 31 union has increased 57% faster since 2021 than for private sector jobs.

Read more here.

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Things to do Oct. 10-16: Raptor Sunday, Oddities Night, A Conversation with Kamala Harris and more

Posted in Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Entertainment, Fools and their money, Immigration, Politics on October 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Walk a path lined with hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns during Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns Wednesdays through Sundays through Oct. 26 at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. | Courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden

By Luke Zurawski | Daily Herald

Friday, Oct. 10

Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns: 6-10:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Oct. 10-12, 15-19 and 22-26, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. See hand-carved, LED-lit jack-o’-lanterns, characters and live pumpkin carving along a festive paved pathway. $22-$27 for adults, $15-$18 for kids 3-12, and free for kids younger than 3. chicagobotanic.org/halloween.

Glass Pumpkin Patch: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Oct. 10-12, at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Shop one-of-a-kind glass creations and watch glassblowing demonstrations by artists every 30 minutes from noon to 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Flameworking demonstrations will be held at 12:15, 1:15, 2:15 and 3:15 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Rain or shine. Presale viewing from 10-11 a.m. Friday. Included with arboretum admission. Tickets: mortonarb.org

See handcrafted scarecrows Friday through Sunday, Oct. 10-12, during St. Charles’ Scarecrow Fest. | Daily Herald file photo

Scarecrow Fest: Noon to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, in downtown St. Charles. 40th annual fest features over 110 handcrafted scarecrows on display around town for visitors to view and vote on their favorites. Family Zone with live entertainment in Lincoln Park. Activity Zone with photo ops, Scarecrow-to-Go and family activities on Riverside Avenue. Autumn on the Fox Arts & Crafts Show at Pottawatomie Park. Free. scarecrowfest.com.

Downtown Elgin Market: 3-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, on South Riverside Drive, Elgin. Farmers, makers, live music, Sip N’ Shop and kids’ activities. Dog-friendly. LINK Matching program. Free. downtownelgin.com/market.

Oktoberfest: 5-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Bridges Beer Garden, 1400 Poplar Creek Drive, Hoffman Estates. German dancers, live music, and food and beverages for purchase. Free. heparks.org.

Autumn Hayrides: 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10-11, at Primrose Farm, 5N726 Crane Road, St. Charles. Ticket includes a 30-minute tractor-drawn wagon ride and the supplies to make s’mores over an open fire. Kids 15 and younger must be accompanied by a paid adult. $16. Register: stcparks.org/events.

Hayrides at Hoffman Park: 6, 6:45 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, and 5:15, 6, 6:45 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the dog park at Hoffman Park, West Main Street, Cary. Hayride and campfire under the stars. $10. Register: carypark.com

Spooky Scavenger Hunt: 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Heritage Farm at Spring Valley, 201 S. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg. Family scavenger hunt around the farm. Free. parkfun.com/event/spooky-scavenger-hunt

Oddities Night: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 110 W. Fremont St., Arlington Heights. A Victorian Halloween gathering with drinks, bites, oddities, a tarot card reader, a magician and more. 21-and-older event. $40, $30 for Arlington Heights Historical Society members. ahpd.org.

Saturday, Oct. 11

Collect-A-Con: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at the Donald E. Stephenson Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. Trading card, anime and pop culture convention. Tickets start at $49.29 for Saturday, $44.04 for Sunday, $65.04 for both days, and free for kids 7 and younger. collectaconusa.com/chicago-2.

The Illinois Orchid Society Fall Show & Sale comes to the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12. | Daily Herald file photo

Illinois Orchid Society Fall Show & Sale: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, at the Chicago Botanic Garden Burnstein Hall, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Featuring artistically arranged tabletop displays from the rarest of species to cultivated hybrids. Orchid plants for sale, as well as repotting services. Photographers’ Hour from 9-10 a.m. Sunday. $17.95-$23.95. chicagobotanic.org

Autumn Harvest: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at North School Park, 307 N. Evergreen Ave., Arlington Heights. Crafts, games, hayrides, a scarecrow-building contest, live music, entertainment and more. Food for purchase, including Garibaldi’s Pizza, Kori’s Koop and AJz Kettlecorn. Free. ahpd.org.

DIY Scarecrow Day: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, behind Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 342 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove. Reserve a time to build a custom scarecrow using a variety of clothing and accessories. Register in advance. $10 per scarecrow. longgrove.org/festival/october-days.

