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Archive for the ‘WTF’ Category

Legislator presses forward with facial recognition ban even after it helped solve Loyola student murder case in her district

Posted in Crime, CWB Chicago, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb Bunny, Politics, Springfield, Who Cuts Your Hair?, WTF on March 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Jose Medina (Facebook, Dept. of Homeland Security)

By Tim Hecke | CWB Chicago

A bill that would bar Illinois law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition databases to help identify crime suspects is scheduled for a second day of legislative hearings, days after the technology helped Chicago police identify the man accused of murdering a Loyola University freshman in the bill’s sponsor’s own district.

House Bill 5521 is sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who represents the 14th District, which includes Rogers Park. Cassidy introduced the measure last Wednesday, hours before 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed at the Loyola Beach pier. Chicago police have since charged Jose Gregoria Medina Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan citizen, with Gorman’s murder.

An arrest report obtained by CWB Chicago describes how detectives worked to identify Medina as the shooter. Among the investigative steps, an officer wrote that video images of the gunman were sent to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which “returned matching candidate Jose Gregoria Medina Medina.”

If passed, HB5521 would prohibit Illinois law enforcement agencies from obtaining, retaining, possessing, accessing, requesting, using, or entering into agreements with third parties, state or local government agencies, or federal agencies to use certain biometric identification systems, including facial recognition.

It also bars the Secretary of State from providing facial recognition search services except when issuing a mobile driver’s license or identification card. That facial recognition database is the most commonly used within CPD.

On Sunday, CWB Chicago published a report detailing dozens of violent crimes — including murders, robberies, and sex offenses — that Chicago Police Department detectives have solved with the assistance of facial recognition. The technology has proven particularly useful in cases involving the CTA, where offenders are often anonymous, crimes can be random, and the transit system’s high-definition cameras provide broad coverage.

Article continues here.

Related: “Facial recognition helps cops solve some of Chicago’s most heinous crimes. This state legislator wants to shut it down,” “Hundreds of police departments use camera company (seen below) accused of breaking state law”

Automated license plate readers such as this one are installed throughout Barrington Hills.

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Roads & Bridges Committee meets this afternoon

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Deception, ePacket Agendas, Ethics, One Barrington Hills, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Property Taxes, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Robert’s Rules of Order, Simple Minds, Taxes, Transparency, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, WTF on March 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Village Roads & Bridges Committee meets this afternoon at 4 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • [Vote] Road Program 2026 Recommendation (Left blank)
  • River/Algonquin Road Curve

A copy of the full posted agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

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McLaughlin and Local Mayors to Discuss Pritzker’s Zoning Proposals Coming to Local Government Thursday

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Dinky, Land Use, Lennie, Plan Commission, Politics, Press Release, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, South Barrington, Springfield, Taxes, Village Code, Village President, WTF, Zoning Board on February 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Who: State Representatives Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills), Mayors and Administration from communities of South Barrington, North Barrington, & Lake Barrington (Not Barrington Hills??).

What: This press conference will address Governor Pritzker’s recently proposed efforts to drastically change zoning authority at the municipal level. The Representative and Mayors will discuss how these proposals directly impact the ability of municipalities to govern and plan for your communities.

When: Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 2PM

Where: Village of South Barrington Village Hall | 30 Barrington Rd., South Barrington, IL 60010

With questions, please call Mark Revis at 815-557-0252

Related: “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control”

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“The Architects of AI Are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year” – Time Magazine

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Education, Time Magazine, WTF on December 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Image credit: Scott Stantis / Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency

Read the Time article here.

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Riding Club fenagles private summit with IDOT Route 62 Study officials Tuesday

Posted in Algonquin Rd, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Bicyclists, Big Red, Clown Car, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Equestrian Commission, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Longmeadow Parkway, Massbach Hounds, New Normal?, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, SOS Party, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, Village Engineer, WTF on December 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“The CAG is a collection of community representatives and serves as the focal point for the exchange of information between government entities and the local community. The CAG is made up of representatives of diverse community interests, local government officials, community representatives, property owners and residents, and stakeholders with technical expertise. The CAG assists IDOT in making better decisions on transportation related projects that benefit the community and environment. Members are invited based upon who they represent with the goal being an even distribution from each interest area.

