Quick Hits: Illinois News In Brief For Dec. 4

The Center Square

Sports on hold for Midwest Conference

There won’t be college sports for the rest of the year for members of the Midwest Conference.

The conference’s president's council decided it won’t sponsor league competitions for all winter sports, including championships.

The unanimous decision canceled winter sports for colleges in the conference, which are Division III member colleges in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Pritzker calls for investigation after hotel party

A family wedding with around 150 people at a hotel in the Chicagoland area is being roundly criticized.

The Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association said the party being allowed at the Hilton Chicago/Northbrook hotel was unacceptable.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said there should be an investigation. The hotel released a statement saying it regrets allowing the gathering and apologize to the guests, employees and community.

Mobile testing operations head out across Illinois

State public health COVID-19 testing teams are out in Roodhouse at the Department of Corrections and Ferrero Bloomington until 4 p.m. today.

Testers will be out Saturday in Monticello at the Piatt County Public Health Department, and Saturday and Sunday at the Sangamon County Public Health Department in Springfield. The free testing also continues at the Decatur Civic Center through Sunday.

Crews will be in Martinsville Sunday at the Clark County Health Department.

Cannabis sales top $75 million in November

Illinois sold another $75 million of legal cannabis products last month, about level with the month before, but more than the first two months of the year combined.

The latest sales figures released by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation showed the state’s adult-use cannabis dispensaries have sold more than $582 million worth of the drug.

That doesn’t include the total tax revenue from the past eleven months, which is now more than $150 million.

Pritzker says Illinois spending cuts happening behind the scenes

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said reductions in state spending are happening behind the scenes, but didn't provide any specific examples.

He also said he needs the legislature to reconvene in order to make real reductions in the state’s spending.

The $43 billion budget, Illinois’ highest-spending in its history, was enacted by the governor after being passed by the legislature in May.

It’s held together by assumptions of billions of dollars in untethered federal aid and borrowing.

ISBE works with hospitals to address mental health issues for children

Because of “toxic levels of stress and trauma,” and concerns over increased suicidal thoughts among children during the pandemic, the Illinois State Board of Education is working with a hospital in Chicago and a Peoria regional education office to provide services focused on mental health.

The REACH teams will assess trauma needs and provide action plans for what’s expected to be overwhelming caseloads.

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