A Conversation with Kamala Harris: 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago. Former Vice President Kamala Harris tells the story of her presidential campaign. Tickets start at $115. auditoriumtheatre.org

“Farewell, Mr. Poe”: 4-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, starting at Morton Arboretum’s Thornhill Shelter, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. In the last four days of his life, Edgar Allan Poe drifted in and out of consciousness before he died. Where did his mind wander? Find out for yourself, as the paths wind through Poe’s life and poetry, until he confronts his earthly departure. Recommended for ages 12 and older. Bring water, portable chairs or blankets for seating, and bug spray. $17-$27. Register: mortonarb.org

Take a ride on the Ghost Story Train Saturdays, Oct. 11, 18 and 25, at the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin. | Daily Herald File Photo, 2023

Ghost Story Train: 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 11, 18 and 25, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, off Route 31, South Elgin. Ride a spooky trolley to the haunted forest preserve for family-friendly frights, including stories around the campfire with treats from Margie’s Girls’ Kitchen. A ghostly musician will lead campfire songs. Costumes welcome. $20. Register at foxtrolley.org/Ghost-Story-Train.

School of Haunt — Haunted House: 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at School of Rock, 105 N. Maple Ave., Elmhurst. Themed rooms, scare actors and a night of fright for ages 13 and older. Hosted by School of Rock Elmhurst. Free. schoolofrock.com.

“Disenchanted!”: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, in Elgin Community College’s Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. A musical that gives a new spin to Disney princess classics. Contains adult language and themes and is not appropriate for kids. $50. eccartscenter.org

Elgin Symphony season opener: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Conductor Chad Goodman leads the ESO guest pianist Orion Weiss and the symphony in Carlos Simon’s “Motherboxx Connection,” H. Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 “Romantic” and Gershwin’s Concerto in F. $20-$68; $10 for students. elginsymphony.org

Jeremy Kahn Quartet: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at Baker Community Center, 101 S. Second St., St. Charles. Chicago-based jazz pianist Jeremy Kahn returns to “Saturday Night Lights” with a quartet featuring vocalist Petra Van Nuis in her St. Charles debut. $30. norrisculturalarts.com

Sunday, Oct. 12

Buffalo Grove Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, in Mike Rylko Park, 951 McHenry Road, Buffalo Grove. Meat, cheese, bakery, coffee, knife sharpening and more from 42 vendors, with weekly entertainment, a kids’ craft tent and Business of the Week vendors and nonprofits. Free. vbg.org/165/Farmers-Market.

Walneck’s Motorcycle Swap Meet: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at McHenry County Fairgrounds, 11900 Country Club Road, Woodstock. New and used motorcycle parts of all types and brands, leathers, sewing, jewelry, toys and more. Rain or shine. $10 for ages 15 and older. walneckswap.com.

Crystal Lake Farmers Market+ At The Dole: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, on the front lawn of the Dole Mansion, 401 Country Club Road, Crystal Lake. Live music, kids’ activities, beverages, food trucks and more. Free. farmersmarketatthedole.org.

Pumpkin Splash: 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at The Club, 5050 Sedge Blvd., Hoffman Estates. Swim in the pumpkin patch pool to find a pumpkin. Includes pumpkin decorations and a treat for kids. $10-$12. heparks.org.

See owls, hawks and other birds of prey at Raptor Sunday at Stillman Nature Center in South Barrington. | Courtesy of Stillman Nature Center

Raptor Sunday: 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at Stillman Nature Center, 33 W. Penny Road, South Barrington. Meet the snowy, great horned, barred, barn and screech owls, along with a peregrine falcon, turkey vulture, broad-winged and red-shouldered hawks. $20 per car. stillmannc.org.

Tuesday, Oct. 14

“Hey There: The Music of Rosemary Clooney”: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, in Elgin Community College’s Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. Kaity Paschetto, backed by a trio, breathes new life into classics like “Mambo Italiano,” “Hey There,” “Tenderly” and “Come On-a My House.” $35. eccartscenter.org

All You Need Is Jazz: 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Gail Borden Public Library Meadows Community Rooms AB, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Favorite Beatles tunes reimagined by a Chicago-area jazz trio on piano, drums and electric bass. Free. Register: gailborden.info

Wednesday, Oct. 15

Midweek Matinee: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St., Woodstock. See “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971). $8. woodstockoperahouse.com.

Rosaway, consisting of flutist and vocalist Rachel Ombredane and drummer Stéphane “SteF” Avellaneda, will perform Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake. | Courtesy of the Raue Center for the Arts

Rosaway: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. Paris-based disco-jazz duo. Tickets start at $19. rauecenter.org.

Ongoing

Goebbert’s Fall Festival: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 30 at Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center, 40 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington. Animals, corn stalk mazes, wagon rides, pig races, fall food, produce and more. Some attractions are only available on the weekends. $19 weekdays; $23 in advance online and $26 at the door on weekends; free for kids 2 and younger. Extra fees for animal rides ($8) and gem mining ($10-$25). goebbertspumpkinfarm.com/fall-festival.

Randall Oaks Fall Festival: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Nov. 2 at Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Pedal tractors, pumpkins and fall treats for sale, and on weekends, hayrides for $3 and animal shows at 1:30 p.m. $6; free for kids 1 and younger and U.S. military with ID. dtpd.org/fall-festival.

