Going into Election Day, several races were thought to be toss-ups. But in perhaps far too many other races, the outcome was already decided as there was only one candidate on the ballot.

State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Cherry Valley, and future State Reps. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, and Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, will be victorious Tuesday as they ran without opposition in Tuesday’s general election.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $16.4 billion 2023 budget proposal was approved by the City Council on Monday after picking up support from a few unlikely sources.

The City Council approved Lightfoot’s appropriations ordinance by a 32-18 vote and a separate $1.7 billion property tax levy by a 29-21 vote.

While we’ve been making endorsements in Tuesday’s general election, the Chicago Board of Education revoked the charter of the storied Urban Prep Academy schools in Bronzeville and Englewood and, over howls of local protest, cleared the way for a hostile takeover by the bureaucrats of Chicago Public Schools.

That takeover is now under appeal. An appeal the school should win. Otherwise, this is a destabilizing disaster for the young Black men who are proud to attend those schools on their way to colleges and universities.

A new policy brief that examined open enrollment policies of all 50 states found that Illinois has some of the most restrictive student transfer policies in the country.

The Reason Foundation found that only 11 states have mandatory open enrollment laws that allow students to easily transfer to other public schools, and 26 states, including Illinois, allow public schools to charge tuition to public school transfer students.

It may still only be early in the first quarter, but the Chicago Bears Monday night started to advance the ball downfield to a potential new home in Arlington Heights.

The village board unanimously agreed to a so-called predevelopment agreement with the NFL franchise that suggests future zoning changes and public financing that could get the club’s $5 billion conceptual redevelopment to the goal line.

Tucked into the new and much-debated 764-page law that does away with Illinois’ cash-bail system is a single paragraph that could have a big impact.

The School District 186 board of education Monday approved a teachers’ contract ratified earlier in the evening by the Springfield Education Association.

The three-year deal got the thumbs up from teachers by a vote of 325 to 176 at Southeast High School.