SHOREWOOD — The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that an ongoing project to reconstruct the Interstate 55 interchange at Illinois 59, in Joliet and Shorewood, will require a full closure of the U.S. 52 (Jefferson Street) ramp to southbound I-55, weather permitting, from 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday.

During that time, a detour will direct motorist to Illinois 59 to access southbound I-55.

The press release outlined how the $59.3 million project will convert the existing partial-access interchange at I-55 and Illinois 59 into a full-access, diverging-diamond interchange. East Frontage Road will be relocated and reconstructed to provide necessary distance from the interchange and auxiliary lanes will be added to I-55 between the Illinois 59 and U.S. 52 interchanges to improve safety by better accommodating vehicles entering and leaving the interstate.

The Illinois 59 intersection with Seil Road will be improved and modernized. Pedestrian access will be built across I-55, with the addition of new sidewalks and a multiuse path to connect with the local system of trails. New lighting and modernized traffic signals will be installed. Noise and retaining walls will be built along I-55.

The project is anticipated to be completed in November.

Homeowners in half of Illinois’ 102 counties saw their property taxes grow faster than inflation from 2018 to 2022. The median bill rose $756 in that time.

The typical Illinois homeowner is paying $756 more in property taxes than five years ago, and it’s not just inflation: half of Illinois’ 102 counties saw their bills rise faster than the cost of living.

Homeowners across 61 Illinois counties saw their property taxes grow faster than inflation from 2018 to 2022, with the worst-off homeowners seeing a 75% spike in the median property tax bill.

The biggest jump was for Lake County homeowners, where the median increased by $1,262. Tax hikes were less in rural counties, especially those farthest from Chicago.

Illinoisans already paid the second-highest property tax rate in the nation in 2022.

The typical Illinois homeowner paid about $5,055 in property taxes – more than homeowners in any other Midwest state and more than double the typical American homeowner’s $2,457 bill, according to the most recent census data for 2022. Illinois homeowners paid more in median property taxes in 2022 than the typical homeowner in Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana and South Carolina – combined.

Census data also shows homeowners living in every one of Illinois’ border counties would see their property tax bills reduced by moving to a similar value home in a neighboring county across the state line. On average, these homeowners would have saved about $1,595 in property taxes in 2022.

In Illinois, a homeowner’s property tax bill is based on two factors: the assessed value of the property and the amount of revenue local taxing districts seek to raise.

Schools levy most of the property taxes – about two-thirds across Illinois. Illinois has nearly 7,000 local government units with the power to demand property taxes, far more than any other state.

These local entities, from airport authorities to forest preserves to fire-protection districts, all levy property taxes that are layered atop one another – making the total property tax bill for Illinoisans more expensive and less transparent.

A growing share of property taxes have gone to government pensions, which continue eating more school and local government resources. Illinois ended the 2023 fiscal year with an estimated $211 billion in unfunded state and local pension liabilities. That is about half funded – the nation’s worst funding ratio and biggest pension debt. It is at a level between what experts warn is “deeply troubled” and “past the point of no return.”

Think property taxes don’t matter to you because you rent? Wrong. Landlords pass on property tax costs through higher rent, so property taxes can significantly impact the affordability of housing for both homeowners and renters.

Illinois has lost population for 10 years in a row – a total loss of 548,916 people and most because of moves to other states. Over 50% of Illinois voters polled cited high taxes as the main reasons why they would move out of state if given the chance. Lawmakers need to act now to curb these costs for the future and incentivize more Illinoisans to stay.

A “hold harmless” pension reform plan, such as one developed by the Illinois Policy Institute and based loosely on bipartisan 2013 reforms, could help eliminate the state’s unfunded pension liability and reduce homeowners’ property tax payments over time while providing retirement security for pensioners.

With nearly 3-in-5 Illinoisans believing the value of public services they receive are not worth the property taxes they pay, lawmakers should be pursuing structural reforms that will keep Illinoisans in Illinois.

Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was fatally shot in the face by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy after she called 911 for assistance, had reached out to emergency services at least twice in the days leading up to her death on July 6, according to newly released records.
One of the calls came from her mother, Donna Massey, who expressed concern to the dispatcher, saying, “I don’t want you guys to hurt her,” and explained that her daughter feared the police.She specifically requested that no officer who might be “prejudiced” be sent, reported AP.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating whether the deputies who responded to the call about a suspected prowler at Massey’s home were aware of her mental health history. Body-worn camera footage released last week suggests that this information was not communicated to the officers. In the video, former sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, who shot Massey, is heard asking dispatch two minutes after the shooting if there was any record of previous calls indicating she had mental health issues.
Jeff Wilhite, spokesperson for Sheriff Jack Campbell, mentioned that while such information is passed along if known, there is no automatic mechanism to ensure it is relayed. “The dispatcher would have to know ‘yes, it’s the same person’ and ‘yes, it’s the same address,'” Wilhite explained.
Another 911 call from July 4, released in response to public records requests, involved an unnamed caller reporting that someone was trying to harm them, only to disconnect after stating, “This must not be the right number.” Officials are unsure if Massey made this call.
Grayson, 30, has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct for the shooting death of 36-year-old Massey. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond.
The body-cam footage reveals that after Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home just before 1 a.m. on July 6, she appeared confused, repeatedly asking, “Please God” and “Don’t hurt me.” Inside her home, she struggled to find her ID and asked for her Bible. When she suddenly said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” while holding a pot of water, Grayson drew his gun and fired three shots, one of which struck her below the left eye.
Massey’s family has stated that she had a history of mental health struggles and had recently sought treatment. Her 17-year-old son, Malachi Hill Massey, shared that his mother had checked into a 30-day inpatient treatment program in the St. Louis area at the start of July, only to return two days later.
On July 4, at 9:27 p.m., a 911 caller from Massey’s address reported that “somebody’s trying to hurt me.” When pressed for more information, the caller said, “Never mind,” and disconnected. Later that morning, Donna Massey called 911, describing her daughter’s paranoid behavior and emphasizing that she was not dangerous but had become increasingly fearful and distressed.
Springfield police responded to the call and found that Massey did not want to speak to medical professionals but was checked by emergency medical technicians. Massey herself later called to report a neighbor hitting her with a brick, leading a sheriff’s deputy to meet her at a hospital. The deputy noted that she appeared to be experiencing mental health issues and was seeking treatment for minor injuries. Massey mentioned she had recently been released from a mental health facility and claimed police had tried to run her off the road earlier that day.
Twelve hours after this incident, Grayson and another deputy responded to the July 6 call, where body-cam footage shows them noticing the broken windows on Massey’s SUV. Grayson questioned her about the vehicle, and when she denied owning it, he asked if she was “doing all right mentally,” to which she replied, “Yes, I took my medicine.”
Minutes later, after the shooting, Grayson radioed in to ask if there was any call history indicating Massey had mental health issues. The response is not heard, but Grayson is later heard saying, “That would explain a lot.”