SPRINGFIELD - -- Lawmakers are thinking about scaling back free bus and train rides for all but the poorest seniors to help cash-strapped transit agencies, a move that carries the risk of alienating a large group of voters with little more than three months until the primary election.
those 65 and older still wouldn't have to pay full fares -- half-price rides are a federal requirement.
Click on the following for more details: Lawmakers reconsider free rides for seniors -- chicagotribune.com
Aon Corp., the world's largest insurance broker, is offering to cover companies against the risk of their offices being shut by the swine flu pandemic.
Since April, more insurers have excluded cover for pandemic building closure and now very few inclusive policies exist, according to Aon.
Click on the following for more of the story: Aon to offer coverage against H1N1 flu | Crain's Chicago Business
Within 21 days of a foreclosure being completed, the new owner, most often the lender to the previous owner, must make a good faith effort to identify residents of the property; notify residents that they have acquired the property; inform residents that the property has been the subject of foreclosure; and provide contact information for resident concerns and repair requests.
Tenants will have a minimum of 30 days to move after the eviction hearing if the tenant is evicted under the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law.
Nationally, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, renters make up about 40% of the families facing the loss of their housing due to foreclosure and more than one in every five foreclosed properties is a rental property
Click on the following for more details: New State Law Goes Into Effect to Protect Renters Impacted by Foreclosure
Click to enlarge the photocopies:
On September 16 the County Board sent back to committee the Sheriff’s request for a new squad car to replace one destroyed in an accident. Base upon board discussion regarding car usage and department needs, the subcommittee requested a report on current mileage of the entire fleet of Sheriff vehicles. The above records were submitted to the committee and the entire board. Based upon committee recommendation the board voted on October 21 to approve the car purchase. The vote was 11-1, Mr. Mattison voting opposed.
The above records were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and contain no material of sensitive nature. The FOIA request and the Sheriff’s response is shown below:
Several vehicles that are deleted, are cars personally used by Sheriff Wirth and his administrators. From what I understand their mileage was supplied to board members, however Lt. Gay does not believe that my FOIA request includes these cars. You can be judge of that.
President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday threw his weight behind a proposal to build a nuclear-powered space ship and give Russia an edge in the space race.
Perminov described the proposed nuclear-powered spaceship as a "unique breakthrough project," but offered few details.
ship will have a megawatt-class nuclear reactor, as opposed to small nuclear reactors that powered previous Soviet satellites
We never talk about using them for earth-to-orbit launch,…. "The way they have always talked about it in NASA missions is for use in deep space."
Click on the following for more details: Daily Herald | Russian space chief proposes a nuclear spaceship
St. Charles police are pitching a new local ordinance that will make public urination or defecation illegal in the city for the first time. Unlike many other local communities, there is no law in St. Charles that specifically addresses the phenomenon of people relieving themselves in public.
"in or on a public street, alley, sidewalk, yard, park, building, structure, plaza, public or utility right-of-way, or other public place other than a restroom, or any place in public view. Offenders caught in the act would received a citation with a $25 fine under the proposed law.
Click on the following for the reasons for the new law: Daily Herald | St. Charles looking to curb public urination
Here is an on the ground report regarding Afghanistan. Check back and see what Mr. Brenton is up to.
Afghanistan Journal: Hal Bernton has been a staff reporter for The Seattle Times since 2000. He has roamed widely around the Northwest for regional reporting and to help in the newspaper's military coverage. His oversees assignments have taken him to Russia, Algeria, Aceh Province in Indonesia and Iraq in December of 2003 and January of 2004.
Seattle Times reporter Hal Bernton, on assignment in Afghanistan, shares his observations about life in a country now in its third decade of war.
Click on the following: Afghan Journal | Seattle Times Newspaper
A 50-year-old Crystal Lake man has been the first person in McHenry County whose death has been attributed to the H1N1 flu.
had medical conditions that increased his vulnerability to the virus, according to a news release from the McHenry County Department of Health.
