About 25,000 Chicago teachers are expected to go on strike Thursday, with the teachers union president saying he’s “overwhelmingly certain” the union’s governing body will vote down the city’s current proposals.

While some progress was made over the last few days of negotiations, it became clear Tuesday night that time would likely run out as the two sides remained apart on too many issues for a resolution to be reached before the union’s strike deadline.

Turns out the feds are getting personal as they circle multiple southwest suburban politicians.

Federal investigators showed interest last month in the home security system of Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty, as well as heating and air conditioning at the home of Cook County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski, who doubles as mayor of McCook.

When federal agents came to the village hall in Lyons last month, they wanted to search Mayor Chris Getty’s office — and sought records relating to “Getty’s home security system,” according to documents released late Tuesday.

The agents left the southwest suburb after the raid on Sept. 26 with a slew of information, including records about the quarry next to the village hall, which is owned Reliable Materials.

First comes the over-promising.

Then comes the euphoria generated by the over-promising.

Then comes the under-delivery that inevitably arises from the over-promising.

Township officials throughout McHenry County are weighing the question of township elimination, but some officials are confused about the logistics of an abolishment decision.

The fate of McHenry and Nunda townships lies in the hands of voters this March, and other townships are discussing whether to pursue similar measures.

A 3% countywide tax on the gross sales of marijuana retailers was approved by the McHenry County Board on Tuesday despite some reservations from board members about whether the tax should be set at its state-mandated cap.

Under Illinois’ new recreational marijuana law – which takes effect Jan. 1 – Illinois residents will be allowed to buy and possess 30 grams of marijuana, 250 milligrams of THC in a cannabis-infused product and 2.5 grams of a concentrated cannabis product. Nonresidents are allowed to buy half of those amounts.

After months of discussions, Carol Stream officials are now answering the most basic question about establishing a municipal property tax: how much it will cost taxpayers.

The owner of a home worth $231,400 — the average in Carol Stream — would pay $232 annually to the village if trustees approve a recommendation by financial planners to levy $3.8 million.

The Rockford metro area’s 5.8% population loss from 2010 to 2018 was the third largest in the Midwest, according to a new Business Insider report.

The Rockford metro area, which consists of Winnebago and Boone counties, lost 20,375 people during those eight years, based on the metro area’s 2010 population of 349,431 people. The New York City-based financial and business website used data from the Census Bureau Population Estimates program.

The next two years of budgets for Peoria will be balanced, have no layoffs and have no property tax increases.

But on the other hand, there is the ominous warning that within a few years, the city could be spending far more on its pensions and might have to raise the garbage fee assessed to homes and businesses to help cover costs.

Edwardsville will become the first city in downstate Illinois to require retailers to charge for single-use plastic and paper shopping bags to help protect the environment.

Edwardsville City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved an ordinance that was first proposed by a grassroots organization called Bring Your Own Bag Glen-Ed. Members argued that single-use bags pollute land and water, harm wildlife and human health and waste resources.