Illinois quick hits: Madigan chief of staff found guilty; Illinois Treasurer sends out checks; Chicago ranks high for pedestrian safety
Madigan chief of staff found guilty
A jury in the Tim Mapes perjury case found the former Michael Madigan confidant guilty on two counts of perjury Thursday. Mapes was accused of trying to protect the former Illinois Speaker of the House when he was his chief of staff. Mapes was given full immunity by prosecutors during their investigation into a bribery scheme involving Madigan. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison in the perjury case.
Illinois Treasurer sends out checks
Thousands of Illinoisans will be getting checks in the mail. Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs said more than 66,000 people will get checks through the “Money Match” initiative. Some of the checks will be worth up to $5,000 and come from the state’s unclaimed property program. Frerichs said a total of $47 million will be returned. The initial notification letters are being mailed out this month.
Chicago ranks high for pedestrian safety
Although Chicago usually gets bad marks for overall safety for its crime problems, the city was ranked among the top five safest cities in the country for pedestrians. KURU Footwear researched the safest and most dangerous U.S. cities for pedestrians in 2023. The group found that Chicago was the 5th safest city for those traveling on foot. The top three safest cities were New York, Boston and San Francisco.