Northwest Herald | CL man is McHenry County's first H1N1 death
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The Belvidere Police Department is looking for a man in connection to a Sunday morning sexual assault.
Police say a female victim was assaulted in the 200 block of Highline Drive in Belvidere.The suspect spoke English but had a Spanish accent, police said. He was wearing a red baseball cap with white stitching, a red hooded sweat shirt, red sweat pants and work boots.
Anyone with information on the crime can call the Belvidere Police Department at 815-544-2135 or Crime Stoppers at 815-547-7867.Click on the following for more details on the story: Belvidere police search for man involved in sexual assault - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
Without doing anything, the city would face just over $1 million in deficit this year and just over $2 million the following year
[Suggestions form the retreat]:
eliminating janitorial service for city hall. Each department head would be responsible for their area and working collectively on common areas.
lay off three police department personnel and transfer $620,000 from the utility fund to pay for other police salaries.
layoffs would be two fire department personnel, and a transfer of $380,000 from the utility fund to pay for other fire salaries.
converting two building department personnel from full-time to part-time.
[Furloughs for fire and police departments]--the IAFF and the IUOE have contracts expiring in the spring 2010, the FOP’s contract doesn’t expire until 2011 and includes a wage increase of more than 3 percent for 2010. The furlough needs to be negotiated; it cannot be forced on the personnel.
Click on the following for more of the details: The Belvidere Daily Republican. - City budget retreat presents limited revenue, difficult choices
snatched up $7,672,968 worth of delinquent taxes and attached up to 18 percent interest to the bill.
“I’d say that 99 percent of the time, people redeem their taxes and you get paid your interest. It can be a good investment if you know what you’re doing.”
Tax sales can be risky, though, and people like Beasley often spend hours researching parcels they plan to bid on before attending the sale
bid a percentage rate with a cap at 18 percent. The auction caller accepts the lowest bid to win. The property owner then has 30 months to buy back the taxes
But if 30 months pass and the property owner still hasn’t redeemed the taxes, the tax buyer lays claim to the property
Click on the following to read the complete details of how it works: Bidders snatch up delinquent taxes - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
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The following is the teaching faculty’s salary schedule:
2009-10, 2008-09 plus 4.60% 2010-11, 2009-10 plus 4.75%
Lane Minimum Maximum Lane Minimum Maximum
L7 49,071 96,377 L7 51,402 100,955
L6 47,276 92,561 L6 49,522 96,957
L5 45,483 88,393 L5 47,643 92,592
L4 43,688 84,494 L4 45,763 88,508
L3 41,892 80,596 L3 43,882 84,424
L2 40,098 76,698 L2 42,002 80,341
L1 38,303 73,009 L1 40,123 76,477
Lane Advancement
Faculty will be eligible for lane advancement on the faculty salary schedule by successfully
completing pre-approved graduate courses as follows:
1. Graduate courses in the faculty member’s teaching area.
2. Graduate courses in education such as: Community College, Educational Psychology,
Philosophy of Education, Administration of Higher Education, Guidance, Evaluation and
Testing, Educational Statistics, Instructional Technology, or Adult Education.Applications for coursework approval shall be submitted to the appropriate Dean at least thirty (30)
days prior to commencement of the graduate course. Evidence of coursework completion must be submitted to the Dean as provided in Section 7.1.2.
Faculty members shall not be advanced to a lane for which the degree has not been earned. For example, a faculty member who has not been awarded a Master’s degree shall not be advanced to the Master’s lane or beyond until the degree is awarded and the coursework completed. A faculty member who has not been awarded a Doctoral degree shall not be advanced to the doctoral lane.
The initial step placement will be rounded to the nearest whole number (with .5 rounded up to the next number) and the initial step placement will not exceed Step 6.
All current faculty members will be advanced one step for each year of service from their step placement on the 2007-2008 salary schedule for each succeeding year of the contract.
Within each lane --a year of additional experience will be rewarded by $1000 or more per year of experience.