The application window for the Community Advisory Group is now closed.

CAG Meeting #6 was held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 from 10am-12pm. Materials from CAG Meeting #6 are available below.

CAG Meeting #6

Exhibits

Presentation

Editorial notes: The reader who was kind enough to forward this tip noted: “Of considerable note are the currently proposed designs for the Bateman Road and Old Sutton Road intersections: non-signalized Right-In/Right-Out with a U-turn, as depicted (below):”

(Click on image to enlarge)

Also, to appease the Riding Clan, IDOT included a graphic of a, “Potential Pedestrian Underpass,” as seen below:

Last, it’s unclear if the current Village Roads & Bridges Chair (A.B.) was invited to the meeting. We highly doubt it (for obvious reasons).

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CUSD 220 proposing 7.32 percent tax levy increase

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Fools and their money, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Hearing, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, WTF on November 3, 2025| 4 Comments »

“I. A public hearing to approve a proposed property tax levy increase  for Barrington Community Unit School District Number 220, Lake, Cook, Kane, and McHenry Counties, Illinois, for 2025 will be held on December 2, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at Barrington CUSD 220’s Administrative enter, 515 West Main Street, Barrington, Illinois 60010.

Any person desiring to appear at the public hearing and present testimony to the taxing district may contact Sarah Lager, Asst. Superintendent of Business Services/CSBO, 515 West Main Street, Barrington, IL 60010, (847) 381-6300.

II. The corporate and special purpose property taxes extended or abated for 2024 were $156,153,482.

The proposed corporate and special purpose property taxes to be levied for 2025 are $163,300,000.  This represents a 4.58 percent increase over the previous year.

III. The property taxes extended for debt service and public building commission leases for 2024 were $9,000,073.

The estimated property taxes to be levied for debt service and public building commission leases for 2025 are $13,948,798. This represents a 54.99 percent increase from the previous year.

IV. The total property taxes extended or abated for 2024 were $165,153,554. The estimated total property taxes to be levied for 2025 are $177,248,798. This represents a 7.32 percent increase over the previous year.”

Source

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Lake in the Hills man found with gun after claiming he fell asleep, crashed Tesla in autopilot into South Barrington police squad

Posted in Accidents, Algonquin Rd, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, South Barrington, VBHPD, WTF on October 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

A South Barrington police squad sustained heavy rear-end damage in a crash at Route 62 and Penny Road on October 15 with a Tesla whose driver | Joseph Fresso, 43, of Lake in the Hills (inset) — claimed his vehicle was on autopilot and he had fallen asleep. Provided Photos

By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Police have identified a Lake in the Hills man, who was found with a gun, as the Tesla driver who claimed he fell asleep with his car in autopilot mode when it crashed into a stopped South Barrington squad car, injuring officers.

The Barrington Hills Police Department responded around 10:35 p.m. on October 15 to assist the South Barrington Police Department with a crash involving one of their police squads.

Barrington Hills Police Department Public Information Officer William Walsh said the crash occurred on Route 62 near Penny Road.

An investigation determined that two South Barrington police vehicles were stopped on Route 62 west of Penny Road with their emergency lights activated, Walsh said.

The officers were conducting a traffic investigation in the eastbound right lane.

A 2022 Tesla Model Y was traveling eastbound on Route 62 when it struck the rear of one of the police vehicles, Walsh said.

The impact pushed the squad into the Mack truck that had been stopped by officers.

Joseph Fresso, 43, of Lake in the Hills.

Walsh said the driver of the Tesla, Joseph Fresso, 43, of Lake in the Hills, told officers his vehicle was engaged in self-driving mode.

Fresso said that he had fallen asleep and woke up too late to avoid the crash.

Read more here.

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Ding Politicking on School District Property

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, Springfield, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, WTF on September 16, 2025| 3 Comments »

In the wake of many instances wherein The Observer has set forth the conflict of interest and the blatant violations of D220’s Code of Conduct and Board Policies by Board Member Erin Chan Ding, we have recently learned that Chan Ding’s violations continue and, due to complete lack of accountability by District Superintendent Winkelman and Board President Ficke Bradford, Chan Ding has actually been emboldened.

