Illinois
Daywatch: Illinois nonprofit provides free flights for patients traveling to get an abortion
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Good morning, Chicago.
A bipartisan gun violence invoice that appeared unimaginable a month in the past is on the verge of profitable last congressional approval, a vote that may produce lawmakers’ most sweeping reply in many years to mass shootings. The Senate authorised the measure Thursday by 65-33. Fifteen Republicans joined all 50 Democrats, together with their two impartial allies, in approving the invoice. The Home was set to vote on the $13 billion package deal Friday.
Earlier Thursday, one other department of presidency moved in the wrong way on gun restrictions. In a significant enlargement of gun rights, the Supreme Courtroom mentioned Thursday that People have a proper to hold firearms in public for self-defense, a ruling more likely to result in extra folks legally armed.
And within the newest Jan. 6 listening to, Illinois Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger took the lead in questioning witnesses whose testimony tried to indicate how former President Trump pressured the Justice Division to assist him overturn the 2020 election. Listed here are some takeaways from the listening to, together with particulars on what number of GOP members of Congress had been mentioned to have sought pardons.
Listed here are the highest tales it is advisable know to begin your day.
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A burgeoning Illinois nonprofit has begun offering free flights aboard small passenger airplanes to assist sufferers journey to their abortion appointments, a brand new technique of reproductive well being care entry that’s emerged because the U.S. Supreme Courtroom is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized the process nationwide.
The Springfield-based charity Elevated Entry was included in late April, based on Illinois secretary of state data. “Even earlier than Roe ends, it’s not simple to entry an abortion,” mentioned the nonprofit’s government director, who requested to stay nameless for his security, citing the heightened menace of violence surrounding reproductive rights because the Supreme Courtroom ruling approaches.
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot disputed the notion that Chicago law enforcement officials are being overworked, telling reporters the division provides cops discover when their days off are going to be canceled and so they have an “unimaginable quantity of” day off as a part of their contract.
Lightfoot made the feedback after aldermen authorised an ordinance Wednesday offering a loss of life profit to spouses of first responders who die by suicide. The Metropolis Council handed the measure unanimously after its sponsor, Southwest Aspect Ald. Matt O’Shea, and different aldermen spoke in regards to the hardships confronted by officers, together with having their days off repeatedly canceled amid an ongoing employees scarcity.
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When Illinois’ wealthiest man, Ken Griffin, introduced Thursday that he plans to maneuver the headquarters of his funding agency from Chicago to Miami, it was not solely a significant growth for Citadel, it additionally got here at an intriguing time politically for the billionaire hedge fund supervisor.
Illinois Republican voters are poised on Tuesday to just accept or reject some or all members of a slate of GOP candidates for statewide places of work that Griffin funded with $50 million. That slate is headed by Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who’s vying to be the Republican nominee for governor.
Contemplating the timing and political optics, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson and Dan Petrella report, it factors to a probably early concession speech.
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When Dalen Terry stepped out of a NBA draft watch celebration of greater than 100 family and friends in Phoenix, his boisterous pleasure zipped throughout two time zones — even by means of a Zoom name.
The Chicago Bulls chosen Terry with the No. 18 decide Thursday, including wing depth to their roster because the staff seems to be to construct round DeMar DeRozan for the 2022-23 season. Bulls normal supervisor Marc Eversley mentioned the rookie’s infectious vitality was key within the staff’s choice.
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“Chicago is a significant meals city, from expensive effective eating to modest neighborhood joints that hit the spot, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the sweaty, cacophonous kitchen dynamics of the latter so richly and lovingly portrayed as they’re in ‘The Bear,’ a darkly comedic drama that takes its inspiration from a neighborhood staple: Mr. Beef,” writes Tribune critic Nina Metz.
Having seen all eight episodes, Metz says it is perhaps one in every of her favourite exhibits of the yr.
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The Chicago Delight Parade is again after a 3-year hiatus as a result of coronavirus pandemic and is the spotlight of a month of occasions deliberate to honor and have fun Chicago’s lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and questioning or queer (LGBTQ) neighborhood throughout June.
Right here’s what it is advisable know earlier than you go.
