Get the latest news headlines from around Illinois.
KWQC: West Central School District’s recognition status lowered after defying Gov. Pritzker’s school mask mandate
The Illinois State Board of Education has lowered the recognition status of West Central School Districtless than a week after the school board voted to ignore Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask mandate.
In a letter to district families, Superintendent Paula Markey said she received a letter from ISBE lowering the district’s recognition status to “on probation” for exhibiting “deficiencies that present a health hazard or a danger to students or staff.”
Chicago Tribune: GOP contends census results invalidate Illinois legislative maps; Democrats say they’re open to adjustments
Illinois Republican leaders said Monday that last week’s release of federal census data proves their contention that new state legislative district boundaries drawn by Democrats violate voting rights laws and said they will ask a judge to rule the maps invalid.
Democrats did not directly dispute the GOP’s analysis of census data that showed discrepancies between population estimates the party used to draw the maps and the census data that was released Thursday. The party said it is reviewing the latest numbers and will make changes to the maps if necessary. Any changes would require another vote by the Democratic-controlled legislature, unless they are the result of a court order.
A lawsuit filed Thursday in the Northern District Court of Illinois is the second and latest challenge to the Biden Administration’s attempt to halt all residential evictions from taking place nationwide amidst a surge in coronavirus cases.
Two landlords with properties in Cook, DuPage, and Will Counties — as well as the Illinois Rental Property Owners Association — are the latest to dispute in court the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s power to issue another eviction moratorium, as it recently did in response to an uptick in infections.
International Business Times: What Is The Jett Hawkins Law? Illinois Bans Hairstyle Discrimination, 'This Is Bigger Than Just Hair'
new law in Illinois will prohibit schools from banning any type of hairstyle, in what will be known as “the Jett Hawkins Law.”
Ethnic hairstyles that include, dreadlocks, braids, and twists will all be protected against “hairstyle discrimination.”
WCIA: Central Illinois population changes in U.S. Census
U.S. Census officials released information regarding population changes in Illinois.
According to our partners at The Herald & Review, several large cities in central Illinois increased while some decreased.
Business Insider: Illinois' new vaccine-verification portal is glitchy and uses a credit reporting agency with past security breaches to verify people's identities
Illinois’ new vaccine portal, which is supposed to let people look up their vaccine records online, often gives inaccurate information about vaccination statuses and uses Experian, a credit reporting agency with a history of security breaches, to verify people’s identities.
With an increasing number of social events and employers requiring proof of vaccination, from Chicago Public Schools to the Illinois State Fair, Illinois Department of Health director Ngozi Ezike said the portal could help people prove their vaccination status when they need to.
WGN: State pulling all students in its care from Aurora youth residential treatment facility following reports of abuse
The State of Illinois announced Friday plans to transfer all students in its care out of Northern Illinois Academy, following a report that found abuse and neglect of minors.
NIA is an 87-bed private youth residential treatment facility and therapeutic day school located in Aurora, managed by Sequel Youth and Family Services. Equip for Equality — an Illinois organization that advances the rights of people with disabilities — was commissioned in January by the state to review the academy’s practices.
Utility Dive: Illinois regulators launch probe of ComEd in wake of bribery scandal
Illinois regulators are seeking assurance that ratepayer funds were not used to benefit former House Speaker Michael Madigan or his “various associates.”
The ICC’s Public Utilities Bureau will oversee the investigation, with no timeline to report back to the ICC, a commission spokesperson said in email.