You’ll recall that at the July 15th Board of Education meeting, President Ficke Bradford asserted:

“As many are aware, District 220 Board Member Erin Chan Ding has declared her intent to run for State Representative of the 52nd District, and it’s within Erin’s right to do so, and Erin is aware of the Board policies and the laws that are in place.

We have consulted with our counsel, um, to confirm that merely running for an office, um, for political office, while refraining from engaging in any prohibited political activity while acting as a Board member or on School District property does not constitute a violation of the Board’s Code of Conduct. Erin and all Board Members are aware of the policies the Board does have in place.”

In fact, there are D220 Policies that specifically address these issues (in addition to those we have previously brought to the readers’ attention):

8:25 Advertising and Distributing Materials in Schools Provided by Non-School Related Entities
Political Candidates or Parties

Candidates and political parties will not be accepted for posting or distribution, except when used as part of the curriculum.

And,

2:105 Ethics and Gift Ban
Prohibited Political Activity

The following precepts govern political activities being conducted by District employees andBoard of Education members:

2. No Board member or employee shall intentionally use any District property or resources in connection with any political activity.

Yet, despite the direct admonition of Board President Ficke Bradford, and the explicit prohibition of political activity by two Board policies, we are given to understand that Board Member Chan Ding, in her dual capacity as a D220 Board Member and as a political candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 52nd District, attended both the Barrington High School and the Station Middle School Back to School nights, on School District property, where she handed out her political flyers for her run for the 52nd District and solicited signatures for her petitions to get on that ballot.

Craig and Sandra, your credibility is shot. You continually allow Chan Ding to flagrantly violate Board policy without any admonition, abusing her power, departing from the Board’s purpose, and destroying the public trust.

Shame on you.

Related: “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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WATCH: Assisted suicide legislation stashed in food preparation bill

Posted in Politics, Springfield, The Center Square, WTF on May 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Illinois state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, during a House committee hearing May 28, 2025 | BlueRoomStream

By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square

As the spring legislative session winds down in Illinois, sponsors of assisted suicide legislation are trying get passage by including the measure with a food prep bill.

State Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, attached the stalled assisted suicide bill’s language to a food preparation safety bill as an amendment.

“Medical aid in dying is a trusted and time-tested medical practice that is part of the full spectrum of end of life care options,” Gabel said during Wednesday’s House Executive Committee hearing.

Known as the “End of Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act,” the House amendment to Senate Bill 1950 would allow a person considered terminally ill to receive and self-administer lethal drugs after a physician determined they had less than six months to live.

State Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, who is a practicing physician, takes issue with the fact that this important legislation is tucked inside a food prep sanitation bill.

“I have to object to the process that we are tackling today,” said Hauter. “When you have a process of fundamentally changing the practice of medicine, and we’re putting it inside a shell bill.”

Read more plus view the video here.

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IL Secretary of State, frustrated (as are taxpayers!) with REAL ID confusion, criticizes federal policies

Posted in FUBAR, Politics, SNAFU, Springfield, Taxes, WTF on May 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias | BlueRoomStream

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says there is no need for most Illinoisans to wait in line for a REAL ID.

Starting Wednesday, the U.S. government will require a passport, REAL ID or other REAL ID-compliant identification to board a domestic flight or enter secure federal facilities.

Giannoulias said you can still get a REAL ID after May 7.

“So to see these lines is really frustrating, especially because so many people do not need it,” Giannoulias said.

Courtesy of the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office

The secretary added that, according to federal officials, people will still be able to fly.

“Homeland Security has let us know that even after May 7, there will be essentially a two-year enforcement period where they’re not gonna not let people onto an airplane,” Giannoulias said.

Giannoulias said people should check the Illinois Secretary of State website to see if they need REAL IDs before making appointments. He said people under 18 do not need REAL IDs.

Giannoulias pointed his finger at the federal government for long lines and confusion over REAL IDs.

“The amount of people who are coming because they are worried about being deported or not being American citizens, that fear is real. We see it in people’s faces,” Giannoulias said.

Read more here.

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