Quick hits: Illinois news in brief for Monday, June 28, 2021
School leaders seek state guidances before start of school year
Superintendents of schools across the state are demanding the Illinois State Board of Education provide more guidelines for in-person education this fall.
Schools must still observe social distancing and mask guidelines despite capacity restrictions and mask requirements being lifted for most other sectors.
In one case, a school district relaxed its policy but was sent a note that it been put on probation by ISBE.
Sheriffs group raises concerns about prison transfers
Illinois sheriffs across the state are still having problems transferring jail inmates that have been sentenced to Illinois prisons.
Illinois Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Jim Kaitschuk says the continued delays don’t make sense as COVID-19 rates are down from this time last year.
There is also a difference in how much the state should reimburse county jails for holding inmates, in some cases for months, Kaitschuk said.
Blankenhorn raises concerns about rail traffic
A former transportation secretary is raising concerns over the expected increased rail traffic around Illinois with the merger of two freight companies.
Former Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said the sale of Kansas City Southern to Canadian Pacific will likely increase rail traffic in the Chicago suburbs as well as in downstate Illinois.
There are also concerns of a lack of competition for the cost of freight that could push the cost of goods higher.
Pritzker re-issues executive orders
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday extended his COVID-19 orders.
They were set to expire Saturday.
Those orders include a variety of provisions for public and nonpublic schools to follow, waivers for certain provisions to be followed such as what applicants have to provide to access public benefits, to the furlough of Illinois Department of Corrections inmates, the eviction moratorium and more.
COVID-19 metrics remain low
There were 1,744 COVID-19 positive cases reported by public health officials statewide for the entire week last week. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported the weekly totals Friday.
The agency also reported in mid-June, there was a COVID-19 outbreak at a summer youth camp in central Illinois, where of more than 50 positive cases, one person was hospitalized.
The agency didn’t identify the camp or its exact location.
BBB warns of lottery scams
The Better Business Bureau says sweepstakes and lottery scams are taking more money from Illinois residents.
An updated report on fraud in sweepstakes, lottery and prize scams shows losses increased 35% across the country in 2020.
Victims who were over the age of 55 lost an average of nearly $1,000. BBB of Chicago and Northern Illinois says there’s concern the new vaccine lottery in the state, offering a total of $10 million dollars in prize money, could add to consumer confusion.
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