Alex Ross — Heroes & Villains: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays and Wednesdays and 2-8 p.m. Thursdays, through Feb. 16, 2026, at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County, 1899 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville. A larger-than-life presentation of the work of legendary comic book artist Alex Ross featuring heroes and villains from the Marvel and DC universes. Museum admission $3-$10, exhibit tickets $5-$10, free for kids 3 and younger. LCFPD.org/planyourvisit.

Boo at the Zoo: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Oct. 31 at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s family-friendly Halloween celebration with not-so-scary thrills, festive decorations and more. On weekends, there’s trick-or-treating, a magician and other activities. Included with zoo admission. brookfieldzoo.org/BooAtTheZoo.

Happy Times Pumpkinfest at Didier Farms: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays, through Sunday, Oct. 26, at Didier Farms, 16678 Aptakisic Road, Lincolnshire. Amusement rides, shows, fall merchandise, pumpkin sales, fall treats and more. Free entry; fees for rides and attractions. happytimespumpkinfest.com

Six Flags Great America Fright Fest: 5-11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 1, at Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Drive, Gurnee. Thrills by day and frights by night with haunted houses, scare zones, spine-chilling shows and rides. Plus, kids’ Boo Fest and Oktoberfest. Tickets start at $45. sixflags.com/greatamerica/events.

Richardson Adventure Farm: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 9 p.m. Sundays, and 3-9 p.m. Thursdays, through Oct. 26, at Richardson Farm, 909 English Prairie Road, Spring Grove. Corn maze, pumpkin patch, observation tower, zip line, zorbing, pig races and more. $24, $20 for kids 3-12, and free for kids 2 and younger; $30/$24 Saturdays and Sundays. richardsonadventurefarm.com.

Jack O’Lantern World: Time slots start around 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays through Nov. 1 at Paulus Park, 215 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich, and The Forge, 227 Heritage Quarries Drive, Lemont. See and explore thousands of pumpkins arranged in displays and more, plus a pumpkin patch, 30-foot inflatables, food trucks, a beer garden, mini golf and more. Tickets range from $17.99-$27.99. thejackolanternworld.com.

Visitors enter “Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience” in Ingleside during a sneak preview Thursday. | John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com

“Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience”: Various times through Nov. 2 (except Oct. 14, 20-21 and 27-28), at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago’s Camp Duncan, 32405 N. U.S. Hwy. 12, Ingleside. Lights transform the landscape into a magical outdoor trail featuring creatures from the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” films. A themed village at the end of the trail will offer food and drink (Butterbeer) and a gift shop. Tickets start at $31 for kids 3-12, $46 for adults. HPForbiddenForestExperience.com.

Find more here.

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Driver seriously injured, flown to hospital after being heavily trapped in semi-truck rollover in Barrington

Posted in Accidents, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, Traffic on October 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

A two-vehicle crash involving a dump truck and an SUV at Barrington Road and Dundee Road in Barrington left the driver of the truck heavily trapped and seriously injured in his vehicle, requiring him to be flown to the hospital, while shutting down the busy intersection for hours Wednesday afternoon into the evening. | Photo: Nick Rusin

By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

A driver was seriously injured and flown to the hospital after being trapped for more than an hour in a rolled-over semi-truck after a crash with an SUV in Barrington Wednesday afternoon.

The Barrington Fire Department and Barrington Police Department responded around 2:35 p.m. Wednesday to Barrington Road and Dundee Road in Barrington for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.

Emergency crews arrived and found a two-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck hauling a dump trailer and an Acura SUV.

A two-vehicle crash involving a dump truck and an SUV at Barrington Road and Dundee Road in Barrington left the driver of the truck heavily trapped and seriously injured in his vehicle, requiring him to be flown to the hospital, while shutting down the busy intersection for hours Wednesday afternoon into the evening. | Photo: Nick Rusin

A dashcam video obtained by Lake and McHenry County Scanner showed the semi-truck was traveling eastbound on Dundee Road.

The semi-truck proceeded through the intersection at Barrington Road on a solid green light, the video showed.

The Acura was traveling northbound on Barrington Road attempting to turn right onto eastbound Dundee Road.

A two-vehicle crash involving a dump truck and an SUV at Barrington Road and Dundee Road in Barrington left the driver of the truck heavily trapped and seriously injured in his vehicle, requiring him to be flown to the hospital, while shutting down the busy intersection for hours Wednesday afternoon into the evening. | Photo: Nick Rusin

The driver of the Acura failed to come to a complete stop and pulled out directly in front of the semi-truck, the video showed.

Read more here.

