Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Mayor Lori Lightfoot says city ‘can’t afford’ current police OT costs
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city of Chicago “can’t afford” police overtime expenses at the current level and called on Superintendent Eddie Johnson to develop a cost-cutting plan.
Lightfoot said she’s “angry and frustrated” with the department’s overtime expenses, which totaled $67.6 million in the first six months of the year, according to a Sun-Times report.
Chicago Sun-Times: Lightfoot orders review of Finney’s ‘significant portfolio’ of CHA buildings
The Rev. Leon Finney Jr. has “done good work over the course of his life,” and his downfall is “clearly disappointing,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.
Lightfoot said she has ordered a review of Finney’s “significant portfolio” of public housing after the Chicago Sun-Times shined a light on a federal judge’s stunning allegations of fraud, self-dealing and mis-management against Finney’s former nonprofit.
Daily Southtown: Protesters demand Palos Township revoke contract with private security firm providing armed guards to meetings
A group of activists who have disrupted Palos Township board meetings for more than two years to protest a trustee’s controversial Facebook posts about Middle Eastern immigrants are now calling on the township board to revoke its contract with a private security firm hired to control the meetings.
The #ResignBrannigan Coalition, a collection of local and regional community groups, held a news conference Monday to denounce the board’s decision last month to hire Chicago-based Monterrey Security to provide armed guards at meetings, calling it an attempt to silence their voices.
Rockford Register-Star: Rockford Public Schools’ phones, internet disabled by ransomware
School leaders may spend $376,300 on information technology security upgrades in the wake of a ransomware attack that has left Rockford Public Schools without internet or access to student records for days.
The upgrades include multiyear renewals of firewall and antivirus protection as well as backup software and an additional layer of IT security the district has been lacking — IT security awareness training for employees.
Peoria Journal-Star: Raise, bonus approved for Peoria Public Schools Superintendent Desmoulin-Kherat
The School Board on Monday approved a one-time $5,000 bonus and a 3 percent raise for Peoria Public Schools Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat.
The action was approved 4-2 with School Board members Dan Walther and Chase Klaus voting against the raise and bonus. Board member Martha Ross was absent and did not vote.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Unit 5 superintendent leaving district, board to hire search firm for replacement
Mark Daniel hopes the lessons he’s learned at McLean County Unit 5 will help another district succeed.
“Not just the successes, but also you learn from your challenges, and I think we’ve had numerous challenges, and we’ve tried to meet those head on, in an honest way and a transparent way. That’s the way we do business,” said Daniel, superintendent of the Normal-based district.