Illinois
Michael Madigan once controlled much of Illinois politics. Now the ex-House speaker heads to trial
Illinois
Officials celebrate completion of $73 million project to preserve shoreline at Illinois Beach State Park near Zion
The governor along with state and local officials celebrated the completion of a $73 million project to preserve the rapidly eroding shoreline at the Illinois Beach State Park near Zion.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and local and state officials gathered on Monday to celebrate the completion of the Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project.
The $73 million investment provided for the preservation of several miles of natural Lake Michigan shoreline in three areas of the park.
Pritzker said the state park is “one of the many natural beauties that make our state special,” with dunes and swales, sprawling marshes, forests of oak and vast arrays of animal life and vegetation — including the last remaining natural shoreline in Illinois.
“And I am so proud and grateful that we could come together to protect it,” Pritzker said.
“Thanks to all those who tirelessly worked to execute this project – Illinoisans will continue to visit the lakefront here for generations to come, and we’ll keep this habitat and the local economy flourishing,” he added.
Officials say Illinois Beach State Park required immediate intervention to restore the natural lakefront, which was eroding at more than 100 feet per year and putting rare habitats at risk.
The new offshore stone breakwater structures shelter the Lake Michigan shoreline from wave energy and preserve the surrounding ecosystems.
The breakwaters assist in retaining the newly placed sand, slowing down the littoral process, and enhancing public access to the beach.
“Illinois Beach State Park is a natural treasure, and this project ensures its beauty and ecosystem are preserved for future generations,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Protecting our environment is not just about today but about creating a legacy of stewardship that will benefit our communities for years to come.”
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said it was a “very real possibility” prior to the project that the shoreline and the landscape beyond it would “vanish forever.”
“By working together, we were able to preserve precious natural shoreline and irreplaceable habitat,” Finnie said.
“In addition to the ecological benefits, this restoration is already attracting more visitors and special events to Illinois Beach State Park, to the Illinois Beach Hotel, and to the surrounding communities, driving more tourism dollars into this region,” she said.
The park remained open to the public throughout the construction of the breakwaters, which led to careful coordination with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to ensure safety and accessibility as 35,000 truckloads of sand were hauled within the park.
The general contractor, Michels Construction, collaborated with landscape architecture firm Living Habitats to install various habitat features at the park, including 10 tern nests, limestone ledges, 36 vegetated ecoblocks, 15 pieces of driftwood habitat salvaged from the area, five rock spurs, custom 3D-printed ecoblocks and 4,000 tons of cobblestone.
Beach Park Mayor John Hucker said the beachfront at the state park has always been a great place to visit for kids of all ages. “It is great to see the improvements completed so future generations can enjoy the beach and all that park has to offer.”
The Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project marks the first project in the Midwest to achieve Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) Verification.
The WEDG Verification is a national rating system that recognizes resilient, ecological and accessible waterfront projects.
The project was also selected for the 2024 Best Restored Beach award through the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA).
State Senator Mary Edly-Allen, D-Grayslake, called the state park “one of our community’s greatest assets.”
“Over the years I have witnessed the landscape change and evolve, so to now see it revitalized to this magnitude gives me great joy. As a member of both the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee and the Appropriations Public Safety & Infrastructure Committee, this project highlights the investment in assets that cannot be replaced – our environment. I hope the one million annual visitors to the park can see how committed Illinois is to preserving and protecting our environment,” Edly-Allen said.
“Illinois Beach State Park is situated within a larger 4,500-acre complex of globally significant habitat,” Lake County Chair Sandy Hart said.
“Along with other public landowners such as the Lake County Forest Preserves, the Village of Winthrop Harbor, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and in partnership with private landowners, a bi-state public-private partnership is caring for this rare dune and swale habitat, which has been designated a Wetland of International Importance. The State’s investment in Illinois Beach State Park will accelerate the protection of this critical landscape,” Hart said.
PEORIA (25News Now) – 2024 was one of Illinois’ busiest construction seasons ever.
With an increase in the state’s gas tax, Illinois spent $249.5 million for 10 major projects in IDOT’s District 4. The gas tax is at 47 cents per gallon for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
The new eastbound McClugage Bridge is one of the major projects on the list.
“Once the deck is complete, then the contractor can focus on finishing the pavement approaching on the new bridge, installing all new fences and railings,” said IDOT spokesperson Paul Wappel. “There’s still a lot of work to complete, but we hope to open the bridge to vehicle traffic in early December.”
