Sheriff Tom Dart, the elected official who runs the Cook County Jail, is highly critical of the deal that Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has reached with the union for officers at the jail.

The sheriff has been quiet in the weeks since the Preckwinkle administration and the jail guards’ union, Teamsters Union Local 700, reached an agreement.

CTA riders have lost out on a little more than $16 million by failing to register their Ventra cards, which would have allowed them to get a refund on the $5 cost of purchase, according to transit agency records.

A review of records obtained by the Tribune found that of the $24.27 million CTA passengers paid for Ventra cards between the program’s launch in 2013 through July of this year, only $8.14 million has been refunded as transit value.

Kane County officials sent a message to government employees late last week that said they would rather cut their jobs than raise property taxes.

The 2018 budget plan, though, will see the county increase the amount of taxes it collects for the second straight year.

Faculty and students at Western Illinois University will be able to study the west-central Illinois bobcat population thanks to a $100,000 state grant.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant will pay for the second phase of WIU biological sciences assistant professor Chris Jacques’ work. Bobcats will be captured in Fulton, Hancock, McDonough and Schuyler counties during the winters of 2018 and 2019 and fitted with radio collars. That will let scientists better monitor bobcat movement and survival. The study also includes using 220 infrared-triggered remote cameras.

Township Supervisor Frank Abdnour plans to make a case for township government when he goes before the Peoria City Council on Tuesday.

Legislation was passed last month allowing communities in Illinois to hold referendums on whether to dissolve or consolidate townships. If a township is abolished, all duties and responsibilities of the township are transferred to the municipality or county within which the township is located. In Peoria’s case that means the city takes over.

What a difference a year and 7.11 inches of rain make.

Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon spoke with The State Journal-Register last week about the 2017 fair and planning for 2018. Attendance of 401,648 at this year’s fair was up 15.5 percent from 2016, when heavy rains inundated sections of the fairgrounds.

Huntley School District 158’s recently approved budget benefits from the new law that changes the way the state funds schools, the district’s chief financial officer said.

The fiscal 2018 budget, approved at Thursday’s board meeting, shows a slight increase in spending and revenue compared with last year. The district is expected to take in about
$100.9 million and spend about $100.8 million next year, according to the budget.