Quick Hits: Illinois News In Brief For Feb. 9, 2022

By The Center Square Staff:

Catholic schools to go mask optional Thursday

The Archdiocese of Chicago has announced that masks will be optional beginning Thursday for some schools.

In a letter, officials said masks will be optional at schools in Lake County and most of suburban Cook County.

The Archdiocese is waiting to implement the policy for a day in order to give principals, teachers and staff time to prepare.

Accused smash-and-grab crew leader arrested

A Maywood man is accused of leading the crew that pulled off at least nine smash-and-grab burglaries in recent months.

Tacarre Harper allegedly targeted a range of stores and in one case left stolen cash registers strewn across Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Gold Coast street. The 24-year-old is being tied to two burglaries that occurred at the high-end Burberry store on the Magnificent Mile in January with an estimated loss of $150,000.

Protesters demand Pritzker address utility shutoffs

Gov. J.B. Pritzker had to answer to protesters at a news event inside a Springfield grocery store.

The governor was promoting his proposed freeze of the 1 percent grocery tax Tuesday when a group chanted "power utilities shut off households in December, why won't you issue an executive order."

Pritzker said there was a mortarium on shutoffs, but people have been brought current with continuing relief through the use of federal tax funds.

Municipalities issue legislative agenda

The Illinois Municipal League has released its annual platform that it says will ensure the long-term success of the state’s nearly 1,300 cities, towns and villages.

The “Moving Cities Forward” platform prioritizes restoration of the Local Government Distributive Fund, which originally in 1969 dedicated 10% of the state’s total income tax revenue to municipalities, but is now closer to 6%. The IML also advocates permitting public officials to conduct remote meetings without the issuance of a disaster declaration.

'Grow Your Own' teachers grants announced

The Illinois State Board of Education has announced a $2.1 million grant for school districts to “Grow Your Own” teachers.

The grant marks the third round of funding for the Education Career Pathway program, which recruits local students to the teaching profession.

According to ISBE officials, the program provides current high school students with an opportunity to participate in coursework designed to prepare them for a college-level teacher prep program.

Child support town halls planned

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is launching a series of virtual town hall meetings to engage with community members and gather input as the state prepares to review the state’s child support guidelines.

The town hall meetings will be held Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 9, and will run through the spring.

Illinois currently uses an income shares model for determining child support payments.

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