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Without reforms, pension insolvency will eat Chicago alive

Posted in Cook, County, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Organizations, Pension Funding, Politics, Preckwinkle's Rules of Order, The Chicago Way, Unions on October 9, 2025| 1 Comment »

If Chicago’s pension systems become insolvent, the city will have to reduce benefits or make serious cuts to city services. The only way out is constitutional reform.

By LyLena Estabine | Illinois Policy Institute

Pension insolvency isn’t a distant hypothetical for Chicago: the city is setting itself up to be consumed by pension obligations.

Chicago’s four pension funds have more combined debt than 44 states. Seven of the nation’s 10 worst-funded local pensions are in Chicago.

To make matters worse, the state recently passed a police and fire pension sweetener that adds $11 billion in new liabilities. Some estimates say these benefits have dropped the funding ratio for Chicago police and fire pensions to 18%.

In mid-September, Mayor Brandon Johnson had to dip into the city’s cash reserves to cover $28 million in payments for the fire pension so they wouldn’t have to sell off assets.

All of that adds up to a city that must grapple with the realities of pension system insolvency.

A pension system becomes insolvent when it no longer has the money needed to pay out benefits. Right now, Chicago pension funds only have between 22 cents and 52 cents on hand for every dollar they must eventually pay their members.

Those benefits aren’t all due at once, but if funding levels are low enough it can make a system “technically insolvent.” That is how Chicago’s Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski described Chicago’s police and fire pensions to a top administrator in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office before the pension sweetener was signed into law.

Read more here.

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Driver extracted from dump truck following rollover crash in Barrington, Illinois

Posted in Accidents, BCFPD, Traffic on October 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

By Jeramie Bizzle | CBS News Chicago

First responders are investigating a rollover crash involving a dump truck in Barrington, Illinois, on Wednesday afternoon.

CBS Skywatch was over the scene where the five-axle truck was rolled upside down after colliding with an SUV on the east side of the intersection of Dundee (and Barrington) Road.

CBS News Chicago’s Kris Habermehl reported that the driver of the truck was pinned inside. Crews performed an extraction operation, freeing the truck driver.

It is unclear what led to the crash or if any injuries were reported from the SUV.

Dundee Road is closed until further notice. Drivers are advised to use Palatine Road as an alternative.

More here.

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Trust in Media at New Low of 28% in U.S.

Posted in Deception, Elections, Ethics, News Media, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, School Districts, Springfield, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on October 8, 2025| 1 Comment »

Republicans’ confidence in mass media to report news “fully, accurately and fairly” now at 8%

By Megan Brenan | GALLUP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans’ confidence in the mass media has edged down to a new low, with just 28% expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. This is down from 31% last year and 40% five years ago.

Meanwhile, seven in 10 U.S. adults now say they have “not very much” confidence (36%) or “none at all” (34%).

When Gallup began measuring trust in the news media in the 1970s, between 68% and 72% of Americans expressed confidence in reporting. However, by the next reading in 1997, public confidence had fallen to 53%. Media trust remained just above 50% until it dropped to 44% in 2004, and it has not risen to the majority level since. The highest reading in the past decade was 45% in 2018, which came just two years after confidence had collapsed amid the divisive 2016 presidential campaign.

The latest 28% confidence reading, from a Sept. 2-16 poll, marks the first time the measure has fallen below 30%.

Media Trust at Record Lows Among All Party Groups

Although Democrats and Republicans continue to express different levels of trust in the news media, the percentages with high confidence in reporting are at low points among all party groups.

  • Republicans’ confidence, which hasn’t risen above 21% since 2015, has dropped to single digits (8%) for the first time in the trend.
  • Independents’ trust has not reached the majority level since 2003, and the latest 27% reading matches last year’s historical low.
  • For Democrats, the narrowest of majorities (51%) now express trust in the media, which is a repeat of the low previously seen in 2016.

Read more here.

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Barrington Hills Park District (Riding Club) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Farm, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, Financial Statements, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Massbach Hounds, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Village Government on October 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Club of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Truth in Taxation Ordinance
  • Board Officer Positions
  • Insurance Policy Updates
  • Residents Benefits Resolution
  • Review of Efficiency Report
  • Patio Agreement

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

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District 220 Board of Education meets tonight

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Countryside Elementary School, County, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lake, Land Use, New Normal?, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Video Recordings, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on October 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • Special Public Comment on IASB Resolutions
  • FOIA Reports
  • Personnel Report
  • Consideration to Approve Reunification Contract with Willow Creek Community Church
  • Consideration to Approve a District Representative at the Lake County Lake Division Meeting
  • Consideration to Approve the Proposed Lake County Slate of Officers
  • Consideration to Approve IASB Resolutions

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

Related: “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency,” “Ding Politicking on School District Property,” “District 220 Board of Education meets tonight (9.15.25),” “District 220 posts Notice of Tentative Budget Public Hearing,” “Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible,” “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “District 220 Board of Education meets this evening (07.15.25)” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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