Clout St: Quinn takes aim at lawmakers' pay raises

Here is something I missed until just now. 

Legislators had forfeited their annual raise this year, but on Friday Quinn used his amendatory veto power to go even further and propose eliminating yearly pay raises for good.

The bill Quinn changed also eliminates a controversial pay review board that frequently recommends giving lawmakers and statewide officials raises above and beyond the cost of living increase. 

Quinn's changes are aimed to forcing lawmakers to take a vote anytime they want a pay raise.

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Clout St: Quinn takes aim at lawmakers' pay raises

Manufacturer considers leaving Elkhorn for larger facility -- Walworth County Today

Officials from the company told the Gazette in January that their was no room to expand in Elkhorn, and eventually they would consider moving.

In 2003, opposition from Linn Township residents prompted Chemtool owners to reconsider their plans to build a plant on a 102-acre property off County Highway B, :

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Manufacturer considers leaving Elkhorn for larger facility -- Walworth County Today

Beloit Daily News - your source for news, entertainment, sports, opinion, events, community, shopping and more > News > Local News

This article tells some new facts about the illusive plans of Mr. Athans. 

Athans said he would also like to move the Elkhorn, Wis., plant to the facility as well.

Woodward will be leasing some of the building back for a period of time, but he declined to comment on the amount of money Chemtool is offering Woodward.

The location, which is on the corner of Illinois Hwy. 2 and Rockton Road, is also conveniently located a mile away from Chemtool’s plant at the former Beloit Corporation at 1165 Prairie Hill Road.   Chemtool bought … [that] building in January of 2008. About 50 people now work there.

Athans plans to move Chemtool’s corporate headquarters in Crystal Lake to Rockton as soon as possible after the deal is closed. He expects 50 employees to move initially and then the remainder of the 500 employees should be relocated to Rockton within a year or a year and a half.

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Beloit Daily News - your source for news, entertainment, sports, opinion, events, community, shopping and more > News > Local News

Chemtool to buy Rockton facility from Woodward - - BusinessRockford.com

A repeat for the most part of information already known.

Athans said Chemtool had wanted to build a 75,000-square-foot office building next to a former Beloit Corp. building at Prairie Hill Road and Illinois 2 but jumped at the chance to acquire the nearly 103,000-square-foot Woodward building and surrounding property. The Woodward building is less than five minutes away on the corner of Illinois 2 and Rockton Road.
“You can’t find a better looking building,” Athans said. “It’s set up for assembly and test so we’ll have to add on to it, but this allows us to get moving much more quickly.”

Chemtool to buy Rockton facility from Woodward - - BusinessRockford.com

Daily Herald | State tollway inspector general steps down

The Illinois tollway's inspector general resigned unexpectedly Thursday, officials confirmed.

Tracy Smith's move comes as the Illinois attorney general's office is raising questions about the performance of Smith even as another agency defended her record.

The attorney general office's criticism concerns a college friendship between Smith and Illinois State Toll Highway Authority Chairman John Mitola's wife. Madigan's staff did not elaborate on the issue or say if any action was planned.

Read the rest of the story:  Daily Herald | State tollway inspector general steps down

Quinn vetoes campaign finance bill | Daily Chronicle

The veto was the latest chapter for a bill that has been criticized ever since it passed the General Assembly

Quinn and lawmakers talked about improving the bill and closing loopholes that critics said plagued the legislation, they declined to say what specifically they found objectionable

Quinn vetoes campaign finance bill | Daily Chronicle