The bids, which were originally due in August before the state pushed back the deadline, come a week after the State Historic Preservation Office submitted a nomination to the National Park Service to list the Thompson Center on the National Register of Historic Places. The names of the bidders and their plans for the building were not disclosed.

Employees who don’t report their vaccination status by Oct. 15 will be placed in a non-disciplinary no-pay status.

A national republication of our column.

“County finance officials told our editorial board Thursday that they’re confident that for any ongoing programs established through ARPA funding, the impact of an economic rebound will provide sufficient resources to sustain them. That’s a high level of optimism…”

The FY2021-FY2025 CIP proposes approximately $11.2 billion in planned projects.

“Lightfoot has included in her proposed new city budget a $12.25 million fund, the first of its kind for Chicago, to pay for services for the victims of crimes, including funeral arrangements, counseling and the inevitable filling out of piles of paperwork…In a proposed $16.7 billion budget, $12.25 million is not a great deal of money, but it would allow the city to expand on services currently provided by nonprofit groups and the state.”

The independent monitoring team found that the department was in compliance with more than 50% of the benchmarks that were graded during the first half of the year. The team noted, however, that the CPD’s data policies — especially those related to foot pursuits — still need improvement.

“At a time when politicians in Springfield have blatantly refused to tackle the state’s pension crisis head-on, Cook County continues to make progress toward getting its pension fund on track for 100% funding by 2046. The pension fund is now 64% fully funded, and Preckwinkle’s proposed budget calls for an extra $325 million pension payment. (Chief Financial Officer Ammar) Rizki told us that, compared to national averages, a 64% funded ratio is ‘not great. But when you look across Illinois, we look like rock stars.'”

“More than half of the people arrested for carjacking in Chicago last year were juveniles. They often target victims downtown because they’re showing off. They broadcast their heists on social media, but they don’t know the exit routes very well, so their chances of getting caught are high, officials say.”

The headquarters – a 36-floor, $200 million riverfront skyscraper – sits at the crossroads of a cost-cutting campaign that has seen Boeing shed real estate, including its commercial airplane headquarters in Seattle. Boeing, however, insists significant operations still take place there and rebuffs any suggestion that the giant may leave its Midwest base. “Chicago is strategically important to Boeing’s U.S. and global operations,” a spokesperson said.

Preckwinkle wants to spend the county’s share of the federal relief package on a host of initiatives designed to increase equity in Cook County. That includes $80 million to send cash directly to the county’s poorest residents and to fund a study of whether a universal basic income could help residents recover from the economic catastrophe of the coronavirus pandemic and fight poverty.

In 2020, 64.4% of Chicagoans who underwent this voluntary lead testing found they had lead in their water. The program promised to replace 600 lines by the end of this year. To date, the city has replaced six — a mere one percent of its year-end goal

Cook County commissioner Sean Morrison says when anything happens involving a Forest Preserve officer or county property – such as a car accident or an assault involving a member of the public – county commissioners are notified, so he is beyond confused as to why there was no mention of that Sept. 27 officer shooting at a would-be carjacker near Preckwinkle’s home until now.