Weather pending, East Peoria’s Streets Department Supervisor Rick Semonski said the nearly $14 million Springfield Road project will finish before the end of October. He said it would not cause any issues for the annual Festival of Lights parade and the famous Winter Wonderland.
“Crews are milling and paving now, which is getting close to one of the final steps,” Semonski said. “The final steps, of course, would be cleanup, striping, and there’s some concrete work to wrap up.”
If all goes according to plan, the project from start to finish would only have lasted six months.
Below is a list of projects the Illinois Department of Transportation provided 25News, which outlines the statuses of the projects. Comments from IDOT spokesperson Paul Wappel are listed in bold.
Peoria County
- Eastbound War Memorial Drive (U.S. 150) at Adams Street (Illinois 29) in Peoria: The current extended lane closure is Illinois American Water. IDOT said they are not sure how long they will be there.
- Adams Street (Illinois 29) between Lorentz Avenue and Eureka Street in Peoria: Will stay the same until the new McClugage opens to traffic.
- I-474 at Airport Road (exit 5) near Peoria: Stage 1 of the project is complete, and the contractor is working on Stage 2 now. Weather permitting, they hope to get the Stage 2 deck poured this year, but the overall completion of the project is not until October 2025. This project is currently well ahead of schedule.
- Illinois 8 just east of Oak Hill; closed: The road is scheduled to reopen by early November.
- Illinois 91 north of Dunlap; closed: This reopened the Friday before Labor Day (Sept. 30).
- I-474 near the I-74/Illinois 6 interchange: The contractor is currently building crossover pavement that will be used over the next two years to reconstruct the bridges on I-474. Traffic control is expected to remain in place until just before Thanksgiving.
Tazewell County
- Illinois 78 over I-74: Currently finishing up stage 1 completing earthwork and Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) and will be switching to stage 2 in about 2 weeks which entails removing the second part of the bridge. The estimated project completion is the end of December, weather permitting.
- U.S. 24 between Cummings Lane and Main Street in Washington: On Monday, October 7th, we will have a traffic shift on US 24 in Washington from Cummins to Main. The road will still be down to one lane in each direction, but we will switch from traffic using the inside (passing) lanes to the outside (driving) lanes. Currently, we are down to one lane in each direction, with traffic using the inside (passing) lanes.
- Ongoing construction to realign the intersection of Nofsinger Road and U.S. 24 in Washington will require lane closures on U.S. 24 that started in May. This stage of the project will reduce U.S. 24 to one lane in each direction between Cummings Lane and Main Street. Work is expected to be completed in October.
- I-155 near Hopedale and at Queenswood Avenue, Broadway Road; Allentown Road, Illinois 122, and Armington Road: The Queenwood Road and Broadway Road bridges over Interstate 155 project in Morton began in August. The project involves replacing bridge joints and resurfacing the bridge decks, and will require lane closures on both bridges through the end of November.
- Cedar Street Extension (Illinois 116/8) in East Peoria: This is part of the ongoing overhaul of the Cedar Street Bridge (Illinois 8/116) across the Illinois River. A new traffic configuration began in August. This is the first of 3 adjacent consecutive projects over the next several years. Currently, we have 2 ramps closed, and we will be closing all 4 ramps on 10/14 for 2 weeks. Hopefully, by the end of November/early December, (weather permitting) we will reopen all traffic on Cedar Street. In Spring 2025, there will be minor closures to paint the bridge.
McLean County
- U.S. 24 2 miles east of Chenoa: Stage 2 is underway. The contractor has completed driving, piling, and currently pouring the abutments. Beams will be set once curing is complete. The project will be complete by the end of November.
- Illinois 9 east of I-55/74 in Bloomington: Contractor continues to replace PCC curb and gutter, driveway entrances, and side roads. The city of Bloomington is nearing completion of the water main relocation, so the contractor can begin the reconstruction of White Oak Road. A pre-pavement meeting is scheduled for next week, as the contractor plans to begin Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) surface removal next week on Market Street and pave new HMA the following week. The estimated completion date is June 2025.
Woodford County
- U.S. 24 west of Eureka: Work on the U.S. 24 bridge continues with two-way traffic shifting from the eastbound lane to the westbound lane, controlled by temporary signals. This configuration is expected to last through October.
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